Today’s tip is less about cleaning and more about enjoying time with your horse. Groundwork is just as important as actual riding. Take time before or after your ride to work with your horse on the ground. If you don’t have access to an indoor arena and the ground isn’t dry enough to ride, give some of these drills a shot.
1. Build Trust with Your Horse
In this Problem Solved department featuring Warwick Schiller, Warwick explains why he likes to use methods that build a connection and trust with your horse rather than forcing him to do something he’s not comfortable with. Check out his tips here.
2. Harmonize Your Horsemanship
Are you a high-energy person? Or is your energy lower-key? Is your horse high-energy? Or does he have more whoa than go? Learn why it’s important to match your level of energy to your horse’s here.
3. Self-Lifting Feet
Does your horse like to push his body weight into you when you try to pick up his feet? Here’s a drill you can practice in your barn so picking up feet becomes a breeze.
4. Gain Control from the Ground Up
When you work with a horse on the ground, it’s easy to underestimate the amount of communication that takes place between you and your horse. Even if you have only a half hour to work with your horse on a given day, the feedback from your horse during that time can be just as valuable as the feedback from an hour-long riding session. Check it out here.
5. Disengage the Hindquarters
Work on teaching your horse certain signals so he learns how to disengage his hindquarters when you’re on the ground. Watch it here. This video is part of our Horse&Rider OnDemand program. You can sign up for a FREE 7-day trial and join our 12-day OnDemand challenge.
