How to Break a Method Down to Work Better for You

Here are two videos of the“Loopty~Loo”show Alessandra Deerinck one of my Certified Trainers working with her horse Rosalie without a halter. However it is best to do this with a halter when learning. When Alessandra asked Rosalie to go forward in front of her with a halter, all she needed to do was to pull on the halter to guide her horse forward. Since she does not have a halter on Rosalie in these videos, the horse must go forward from her voice only. In order to create a smoother “Loopty~Loo” the support of a halter is needed to better guide her.

Elizabeth is doing the “Loopty~Loo” in the third video with a halter the photos show every step. Each step needs requires that your horse can pause and hold each position.

Be prepared that a horse may seem to not get it on one day, and the very next day do it perfectly. Try not to judge negatively. If your horse does not get something, you have three choices: change the subject, lighten up, or get stronger, and you can do all of them in the same work … Read more

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Second Annual Free Course, Winter 2011

Welcome to week 3!

Before we get started:
There are 19 Uberstreichen Exercises altogether. Eight of them are done on both sides of the horse on a 15 or 20-meter circle, and three are done standing still. One is done straight on, and two are asking the horse to bend his neck to the left side and then the right side. Both straight and lateral bends begin by standing still while you are facing your horse, and then they advance to walking and trotting in hand on the circle. The beginning exercises are the easiest to apply. They build in difficulty very naturally so when you get to the more difficult ones, they are even easier than the first ones because of how the relationship is building between you and your horse. In a slow and methodical pace, you will create a connection from the ground that will create a centaur ride, and aids that are light from a method that is based in well-being and relaxation.

Utilizing all 19 Uberstreichen Exercises, you will see significant results in two to four months in producing self-carriage without a contact rein-but take as long as you … Read more

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Last week I had the opportunity to be back stage with the horses of Cavalia. We were able to see the horses unload from the trailers that came from the last location of the show in San Francisco, California. I have to say I have never seen so many horses that looked so calm and relaxed about getting off the trailer and in such good condition and happy! Also impressive was the team of handlers and riders that helped to create a relaxed and extremely well organized environment.

Once the horses were out of the truck, we were given a private tour of the stable area of all of the horse stars of the show. It was amazing to see incredible tents and the immaculate stalls. The horses were groomed impeccably and the atmosphere was wonderful!

I was also able to meet the founder and artistic director of Cavalia- Normand Latourelle, which was quite an honor. His vision and the production of the show is incredible, and my hat is off to him!

We then were invited to watch Sylvia Zerbini working with her 9 Arabian horses at liberty. The fluidity of their movement watching them trot around the tent … Read more

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Second Annual Free Course, Winter 2011
Welcome to week 2! It looks like we have a very full classroom!
I’d like to continue writing on the subject of theory and the Uberstreichen Exercises a little bit more before I give you the first exercise. I would like to add and revisit some finer points as well.

Some Additional Benefits of the Uberstreichen Exercises:

1. I developed the Uberstreichen Exercises to help me in my training center in order to develop a horse that would work well for others in collection, presentation, and the attitude of the horse.

2. I also developed the Uberstreichen Exercises so that when the horse went home, the training and connection would stick for the owner.

3. When a horse got excited and fearful at the shows I could return his focus easily to feeling secure and relaxed.

Some Surprise Benefits are:

4. I could return an out of control stallion in a new environment around mares and other stallions to relax and return his focus back to me. In those days I had 5 stallions at the time I was developing the Uberstreichen Exercises, and accidentally found out how brilliantly they helped me in my … Read more

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Today’s post is in response to a letter I received recently from someone:

Dear Carolyn,

I am also incredibly excited about the reformation. It has been a question of mine for a long while, as to how can one influence herd behavior.

Actually, Joost helped me come up with the plan. He too is using the Waterhole Rituals to influence with all of the horses he works with.

He has a 2 year old filly in training who bites everything she can reach.

Last week while grooming her he stuffed a cookie in her mouth when she reached for his elbow.

Well! That totally interrupted the deal and then he asked her for several steps back.

She was very different all morning.

Thinking things through in this way is becoming 2nd nature, and we are doing everything possible to coax that along.

I do have something to report back to you about our mustang, Geronimo.

We have been doing the intimacy exercises with him for about 4 weeks. He can now eat out of a bucket, keeping his head inside the whole time, which is a huge improvement.

His normal behavior is to grab a mouthful and then move away

… Read more

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Second Annual Free Course, Winter 2011
Introduction to the Course
Today is the first day of my free Uberstreichen Exercises course for the winter! For those of you who are new to this class, I want to send out a warm welcome! For those of you who took my class last winter, welcome back! The schedule for the course and the blog will be the following: Tuesday’s blog will be the Uberstreichen course, and Thursday’s posting will be a regular blog. Now, let’s get started!

A Quick Note: I want to gently remind everyone that since these exercises are my own creation and intellectual property, I own the rights to them exclusively. This class is for you to learn and benefit personally from these exercises on my site only, no permission is given to copy or reproduce this material for any reason.

A Brief History and Purpose of the Uberstreichen Exercises
“Uberstreichen” or more correctly, “überstreichen,” and how I am using it, comes from a term in dressage that means to release the rein or reins to check if a horse is truly in self-carriage. This is how I know of it. My exercises were named by a dressage rider, … Read more

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My new exercise is called the “Loopty~Loo.” The purpose of this exercise is to bring willingness and a better response to rein aids and leg aids for half halt, collection, lateral aids, and throughness while riding. It will also create trust and a deeper working bond. This exercise is done from the ground. Practice this until it is smooth for a month before you expect to see any results from the saddle. I am very excited in sharing this with you because I know how much it will improve your horse’s response to the riding aids. It will build your connection, your horsemanship skills under saddle, and the horse’s ability to be elastic. An elastic horse is a happy horse!

When you start out, do not practice for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time, which includes the pauses you take. Begin by having a halter on your horse with no lead rope. You will use the halter to guide your horse around you. You can do this exercise without the halter if you wish. Start the exercise standing next to your horse at his shoulder when your horse is comfortable and would stand with you like this … Read more

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