When we think of training horses, many of us will think of time in the saddle, working the horse through movements and exercises in the arena or going for a hack. However, true horsemanship begins on the ground.
What is Groundwork?
Groundwork is as it sounds, working your horse from the ground. It can be anything from basic leading and lungeing to long-lining and in-hand work, where you work your horse through various exercises from the ground. It is hugely beneficial to all horses whatever their age or stage of training. It’s also great for us too!
Groundwork is a fabulous way to help build a language between you, the handler and your horse, emphasising trust and communication. What you do in your groundwork sessions can be adapted for young horses, more experienced horses, competition horses, and even those recovering from injury.
The Benefits of Groundwork
1. Improves Communication and Bonding
Groundwork teaches the horse to respond to subtle cues and body language, enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. As trust builds, so does the bond between you and your horse, leading to a stronger partnership under saddle.
2. Establishes Respect and Boundaries
By working with your horse from the ground, you can set clear expectations for personal space and respectful behaviour. This can help to address pushiness, anxiety or dominance issues in a controlled environment.
3. Develops Balance, Coordination and Suppleness
Groundwork also plays a key role in physical conditioning. Exercises like yielding the hindquarters, backing up and pole work encourage correct posture, balance, and muscle development. This is especially valuable for young or rehabilitating horses.
4. Boosts Confidence
For nervous or inexperienced horses, groundwork provides a safe space to explore new experiences without the addition of a rider. Desensitisation exercises can help horses build confidence around new objects, sounds, and environments.
5. Prepares for Ridden Work
Groundwork lays a solid foundation for all aspects of ridden work. Movements practiced on the ground, such as bending, flexing, and yielding, translate directly into the saddle, creating a more responsive, relaxed and confident horse.
6. Builds a Picture of Your Horse
Working your horse from the ground, is great way for you to get to know how your horse moves. Often what you feel when you are in the saddle and what you see from the ground can be very different. Groundwork is the perfect opportunity to observe and study, recognise areas of weakness and build a comprehensive picture of your horse.
Groundwork Routine: Get His Joints Moving
Here's a simple groundwork routine that is a great pre-riding warm-up, or just as beneficial if you’re unable to ride. If you’re planning on riding you can do these exercises tacked up. The aim is to get him moving, especially his joints.
Begin by walking two circuits of your arena with your horse in-hand.
Backing up
This exercise is great for developing the muscles that support back posture and help your horse carry your weight when you’re riding.
It also mobilises the back and sacroiliac area, encouraging your horse to bring his hindlegs underneath him, as well as improving his posture.
How to do it:
From halt, apply gentle pressure on the reins (make sure you have an even contact on both reins), or leadrope to ask your horse to step back, taking long, even steps with his head and neck lowered. Ask for 10 steps backwards before walking him forwards again. Repeat this two or three times.
Small circles
Working on a small circle helps improve suppleness.
How to do it:
Stand facing your horse at his girth area. Ask your horse to walk a small circle around you as you gently bend his head to the inside to encourage him to step across under his body with his inside hindleg. A common mistake is to allow your horse to pivot on the spot.
To help avoid this, focus on your horse’s front legs and keep him walking forwards on a small circle.
You need to stand still and let your horse walk around you.
Repeat this three or four times in both directions.
Walking over poles
This is a great way to get your horse really using his joints. It will also improve his balance, muscle tone, his hoof/brain co-ordination and develop his core and abdominal strength.
How to do it:
Place five poles one short walk stride apart. If you can walk over it comfortably your horse should be able to do it too. Walk over the poles with your horse several times from both directions, making sure you allow him freedom in his head and neck. Once your horse is happy with this you can raise alternate ends of each pole.
Walking over an obstacle
A great exercise to help your horse engage his core and to lift and mobilise his back muscles. There’s no momentum or spring in walk, so your horse has to flex and lift his joints to get over the obstacle.
How to do it:
If you have jumps set out in your arena you can walk your horse over them. He should be able to walk over anything up to his knee or hock height. The key to getting this exercise right is not to rush your horse. It takes time for him to lift each leg up and over. Keep your reins lose, allowing him to use his head and neck. This is hard work so don’t over do it. If he goes over the jump nicely off each rein twice that’s enough.
Incorporating groundwork into your horse’s routine can be a game-changer for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It builds trust, improves communication, and builds on their ridden work and promotes a positive partnership.
So, whether you’re a dedicated horse owner, a professional trainer, or an equine therapist, never underestimate the power of working with your horse from the ground; it’s more powerful than you might think.
If you want more ideas for groundwork exercises that will help improve your horse's musculoskeletal health, check these out:-
What are your favourite groundwork exercises? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Great read. I will be adding these into my pole routine.