Re: Horse tricks? : / hmmm Spoiling horses or harmless fun?

kevinhiatt said:

they are not a dumb animal its us I think are the dumb ones as they have us as their slaves.

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Very true Kevin!!

I don;t think we should teach tricks that are, in other circumstances, negative behaviours such as rearing. Picking up a hoof on command for the farrier is one thing, but lashing out with a foreleg or rearing on presentation of a whip (or any other signal for that matter) are potentially foolhardy.

As for the Spanish Riding School, it should be remembered that airs above ground are descended from war, where horses were trained to lash out at enemy soldiers. Destriers (medieval warhorses) frequently attacked and killed their grooms!! Therefore, teaching such moves should be left to professionals who know exactly what they are doing, and are prepared for the consequences when something goes wrong.

Re: Horse tricks? : / hmmm Spoiling horses or harmless fun?

classicalequitation said:

 

The Spanish Riding School did not in fact create the Airs Above the Ground for the purpose of war. Renaissance riding, and the time when the airs, piaffe, passage, and lateral work came about- was when French, Austrian, Italian and Portuguese noble men ( aristocrats, the Kings Trainers etc); developed riding horses to becoming a past time, apposed to horses being a prerequisite to war. 

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I didn't mean the SRS invented it, just that the root of the moves came from war time, and became more artistic when the knight and heavy cavalry started to die out, or at least as far as I was aware. I am not an expert by any stretch tho, so maybe I was wrong :)

Re: Horse tricks? : / hmmm Spoiling horses or harmless fun?

I completely disagree with teaching a horse to rear, or 'beg' for a treat. Dangerous and should be left to the professionals.

However something a little fun like bowing I have no problem with and am guilty of teaching my little coloured a couple years ago!! Silly b***er will do anything for a carrot!

Re: Horse tricks? : / hmmm Spoiling horses or harmless fun?

classicalequitation said:

 This thread absolutely fascinated me when I saw it and I signed up just so I could reply! 

I do trick training with my two Shetland ponies; my daughters Welsh Section A and my Lippizanner stallion -Escalaba.

 

The Spanish Riding School did not in fact create the Airs Above the Ground for the purpose of war. Renaissance riding, and the time when the airs, piaffe, passage, and lateral work came about- was when French, Austrian, Italian and Portuguese noble men ( aristocrats, the Kings Trainers etc); developed riding horses to becoming a past time, apposed to horses being a prerequisite to war. 

 

It was within the walls of the High Schools (Vienna, School of Versailles, Jerez, Lisbon, and many other lost academies), where the introduction of turning work displayed by horses in the field was transferred over to riding. The idea of horses rearing ( levade, corbette, capriole, pesade etc) was perhaps something for them to demonstrate in front of the Kings and other noble men; they began transferring behaviours and using stimuli to condition horses to respond to cues and instead of manipulating them- creating an Art out of something which is already beautiful. 

 

The only issue with trick training is if their is a lack of consistency, the handler does not understand the correct principles of training horses and the trick is not cued appropriately. 

 

Kind Regards;

Maria. 

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Beautifully put!! thankyou 

Re: Horse tricks? : / hmmm Spoiling horses or harmless fun?

 classical equitation - your response was brilliant, thanks for that. i know very little about the spanish riding school/lippizaner horses etc so i found it very interesting.

just a thought Charem - not to have a go or anything, but just a random thought - could teaching your horse to bow not be considered as dangerous too? what if a child was to ride the horse and the horse decided to just bow, to get out of doing the work? i think all tricks could become dangerous if the horse decided to use it against you. i think it is unfair to mark one trick down as dangerous, but practice others.