Ground Work & Play

Leading to Liberty: 100 Training Games Your Horse Will Want to Play by Jutta Wiemers- Paperback (2011)

Perhaps you’re working with a youngster, not ready to back, or with a horse rehabilitating from an injury. Jutta Wiemers's book on tricks and games will advance his training, and benefit his understanding, skills and health. Moves often have a secondary benefit; such as a horse learning to bow learns he can stretch out his spine.

Wiemers describes 100 "smart" games, progressively ranging from simple ground tying, leading and lungeing, to standard circus tricks, and even to working several horses together. Imagine riding your horse bareback into an open trailer, and at the last minute you grab the roof beam and let him walk in by himself, while you swing off and gently drop to the ground. If you can make that a game, there is no question of trailer fear! The book is loaded with line drawings and photos of Wiemer's horses in action, giving much fodder for your imagination.

Book Code: 5437 Price: 45.00 Click Here to Order.

Horse Agility Trials: A Step-By-Step Introduction to the Sport by Vanessa Bee - Paperback (2012)

Vanessa Bee took a look at dog agility trials and had an epiphany: Why not try Horse Agility training? To do that, you set the goal that your horse will negotiate obstacles at liberty, as dogs do, without using a lead, halter or whip. Which means the horse should be doing it because he wants to!

The Horse Agility Handbook helps you understand how it can be done. Using body language techniques and training from methods like natural horsemanship and Tellington-Jones's TTouch®, Bee emphasizes the importance of just spending time observing your horses, learning their language of gestures, and then learning how to gesture in return in ways that are meaningful to them.

With patience, small incremental steps and consistent signals, you can teach your horse to trust you as leader and negotiate obstacles. Bee lists familiar items which can become obstacles: natural objects like logs, rugs or tarpaulins, flexible tubing, tires, the list is endless and just needs to be safe, in case a horse reacts unexpectedly. Her discussion considers the variety of responses you may encounter, and does a wonderful job of breaking tasks down to simple steps that help your horse learn to trust and want to follow you through progressively more complex courses. Well illustrated with photos, although not as extensively as Wiemers’s book, I love the idea of Agility Training!

Code: 5556 Price: $24.95 Click Here to Order.

Zen Mind, Zen Horse: Science & Spirituality of Working with Horses by Allan J Hamilton, MD- Paperback (2011)

There is an extensive review of this book that you can also read if you click through to the Order page. But what applies specifically to our groundwork discussion here is that the author does a wonderful job of explaining the how’s and why’s of successful ground training, whether you do imprint training or natural horsemanship. While the book has the depth of information on ground training and communication which short YouTube pieces can't match, at Dr Hamilton's web site, you can watch a series of videos that nicely illustrate what he’s talking about.

He describes using body language in terms of emotional energy, or chi. The idea of focusing energy to direct a horse enhances your understanding of round pen and natural horsemanship work. The training portion of the book begins with initial gentling work on a lead or in the round pen, and works through the groundwork necessary to assure a reliable mount, accustomed to tack, stable equipment and the rider.

Code: 5508 Price: $24.95 Click Here to Order.

Gentle Horse Training: Four-Step Approach for Horse & Rider by Thies Böttcher - Paperback (2010)

This entry may be less appropriate for the theme of groundwork-as-dance, but I found it interesting that such a clearly European training book should approach the round-pen style of communication now popular in the States.

Böttcher’s groundwork and mounted training method, while clearly originating in the European tradition, has much in common with quiet roundpen work, but executed on a lunge or lead rope. He breaks lessons down to steps of in-hand, ridden, and calmness exercises, and emphasizes that, although there is a general progression to the program, you should always consider the personality and abilities of your horse, and assure that you give him space and time to retreat and go back over familiar steps. Numerous photos illustrate the progress of the training, and help to illuminate the concepts offered in the book.

Code: 5443 Price: $27.95 Click here to order.

Connect with Your Horse from the Ground Up: Transform the way you see, feel, and ride with a whole new kind of groundwork by Peggy Cummings - Hardcover (2010)

Peggy Cummings takes a different approach to communication between horse and trainer, and this adds another dimension to the discussion. She focuses on human posture first, so you can learn both how you unconsciously communicate mood and intention, and how you affect your horse’s balance and understanding of your actions when riding. Her exercises help to correct habits, and to establish a “neutral” posture.

