How to Teach a Horse Shake Your Hand

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  Impress your friends with your friendly, hand shaking horse. Teaching this trick is easy and rewarding. Training goes quickly once the horse understands his reward. You can teach horses other behaviors like nodding, shaking their heads, bowing and rearing using this method. Use the following steps to teach a horse how to shake hands.
  

  Purchase a bag of hard, disc-shaped peppermint candy.
• Cut or break the candy discs into quarter. 
• Place the candy pieces into a re-sealable sandwich bag.
• Put the sealed bag into your pocket when you go to train the horse.

Teach the Trick

• Place the halter and lead rope on the horse and lead him to a place where there are few distractions.
• Stop the horse and stand in front of and slightly to one side of him.
• Choose a key phrase, such as, "Let's be friends," and emphasize the word "friends." The phrase, "Shake, Pardner" is another alternative.
• Say the phrase.
• Reach down and grasp the foreleg on the side you are standing on and pull it forward and up. If the horse resists, keep pulling until she lifts her hoof.
• Set the hoof down and praise the horse by petting or scratching him.
• Continue this process until the horse does not resist when you pick up the hoof.

Condition the Response

• Give the horse a piece of the peppermint candy when the horse gives you the hoof willingly. Rewards the horse with candy the first 10 times he gives you the hoof willingly. After that, give the candy randomly but only after she performs correctly.
• Watch for him to raise the hoof without you grasping it. When he does, he gets a candy.
• Feed her a candy the first 15 times he picks up her hoof for you.
• Randomize the rewards after the fifteenth successful behavior.
• Continue training him daily but for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. Soon you will have a horse that shakes hands.

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How to Adopt a Horse

Horses can be adopted from different situations. Whether it is a wild horse from the Bureau of Land Management, from a rescue organization or from a retired racehorse organization, you are helping the horse move on to a better life. Learn how to adopt a horse by following these steps.

1 Choose a horse adoption organization that you are interested in. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adopts out wild horses. If you are interested in a retired racehorse, there are many organizations around racetrack areas with both Thoroughbred and Quarter horses. Rescue organizations care for horses rescued from poor conditions and are located all across the U.S.

2 Fill out an application for the organization that you choose. Almost every organization requires paperwork and records of what horse gets adopted and where the animal goes. Each organization may ask different questions and ask for certain requirements.

"Adopt A Horse Bag"

3 Show proof of adequate facilities to care for the adopted horse. Some organizations ask you to describe your facilities and sign an agreement verifying that you plan to keep the horse at that location. Others may send someone to your place to see that the facilities are adequate. You must provide a safe environment for the horse, including a pasture with horse-safe fence, a shelter from inclement weather and clean water and feed buckets.

4 Pick a horse to adopt once your application has been approved. Some organizations help you in this process or even offer a horse that seems to be a good fit for you. Others may have many horses to choose from so you can just pick the animal you want.

5 Pay the adoption fee for the horse. Some adoption agencies have a minimum requirement; others are based on the horse and may be low or high, depending on the condition of the horse. The Bureau of Land Management allows approved applicants to bid on the wild horses, but the fees are generally low.

6 Provide transportation to bring your adopted horse to your facilities. Allow the horse time to adjust to the new home.

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