BOWING

​

Teach these two exercises only after the horse is completely used to basic groundwork and is used to leg tugs, etc.

​​

Accustom the horse to lifting up its foot on command.​

​

• Attach a leg tug around one of the front legs, just above the hoof (I use the left hoof). Make sure it does not bother the horse or rub it raw. Use a yacht rope long line with a loop on one end to attach to the horse's leg. Alternatively, you can attach a hobble to one leg and clip a regular lunge line to the hobble.
• Run the end of the leg tug over the horse's back (behind the saddle horn, if wearing a saddle) and hold it while standing next to the horse's outside shoulder. ​
• Tighten the rope and ask for the horse to lift it's foot up. Use baby steps and gradually get it to hold it's leg up for longer and longer periods of time, until it will wait patiently for you to give the release cue. Also develop an initial bowing cue and use this in conjunction with tightening the rope so that the horse can eventually be weaned off of the rope (i.e. tapping the horse's shoulder).​​
• Once the horse knows that it has to keep it's foot up as long as you want, keep holding it up until it seeks release by kneeling down. Immediately give the release cue, release and reward. You can gradually lengthen the time the horse stays down on one knee.

​

LYING DOWN

​

• Follow the steps listed above for teaching the horse to lift up its leg with a leg tug.
• Do not lie your horse down with a saddle on its back, it could injure the horse.
• ​Click HERE to watch a helpful video for teaching a horse to lie down. This video is showing how to lay a horse down as a tool for training purposes, usually only used by professional trainers when they encounter an aggressive horse. However, the steps he uses can be used throughout several short sessions to teach your horse to bow and lie down as advanced groundwork exercises.
• Take baby steps and reward the horse for all his responses and progress.
• If your horse is taking a long time to figure out the concept of going down it can be helpful to run his lead rope (I use a lunge line so there is enough space between me and the horse) between his front legs, around his belly and up over his back so the end of it is on the same side as the end of the leg tug. Don't yank your horse down, simply use that to help encourage his head to come down and to the side (away from you) so that his shoulder leans towards you and he will eventually yield to the pressure and lie down.
• Once your horse is down remain calm, quiet and reassuring. Don't do anything to worry or spook him. Horses can easily still leap up and lunge forward from a lying down position so exercise caution around him. Rub his head and reward. Carefully walk around to the other side, keeping enough pressure on the leg tug rope to encourage the horse to stay down. Use the lead rope to ask the horse to relax his neck down to the ground so that he will stretch his body out flat. This is the ultimate sign of submission. Slowly and carefully rub and reward him - start by rubbing his belly, shoulder, flank and finally his neck and head. Release all pressure, step back and ask him to stand.