Then, the exercises for the horse help him achieve that same awareness of his body, using techniques that offer more than a nod to Linda Tellington-Jones. So there is a lot of touch involved, even in leading the horse, to help him soften and eliminate resistance.

Her specialized groundwork helps horses and their handlers find a reciprocal "connection" on the ground before attempting to establish it from the more difficult position in the saddle. These exercises—done both standing still and in motion—drastically change the way you see and feel your horse, and radically improve how your horse moves, responds, and goes about his work.

Code: 5449 Price: $29.95 Click here to order.

Trick Training for Horses: Fun Ways to Engage, Challenge & Bond With Your Horse by Bea Borelle - Paperback (2012)

The tricks and games featured in this book can add variety to a serious training regimen by combining daily schooling with an element of fun for both horse and rider, which can keep the working horse interested in its job. Borelle doesn’t offer a goal beyond this diversion and fun, and it’s the one book in this list that truly just focuses on training tricks. But then, this kind of training is a great way to help bombproof your horse!

With instructions on the best ways to teach a horse tricks using positive reinforcement, Borelle guides you toward making your horse become a better performer and be more responsive. Each trick is broken down to achievable steps, and the accompanying photos help you see how to progress. In addition to the book, Borelle has two DVDs, Circus School #1 and Circus School #2, which will give you visuals of her work.

Code: 5434 Price: $22.95 Click here to order.

Art & Science of Clicker Training for Horses: A positive approach to training equines by Ben Hart - Paperback (2008)

With clicker training you can connect with your horse in a playful way, while still advancing training. Hart introduces it with a thorough discussion of both the history and the science behind the method, making sure that potential clicker trainers don't shortcut or misunderstand how the system works.

He covers equipment needed, and variations you might use, assuming you understand the principles involved (e.g., use a fanny pack, bum bag or specific pouch to condition your horse to the source of the treats so he won't indiscriminately search all your clothe's pockets, even when you're not training). For actual training procedures, he explains the steps needed to accustom your horse to accepting the clicker sound as an indication of a reward to come and, from there, to build to more complicated responses using "targeting," such as loading into a trailer and other training goals.

This book will assure that you understand the clicker training method, use it properly and therefore achieve success in your training goals.

Code: 5149 Price: $19.95 Click here to order.

Getting to Yes: Clicker Training for Improved Horsemanship bySharon Foley- Paperback (2007 )

Getting to Yes combines principles from clicker training with traditional horsemanship and classical dressage to improve handling and performance. Step-by-step clicker training basics are presented in easy-to-follow lessons with numerous instructional photographs that will benefit both the novice and more advanced rider in enhancing practical skills, timing, ground manners, and riding. The photos of turns and change of direction are particularly instructive, and you can see how this work will facilitate later lateral and suppling work under saddle.

Training and handling problems are broken down into hands-on, trainable ground exercises with an emphasis on good manners rather than tricks. Foley works in a round pen at liberty, with leadrope, lunge line, and in-hand training for lateral suppling in preparation for mounted work. The final portion covers the transition to work in the saddle.

Code: 4780 Price: $19.95 Click here to order.

You Can Teach Your Horse to Do Anything! On Target Training by Shawna & Vinton Karrasch - Hardcover (2000)

Yet another Clicker Training book comes from Shawna Karrasch, who brings her SeaWorld experience of clicker training dolphins to the horses she and husband Vinton train. Their system offers a reward-reinforcement training method they call On Targetª Training.

Of all the Clicker Training books, this may present the most systematic method, covering all stable manners from leading, to trailer loading, from haltering to clipping. Trust is developed between you and your horse, and clearly you see the importance of routine. It's Clicker Training ground work: if you want to add the "play," once you've mastered their approach, the sky's the limit on how you add the play.

They explain that clicker training, which relies on positive reinforcement, helps horses focus on trying to do what the trainer is asking. Their system offers another tool for your training bag of tricks, and would be especially useful for youngsters in that long period prior to backing, or with mature horses that may be idled for extended rehabilitation periods.

Code: 3085 Price: $27.50 Click here to order.

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