Having trained Horses for over 25 year, groundwork has always been a fundamental part of that training. It encompasses anything that you might do with your Horse on the ground whether handling, behaviour, building up trust, in hand schooling right up to The Airs Above the Ground, lunging , long reining and liberty. Just as with ridden work it serves a purpose to develop a Horse physically and mentally through their scales of training. It is often a discipline overlooked or misunderstood but once practised and understood it can be a valuable tool, whether to teach a Horse new things, as part of rehabilitation, keeping an older horse moving or perhaps when for some reason ridden work is restricted as we are currently finding with the Coronavirus crisis.
With a background in Classical Training, which focuses on the principles of lightness and balance with the ethology for the mental wellbeing of the horse, groundwork forms an instrumental part of my training the physical and mental development of the Horse. It is a way to work with the Horse through observation and feel rather than through gadgets or preconceived training methods. Practised correctly it is adaptable to the individual needs of each Horse but it still has logical steps with an end goal of a happy well-balanced ridden horse trained for the job required. Little equipment is required but it is useful to have a good quality cavesson (preferable with a comfortable nose piece) lunge line and long schooling whip.
The first step is just to spend time getting to know the horse and win their trust building a clear and consistence line of communication. From this comes acceptance and relaxation and a healthy learning place. It takes a lot of discipline to be constantly consistent and ask things of the Horse in a non- demanding way. It is also important to keep our emotions out of the way and just deal with what is in front of us rather than the “what ifs” or to focus too much on the end gaol. Horses learn through repetition and associating language with a set move. It’s possible through groundwork to build your own language with the Horse at first using secondary aids such as the voice or schooling whip (used as extension of your arm) and then eventually refining this until our instruction or ask is so subtle that it is hard to see the unspoken language between Horse and rider.
Groundwork in a schooling context (whether in hand work , lunging or long reining) is particularly important to help the horse move biomechanically in a correct way. As a trainer you can become the Horses’ physiotherapist and you have the added advantage of observing the whole Horse from the ground. Done correctly it helps build the correct muscles and core strength of the horse without the weight of the rider. A horse that is comfortable in his body will be more accepting of the rider which in turn leads to mental acceptance.
If a Horse learns to move correctly from the beginning, taking responsibility for carrying his own weight, engaging the core and working from behind into the hand then over time many of the more sophisticated moves will become effortless. It is a progressive scheme of work building layers as each move becomes easier for the horse, asking with as minimal pressure as possible. Training in this way promotes relaxation always with the primary concern of the well-being of the Horse as the priority. Training this way will also help safeguard the longevity of the Horse , as forced or rushed training can cause long lasting physical damage.
In hand work is particularly useful to teach the Horse the aids which will translate to ridden aids. A good example is teaching the Horse shoulder in. Having been taught to move each part of his body correctly with softness and lightness it is then possible to ask for that movement a step at a time by suggesting the horse starts to work on three tracks carrying greater weight on the inside hind leg and lightening the outside shoulder. Often it is easier to ask this move to start with off a 10-meter circle as his body is already in the correct position.
Time spent practising groundwork well will always be useful and is part of the continuing education and mental and physical health of the Horse. It is something I believe that should be incorporated within their work on an ongoing basis. It helps to keep an eye on any soreness or physical problems that might be developing, helps keep the horse mentally fresh and accepting but most importantly it is the key in my opinion to building a solid relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
For further inspiration it is worth looking at some of the teaching and work of Nuno Olivera, Manola Mendez and Frederick Pignon. The latter two visit the UK from time to time and it is well worth spectating at their clinics.
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