[MissCriss]

Anyone had experience with this or know how to do it? I might be getting a mini for free. This sounds silly, but I'd like to try my hand at clicker training with, teaching it tricks, and house breaking it . Is all that stuff possible? I've heard they can be very smart. How do I do it?

[Heavenly Jumper]

You can try! I think it would be neat to have one who knew where to "go" ... (ie: not in the house)

[txnative]

I've seen horses that are clicker trained, so why not a mini? Sounds like fun!

[LateralFlexion]

You can certainly clicker train any horse. www.kbrhorse.net has a good section on clicker training horses. One thing to keep in mind with a free mini is that many minis are pets with no job. In other words, kept by people with ZERO experience with properly handling horses. Many of them have serious issues with being handled for even routine things. Because they are smaller, even horse people tend to let them get away with having bad manners.

[Haas Horse Farm]

^^^I agree.

I just cannot think why anyone would want to keep a horse that is meant to be outside grazing inside the house. Will the HO insurance cover the damage when it eats the door frames and furniture or kicks a whole in the wall?

[Horsegma]

I can highly recommend clicker training for anybody and for any equine!

I have used it for several years on some very difficult situations. Each and every time it has worked with great results. I have taught tricks, and some regular training lessons, and to get them confident over scary things. There is no limit, just have to use your imagination.

What I personally do is to make sure they don't mug for the treats at the beginning. I also use a fanny pack to put the treats in.

It is so easy, and so beneficial.

Good luck.

Here are some good sites to get you started:

http://theclickercenter.com/2004/guide/guide00.php

http://www.equineclickertraining.com/

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/608

[Berlunz]

Originally Posted by Haas Horse Farm

^^^I agree.

I just cannot think why anyone would want to keep a horse that is meant to be outside grazing inside the house. Will the HO insurance cover the damage when it eats the door frames and furniture or kicks a whole in the wall?

lots of people could say the same about cats and dogs though. Why would you want to keep something that could (and do) rip up furniture, tear up curtains, chew things up etc etc etc.

My instructor used to let some of her horses inside the house. Growing up her mother let her take her pony in the house so it was just common. Her horse would open the screen door and go inside and out whenever he had to do to the restroom (not a sliding door, just a regular door). He would stand by the couch and watch tv, follow people around, play the piano (bang his lip on the keys). He never caused any damage at all, never even messed in the house once. However when that horses younger brother did the same and was picking up pretty well but unfortunately that one made a mess in the kitched because he decided not to go outside, after that that horse was no longer allowed in. Unfortunately, the older of the two horses passed away (he was really young, it was just a very unfortunate accident).

[MissCriss]

Oh, woops! Sorry, I didn't specify .

I don't want to keep the horse living inside with me...nor do I want to show...I just want to teach it things...if that makes any sense lol. It's more of an experimental/educational thing with me. In the future I think I'd like to do other things with minis, but for now, I think I'd like to just have fun with one and learn as much as I can along the way from books and experienced people.

[RedBaron]

i love clicker training! it is a great way to use positive reinforcement to build a great relationship with your horse.