G R O U N D T R A I N I N G

THERE is is no such thing as a short cut in the world of proper horse training! Training is all about time - working consistently to produce the required mental and physical development of the horse - and it all starts with ground training.

GROUND training is exactly what it says - training from the ground so it encompasses a huge range of activities and skills from both horse and trainer. In its simplest form ground training commences with all the initial handling that a foal receives and then throughout its adolescence and into adult life; in its most advanced form ground training is teaching Grand Prix dressage horses their 'high school' moves.

BELOW we have set out the basic elements incorporated into our ground training programmes.

THERE is is no such thing as a short cut in the world of proper horse training! Training is all about time - working consistently to produce the required mental and physical development of the horse.

We will not be governed by set time constraints; horses can come for an assessment period after which a suitable programme can be determined.

A HORSE should be sociable, polite and respectful whilst of course retaining his character and individuality, otherwise the most simple of tasks becomes difficult and when training proper begins there is little or no foundation on which to build. So it is important that certain ground rules and boundaries are put in place. This is not done by way of domination but by letting a horse learn which behavioural options are the most comfortable to live with; a horse should be encouraged toÂ follow the right path with correct, positive and confident direction from his trainer.

TRAINING or teaching really commences the day baby is born but we constantly have horses here that lack basic courtesy and social skills (Ground Manners) both in the stable and the field they will not tie up happily, they snatch their feet when asked to pick them up, they do not lead well, they will not stand still, they cannot manoeuvre around a handler, and so the list goes on. These basic skills need to be in place and the horse confident in their execution before the real work can begin.

ESTABLISHING what we call Ground Control and Ground Manners teaches horses to give us their full attention, respond to the cues given, be respectful, builds their confidence, establishes us as the one to follow and is the foundation upon which further training is based.

AN ill-mannered horse has the potential to be a dangerous one. It is is vitally important that a horse responds to what is asked of him; his obedience and co-operation are vital in hazardous situations and could mean the difference between life and death - for example in the case of a stable fire.

STALLIONS particularly need to have good manners in place as a matter of safety not only for themselves but for those around them as they can readily become a bit headstrong when the testosterone kicks in!

THIS 3 year old Warmblood Stallion has learnt that being tied in the stable is nothing to worry about.

WORKING with a horse to put the basics in place, or reinforcing them if the horse is already familiar with such requirements, enables the horse and us to become better acquainted and for the horse to build his trust and confidence in us, to realise that we are no threat and mean no harm. This we do by teaching horses to respond to cues from our body language and steps as well as working with the natural lines of influence and energy contained in the human and equine body.

THE filly pictured below with Fred is giving him her full attention. She then responds positively to the cue to walk to Fred and he is rewarding and praising her accordingly.

HOWEVER basic or simple some ground exercises appear to be, for the young horse they require a lot of concentration so we keep "working" periods short to begin with. Also, young horses tire very quickly. During training sessions we constantly reward and reassure horses, whatever their age (remember ground training is not just the preserve of the young horse; often the older horse needs reminding of his manners.

ONCE basic ground control and manners are in place the progression to other stages of training follow much more easily.

Introducing Saddlery

PUTTING a bridle on the young horse for the first time should not present any problems so long as the exercise is carried out quietly and patiently plus of course he must be allowed time to adjust to the feel of this strange "contraption" before being expected to carry out any form of training exercise. However bridling difficulties do manifest from rough and insensitive handling of the young horse.

THE introduction of a roller and then the saddle is where difficulties can arise as the young horse will often object to something being fastened around him; his instinct is to rid himself of what he sees as threat to his safety but of course he is only reacting to what his natural instincts are telling him.

WE do not use a traditional lunging cavesson as we dislike the lunge line being attached to a ring on the top of the nose. This is an irritation to some horse and can cause head-tossing. Instead we use a training cavesson produced in Germany.

THIS youngster has been well handled and is accustomed to rugs so the introduction of the saddle has not really caused him any problems; he is just having a bit of a play and showing some natural exhuberance.

WHEN horses behave is such way, care should be taken not to pull them about hence the reason we do not attach the lunge line directly to the bit until a horse settled.

THE role of the trainer is very important at this stage as there must be no restraint merely encouragement for forward movement. The experience for the young horse must not be turned into a negative one by having someone pulling him about, shouting at him or chasing him with a whip.

THROUGHOUT their lives some horses will always "bend their backs" a bit if they have not had a saddle on for a while although it is important to rule out other contributory factors.

Loosework

WORKING a horse loose is an invaluable aspect of ground training as the horse works independently taking his directional cues for direction, pace, etc. from voice, body language and step cues from the trainer. It is important that the horse has already completed some basic ground control training so that he is comfortable and familiar with the directional cues given but most importantly is not confused or stressed by being asked to do something he does not fully understand. Loosework builds so much confidence in any horse as he is working all by himself) or at least he thinks he is!).

