Your horse should be outfitted with a surcingle or a saddle and pad, a bridle with a snaffle bit, and simple cotton longe lines (no chain) attached to each snaffle bit ring and properly “threaded” through the surcingle rings or stirrups. The horse should have leg protection such as polo wraps or splint boots.

We will use a medium-sized circle to teach ground driving at the trot. Continue to use the same voice commands that the horse knows from all the groundwork you have done with him in past lessons. Position yourself approximately six to seven feet behind the horse. Hold each longe line in neatly coiled loops so each loop is stacked on top of the one before it. Keeping your longe lines or “reins” organized is imperative to safe ground driving success.

Start by asking your horse to ground drive in a medium-sized circle to the right at the walk. When you are ready to pick up a trot, shorten up on the inside rein (the right longe line) and loosen the outside (left) rein. The horse’s head should be flexed a little more toward the center of the circle. The outside rein should gently lie against the left side of his neck and pass around his buttocks. Be careful not to drop your arm or loosen the outside rein so much that it drops down around his hocks. Use the voice command “trot.”

The biggest difference between ground driving at the walk and trot, besides speed, is the handler’s position. As soon as the horse makes the transition from the walk to the trot, you should change your position so that you are more toward the center of the circle. Do not stand stationary in the center of the circle, but rather continue following the horse, walking in a smaller circle than the horse as he trots around you. This position saves the handler from walking as much as you would if you were following directly behind the horse. It also keeps you from lagging behind the horse and pulling on his mouth if you cannot keep up with his faster pace.

Once you have established a trot, ask the horse for a circle or two to the right and come back to the walk. Walk forward out of the circle onto a straight line. As you straighten out, change your position so you are once again more directly behind your horse.

Take a moment to see that your longe lines are organized. If you find that you have little loops around your hands or you are losing control of the lines, stop and reorganize them before proceeding. It is good for the horse to stop and stand as this helps slow down his thinking and lets him absorb what he is learning.

When you are reorganized, give a cluck and the command “walk” to establish forward motion. Then prepare for a circle to the left at the trot. Bring your horse onto a medium-sized circle to the left by gently shortening up on the inside left rein and loosening the outside right rein. Move your position inward and give him the command “trot.” Continue to follow his movement by walking in a smaller circle as he trots around you to the left.

If the horse falls in while making circles at the trot, gently toss the inside rein towards him in the same manner we used in longeing and ground driving at the walk lessons. This motion asks him to move out or away.

Ground driving at the trot takes practice and coordination. Pay special attention to your position and rein length when doing turns. Keep your position inward and slightly off his inside hindquarter. If you are too far behind him, you will lag behind him, pull on his mouth, and get him out of the proper position. If you get too far in front, he will become confused and may even stop. Use your peripheral vision to keep track of the reins. Be careful not to over flex the horse to the inside by using too much inside rein or not flex him enough so that his body is not arced and following the circle.

Practice Pattern

To improve your coordination and your horse’s responsiveness, practice ground driving a figure-8 pattern at the trot. Try this after you are getting a good response when ground driving individual circles to the left and to the right at the trot. You may want to practice this pattern first at the walk.

Start by ground driving a circle to the left at the trot. About three-quarters of the way around the circle, start shortening the right rein (it will become the new inside rein), and loosening the left. Keeping the forward motion, trot a few steps in a straight line as you make the cross in the middle of the “8.” As you do, shift your position from being inward and come back behind your horse. Move inward on his other side when you start the circle to the right. Make sure the horse’s head is properly flexed in the new direction. Make one to two circles in this direction. When you are ready for the figure-8, start early and shorten the left rein while loosening the right rein and change direction again. As you get more proficient with this pattern, alternate the change of direction after each circle.

For variety, add a diagonal line to change direction across the middle of the figure-8. This will require you to walk faster behind your horse (do not run). Loosen the lines so he stays straight on the diagonal track and keep him forward. When you are ready for the next loop of the figure-8, shorten both lines to get closer behind the horse again. Slightly shorten the inside rein to ask him to flex on the circle as you loosen the outside rein.

Give the command “walk” and then “whoa.” To add variety, have your horse back up. Congratulate yourself and your horse on a lesson well done!

Learn more about ground driving your horse with my “Longevity Training Series—Ground Driving.” Learn about this and other helpful Palm Partnership Training™ products when you visit www.lynnpalm.com or call 800-503-2824.