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Wave A Flag |
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This trick needs to be taught in steps: |
| Step
#1: Teach your horse to shake his head "no." |
| Step
#2: Teach your horse to hold a hanky in his mouth. |
| Step
#3: Wrap the hanky around a flag handle and teach
your horse to hold the flag in his mouth. |
| Step
#4: When your horse has the flag in his mouth, cue
him to say "no." |
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Instructions for saying "no:" |
| 1.
Standing by your horse's left shoulder, take something
blunt, like the end of a rasp, nail file, or DULLED nail, and ask
him a question, such as: "Are you a bad boy?", simultaneously
poking (NOT JABBING!) him near the withers. He should shake
this annoying poke off as if it were a fly biting him. When he
offers even a small shake, reward him with praise (GOOD BOY!), pats,
or a small piece of carrot. Practice for only a few minutes at
a time. Eventually do away with the nail, and he should shake
his head as soon as your hand approaches his neck. |
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Alternate method: If our
horse does not respond to the nail, try tickling a feather in his
ear and he should attempt to shake off the "fly" in his ear.
Reward as above. |
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How to teach your horse to hold a hanky in his mouth.
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Step #1 Take a clean
bandanna or hanky and put some treat in it, like a carrot or
Giddyap Girls horse treat.
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Step #2 Tell the horse to "Take
the hanky," while offering it to him with the treat inside. When he
grabs the treat and hanky, praise him lavishly. Repeat, repeat,
repeat. |
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Step #3 Once the horse is
reliably taking the hanky with the treats. omit the treats, and
offer him the hanky alone. When he takes it, praise and reward
lavishly. |
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Happy trick-training!
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