what is 'groundwork'? and do you really need to do it?

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dorito

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Some of you may find it laughable of me, but serious questions - I don't think it existed back when I first got into horses.:D
Now it seems to be regarded as quite a standard practice...is it just a fancy name for basic handling?...does it come from the NH school of thinking?
 
It's teaching the horse manners and personal space and to respect your directions.

It wasn't called 'groundwork' to me either :p

Having said that - when I got my Tank he was a huge, backward and semi feral two year old.

We had some issues with halter training - he would either run away and burn my fingers...or he would plant and refuse to move.

Obviously, time and patience is fab....but I also found a few tips from Kelly Mark's book really helpful (moving diagonally - simple but effective :D).
 
good question!! To me it's the work you do with a youngster from the ground before you move onto the mounted work, it does seem to be be suggested more often now as a way of helping build a rapport with a new problematic horse, perhaps it's the lack of groundwork being done in the early stages now that is causing the problems and leading to people having to go back to it later on:confused:
 
If your horses are handled properly and respect you, you shouldn't necessarily need to do groundwork - or at least, not in the sense that some people mean it, in an organised lesson-type structure. I do groundwork with my 2 year old, but you could equally call it basic handling or general training. I think it's just an all encompassing term for non-ridden training, which I agree has probably grown out of the NH movement.
 
To me it's just common sense and practice, before it got all newfangled and commercialised anyway [by names I will not mention ;)].

Everything bar sitting on the bloody horse lol. From halter breaking right up to backing and everything in between. Nothing new, nothing more, nothing less lol.
 
My understanding of it is as above 'manners' training and also preparation for ridden work, building muscles, correct use of body, out and about ready for hacking, long reining, learning basic aids (especially halt and stand) and voice aids on the ground first so it is already in place before getting aboard etc. etc.

Just work on the ground as opposed to in the saddle. :cool:
 
To me ground work is all things worked on from the floor from handler to horse, before getting on & backing.
I have always done groundwork with mine - I include it from catching, long reining, lunging etc & have done since the late 70's - groundwork before backing & riding away :)

Is there some new fangled 'take-over' of this 'label' for basic starting of horses now? :confused:

TFF feeling v old & ancient :o
 
What is the 'proper' or old name for it then? I've only known ground work as ground work and it's for all horses not just youngsters. :confused:
 
It varies, some people class groundwork as basic handling, but you can take it as far as you like it. Classical trainers often use a lot of groundwork and the horses are capable of undertaking even advanced movements from the ground :) It can allow the horse to warm up and supple without the weight of the rider, and can give a good idea of how the horse is working, if there are any specific difficulties or suggest movements to work on when ridden.

e.g. basic warmup exercise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt58oVlOveA&feature=youtu.be
 
Maybe it's just terminology, but it's interesting some of you mention long-reining and the classical 'working in hand'; neither of which is what I personally tend to think of when the word 'groundwork' is mentioned.
I would think of the above as 'work on the ground' not 'groundwork', which appears, to me at least, to be something to do with pressure halters and waggling sticks/ropes in horses' faces.
??
 
To me, its just the normal basics all horses should have before breaking. A well handled youngster shouldn't really need on going groundwork for everyday stuff throughout its life if its consistently handled well. But if either the horse or rider has any complications, either from a gap in education, confidence, bad handling etc it can help.
Agree with rhinos reference to classical riding too, but in everyday use its normally the former.
I always knew it as handling, well mannered etc.
 
dorito said:
Maybe it's just terminology, but it's interesting some of you mention long-reining and the classical 'working in hand'; neither of which is what I personally tend to think of when the word 'groundwork' is mentioned.
I would think of the above as 'work on the ground' not 'groundwork', which appears, to me at least, to be something to do with pressure halters and waggling sticks/ropes in horses' faces.
??
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:confused: :D

I think ground work is often suggested when people are having problems but that usually means establishing rules/manners. For me it just means anything on the ground. Work on the ground works for me, is that what it is called then?
 
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dorito said:
I would think of the above as 'work on the ground' not 'groundwork', which appears, to me at least, to be something to do with pressure halters and waggling sticks/ropes in horses' faces.
??
Click to expand...

I would think of that as working the horse "in hand" rather than groundwork too. There is a massive gulf between what the term could mean (literally anything on the ground!) and what associations it might have, which is where the stick waggling comes in ;)
 
Ah well, I wasn't taught the BHS way. Just the force em, bash em, dominate em way. :D Where ground work (sorry manners) means ropes, sticks, chiffneys and chains. :eek:
 
Dorito in your second post it sounds to me like the ground work carried out by people using the method known as Parelli Natural Horsemanship. Ground work to me is the stuff that used to be called halter breaking, lungeing, and working in-hand (like the classical trainers do).
 
amandap said:
Ah well, I wasn't taught the BHS way. Just the force em, bash em, dominate em way. :D Where ground work (sorry manners) means ropes, sticks, chiffneys and chains. :eek:
Click to expand...

Since when has that beeen the BHS way? That method has nothing to do with the BHS :mad: A certain 'other way' follows that description more closely! :rolleyes:
 
fburton said:
Does "in hand" also include "at liberty"?
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No that would be free schooling or loose work to me :D There's no disputing that groundwork is an acceptable and sensible all encompassing term for these things, it's just that certain terms tend to have certain associations in certain populations ;)
 
dominobrown said:
Since when has that beeen the BHS way? That method has nothing to do with the BHS :mad: A certain 'other way' follows that description more closely! :rolleyes:
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:confused: You didn't read my post carefully. I stated I had NOT been trained in the BHS way. :confused: I then explained other peoples perceptions of the way I was trained. :confused: Yes I was being sarcastic but not about the BHS.
 
Groundwork is the education of a horse before it is ridden. It is very traditional and precedes any sort of BHS stuff. The Spanish Riding school teach all manovers on the ground before from the saddle.
It is an important part of natural horsemanship. You should be proficient on the ground prior to attempting to ride.
 
Right, I don't do groundwork anymore. That word has cruel meanings now it seems. :rolleyes:

Wont be long and I wont be able to say anything on fora without a detailed explanation and disclaimer. :D Mind you, saying nothing may well be my best option but can I do it? :eek:
 
There are a basic seven things you should be able to ask your horse to do on the ground.
Parelli calls it 7 games and has patented the names of the games.
Liberty carries on from in hand work, but everyone should be able to do the 7 basic skills, before getting on.
 
Pale Rider said:
Parelli calls it 7 games and has patented the names of the games.
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As far as I know, the names of the Parelli(tm) games have not yet been federally registered as official service marks - hence the superscript SM rather than a circle with an R in it. There is no patent protection on the exercises, nor can I see how they could possibly have that. And frankly, trademarking things you do with horses is a load of patootie anyway (imo). :rolleyes:
 
I think that the more you do with your horse the more you can do. If someone is having problems with their horse then getting it to obey on the ground where the owner feels confident can have a positive effect on ridden work. The owner becomes more confident and the horse knuckles down; what's not to like?
 
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