Customer Reviews

Trickonometry: The Secrets of Teaching Your Horse Tricks

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After years of trying to teach tricks on my own, my Clydesdale horse performed like he was on a Trick Training Diet. Trickonmetry was just the program we needed to develop a full, fun, well-rounded repertoire.

In Trickonometry, twenty-five tricks are laid out in a progressive, building block fashion. Easy beginning tricks lay a solid foundation, on which more demanding, more complex movements can later be built. Among the many things I learned myself was that no one should begin their trick training career with the rear!

Trickonometry is a virtual cookbook for the aspiring trick trainer. Carole Fletcher's detailed program provides concise, easy to understand recipes for a variety of tricks. The question of What to do next? has been answered in one easy-to-use reference.

After following the Trickonometry program, my Clydesdale and myself are now performing heavyweights, much in demand as the entertainment main course at local functions. Full credit goes to Carole Fletcher for helping me transform my beer-bellied equine best-bud into an American neighborhood idol.

Gina Allison and Belvedere, the Performing Clydesdale

I thought this book was great. I taught my horse to smile in 10 minutes. He now kisses, shakes hands, shakes his head "no" and "yes" and has turned in to the "belle of the barn"! Very easy to get started and learn to teach tricks. It taught me to become much more precise with the cues I gave and I actually think my horse is smarter now. And, he loves performing!

This is a great book. I really like the format of this book, especially all the step by step instructions and pictures. I received this book about 2 weeks ago and have been working with one of our many horses teaching him the bow. He is doing absolutely terrific and I expect will be bowing on cue consistently before long. One of our riding students, using one of our lease horses, has also been having fun with this book. She saw me out training "Chubs" to bow and asked about it. She purchased the book as well, and even as a beginner rider, she has had the success in teaching "Garth" to do the "pickpocket". I find this amazing and a true testament to Carole Fletcher's ability to "show and tell" anyone how to teach these lessons to your equine friend.

I'm new to the horse world. Some of these tricks might be obvious to more experienced folks but it was just the right speed and tone for me to work with my 3 year old draft horse. He learned "kisses" in five minutes flat and now does it on cue from a hand signal or spoken cue. By the end of the first day, after working in short periods, he was well on his way to having two other tricks down pat, too.

I'd have to say this book is great fun if nothing else. It might be a wonderful gift for the new 4Her or horse owner who wants to spend as much time with their horse as they can. Even on days when weather or other conditions might not permit riding there is now something interesting -- and FUN! -- to do with your horse.

The only trick I didn't like (although I understand how she works it into her routine) was the one where you scold the horse and tell him to be ashamed of himself. It made me uncomfortable to scold him when he hadn't been bad. I am changing that trick to be "Are you shy?" instead. But, hey, that's just me.

I have been training animals for many years and was very disappointed that there was encouragement to use poking the horse with a nail. Any behaviorist will tell you that hurting an animal causes trust problems and should cause you to be concerned about trusting the animal not to turn on you! I challenge the author to update her training methods and recall this book. There are a few things that are positive training, and was able to use those. I train dogs and other animals and know that they would not want to be with me if I hurt them. It is the same with all animals that positive training is the best. I use my animals for therapy of special needs children, school children and hospital visits. I couldn't possibly take chances with an animal that didn't trust me not to hurt it! Thankfully there are other books available and I was able to pick and choose from them as well.

My horse didn't want me to buy this because now I am enthusiastic about teaching him tricks. This book is really fun, easy to understand and the tricks range from simple to the more complicated. Useful and helpful. The author is easy to understand and I like the way she starts with the simplest tricks that I or anyone can teach. She is clear about being consistent and the length of time used for teaching in each phase, which is really helpful.
Paint horse owner and author of: Roses and Locoweed: The Life of a Cowboy's Wife and The Winter Years of World War II

Overall this is an adequate little trick book. Needs color photos and better tricks however. I'm sorry I paid full price for this one.

I bought this book for my 10 yr old daughter and myself to learn some tricks to teach our horses....It's very easy to follow (even for a 10 yr old!), methodical and lots of fun!

I have purchased this book several times as a gift (I own it myself). Simple instructions, well illustrated guide for teaching several tricks to your horse. This is a lot of fun when the weather is bad and you're confined to the barn.

The tricks are few and simple to teach. The explanation is pretty thorough. My yearling is doing it. Haven't tried my 5 or 16 yr. olds yet.