Ground Tying

Ground tying is an important skill for any horse to have. Ground tying is a simple but challenging skill to teach your horse. You guessed it—today I will talk abut ground tying. I will go over what ground tying is, how to teach it, and of course how to use it. Let get started.

What is ground tying? Ground tying is a horse standing completely still without being tied or held. Ground tying can be hard or very easy to teach, depending on the horse’s personality. If the horse is a quiet calm horse, it will most likely be easier. On the other hand, if the horse is spooky or excitable, it will probably be harder to teach. Patience is required for all horses and trainers.

To teach ground tying, you need an enclosed space such as an arena or paddock. Take your horse’s lead rope by the end so it is hanging almost to the ground. Then say “stand” or a command you have chosen for your horse to stand still. Stand next to your horse approximately 3 seconds and then give your horse a treat. Reward him!!!! Each time he succeeds increase the time that the horses stands before he gets a treat. After he is standing still for about 30 seconds with you right next to him, drop the lead rope completely. Tell him to stand and walk around him. If he doesn’t move, give him a treat. The next step is to walk 5 to 10 yards away from him before turning back. When he stays put, reward him. Make sure to only reward him when he stands perfectly still. If he moves, grab the lead rope and back him to where he was. Say stand and try again. My weanling Keeno picked this up in about 10 minutes.

When do you use ground tying? I use it a lot. I use it if I need to get a gate, set up a barrel or pole for somebody, or even grab something out of the barn. I also find that the horse knows the word ‘stand’ means to stand completely still. When mounting and dismounting, I tell my horse to stand. If he is moving around when I am grooming or tacking him, I say stand and he will usually stop fidgeting. Sometimes ground tying is one of the obstacles in trail class. Ground tying is a great way to teach your horse patience, too.

Now you know a little bit about ground tying. You know what ground tying is all about, how to teach ground tying and when to use it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Keeno being a goof ball