101 Ground Training Exercises for Every Horse & Handler

Ground training is the key to a safe and pleasurable riding experience. Designed for easy reference while working with your horse, this guide can be hung on a post. Riders of all disciplines and skill levels will benefit from these exercises that reinforce good habits and help develop a strong bond between horse and rider. This comprehensive series of exercises covers every aspect of ground training, from haltering to driving, turning to transitions, and backing to body languages.
Cherry Hill is an internationally known instructor and horse trainer and has written numerous books, including 101 Arena Exercises for Horse & Rider, Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage, How to Think Like a Horse, What Every Horse Should Know, and Horse Care for Kids. Visit her at www.horsekeeping.com, where you can find information on her books, DVDs, and horsekeeping knowledge. From Catching to Driving: Your Ringside Guide to Ground Training



Every moment you spend with your horse is an opportunity to instill good habits and develop his respect, trust, and willingness to work with you. All horses need a solid foundation of in-hand and guide-line training in order to be safe to handle and ride.

Cherry Hill's comprehensive collection of 101 ground-training exercises leads you and your horse through catching, yielding, turning, sacking out, backing, longeing, long lining, doing obstacle work, and much more. Every exercise is fully illustrated and described in easy-to-follow, step-by-step language that you can refer to during your ground training work - simply hang the book in the barn or on a fence post, and you're ready to go! The exercises include clear goals, variations, common problems to watch out for, and lesson reviews.







Introduction

Key to Diagrams



Part 1: Laying the Groundwork



Part 2: Hands On: Catch and Touch

1. Approaching to Catch

2. Haltering

3. Unhaltering and Turning Loose

4. Touching All Over

5. Handling the Head

6. Handling Hot Spots



Part 3: Learning to Yield

7. Yielding to Poll Pressure - One Step

8. Yielding to Poll Pressure - Reel In

9. Yielding to Poll Pressure - Head Down

10. Turn on the Forehand

11. Leading at the Walk

12. Position and Personal Space

13. Teaching "Whoa"

14. Arcing Turn

15. Lateral Bend

16. Picking Up Feet

17. In-Hand Pattern

Introduction to Free Longeing

18. Moving Forward

19. Slowing Down

20. Whoa

21. Listen

22. Inside Turn

23. Trot-Lope Transitions

24. Free-Longe Pattern

25. Whoa and Stand

26. Counter Double

27. Backing Up

28. Sending by Halter Pressure

29. Sending by Driving

30. Change of Bend

31. Working against a Rail

32. Guide-Line Pattern

Basic Ground Manners

33. Feeding Manners

34. Standing Still

35. Moving and Positioning

36. Picking Up Foot with Rope

37. Farrier Positions



Part 4: Sacking Out

38. Rope Solo

39. Rope Duo

40. Rope Flip over Head

41. Touching with Whip

42. Flapping Blanket

43. Full Body Contact

44. Person in Blind Spots

45. Person Above

46. Rustling Objects

47. Spray Bottles

48. Hosing Off

49. Sudden Movement

50. Saddling

51. Saddle Sensations

52. Bridling

53. Unbridling

54. Responding to Bit Pressure

55. Leading with Bridle Reins

56. Counter Double with Bit

57. Driving Lines Setup

58. Unusual Occurrences

59. Clipping and Vacuuming

60. Learning about Vehicles

More In-Hand Work

61. Turn on the Hindquarters

62. Sidepass

63. Leading at the Trot



Part 5: Line Longeing and Driving

Introduction to Line Longeing

64. Correct Longe Position

65. Balanced Trot

66. Forward, Downward Transitions

67. Stop Straight and Move into Contact

68. Turn on the Longe

69. Walk-to-Lope Transition

70. Working in Side Reins

71. Longe Pattern

Introduction to Ground Driving

72. Plow-Driving Walk

73. Halt and Stand

74. Change