No one wants to fall off and no one wants to get hurt. Groundwork has saved me MANY times from falling off and getting hurt! Having an accident can destroy your confidence and your horses’ confidence too! So if in doubt, get off and do some groundwork!

Whenever I feel unsafe getting on a horse, I always go back to groundwork.  Getting control of your horse mentally and physically is key to establishing a confident and trusting relationship with your horse.

In this video I demonstrate some very simple groundwork exercises that you can do to get your horse relaxed and focused before getting on!! Simple exercises like getting your horse to drop their head and to bend and disengage the hindquarters can be life-saving.

When I was younger, my entire training business was un-broken young horses and problem horses.  I did a TON of groundwork with these youngsters to make sure that they understood how to release and relax mentally. To this day, whenever I feel unsafe on a horse, often I will step off for a couple of minutes, do a little groundwork, and then get back on when I feel that the horse is relaxed.

A little groundwork can go a long way to building your confidence as a rider!