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The equestrian world is wide and varied, and includes a lot of things that you might not have known about before. Of course you know the basics, like investing the right gear and training your horse to name a couple. However, did you know that there is something known as ‘groundwork exercises’? This is exactly as it sounds, so if you panicked, do not worry. These are pretty much the exercises one does with their horse from the ground. They are not terribly complicated or anything, but you should definitely get acquainted with them, especially if you are going to be in the field.
Leading
Again, this is exactly how it sounds. It involves learning how to lead your horse, where both the horse and the rider/ owner get used to each other through showing the horse where to go. There are several different ways to go about this. You could either lead directly, right in front of the horse, or on the side. Just remember that whichever of these it is, you must maintain a certain amount of space so you are placing you boundaries and space for respect. You also set the speed, although you need to play this one by ear. If the horse tells you otherwise, then adapt accordingly.
Direct Physical Pressure
Of course by no means are you doing to hurt the creature in any way, but you still need to exert authority in a responsible manner. You see, they receive their cues from us; either from the pressure of our horse riding boots against their flank, or how tightly we control the reins. Those however, are what we do when we are already on the horse. Since this is about groundwork exercises, direct pressure includes things like teaching them what moves to make with each gesture you make. So if for example you press down on their head, it will learn to lower it and so on.
Touching
At the end of the day, horse riding involves a lot of touching. We tell the horse what to do by giving different body signals. In fact, well-trained horses and riders are almost one entity; they work in unison so effortlessly, which makes it a treat to watch. Touching is important so the horse learns to recognise your touch and respect it too. Later on, the horse begins to even enjoy these touches, as they feel loved and cared for. There are two ways to go about this: stroking and grooming.
Why It Is Important
Aside from understanding what groundwork exercises entail, it is important to also understand why it is necessary. There are several reasons as to why people try these out with their horses. For starters, there could be dominance issues. Secondly, you can also help your horse work through any fears or anxiety they might have. What is more, you build good leadership and establish trust between both of you, which translates much better out there when you are riding. There are many more of course, but these are some of main ones.
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