Shimmering Princess - Advancing Education on the Ground [Slideshow]
After her start under saddle in November 2014, Princess spent 5 months in the field with her friends. She finished growing both physically and mentally. Now she is back to school. She is learning everything necessary to have a good basic foundation as a riding horse.
Groundwork at this stage has three main purposes for me:
- to give the horse time to express herself and to avoid unnecessary arguments in the saddle
- get the horse to show and connected
- to show new things on the ground first so that they are easier in the saddle
I am playing with her a lot at Liberty, to get her interested and connected to me.
She is learning to keep up her part in our relationship:
- maintain the gait
- maintain the direction
- act like a partner not like a prey animal
Click through the pictures to find out how I used Play at Liberty to win Princess’s interest and connection.
The Purpose of Groundwork
Playing with horses on the ground or at liberty is a way for me to help the horse to be calm, connected and responsive before riding. I can allow the horse to express him/herself in case he/she is anxious or exuberant and introduce new things. Most importantly I can get the interest and connexion of the horse much easier.
Read more about Shimmering Princess
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