You don’t have to ride your horse to give him a good workout. Groundwork is an effective alternative that’s loaded with a wide range of benefits: You can boost your horse’s strength, endurance, balance, posture, and more. The following five groundwork exercises are super versatile and customizable to suit your horse’s needs. You don’t need specialized or costly equipment or a lot of time either. As few as three 15-minute sessions per week generate positive results.
Groundwork Exercise 1: Longeing
Longeing can be used to develop engagement, build stamina, and enhance your horse’s range of motion. To longe your horse correctly, follow these steps.
1. Clip your line to the side of a halter or use a longeing cavesson.
Note: For safety reasons, avoid attaching a longe line directly to a bit. The line can pull too harshly on the bit, potentially causing harm to the horse’s mouth.
2. Avoid a continuous hard hold on the line whenever possible. Too much tugging and contact creates tension and unbalances your horse.
3. Make your circle as large as possible to reduce strain on your horse’s joints. Break up the circle with straight lines occasionally by letting your horse travel slightly ahead of you while you walk forward and parallel to him.
4. Your horse’s body should mirror the shape of the path he’s following. If he’s on a straight line, his spine should be straight from poll to tail. Conversely, he’s only able to travel in comfort and balance on a bend if the arc of his body is uniform.
If your horse isn’t able to maintain proper alignment, he may not understand the concept or be balanced enough. Give him a hand by leading him on a straight line until he can walk with his body in alignment for several strides on a loose lead.
Next, switch back to longeing for a few strides, then back to straight-line leading and so on, until he can hold it on his own.
Groundwork Exercise 2: Ground Poles
To develop impulsion, improve posture, and increase flexibility, try laying down some ground poles. Better yet, use landscape timbers (square-shaped poles) because they won’t roll if your horse bumps or steps on them.
1. Start with one pole to introduce your horse’s brain and body to the idea of stepping over something on the ground. Any new movement needs to be introduced slowly to avoid causing emotional stress or physical strain.
2. Build up to two or three evenly spaced poles at a distance that is comfortable for your horse. A 3-foot span works for most horses at the walk, and 4 feet for the trot.
3. Take your horse over the center of the poles. Again, it’s important that his head, neck, and body are in alignment so he’s using his muscles symmetrically.
4. When your horse is ready for a greater challenge, increase the number of poles. You can also add height by alternately elevating the ends of the poles slightly.
Groundwork Exercise 3: Backing Up
Backing up is a deceptively simple yet useful exercise for activating your horse’s hindquarters, core, and back.
1. Back your horse with his head straight and his neck in a neutral position. Cue him by applying light alternating pressure on the lead, rocking his weight back and forth until he takes a step.
2. If he moves his head toward his chest instead of moving his feet, rhythmically press your fingertips against his chest at the same time.
3. Start with one or two steps at a time, slowly building to eight to 10 steps.
4. Once your horse can easily back several strides without crookedness, increase the intensity by reversing him on a slight incline.
Groundwork Exercise 4: Bands
Proprioception bands help restore healthy patterns of movement by bringing awareness to the areas of the body that they are in contact with. These bands are strips of slightly stretchy fabric that do wonders for developing engagement, symmetry, and range of motion.
There are bands available that are specifically made to use on horses, or you can stop by your local pharmacy and purchase long, wide elastic bandages. Standing or polo wraps work too.
To activate the hindquarters, a band can be placed behind your horse’s rear legs, while his core can be engaged by wrapping a band around his midsection.
Proprioception bands may feel odd to your horse, so introduce them slowly. Use them for short periods of time at first to give his body a chance to acclimate to them.
Groundwork Exercise 5: Carrot Stretches
Stationary mobility exercises, AKA carrot stretches, are great for developing stabilization and core muscles. They also loosen tight fascia for better comfort and improved flexibility.
These exercises don’t require a lot of time or space. A routine of three to five movements can be completed in 10 minutes.
Useful stretches include chin to chest, nose to knees, and nose to fetlocks. Flexing the head and neck to the side activates muscles that stabilize spinal vertebrae so your horse can have a stronger more comfortable back.
Key Takeaway
Next time you don’t want to tack up, turn to groundwork to improve your horse’s fitness and quality of life. These five exercises may seem simple, but remember: the basics are the cornerstone of your horse’s training.
