Train Your Horse to Hunt For Easter Eggs!

The Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who likes carrots…

By Brittany Bevis

Looking for a fun activity to do with your horse this Easter weekend? Take a cue from MaryGaye LeBoeuf and her APHA gelding, Jetalitos Cowboy Kid, and go on an Easter Egg hunting expedition!

With a few simple steps, positive reinforcement, and of course tasty treats, LeBoeuf created a training method to teach “Cowboy” how to hunt for colorful Easter eggs all while teaching him respect, reinforcing leadership roles, and working at Liberty (without a halter or lead).

This idea came about after LeBoeuf studied with Carolyn Resnick and participated in her Waterhole Rituals, a method of training where work is done at Liberty and is based upon a foundation of mutual trust, respect, and true leadership.

“Carolyn always encourages her students to use a childlike imagination to figure out how to get our horses to trust us, see us as their leader, and encourage the horse’s interest in doing what we’re inviting them to do,” she says. “This isn’t an easy thing to do at Liberty, as the horse can simply leave if they don’t think we have anything interesting to offer. Even with tack, it can be a challenge, as horses may not want to follow where we lead or pay attention to what we ask of them.”

“Discovering that I had a fun and interesting game, involving Easter Eggs containing delicious carrots, Cowboy was convinced that it would be fun and exciting to walk with me, stop with me, pay attention to my directions, and wait patiently while I retrieved and opened the egg and fed him the prize inside.”

Initially, LeBoeuf was looking for a way to encourage Cowboy to become more invested in walking wherever she wanted him to go, respond to various cues at Liberty, and maintain focus in the face of distraction. Of course, the training does involve carrots, but this isn’t just a fun game. LeBoeuf has seen a whole host of benefits derived from the Easter Egg Hunt.

“Cowboy is attentive, well-mannered, and follows my leadership whenever we’re on an Easter Egg Hunt. It impresses upon him that following me is fun and leads to happy consequences. The hunt allows us to work on speed, direction, halts, voice and body cues, and attentiveness. This attentiveness and willingness to follow my leadership in the Easter Egg Hunt carries over to an amazing degree into other Liberty work and riding.”

Incredibly, LeBoeuf has seen her Easter Egg Hunt training translate into better riding out on the trail when Cowboy is faced with frightening obstacles.

“Darn if those eggs don’t show up in the scariest spots – dried out creek bottoms with steep banks, on top of large fallen trees, even down winding, narrow trails. After Cowboy has clambered down into the creek bed to retrieve an egg, marched up to the fallen tree to seek his treasure, or navigated through a scary trail to retrieve his prize, riding him through those places holds no fear for him or for me!”

Want to try it out with your horse? Scroll below to read step-by-step instructions and helpful tips from LeBoeuf and Cowboy.

To begin Easter Egg Hunting with your horse, you will need brightly colored, plastic Easter Eggs and carrot pieces that will fit inside. Shiny eggs are best, so it’s easier to find them (especially when I forget where I put them).

I put out about 10 eggs at a time. Place the eggs in an area where there are no big distractions, such as luscious, green grass or other horses. When you first start playing the game, put the eggs in easy-to-see spots, not too far apart, maybe 10-20 feet. Then, lead your horse to the first couple of eggs and he/she will soon get the idea and start looking for other eggs. However, it is up to you whether you will go to the next egg your horse discovers, or whether you will go to another egg. 

Whether working at Liberty or on a line, you need to control your horse’s speed and direction when moving between eggs and get a good halt when you get to an egg. Your horse may try and pick up the egg, so be ready to ask for a head-up cue. If Cowboy starts getting grabby or too anxious to get to the next egg, I will make him stop 10-15 feet from the egg and wait there while I go get the egg and bring it back to him. Talk about ground tying! 

After you pick up the eggs, your horse should patiently wait for you to give them the prize inside, no pushiness or demands that you give them the carrot. This is a big part of creating the willingness to follow your direction and to allow you to be the leader in the Easter Egg Hunt.

If you would like to find out more about how to teach your horse to hunt for Easter Eggs, check out LeBoeuf’s blog that will be published just before Easter on www.carolynresnickblog.com in addition to more photos and videos. Also, LeBoeuf has teamed up with Resnick to produce an informative webinar that explains more about the process. The webinar will take place April 16, 2015 at 6 p.m. Pacific time.

Have a Happy Easter, from your friends here at The Equine Chronicle!