Demystifying the Waterhole Rituals
Mar 4th, 2010 by Carolyn Resnick Method
From this point, forward I am focusing on helping people to understand my Method of training through the Waterhole Rituals at liberty.
I have trained at liberty for over 40 years and in the mid 70’s I coined the phrase ‘Liberty Training’. In those days I had to explain what Liberty Training a horse was. Now 40 years later, people frequently use this phrase and in some cases not as it was intended or defined by me. For those of you who do not know yet what Liberty Training is, my definition is that Liberty Training is a method of training a horse in a free environment without tack from the ground in a wide open space large enough for a horse to avoid his training if he wants to.
This is the secret of how to bring about a horse’s interest in wanting to bond and seek out your company. In ‘Liberty Training’, you want the horse to feel free so he can begin to act and react from his instincts and to show the handler his true feelings and so that the handler can respond more proficiently and fairly. The Method causes a horse to exercise his instincts and at the same time, developing and increasing a horse’s spirit and ego. Once the horse exercises his instincts, it brings about his herding instinct preferences to follow a leader rather than to be a leader. With the right approach and when a horse feels free without tack or pressure, he will put forth his best effort into a partnership and develop an optimistic attitude with excellent team working skills that are instinctual to horses. Liberty training opens the door to interactive relationships. Most importantly, it will create a spiritual connection that brings about a true cross species bond like the boy and his Stallion in the movie the “Black Stallion”.
I will continue to help everyone with the UE when I receive a YouTube of your work. The reason I am not continuing with them at this time is the class needs to catch up and be able to perform all of them properly before I move into the next set. This way you truly earn your free lessons. But more than that, the secret to teaching anything is the timing of the information given to the student, so we need to pause so you can work and process this information, gain proficiency and be capable of understanding the advanced set. I am pleased to work with those of you that progress on the UE for the next two years because I know how valuable these exercises are. I will continue giving the class to the people who can do the first set of exercises well and who are receiving great benefits from them when they ride.
I am still looking for a working student to work with me on my many projects from my ranch. I need someone who is a great rider in dressage or bridleless riding or someone who can organize and create programs with my Method. I have a real good horse at this time that you will love to work with. He has two National Championships under his belt, he is an optimistic horse, and he sees work as play and loves people.
I will further explain the Waterhole Rituals but in a fun way. I wrote a book for adults using a children’s book approach. This is the first book in a series. I remember when I was growing up I loved books that were written as a series. There was something magical about them especially when they were fiction. This story is fiction, based on a horse that inspires me to write what I am about to share with you today. His name is Marchador. He likes his name because he told me that it caused people to respect him because of the sound of the name. M-a-r-c-h-a-d-o-r. It generally has no real meaning to English speaking people but does denote respect and causes a person to feel they might know the meaning of the name and would like to know more about him before getting too involved. His name gives him something in common with the people who come into his life because he doesn’t know what the name means either but the sound is softly haunting and has a strange effect on people by getting rid of any agenda they might have for him to fulfill.
Here are the first few pages from my story…
In his own words and thoughts Marchador tells a story about his unique purpose in life.
Marchador, Human educator
The first thing people ask when they see me is what kind of horse is that? Then someone says he is a Mangalarga Marchador horse. I have no idea what that that means. Then there’s a lot of discussion of what that means and each time I listen, it means nothing to me.
When I was born, I was a free spirit, I grew into a king of kings, a warrior and leader of leaders, a spiritual adviser, a judge and seeker, a diplomat, a caretaker and friend.
Then I became a traveler.
I arrived in the U.S.A. eager to educate humans in the way of horses.
I wasn’t very good at it in the beginning but at least I got my points across. We had a small language barrier.
I found the best way to address my students after winning a few battles was with kindness and body language.
I started teaching leadership workshops at “Dances With Horses.”
My students began learning once they gave up the idea that I was a Mangalara Marchado horse and now I am in my hay day having the full attention of my classes.
I am teaching how to speak to the spirit of all horses.
The lessons begin with the student addressing me personally.
