How do you teach a horse to lie down on command?

Question

I've been teaching my pony some tricks recently, and I was wondering if any one knew how to teach my horse how to lie down. Also, if any one knew how to teach a horse how to rear. I have a small pony who trusts me, and I trust him. I'd rather not teach him to do either of these things while I'm in the saddle, because I think that it could have bad consequences. Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

do you want it to rear? or lie down? dont do either!

Answer 2

Dont teach anything to rear!!! it is VERY dangerous!!

you say "not when your in the saddle" but once he knows he can rear, there will be no stopping him saddle or no saddle and thats the mistake alot of people make.

My friend taught her pony to rear but to only do it when she toled him... well she went out on a hack and he was napping, she stopped him because he was only 12.2hh and she was 13 but anyway... he reared up infront of a car because he diddnt want to go in the layby.

dont do it unless your stupid

Answer 3

As impressive as rearing up on command is I don't recommend teaching horses to rear up because rearing is an instinctive aggressive behavior and encouraging that behavior can sometimes trigger a horse's alpha attitude. Although rearing up is easy enough to teach I think you would be better focused on discouraging anything that can risk triggering aggressive alpha behaviors.

But teaching a horse to lay down is another matter. I have been training horses for more years than I care to tell and in all that training I can say that there is no better way to strengthen the bond between the horse and you than getting it to lay down for you. Laying down is something that is totally against the horse's defensive instincts unless the horse feels completely secure and safe and teaching it to lay down for you will greatly solidify his trust of you.

But the early stage of teaching it to lay down can risk injury to the horse because he will resist and so you should take care until that resistance wears down and he learns to relax and cooperate.

First of all should choose a verbal cue that will only be used when you want him to lay down, "lay down" or "down" for example, but any verbal cue will do as long as it is something that will only be used to cue him to lay down. To get him to lay down you need to lift his front leg and turn his head in the direction opposite of the lifted leg side. Turning his head in the direction opposite of the lifted leg will unbalance him and he will eventually come down and roll toward the side of the lifted leg.

The safest way to do that is with a long lead rope and another long rope which is looped around his leg below the fetlock joint on the front leg nearest you. The leg rope should be thrown under his belly and then over his back. The long lead rope should be stretched down his opposite side of the leg you will lift and around his rear to the side where you will be standing so that by pulling that you will turn his head away from you and away from the leg you will lift.

With the ropes in place, stand beside his shoulder and lift his leg and then pull on the rope you threw under his belly and over his back to hold that leg up while you also pull on the long lead rope you stretched down his side and around his rear so that you can turn his head away from you and away from the lifted leg and then cue him verbally until he comes down. As soon as he comes down you should praise him and pat him and feed him a treat. Do that repeatedly and over a period of days you will find that you can just throw the lead rope over his head and around the back of his neck to turn his head away while you simply lift his leg and verbally cue him to get him to lay down. As you continue doing that, and all the while praising him and patting him and treating him, you will soon discover that it will eventually only take a tap on the leg and the verbal cue to get him to lay down, and then eventually even mounted you will find that a toe tap on his leg and your verbal cue will get him to lay down.

In all my years of training I can say that without exception there is no better way to strengthen and confirm the bond between the horse and you than getting the horse to lay down for you. Without being forced to lay down, a horse laying down for you with just a cue prompt is something he will only do when he trust you completely and is totally submissive to you because it is something that is totally against the horse's natural defensive instincts unless it feels completely safe and secure. Good luck with teaching your horse to lay down for you.

Answer 4

Thata a stupid Idea...no offense