Develop a Relationship
Before you can establish a good relationship with your horse in the saddle, you must take time to work with him on the ground. This round-pen exercise teaches your horse to listen to your body language and stay out of your personal space unless you invite him in. I like to use this drill on horses who tend to stand too close to me, or tend to push me around on the ground.
Understand Boundaries
The idea behind this groundwork exercise is to help your horse understand boundaries and help you develop a relationship with him. While it might be as innocent as your horse trying to get in your personal space because he knows you have treats, teaching your horse to stay out of your personal space is a safety thing. It also makes your vet’s and farrier’s jobs much easier if your horse isn’t constantly trying to get into their personal space while they’re working on him.
To help your horse fully understand your boundaries, you must be consistent with your cues any time you’re around your horse. If you allow your horse to get in your personal space one day and lick your hand or nibble on your shirt and then the next day scold him for doing so, he’s not going to understand why you’re giving him mixed signals. You need to develop a standard and stick to it.
Basic Groundwork
Start by longeing your horse around you with a long lead rope; I prefer to use a round pen during this exercise. If your horse is lazy or would rather be in your space than walking
Use this basic groundwork drill to establish a good, confident relationship between you and your horse.