Good ground manners and ground skills make your horse pleasant and safe to handle on a daily basis and also provide the foundation for saddle work. This is where superior horse-human communication begins. Learn how to control your horse’s direction, movement, pace and emotion from the ground.

Catching and haltering

There is nothing more frustrating than having planned an hour of riding or training or other activity and have that time taken up pursuing your horse around the pasture. Catching your horse should not mean tricking it with a bucket of grain or sneaking up to it with the halter and lead rope behind your back. Teach your horse to catch you and then be willingly haltered.

Horse Safety

There are many, what may seem minor, safety precautions to be taken when around or handling your horse, that if overlooked could be catastrophic. Your safety is of utmost importance, the calmest horse or smallest pony has the potential to hurt someone if it is startled or scared. Learn how to safely move around your horse’s body, pick up their feet, handle their mouth and ears, administer worming paste, groom your horse, check their teeth, tie your horse, bridle and saddle your horse and heaps more.

Teaching your horse to lead

Teach your horse to follow willingly in a relaxed comfortable manner, on a slack lead and at a safe distance. You don’t want your horse pushing you out of the way, stepping on your feet, coming up from behind, tossing his/her head at you, threaten to bite and or crowd you. When you stop your horse should stop, when you back up so should your horse, if you move into your horse he/she should give way and if you move away from your horse he/she should follow in the same direction. Teaching your horse to lead properly is the basis for almost every other aspect of good manners.

Lunging with purpose

Lunging your horse provides a unique way for the two of you to connect and learn more about each other. It’s not about sending your horse in endless and aimless circles so he/she can burn pent up energy. This is an excellent way of teaching your horse to focus almost entirely on your voice and body language. Learn how to confidently instruct your horse using your voice, using gentle guidance with your hand pressure and your stance.

Ground Driving

This is the foundation training for Long Lining and preparing your horse to follow your direction from the saddle. Learn how to direct your horse from behind his/her withers and further back. Not only is Ground Driving fun, it also connects you and your horse on a higher level of communication and understanding. It adds a new dimension in ease and comfort in handling your horse.

Trailer Loading

Horses are by nature claustrophobic, and they would not, out in nature, ever go into a small, dark, enclosed space. But neither would they carry a large predator on their back, nor do lots of other things that we fully expected them to do with us! Trailer loading should not be considered as a separate and special skill. Teaching your horse to load into a trailer with confidence and willingness will make the difference in an emergency situation. You never know when an emergency evacuation might be necessary or a roadside emergency requiring the transfer to another vehicle. A horse that loads quickly and safely has a much better chance of being saved in an emergency.