06/01/2026
If you or your kid can’t catch, halter, and lead the horse safely on their own…they’re probably not ready to be trapsing over jumps or running around a barrel pattern.
Somewhere along the way, riding lessons became all about what happens in the saddle. How fast they’re going. What gait they’re doing. How quickly they’re “progressing.”
And a lot of people completely overlook the part that actually creates REAL horsemen. The ground. And no I don't mean how hard it is when you hit it.
If a rider can’t confidently approach a horse, read their body language, halter them correctly, lead them respectfully, and handle them safely before they ever get on…
What exactly are we teaching?
That riding is just sitting on top while someone else handles everything important?
That’s not horsemanship. That’s participation. The era of participation trophies needs to die.
The ground teaches awareness. It teaches timing. It teaches confidence. It teaches students how to read what the horse is feeling before it ever becomes a problem under saddle.
The groundwork tells me way more about a rider’s readiness than whether they can bounce around a few laps at the trot. It also communicates how serious they are about the sport.
That’s why we spend so much time there. I’m trying to create riders who understand the whole animal. That foundation is what keeps them safe later.
I know a lot of programs where you show up, get on an already tacked and groom horse, ride, then pass that horse off. No hate to those programs. There's a space for all kinds in this industry. It's just not for me.
