Think carefully about what tricks you want to teach your horse. There are some tricks that can be quite dangerous if not done by an experienced person in a safe area, for example getting up or lying down.

The last thing you want to happen is to go riding and your horse decides to perform its new trick: lie down with you and your mount on board!

Breeding is a trick that requires strength, calm and excellent balance from your horse. Your horse could do enormous damage if he doesn’t get it right and flips backwards.

Horses sometimes, particularly in the early stages of training, will do tricks without being asked. This is partly because they are eager for a treat and have not yet learned that they ONLY get a reward when they are ASKED to do a trick and not for doing it when they feel like it.

Another reason I think horses like to do new tricks is because they are natural performers – they like to show off. My horse, Trigger, usually pulls a new trick as soon as he sees me, as if to say “Hey, look what I can do!”

Also consider whether the children will be riding or managing the horse. A trick like counting on the front foot could send a child flying. Or a child might mistakenly give a horse a signal to rear.

If there’s a chance you’ll sell your horse at any time, think about how your tricks will be viewed by future owners. I believe that simple, well-done tricks actually add to a horse’s value and appeal, but some tricks can be misunderstood by some people.

I remember reading an old book that talked about teaching a horse to wince, as if they were about to attack you. Imagine if you sold this horse to someone, who then sold the horse to someone else who didn’t understand that this hideous face was really just a trick. They will most likely berate the horse, which will make the horse very confused.

Worse yet, if you teach your horse to breed and a prospective owner accidentally gives him the cue to breed, then this horse would quickly gain a reputation as a difficult or dangerous horse, when all they were trying to do was perform a trick.

I find some of the safest tricks are kissing, hugging, yes, no, picking things up, fetching…

But remember to teach your horse that he ONLY gets a reward when he performs a trick when ASKED. This will discourage them from doing a trick unless they are given a signal first.

So think carefully about what tricks you want to teach your horse and who might be around him. There are many fun and safe tricks your horse can learn that will be enjoyable for both of you and won’t give your horse a bad reputation.