Horse Training – Some Groundwork Exercises

Below is a brief description of just three simple groundwork exercises you can perform with your own horse or a horse you are training. Ground exercises are a vital part of getting to know each other and of building trust between you and the horse. Good groundwork sets the stage for all future training. The importance of safety and maintaining your personal space bubble should not be taken lightly.

Successful horse training requires patience, persistence and lots of positive reinforcement. These are the 3 P’s of basic horse training that will serve you well no matter what level you are training or what you might be training for in the future.

1. Groom your horse.

This is a perfect place to start before practising more advanced exercises with your horse. Your horse will get to know you during this quality time together, and vice verse. Standing beside your horse, brush his back and neck. It is not unusual for the horse to bring his teeth around to you for a little love bite. While horses do this to each other all the time, naturally they cannot do it to humans. Discourage this by simply waving a hand, or by pushing his head back straight. Those massive teeth could really hurt – so be sure to make it clear from the very start that this is not acceptable. Use patience and keep calm. He’ll get the idea and will cooperate. It will do you no good to panic, stress, smack your horse or get otherwise agitated. This will only set you back with your trust levels.

2. Lead your horse.

Walk on the left side of your horse, holding the lead rope just below his chin in your right hand. Step forward and walk slowly. He should not try to go ahead of you but should remain at your right side. He may try to do this and you should walk around in a circle to your left. Do this as many times as necessary. Be persistent. By circling to your left you will stay just ahead of him as it should be. If, on the other hand, your horse doesn’t want to walk with you, stand slightly behind at his shoulder facing the same direction. Hold the rope close to his chin and push forward. When he takes a little step, praise and positive reinforcement is in order. When he starts to walk willingly, take your place slightly ahead of him and walk on. For your safety, never wrap the lead rope around any part of you. If the horse decides to bolt you’ll be going along and it will not be pretty.

3. Lunge your horse.

This is a fantastic exercise which the vast majority of horse owners and certainly all horse trainers will use to teach their horse about what is expected. Lunging will teach many of the skills and commands, or cues, your horse will need to know when you’re ready to work him under saddle.

In a large open area (an arena works, too, if you don’t have a round enclosure) clip your horse to a lunge lead specifically for lunging. This will be 30 ft long (approximately 10m), much longer than the short lead rope you use for the lead exercise.

Clip the lead to the horse’s left halter side and hold the lead in your left hand. Start by facing the horse’s left side while holding the lunge line. Hold a lunge whip in your right hand which you’ll use to guide him along.

Now step to your right sideways toward the rear of the horse while holding the whip out behind him. The horse’s natural reaction will be to step forward. Now let out the rope as you follow behind the horse to the left side, making a kissing sound as you do so. He’ll begin to associate that sound with “move forward”. Just hold the whip slightly behind the horse’s hindquarters as you are turning and the horse is moving in a circle around you. The whip is not for hitting. Simply by waving it about a little the horse should pay attention to you.

Now, as he moves forward, you should move yourself slowly backwards, so that you come to the centre of your training circle. Stand in the middle and turn in a circle with the lunge line fully extended and the horse walking around you in a good circle. Watch your horse’s hip area as he’s going round.

This is the perfect time to teach your horse to understand “whoa”. Say the word “whoooaaa” in a low and calm voice. At the same time, step toward your horse’s head and repeat the word. When he stops, give him lots of praise and a little neck rub. You will help him remember what to do through this positive reinforcement.

Changing your position now will allow you to lunge your horse in an anti-clockwise manner. It’s done in the same way, but with the lead clipped to the right side of the halter and the lunge whip in the left hand.

These are just a few basic exercises for you to get started with hands-on horse training. Always remember the size and sheer power of the horse. This alone should be enough to remind you to have adequate horse insurance in place should either you or your equine be injured. Your success with training and all future activities depends both on safety and trust. As well as a loyal friend, your horse is also an investment, so remember to protect that investment against theft, accident or misadventure by making sure you compare horse insurance policies to ensure you are getting the best level of cover for both of your needs.

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