Best Practices for "Hover Interactions"

I often like to include several images on a slide with simple instructions to mouseover an image to read or learn more.  I would actually like to get away from including that instruction in lieu of changing the cursor to a finger when the mouseover action occurs.  I know when adding a hotspot shape, if you right click, you get the option to change the cursor to a hand.  I have noticed this hotspot messes with my picture in some way, causing the trigger I have set to change the text box from a hidden state to the normal state.  So, I wonder if I am going about all this in the right way.  I like how the trigger works with the text and image, but I would really like that cursor to change to the finger.  While I await a response, I am going to play around with inserting a hotspot shape, sending it to the back, then see if it interferes with my trigger.

Edit: I included what I came up with as an alternative.  It's just a shape that might draw the learner's attention enough to mouse over, which then changes to title box to a directions box, indicating the learner should hover over the picture.  Then again, isn't the picture provocative enough to solicit a learner to move the mouse over?  The image is certainly large enough too.