why is ground work so important

 

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Groundwork is the most important training every horse will learn. You and your horse need it, you really can’t do without if you want to be successful in training your horse if you want to have a safe, happy and balanced horse. Ground work training is the foundation for everything else a horse will do over his lifetime.

Horses are attentive and sensitive learners. Teaching them to learn from the ground will allow them to listen, learn and respond in the saddle. Horses, young or old, can learn or re-learn from the ground. This is something every horse, also your horse, should now.

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The first step is to do a proper horse specific evaluation and use the diagnostic information to develop foundation of Ground training plans.  This applies to in any training program such as starting, fixing undesirable behavior, retraining and starting younger or older horses.

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Foundation of Ground Training is:

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• A safe and effective way to develop a relationship with the horse and prepare them for riding.

• Develops a safe and respectful partnership between horse and handler.

• Building trust, manners and safe habits on the ground will enhance your ride and training process.

• Establishes confidence, trust, boundaries, leadership and it's something you can do when they can't be ridden to keep the horse from getting bored.

• You and your horse learn to communicate with each other.

• It learns to follow the feel of the halter or cavesson on its face and for its body to follow

• some groundwork exercises are a little bit like learning the alphabet when you're 6

• Groundwork does for your horse is helping him to better deal with life in the “human world”.  

• Helps fearful or traumatized horses overcome their fears/traumas

• Necessary preparing you and your horse for riding

• You develop yourself to be the best trainer possible!

• It gives you and the horse much more variation in training

• Helps your horse to remain balanced, fit and happy

• Prepares your horse on every level: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual (this is soooo important!)

 

Basic Groundwork consists of sensitizing and desensitizing exercises such as; lead exercises, touch exercises, yielding to physical aids, yielding to driving aids and circle work. Continued Groundwork exists of obstacle training, groundwork with the neck rope, trailer loading training, the double long lines, traffic training and preparing for riding.