Ground Work Question

hemigirl · 01-14-2005, 09:15 AM

Hey Everyone!

How do you work on "WHOA" when you are doing ground work with a halter and lead? Forward, Back, turns? Should I use voice commands, what do I do with the lead, etc.

Any suggestions would be great!

gingersnaps2002 · 01-14-2005, 09:29 AM

Like,when you are leading? Well,what I do if they aren't listening to me I will walk them ahead,say "whoa" then give a little pop with the lead under the chin. It wakes the horse up and next time I say Whoa,I dont even have to use the lead.The horse stops at my shoulder. I'm not sure if you needed info about this or for lunging or riding,etc... I'm not sure how you would do it on a lunge line.But for riding, pick out a stop point ahead of you, then right before it say whoa and deepen your seat.The first time the horse probably wont listen,so turn the horse in circles a minute.Then go and try again. It may take a few times. That is only one method.

Shotgun93 · 01-14-2005, 09:30 AM

It really depends on how you want to train your horse, whether you want voice commands, clicks or just pressure. You need to teach your horse who to move all six directions before you start anything else. Forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down (head).
There are a lot of great ground training books that you could look into getting, it would be a lot easier to learn this stuff if you had a book with pictures and diagrams.

hemigirl · 01-14-2005, 09:44 AM

Could you tell me some titles or authors of books that are good?

Shotgun93 · 01-14-2005, 09:46 AM

I really like Clinton Anderson, John Lyons has a good one. Parelli is good, but you have to buy the whole training program.

Shotgun93 · 01-14-2005, 09:50 AM

Here's a website that might help you.
http://www.naturalhorsesupply.com/groundmanners.shtml

WhisperingStar · 01-14-2005, 11:06 AM

Before I start to teach to lunge I will do pretty much what Ginger said. I will walk slightly ahead of the horse with my right hand slightly behind me , pointed down ( holding the lead of course ) and in front of the horses head. When I ask for a stop I say WHOA, stop walking and give a little pull down on the lead. I want the horse to not step past me. If the horse does step past me I back the horse up to where I want and praise the horse and do it all over again. It works.

It is a little different on a lunge , are you using a lunge line yet ?

Good luck !

cassidy · 01-14-2005, 11:11 AM

everytime you ask your horse to stop on the lunge or wwhen leading just literally say the word eventually he/she will realise that the word whoa is associated with stopping!

spotteddrafter1 · 01-15-2005, 06:56 AM

I have trained my mare to walk at my shoulder....and so when I stop, she stops....no voice command needed. It's to the point where I can take one step forward with a foot and she will then take a step, with the same foot. I think that might've been from Parelli somewhere....I tend to take what I can use from other trainers and combine it with who I use the most.

ibsammy · 01-16-2005, 08:36 AM

Well, in Horse & Rider magazine, there was an article, "Going for Broke", well it was a series. The point of it is to teach your horse whoa means stop and stay stopped. One thing to do, is to teach him whoa standing there. Start out by walking into an isolated, familiart place where his attention will be on you. It should be enclosed, a round pen is great, but a small pen or even a stall works.

Next, tell him whoa. Ask him to hold it for about ten seconds while you are standing at his shoulder. When he does, release him by kissing and leading him a few laps. If he doesn't stand still do these. If he walks forward 2 steps, back him up 2 steps, and ask for whoa for 10 seconds. If he backs two steps, lead him two steps and repeat the excercise.

When he can stand still for about a minute, I would praise him and turn him out. Keep your lessons short, especially if it is a young horse. Always end on a good note.

Do that lesson for about a week, or until he REALLY understands it. Don't push him ahead if he isnt ready, and don't EVER be impatient. Some horses leanr in a day, others in months.

After he can stand still while you are next to his shoulder, try asking for whoa and walking around his front end, to the other side. IF he stands till, reward and try walking to the other side, still in front of him. Try keeping a hand on his next all the way, as contact makes them less liekly to walk off. If he walks away, reach firmly near the head and back him up and ask for a regular stand still.

Repeat this excercise around the hind end too!

01-14-2005, 09:15 AM	#1
hemigirl Full Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Caney, TX Posts: 141	Ground Work Question Hey Everyone! How do you work on "WHOA" when you are doing ground work with a halter and lead? Forward, Back, turns? Should I use voice commands, what do I do with the lead, etc. Any suggestions would be great!

