Our air quality has been horrid for over a week now. I think I did one mostly walk ride. Today you could even smell the smoke 
. Since it wasn’t cool to ride, I broke out the Surefoot pads and did some body work with her. Walking back to the barn I spied the rocks that rim the drive by the barn. I use them to mount and dismount (old lady). I have done lots of ground work with her and I thought let’s try it. I wasn’t going to make her but just asked the question can you? She CAN!
Susan
My Gifthorse (from a friend 
) was always fed from a manger.
I feed from pans on the ground.
It didn’t take him long to figure out not only how to eat from a pan, but also how to show me All Gone 
He still does this, handing me the empty pan after he’s finished his grain 
And he’s learning the Hokey Pokey 
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LOVE!!! the mane!
& I bow to your skill & patience making it so exact! 
Thank you! Those are his shark fins 
This is all fun and games until you’re using landscaping rocks to re-mount after a tasting at a winery and your trick-loving horse hops up into the beautifully maintained gardens with you. I was so embarassed that day and a bit shocked because although a climber, she’d had a hate/fear of those big square landscaping rocks until that moment 
We haven’t tried the Hokey Pokey but Kyra does do Spanish walk…at least she tries.
This was 2-ish years ago. Just goofing around at liberty. She is better at it now and I am trying to get it under saddle. I don’t get much horse time currently due to elder care but we ‘play’ with it from time to time.
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I love it! Charlie is working on this too. He’s finally figuring out he CAN move forward with fancy front legs!
Yea you can Kyra!
I bet you have a bunch more tricks in your back pocket.
Yes, I am hoping she doesn’t decide to share the rock with me. One of the challenges she has her whole life is to get her to wait for my direction. She is sure she knows what I want her to do so why wait?
I sooooo want to teach my pony to grab a whip from the ground and hand it to me. She’s generally “mouthy” - the BO has to make sure there are no loose rags on the tractor when she goes in to pick the pen or else the mare is pulling them off. Shes pulled blankets off boxes if I’m not paying attention. Just a nosy little girl. My (irrational? Maybe? Maybe not?) fear is that she chews and swallows a piece of it. Maybe a fun little party trick I can teach her this winter
You guys are awesome with these tricks! REALLY love the hokey-pokey!
I also wonder how many people’s tricks have ended up backfiring on them, like dog owners who teach their pups to ring a bell to go outside, or to use a talking board and end up with monsters on their hands that ring the bell or hit the “I’d like a treat” button continually!
A horse I shareboarded was taught to Shake Hands by his owner.
He’d throw a front leg up on his own, expecting a treat 
I taught him I wasn’t going to reward this “trick” if not requested!
I do use treats for ground work but she is very aware of what is appropriate. I will NOT be mugged for treats. Another one of her traits is if she is confused she will attempt to throw out her whole repertoire. I suppose in hopes she will hit upon the right answer and get a treat? She is better now days. She does listen better and think it through…she is 22 so about time? When she was younger I just laughed at her. Her little brain ticking through everything she knows. I certainly didn’t punish her for the wrong answer. I do have to be careful with my aids and cues on the ground because occasionally she will interpret any cue as Spanish walk and I have to be sure I am a safe distance. She is getting better with that too. Always the learning curve but you have to let them figure it out and you also have to be precise with the aids and cues. Not their fault if you muck it up.
My daughter and her fiance had three different buttons for their dog around the house: grub, out and ball (for a ball stuck under furniture). They ended up regretting it, and last time I was over there, all the buttons were gone. Their dog is smart (Australian cattle dog), and she was manipulating the heck out of her humans.
Rebecca
We don’t really want our animals to talk because instead of purring “I wov u hooman” nonstop it would be toddler talk more food! Walkies! You’re late with mash! I haven’t eaten today! I don’t FEEEEL like a trail ride today! Stop kicking me!
Exactly! The last thing I want to hear all day are dogs, cats, horses and birds bitching at me in English and whining for treats/walks/whatever all day and night!
I forgot my favourite trick. A stern, “FIX your FACE!” gets me 2 ears pricked as hard forward as possible. Bonus, she forgets about shark facing whoever we were walking by. “I mean it’s not like you hate them. They are one of your buddies. WTH?” And then months later, it hits me - ears back pretend shark facing at a buddy gets her a command which she happily obeys to get the pay out. I am so whipped.
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