Understanding Groundwork

Ground work includes every aspect of you and your horse on the ground

Editor’s Note: Best Horse Practices Summit presenter Katrin Silva grew up riding dressage in Germany before moving to the United States at age 19 to learn to ride Western. She’s been riding both disciplines for the last twenty years and is a regular guest columnist for Cayuse Communications. She lives in New Mexico where she works with dressage and Western clients. Visit her blog here.

Katrin writes:

When I was younger, I worked mainly as a colt starter. I did not charge enough money because I didn’t think I was that good, which forced me to take on more horses than I had time for. As a result, I rushed through groundwork, reasoning that my clients paid me for time in the saddle. I spent just enough ground time with a green horse to get bucked off less often than I otherwise might have.

Haltering is ground work

Now older and wiser, I’ve changed my mind about groundwork. It’s not just because I don’t bounce as well as I used to. I meet lots of horses, even experienced riding horses, with bad ground manners:

• who drag behind or charge ahead while leading
• who don’t lead at all
• who have never learned how to stand tied
• who are pushy, hard to catch horses, or head-shy
• without clear boundaries.
• who won’t load
• who won’t give their feet.

These horses are not pleasant to be around. At worst, they are unsafe. I should know. I have a dental implant from getting head-slammed by such a horse. Of course, the behavioral issues exhibited on the ground tend to show up in their under-saddle work, too. Why wouldn’t they? I now think groundwork is time well spent. But I nonetheless disagree with some of the ideas out there:

“Once you can do something with your horse on the ground, you can get on and do it under saddle, no problem!”

Katrin and friend compete in a pack burro race — also ground work!

Not exactly. Or, only to a point. Teaching your horse to follow direction and yield from pressure from the ground before you do it from the saddle is a good idea. Teaching your horse to respond to voice commands and body language is never wrong. Introducing a new movement like the rein back from the ground makes sense. Horses do connect these dots.

But from the saddle, you teach your horse to respond to your weight and seat and legs. You teach your horse the language of your back and you learn the language of his back. Carrying a rider changes the horse’s balance, which means the horse needs to re-learn any movement he already knows without a rider. Groundwork can support this process, but it’s not a substitute.

“ Doing lots of groundwork will make me a better rider.”

Yes and no. Doing groundwork will improve your relationship and can teach you about listening to a horse’s body language. It will reveal personality and training issues. But only lots of riding will make you a great rider.
Don’t get me wrong: you can build a beautiful relationship with your horse without ever being an accomplished rider. But riding well takes flexibility, coordination, sensitivity, core strength, the feedback of a good instructor or two. Above all, it takes lots and lots of practice in the saddle.

“I barely have enough time to ride! I can’t fit in extra time for groundwork!”

I know this one well because I hear myself thinking it all the time. The truth is, if your horse does not have serious issues, you don’t have to set aside extra time. You are doing groundwork before and after every ride: catching, haltering, leading, grooming, medicating, holding your horse for the farrier, etc. Every time you handle your horse, you are doing groundwork. You are teaching him something you want him to do, or something you don’t want him to do. It’s up to you to reinforce the best habits.

“Trainer X has the best groundwork method! I’ve gone to his clinic/watched his videos. I bought his online course/special halter/whip. He’s brilliant! Everyone should do it this way! It’s the only correct way.”

You don’t have to follow a particular trainer. You don’t have to use a specific method or use a specific piece of equipment. If you lack experience, it may be helpful to follow a program, but it’s not necessary. The best approach depends on your goals, the tools you’re comfortable using, and your equestrian background.

What’s important is that you are:

• Clear about the things you do and don’t want your horse to learn
• Able to read the horse’s body language and expression
• Calm in your movements, your voice, and your emotions.
• Consistent in your work.

The horsewomen and horsemen I respect the most, the ones whose horses have excellent ground manners, don’t have much in common. Some wear jeans. Others wear breeches. Some use rope halters, others swear by lungeing cavessons. Some use flags. Some use whips or clickers.

All are calm. All are fair. And all of them radiate a quiet, unshakeable confidence.