I saw mention of getting a mini to lie down for doing thier feet on the thread about hip dislocation - sounds like a good idea but I haven't a clue about how to go about it. Sure would appreciate instructions from those who have done it. Thanks
I can help you with this. Years ago I trained my riding horse to bow and to lay down. I started first teaching her to bow with one leg and once she was comfortable with that I started to "roll her over" from a bow until she was laying down. Then they have to be taught the cue to lay down. You have to have a horse that is good about having their legs handled. Always work on soft grass to teach them. You lift their left hoof and pull it back all the while pulling their head back and down with the lead rope until they will "give" and put their knee on the ground. It usually takes a lot of effort at first. If they are comfortable with this you can start giving them a verbal "bow" cue prior to lifting the leg and pulling back. Just this step usually takes them a few weeks. The next step is to tap their leg with a whip while telling them to "bow" until they will lift their leg (and leave it up) when you say "bow" then pulling their foot and head back into a bow. You want to get them to the point where you tell them "bow" and point your whip at their leg (and eventually just your finger, or even snapping your fingers at them) and they bow. Once they will are comfortable bowing and will stay down long enough, then you can move to trying to lay them down by pulling them over from a bow. You'd give them a "lay down" verbal cue. Takes a few months of consistent training (like 3 -4 times per week) to teach them. Hope this makes sense. If you have any questions just email me.
