Why Groundwork?

Sometimes riders think it is enough to teach their horses the movements from the saddle, but they don't take into account that a young or uneducated horse needs more.....Respect and self-assurance are the indispensable preconditions for building a harmonious partnership.

The harmonious partnership we aim for begins with groundwork even before we have the horse under saddle. Securing a form of general obedience from the ground allows us to work in a relaxed way with our equine partner and helps a lot when it comes to riding because the horse has learnt to trust and follow us as he would in nature, following the lead mare in a herd.

Sometimes there are riders who think that working their horses in a focused manner is only possible by excluding them as much as possible from any outside influences. A horse might be oversensitive for whatever reason and so needs to be worked in quieter surroundings in the beginning. In the beginning maybe, but then expand the comfort zone.

So part of our dressage training at home is to desensitise the horses to a lot of different noises and visual impressions It is also useful to take the horse to a show just to work in that atmosphere. There, you can see how he reacts to different objects and determine whether he still needs training at home or if you can start him with a quiet conscience. This kind of work helps you and your horse master the first starts outside the secure surroundings of your home turf. The horse knows that whatever comes his way does not have to be frightening because you are at his side.