INTRO TO GROUNDWORK
Groundwork is definitely something that will benefit any horse of any age, breed, sex and disposition. Being able to work with your horse from the ground is an asset to working through behavioral issues, and provide exercise that they need to maintain good physical condition.
HELPFUL TOOLS
- Halter and Leadrope
- Lunge line (long line)
- Lunge whip
WHIPS OR OTHER TRAINING TOOLS SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR PUNISHMENT, AND SHOULD NEVER TOUCH A HORSE'S BODY IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER.
MANNERS
When working your horse from the ground, it is important that they respect your space, and you respect theirs. When your horse is standing near you, they should not lean on you, push you with their nose or head, or crowd your personal space. With respect to your horse, when you are working with them, you should not crowd them, make aggressive gestures towards them, and use a little force as necessary to move your horse around you. Most horses will need to be taught how to stand calmly and quietly while being groomed, bathed, mounted and dismounted.
A key aspect to having your horse stand calmly is teaching your horse to be 'level headed', which means that when you look at the horse from the side, the neck, spine and hips should all be level in a straight line. If your horse is standing with a high head, the spine is being pinched in the middle of the back, causing a release of adrenaline. When the horse's head is level, there is no compression of the spine, and endorphines are released.
LUNGING YOUR HORSE
When a horse is lunging, this means that the horse is moving in a circle around a person who is directing the horse where to go and how fast to go. A lunge line is usually used (15-20' of flat nylon rope), and attached to the halter to keep the horse moving in a circle.
When working your horse on the lunge line, you must be able to communicate with your horse to let them know which direction to go in, and how fast to move. It is also important that the horse does not come into your space while you are asking them to lunge, and that the barrel is bent away from you as they work around you. When a horse is lunging correctly, the horse's nose will be bent in slightly, the barrel will be bent away from you, and the hips will move around the circle following the curve of the barrel. A lunge whip is used while training to manipulate the curve of the body and direct your horse's movement- WHIPS OR OTHER TRAINING TOOLS SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR PUNISHMENT, AND SHOULD NEVER TOUCH A HORSE'S BODY IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER. If your horse is bent inward toward you while they are lunging, you may find it helpful to point to the area of the body that you want the horse to move away from you. By doing this, you are sending energy through the tip of your finger and poking that part of the horse's body, telling them to move it away.
Your goal for lunging is to have your horse read your body cues, and maintain level headed-ness while working. A good trainer will be able to use body language cues to move the horse around the lunge circle with the horse's body bent away, with a calm disposition and keeping the head and neck low or level. You should be able to send the horse away from you to the left and right, and draw the horse in and reverse the direction of the lunge. When you call your horse in, you should wait for the head to be level or low, and the horse should approach in a calm, submissive manner. YOU SHOULD NEVER CALL OR DRAW A HORSE TO YOU IF THE HEAD IS HIGH, OR THEY ARE ACTING IN AN ASSERTIVE MANNER. Any type of assertive behavior should not be tolerated, as it may create a dangerous situation for you (and the horse). Horses that bully their owners need to be corrected for this- the owner should consult a professional trainer to show them how to deter the behavior and establish themselves as 'alpha', or pack leader. A bullying horse can be dangerous, and is often intimidating if the person that they are bullying does not know how to stop the behavior. It is always best to consult a professional trainer before the issue becomes a pattern of behavior, and so that the owner does not become afraid of the horse.
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