I have an interesting mission for all you regular forum-users to mull over: How do you train a horse to lie down on cue?
I have seen many other horsemen do it, Parelli and Guy Mclean to name a few, and I'm wondering how I could do this.
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Horse Behavior and Training
Training to lie down on cue
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Me too.
Why would you want to train a horse to lie down? Just curious, not sure what the reason would be.
Mmmm - not at all in favour of this gimmick. What happens if they choose to lie down when you are on them? Unless there are clear benefits to you in having them lie down I wouldn't even attempt this. Do you wish to train them to "stay" when they are lying down too as a dog is trained to? Remember they are horses not dogs!
Hi Nadine - big apologies for the above, It would be nice if we could delete our posts after adding them! On re-reading this does sound rude and I didn't mean it to be - just answered too quickly - I should NOT have commented as that is wiser when one does not agree.
Hey Maggief..i agree to both your comments...lol
I wish to teach her to trust me enough to lie down. I don't see how if she "knows" or does not know how to lie on cue will make her naughty, if she wanted to now, she could. Since I ride only bareback, it would also be a helpful way to mount up, and most of the suggestions I have gotten are to treat-bribe her.
Hello
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There are a number of ways that you can teach a horse to lay down, but most of the techniques I have seen involve ropes to help the horse understand what you are asking when you give them the ques. Some would see the technique as cruel - but I think it depends on the person doing the work.
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As for why you would want to teach your horse to lay down, there are a few horsemen out there who believe that laying a horse down while you rub him all over helps them to trust you and accept you as the leader. I don't really have an opinion on the matter myself. But some swear by it.
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If you want to be able to get on your horse easier, then perhaps teaching your horse to bow would be better. Stacy Westfall has a great DVD on teaching your horse to bow. I can tell you it works because I used the DVD to teach one of my horses to bow. It was fun for both of us.
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Good luck with your quest and I hope you find some good information to help you.
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Kind regards,
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Gen
I use it as a game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPBTJzX23J0&feature=plcp
We often finish working like that. It works in 80% of the time, when there is no destraction...
Actually I make a bigger movement with the arm. I started presenting the movement when the horse was wallowing spontaneously, but probably there is also a part of mimicking.
Original idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZjgFj-3CSE&feature=g-user-a&list=PL56EF72E845371D6C
Rudi
Very interesting, Rudi! I have tried something very, very similar that my Parelli friends recomended, which was esentially the same thing. It didn't really work. I'll keep trying, but I would really like to train her without treats, though as I plow through endless training how-to videos, my resolve against feeding treats is melting.
I would be more apt to use ropes, as I don't think my horse will go down for treats, but again, I don't want to force her.
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I have been trying to prepare her by asking her to bend her head and neck to each side, strait down, and to the side and down (near her fetlock).
No luck today, either. I pawed for a while, and even lied down and rolled in front of her. She just looked at me like I was crazy. :)
I'll keep working at it, though.
I'm considering clicker training, because I could easily throw a treat in her bucket and click, so she associates the click with the treat....hmm....what to do, what to do.
I think in your case you have to wait for a spontaneous wallowing and connecting it with your sign. I am working with another horse where it is almost the opposite: I have to inhibit a spontaneous wallowing when we come into the arena, when I give the sign he is allowed to wallow. That's the easy case! On the other hand it may be very difficult to motivate a horse who does not wallow spontaneously in the arena at all.
But don't worry. It is only a game...
Rudi
Got 2 big rolls the other day. One was her incentive, and I think I induced the second and *almost* a third by pretend wallowing. I don't have a clicker yet, so I just stroked her and told what a good girl she was for lying down, then let her out to eat (her favorite thing).
She has consistently wallowed for me 5 days in a row now!
Today was the first day I asked her to stay down for a couple seconds. She's doing really well, thanks a billion, Rudi!
I am volunteering at a Therapeudic Horseback riding center, and just heard a few weeks ago of a lady who taught her horse to lay down so she could mount her horse, since she is handicapped. That way she could mount her horse by herself. That was the first time I had heard of doing this. So, maybe after you teach your horse this, she could be helpful to those who are handicapped.