From The Ground Up by Jeff Cook T


he work we do on the ground with our horse is vi- tally important to how he will behave when he’s un- der saddle. Just as when building a structure, the foundation we build with our horse will set us up for either success or failure. I believe that a hole in the groundwork will always show up again under sad- dle. So, let’s look at every interaction with our horse as a training opportunity. Does your horse crowd


you or rub on you when you stand with him? That may seem like he just wants to be close to you because he likes you. In horse language, he crowds into you to see if he can move you or at least invade your space, thus imposing his will. Due to a horse’s sense of where he stands in the pecking order, he constantly asks himself, “Am I in control of that hu- man or is that human in control of me?” Just as in a herd situation, the pecking order dynamic with humans will be constantly be tested. This pattern of your horse testing you will continue until you have estab- lished your place above him in your pecking order. In horse language, the one moving their feet is the one being trained, so we have to be able to move his feet or it is going to be a rocky relationship. If we can move him where we want, he will generally be more comfortable and look to you for direction.


8 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 I HORSE & AG MAGAZINE


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