Trick training is a fun way to connect with your horse. Teaching the lay down promotes patience, discipline, and coordination. It's also entertaining for others to see! You can start with a basic trick and increase your horse's skills. Soon they'll be able to shake, smile, rear, lounge at liberty, etc... There are so many interesting maneuvers to teach!

The Lay Down in 3 Steps

You can teach your horse to lay down in three simple steps.

  1. Lower their head through the use of poll pressure.
  2. Encourage their hind legs to come under them with the help of the whip.
  3. And lastly, use the whip to get them to lift their front legs.

Once you put these steps together, you'll be able to instruct your horse to lay down. Some horses pick this maneuver up very quickly, while others take more time. Be patient with your horse and reward any baby steps.

You can see the steps put in action with this helpful video by Double Dan Horsemanship!