Teach Your Horse to Give a Hug

Who doesn't need a hug sometimes? Of course it would be difficult to teach a horse to give a human type hug. But he can give you a hug with his neck and head. For a horse that is too nippy to teach a kiss to, this might be a safer alternative.

If you've already taught your horse to target on a something like a small plastic bottle, pylon or other object, you've already got a good start. If not, check out the first steps in clicker training to get started.

You don't need to clicker train first--but the training may go faster if you do. The clicker simply makes it easier to give praise at the exact instant the horse does something correct. Clicking is even faster than saying, "Yes!" to reward the behavior and therefore more accurate.

What You'll Need

• A clicker (or your close attention so you can praise at the right instant).

• Small treats like carrot slices, sugar cubes, horse crunch, apple pieces. Your horse will probably like a variety. I find handfulls of grain or concentrates too awkward, but some people like to use a portion of the horse's regular feed.

• A roomy pocket or an old fanny pack to hold the treats.

• Ten minutes of time a few times a day.

• Your horse in a loose stall, or round pen, or in a quiet stable aisle with a halter and lead rope. The horse can't be tied or you will restrict his head movement.

How much overall time you will need will depend on the horse or pony. Some learn more quickly than others.

Teach Your Horse to Give a Hug

If your horse is target trained, stand with your back to your horse, hold the target over one shoulder and move it down towards the opposite hip. Encourage the horse to step forward and reach downwards over your shoulder to touch the target. You may have to back up a bit and position yourself to make it easier for him at first.

Alternately, you could hold a treat in one hand, and as the horse nuzzles your hand for the treat, bring that hand down towards your opposite hip.

When the horse is in the position you want him in, click and treat, or give the treat. Eventually, you won't need the treat each time you need a hug.

Remember to keep your training sessions brief--10 minutes or so at a time. If you are working in the stable, go clean a stall, come back and work again for a few minutes. Then go and do another chore before working with the horse again.