# Teaching horse to lay down.



## KateS (Jul 3, 2008)

So I'm sure there have been threads before about this but couldn't find any. I have been working with my 3 year old to teach her to lie down on command. I don't just want it for a cute trick (although thats nice too) but so that eventually I can get on her bareback without a mounting block.
I would love to do it without ropes but not really sure how. I can get her to lift her foot on command and tuck her head in but she is so balanced that she wont lean at all. So unless I use ropes I'm not really sure how to proceed. 
What do you think of this video. 



 Just watched the first minute but it seemed to work really well. My girl is very relaxed and trusts me totally so I wouldn't be worried about her freaking out and getting hurt. I would do it in my round pen which has nice soft sand so she won't get sore knees. 
Please be totally honest in your opinions as you won't hurt my feelings. Some of you may think that this is a waste of time and that is fine but I still want to teach it.
Thanks


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

Aamazing!

I wish I could teach my older horse that (9 yrs) but she won't let me...she will just spin around or fight with you. How did you start? I have a 2 yr old and she will be easier to teach and I can tell she is more willing.


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## Appyfreak (Oct 22, 2010)

I would think it would be a lot of work, and stress on a horse to get up with a rider, from down on the ground. I know you can teach a horse to park out, or maybe bow/kneel, to make the horse lower.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

you know you are right about the stress on the body...didn't think about that!


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## KateS (Jul 3, 2008)

Thats not me in the video just an example.
I never thought about the whole stress to the body. Do you really think it would be that bad? It wouldn't happen very often probably not more than once a month and would just be something I would use if I happend to fall off a little ways from home. Just a handy thing to have but not necessarily use alot. I mostly ride to train/get something done so I need a saddle most of the time.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

if you are doing it for once in awhile I don't see any harm but it might be best just to teach your horse to bow so you can get on.


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## Appyfreak (Oct 22, 2010)

Parking out is really easy too, and can lower the horse quite a bit.

If you are only getting on while they are down not very often, it proably wouldnt be that big of a deal, but.... I tihnk it would be easy with the extra weight for a horse to slip, or twist just right and pull a muscle somewere.

I say this becuse I have a horse with some back issues. He was an old rope horse, but I have seen him re tweak his back getting up after a roll.


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

I don't think it would be a problem. Kneeling can be just as stressful if not done properly. IMO teaching her to lay down can be helpfull in many situations other than just getting on bareback. You can also try it with treats. GOOD LUCK!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I'm not buying it. If we're not wrecking our horses by bouncing on their backs for 20 years, I certainly do not think we're causing undue stress to them by asking them to get up with a rider. I've never had a horse struggle to get up or lose balance because I'm on them and I am not a small girl - for a small rider, it's like a flea on their back. Definitely if you have an older horse or one with problems, be careful, but I haven't heard yet of an issue caused by getting up with a rider. I imagine coming down off a jump with an additional 150lbs is a lot more stressful.

We taught our mares to lay down using the rope method. From there, we've worked on a cue. We don't work on it enough, but both mares have laid down on cue before. Our cue is to squeeze/pinch hard right in front of the wither and say down. Here is a video of my 3 year old filly laying down on command:






She won't do it anymore, but I haven't worked on it with her since winter. I can get her down instantly if I pick a foot up with my hand and cue her. We also have a 5 year old pony who will almost do it on cue.

I started using the cue after my filly started trying to lay down on me when I was picking her feet. :lol: I like a physical cue along with a verbal cue so you don't have an mishaps. Since I began using a cue, she hasn't tried once to lay down simply by picking a foot up.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

How do you use the rope method? I think that would be neat but don't want to screw up. I taught my aunt's NSH to bow in 30 minutes, she was sooo smart. Then again, she was half-arab. How do you attach and maneuver the ropes?


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## tempest (Jan 26, 2009)

Appyfreak said:


> Parking out is really easy too, and can lower the horse quite a bit.


Do not park your horse out to mount up. It causes more damage to their backs than you think. We had a mare who would park out every time she was standing still and was only bred three times, by the time she died she was more swaybacked than my RI's broodmare of 9 years. Mostly because of her parking out while being mounted.

Okay, back to my corner.


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Search QTPocos Sonny Dancer on YouTube and you'll see my stallion laying down!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Poco1220 said:


> Search QTPocos Sonny Dancer on YouTube and you'll see my stallion laying down!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


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## KateS (Jul 3, 2008)

I really like how your stallion does it Poco1220.
I worked with my girl yesterday and I can hold her front foot up with the rope no problem and when I stand off to the side I lightly touch her lead rope and she will lean back but then she will hop her other front foot back and almost step on herself and then step her back feet back. She is very relaxed about it but she doesn't really want to commit to lying down. I guess I will just keep trying until she finally lies down. I know once she lies down once she will catch on right away it is just getting there. 
Any ideas?


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## Super Nova (Apr 27, 2010)

My trainer has laid my horse down like in the video you posted........you just have to keep it up and get past the tipping point......my girl really fought it but once she decided to drop........there was no resistance......but we were putting my girl down for training purposes.

Super Nova


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

This was literally the first day I ever worked with her - I worked with her maybe 10 minutes previous to this video. She hopped around a lot, and anytime I felt her getting tense or unbalanced, I'd give her foot back and praise her. She was very relaxed about it, tipping their head to the outside is how to slowly convince them.

I made mistakes, she should have laid down away from me, but it worked for THIS horse. I've had other horses, like my Arab mare, where it took me FOREVER because she's just stubborn as heck and doesn't believe in tricks. Using the rope and tipping the head, you can make virtually ANY horse lay down but if it's for trick purposes you REALLY want to go as slow as the horse wants and take lots of breaks and lots of praise. You don't want to force them down, you just want to "sweet talk" them down.


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

I agree with Macabre. That video of Pock was just day three but since I went into it relaxed and with lots of praise he took to it very well!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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