01-14-2005, 09:30 AM	#3
Shotgun93 Senior Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southwest SD Posts: 13,783 Images: 132	It really depends on how you want to train your horse, whether you want voice commands, clicks or just pressure. You need to teach your horse who to move all six directions before you start anything else. Forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down (head). There are a lot of great ground training books that you could look into getting, it would be a lot easier to learn this stuff if you had a book with pictures and diagrams. __________________ In the quiet light of the stable, you hear a muffled snort, the stamp of a hoof, a friendly nicker. Gentle eyes inquire, "How was your day old friend?" and suddenly, all your troubles fade away. -Author Unknown

01-14-2005, 09:46 AM	#5
Shotgun93 Senior Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southwest SD Posts: 13,783 Images: 132	I really like Clinton Anderson, John Lyons has a good one. Parelli is good, but you have to buy the whole training program. __________________ In the quiet light of the stable, you hear a muffled snort, the stamp of a hoof, a friendly nicker. Gentle eyes inquire, "How was your day old friend?" and suddenly, all your troubles fade away. -Author Unknown

01-14-2005, 09:50 AM	#6
Shotgun93 Senior Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southwest SD Posts: 13,783 Images: 132	Here's a website that might help you. http://www.naturalhorsesupply.com/groundmanners.shtml __________________ In the quiet light of the stable, you hear a muffled snort, the stamp of a hoof, a friendly nicker. Gentle eyes inquire, "How was your day old friend?" and suddenly, all your troubles fade away. -Author Unknown

01-14-2005, 11:11 AM	#8
cassidy Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: england - its sunny sometimes honest! Posts: 21,572 Images: 820	everytime you ask your horse to stop on the lunge or wwhen leading just literally say the word eventually he/she will realise that the word whoa is associated with stopping! __________________ May your life be like toilet paper - Long and useful A horse doesn't care how much you know until he knows how much you care. - Pat Parelli http://www.freewebs.com/linz88055/myprofile.htm

01-14-2005, 09:29 AM	#2
gingersnaps2002 Banned Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: arkansas Posts: 1,350	Like,when you are leading? Well,what I do if they aren't listening to me I will walk them ahead,say "whoa" then give a little pop with the lead under the chin. It wakes the horse up and next time I say Whoa,I dont even have to use the lead.The horse stops at my shoulder. I'm not sure if you needed info about this or for lunging or riding,etc... I'm not sure how you would do it on a lunge line.But for riding, pick out a stop point ahead of you, then right before it say whoa and deepen your seat.The first time the horse probably wont listen,so turn the horse in circles a minute.Then go and try again. It may take a few times. That is only one method.

01-14-2005, 09:44 AM	#4
hemigirl Full Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Caney, TX Posts: 141	Could you tell me some titles or authors of books that are good?

01-14-2005, 11:06 AM	#7
WhisperingStar Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 416 Images: 11	Before I start to teach to lunge I will do pretty much what Ginger said. I will walk slightly ahead of the horse with my right hand slightly behind me , pointed down ( holding the lead of course ) and in front of the horses head. When I ask for a stop I say WHOA, stop walking and give a little pull down on the lead. I want the horse to not step past me. If the horse does step past me I back the horse up to where I want and praise the horse and do it all over again. It works. It is a little different on a lunge , are you using a lunge line yet ? Good luck !

01-15-2005, 06:56 AM	#9
spotteddrafter1 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 555 Images: 7	I have trained my mare to walk at my shoulder....and so when I stop, she stops....no voice command needed. It's to the point where I can take one step forward with a foot and she will then take a step, with the same foot. I think that might've been from Parelli somewhere....I tend to take what I can use from other trainers and combine it with who I use the most. __________________ ~Jill and Jetta~ "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion.” ~Emerson

01-16-2005, 08:36 AM	#10
ibsammy Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: California Posts: 726 Images: 181 Blog Entries: 1	Well, in Horse & Rider magazine, there was an article, "Going for Broke", well it was a series. The point of it is to teach your horse whoa means stop and stay stopped. One thing to do, is to teach him whoa standing there. Start out by walking into an isolated, familiart place where his attention will be on you. It should be enclosed, a round pen is great, but a small pen or even a stall works. Next, tell him whoa. Ask him to hold it for about ten seconds while you are standing at his shoulder. When he does, release him by kissing and leading him a few laps. If he doesn't stand still do these. If he walks forward 2 steps, back him up 2 steps, and ask for whoa for 10 seconds. If he backs two steps, lead him two steps and repeat the excercise. When he can stand still for about a minute, I would praise him and turn him out. Keep your lessons short, especially if it is a young horse. Always end on a good note. Do that lesson for about a week, or until he REALLY understands it. Don't push him ahead if he isnt ready, and don't EVER be impatient. Some horses leanr in a day, others in months. After he can stand still while you are next to his shoulder, try asking for whoa and walking around his front end, to the other side. IF he stands till, reward and try walking to the other side, still in front of him. Try keeping a hand on his next all the way, as contact makes them less liekly to walk off. If he walks away, reach firmly near the head and back him up and ask for a regular stand still. Repeat this excercise around the hind end too! __________________ "If the horse says no you are asking the question wrong" Proud owner of Sunshines Pride, 1/4 morgan, 1/4 appy, 1/2 qh mare who looks like a foundation appy!

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