Matthias nailed some amazing new tricks this month, and I’m so excited to show you! Don’t miss the video at the bottom of the post—it’s full of fun moments.
The Rear
I thought this trick would be both fun and impressive. However, it has surprisingly become my least favorite. Matthias, always eager to perform, began offering the trick even when I hadn’t asked for it. Since he’s naturally playful when working at liberty, this particular behavior started to feel a bit unsafe—especially when he attempted it without being cued. This is a common behavior when horses first learn something new, but for safety’s sake, I chose to stop asking for the trick altogether. Perhaps we’ll revisit it someday, but for now, it’s been set aside.
Ball in the Bucket
This trick involved two parts: first, pick up the ball; second, place it in the bucket. It took a lot of repetition because Matthias would often pick up the ball—only to drop it before reaching the bucket. Actually getting him to follow through and place it in the bucket proved to be a real challenge. But eventually, he figured it out, and once he did, it became no big deal. I really enjoyed working on this trick and was especially impressed by how patient he was with me as I repeatedly asked him to pick up the ball.
Saying Yes
This trick is just pure fun! One day, I had the chance to impress and delight my son Noah with it. He came out to help me feed, and I asked Matthias, “Do you love Noah?” Then, with a discreet cue for “yes,” Matthias nodded his head. The laughter and joy in that moment made all the training completely worth it. When I first start teaching a trick like this, I often wonder if it will actually work. Progress can be slow at first, but once the dots start to connect for him, everything begins to fall into place. It’s always such a thrill when he performs the trick perfectly for the first time—and this one might just be my favorite.
Laydown
While “saying yes” might be my favorite trick, this one is the one I’m most proud of. Not because it’s flashy or difficult, but because of how willingly Matthias offered it. I was amazed at how easy it was to teach him to lie down. Since it was summertime, I wet his back to see if he might offer to lie down to roll, and after just a few minutes of asking, he laid down—and didn’t even roll! I honestly thought it might have been a fluke, but when I tried again on another day, he did the same thing. What makes this trick so special isn’t that he lies down for me when asked, but the trust Matthias shows me. That trust is what truly makes me proud and feels like a partnership!
Smile
This is considered one of the easiest tricks you can teach a horse—and it was probably one of the first I ever learned. But despite that, I tried and tried for the past two years to get Matthias to do it, and he just wouldn’t. Recently, I decided to give it another shot—and this time, it clicked. I really believe it’s because of all the other tricks he’s learned and the engagement we’ve built together.
These skills aren’t separate; they’re all connected and compound together. They all join to form a bigger picture of learning, trust, and relationship between us and our horses.
I hope you enjoyed these tricks. Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite. And if you’d like to support Matthias and his trick training journey. Here is his Amazon wish list.
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