What Kind of Groundwork Should I Do with a Lazy Horse I Have not Ridden for Some Time?

If you have a horse, that really has been working a lot, you want to be slow and steady in the way that you build them up to working, right?

You don’t want to just pull a horse out that’s been sitting for several months and start cantering them immediately.

It just doesn’t make sense. That horse is going to be sore, they’re not going to be feeling very well at the end of that session, and of course the next day they’re really going to feel it.

So the best thing to do is when you first pull your horse off that first session, not 15-20 minutes, start with some desensitizing.

Get those feet moving, and make sure that they’re moving in the direction you want them to go. I wouldn’t send them for more than maybe 30, 45 seconds, asking for a canter in each direction, breathing them down, and working on your transitions. After you’ve done these things, gradually build up their exercise routine.