They ask me what kind of a horse are you?
I answer I am your guide and I am the horse that I am right now and please speak to me not from my title but who I am right now. I must warn you horses are ever-changing and prefer to follow a leader that allows freedom of expression and can keep the order without control. I will be every horse you might run across giving you plenty of practice to handle these different kind of individuals and temperaments.
I choose this lesson because all horses have the potential to express all these character traits and moods. You have to be on the “ready” for them.
Then I ask my student what kind of a person are you right now? Right now, is all that is real and all that we have. The feelings we share right now are the real connection. Not what you expected or who we were yesterday but who we are right now right here.
I open the door for you to a kind of connection that all horses understand.
I lead and the dance begins.
So the first Ritual is “Sharing Territory” and starts a true bond in the most natural way the way horses do. This way the horse can come to you to start the bond and when you interact with him, you will have his full attention and his full focus. The first part of developing a bond, is to allow the horse to start it and to come into your space. The next phase occurs around sharing territory and grazing games.
The focus of the training is on social behavior and cannot start until the horse becomes so comfortable with you that he becomes rude. (In my next blog I will write on how a horse is rude socially) This is how the herd starts socializing the foals. If you do not have my DVD Introduction to the Waterhole Rituals, at this point I would advise you to order it so you can understand better the material I will be sharing with you.
In the first Ritual I advise people to read a book. I have found that it creates curiosity and begins the relationship and allows time to pass helping progress the relationship, and my book Naked Liberty would be a great choice.
Speaking of books, what did you think of the book I suggested “Songs of Horses” by Paul Belasik?
Hope you liked the story and I look forward to speaking with you again next week.
Carolyn
No related posts.
Fantastic site, where did you come up with the info in this posting? Im pleased I found it though, ill be checking back soon to see what other articles you have.
Today I started the first UE with Misty. She and I have developed a wonderful rapport and do a great deal of our play at liberty and she really loves it (what horse doesn’t?!). I started with having her stand and me walk around her….and boy was I surprised to find how hard it was to get her to stand still. Carolyn, you certainly have thought your steps through……with everything we’ve been doing at liberty, I haven’t been asking her to just stand while I move around her and she wanted to follow me at the slightest suggestion of my own movement. I put her back several times before she decided to look for another possibility and she just stood still……viola!!!! I made a big deal about it, gave her treats and we progressed quickly after that first small try on her part. It never ceases to astound me how much horses really do want to try for us when we are willing to listen and be polite.
I also tried the WHR where you move a horse off feed when they don’t look at you for the first time on my 17 month old filly. I hadn’t done it before because I thought she might be too young…..but after reading these posts, I decided she was getting rude enough and bold enough to handle it! The change in her was almost immediate…….much more relaxed and less pushy in my space for the rest of the day. Wow, that’s just amazing…..I think she actually enjoyed the game once she understood that I was being fair. She caught on VERY quickly.
Another wonderful day with my horses……..and I’m looking forward with the next UE tomorrow.
Carolyn – I think I will be able to work with a very nice standard bred named Commander. He has come to know me through Reiki visits. The paddock I can use is quite large. Is this a problem? (It will be great for Go and Trot!)
I can’t wait to get the message from Mark about when the class begins!
!!!!!!!!!
Carolyn, you were exactly right – it was an easy fix. I put him under saddle and went around our apx one acre lot and he was as light as a feather. In fact he usually is responding to vocal commands first, which I back up with weight cues and reins if necessary. But after ten minutes working around the lot, I went back out to the edge of town and back… then our neighbor came out with her mare so we had another short ride, and he is wonderfully responsive.
See every day is like a parade – barking dogs (a chihuahua chased him), children, bicycles, other people riding horseback, cows grazing, lots of pedestrians and a few vehicles, delivery trucks, so actually Capricho is doing astoundingly well for an unseasoned horse to accept my lead and pass around and amid these obstacles, passing through this labyrinth of ancient buildings on narrow streets together with modern annoyances. He did however come to a dead stop in front of some game-machine with a mirror – he tried to make friends with his own reflection.
