Philosophy
1.
It take the time it takes. Every day I take what we were working on from the day before and work on it and make it a little bit better. I also try to wean the responsibility and thinking from me to the horse. I want them to think through their actions and be responsible. I expect a lot, accept a little and reward them often.
2.
Patience - I have a lot of patience. I let the horse think about what is going on and absorb it. After they have accomplished what I am asking they will get the reward of the release of pressure and I rub and pet them and let them know they are doing it right. I had a customer/friend say to me once,
“Joy, I thought I had patience! You make me look like I have ADHD!”
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“Horses don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” (Pat Parelli) I train by this philosophy.
Now, I am able to get many others started and I enjoy that. It combines my love of teaching with my love of the horse. Horses come in and by the time they leave, you can usually see the content in their eyes. They realize that I get them and they get me!
Why Groundwork?
By taking the time to teach a horse on the ground we are instilling good learning theory basics that will help improve performance and safety in the saddle. We are also teaching a horse that they can learn. Groundwork activities can stimulate a horse’s brain to increase its problem solving abilities. Horses will learn simple cues that will build on one another and then you can teach them more complex maneuvers. They will learn to pay attention to us and we can help them to be less confused and avoid conflict.
You will use these behaviors to get you through all types of situations. Fun ones, stressful ones, scary ones, challenging ones, etc. It will help lower a horse’s nervous level, scared moments, etc. I cannot recommend starting the babies at a young age, enough! Of course I only work with them for so long, until they get used to learning and can mentally handle it. I give them lots of processing time. Within their 4 weeks of training, they will learn to lead, yield to pressure, move forward, backwards, left, right, sideways, go over bridges, walk across platforms, turn on platforms, over branches and logs and teeter totters, all about water, tarps, umbrellas, ropes, etc. All of this can lead to a better chance of safety while in the saddle.
It is important that you find someone that knows how to teach them properly so you do not cause lifelong confusion. You can impact a horse's life in such a positive manner with these training methods. Groundwork can improve the horse-human relationship, lead to safer sessions in the saddle, and serve as a fun tool for better control, confidence, and connection with the animals we love.
