2016 Miniature Horse WORLD Issues October/November 2016 Vol 32 No 5 | Page 99

H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Imagine a
Mini Trick
Horse
By Suzanne De Laurentis and Allen Pogue,
Imagine A Horse©2016

Miniature horses are among the mostclever of animals. Their cleverness
combined with the fact that they’re every
inch a horse makes for fun training.

M

ost animal behaviorists agree that horses are the smartest of all
domesticated animals and we believe that they are capable of much
more than is ever asked of them. Trick training can be a great way
to maximize your horse’s personality, intelligence and desire to interact in a
way that makes sense to him.

Recently, we’ve had a great time applying our Imagine A Horse methods to
Miniature horses. The behaviors we teach are gymnastic in nature, engage
the horse’s mind, create a state of relaxation and build a lasting relationship.
Any specialized move that a horse learns such as in-hand obstacles, retrieving a Frisbee or taking a bow can be considered a trick. Trick training is not
an end point, but rather the beginning of an educational journey that can
lead to the creation of a Miniature high school horse, a driving or obstacle
champion or a dependable, adaptable companion horse.
O C TO B E R / N O V E M B E R 2016

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