There is that one area where he gets scared, which I did not pass by. I don’t know but I suspect it is a household or two which are involved in drugs. I keep thinking, drugs would make humans’ adrenaline increase tenfold – have you noticed that horses sense human behavior from outside their walls even? I would imagine horses would be every bit as sensitive to human adrenal activity as dogs are, especially in the case of a horse who has been battered.
Class I see a few of you are having some problems. You can try being stronger or less strong. When a horse will not look at you you are not driving him off his food when he refuses to look. That is the easiest ritual to practise for both you and your horse and a enjoyable ritual to a hrose. it builds his ego at the same time you are teaching him to follow your focus. When your horse chooses to graze you were not directing your horse enough so your horse could have ideas. If you feel your horse is going to graze ask for trot. If he starts grazing it is too late but you could lead him for behind off the grazing spot and the and then as for trot. He can not graze and trot at the same time.
I have an exercise on my DVDs on the practise of when to eat and when not to eat. If you have practised this your horse would listen to you.
You need to practise the rituals every day like yoga.
The kind of guidance you are asking for from yestarday I do not address on my blog but I did anyway. These questions are private coaching call questions or are inner circle class room questions because I need to know more for my advise to really empowere you.
What I have suggested would be handled better from a private coaching call or from the course.
I wish I could handle all your questions but in many cases it would take a communication by phone, a private clinic for my ranch or the extended program of the insider circle course or possible the in the box program.
The blog is to help people that can use the material and train their horse with the suport of the blog from the articles I write that need guidance but not solutions to problems. I do continue to suport my students questions on the blog with problems that are taking private coaching or who have taken the course or have takien the private clinic with me.
your corsepondanc I belive is very informative to my readers.
When things turn into problems long range guessing does not work.
Hope this is of help
Remember I am not about solving problems. I am only here for you to learn about my method and get a basic understanding in how it works. Then when you do,If you like it you can then take the next step and more into a program or maybe the material is all you need. For alot of people it is all they need with these people I can guide them forward but I do not address problems. Problems can not be solved for ust a question. My method will work with people who can read a horse well and have a natural ability to communicte with the horse and a horse that is a naturally good prospective partner.
Hello to all, and apologies for not getting all my thoughts into just one post: The thing with Capricho is that he has never been a herd animal except for sharing a pen with the one filly, and that he is barely 14 hands tall and likely to be the bottom guy. I don’t know what to expect, if this will abrade his pride and change him in some unfortunate way. He is so proud, so full of brio. But lately he is also full of mischief, perhaps because of negative excitement about that stallion next to him – who replaced a gelding buddy. The woman at whom he laid back his ears (and this is new behavior for him) is the one who made the change and I wonder if he isn’t angry at her for having taken away his buddy.
At any rate he’s getting testy, although yesterday there were two workmen and one’s son by the pen when he was difficult. I have been reading the blog collection book (excellent, if you don’t have it, get it!!!!) and one thing that stood out was how territorial horses are, and their need to sometimes return to a familiar area to remember their training. This is a new pen where we have not worked much – what I’ve done is when the other horses are gone on a ride I let him out and we play on about an acre of open land. Because there are some potential tripping hazards in his pen (for me, not so much him) I have not really developed much history of our liberty play there.
So if anyone has any insight as to whether I would regret making this little rooster of a guy into a herd animal, I would love to hear back. I want to be a good leader to him and one fear I have is leading him into yet another miserable situation. I think five horses on three hectares should allow for better results but I am not sure. I am quite in the dark on this point.
