I'm sure, like me, you've heard the saying, "The more you do on the ground, the better things will go in the saddle". Am I right? Well I've heard this over and over and have always told myself that yes it's true, and someday I'm going to really start concentrating on the ground work aspect before jumping into the saddle, BUT I haven't exactly done that... until now.
When I work with horses for other people the idea is to usually get the horse under saddle pretty quick so that the "training" can begin and I'm not wasting precious time and money for the owner. Lets face it... the longer the horse stays in training, the more the "$" goes up. I've always been one to help my guests out as much as possible so costs don't sky rocket out of their limit and their left with a horse they still aren't sure what to do with.
The training process has usually gone- get the horse saddled and a first ride on in the first week they arrive. This includes a day to get acclimated to his new environment and stable buddies. Do some lunging, a little sacking out with a rope, and then start to incorporate the sacking out with the blanket and then finally get the saddle on. This fast process usually end up with a horse kicking his legs out and getting a hump in his back because he now has something strapped to his back for the first time and it's .... weird and scary! Can you blame them though? In a matter of a week they went from their home to a new place with new people and horses, and now their working a little bit and getting new things thrown at them and then they get strapped down with saddle on their back!
It can be a traumatic experience for a horse if it's not done the right way. I've always been a patient and gentle one when it comes to working with horses. That's probably why the horses I work with don't put up to much of a fight when the saddle gets cinched up for the first time, even in a short period of time. But I've seen trainers that have literally gotten a horse to start training, and the next day they have the saddle on and on day three their on their back. This process has usually ended up with some bucks and kicks and sometimes and rider in the dirt.
Although I still understand that the training process will be somewhat faster when a horse arrives for training, I've changed my ways to an even more gentle and slower approach for the horses sake. I usually take the first week and let the horse get settled in for a day and then gradually start on groundwork. Lunging is my first priority. This lets me look the horse over see how he moves, how he reacts to me and things around him, his attitude and can help me decide the best way to move on with him to the next steps.
After lunging I've started to do more groundwork that I used to. I start with getting the horse to move off of pressure with a lunging stick, sack out with plastic bags, tarps, ropes, and more, and some exercise that free up the horses feet and keep him from getting "stuck in the mud" and only want to stand their waiting to bolt. I also have started doing more work with objects like barrels, poles, pallets for bridges, and just getting the horse to place his feet where I ask him to until he trusts me and willingly does different exercises. This helps the horse relax and also become used to me and different cues (without having a "bolt and get out of here" attitude.
Below I'll show a few example of some of the exercises I've been doing with my 2 year old. These are things I just had laying around the place and are great for those who don't have the extra $MOOLAH$ to buy new things.
When I work with horses for other people the idea is to usually get the horse under saddle pretty quick so that the "training" can begin and I'm not wasting precious time and money for the owner. Lets face it... the longer the horse stays in training, the more the "$" goes up. I've always been one to help my guests out as much as possible so costs don't sky rocket out of their limit and their left with a horse they still aren't sure what to do with.
The training process has usually gone- get the horse saddled and a first ride on in the first week they arrive. This includes a day to get acclimated to his new environment and stable buddies. Do some lunging, a little sacking out with a rope, and then start to incorporate the sacking out with the blanket and then finally get the saddle on. This fast process usually end up with a horse kicking his legs out and getting a hump in his back because he now has something strapped to his back for the first time and it's .... weird and scary! Can you blame them though? In a matter of a week they went from their home to a new place with new people and horses, and now their working a little bit and getting new things thrown at them and then they get strapped down with saddle on their back!
It can be a traumatic experience for a horse if it's not done the right way. I've always been a patient and gentle one when it comes to working with horses. That's probably why the horses I work with don't put up to much of a fight when the saddle gets cinched up for the first time, even in a short period of time. But I've seen trainers that have literally gotten a horse to start training, and the next day they have the saddle on and on day three their on their back. This process has usually ended up with some bucks and kicks and sometimes and rider in the dirt.
