Herefordshire Horsemanship

23/10/2025

Today was the first day of school for a couple of babies.
Top marks and a gold star 🌟
Lots of new experiences and things to learn. Starting young to develop mentally and emotionally.

20/10/2025

I'm sharing this post in the hope that it will help people to understand the benefits and importance of groundwork.
I try to explain why, but like Dr Shelley says people give up because it's new and feels different, and they question their ability. I know this from experience because it was new to me too 20 years ago, but i persevered and now reap the rewards. I'm also STILL learning because it's a journey, not a destination.
If only humans could persevere because it's not just the most valuable asset to riding and safety, but you get to really observe the horse both physically and mentally and see where the holes are and HELP your horse without unnecessary gadgets and force.
Now, if someone can tell me why those ingredients aren't important, I'd love to know.


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🐴 The Groundwork Gap: Or How Being Brilliant in the Saddle Isn't Enough

There’s a certain irony with equestrians: the better people get at one thing, the more allergic they become to feeling like beginners again.

A talented young event rider once brought me her young Clydie cross - anxious, unpredictable, and prone to bolting. The vets had cleared him, the tack was fitted, but something didn’t add up.

So I stripped everything off and turned him loose in the round yard. Within two laps, a problem revealed itself - he couldn’t canter a balanced circle to save himself. He’d rush and get discombobulated. I told her, “You’re asking him to gallop cross-country and jump stuff when he can’t even stay upright on a circle. He’s not naughty—he’s freaked out he’ll fall over.”

The logic landed. Until she said, “I don’t do groundwork.”

Ah yes—the phrase that has quietly ended more riding careers than kids and financial resources combined.🥺

It made her feel clumsy, awkward, uncoordinated - a beginner again. She would apologise profusely as I coached her. Apologising because she wasn’t learning fast enough… and then apologising for apologising when I told her to please stop apologising 😕.

She stopped after two sessions - apologising she was just hopeless at groundwork - and went back to riding through it. A few weeks later, she fell off and broke her ribs. That was over ten years ago, and her name hasn’t appeared on an eventing start list since.

It’s sad - not because she didn’t try, but because she felt so much shame at the discomfort of learning something new. That awkward, messy stage that’s actually normal.

Versatility isn’t optional; it’s what separates capability from calamity. You can be brilliant in the saddle, but if you can’t help your horse from the ground, you’re only half a horse person.

Versatility makes you adaptable to the horse's needs.

So be versatile. Be curious. Embrace the messy. Fight those shame demons in your head 💪—for the sake of both you and your horse. ❤️

Collectable Advice Entry 57/365 to hit SAVE, SHARE...and no copying and pasting!

03/10/2025

Helping an OTTT who has no concept of turning and is anxious about contact and needs help understanding how to become a riding horse.
It starts with basics. He might be 11, but he's like a 3 year old. We need to offer him choices, so we can get yo his mind and help him relax.
Thank you to his lovely owner for allowing me to help her.
off the track

02/10/2025

I've been asked to post videos of what I do. I'm not great at videos as I don't have the luxury of someone to film me, so here's another video of Dotty who is new to this type of training. She's been with me 3 weeks.
I will post a video of how all this groundwork transfers to the riding. Bear with

01/10/2025

Another video of Dotty for you.
I'll post another one tomorrow of what to do when a horse gets 'lit' up!

30/09/2025

I've been asked to do videos of what I do, so you can see the methods I use.
I'm not great at doing videos 😕
But here's one to get us started and I'll load a few more that tag onto this one.
training

10/09/2025

I'm working with a 16 Yr old horse that has been traumatised somewhere along his journey with girthing and mounting issues. Yes, we've checked for pain.
Today was a huge breakthrough as he stood quietly. His usual behaviour is moving away from the block and feeling very tense. Then bucking when you get in.
I have just been working slowly and quietly, gaining his trust and confidence with saddling and slowly moving towards mounting.

13/08/2025

Learning to ride with your seat, not your hands, is key to training a horse.
Take your reins away, and what have you got? Can you stop, turn, back up, etc, just using your seat and legs? It's something worth thinking about because it's too easy to rely on your reins for your balance and micromanaging the horse.

If you combine the right groundwork to create a soft, relaxed horse and learn to ride without relying on your reins, it's amazing what you can achieve.

So, next time you get on, see if you can stop, back up, and turn without reins. Self-carriage doesn't come from holding the horse in place!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMw5JLdMi0o/?igsh=NmJ2MDI3Z2N4MnJ2

07/08/2025

The importance of groundwork. It shows you how the horse is feeling. It highlights the braces, the tightness, the anxiety. It helps us monitor and understand how they are feeling and thinking. It's the same horse on the ground and in the saddle.
No amount of gadgets will fix a worried, anxious, braced horse. It will just add to the misery.
Here's a snippet of what can be achieved in 2hrs. Happy pony, happy child, happy parents ❤️

30/07/2025

Pilgrim's journey
Starting and preparing young horses is so important. It affects the rest of their life. It's the foundation for the next step and their future.
It should be thorough and should be a good experience for the horse. Don't rush. Go at their speed and capability. That's why you can't back a horse in a week! Each horse is an individual and learns at different rates.
The process includes so much, from rope therapy on legs, feet, back and body, bitting, girthing, saddle pad... the list is endless as it's not just preparing the body. It's the mind, too.
young horse

17/07/2025

More Pilgrim's progress.
Ticking more things off our checklist.
That's the beauty of groundwork, it shows you were there are holes, tight spots and any anxiety issues so we can help them be the best they can be. Especially when they are young. Set them up for life as much as you can.

16/07/2025

Pilgrim's progress
Helping him make a better, softer shape on the circle.
Sorry about the camera movement. I hope it doesn't make you feel sick. Pivo is not the most helpful today 😒