Hello Carolyn,
) but would not move towards me. In the end I went up to her, she did not move, so I made her move back two steps, without fisical contact only with energy, in order to establish my leadership (did I???) and move her off the electric band. And then I haltered her and we walked out. Probably her impatience was also caused by this. In other moments, especially when her first needs (pasture and company with others) are fulfilled and she is relaxed we bond, do the UEs, play, groom at liberty, I give her some relaxing massage etc. I have ridden her only once this winter, because the very muddy ground here does not permit it (maybe only with a horse that is 100 % focussed on me), after doing the first UEs. The first 20 min ok, with head down, relaxed, when I started to ask her the halts (I was riding without bit), she didn’t want and instead tryed to gallopp (all the opposite). So I let her go up to the fence, where she had to stop, got off the saddle and walked her for a little while with walk/halts and then finished. She was a racehorse in the past and I see she did not learn to halt listening to light aids, but I imagine only to strong ones.
thank you for the opportunity to do an online course on the WHRs. I ‘d love to be part of it. I really need to understand more. Sometimes the connection feels so good with Clarence. She responds well to eyecontact and usually always comes towards me when I go and say hello or come with the halter. Sometimes she walks with me in companion walking in liberty for a little while then prefers the grass to eat. On other occasions she does not always recognize my leadership, when I walk her to the pasture or back to the paddock when it’s time to get home. She impatiently wants to rush forward, not respecting my speed. Having her on a line I then stop her and make her back up a couple of steps. She doesn’t like that and puts her ears back. Yesterday when I brought her from the paddock to the pasture and wanted to take the halter off she jumped back impatiently to get rid of it tearing the rope out of my hand and running off kicking with her back legs in my direction. I just stopped and waited for her to stop, then I went up to her and wanted to take off the halter. She again wanted to throw her head up to get rid of it, I said “no”, went with her head and thought of the first UE and she finally put her head down, I took the halter off, time for the caress and off she ran. I walked into the opposite direction. Maybe her impatience was caused through my former behaviour in the paddock when she was ready to go waiting on the gate while I tried to move her through eyecontact and inviting gestures to first come towards me to put the halter on. Usually she does but this time not. So I waited a long while, maybe too long, she looked out of the gate then to me several times (“speed up, what are you waiting for, let me go out”
She is nearly ten years old and I got her 1 1/2 year ago and I think I have still a long way to establish my leadership with her. She’s quite a strong character, my english lady!
I will try to do a youtube on us. Telephone coaching would be hard for me because I do not know if I was able to understand everything in such a precious moment.
I’m really grateful for any suggestion you could give me.
A lots of greetings from snowed in (!) Italy, waiting for the spring to come and welcome it with dancing with my horse using the WHRs.
Wonderful your story of MARCHADOR! I hope it’ll continue.
Andrea
Dear Kirsteen (#58),
Thank you so much for your post – what an inspiration! I think I might try that one day soon, I would love nothing more than spend 24hours together.
Dear Carolyn,
I tried out leading from behind the other day and hope I am on the right track. I have been using a lot of “walk on” voice command recently as i have started to prepare for long reigning when we go on our walks by hanging right back. At liberty I adopted the leading from behind stance and used “walk on” and when she walked on a few steps (after giving me a quizical sideways glance) i walked up to her head and praised her. Is this correct?
Many thanks,
Joanna
So many beautiful insights and stories shared here, thank you! I learn so much every time I sit down and read these posts. I’m beginning to get inspired to become involved in a group again (after becoming a bit gun shy with total immersion in another NH technique that didn’t seem to help my horse mates at all and I was left wondering why I gave my power away).
Here, here to you Kerrie for seeing through the imprinting techniques……the same happened to me (although I couldn’t burn the book as it was on loan to me!), when Tica was going to come into my life 17 months ago. I was horrified at what they did to the newborn foals in the name of good horse training.
Kirsteen, thank you for sharing such wonderful stories….so beautiful, it touched me deeply. We spend many hours sitting with the horses and playing out in the paddocks with them and they love our bonfires, but I’ve never thought about camping with them…….that might change! What a gift you have for the written word. Thanks again for taking the time to share.
I am doing so much liberty play with my horses but it’s not necessarily WHR, but still things I was inspired to try while reading Naked Liberty and worked like magic. The rapport that I’ve built with Misty, Wunjo and Tica and the two donkeys (Nimbus & Sky….without even trying, they just watch me with the horses) has been fabulous, although I wonder if I’m using too many treats. What are the “rules” for youtube videos? Are you just looking for liberty play or specifically WHR play? My liberty play does come from using the WHRs but I don’t necessarily do them in my liberty play now, does that make sense (and more importantly, is that ok)?
