Groundwork exercises for horses to build trust

If they do walk on past you give a light reminder with the reins. This should make the message clear.
Once the horse has stopped start walking again and continue for a while. By now your hand on the reins should be much lower down and the arm nearly in a normal walking position. When this happens your horse is approaching submission. Theyre going where you go and doing what you want. This means theyre totally relaxed and focused on you. Its a lovely feeling!
Dont overdo it
How long you do the above exercises for depends entirely on your horse and their level of anxiety agitation or excitement. Most come to submission within 10 to 15 minutes. Others may take longer but 30 minutes should be plenty. If after half an hour you havent achieved relaxation and submission end the session and start again another day. Your horse should have the idea by then so the second time should achieve the desired end result. Little and often is key and horses learn through repetition so it is good to repeat an exercise over several days.
Groundwork for horses pressure and release
According to classical dressage trainer Diane ThurmanBaker who has competed to Grand Prix level and has over 30 years experience of working and training horses using classical training methods groundwork exercises for horses are an important part of training a horse who is responsive as well as to build trust in each other.
Part of creating a responsive horse is the method of pressure and release she says. If all the horses are at a water trough they move out of the way when the alpha horse goes over. To have got to that point the alpha horse will have nipped them on the flank first.
Holding a schooling whip during a groundwork session enables you to recreate that pressure and release situation.
Gently lay the lunge whip on your horses neck to stop them moving and remove it when you want them to start moving explains Diane. Use a voice command or a click at the same time so your horse associates the physical aid with a voice aid. Aim for them to start working forward from behind swinging through their back to create engagement and lightness.
Four tips for getting results from groundwork
1 Watch your body language
Your horse needs to be confident in you before they start so keep calm and remain patient but be assertive and always stand by your horses head so they can see you.
Practice and patience
Groundwork for horses is a prime opportunity to bond with each other so dont turn it into a fight by losing patience if they struggle to do what youre asking. Some horses like humans are less nimble than others. Just take your time and reward the horse by taking the pressure off and praising them when they nail it.
3 Work in the middle
If your horse struggles with knowing where to place themselves try to do all your groundwork exercises in the middle of your arena so they