OBVIOUSLY in the early lessons a horse cannot be expected to act immediately to the directional cues given until he has been guided into making the correct responses as with all training it is a gradual journey, but with the more loosework that is undertaken the better the horse becomes at reacting to the subtlest of cues given. Working young horses loose is an excellent for allowing them time to fully accept and learn to carry a saddle and a bit prior to the next training stages.

INDIE shows his way of going when left to his own devices.

HE pokes his nose and props himself using the underside of neck muscles. His neck has no muscle tone and is shapeless. There is nothing happening behind the saddle - no impulsion, no activity of the hind leg - as Indie is not using his muscles.

USING himself, or rather not using himself, in this way, this horse will never develop the right muscles to support himself properly let alone carry the weight of a rider.

HAVING assessed Indie we elected to use side reins and observe his reaction - positive or negative.

SIDE REINS should be used with extreme care as it is very easy to fit them incorrectly and force the horse into a fixed outline rather than encouraging the horse to seek the desired outline. The horse should also be kept moving actively forward.

INDIE responded well - and as can be seen - the side reins are not pulling his head in. They are merely indicating to him that it is more comfortable to drop him head thereby rounding and lifting his back muscles and so generally making working actually more comfortable.

INDIE looks a completely different horse already.

PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT ADVOCATE THE USE OF SIDE REINS
AS A MATTER OF COURSE.

We use our discretion following assessment of the individual and the timescale we are working with in order to progress training or resolve training issues to the maximum benefit of horse and rider in the time we have to work with.
Side reins are not used with young horses that are unfamiliar with a bit in their mouths as the risk of damaging delicate mouth tissue is just too great. Side reins can be useful when re-educating the horse out of training to encourage a lowered headcarriage and accept a contact but, again - discretion is the key. Much harm can be done by ill-fitting and/or inappropriately used side reins on any horse!

Lungeing

WORK on the lunge contradicts much of the what we initially teach the young horse regarding ground manners and control as the exercise not only 'sends it away' but also the horse loses guidance from our step cues as he is required to work around us instead of using our body motion as his instruction as to what direction to go in and at what speed. Consequently we introduce lunge work when a horse is totally at ease and responsive to basic ground control cues.

CONSTANTLY winding a horse around on the lunge line not only places undue strain on the unfit or unbalanced horse, but done incorrectly it is all too easy for muscles to be built up and set in the wrong places. Â How many times do you see horses flying around on the end of a lunge line, often cantering disunited with their helds up in the air - what good is that doing? A horse needs to be responsive to the aids and cues from the trainer in order for lunge work to be effective.Â

HOWEVER, correct and efficiently executed lunge work does have benefits in that a horse can be encouraged to go forwards with impulsion, rhythm and pace can be established and balance and co-ordination can be improved.

WITH young horses or those that need specialist rehabilitative or schooliong work, we "walk lunge" i.e work in an oval rather than a circle, until such time as the horse is settled, confident and more balanced within its movement. This provides an excellent opportunity to teach the horse directional cues which will be invaluable during later work.

WATCHING this horse on the lunge tells us much about him. he is moving actively, there is a complete rigidity to his neck; it is lifted from the withers instead of flexing from the withers.

HE is not seeking a contact - and indeed will not as without direct intervention from the trainer he will continue to trot around quite happily but not learning anything nor achieving any suppling.
.

THE answer in this case is to long rein the horse so that he can be encouraged forwards into the contact which will in turn have the effect of correcting the headcarriage. See below.

TH Donnerhall/Negro gelding (below) is showing all the signs that the excellent breeding of his parentage has been passed on.

HOWEVER upon arrival he he was very gangly with a rather thin neck. He naturally carried his head very high to the point where muscle would soon have started to build underneath his neck instead of along the topline if careful encouragement to drop his head when working was not introduced.

THE outline the gelding nows presents is absolutely fine allowing correct muscle development all over his body but without being forced into an unnatural, uncomfortable position.

PLEASE NOTE: Side reins are being used here - for the reasons as described above - but they are not attached to the bit. Unfortunately the picture quality is not sufficient to show the training cavesson we use so that young or very sensitive horses are not worked off the mouth.

