Laying Down A Horse with Jesse Krier - Greatmats Horse Training Series
Date Published: 11-24 - 2021
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We’re going to lay this filly down. This filly explores the option of flight from everything fearful. She doesn’t look like it right now. We’ve worked her a few days and she’s doing really well. But we’ve also got to take that flight away from her. We don’t do this with a fresh horse. This is a technique we’ll use at the end of a session. This is a trust-gaining technique.
All I do is take a rope. There’s a loop in it here and I make a figure 8 in it to make it less invasive on that foot. We’re going to put it around her foot. Pull it tight and make it secure. Make it as comfortable as possible.
Then we run it up to the saddle. As we’re doing that, we’re going to make sure the saddle is tight because this is going to pull on the side of that saddle quite extensively.
We don’t use a good saddle especially for this technique.
This is an old breaking saddle. It fits a horse good. It’s good for me to ride in. It’s not new.
Take this rope and run it up over the saddle horn - just a half hitch in it. Gonna have our rein in our hand. Other rein will go over the saddle horn. I like to tuck it through here until she gets the initial - figuring out what this is - out of the way. And that’s where this is going to be a little bit invasive for her.
We’re going to go slow and easy. We’re going to ask for that foot. We’re going to tie it up to that saddle, and she’s going to get pretty irate here in a second. Keep that foot up. Put another half hitch in this.
And then I’m going to get rid of the rest of the rope for now.
And then we're going to ask her to move.
We just want to show her that she’s on three legs now. We don’t want to hurt her, but we at the same time, we want her to figure out that she doesn’t have the freedom she used to have.
We’ve got to let her figure it out that she’s only on three legs. I’m going ask for that hip to kick out a little bit. She’s got to come to me. She’s really looking for sympathy. I’d like to get her moved around here a little bit - forward motion. I’m going to take that hip.
When she’s going to that knee, she’s actually giving to the process - and that’s ideally what we want.
But now we want to accentuate that. I’m going to take that other rein and I’m going to ask her to give her face to the side - to the right side. We want her to flex to the right which will then put that left knee to the ground. This is what’s tough for her.
We’re also going to this stirrup up and out of the way. The stirrup is up on the saddle horn. We want to keep that side of her body comfortable if she does lay down on that. So I’m going to request. When she starts to give, I’m going to give back.
I’m requesting with this right hand. This right hand is pulling on her face.
A horse is an animal of flight to get away from fear. Picture if there was a pack of wolves on a wild horse, they wouldn’t want to get on the ground. They’d want get up and moving, and when we put them to the ground, they’re at a very vulnerable state in their mind.
Ask for the face. She gives the face. Now I’m going to take her off balance a touch with this red rope.
Now to really sell this, we want to be able to put her head to the ground. And I want to do it with my human hands, showing her that she can trust us, just like tucking your kids into bed.
We’re just going to desensitize. We’re not going to slap and flop and flip out on her. We’re just going to gain trust.
Touching these hind legs. Big ol’ sigh. That’s great.
And she’s seeing us all with this right eye. This right eye was huge for her to see us out of before. It was a big deal for her. She did not care for it.
Take the stirrup off the saddle horn, and we’re going to ask her to get up.
This is very very handy for the first time getting on one too. Get your feet up there and hold her up. Now I can work on her from the same position I’ll be when I’m riding her. She’s going to get to see me here just like if I was on her back.
I can move around, because this is a huge huge thing for a baby that’s never had a rider on ‘em.
They can get a chance to see me up here and see my movement. See the flopping and our first ride isn’t so invasive for us as a human.
Just holding her up a little bit there.
Make it so that eye can really see us.
Still ready to get off if I have to.
I’m not going to jump right on.
Now if she gets up, we’re on for the ride.
Good girl. Just rocking her a little bit. Relaxing. Moving our feet. Getting her used to that spur a little bit - jingling - not the spur in her side or anything. Jingling - the noises.
Really working that right eye. If we wanted to work on the left, I think we’d lay her down the other way. Good girl.
This is where we’ll get off. Take this rope off this leg. And ask her to get up.
Seeing she can walk just fine again on all fours. Huge trust gaining technique.
#LayingDownAHorse #HorseTraining