[JeffK-MN]

Thanks again for a great site.

I got a box of horse tack at a sale this weekend and it has a benice halter and some tie-downs and bits and other thing.
Has anyone use the benice halter? and how doese it work?
It looks like a rope halter with metal bumps on the top.

What is a good why to find out about all the tack and its uses?
Like getting started on ground work?
My 2 horse were trained before we got them and now we are helping with on that was goten by a frend that you can ride but has a few problems. So I tred to do some ground work with her and she acted like she had not done it before, Thanks for any help Jeff

[cassidy]

best way to leartn ground work is from others but you can learn alot by looking at books!

im not sure what a benice halter is but il go see in a min lol

to do ground work do you mean training the horse with ground manners or actually riding ground work!?

[cassidy]

ok here is a site on the benice halter known as the be-nice halter THIS WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO USE IT!

http://www.horseweb-uk.com/features/benice.htm

[cassidy]

Groundwork with Horses: How Important is it?

Author: Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate

It’s the time of the season when we all get to see just how much additional training our horses need for the discipline which we ride. Horses on the trail that spook at a bird flying out of the bush; horses in the show ring that show blatant evasion of the bit or irritation at the leg; horses that take more time to load on the trailer than it takes to drive to the show grounds; horses which jig and prance and dance in the warm up area; all exhibiting a lack of foundational groundwork training.


When one builds a house that is to stand for years to come, one makes sure the foundation is secure and the framework solid. That way, the house will stand firm should a bad storm come blowing through. The same should apply to our training of our horses. The training foundation should not have holes in it, which may cause the framework to sway and perhaps, crumble altogether during a “storm”. Basic issues such as leading quietly and safely, standing for the rider to mount, backing up willingly when asked, spooking in place instead of bolting … these are just some of the very necessary disciplines which helps our horses to contain themselves and override their natural instincts. When a horse evades the hand and bit, the horse is showing oppositional behavior. The behavior may be based on fear of being hurt in the mouth or a physical problem in the neck or even a poor fitting saddle, which is causing strain on the back. It may be because the horse is showing blatant disrespect for the rider because the foundational respect boundaries have never been defined. Pushiness while being lead, again, shows disrespect for the handler. This is not the fault of the horse. This is the result of the lack of basic training. If the horse does not listen to the pressure of the lead while being asked to walk quietly, whatever makes one think the horse will listen to the pressure of the hand and bit? The concept is the same regardless of whether it is a lead rope or a bit … the hand causes pressure to which the horse should yield. This also applies to the leg and the seat of the rider. When the rider asks for the horse to move forward, the rider applies pressure to the sides of the horse. If the horse has not been properly conditioned to move away from the pressure, the horse will display oppositional behavior such as balking, jigging, bolting or maybe just planting its feet and refusing to move at all.

We, as riders and trainers, do not teach the horse anything that it does not already know how to do. We merely are teaching the horse cues for when to do what we want. The horse already knows how to jump, move backwards, side-pass, piaffe, passage or any other movement which we might request. Watch a horse at play. The horse will exhibit any or all of these movements in perfect cadence and grace while left to its own. It is when we impose our human will to the horse and put weight on the back of the horse while requesting these moves, that the horse may become defiant. This is caused by lack of rider balance, pain caused by heavy hands and legs, unclear communications as well as imposition of the rider’s ego on the horse’s own will and personality.

Working with the horse on the ground with consistent cues and communications that can be transposed to under saddle work helps the relationship between horse and human as well as conditions the horse to the specific cues which are readily understood. This also promotes a feeling of trust and security for the horse, as it understands exactly what is being asked of it. For instance, when teaching a horse to back up on cue, one will apply backwards and upwards pressure with the lead as well as voice cue and perhaps, physical pressure with a thumb in the chest. As soon as the horse exhibits the step backwards, the pressure is released. After repeating this exercise a number of times, it is then possible to obtain the step back with merely pressure on the lead and a voice command. Once that segment is clearly established, one can then expect the horse to comply with the cue of just rein backpressure. At this point, the trainer can then get in the saddle and ask for the back with voice and rein. The horse, already understanding both these cues, will step back as requested. The cues remained the same from the saddle as from the ground. If the cues on the ground were changed when the rider is asking from the saddle, the horse would have no understanding of what the rider was asking. Conditioning to the cues from the ground should be already established and should be the same cues used from the saddle.