Long Reining

IN our opinion a horse cannot be taught and trained properly without being long-reined. Yes, it is one of the so-called traditional methods of working a horse but there really is no other training method by which horses can be taught so much, everything in fact, and indeed it is the only way to 'make a mouth'. It is nothing to be wary of in terms of being overtly bossy or dominant over a horse - the same 'rules' of mutual trust, understanding, co-operation and communication apply as with all aspects of training. Sadly though, it is an increasingly neglected part of the training and development of the young horse as it is considered by some to be 'old fashioned' but possibly the truth of the matter is that many people get into difficulties with long reining because they really do not have the appropriate skill to undertake it properly. Long reining is far more than just walking behind a horse with the reins in loops especially if the horse is to be taught proper rein contact, lateral movements, hock engagement, piaffe and so on. And, as with riding, the trainer needs a wonderfully soft, giving hand and this is why long reining is such an art that so few people can execute.

	THIS little mare, rising 4years of age is having her first long reining lession. She is very quick to learn and with horses like this it is very easy to be tempted to push on too far too quickly. Within just two days young Beth was responding far better than most horses of her age and even got to grip with gentle sideways movement.
	IT IS important throughout all the stages of a horse's training, to take its physical development and mental capacity into account. Mare, gelding or stallion is also a consideration. ALSO breed type must also be borne in mind as, for example, friesians are upright in front and are generally short-coupled so care must be taken not to shorten them up even more!

WORKING a horse on long lines is an excellent way to 'observe'; to the trained eye much can be assessed and signs of potential resistances can be detected early on, as can any unsoundnesses. Most corrective training is carried out from the ground as is work towards more advanced dressage movements as the horse can be educated without the hindrance of a rider.

UNFORTUNATELY during his early re- training work this horse was over active in the mouth to the point of drawing his tongue back and then over the bit so for a couple of weeks we did use a flash noseband (combined with a bit change).

WITH lines around him Fred has the control to begin to direct the horse's body and encourage him to start to use muscles he had forgotten about - or resisted using.

THERE had also been an issue with saddle fit so the horse had set himself to minimise the discomfort, a habit which then had to be broken.

INITIALLY the horse's stride pattern has shortened a little whilst he gets to grips with the idea of being able to drop into the contact and still go forwards at the same time.

MUCH better! Although the head carriage is still a little high for the stage of training, the horse is now moving actively into the contact.

A CONTINUATION of this type of work will see the neck lower more so that the muscles of the back are stretched and strengthened. The muscles of the hind quarters will develop more so that eventually the horse looks more like one horse rather than 2 joined together.

LONG REINING is also an exercise of the mind as the horse has to concentrate in just the same way as he does when ridden and that is why it plays such an important role in the re-schooling of horses that have become soured, nappy and so on. Hence long reining is not just for the young horse - it is an integral part of the training of all horses, irrespective of their age and physical development. Please also refer to the "Retraining of Racehorses" section.

THIS horse has an incredibly soft mouth and has shied away from seeking a contact. Fred has the lightest touch on the lines so as not to create any restriction on the horse's free, forward movement.

AS aforesaid long reining is not just a tool for the training of the young or older horse or part of the re-training for horses off the track; it is the most effective way of correcting from the ground bad habits, improving balance and outline (building muscle, etc.) and suppling.

THIS gelding was distinctly overbent when he arrived. As can be seen from the photograph even with no contact on the lines he has dropped at both the withers and poll. NOTE: there is a difference between a horse being deep and round (not to be confused with Rolkur) and overbent.

WHILST dropping and stretching during and at the end of schooling sessions is to be encouraged as much as possible, this horse is clearly "curling in"; although the hind legs are stepping under well the fore legs, given the size of the horse, are not covering any ground.

WITH correct guidance the horse has now opened through the neck considerably; his croup has lowered a little and the hind legs are still active.

THE horse has now adopted a lovely lowered, rounded outline which will work and lift the back muscles and so help engagement and stretching of the hamstrings. Such an outline also encourages relaxtion between more collected exercises. He is still a little short in front (tight through the shoulders) but further training, including work over poles, will resolve this.

JUST as with the ridden horse when the rider should be able to place the head/neck exactly where he wants its (obviously when the horse is suitably schooled to understand the aids), so with the horse on long reins.

HERE Fred is working with Indie, who has to work hard to compensate for his bowed hind leg.

WHILST Indie is presenting a good picture, he is not actually overly exerting himself! He is not using his back and stepping under. Whilst he is not going to gain paces to equate with the horse above, a little more "lift" and activity can be achieved.

SOME horses do benefit from being asked to work in a deeper, rounder outline as part of their training programe as it helps them loosen and engage better.

FRED has now asked Indie to work deeper and rounder (not to be confused with the "drawn in" effect of the horse in the two photographs above these).

THIS type of exercise can be followed through to ridden work.

OF COURSE not every horse behaves perfectly all the time; some can be quite demonstrative. As trainers it is our task to establish why a horse acts and behaves as he does - is it just playfulness and exuberance, is he misunderstanding what is being asked of him, is he feeling some discomfort or, is he being "naughty".

