Groundwork for horses is an essential part of horse training, offering a solid foundation for communication, respect, trust, and safety. At The Farm at Brookside, we include groundwork for horses as part of our comprehensive training services. Whether you’re preparing a young horse for their first saddle or improving the behavior and responsiveness of a mature horse, groundwork provides the clarity and confidence that an equine partner needs.
This article introduces the concept of groundwork for horses and outlines general core groundwork exercises that build trust, improve behavior and responsiveness, and reinforce the human-horse partnership.
Table of Contents
What Is Groundwork for Horses?
Groundwork for horses refers to the training activities performed with a horse while the handler is on the ground. These exercises are designed to improve a horse’s behavior, responsiveness, and relationship with its human partner. Groundwork can use body language, movement, light pressure, and voice to help horses understand expectations, boundaries, and cues before adding the complexity of ridden work.
Through groundwork, a horse learns to pay attention, stay relaxed, respond to light pressure, and develop confidence. The handler uses consistent signals and maintains awareness of his or her own body language. Groundwork for horses can be appropriate for all breeds, ages, and levels of training and can be especially helpful in correcting unwanted behaviors or preparing a young horse for more advanced work.
At The Farm at Brookside, groundwork for horses can serve as a foundation for successful, respectful training.
Why Groundwork Matters
Groundwork is more than just preliminary training—it can help form the core of how a horse perceives and interacts with people. Consistent groundwork can help reduce fear, establish trust and obedience, and address some behavioral issues such as refusing to load in a trailer.
Horses that are responsive and respectful on the ground are generally safer and easier to ride. They are more attentive to cues, more confident in unfamiliar situations, and less likely to spook. Whether you’re training a show prospect or working with a pasture companion, groundwork for horses is time well spent.
Types of Groundwork Exercises
Groundwork for horses includes a wide range of exercises that can be tailored to the horse’s age, personality, and training goals. Five core categories of groundwork exercises are described here:
1. Leading Exercises
Leading exercises teach a horse how to move in coordination with the handler, respect personal space, and respond to cues about speed and direction. There are three common positions used in leading exercises:
The Lead Position
This is when the handler walks in front of the horse, and the horse learns to maintain a consistent distance behind the handler. The horse learns to adjust its pace to the handler’s pace, to follow in the direction of the handler, and to stop when the handler stops. This exercise can reinforce the handler’s role as leader and that the horse should respect the handler’s personal space.
The Partner Position
After leading from the lead position has been established, leading from the partner position may begin. The handler walks beside the horse near the horse’s shoulder, and this can be done on both the left and right sides. The horse learns to stay next to the handler while walking, trotting, halting/waiting, turning, and backing up. The horse should respect the handler’s personal space during the maneuvers.
The Driving Position
Here, the handler walks diagonally behind the horse. The handler can request that the horse move forward, increase or slow its pace, turn, or halt/wait.
Each leading position builds communication and control, which is vital for both everyday handling and advanced training.
2. Touching Exercises
Touching exercises are designed to help a horse become comfortable with human contact, reducing the chances of reactivity or fear when touched. This part of groundwork for horses can be especially important for young or nervous horses.
Stroking
Stroking can involve the handler gently running both hands or a safe object, such as a cloth, over the horse’s body. The goal is to teach the horse that being touched can be safe and pleasant. Stroking can begin on areas where the horse is most comfortable—typically the neck and shoulders—and gradually progress to more sensitive areas like the ears, belly, and tail area. Stroking with a rustling plastic bag can help the horse adjust to the feel and noise of foreign but safe objects and to trust the handler’s care.
Grooming
Grooming is not only essential for hygiene, but also for bonding. During grooming, the handler gets a chance to assess the horse’s physical condition while reinforcing trust and familiarity. Horses learn to stand quietly, lift their hooves when asked, and accept tools such as brushes and hoof picks.
Touching exercises build the foundation for vet handling, farrier visits, saddling, and general desensitization to new stimuli.
