Ground driving employs the use of long lines attached to a ring snaffle bit. The lines are directed through a bitting harness or saddle to aid in directing the pull from the handler to the horse’s mouth. The handler guides the horse with the lines while positioned several yards behind the horse. Horses can be taught to stop, back up, and guide with direct rein pressure before being ridden for the first time. Ground driving is used with young horses to introduce bit pressure and as a reinforcement aid on older horses. Unless experienced with these methods, readers are encouraged to receive hands-on instruction from knowledgeable people before attempting these or other pre-ride bitting methods.
Watch the video below to see an example of ground driving.
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Ground Driving Techniques
For more information on horse bits and bitting, check out the HorseQuest Learning Lesson: Understanding Bits for Horses.
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