Following up on our previous articles (Part 1 and Part 2) detailing groundwork and the transition between lunging and ground driving, we should now be ready to actually get on our horse!
First, we should discuss the equipment we will need:
The horse should wear a well-fitting saddle, surcingle, normal snaffle bridle with a rope halter underneath it – the same equipment as we have been using so far – plus we will also need a competent ground person that is comfortable working with the horse. Our ground person’s most important task is to keep the rider safe, and in order to remain in control while holding the lunge line they should be wearing gloves. The rider needs to wear a helmet and proper riding boots, gloves and maintain an air of calmness to share with the horse.
The rider and ground person hold two jobs at this moment that are among the most important and influential in the training of your horse, and they are not to be taken lightly nor rushed.
As always, it’s important to treat each training session with respect. Make sure to have enough time set aside and show up in a focused mindset. What’s that saying? “If you take the time it takes, it takes half the time.” This is definitely something to keep in mind at this stage.
The importance of the ground person
To begin, have the ground person lunge the horse in side reins and let them get to know each other, how they act and react in various settings, understanding how sensitive and reactive the horse is before the rider gets aboard. The ground person should also jog the horse from both sides.
Once this relationship seems established, the rider will come into the picture. Remove the surcingle and set it to the side. The rider will do the bouncing around and jumping up and down beside the horse mentioned in the first article until the horse is calm and comfortable.
The ground person will continue holding the lunge line while at the head of the horse, maintaining loose but clear control of the situation. They will then offer a leg up to the rider while holding the lunge line, repeating as needed as the horse gets comfortable feeling the rider’s weight until they are laying across the back of the horse. If the horse was to move at this point, the rider should stay laying on the back and the ground person should keep the horse on a very small circle around them if possible.
It is important to note here that the ground person should always have an eye on the horse’s eye, as that is the first indicator of how the horse is feeling. The ground person should always turn the horse towards them on a circle in the event of any movement from the horse at this stage for two reasons: turning the head towards the ground person and rider will swing the hindlegs away from both people, and if the rider knows for sure which way the horse will be turned then they have a predictable exit plan to safely get out of the way in an emergency.
Once the rider can lay across the horse’s back and the horse is still, the next step is for the ground person to help get the foot of the rider into the stirrup so the rider can stand straight up (still only on the one side of the horse). Once the horse registers the feeling of the rider standing in one stirrup and is comfortable, the rider should also wiggle around a little bit perhaps even patting the horse in front and behind the saddle before swinging their leg over.
Riders up!
Once the leg is swung over and feet are in both stirrups, the rider should not sit still, nor be quiet. You might think it impossible but the horse can forget the rider is up there and so it’s important at this stage to stay top of mind! Lots of patting all around and even ‘posting’ at the halt is a good idea.
Now we do the whole thing in reverse to step off the horse. I especially like the little wiggle before the rider kicks their foot out of the stirrup and jumps to the ground – this helps them find and set their balance as the rider’s weight is removed.
As with everything in starting a horse, we now switch sides and repeat from the right. Pro tip: practice getting on and off from the off side on a well-trained horse first to help the rider find their own balance doing something a bit different. I like to get off on the right side on every horse every day to stay in practice, as it certainly takes some getting used to at first!
Once the horse is comfortable with the leg up from both sides, we are ready for movement. What I like to have the ground person do to start is take the horse’s head to one side and encourage the horse to take one step to either side rather than in a straight line. The horse will have to be mindful of their balance in their first step, making it less likely they are escaping or have an opportunity to flee. The extension is to then walk in a small circle for a few steps, repeating from both sides.
Once the horse seems relaxed with this, we can start to move them onto a lunging circle. At the beginning the ground person shouldn’t be more than 6-8 feet away and walking alongside the horse to maintain the close distance while encouraging a larger circle. The rider should continue chatting away, patting the horse and wiggling around. As the horse should already be accustomed to contact through the education with side reins earlier, the rider can hold proper short reins and a good connection to the mouth.
When the horse is comfortable with this stage in both directions, it is a good time to trot – and start with the sitting trot to minimize balance change and excessive movement for the horse to think about. It’s worth noting at this point that although you can see it all in the video here, this likely won’t happen all in one day. This horse in the video below is trained enough that a lot of this is old news. This whole process can take 10 rides – if that is what it takes for horse and rider to be comfortable.
The first time the horse trots, or canters, only ask for a couple steps, then a downward transition back to the comfort zone. The ground person and rider will both be able to use their voice cues to remind the horse to stay connected and relaxed. Make a big fuss when they are good! When the sitting trot is comfortable, add in one step of posting trot at a time, then two in a row, and so on, making sure to keep talking away, letting your presence be ever known.
I prefer to continue starting a workday by lungeing a little longer than many other people, but I like it as a way to keep the horses engaged from the ground doing something they know and understand to keep them comfortable with each new thing they will learn.
The first free ride off the lunge line might only be a walk around the arena after a lunge ride. The BIGGEST thing to remember is not to rush this part. The more thorough the starting, the greater the understanding and confidence. These are skills they will never forget if you take the time now.
Likely everyone has been on a horse that got rushed through some part of this crucial development stage – maybe they won’t stand at the mounting block, or they don’t like having their girth tightened – and to say the least it’s annoying, if not limiting to who can ride the horse in the future.
Take time now, and next year you’ll be off and (metaphorically) running. Happy and safe riding!