3. Responding to Gentle Physical Pressure
An important principle in groundwork for horses is the idea of yielding to pressure. This means that when the handler applies light pressure, the horse responds correctly.
For example:
- If you you press lightly with a downward pressure behind the horse’s ears, the horse should lower its head.
- If you apply light pressure to the horse’s chest, the horse should step backward.
- If you press lightly on the horse’s left shoulder, the horse should step to the right, and if you press lightly on the right shoulder, the horse should step to the left.
Teaching a horse to yield to gentle pressure instills responsiveness, which can be important for loading and handling. It also can help develop a bond between horse and handler.
4. Responding to Driving Aids
In addition to responding to physical touch, horses can learn to respond to driving aids. Driving aids include verbal cues and tools like the lead rope or a training stick.
Driving aids can be used to request movements such as:
- The horse moving forward, backward, left, or right
- The horse removing itself from the handler’s personal space
- The horse halting
5. Moving in a Circle
Moving in a circle is an important component of groundwork for horses. This exercise can require the horse to speed its pace, slow its pace, halt, and reverse direction.
Benefits of moving in a circle include:
- Preparing the horse for lunging/lungeing, when it will move in a circle, often on a long rope, around the handler and may wear a bit, bridle, and saddle. This allows the horse to become familiar with wearing tack without the added weight of a rider.
- Reinforcing voice commands.
- Improving responsiveness and mental focus.
The handler can use the lead rope and body positioning to control the horse’s speed and direction. It’s important that the horse stays attentive and engaged. This exercise can help build fitness and discipline, and can even provide relaxation.
Beyond the Basics: Other Groundwork Activities
Groundwork for horses can also include practical exercises that prepare the horse for real-life situations. One of the most important is trailer loading. A horse that loads calmly into a trailer is safer to travel with and less likely to experience stress or injury. Groundwork training teaches horses to step into the trailer willingly, respond to cues without panic, and wait patiently while secured.
Other activities that may be included in groundwork for horses are:
- Walking over tarps or poles
- Standing still for mounting
- Practicing emergency stops
- Entering new environments calmly
Each of these experiences reinforces the horse’s trust in its handler and strengthens the skills developed through basic groundwork exercises.
Groundwork for Horses at The Farm at Brookside
At The Farm at Brookside, we provide comprehensive horse training services, and groundwork is an integral part of our approach. Whether a horse is young and green or older and needing refinement, groundwork can be a first step in our program.
We tailor our training to the individual horse, focusing on building a calm, respectful, and willing partner. We use time-tested methods, patience, and consistency to ensure the horse gains confidence and clarity. Our goal is always to set the horse up for success—on the ground, under saddle, and in daily life.
When owners work with us, they gain insight into the groundwork techniques we use and can use these exercises to maintain consistency for their horses at home.
Conclusion
Groundwork for horses is more than a starting point; it’s the foundation of effective and compassionate horse training. By focusing on leading, touching, yielding, and circling exercises, along with real-world training scenarios like trailer loading, trainers can develop horses that are confident, cooperative, and connected to their handlers and owners.
At The Farm at Brookside, we specialize in groundwork for horses as part of our training services. Whether you’re seeking to start a young horse, solve behavioral issues, or build a better bond with your equine partner, our team is here to help.
Visit thefarmatbrookside.com to learn more or inquire about our horse training services. Let’s build a strong foundation—together.
Sources:
AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association). “Groundwork Exercises to Improve Your Relationship with Your Horse.” aqha.com. 2 April 2020. https://www.aqha.com/-/ground-work-exercises-to-improve-your-relationship-with-your-horse.
Kim (Mayo Horse Comfort). “5 Types of Groundwork Exercises for Horses.” mayofarmsystems.co.uk. Accessed 1 July 2025. https://www.mayofarmsystems.co.uk/groundwork-exercises-for-horses/.
Vandenborre, Karine (Horsefulness Training). “Groundwork: The 5 Basic Exercises.” horsefulnesstraining.com. Accessed 1 July 2025. https://horsefulnesstraining.com/groundwork-the-5-basic-exercises/.
