How can i teach my horse to sit or lay down?

Teaching a horse to lay down is a particularly difficult trick to teach a horse. Remember that horses are fight or flight animals, to ask them to get off their feet and lay down, is asking them to give up the ability to either fight or flee. You must gain a horse's trust before ever asking or expecting your horse to lie down for you.

There are several methods to teach a horse to lie down- some involving ropes and actually forcing the horse down the first few times, but many horse trainers believe that method to teach a horse to lay down destroys trust rather than building it. For your horse to perform on command, in stressful situations like demos and clinics, the horse must perform the trick because they want to.

The problem in teaching a horse to lay down is associating the action with the command. All horses lie down, but because it isn't a general action when being worked with (or shouldn't be!) it's difficult to find a way to link action with the command. One way to do so, however, to teach your horse to lay down, is to find teachable moments. For example, if you know after a sweaty ride your horse will roll as soon as he's untacked and turned out into a certain type of footing- do it. Set the stage, stand at a safe distance, and as soon as the horse lays down, but before he rolls, praise him and repeat the command you'll want to use. (example: "Good Lay Down, Good Lay Down") If you train with a clicker, click at this moment. If your horse gets up right away that's okay, as long as the horse understands it was the laying down that earned the praise and/or treat.

Teaching a horse to lay down with this method takes a bit longer, but keeps handler safer and helps the horse perform more willingly long term. When teaching a horse to lay down, be very careful approaching the horse, if you choose to do so.

I think it may be possible. Get with a Vet, or horse trainer

I first taught my horse to bow on one knee. I did this by putting a halter and lead on my horse. I stood at my horses left shoulder and put the lead over the right side of his neck than back to me. Than you pick up his front left foot and pull on the lead so that it pulls his head away from the picked up foot and you thab give a verbal command like bow.

As for laying down i taught my horse by tying a soft rope to his front left hoof and putting the rope underneath his belly and back over his back. than you put a lead on his halter. You pull both ropes away form your horse and back towards thier rear end. you may have to shove thier hind quarters over but it does work. The first day i tried this method i got three diffrent horses to lay down.

I did the same as Dea posted. Looped a soft rope around his ankle.. Took him a min to figure out what i wanted him to do but then he figured it out and liked laying there with me.. He sat up for a min and i praised him with carrot treat's and told him "good down", "good down". then he rest for a bit and laid down again when i told him down. He was not frighted just wasn't sure of what i wanted. We are still going to work on it.But he does love me very much . He got up and stood comfortably with me on his back. And got his dinner after. But all in all he did very well on his first time of laying down. And with his bond already with me to do that for me i have only had him a few days. Just be "Very careful" if you do this by your self tell some on that you are going to attempt it so they know just in case.. because they can hurt you accidentally by jumping around. So just fyi. But ME N ASH did well .

Do it yourself while calling your action out loud. Eventually, the horse will get it. Or kick you in the ass