When it comes to horses, handling is everything. Your safety — and often the horse's as well — depends on your understanding of the best ways to handle your horse. The basics of handling revolve around what horsemen refer to as groundwork: working with and educating your horse on the ground as opposed to in the saddle. Good groundwork will clearly translate into things that are also useful when riding your horse, such as teaching voice commands. This chapter provides the basic principles of horse handling, but there is much more to learn.