Ground work - on line

Basics - for humans!!

• Learn how to lead
  
• Basic herd dynamics and horse psychology - leadership/dominance/submissiveness
• How to be in control of your own space around horses
• How to 'park' a horse
  

Seven Essential Exercises In-Hand
 The sooner we look for quality within these exercises , the sooner the horse has a sense of purpose. They become not only tools for communication, but physiotherapy; a performance enhancer. 

The order in which we train and use them is dependent on the horse's mental, emotional and physical state. We also consider  these states when looking at the level and quality of  movement within each exercise and adjust our expectations within each moment accordingly.

Flexion - Bending your horse from nose to tail, especially through the ribs. Developing from a small shift of weight to the outside and flex of the abdominal muscles to a deep contraction of the thoracic sling, abdominal muscles, stretch of the outside throughout the horse, a lightening of the forehand and a gentle vertical, lateral flexion from the poll.

Yield to Intention - Move your horse away from you without touching him.  Move the hindquarter and the front end, and the whole horse backwards, forwards, sideways.   Once your horse is responding, start to improve his posture throughout the movement.   

Yield to a Feel - Hands on.  Movements as above. Start looking for an elastic response from your physical connection not a tightness or hardness in the muscle. Also develop your feel through the rope to the halter and connect the halter to the feet through various rein positions whilst on the ground.

Yo-yo - Can my horse move back-up from close-up to a distance and draw back to me? A test of connection.

Circling/lungeing - This could have a page to itself! In its simplest form, teach the horse to leave safely at a  walk/trot/canter in a circle and then stop on a line using a short 4ft distance to a 45ft line.   I now use a more classical approach and spend time in walk in small varying circles, shaping and developing the movement of the horse and shifting in and out of shoulder-in, sidepass, forwards, lengthening and shortening, and halt, using the most effective movement to improve and develop the horse's carriage, without losing forwards. This progresses throughout the gaits, but is most valuable in the walk.

Sideways - Move the horse sideways away from you. Develop this into a two-beat rhythm, no forwards, and lift through the thoracic sling which will change the leg yield into a half-pass shape. Then add diagonals, turns etc.

Squeeze - Move a horse safely through a gap - this has been taken to a new level with the new competition Horse Agility!

Widar and Jacob know how to 'park.'

Flexion from the ribs even on a first session

Shoulder-fore from a feel

Chance learns how to circle

Try with two!

                Contact Martha              mob  07791 539458                email    thinkhorses@yahoo.com