Redefining Horsemanship
harmony, not hierarchy.
Groundwork
Build communication, trust, respect, and understanding with your horse.
Specific training exercises conducted from the ground rather than while riding. Foundational training aimed at building communication, trust, respect, and understanding between horse and rider. Lunging, leading, yielding, backing up, desensitization, and liberty work.
- Start young horses or retrain older ones.
- Prepare your horse for more advanced training.
- Improve responsiveness and respect.
- Ensure a strong foundation.
Improved communication
Providing a safe environment to establish clear and effective communication signals. The main goal is for your horse to respond to your command the first time you ask!
Establish Leadership
You should be the positive influence in your horse’s life by establishing yourself as the calm, fair, and consistent leader
Build Respect and Trust
You must teach your horse to respect the personal space bubble and respond positively to the guidance you give them.
Enhance Safety
Preparing your horse to respond correctly to queues quickly and efficiently will greatly reduce the risk of an accident.
Groundwork Exercise Examples
Lunging: Teaching the horse to move in a controlled circle around the rider, focusing on transitions and gait control.
Leading Exercises: Practicing commands such as walk, stop, back, and yield while maintaining a respectful distance.
Desensitization: Gradually exposing horses to stimuli that may cause fear or confusion to reduce reactivity.
Liberty Work: Working without ropes or tack to enhance responsiveness and mutual trust.
Yielding Exercises: Encouraging the horse to move specific body parts away from pressure to enhance responsiveness.
Lunari Equestrian Approach
At Lunari Equestrian, groundwork is not just teaching commands. We believe groundwork is about creating a genuine connection between a horse and their rider. We use customized exercises that cater to each individual horse’s temperament, learning style, and previous training experience. By integrating behavioral science with kind training methods, Lunari believes that groundwork serves as a powerful foundation for all future work.
Behavioral Training
Improve safety, responsiveness, and harmony
Modifying or enhancing a horse’s behavior to improve safety, responsiveness, and overall harmony between horse and rider. Focusing on understanding the reasons behind problematic behaviors and teaching your horse more appropriate responses through positive reinforcement, desensitization, and consistent communication.
- Aggressive or fearful horses.
- Correcting unwanted habits.
- Addressing problematic behaviors early.
problem solving
Address specific behavioral issues like biting, bucking, bolting, kicking, rearing, or refusing.
reduce stress
Teach your horse to be calm and responsive in various situations to improve their emotional well-being and reduce their stress.
Build Respect and Trust
Help your horse understand your desired behaviors and how to respond positively to cues.
enhance communication
Create clear lines of communication to reduce your frustration and improve your horses overall performance.
Behavioral Exercise Examples
Positive Reinforcement: Reward desired behaviors to encourage repetition of those behaviors.
Desensitization: Gradual exposure to feared or unfamiliar stimuli to reduce reactivity.
Classical Conditioning: Associating a neutral stimulus with a positive experience to encourage acceptance.
Negative Reinforcement: The removal of an aversive stimulus upon desired behavior to increase that behavior’s occurrence.
Shaping: Gradually teach your horse complex behaviors by breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps.
Lunari Equestrian Approach
At Lunari Equestrian, we take a scientific and compassionate approach to behavioral training. We analyze each horse’s unique temperament, past experiences, and specific triggers. Our training methods prioritize positive reinforcement and clear communication, ensuring that the horse’s learning process is effective, humane, and sustainable. Whether correcting problematic behaviors or enhancing existing training, Lunari’s approach is designed to cultivate a trusting and respectful relationship between horse and rider.