Likewise, when one is training a horse to spook in place, one should use conditioning cues that can easily be executed by the rider in the saddle. The “head down” cue, used in the spook training, should not be taught solely with downward pressure on the lead as that would be impossible for the rider to use while mounted. However, a pressure on the poll can be applied easily from both the ground and the saddle. One can begin to train the spook in place by asking for the head to come down with pressure on the lead while at the same time, using pressure on the poll. Once the horse readily understands this, the pressure from the lead can be eliminated and the request for head down can be utilized by just pressure on the poll with a couple of fingers. There are a good number of ground training exercises which should be used prior to mounting a horse. The most important cue is the cue for the halt. A horse that cannot halt when asked during ground training is certainly not going to halt consistently when the rider asks from the saddle. A horse that does not stop when requested by the rider is a dangerous one to be riding. Teaching the horse a one-rein stop is one of the best safeguards against bolting. This needs to be established on the ground and then, transposed to the saddle work. Solid training with the hindend disengagement is imperative. Groundwork is the foundation of a well-trained and behaved horse. It is imperative to make sure all the building blocks in the groundwork are firmly established before asking the horse to work under saddle. The cues need to be consistent and clear. The more consistent and clear the cues, the more secure the horse feels and the safer the rider will be while mounted. Before the show and riding season gets well under way, it is important for the horse to be trained, conditioned and responsive. There is no greater pleasure than watching a horse and rider in perfect communication riding as if they were one unit. The only pleasure that is greater is when the rider and horse is you or I riding our own horses in perfect harmony. </FONT>

[cassidy]

How groundwork can help you and your horse ...

Many, many years ago, when I was a young and audacious cowboy, thinking I know it all, I got my first horse to start. He gave me a bit of a rough time, but in the end I had the animal saddled and me on his back. Steering wasn't too great and the brakes could have done with a check up too, but hey, I did it all by myself and was feeling pretty proud so I decided we both deserved a break. So, I sat on this horse, thinking what a great job I had done, and lit a cigarette ... and off went the horse, leaving me biting the dust. I guess that horse just wasn't broke.

Now, many years and even more horses later I have realized that with horses you never stop learning. I also have become more aware of their and my safety, so instead of just slapping the saddle on and hoping I'll stay on too, I start my youngsters teaching them a solid foundation off the ground. This groundwork stuff has become extremely popular over the past years : everybody is whispering, playing or dancing with their horses, but it's not new : great horsemen have always used their minds and a good deal of common sense to start their horses. It's not magical either : it takes know-how, hard work and practice, and undoubtedly some are better at it than others, but we can all improve our relation with our horses working them off the ground. You can develop your own style, work at your own speed, so here are merely some basic ideas :

- Keep it simple : there are only two important words in training a horse : stimulus and response : that's the basics. You apply a stimulus, obtain the desired response and quit. If you want to stop your horse doing something, use negative reinforcement. You don't need to punish right out, just make things less comfortable for him. At the same time, if you want your horse to continue doing something, use positive reinforcement. Too much praise has never hurt a horse; too much punishment can turn him into a wreck.

- Go slow : your colt might not be progressing as quickly as your friends' colt is. So what? These extra weeks or months of work you put in now will mean nothing when you'll be riding him as an adult. On the other side : rush him now and you might find yourself in trouble later because you skipped the basics. Be patient and make sure your horse understands what you want of him. Horses learn badly under pressure, so if he seems upset and confused, ask for something simple, he might not be ready yet. Try again later.

- Teach him how to learn : There are lots of things you can force upon a horse ... or you can teach him how to figure out things himself. An example : let's suppose you want to start leading a young colt. You put on the halter, a sturdy lead rope and start dragging the horse around. Having put up a real struggle, he might end up following you more or less ... but maybe next time you won't even be able to get near him to put the halter on. Or you could try it this way : you get the halter on and pull ever so lightly on the lead rope. This puts a light pressure on the halter behind the ears of the colt : enough for him to try to avoid it, not enough to get him upset. The moment he puts a step forward, or even leans towards you, you relieve pressure. By repeating this again and again, the colt will simple step forward : you have created a learned behavior without causing any stress.

- Be inventive : don't just lunge your horse in senseless and endless circles : use this time to make him alert : change direction and speed, teach him to back up, sidepass, the use of vocal commands, present him with different objects such as logs, plastic bags, noisy things ... Sometimes people avoid places or activities for fear of scaring their horses, but putting your horse in a situation where he feels insecure is not inconsiderate at all. On the contrary, allowing the horse to be afraid without punishment or confinement (which means you don't grab hold of him as soon as he startles) is helping his education : by staying calm and relaxed yourself you are teaching him how to react in similar situations.

- Be a worthy leader : wild horses live in a pack, guided and dominated by a leader. We have taken away this natural state, so it's up to us to offer some sort of replacement. You are your horses' leader. Try to be a just and correct one. Alpha horses don't punish without a reason, but they don't bribe the members of their pack with senseless rewards (or food) either. You can praise your horse, but make him work for your appraisal; it's up to him to show you what a good horse he can be. He will respect you all the more for it.

- Enjoy : all work and no play makes sour horses. There's nothing against hard work because after all, these horses are bred to be athletes, but when your horse has been trying real hard, give him a break. Remember, this is supposed to be fun for both rider and horse.

[Arabians Rule!!]

be careful with that type of halter, if u use it wrong, it could really hurt the horse