Horse Walking Guide

Horse walking was developed only a few years ago. It is ideal for rider and horse who want to add a bit of variation to their training schedule and work on motivation.

What is horse walking?

Horse Walking is a form of groundwork that deliberately focuses on the factor of fun and creativity.

In horse walking, the horse is always guided and this is precisely the training goal: horse and human should work together harmoniously with the help of body language. The first step is usually to clarify the order of hierarchy. This means that the horse must recognise the human as the leader. Through consistent behaviour, trust and respect are built up in the long term.

The topics of overcoming fear and gaining security are also an important part of horse walking. Riders who do not yet feel secure enough in the saddle or who are even afraid will find it difficult to convey the necessary security to the horse to build up a trusting relationship. Many people find this easier from the ground. Horses also benefit from communication at eye level. They perceive their counterpart better and are often more motivated in their work as a result. There are also many horse-loving people who consciously want to give up riding (e.g. because it is not possible for health reasons, because the fear of falling down dominates or also because a break in training due to injury must be observed). In this case, horse walking is an ideal way to establish groundwork as a proper equestrian discipline.

Basics of Horse Walking

In horse walking, the main work basically begins before you even enter the stable. The concept of horse walking focuses on the mental strength of the human being, which is seen as a basic prerequisite for later trust work with the horse.

The following mental values are trained, among others:

• work with inner images
• concentration
• structured thinking
• curiosity for knowledge
• self-confidence
• control of emotions

Working in a trail course is especially fun for horses and people. Thanks to the wide range of possibilities, you can set a different personal training goal for each unit and thus bring variety into horse walking. You don’t need much equipment to turn the riding arena into an exciting trail. Foam noodles and pylons are inexpensive and have a low own weight, so that the course can be rearranged in seconds. In addition, the risk of injury is lower with soft materials if the horse steps over them. There are no limits to creativity.

Here you can find an example of a horse walking trail course:

Equipment for Horse Walking

The accessories for horse walking are manageable:

The Horse Walking Basics include:

• Halter or cavesson:

Control of the horse is mainly at the head. Whether you use a conventional headcollar for horse walking or a cavesson, it should always be buckled correctly. Rope halters can also be used for horse walking, but the effect should not be underestimated and should therefore only be used by experienced riders.

• Lead rope:

This is also known as a lead rope. It should be at least 3.50 m long and have a certain weight of its own. A conventional tether is unsuitable as it is too light and often has a panic hook which could open during work.

• Lunge:

The lunge line is needed for more advanced work in a larger circle, e.g. if you also want to work in canter. Similar to the lead rope, the heavy own weight is an important quality feature here in order to influence the horse with minimal signals.