Groundwork: back up, come in, flex, trot up, cross over

In Galop 4 your horse listens to you even when you are no longer at his shoulder. Groundwork becomes a conversation at a distance, with your voice, your body language and the lead rope.

In the exam programme

Back your horse or pony up while staying at a distance.Common module A
Bring the horse to you.Common module A
Get a lateral flexion of the neck on both sides.Common module A
Trot in hand on straight lines and wide curves.Common module A
Cross simple obstacles at the walk: puddles, tarpaulins, slopes, a trailer or lorry ramp…Common module A

Work in a headcollar with a lead rope about three metres long, or in a bridle with the reins brought over the head. Wear gloves; a hat is advisable. A schooling whip or a stick can extend your arm. In the exam, these exercises are often linked together on a groundwork course, with set gaits and lines: walk to here, trot to there, halt, back up, cross an obstacle.

Backing up at a distance

Position yourselfFacing the horse, one or two metres from his head, slightly off to one side, the lead rope slack.
AskTake a step towards him, standing tall, and say “back”. If he does not move, wiggle the rope or point the whip at his chest, more and more clearly.
RewardAt the first step back, stop everything: stand still, soft voice. Then ask for a few more steps, nice and straight.

Bringing the horse to you

Still facing him at a distance, soften your body language: shoulders down, weight back, eyes on the ground beside him. Call him with your voice and, if needed, put a little tension on the rope, releasing it the moment he takes a step. Step back yourself to invite him to follow, and stop him before he walks into your space.

Getting a lateral flexion of the neck

Stand level with the shoulder, facing the head. With the rope held close to the headcollar, or the rein close to the bit, ask the horse to turn his head towards you: he flexes at the poll and the neck without moving his feet and without tilting his head. Yield as soon as he answers, praise him, then do the same on the other side. It is the groundwork version of the flexion you ask for in the saddle.

Trotting in hand

Start from an active walk, say “trot on” and trot yourself, level with the shoulder, the rope slightly slack: the horse should neither tow you nor be dragged. On straight lines, look well ahead. On wide curves, slow down a little when you are on the inside of the curve, so that he does not tread on you, and lengthen your stride when you are on the outside.

Crossing obstacles

A puddle, a tarpaulin, a slope, a trailer ramp: the object is unfamiliar, sometimes noisy or moving, and the horse, a prey animal, is wary of it.

Approach straight and in walk, without staring at the obstacle: look beyond it, where you are going.
Let him look and sniff. Do not keep pulling: a horse that is pulled pulls back. Ask, pause, ask again.
Walk beside him, never right in front: a horse that makes up his mind sometimes crosses in one leap.
Reward every bit of progress, even a single foot on the tarpaulin.

Backing away

Facing the horse, at a distance: the stick points at the chest and the horse steps back.

Flexing the neck

At the shoulder: the horse turns its head towards you, without moving its feet.

Crossing a tarpaulin

The handler walks alongside, never in front; one foot set down earns a reward.

Fig. 4.16Backing up at a distance, flexing the neck, crossing a tarpaulin

Safety

Never wrap the lead rope round your hand, and never stand between the horse and a wall or an obstacle. Crossing a trailer ramp means walking over it; getting the horse into the vehicle is taught in Galop 5.

A word from the instructor

Faced with a tarpaulin, your horse holds two opinions: his own and yours. Yours almost never wins by pulling — nearly always by waiting.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7