A friend, Colleen Archer, taught her white pony named Timbit to “blow his own horn”. Yesterday I went shopping and found a bicycle horn that’s about five inches long.
I introduced the new bike horn to the lower barn after I brought them in from the paddocks. I started tooting the horn quite some distance from the horses and every time I tooted I gave each horse a treat. Pretty soon most of the faces were at the stall door.
The bicycle horn is pony size so I started with Dora. I had NO expectations. Just the hope that I didn’t traumatize anyone!
I opened the stall door and showed the horn to Dora. She checked it out. Click/treat. I tooted it with the bulb that we squeeze near her and the noise part against my jacket, dulling the toot. No problem. I presented the bulb to her and she mouthed it. Click/treat. Within a few seconds she was working the bulb with her teeth and a toot happened. She was calm and, of course, click/treat. She tooted her own horn many times.
Spring Song never tooted, but didn’t run away, either.
Kye tried to toot, but no sound came so he went back to eating hay.
Zeloso wanted to take the entire horn in his mouth, but I was marginally quicker than he was and the horn is still in one piece. Zeloso was able to toot.
Zelador, what a horse. He’s pretty used to being told NO TEETH!!!!! So, what did he do when I presented the bulb to him? He gummed it. Such a sweetie. I told him, “You use your teeth.” And showed him my teeth. He INSTANTLY grabbed the horn in his mouth and tooted. Miraculously the horn is intact. I’m going to email Colleen Archer and find out exactly what type and size of horn she uses with Timbit. I’m also going to find out if she’s ever taught her horse, Aurum, how to do this trick.
