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Teach Your Horse to Hug You
by Cheryl McNamee Sutor, MHG

Trick training should be reserved for horses who have already, at a minimum, learned basic ground manners. I do not recommend teaching tricks to a horse that is pushy or aggressive, bites, kicks, rears, or has any other bad behavior that has not been resolved. Work with a trainer to resolve these issues first.

Please Note: Some horses take so well to trick training that they try to repeat the tricks endlessly without you first asking for it. DO NOT give the horse a treat/reward/praise for doing the trick unless YOU asked him to do it. You can also use the same process outlined below to teach a horse to STOP hugging you on cue, by repositioning your body and rewarding at the right moment.

Teaching your horse to hug you is a very simple and easy trick to learn. The only equipment you'll need is your horse's favorite treats, carrots or apple slices.

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1. Teach this trick while your horse is in a stall or other small enclosed area. Do not tie him to anything (he needs freedom of his head to hug you!)

2. Stand on his side with your back to his shoulder. It is easiest to stand this way while teaching this trick. (After you've taught this trick well enough, you can turn around to hug him back).

3. Hold a treat in your hand and let him smell it. Give him a verbal cue (this is important), say "Hug".

Trick Training: Hug / Step 4

4. Bring the treat slowly back towards his barrel (so that he has to reach around you to get it).

5. When he does this, reward him with the treat and praise him.

6. After many repetitions, you should be able to eliminate the treats and he will hug you on the verbal command "Hug".

Trick Training: Hug / Step 7

NOTE: Although you are able to eliminate the treat rewards after many repetitions, it is advised to still offer verbal praise. After your horse has learned this trick well, it's a good idea to still use the treat reward occasionally to keep your horse's interest. Asking him to give you a hug repetitively without any reward may cause him to stop offering hugs!