01/06/2026
Growing up, groundwork simply wasn’t part of my education.
I was taught to go out to the field, catch the horse, tack up, and ride. Everything happened in the saddle. All engagement, all “training,” all development was ridden.
The idea that you could meaningfully teach and engage a horse from the ground wasn’t introduced to me until I was exposed to Natural Horsemanship. That was the first time groundwork was presented to me as intentional, structured, and worth investing time in. Regardless of labels or systems, that experience fundamentally changed how I understood horses and learning.
Looking back, I think there is a fundamental lack of skill and knowledge around teaching horses from the ground, especially within much of the English riding world.
Groundwork is often treated as something you “get through,” or skipped entirely, rather than as a skill set of its own.
We often see this gap most clearly when horses are started. Some horses are rushed and given no skills on the ground which results in “explosive” reactions when they weren’t adequately prepared.
This also shows up in how many value horses. Equines who are “unridden” are often dismissed or seen as less than, despite the fact that many people experience deep connection, learning, and joy working with horses entirely from the ground. I have many clients who love their unridden equines and build rich, meaningful relationships with them without ever getting on their backs.
If riding is the only tool we reach for, that’s not a biological requirement. It’s a skills gap.
Groundwork shouldn’t be treated as optional. Knowing how to shape behaviour and build understanding from the ground is fundamental.
