Groundwork | Customizable
Help the pony stay straight, reduce run-outs, and teach him to pay more attention to where he places his feet.
Prepare your groundwork session
Discover our groundwork exercises to improve your connection with your horse! Filter the groundwork exercise sheets based on your riding level and available equipment. Starting young horses, desensitization, in-hand work… Explore a wide range of options!
58 sessions
Groundwork | Easy
Improve leading and in-hand halts.
Groundwork | Easy
Teach the horse to yield away from pressure (physical or visual). Improve his suppleness and focus. Achieve true crossing of the limbs (the feet stepping one over the other).
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Medium
The objective of this exercise is to work on the horse’s motivation for the jump.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
The objective here is to prepare the mounted water jump and to help your horse approach it calmly, so that jumping at competitions is no longer intimidating.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
In this exercise, we will teach the horse to jump calmly, so that when you later ask him under saddle, he already has a confident foundation.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
This exercise is often feared or even avoided, because we tend to believe that show jumping horses should never step into the water. Fake news! In this exercise, you’ll teach your horse to walk on a tarp so that later on, you can safely introduce jumping a water tray.
Groundwork | Medium
Successfully get your horse to move only one foot at a time. Secondary objective: campo.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Hard
This exercise helps your horse: - Challenge his lateral balance - Activate the thoracic sling alternately left and right by shifting his body weight first onto the right shoulder, then onto the left
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
Not every horse is born understanding ridden work, so it’s important to teach him how to step over a ground pole without stress and with attention. The goal of this exercise is to help your horse release tension and learn to cross each pole calmly and mindfully.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Hard
Perform a complete sequence of lateral movements over various obstacles, aiming for maximum fluidity, precision, and connection with your horse.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Medium
Cue and refine lateral movements until your horse can perform them over a ground pole, to improve precision, hoof control, and desensitisation.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
Learn to obtain smooth and light lateral movements on the ground, starting from good hip control and a fine response to the stick cues.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
Teaching the horse to move backward toward you by aspiration, meaning to step back while coming toward the human located behind him.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Medium
Desensitising the horse to objects on the ground so that he is not afraid when they pass in front of or behind him. 👉 This exercise is an excellent prerequisite for long-reining work, but it also helps make the horse braver, more confident, and calm in unusual situations.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
The “changing eyes” exercise teaches the horse to follow a pressure, even when that pressure asks him to move in the opposite direction from the human. 🧠 This exercise develops: the horse’s ability to think, his ability to respond correctly to pressure, his confidence when moving without directly “following” the human.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
Help your horse understand that: 👉 When a pressure comes from behind his hindquarters (here using a 3.70 m rope), he should move forward. 👉 But when the rope is simply present or moves lightly, no reaction is expected ➝ this is desensitisation work. ✨ This exercise is a key prerequisite for long-reining in a halter: later on, the outside rein will help encourage forward movement. However, it is essential that the horse does not become anxious about this action.
PREMIUM
Groundwork | Easy
Being able to lead in both eyes with a connected horse — first in zone 2, then in zones 3 and 4
Groundwork | Medium
Suppleness, guidance, foot placement control
Groundwork | Easy
To refine the rein-back for horses that easily become frustrated or tense, and to help the horse enjoy the exercise.
Our advice groundwork
Which groundwork exercise is right for your level?
New to groundwork? Start with the beginner exercises, which lay the foundations of communication with your horse: yielding to pressure, moving forward, backing up and halting. Backing up without frustration helps you teach the back-up gently, even with a horse that gets worked up quickly. Ground poles and serpentine improves leading and halts in hand. Lateral steps – the basics teaches your horse to move away from physical or visual pressure.
Has your horse mastered the basics? Intermediate exercises call for more precision and coordination. With moving one foot at a time, you'll learn to move a single foot at a time, all the way to the campo (park-out stance). Slalom over poles and serpentine works on suppleness, steering and foot placement.
Looking for a real challenge? Advanced exercises are designed for horse-and-handler partnerships already confident in groundwork. Lateral work on a curved line challenges your horse's lateral balance, while linking lateral movements focuses on fluidity and precision over a variety of obstacles.
Exercises marked "adaptable" are suitable for all levels: simply adjust the difficulty to suit you and your horse.
Groundwork exercises for every goal
Building confidence and desensitising. A horse that stays calm in the face of the unknown is a safer horse, both on the ground and under saddle. Exercises such as desensitising your horse to an object trailing on the ground or working with a tarp help them handle unfamiliar situations calmly.
Preparing for long-reining. Before starting long-reining, your horse needs to accept the line around their body and understand forward pressure. Exercises such as alternating sensitising and desensitising or switching eyes lay these foundations.
Preparing for jumping. Groundwork is a great way to take the drama out of jumping. With free jumping in hand or the river jump, your horse learns to jump calmly before doing it under saddle.
Educating a young horse or pony. Groundwork supports young horses from their very first lessons, long before they're started under saddle. The magic corridor, for example, helps ponies stay straight and watch where they put their feet.
FAQ
Are the groundwork exercises free?
Some of the exercise sheets are available for free on the website and in the Appaloo Equestrian app. Exercises marked "Premium" are reserved for Appaloo Premium subscribers, who also get access to complete groundwork programmes.
How do I find an exercise that suits my equipment?
Turn on the equipment search at the top of the page and tick what you have (poles, cones, cavaletti, barrel, hoop…). Only the exercises you can do with that equipment will be shown.
Can I do these exercises without an arena?
Yes. Use the location filter to show exercises you can do in a round pen or out in the open.
How do I save my favourite exercises?
Create a free account or download the app to save your exercise sheets and find them easily during your sessions.
I know an exercise that isn't on this page. Can I suggest it?
We'd love that! Appaloo's exercises are partly contributed by the community. Suggest your exercise here.
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