Could you guys help me create a long list of imaginative exercises and games? I want to create a big list so we never run out of ideas. Ideas help us take what the horse offers and use it, rather than imposing an agenda on him. If I posted this in the wrong place, just let me know where to move it to and I will, thanks!

Exercises:
- Target
- Wild Games (run toward, run with, run away and return)
- Back up
- Pivot on Forehand/Hindquarters
- Laterals (Shoulder-In, Travers, Renvers)
- Ramener/Pose/Rassemblance
- Lead by the tail/mane/forelock
- Body targeting (like backing up to hand)
- Piaffe
- Passage
- On your mat
- Head down
- Weave
- Figure 8
- Mirroring


Tricks:
With the head
- Smile
- Wave
- Chase the Tiger
- Nod “Yes”
- Shake “No”
- Shrug “Maybe”
- Embarrassed
- Hug
- Take it/Pick it up/Fetch
- Push a ball
With the legs
- Pedestal
- Front Crunch/Obeisance
- Kompliment/Bow on Knee
- Back Crunch/Park
- Goat (on a Mountain Top)
- Spanish Walk/March
- Salute
- Polka
- Jambette 360
- Corkscrew
With the body
- Sit
- Lie down
- Sit up
- Kneel
- Crawl
- Camel Stretch
- Humming Top
- Spin

The half airs:
- Levade
- Pesade
- Terre a terre
- Mezair
- Standing capriole
- (Pirouette according to De la Gueriniere)
- Jambette

Airs above the ground:
- Courbette
- Laufcourbette
- Croupade
- Balotade
- Capriole
- Spanish jump

To solidify a behavior, proof for the 3 D's:
- Distance
- Duration
- Distraction

Hey Kali,

great idea to make a list of possible exercises. Barbara once started a similar topic (overview of your exercises for inspiration) but there weren´t many replies.

At the moment I don´t have that much to add to your long list, except for some of Pia´s tricks like dead bug, jambette during the dead bug or sit turns, or combinations of exercises that we sometimes do, like rearing down from the pedestal. But if I can think of some more exercises, I will post them here (and if you find something that you think would be relevant for your collection in my list in Barbara´s topic, you can edit it in of course).

Warm Regards,
Romy

Hi Kali,
That's a great list already.

Just thinking through my bag of dog training tricks here. Any kind of scent discrimination would be fun to try, probably to exercise the mind more than the body:


- intro: finding the food under one of several buckets
- tracking smells (both on the ground and air scenting);don't know what is easier for horses, playing hide and seek might be fun
- teaching names of different scents and using them as rewards
- using scents as cues or markers (bridges) for behavior or emotions (calm mindset)

I'll have to admit I've not attempted any but the first two myself, due to lack of knowledge about equine sense of smell and my almost total lack of time to train my own animals.
I thought some of these might be fun for horses that have severe physical limitations because none of these require fast or large movement. It could also be very helpful for communicating with blind or partially blind horses.
The benefit for people is that it would increase our understanding and awareness of a sense that is fairly important for horses but that we are less aware of because our sense of smell is not nearly as well developed as that of most animals. Many times, when we are wondering if animals have a sixth sense it's actually one of the five that we forget so easily.
For anyone who does not believe in the power of smell to affect mood and attitude, even in people, just walk into a dentist's office or walk into a bakery.

I would add two more. One is a kiss and for the other I heard from Makana. It's the searching game. You hide food somewhere and then direct your horse to find it. it helps with your comunication and horse starts to pay more attention to you.

For smell games
I put some photo's of Max's Birthday Party on this topic
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3045

I taught both of my horses to put their head on my shoulder. So funny..
Sometimes they would come from behind and place their head on my shoulder. Of course they get a big hug for that.

If they're in front of me, I just touch my shoulder and say "shoulder". They stretch their neck and place their head on my shoulder.

I just had another idea that I taught my horses.
Before I pick their feet in the morning, I ask each one to stretch their leg before (front legs frontward, hind legs stretched outward). It is so much easier to pick up their feet now. they now volunteer. Magik had alot of trouble giving me his hind legs. Now he stretches his hind legs outward on his own. I treat. And then I ask a leg up second time to clean.
Works wonders.

Fantastic idea, with the weather being as it is some of these are a great way to build on your relationship when the weather limits riding and more 'playful' games. Thank you!

Horsefever remembered me on one more
I don't have the name for it, but you ask: "Do you love me?" and then the horse puts his head under your arm. It can be taught with targeting.

I was just watching youtube of a horse using his front leg to give his rider a leg up, using weight resistance. And another one of a horse using his neck to swing the rider aboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE4mN2FndD0