How to teach your horse to play

[@kathydel1786]

This is great….encouraging a horse’s natural curiosity. A curious horse is horse that enjoys learning!

[@skidaddle32]

I bought a big ‘horsey’ ball with a cover on it for my boy who seemed bored. At first he ignored it. Then he started to notice it, sniff it, and eventually pick it up with his teeth. This was all over a few weeks time. Then, he started to become more and more aggressive with it - literally forcefully attacking it. Away from the ball, (if I was leading him somewhere for instance) he started getting ‘mouthy’ with me. If I had a particular jacket on, he would start nipping and biting at the sleeves - a similar material as the ball cover - and I would quickly admonish him and back him off. I made the decision to take the ball away, and his biting behavior extinguished. I need to find safer ways for him to play so that I don’t inadvertently become the ‘toy’.

[@chrisusher7144]

One oops. If you taught him to do that stuff with the cones.whatif you want him to go around one surpitines

[@marenvonholtum2309]

Some of the definitions of play are that they are fun, pleasurable, reinforcing. I can't see this in this video, the horse moves away from the flag, thus the flag is aversive and unless it interacts it gets the aversive flag or rope treatment. The treat comes too late, it is not reinforcing the interaction with the object but the turning to him. Where is the reward marker?

[@regenesismedia2180]

This is a silly video - forcing “play” and the concept of “teaching” play actually destroys “play” - your just teaching “tricks” through dictation - horses play without direction naturally - change the title of this video “How to dictate and train your horse to do Tricks”

[@adagontier3782]

Sadly true :( by treats at least he would have something that he likes

[@adagontier3782]

This horse seems dead inside by the way

[@andrewpfanku5477]

this is a mess.