Advanced Liberty Dancing: Developing the Piaffe
Jul 15th, 2010 by Carolyn Resnick Method
This picture I posted on Facebook shows an advanced horse trained at liberty performing piaffe. The piaffe was achieved without tack, in a free, open environment. After the horse has a strong foundation with all seven of the Waterhole Rituals, I start with this kind of work. I will show you how to begin working with a horse to achieve this movement in connection.
At this level of training, the horse will work in the arena at high speed and maintain that speed once I send him off, without me having to maintain it. The horse understands that he wants to run and is not planning on slowing down, unless I ask him to. This is very high energy work.
This way, I can work in front of the horse directing him where to go. This is the first phase of working a horse that is completely trained at the lower levels of the Waterhole Rituals. It’s the advanced work of the last Waterhole Ritual, Liberty Dancing. I am sharing this with you at this time for the Insider Circle and Box Programs to show where the next phase of schooling begins. This is not part of your course, but a look at your future development of the Method, if you so choose.
This is a picture of me asking of this horse to halt in front of me after I asked him to run up to me at liberty. He is taking my direction with enthusiasm, he is ready to step into halt or spring forward from my next request to advance forward. He is ready and wanting to play the game where I might ask him to come to me quickly or halt or back up, very much like an animated cutting horse working a cow, but with a completely different energy and reason. We are in connection in a spontaneous dance. I am focused on making it fun while the horse learns to be prepared to go quickly or to halt with immediate notice, not losing the connection we have together. The connection for the horse and myself is exhilaratingly shared between us. This fast work causes the horse to begin to lower his haunches and raise the front and carry his neck in a collected form where he is perched, waiting to spring into halt or forward motion onto trot. Once the horse learns that you want his high energy from the practice of high energy at liberty, they may even begin to volunteer the first stages of piaffe.
You can see this on my video with Panadero (starting at 4:34), where he continues to dance while perched with anticipation, staying connected to me.
In some cases they will not volunteer it, but will easily step into trot in place by the word “trot” and signaling them to start and not come forward. Such was the case with the horse in these pictures.
I need to be very careful that I communicate a movement that can easily be carried out by the horse that would in no way cause tension or an inability to perform brilliantly. The transition to a new request needs to be like a dance and as smooth as butter.
This is the beginning of piaffe at liberty.
Your questions and comments will help me to choose the subject of my next blog. Have a spectacular weekend, and be alert to the possibility of another New Horse sighting.
May the spirit of the bond be with you.
Carolyn
PS. Oh, I must tell you about an exciting new workshop in the Netherlands at the end of the month featuring 2 of my top students, Julia and Stina. They have both become outstanding practitioners of my Method, so I highly recommend this workshop, especially to those of you in Europe who don’t have the opportunity to visit me.
Click on the images below to see larger versions of the flyers.
To book, call 00 31 653 897 810 or 00 44 1403 741951, email mo.ros@planet.nl or Julia@connectthruhorses.com or visit Julia’s website http://connectthruhorses.com.
PPS. For those of you in the UK, Julia is also doing a workshop in Berkshire in August. Details for this can also be found on her website.
No related posts.
Wow. I would love to have this with my own horses! How beautiful the piaffe at liberty with your method Carolyn! It is lovely not at all forced looking! I can’t wait to get certified by you. I have a broken ankle and am not working now but later on I want to do it! Thanks for the blog!
carolyn + Panadero + (great music!) = JOY
Beautiful picture of the Piaffe. I think it is the first time I really see what a beautiful energetic piaffe looks like.
Thank you for sharing and the opportunity to film you in the video of you and Panadero.
You will hear from us in Holland and Norway!
a small story related to Farahs, how the horses stay connected. This morning i was moving my 7 horses to the lower pasture, so i have 4 on neckropes with me and 3 loose. the 3 loose horses were very exited to go to the lower pasture and were bumming around in full speed, this energy triggered the 4 horses with me, to make small jumps up in the air at standstill with me, … but i would tell them that they would have to wait to release until we had arrived to the lower pasture.
after making clear a few times that i was not going with 7 “wild” horses on the road the 4 horses stayed connected and the other 3 ran ahead through the open gate at the pasture.
if this had been some time ago, i would not be able to feel the mental connection to the 4 horses with me, this morning i could just talk to them, and say i really mean it, this is not the time to bum around they needed to trust that i would take them to the place where they could. with carolyns method you can feel the connection in your mind and the horses mind, you can get totally connected to your horses, and we were not doing any reconnection rituals before going this time.
we are going filming this weekend to have fresh photos and films for the clinics and i hope to film more of this energy and amazing connection you can get through the waterhole rituals.
Hello!
Wonderful! I was so excited to see this post, pictures, and videos, giving me a taste of what I want to be doing with bridleless and liberty haute e’cole dressage.
I’ve been playing with Maia in reinback to trot to reinback transitions in the neckrope, and she’s starting to offer more collection and a much more through trot, so that is very exciting.
Blessings,
Hannah
I just wanted to share my experience with my mare that has improved greatly doing WHR through the winter. I just took her with me to experience the bigger show environment. It was a very special experience for me because although she had some intense spooky moments, we never lost the connection and I was so proud of that (this is no easy feat at a busy show competition as you probably know). I felt her trust me and stay connected to me in a way we couldn’t before. This was the first show we had been to since our Liberty practice. It was like our final exam. I didn’t care that she was spooky at times because I felt that she would allow me to comfort her and guide her in those times and calm down, relax and focus. It made me feel more accomplished then any ribbon I could have won!
Dear Carolyn,
This post answers a question I have had since the beginning of the course, namely, how far can I take this method?
The answer is — anywhere you can imagine.
