All riders look forward to spring to get on their horse and back into riding after a cold winter. Christmas is a great time to start collecting these items so you will have everything you will need when the time comes. This list is geared towards riders preparing to do exactly that. It includes items you will need for springtime care, initial groundwork after a winter off, and exercising when back in the saddle. All of these links are Amazon affiliate links so I will receive a commission if you buy using the link.
Shedding
With spring comes shedding. This is the shedding tool you see me using on horses in my videos
Boat Bumpers
These dock bumpers are great for getting a horse accustomed to things bumping on their sides. I use these on every horse I start. Don’t forget to add the clips to the lines to make them easy to put on and remove.
Lunge Line
I’ve tried a lot of lunge lines and this is the one that feels the best in my hands.
D Ring Snaffle
Snaffle bits are the best go-to bit for the refresher work that you will be doing to start your spring riding. If you are starting your new horse under saddle this spring this is the first bit to go to after the halter work.
Roll on fly Repellant
This is the fly repellent that I prefer for using on the ears and other problem areas that are hard to spray or horses don’t like to be sprayed.
Stick Sunscreen
This sunscreen is very useful on the whites of the horse’s face and pink on the nose.
Mounting block
I’ve seen many people using everything you can imagine to get on and create mounting problems because what they use is not stable and they end up spooking their horse. Use an actual mounting block to make it easier for you and to set your horse up for success.
Lunge whip
When doing that initial groundwork you need to give clear signals and you need to use Ask, Tell, Demand, as I show in my videos. Without that authoritative demand, you will not achieve the soft ask you strive for. This whip, used properly, will give you that authoritative demand without scaring your horse.
Lunging Halter
This is the halter that I use in my groundwork. With the ring in the bottom, you can change directions without twisting the halter on the horse’s nose and the side knots stay in place. I do not like to lunge in halters with the nose knots because they put excessive pressure on the horse’s nose and the horse never gets a release from that pressure the whole time the horse is being lunged.
Training Videos
Now that you have all the tools you need the guidance. HelpWithMyHorse Ground Work Videos will give you that guidance. If you need help with lunging, ground driving, saddling, bridling, or ponying, I have a video that will help you. After you are in the saddle, whether you are working through resistance, slowing a hot horse, basic leg and rein aids, or building collection in your horse, the Steering, Stopping, and Control Videos will help you advance your horse and your horsemanship skills. These videos can be downloaded so you can watch them as many times as needed.
My horse training journey has brought me from winning world titles to now trying to help every horse and rider the best they can be. My HelpWithMyHorse website is all about sharing the knowledge that I have learned so that you can improve your equestrian knowledge.
Thanks. These are great.