Ground Work

Haven't had a rant in quite a while, so here we go...

So much has been said about 'ground work,' and this has nothing to do with lawn care or picking up manure piles in the pasture. This is working with a horse, mule or pony on the ground, standing on your own two feet.

KC is so good about longeing that he does this without a rope or line. He was brought up right. Skip is difficult to get started because his first two circles will include bumping you with his shoulder. Have to establish boundaries!

The 'littles' feel so tormented with longeing that their heads look like they're put on wrong. This makes my arms tired and a little dizzy.

But ground work can also include working with obstacles like poles (Cavalletti) or ground-level bridges, or the teeter-totter. Working with these obstacles can alleviate issues on the trails or anywhere you might be. A world-famous trainer had shared a secret for the round pen: Make it 'busy' with weird stuff found around the house and yard. So true!

Of course the best plan is to start them young, but an 'old dog' can learn new tricks. Especially true with horse. Build those obstacles, leave them in the field or paddock, and let them look at them. Put balloons and flags on the fence posts, hang plastic sheeting on the stall doors. Let the wind flap that around. They'll think of them as part of the scenery and it becomes a non-issue.

Keep the radio on, and not on the classics, everyone loves Mozart, but Hard Rock or Heavy Metal is really the best. Even if you don't like it, they need to hear the loud stuff.

In the past I've met plenty of people, mostly women, that don't 'believe' in ground work. They've been brainwashed into thinking that all training can be done from the back of their horse. And it is safer to be up than off. But it is even more safe to try new scary things from the ground, or the ground will meet you quickly.