Groundwork Exercise

By Lisa Wieben and Birgit Stutz | Photos by Lisa Wieben Handler - Andrea Morrison, Horse - MCR Silver Dream, 9-year-old Quarter Horse gelding

Whether we like it or not, winter is here to stay. While some riders are fortunate to have access to a heated indoor arena, or at least an indoor arena, many riders don’t. Cold temperatures, snow, ice, uneven footing, and short daylight hours can make it difficult to safely exercise our horses. Don’t feel guilty. There is nothing wrong with letting your horse have a break. It may be beneficial for him physically and mentally to have a break from his regular workout (as long as he still gets some turnout).

The handler’s position is between the neck and shoulders with her hand underneath the throat in line with the middle of the chest. The horse is stepping nicely back in diagonal pairs.

owever, if you are looking for things to do with your horse that keeps your horse and you in shape, as well as keeping you warm… there are lots of groundwork exercises you can do.

Here’s a groundwork exercise that we like. It’s also great for horses who can’t be ridden. The exercise can be done anywhere, as long as the footing is reasonably even.

In this exercise the horse will first be learning how to back-up, which is a two-beat movement where the horse moves backward in diagonal pairs. Many horses can be lazy in the back-up and back incorrectly in four beats (each foot moving separately), drag their feet back, or invert (lifting their head and hollowing their back). As you move through the exercises the horse will become lighter and more true in the back-up as well as develop more push forward when asked to walk or jog/trot forward. Ideally you want to start the exercise along a wall or fence, but it can also be done without it.

If you need a refresher on proper leading, check out our articles in the March and April 2019 issues of Saddle Up (see www.saddleup. ca, click on ‘Archive’). You can also find the articles at https:// fallingstarranch.wordpress.com/.

To cue the horse to back-up

Start by standing next to your horse’s shoulder or just between the shoulder and throat, facing forward. Hold the rope like a rein, with your wrist turned so the thumb is level. The basic hand position is under the horse’s throat directly in line with the middle of the body in order to keep the horse straight. Keep your body aligned with the horse. Your belly button (core) should be facing straight ahead, in alignment with the centre of the horse’s chest. Imagine a railroad track, with you walking on the one track and the horse’s spine following the other track. The two tracks are always aligned (parallel or congruent).

To back the horse, stand tall beside the horse and holding pressure on the lead to prevent the horse from stepping forward, cue the horse to move forward into the blocking pressure by clucking and either tapping with the whip near the flank or using your lead rope behind you. Once the horse feels the block in front he should round and step backward.

At this point many horses will push through the block and step

forward. If this happens you can push the horse into a circle around you, then ask for the halt by breathing out or saying ‘whoa’ when you get back to the fence line or wall. Repeat the cue into the contact until the horse takes a step back. When he does, reward him well. Teaching the back-up in this way prepares the horse to back-up by rounding his back and stepping back, much like we do when backing the horse using leg pressure when riding (see previous article).

Once the horse understands the backup cue, then you can move onto the next part of the exercise.

Walk, halt, back-up, walk

Stand beside your horse and pick up contact on the lead rope, then ask the horse to take the first step before joining in. This will maintain the contact without you inadvertently pulling on the rope. It is important to work the horse from back to front by “pushing” the horse from the hind end into your receiving, never pulling hand.

Maintain contact on the lead. After several steps forward, stop your body, then cue your horse to back-up (as above). Don’t change your body position during the transitions and remember to breathe through the transitions. At first the horse may be a bit sluggish to step back but continue to cue until the horse steps back, then proceed immediately forward. The reward is going forward. Continue to work walk, halt, back-up until the horse moves easily from one movement to the next and is backing in clear diagonal pairs. If the horse needs a little extra encouragement to back-up you may use your whip level across the chest or your lead to tap the chest. Keep your energy low so that the horse does not lift his head to step back.

Walk, back-up, walk

Next we will test how well your horse follows your lead. Begin in the walk, then after several steps forward change your mind and step backwards. Does the horse follow your body or does he continue forward? If he continues forward turn him in a circle again, ask for a halt on your track and then back-up. Go forward one or two steps, then ask for the back-up again. Keep your body language quiet as you move from forward to backward. You may at this point use your whip lightly on the horse’s chest to help him get the idea of moving backward immediately from the walk. With practice your horse will begin to tune in to your body language and move quickly from one movement to the other. Once he can do this in a walk, then begin to ask for a jog/ trot forward. Walk, back, trot or trot back trot. You will be amazed at how responsive your horse gets and how light on his feet he becomes as you play with this exercise. Then you can practice walking and trotting circles, adding transitions anywhere. Eventually you won’t even need your lead to play with your horse!

Remember to practice from both sides of the horse.

If you are unsure of where you are heading, it is always a good idea to connect with a coach that knows the sport you want to prepare for. We (Lisa and Birgit) are both available for online and in-person lessons.

Be sure to send your questions to nancyroman@saddleup.ca as we will answer another reader question next month.

Here the handler is pushing the horse’s hind end around on a circle as a correction for him pushing through her back-up cue. Trotting forward after the back-up.

Lisa Wieben’s passion is empowering women in becoming confident and healthy riders. As an Energy Medicine Practitioner and Clinical Somatics Practitioner she addresses pain, tension, hormones, stress, and the issues that appear as a result. As a Centered Riding Instructor and Irwin Insights Master Level 7 Trainer she works with riders incorporating awareness exercises both on and off the horse. Balance the rider, balance the horse! Book a clinic that incorporates all the modalities! www.somaticrider.com

As an Irwin Insights Level 6 Master Certified trainer and coach, Birgit Stutz helps riders of all levels and backgrounds advance their horsemanship skills by developing personal and situational awareness, focusing on in-depth understanding of equine behaviour, body language, psychology and biomechanics. Driven by her passion for both equine welfare and performance, Birgit believes that facilitating effective communication between horse and rider is an approach that fulfills our responsibilities to the horse and elicits great results. www.fallingstarranch.ca.