Mary Barrett asked a question in the comments section about the difference in asking the head of a horse to move away from you in Leading From Behind™ versus the nose, and why I make the distinction.

Asking the head to move away is a softer message than directing the nose to move away. When I turn a horse around so I can start Leading From Behind™, I am a few feet or more away from his head. My focus and energy with my driving aids is directed at the head, not the haunches. You can see this in the picture at the bottom of the blog. I direct the head of the horse by using my body language to show a request to turn away. My eyes are focused on his head. When I am asking the horse to turn away and he does not move, I advance toward his head. When I get to his head, I then start focusing on his nose. The horse will understand your request taking this approach. But it does not mean that he is going to do what you are asking him. To ensure a positive response so that your horse turns … Read more

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This is a continuation from the last blog that I promised you on the subject of the Ritual Leading from Behind™.

I want to point out that Leading from Behind™ is more like riding a horse than most any other activity you can do from the ground at liberty with the exception of the last two Rituals –Companion Walking™ and Liberty Dancing™. The reason Leading from Behind™ is like riding a horse is because in both cases the horse is stepping out on his own and being directed by you. He must trust in himself and accept your leadership at the same time without seeing you in both situations.

I have found that when you get the desired response and connection from each Ritual, it prepares a horse so that when you start training him from his back, you can do it without the need of tack in a free open environment in a simple and elegant way. The Rituals prepare the horse enough from a bonded connection to allow a human to ride him.

That does not mean that you can just jump on a horse and expect him to be there for you and do what he is … Read more

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The practice of Leading From Behind™ causes the horse to gain a sense of belonging. Without tack, in a free open environment, we give a horse sanction to respond positively or negatively without consequences, which is so valuable to building a connection and trust with a horse.

For a horse to express his feelings without consequences or concern and to feel a sense of “who he is” is life- enhancing to a horse and the trick to winning him over. Exercising your instinct for horses as well as humans creates a sense of well being and enthusiasm for life as well as an optimistic attitude for working with others. Experiencing freedom of choice without consequences builds a healthy ego. A horse that has a healthy ego will naturally bond with a human.

A horse’s greatest instinct is for companionship and freedom. This is what we can give back to a horse working with the Waterhole Rituals™. It is essential for a horse to experience a freedom of choice in order for a horse to feel well adjusted.

From the practice of Leading from Behind™ we are returning a horse to his roots, his well being, and his understanding of life, … Read more

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To create a deeper connection with your horse, put yourself in a state of happiness before you see your horse. It will help you to discover yet another core strength within you. Your intentions to elevate your awareness will grow your magnetism. Growing your magnetism will draw your horse to follow your lead. It will cause your horse to trust in your leadership.

So how can we do this?
Start by putting your attention on the well being that is always there inside of you until it consumes your awareness fully. Become aware of how your body feels in the moment. Focus on the parts of your body that feel alive and well until your whole body feels alive.

If you have something that does not feel good inside you, this is not you. It is an external condition that has caused feelings of sadness or any negative feeling that pulls you down. Let it go on your exhaled breath. Imagine breathing in healing energy. Imagine breathing from the parts of your body that you are focused on and then feel the sensation. Notice the well being growing within you. Feel the connection to all things and a peace that … Read more

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Be Sure to not miss out on Robin Gates’ Clinic on the
Waterhole Rituals™ Click to link to PDF

Unlike us, horses have a natural desire for connection built into them because they are herd animals. Horses have a big desire to be with horses, even the ones they do not like. We humans are more selective in who we share a connection with. We want to connect with very few people, and the people we want to connect with must almost be perfect from the standards we set for them. Or we fall for someone as they are, but this is a rarity.

Because we are not compelled to connect as much as horses, we don’t get enough practice in our lives in how to build connections with others. So, we may not know how to set up the circumstances for a horse to want to start a connection with us.

In Sharing Territory™, we can accidentally stop the connection from occurring in many ways. We could choose the wrong spot to wait, or the wrong time, or we could go with the wrong feeling and focus. You want to pick a spot that your horse would enjoy going … Read more

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After watching one of the horses on my ranch spend time with a Raven that was in his paddock, I noticed a connection developing between the two animals. The raven was preoccupied with looking for something in the stallion’s pen, and the stallion became curious about what the Raven was doing. Watching this in nature, as well as when I have Shared Territory™ with my own horses or watched my students Share Territory™ with their horses, I have found that this curiosity and “good vibrations” developing between the two species are an important part of developing a deep bond.

All animals are curious about anything that preoccupies another being. It will draw your horse to you so the horse is the one that starts the relationship. This is important when Sharing Territory™ with your horse. If fishermen enjoy waiting until they catch a fish, you can enjoy the time that you share in the company of your horse. You are just fishing for a connection with your horse instead! I remember as a child that I would sit with fisherman to experience what they were experiencing, and enjoyed the process and being with them.

There are some things that can … Read more

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Today I’d like to share a question from one of my Waterhole Rituals Insider Circle Students….

Dear Carolyn,

I have 3 horses and now I work with my 18 year old gelding, Vince. He has a special character: calm, dominant, very proud and sometimes stubborn.

At the first ritual from the beginning he is hanging around in the arena slowly, eating some hays and visits me a few times for a few seconds only. BUT: after 20-30 minutes I used to take a walk and he immediately joins up to me and follows my direction and tempo. It’s a fantastic feeling like there would be an invisible rope or glue between us. When I sit back he accompanies me and spend a long time close to me. There is no any rude behavior except during our walk, when he sometimes crosses my way – so I send him away softly and it’s enough.

I can’t take ‘saying hello’ and difficult to start ‘leading from behind’ because he is always with me – near my shoulder – when I’m not sitting.

My question: I know, how to stop him but I don’t really know is that a good action to our

… Read more

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