How To Train A Horse To Lie Down
Introduction
Some people find tricks like teaching a horse to lie down or roll over to be frivolous, but this isn’t the case. Training can be used as a way for you and your horse to connect, and it can also help you bond better with your unique equine friend.
While there may be safety reasons why you should not teach your horse to lie down (especially if you use it for events), the fact is that horses are both smart and trainable. With the method outlined in this article, you will learn how to train a horse to lie down on cue.
Use A Cue
- Use a cue that is not associated with a negative behavior.
- Use a cue that is associated with a positive behavior.
Reward The Horse
Reward the horse for lying down. Give him a treat or rub his belly when he lies down. Reward the horse for moving around. Rub his neck and shoulders when he moves around in a circle, or give him a handful of oats when he walks over to you at feeding time. Reward the horse for standing up. Give him another handful of oats if he stands up on his own after lying down, or pat him on the shoulder if he stands up because you’re saddling up to ride him again after being cinched in by your stable hand (but don’t reward this behavior too much—you don’t want your mare to think that she has to stand every time someone comes near her). Reward the horse for standing still with treats as well; once she’s well-trained, try using a carrot stick instead of oats so it doesn’t get soggy and heavy from all those treats!
Let Your Horse Move Around As Much As Possible.
You should make sure your horse is comfortable and not being punished. Also, it’s important that the horse has a chance to move around as much as possible. It’s also important that your horse has the option of getting up if they want to. The last thing you want is for your horse to feel trapped while lying down on their side!
Practice On Different Surfaces
When you train a horse to lie down, it’s best to practice on soft ground. However, if you want your horse to be able to lie down in any situation, then you should take him out and train him on hard ground as well.
Another thing that is often done when teaching a horse how to lie down is practicing this exercise on different types of surfaces. You can practice lying down on different types of ground cover and even grasses that are not short!
Horses can be taught to lie down on cue with the method outlined here in this article.
Horses can be taught to lie down on cue with the method outlined here in this article. It’s best to start during a time when you have more than one person available, as it can help if there’s someone else around to offer encouragement and support.
Before you begin training your horse, keep these things in mind: make sure he/she is comfortable, remove any distractions from his/her environment so that he/she can focus on what you’re doing, and make sure his/her feet are not tied up (if they are tied up, this may cause him/her confusion).
You should also give some thought as to what words or phrases will serve best in getting your horse’s attention (for example: “whoa” or “lie down”). The faster that a horse responds to these commands after they’ve been introduced into their vocabulary, the better!
Conclusion
The horse lying down can be a useful trick to show off to friends, or if you have trouble mounting your horse. Teaching a horse this skill can be done by following the steps outlined here in this article.