Just dropping himself to the ground

[Opie2017]

I don't think I have asked this question, I have a 2 year old colt that will just lay down when being led around.  Its like a child dropping on the floor and pulling a temper tantrum when being told to pick up their toys. He doesn't do it all the time but when my daughter leads him around he will just slowly lay down on the ground, when he doesn't want to do anything. Anyone have advice? Thank you all advice is appreciated

 

[Marsha Cassada]

How old is she?  When you see him start to lay down, make him back up. Flick the lead rope and say "NO!"  I had a big horse do this to me when I was a little barefoot girl.  When he decided to get up,I had to be quick to get on as he was too big for me to climb up. Sonetimes he would lower his head and I could shimmy up his neck onto his back.  He tried this trick with a grown man one time, and that was the last time he did it.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Sounds like he's found an effective way to avoid doing what is being asked. I would encourage your daughter to be very firm in demanding he get back up and walk. If she is unable to get him up or keep him on his feet you may have to find a way to make being down less appealing than being up and walking. I had a saddle horse colt that did the same thing when I was a teen and I finally sat on his neck and held him down until getting up was my idea. After doing this a couple of times he never dropped on me again (pretty dangerous trick for a horse who is under saddle altho he was not old enough to be ridden yet then). My husbands mini gelding started doing the stop and drop in harness early in his training and no amount of trying to redirect him stopped it and once down he was determined to stay there rather than work. I finally used a spray of water to make him really unhappy to be laying down. He too turned over a new leaf and gave up that particular gammit.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I like the spray of water idea! 

It's really hard for children to deal with this behavior.  The adult can intervene, but the horse could still take advantage of the child.  Maybe the child could get a bucket of water and throw on the horse?  It might take a couple of times, but I'd bet the horse would figure it out.  I think the child needs to be the one to give the lesson to the horse. 

I was blamed for letting the hrose, when I was a child, get away with this, but what could I have done with an 1100 pound horse?  We only used a bridle and rarely even a saddle.  He was a very good horse, but he did have an ornery streak! 

Hope you figure something out. 

 

[Miniv]

I agree that it should be the child who does the correcting and the water idea is good too.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I absolutely agree it is best if the child does the correcting. It not only shows the horse that it must respect even a little person but it also helps develop the child's confidence which is one of the benefits f having them around horses to begin with(or at least it worked that way for me way back when)