From The Ground Up: The Art Of Working With Horses Outside The Saddle

As we step into this new year, thoughts of beginnings and resolutions are on all of our minds. One that is typically always on my list is learning to work with my horses better. In horsemanship, there is always room for growth and improvement. And I know that I still have so much to learn! So with lots of plans for 2026, I am making January my month of groundwork for all my horses. I resolved to spend some amount of time working with them on the ground each single day. And it’s been wonderful! We have learned things about each other, found ways to communicate better, and discovered areas where we can improve (for both the horses and me!). The beauty of groundwork is in its simplicity. No matter if I have five minutes or an hour to spend, I can get something accomplished - whether it's fine-tuning their skills or discovering where we need to focus next. We can work in the arena, on the driveway if it's muddy, or even in the barn on those extra cold and windy days. I have no excuse and everything to gain! Come and take a look at what groundwork is, what it includes, and how much it can help our horses!

What Is Groundwork?

It is just what it sounds like: working with horses on the ground. It’s about the act of standing beside the horse and doing things as simple as just walking together or as complex as doing at-liberty coursework side by side. It is usually with them wearing a halter and us holding the attached lead rope.

 In the world of horsemanship, it's easy to rush to the part where we get to climb in the saddle and ride. But some of the most crucial things about safety, training, and connection begin long before we put our boots in the stirrups. And no matter what, we will always have to interact with horses on the ground: catching them in the pasture, grooming and tacking them, leading them to and from the arena, loading them into trailers… The list goes on and on. And yet it is so often a greatly overlooked and neglected part of horses. Groundwork is the foundation of everything we do with horses. It is how they learn to relate to us and how we can learn to read them. And if your horse can’t be caught in the pasture or safely led to the mounting block, how can we expect them to be a calm, reliable mount to ride?

What Does Groundwork Look Like?

Groundwork comes in many forms. The most basic is simply teaching the horse to walk beside us - not lag behind or drag us ahead. It can seem a lot like walking a dog, only it’s a thousand-plus-pound dog that can spook at its own shadow and often wants to eat every blade of grass it sees. But as it's barebones, the concept is the same: teaching them the correct space and speed to safely move together. We build upon this as we teach them to yield, turn, bend, and even jump at the walk and trot. Groundwork can also include lunging, at-liberty work, and more!

Horses rely mostly on body language to communicate, and that is how we need to guide them on the ground. For instance, when asking them to walk, we roll our shoulders slightly forward to tell them we’re going to move. When we’re going to stop, we roll our shoulders slightly backward to alert. The horse’s job is to imitate our movements - forwards, turns, slowing, speeding up. They can read our bodies when we move with purpose and confidence. Yes, we can certainly teach horses to respond to voice commands, but it's important that we relate to them in the language that they understand. 

How Does Groundwork Benefit Us?

Who is the groundwork for? It’s for everyone, horses and people alike! When we focus on groundwork, no matter our experience level or discipline, we will see all areas of our equestrian lives improve. 

Through working with them on the ground, we can prepare them for being ridden under saddle. We can do exercises that build both their confidence and their strength. From this perspective, we get to see how they move, feel the roll of their muscles, and watch their expressions. Are they stressed? Stiff? Are they listening, engaged? Or are they just going through the motions? What excites them? How do they respond? Do you need to make your cues clearer? Do you need to soften them? This is your time to refine your communication. We want to make it a conversation where both are heard. A dance where each has a part and performs it beautifully. In the time we spend with them, often one-on-one, we learn to understand their individual personalities, their deeper needs. 

You get the chance to actually look deep into their chocolate brown eyes and see how much they are trying to tell you. You get to see things through their eyes. It gives us not only a better-trained and well-prepared horse, but also a clearer understanding of our horses and ourselves.