I had the sense that it was possible to teach a horse at least some of the most advanced movements of dressage and of “Airs Above the Ground”, entirely at liberty.
Carolyn, this post has opened up whole new worlds of possibilities in my future work with my horses. This WRIC course is just the beginning. The only limitation is my own drive and imagination.
Bonnie
I just read my comment and saw how many mistakes I made – my mind is going too fast!
Mary Barrett Insider
Hi Carolyn – I am so far behind on reading your blog entries and all the great discussions I was participating in on the Waterhole site and all the videos now being sent in to you. So much to packing, deciding and organizing and things to get rid of from a 30 year marriage! And then there has been necessary family events. I have to done by Friday!
It is so frustrating and I feel very disconnected and lonely for you and everyone…
I have visited several Commander for grazing, ST, eye contact and
L from B but of course not every day. No C Walking yet, eye contact getting better, L from B good with some gas pedal action but drawing still difficult.
I know there is no time line. I can continue with C as long as I like. And I have gotten lots of feedback from other stable folks that he is much happier and doing much better since I have been working with him! Yeah!
Much love!- Mary
Carolyn
The video embodies the amazing partnership you have with horses and what I hope someday to achieve with my horses!!! Bravo! I got a Makita job site radio that you can plug an ipod into and get 3V rechargeable batteries for so I can get music to my horses and start dancing.
Sally
Dear Carolyn,
I live in New Zealand and have found your blog and some you tube clips about your waterhole rituals. 6 weeks ago I had a Kaimanawa (wild horses to New Zealand) filly arrive at my place and since I have never gentled a wild horse I was keen for any information out there in the www. And it turns out … I LOVE your method, it is so logical and easy to understand and within 2 1/2 weeks my filly was accepting any kind of touch, I could halter and lead her! Just amazing. I could not have done it in such a beautiful and gentle way had I not come across your waterhole rituals!
Now here’s the thing, I am really really keen to learn more about the waterhole rituals and was wondering whether by any chance you know someone who teaches your philosophy in Australia/New Zealand?? I would love to attend a clinic or somehow get more information! I googled your name and waterhole rituals on google for New Zealdand sites only and literally nothing decent came up!!
I hope you will be able to help me kind regards
Christine
(Insiders Circle)
Dear Carolyn,
I would like to share a recent New Horse sighting with you that happened on Wednesday…
I was out of town all day…. There was a Tornado today in our neighborhood…Our 22 year old cat passed away today…When I got home I walked out to look at Gunny. He came over to the gate and I rubbed his face a little bit…
Then I was standing there and he looked me right in the eyes very intently for quite a few seconds. It was a different way of looking that I haven’t seen a horse do before. It was like two close friends or two lovers looking deeply into each other’s eyes to see what the other person is thinking. I think it was a glimpse of the New Horse.
~Holly
(Insider circle)
This is exactly what I want to do with Xcel! It would definitely help strengthen him physically which is what he needs now. It looks like it would be fun for him too!
Jan
Insider Circle student
Hi Carolyn,
This blog is very inspiring! And it looks like a lot of fun for both of you. I’d love to get to that level of connection and training with Raffin.
Last winter, I’d run around his paddock and call him, playfully. Sometimes he’d run up to me and then run with me in collection. There was a wonderful feeling of exhilaration from him to me, when this happened. He may be a small Icelandic, but he looked big, beautiful and proud in natural collection!
Dyann
Carolyn, can you share what music that was in the video. Great energy!
Thank you
Regina
that is the gotan project
Fantastic! I actually had a first experience of the beginning of piaffe (although I didn’t realize I could progress into that) at liberty in a large open area. My 4yr old Micah and I were very connected one day and he companion walked with me. I decided to send him away at a trot (Ritual 7) which he did with great energy bucking and playing, then at the right moment I asked him to come back and he also did with great speed. I asked him to halt in front of me by stepping toward him and he stopped with a rear and we continued with more companion walking. It was so exciting and I’ve been afraid to try it again becasue I can’t imagine getting a better response and connection. I will though.
Love & Blessings to you Carolyn. I want to continue your program for a lifetime.
Regina, Moon and Micah
Carolyn,
insiders circle
i want to do that w/my horses!!! looks very exhilirating indeed!!! can you get passage, too?
i am getting more go from my horses, but not as much as i really want..yet!
What a beautiful picture of a very proud horse! How exciting to know that this can all be achieved at liberty
!
In-a-box student
Dear Carolyn,
Thank you for today’s post – i saw the beautiful picture of the dancing bay on your facebook page and wanted to learn more.
I have been reporting on my ‘new horse’ Sun in the student questions section, describing how she has melted and become incredibly affectionate after being quite defensive for the two years I have owned her. Yesterday things took a whole new turn and I experienced the start of both the bond and the performance and think I am starting to understand how interwoven they are.
After dinner (where I had the two mares eat one after another) Sun started looking at me sideways and asking for something, when I saw she had the playful, twitching top lip expression I moved the reed and made a sound and she cantered off in big, beautiful collection and then circled me so i did it again. I have not been attempting the 7th ritual yet as I am working with the others, particularly leading from behind with direction and companion walking. We played like this for a little while with me companion running when I had the breath for it. The next day Sun initiated companion trot at liberty into the barn each time I entered the field and I was able to rub her whilst she lay down, (a first!).
I have a new relatiomship with my horse and I am so happy!
Thank you for everything,
Joanna
Hello,
Wow fantastic! I am new, but your method has crossed my path and I am pretty sure I am going to follow this path to find what I am looking for for so long; A better and deeper connection with my horses…. Thank you for opening this door and show me the way.
With kind regards, Sabina
Are you Dutch Sabina? Maybe you like to read about my Waterhole Rituals experiences on my Dutch weblog? Just click my name
.