# How to teach horse to lay down



## Angel5000 (Mar 30, 2010)

I have seen a lot of people in videos bow or lay there horses down and then sit on there back and then get there horses to stand back up.I was wondering how you would teach your horse to lay down!!! I don't want a way that could injure my horse in any way and If you stretch before would you please say how I am very interested!!! Thank you for any information!!!!!


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## Missdv (Nov 4, 2010)

I have been reading "The Arabian Art to Taming Wild and Viscious Horses", I got it on ibooks on my iPod. It has a section on how to do it, I haven't tried it yet but it sounds easy & I have seen Ali Al-Ameri do it on you tube.


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## OneHotFuzz (Feb 26, 2011)

Your horse must be comfortable with you being around it while it's on the ground. This takes a lot of trust (more than people would think) horses don't lay down if predators are nearby and we are quite literally a predator, start by being around your horse when he rolls, don't just let him go, walk him around and when he roped to roll move towards his had so he doesn't kick you accidently and stay close by so he can learn to feel comfortable on the ground with you nearby.

Teaching a Bow
To teach a bow, find your horses absolute favourite treats, the ones he will do ANYTHING for. Start by putting the treat between his leg, say "Bow" and say it till he realizes the treats there. you want him to simply look between his legs and take the cookie out of your hand. Next bring it a bit farther back and repeat this several times. When the horse gets that you're feeding him between his legs, you introduce the next step. ask your horse for his foot, not hold it up, put the treat with your other hand through his legs and say "Bow" he should look for the treat between his legs as you've taught him. Just let him take the treat a few times jump holding his leg and not asking him to go down. 
When he's doing it a lot and is comfortable you want to put the treat farther under his belly, ask "bow" and this time if you've moved it back enough he will begin to lower himself to get the cookie. Do this repetitively slowly increasing how far down he must go for his cookie. When you've got him so he puts him leg down onto the ground for the first time reward him and end that lesson, let him know that's exactly what you wanted and because he did it he doesn't have to do anymore work!
Do this every time you go out to see him and soon he'll learn. As he learns what "Bow" means more and more you'll eventually get to the stage where he will do the actions without you waving a cookie between his legs, or you ca introduce a specific tap on his leg or shoulder that signals to him what he should do. Just replace the word "bow" with the tap or a click or whatever you want. It all takes time! You can't get a bow in a day  As for laying down, I've never done it, I don't feel like doing it to my horse. But there are many videos on youtube about how to do it, but your horse needs to feel comfortable, don't force him to go down or he might become dangerous.

Good luck!


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## Angel5000 (Mar 30, 2010)

wow thank you so much i want to go out and try it right now!!!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Some of the horses (Arabians!) at the barn were taught to bow and lay down by a man who comes out there sometimes to work with the owners horses. Mike used to come all the time as his horse was there. I watched him teach Sababba to bow in 15 minutes. It was amazing. He had trained Sababba so he was able to teach this to her in just a few minutes. Sababba is now owned by a friend of ours and she is just the cutest thing. I'd like to get him to teach it to Biscuit and Sarge!


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