Master the Ground Tie

Some exercises we teach our horses require the horse and handler to learn a series of complex steps that require intense focus and impeccable timing. The ground tie isn’t one of those exercises.

Although simple, trainer Clay Cavinder explains that the ground tie exercise teaches a horse how to be accountable and reduces the temptation for you to micromanage him.

Cavinder is a professor and extension horse specialist for Mississippi State University. In addition to training horses and teaching students, he is a professional judge for the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, and National Snaffle Bit Association.

Why Ground Tie

While many horse-friendly locations provide ample places to secure horses, not every place has a solid, safe place to tie, Cavinder explains. When hitching posts are lacking, ground tying can come in handy.

Also, if you’re interested in showing in ranch horse classes, you may encounter patterns that require your horse to know how to ground tie. So what does a good ground tie look like?

Cavinder explains that the ground tie exercise demands a horse know how to stand still. In a show setting, the obstacle requires you to dismount and walk around the horse or go accomplish a task while the horse stays where you left him.

“Once you park the horse’s four feet, he doesn’t move—he stands there,” Cavinder says.

When he is judging this obstacle, he not only wants to see the horse’s hooves planted, but he also wants to see the horse’s head and neck stay still, too. He’s looking for a horse that mimics a statue. The horse shouldn’t be putting his head on the ground and fidgeting in the dirt. Instead, he should be alert, still, and focused on you.

Preparing to Teach

Before you consider teaching a horse to ground tie, Cavinder advises settling your horse. This isn’t an exercise to teach a freshly halter-broke horse that jumps when your hands move.

Instead, the horse should feel safe around you and know simple cues, such as what “whoa” means. If that’s the case, teaching the ground tie can help you build trust with your horse.

“Ground tying develops ‘Whoa means whoa, don’t move your feet, and let me work around you and develop this trusting bond with you,’” says Cavinder.

He uses a three-step process to train horses consisting of cue, response and reinforcement. It breaks down as follows:

Step 1: Provide the horse with a cue. A cue is any stimulus you give the horse. It can be verbal or physical.

Step 2: Read the horse’s response to the cue. The response is the horse’s feedback (or lack thereof) to a cue.

Step 3: Reinforce the cue. These are actions you take that help the horse understand if his response was right or wrong.

Once these prerequisites are complete, Cavinder says you can begin teaching your horse the ground tie exercise.

Teaching the Ground Tie

To teach this exercise, outfit your horse in a nylon halter. Cavinder recommends using a longe line instead of a lead rope while your horse is first learning the exercise. He breaks the ground tie down into the following three steps.

Step 1 (Cue): Drop the longe line on the ground in front of the horse and say “whoa.” (Hold on to the very end of the longe line in case your horse tries to leave.) Take one to two steps away from him.

Step 2 (Response): Watch how the horse responds. Does he choose to follow you, or move in another direction? Does he take a step and then stop? Does he stand still the entire time? Carefully assess the horse’s response to your cue.

Step 3 (Reinforcement): Communicate to your horse whether he responded correctly to the cue. If he responds by moving, show him that was the wrong response by either lifting his head and backing him up or asking him to move his hip away from you in a forehand turn. Then start over at Step 1.

If your horse responds by standing still or taking a single step and then standing still, show him he found the correct answer by returning to his side and petting or praising him.

As he begins to understand the exercise, you should gradually increase the number of steps you take away from the horse and vary their direction. The horse should remain still until you return.

Common Pitfalls

Although simple, there are several pitfalls Cavinder sees equestrians struggle with when teaching their horses how to ground tie.

Micromanaging the Horse: Cavinder cautions against micromanaging the horse. For example, when a horse is first learning the exercise, Cavinder doesn’t correct him if he takes a single step forward. Instead, he watches the horse’s response and gives him time to self-correct.

As the horse gains an understanding of the exercise, Cavinder’s expectations increase. You want the horse to try to answer the question being asked of him, and that requires him to search for the correct answer.

Giving Up: Horse training takes time. Too often, Cavinder sees equestrians watch or read training material, try the exercise a couple of times, and give up. Like humans, horses take time to learn.

Setting Unrealistic Expectations: Every horse is different. One horse may learn the exercise in three days, but others won’t. Additionally, a horse’s age and experience should help determine the expectations set for him. For example, Cavinder says yearlings should have lots of wiggle room for errors, while an older, well-trained horse will be expected to respond correctly sooner.

Misunderstanding the Three-Step Process: If you aren’t implementing the three-step process correctly, you can’t expect your horse to understand what you’re asking him to do. For example, being inconsistent with cues or misinterpreting the horse’s response will confuse him.

While simple, ground tying is a great skill for you and your horse to learn together. When a safe place to tie isn’t available and you’re faced with ground tying as the only option, you’ll be able to count on your horse to stay right where you left him.

As an added bonus, properly executing this training helps strengthen your relationship with your horse and lays a solid foundation for learning more challenging exercises together.

This article about the ground tie appeared in the October 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!