Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship: Liberty Horse Training

Today was Day One of the Beyond the Waterhole Rituals Clinic.

For the next 8 days we will be developing more horsemanship skills to bring out the dance we would like to share with our horses.  I developed my school of learning because I saw that there was a learning opportunity not being offered to the equine world. Some things were not being taught like timing, leadership responsibility, understanding the nature of horses, noticing the individual personalities and working with the situation that exists in the present moment without forcing an unwilling horse to accept leadership.

Finding Empowerment Through Your Body Language

A person needs to develop a sure footedness in their direction and connection with horses. The way I go about this is by beginning with exercises working on assertiveness and sensitivity. Then we practice being supportive and finally move on to developing directive skills. From these exercises the student learns how to be flexible and gain more willingness from their horse. Through the practice of the Waterhole Rituals, the student develops a consistent ability to stay focused on the horse by keeping the connection alive and the horse motivated to keep… Read more

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It is amazing to me how approaching a daily connection with my horses can make such a difference.

The daily connection can make the behavior of the horse be either balanced for a good ride or a ride that would be full of resistance. To get on the good side of a horse, I put my attention on letting go of my agenda and watch for when the horse and I feel a mutual connection. If you can not tell if there is a mutual connection, chances are you need to wait longer with your horse before you put on the halter. This point is so important to learn how to connect with a horse, it is worth taking some practice time to work on it. I would suggest to you that if it took days of doing nothing with a horse but waiting for a feeling of connection it would change your whole experience with horses to magical proportions.

Leadership and Timing the “Ask”

I never ask a horse to follow my lead unless I know I have a connection with him. When I ask, I do not tell, meaning that I am very prepared… Read more

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I went to Return to Freedom and just got back. I have my Insider Circle and extended Circle classes right now so I did not have much time to spend there. I left Tuesday for Return to Freedom and returned last night on Wednesday at 3 in the morning. I am just a little woosey.
I took my mother, Apollo, and Kai who is a working student. I was going up for several reasons. One being to give Kai a lesson with wild horses. I also needed to  see a couple of horses for my programs and see Neda De Mayo of Return to Freedom about  the upcoming Webzine in regards to her contributions on the current issues regarding wild horses and contributing a journal page in my webzine on wild horse observations that are also current. Donations from you, my readers to Return to Freedom non-profit wild horse sanctuary are very welcome and allows me to go up there more often and work with her wild horses.

It took  four and a half hours to get there which was the expected time. We left at high noon. When… Read more

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We had a great week at the ranch because spring was in the air and the horses were feeling good and wanting to return to their more active life dancing with us in the arena. Sharolyn Wandzura came down from Canada to work with us on the new website and webzine. We both though it would be better to work in person and get to know each other since we are designing the webzine together, and we want it to take on a life of its own.

Bringing a Dream to Life: Good News for Horses Webzine

Having a magazine is something I have always wanted to do. Before I moved to Escondido, I did not have time for such an endeavor because I had a breeding ranch as well as running an education center for horses, along with traveling around the U.S. doing clinics on my method. Now that I have retired from that business, I have the time! Since we are now in the computer age, we no longer need paper and postage- so it makes it feasible to create a virtual magazine.

You might want to check Sharolyn’s website out. Her site is www.earsforward.com. If… Read more

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Liberty is being able to experience the freedom and joy that comes from connecting with the true nature and spirit of a horse. Giving freedom to a horse from your leadership is true liberty dancing..

When dancing with horses at liberty, you return “home” to what is natural. You are alive in the moment. Communication becomes natural when every fiber you have, is present to sharing the connection with your horse. The horse’s desire to dance and follow our lead returns us to our true self and true nature. It is as natural for us to lead as it is for a horse to follow. In these moments the purpose of training is fulfilled, training has no practical purpose but to share this freedom in a deep connection.

Body Language
As I watch people with their horses, few offer body language that has the power to awaken the horse to dance in unity and harmony with them. Few people offer aliveness and their authentic self to their horses. But the horse wants this from us. He is looking for a leader that is fun and inspiring to be with and can bring out his desire to dance.Read more

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To understand the Waterhole Rituals and how the pecking order of horses function in a way that brings about the well-being of the herd, even to support the weakest individual, we need to look at the conditions that exist in nature that create herd behavior.

For horses to survive in nature, they need to stay in a herd. What prevents horses from beating up on each other is the need to stay together for their safety, as well as the open spaces that they live in, which give them freedom to choose who stays in the herd, and who goes. If a horse is too self-serving and aggressive, the herd has the ability to banish them. Likewise, a horse can only join a herd when they show they can fit in harmoniously.

I have never cared for referring to the pecking order of horses. I prefer to call it picking order. One of the main reasons family bands get established is a stallion’s need to win the favor of a mare so that she will go off and form a new band with him. In the beginning of a relationship, as these bands are being formed, the stallion must put… Read more

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Years ago, when I was a kid at a horse show, I took a stand that was way before its time, and way ahead of anyone’s comprehension of what I wanted to show the world.

I was riding my Western Pleasure mare Rizeta, her nick name was Lover, and I had hung her bridle on the saddle and rode in the warm up without it. I put the bridle back on before the class and when I finished, I dismounted in the ring unbridling her, and told her to go back to the stall. She did and I followed her, along with a few people who were interested in what we were doing.

I was before my time then, but if more people did this today the tide would change and more people would be encouraged to join in. The point is that horses don’t need to be forced, they are capable of deeper bonds and abilities in partnering with us, and bits are not essential. Bits get a bad name because they are used improperly. I still use bits along with bridle-less riding and find them not at all abusive when one knows how to use them… Read more

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