There are a lot of good reasons to trick train your horse. It keeps their mind engaged. It helps develop your bond. It gives you something to work on when you or your horse need a break from riding, for whatever reason. Here’s another reason: Sometimes you just don’t feel like getting your own drink.
Rebecca Tasker, the New Zealand-based trainer behind Positively Together, uses clicker training to teach her equine charges using positive reinforcement both on the ground in the saddle. The budding equine sommelier in the video is Hokey Pokey, a six-year-old pinto who Tasker says learned the wine-fetching trick in six sessions.
Training your horse to fetch your beverage of choice out of the cooler is definitely a handy trick for the hot summer days ahead. But can he recommend a food pairing?
You can find out more about Tasker’s training at www.positively-together.net.
Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com
Leslie Potter is a graduate of William Woods University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Science with a concentration in saddle seat riding and a minor in Journalism/Mass Communications. She is currently a writer and photographer in Lexington, Ky. Potter worked as a barn manager and riding instructor and was a freelance reporter and photographer for the Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar and Saddle Horse Report before moving to Lexington to join Horse Illustrated as Web Editor from 2008 to 2019. Her current equestrian pursuits include being a grown-up lesson kid at an eventing barn and trail riding with her senior Morgan gelding, Snoopy.
Excellent, would love mine to make me breakfast just once! LOL! Or clean the house! LOL!
HA HA, this Bud's for you!
The Hostess with the Mostess! LOL! Handsome Waiter!
I could have used this horse today at the horse show to fetch my water! LOL!
Cheese and crackers to go with that wine please! LOL!
Love it, a nice cold one about now would be great! HA HA!
Will Pokey be available to work a BBQ tomorrow for us? She'd be the hit of the party!
Good boy/girl, now are there any snacks in there too?
Sure could have used his help yesterday in the hot humid dog day we had! LOL!
Hokey Pokey, do you hire out, could use you this weekend with the graduation party going on!
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