Groundwork Training

Why would you want to bother with groundwork?

Well, safety issues are a good start. An untrained or poorly trained horse with bad habits such as biting, kicking, rearing and charging is dangerous.

A horse can kill a person with this behaviour. The horse can injure himself, for example, by rearing and banging his head on a low ceiling. Horses do knock themselves out, cut their heads on a nail or sharp corner and require stitches. Just think of the vet bills or the panic you'd feel in this situation.

Or think of the legal implications if your horse kicked someone, injuring them so they were unable to work. These things do happen. Teaching a horse good ground manners is teaching a horse that those things are unacceptable and unnecessary reactions.

The horse that won't stand still is a danger. One day you'll be caught in the wrong spot, he'll get a fright and someone will be hurt. The horse that keeps leaning into you and treading on your foot is not fun. The horse that tries to kick when you pick out his feet is going to injure you one day. Good ground manners are about teaching your horse to respect your personal space.

The nervous or disobedient horse is also a danger. The jumpy horse that shies and knocks you over is a liability.

The horse that loses his mind and tries to run every time he sees a plastic bag is more than a nuisance. Ground work training teaches good manners and is about showing your horse that scarey things aren't so scarey when you're around and to have confidence in you. To trust that you, as leader and protector, will always keep him safe.

Good ground manners make the transition to ridden training much smoother and much much simpler. You will have learned to read your horses mood and understand what to do to counter unruly moods. Your horse is not your servant you are partners. You will have taught your horse obedience and as a result, your riding sessions will be a lot more fun.

Taking the time to lay firm foundations will mean that you will be training a horse that is willing to please you, that is easier to train, that is a joy to work with and not an obstinate animal that is always acting up. When you choose to own a horse, you're making a commitment for many years, so make sure you have a well-behaved and easy to handle friend.

The Basics Of Groundwork Training.

There are 6 basics to teaching a horse good ground manners. Be the leader; Be Repetitive; Be Consistent; Gain Trust; Be Fun and Provide Comfort

Apply these basic principles whenever you are around your horse and you will be well rewrded and on the way to enjoying many happy times with your horsey friend. Good consistent groundwork training builds good ground manners right from the beginning and will result in a horse that is a joy to own and will keep you as safe as possible.

Encouraging good ground manners will teach your horse to:

• Look to you, as the leader, for what to do when he is unsure or feels unsafe.
• Not crowd your personal space (no kicking, biting, charging, leaning, treading on your feet etc).
• Respond appropriately to whatever you are asking him to do.
• Have calm confidence in the outside world because you will protect him.
• Stand still patiently and calmly.
• Allow you to pick up and pick out his feet.
• Stand still and allow you to groom him.
• Accept being bridled, haltered and led, calmly.
• Accept being saddled without moving off.
• Refrain from nipping, kicking, charging or rearing to get his own way

You should spend copious amounts of time with a new horse and get these basic things right before you start to ride it. Despite how eager you will be to just hop on and go, wait and spend a few weeks or even months working on groundwork training and good ground manners. It will pay you back ten-fold in the end.

Remember this; Your horse is learning every time you are and being a good horse trainer is about the quality of the training not the quantity.