Fancy Unicorn we have a professional and much more in depth 2.5 hour video on Groundwork for young horses. It’s available to purchase and stream online here. It covers everything you need to know for a young horse. vimeo.com/ondemand/groundworkforyounghorses
Holy fuck this is the exact video I needed. My horse can’t lunge because he was never started properly and I’ve never seen someone post a video using a horse that hasn’t been trained
I like that he was gentile and did not get into uneccesary fights and kept the session short with a young horse. I hate the show em whose boss..out of my space, use that whip and teach and ride with pain to make up for your lack of hosemenship. Sounds like down under accent..NY here.. Hate the way I was taught to ride with pain.. These amazing animals do not need bits or tie downs or spurs nor whips.. They or rather we do so much better just using a rope halter with no bit bucles or chains. And it creates a much better bond and team. lovely little chestnut.
I know this video is almost a decade old, but I had to sing some praises. I’ve been around horses most of my life, but I’ve never raised one. I’ve watched I don’t know how many videos trying to learn how to start my colt with just some basic ground work and manners. Maybe make my trainer’s life a bit easier when the time comes. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING I’ve watched just led to my colt and I being confused and frustrated. Every technique I tried always felt like I was skipping a step. Or, it was some hippie dippie crap like “send your horse positive brainwaves and they’ll start doing whatever blah blah..Just, thank you for breaking down the “first step” into even smaller steps. And I’m sure if my yearling, Despereaux, had thumbs, he’d send his thanks too!
Very nice work, thank you very much for sharing. =) This video is such a excellent example how "easy" it is to work with horses if you pay attention to what they are capable of (even in that age) and accept that they need to learn and understand our language (the body language in this case) to follow our lead. I saw a lot of people with absurd high expectations who did not take the time to go all the small steps. Frustration guaranteed - for the people and the horses.
Nice video. My horse is not moving the front legs. He will disengage but refuses to move front leg. I tried flag and spining rope......but what you do with the hands up seems to be the answer....
I have 15-18 year old horse and I’d love to teach her this. I do have a question tho if this is taught differently on an old horse? Or does the same technique work?
Could you please tell me what are all the steps that my mare has to learn on ground work.She can be caught ,haltered.lead.moves hind quarters fore quarters.needs to learn side pass and much more backing sucks.
My horse is a four-year old quarter horse mare. I borded her at a training stable from January to June. She was doing great! When I took her home, when I rode her, it seemed as if she forgot everything that she had learned. She has trouble with keeping an easy, steady pace at the trot. She is fine when Lunge her, but when I get on her, she acts up. Any ideas on any exercises or things I could do to help?
ok I need some advice... my horse is 5 yrs old and I have had her since she was a little over one year old. I started working with her a little after she turned two I started walking and jogging with her and sacking her out with the saddle pad and saddle so now she is totally cool with that I have sat on her a few time before and I am always playing with her in the yard and stuff and lunging her in the arena but now she spooks when I sit in the saddle and she bucked me off once. I have got on her since and she still spooks what can I do to. change this back she is going to the trainers for two months starting in july but I dont want the lady to think I have a crazy horse what can I do to make her calmer and desinceitize her more.
Marsha Heffner I would start from the beginning. Something must have been missed or forgotten. I would go over everything relatively quickly to get the horse to refresh his memory, and when you come to a spot where your horse is confused. That is the hole you missed in your training. If that don't work maybe your horse picked up a bad habit somewhere. If you can't had your horse then it might be time for a professional trainer.
I have been watching your videos and I like your methods, but I have a problem with respecting space. Do you have suggestions on a long yearling colt that has no idea how to move away and give you space. I love that he is sweet and not scared, very calm, but I can't get him to move away with out "scaring" him or chasing him like you say my to do. Please help!
When I try to move his rear end and side away from me he just stands there I can be next to him pushing him and he won't even budge, unless I use more "pressure" that it scares him and he bolts forward, this is very frustrating for me and I try to keep calm but gosh darn it he won't move! On another note I did do the move his head side to side to back and he picked it up very quickly so I'm thankful for that. But I can't get him to go around me at all, it's either jump forward or be a brick wall, it's like I can't keep his attention, he could care less to look at me at all. (This is my fiancés new colt, I am the horse person he hasn't even been on one before 6 months ago, I personally prefer mares because we connect better but how can I help my fiancé to start this boy if I can even get him to do basic ground work. I've never had this "no moving away" problem)
I'm struggling with getting my horse to transition down and stop when lunging. I try and focus my energy and attention to her hind end, but it doesn't seem to work...I know it is something I am doing, I just don't know what it is...:P
If you're lunging your horse and you want them to stop, just stop moving yourself and stand still with your hands at your sides and the horse should stop for you. That works for me and I've lunged tons of horses. Hoped this helps
Thank you for your reply! Things have gotten better. I started working with her on a much shorter line and she seemed to notice the cues more. Now she is doing better on the longer line. I tried just what you suggest, including putting down the whip, but she was not stopping. Overall though, things are improving! :)
I've been taught to lung a horse by standing at the shoulder, not in front of him. No offence but you may want to teach him that when you raise your hand when standing at his shoulder to move slightly away and forward.