Although I still understand that the training process will be somewhat faster when a horse arrives for training, I've changed my ways to an even more gentle and slower approach for the horses sake. I usually take the first week and let the horse get settled in for a day and then gradually start on groundwork. Lunging is my first priority. This lets me look the horse over see how he moves, how he reacts to me and things around him, his attitude and can help me decide the best way to move on with him to the next steps.
After lunging I've started to do more groundwork that I used to. I start with getting the horse to move off of pressure with a lunging stick, sack out with plastic bags, tarps, ropes, and more, and some exercise that free up the horses feet and keep him from getting "stuck in the mud" and only want to stand their waiting to bolt. I also have started doing more work with objects like barrels, poles, pallets for bridges, and just getting the horse to place his feet where I ask him to until he trusts me and willingly does different exercises. This helps the horse relax and also become used to me and different cues (without having a "bolt and get out of here" attitude.
Below I'll show a few example of some of the exercises I've been doing with my 2 year old. These are things I just had laying around the place and are great for those who don't have the extra $MOOLAH$ to buy new things.
Small objects for the horse to go over allows him to become more relaxed with new things but also helps him pick his feet up. In this picture I used plastic feed containers and turned them on their side so that the handle part that hangs over the fence is what hold my posts in place. The key to having any kind of a raised post or object for a horse to cross over is to have it to where it can fall free if the horse hits it with his foot and the handles are perfect for that!
Normally I have this three barrels long instead of two to allow more area for the horse to cross, but barrels are a great object to get a horse jumping up a little. Even is your not planning on jumping or do any English work, the athletic part of jumping over barrels loosens a horse up and helps him gain more control of his own body and pay more attention to where he places his feet and hold his body.
I've been working Ike (my two year old) over the barrels a little to help him pay more attention and tune in to me and the objects and of course get him pulling his legs up and working his body in different ways. You will probably have the occasional moments when they hit the barrels and it spooks them a little, it will only be a learning experience for them to try harder and get those legs up and pay closer attention to the job at hand. After only five passes of this exercise Ike was getting better each time and finally quit hitting the barrels.
He probably wasn't sure what it was all for, but by revisiting these exercises they become more relaxed and excited to see what your going to ask them to do next. It beats running circles over and over and over again until your both dizzy!
He probably wasn't sure what it was all for, but by revisiting these exercises they become more relaxed and excited to see what your going to ask them to do next. It beats running circles over and over and over again until your both dizzy!
This is a pallet made of 2"x4"'s so it's pretty sturdy I use this by itself as a bridge like object for horses to get used to the sound of their feet on the wood, and then like here I put it between two standing barrels so they get used to crossing it with objects next to them. In case you done have a pallet like this you can use poles laying on the ground so they get used to crossing over something while having objects to their sides to cross between.
I don't exactly recommend this because this is over a two foot jump (unless your at that level with your horse) but the idea is what I want to share. recommend a one foot tall object to start with and work your way up. But again this helps the horse get used to crossing between two objects along with thinking about where he's placing his feet.
-*hope some these ideas are helpful to get you started on your own groundwork. I'll include more ideas in later on so stay tuned in! Don't forget about things like getting a horse used to a lead rope around his legs or flopping over his back and hips. Be creative with what you do with your horse. It not only keeps your from getting bored of the same old thing but they appreciate a change of scenery and tasks at hand too. It will only increase your relationships and his trust in you, and it's always a step closer to better communication in the saddle, as well.
If your like me you get a little antsy about getting in the saddle and getting to "work", but remind yourself that the more you do on the ground, the better things will be when you do get in the saddle!
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If your like me you get a little antsy about getting in the saddle and getting to "work", but remind yourself that the more you do on the ground, the better things will be when you do get in the saddle!
Don't forget to sign up for a weekly email letting you know about updates for new training tips and more!!!
I'll be adding new training tips and techniques! If your looking for something specific feel free to leave a comment or use the contact tab above to get ahold me and I am happy to help you out and answer any questions you may have!
If your looking for ideas for getting a better relationship with your horse and improving your horsemanship skills then your starting in the right place!
I'm glad you're here!
If your looking for ideas for getting a better relationship with your horse and improving your horsemanship skills then your starting in the right place!
I'm glad you're here!