Groundwork

Follow a feel forward

Over the past few months, we’ve received an increasing number of questions about getting started with groundwork. Whilst we advise that an instructor helps you initially, there are a few basics you can teach at home that ultimately form the foundation of all groundwork activities. Over the following few issues, we’ll be looking at these basic building blocks of your groundwork toolbox and helping you to build a solid foundation for your in-hand work.

Yield forwards with a direct feel

In this exercise, you will teach your horse how to follow a feel on the halter and come towards you. This is very valuable as it can help him learn not to pull back and also help with loading into a horsebox.

How to do the exercise

• Stand in front of your horse with a space between you of approximately 1.8 metres.

• Lay the lead rope over your open hand.

• Make sure your horse is focused on you.

• Think of drawing your horse towards your belly button.

• Draw your open hand towards your body so that it just lifts the clip on the rope, and a contact is made. Ideally, you want your horse to yield to this little pressure and come towards you, but it will take time for your horse to become this sensitive to the aid.

• If he doesn’t move forwards (as you would anticipate in the teaching phase), start to run your hands down the rope with both hands open back towards your body. This puts a bit more feel on the halter.

• If he still doesn’t come, close your hands on the rope and continue to run your hands down it while exerting a steady feel on the halter.

• If he still doesn’t move towards you, keep your hands still and exert a firm hold on the halter until your horse steps forwards. Do not jerk harshly on the halter!

• As soon as your horse steps forward, even with just one foot, release your feel on the halter.

Points to note

• You are NOT trying to pull your horse towards you. Offer a light feel and increase this in a stepwise fashion until it is firm enough for him to understand your question and step forward. The instant he steps forwards, open your hands. The release acts as his reward and shows him that he got the answer to your question right.

• If you try to pull your horse forwards, he is more likely to plant his feet or go backwards.

• Imagine that you are like a fence post that your horse is attached to; it doesn’t pull when he doesn’t yield, but he finds instant release when he steps towards it.

• Reward the slightest try from the horse and gradually build up the number of steps you ask for.

• Over time you should be able to get a response with less and less pressure.

Troubleshooting

• If your horse leans on you and digs his toes in, do not pull harder but instead move from one side to the other in order to change his balance over his front legs and cause him to step. Release and repeat until he is no longer resisting and will come straight forwards.

• If your horse seems anxious about your request, soften your body language; smile and remove the direct eye contact to show him that there is no threat. If this still doesn’t help, take another step backwards to give him more space and encourage him to move forwards to follow you.

Ultimate goals

• Teach your horse to become so responsive that he will trot towards you from just a light application of pressure.

• Try to attract your horse towards you using just your body language so you don’t even have to put a feel on the rope.

If the horse seems anxious make sure you soften your body language and perhaps give him more space.

Next time

In our next edition, we will look at asking your horse to yield forwards from an indirect feel.