Author: Lynn Palm

Horses need to respect four major ground training commands: “move away from me,” “come
toward me,” “stop,” and “back”. In this article I will give you the steps to teach your horse the
“come to me” command.
Before starting, make sure that your horse is properly equipped. He should be wearing a properly
fitting halter, with a longe line, and leg protection. I prefer using a longe line over a lead rope for
ground training, but will use both terms in these articles.
No matter what the horse’s age, I introduce these commands first in a confined, familiar location
like stall, round pen, or small paddock. Remove any distractions such as buckets or hay.

Before we start on specific lessons, you need to understand and follow my Golden Rules for ground training any horse. We covered the first two in past issues of this magazine and website. To review, Golden Rule #1 is to respect your position, as a handler, in relationship to your horse. Golden Rule #2 is to make straightness a goal.

No matter what your horse’s age, investing the time in ground training will make him a more
responsive, obedient partner. I’d like to share with you my “Golden Rules” for ground training
any horse.
Before beginning any ground training lesson, make sure you have set the foundation for success
we discussed in the “Beginning Ground Training” series. Go back and review them if you need
to. Here’s a quick summary.