HERE is a sequence of photographs illustrating the importance of a person very skilled in long reining being at the end of the reins! Such behaviour is of course not acceptable and has to be eliminated before a horse is backed as he must not get the idea he can do this with a rider!!

JUST to prove this little chap is now a good boy!

YOUNG horses do not always behave as expected and sometimes can belie an otherwise quiet demeanour. This young man did not just object to work, but would readily leap off the ground when just being led to the field, or even when a heacollar was put on in the stable.

PATIENCE has been the key to gently encourage this young horse to realise that working can be fun.

LONG REINING is invaluable for the older horse, helping to keep him soft and supple.

SUCH exercise also provides a good work out for dressage horses to observe how they are moving and check that all important headcarriage without the weight of a rider.

ALSO all the advanced movements can be taught prior to the horse having to support a rider.

HERE Mr. Bojangles, one of the most successful ex-racehorses in dressage (reaching Advanced Medium), shows that medium trot is not just the preserve of the warmblood!

Pole Work

WE spend a considerable amount of time working horses over poles on long lines. It is a very beneficial exercise which encourages joint flexion and stride extension, helps establish balance and co-ordination as well as increasing athleticism; it also aids concentration thus providing valuable training for horses in all equestrian spheres. The exercises can be varied so much that training can be kept interesting and stimulating for the horse; boredom must never be allowed to creep in. For horses that are particularly responsive to the trainer's cues, polework can be executed as part of loosework.

WORK over ground poles can be done in 'collection' or in 'stretch' - both exercises are of equal important so are incorporated into our working programmes - and, as with long reining, is of benefit to all horses.

POLES can be laid out in straight lines or on an arc, the latter allowing you to alter stride length without the need to keep adjusting distances.

OF MOST importance this horse is clearly relaxed and happy with what is being asked of him as can be seen from the position of his ears.

HE is showing an lovely even stride, a perfect head carriage and is working with the lightest of contact on the lines.

RAISED poles is where the real benefit lies for all manner of reasons as well as being an invaluable part of rehabiliative work especially for pelvic issues and to strengthen weakened ligaments around the stifle joints (usually the cause behind a locking patella).

	PROGRESSION to alternately raised poles should only be done one a horse is fully confident with poles flat on the ground otherwise. THIS horse has the measure of what is being asked of him as can be seen by how high he is stepping with his left hind leg.
	HERE however his work is lacking in expression and activity. . HE is "going through the motions" and not moving as we wish - his forehand is taking the weight, not the hindquarters. The horse is neither working nor learning anything.
	HAVING performed the exercise a few more times there is now more expression from the horse - there is spring to his stride and he is altogether more focused.. THE exercise is having the desired effect of achieving lift from the shoulder and good flexion from the hock; he is also working through more from behind and has a lovely head carriage, again with the lightest of contact on the reins.
	WITH a contact which is too strong the horse has no choice but to invert causing the front end elevation to be somewhat "over-done" which in turn causes a flattening of the hindquarters. A TRAINER should not be fooled into thinking the horse is working well just because he is picking his feet up over the poles. Working in such manner will soon cause all manner of muscular issues
	HARMONY is restored. WITH a lighter contact once again the horse relaxes and now is working really well. THERE is greater elevation to the stride has been achieved and more activity through the hock but this at the expense of losing the outline and expression.

THE ultimate in longreining - no saddle or roller. Please note that this is not recommended with a young or inexperienced horse, nor if you are not confident and competant with long lines.

AND what a great way to observe a horse - without any restrictions. A mere presence of a girth can alter so much.

AS with all training, a horse needs to work in a relaxed and rhythmic way, and proof of this is his breathing; when a horse does not breathe he is tense, when he is tense, he is not learning.

A HORSE must be relaxed and at ease both at the commencement and end of his training sessions. Â If a horse is tense before he even starts his work, then that he is not going to respond well during his lessons. Equally so, a horse that does not end a training session in a relaxed state of mind may not be so willing to want to work the next day - and that is when impolite behaviour may begin to show up!

In Conclusion

UNFORTUNATELY not everyone has the aptitude, patience, knowledge and understanding to work with their horses in this way and that is why there are so many horses in the world that are unhappy and distressed, resulting in misbehaviour and the development of behavioural abnormalities. The knowledge of this concerns us greatly as horses are such magnificent animals deserving of our love, respect, trust and understanding.

FROM reading the above it can be seen that we train horses in a way they can relate to, in a sympathetic manner, with patience and complete understanding of the equine psyche - what is termed today as 'natural horsemanship' - but it is not a new phenomenon; it is just that training in this way has been lost by so many over the years in order to get horses to be "obedient" and "submissive" - terms you will not hear in our training vocabularly.

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