3-extra-tips-for-successful-groundwork-with-your-horse

By Karine Vandenborre

3 extra tips for successful groundwork

Yesterday I wrote you about the importance of Basic Groundwork, and the pivotal role it plays. Today I want to give you 3 extra tips for successful groundwork. Here we go:


Tip 1 - Regularity and Repetition = good results.

It's better to practice only 2 times a week and do that for a long time, instead of one week practicing every day, the next week only 1 time, the week after not, the next week 3 times, etc. This is irregular training and the results will be irregular too.

And, when it comes to repetition: it's good to repeat until it goes a bit better, then stop. Too little repetition and the horse will not make progress, too much repetition and the horse will get bored.


Tip 2 - Praise, Pause, Reward, Relax

Sometimes you will praise with words, sometimes you will pause, sometimes you will reward with a treat or scratch, and sometimes you will do something that relaxes your horse, like grazing or massaging the horse.

When you don't praise, pause, reward and relax enough during and after the training session, the horse will lose his motivation.

However: for some horses and situations, you can also praise, pause, reward en relax too much. Doing this at the wrong moment can get you and the horse out of the flow of the exercise, the learning stops, or the horse gets distracted.

Try to find the right moment for praise, pause, reward and relax.


Tip 3 - Be mindful, intentional and logical

Stay grounded, calm and mindful about what the horse feels/needs.

Be intentional = have a clear plan and vision about what you like the horse to learn/understand + work with a loving intention.

Be logical= think about the steps you need to take, and don't skip important steps. Start with A, then B, Then C ...


Do you want to enhance your groundwork skills?

If you're eager to enhance your groundwork skills with a mindful, horse-friendly and logical approach, then you've come to the right place. Groundwork is part of my Liberty & Beyond Program. In this online program I coach horsewomen and their horse(s) from A to Z.  

I do want to emphasize here that this A to Z journey is often underestimated. 

I see it happening so much... People start training their horse in groundwork, but the foundation is not there yet. And the foundation is natural connection, clear communication and calm confidence at liberty first! In my work with challenging and traumatized horses, I learned that this is the safest way to go, the easiest way to go and the smartest way to go. It's also the most natural way to go for horses, the most relaxing way to go for horses and the most horse-friendly way to go for horses.

So if you too want to enjoy good and mindful groundwork, don't skip Liberty Connection Work!

What can you do now?

The best place to start is by doing the Bonding Time Deep Dive mini-course. If you’d like to work with me, this is where your journey begins.

This super affordable course gives you a true feel for my approach, and it offers a gentle way to dip your toes in before making a larger investment in your growth as a mindful horsewoman.

If you have any questions, don’t be shy. I’d truly love to hear from you. ♡

With love,
-- Karine