Tomorrow I will start the UEs with Misty.
Carolyn, hi
Can I send you a video of earlier liberty work? I have no recent ones – our friend was supposed to show up tonight to take one but had car trouble, so maybe I’ll be able to supply that.
However as I wrote in message #71, he has been acting quite strange this past week – the stabling situation has steadily been in flux, horses coming and going, and now a stallion next to him, and I think he’s getting disturbed and acting out – he laid his ears back twice this morning at the other woman (very sweet to him, offers him treats) and tonight before we got our issues straightened out with WHR (please refer to #71) he actually kicked out in front of me, kept wanting to play rougher than anything I’ve seen of him yet. The exercise did restore him like a miracle.
I believe I’ll keep working him on the ground until I see his acceptance of my leadership for a stretch of time. In fact I’m thinking of your story about Serpico and how you turned horses loose with him. On a milder note I can put him in with the herd (2 geldings, 2 mares and a filly) in a 3 hectare pasture for awhile. I wonder if he doesn’t need a herd tune-up? I realize his behavior could radically change, and I wonder if I would regret this for some reason? If you or anyone else can counsel me I’d be grateful. He could just go play with the herd for a week and then we could resume.
More than horses are learning new ways through your blog. Every night we make a fire outside to enjoy our good weather and have dinner. Last night I finally looked at a book a friend gave me about imprinting foals. The photos depicted a poor, terrified newborn struggling against a man trussing it up in ropes in page after page portraying this horrid process. As a human being who unfortunately has seen violence in other humans at too tender of an age, I could not help identifying with that foal, eyes rolled back, so new to life… and I did something I’ve never done before. I put that book on the coals of the fire. No one needs to do that to a horse. And such are the effects of the WHR on me…
I just want to reiterate to the new people the fun and interesting journey you will depart on with the WHRs. I am currently focusing on my young mare who is a challenging character and even though I have been doing the UE’s I still focus primarily on the WHRs because I know they hold the key for the two of us. I find that each small change in our bond is a joy of deeper understanding of each other and harmony.
Your comments are truly gold mines. The nugget I enthuse about now is the idea of helping a horse who dislikes being trailered by going on short trips to quiet grassy spots where you simply share lunch and then go home. How simple! How brilliant! A real BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious)! Why didn’t I think of it? I know it will be effective and cannot wait to try it. Fortunately, I know where a bit of early clover already is peeking out.
Just to clarify in 72 – I do the grooming, tacking up and learning, my instructor rides my horse, and I am in the arena with him absorbing everything. I spend time with my horse before, during and after these rides.
I was riding my nearly 7 year old paint horse in lessons weekly and practicing my lessons 3-4 times per week. Since my herniated disc I can’t ride for at least 2 months. My horse is being ridden once a week by the instructor I was learning from. I am there while he is riding, grooming, tacking up and absorbing learning, always learning, whenever I am at the barn. He is recommending that I do some lunge work with him, not too many circles, but also perhaps tarps and cavelleti, etc…
I have been spending time with him, sitting with him, journaling, reading or practicing quieting my mind and being aware while he grazes, or wandering with him on a lead rope, or playing in the arena with a large ball, some music, or just ‘being’ together learning each other. I seem to learn some little thing everyday, whether it is something I notice in among the other horses or in my horse’s behavior. I am enjoying the process very much, but am also concerned that I should be doing something to give him good exercise and keep him fit while he waits for my healing. Is it enough that he just plays with his buddies in small mud pasture and then has time with me?
Is it appropriate to do lunge work with my horse, while learning the rituals with him? Or is it better to work towards the full scope of WHR and have this fold into groundwork? and riding when the time is right? or do I test the waters and see how it goes with my particular horse?
I feel like a sponge absorbing this blog and your books and dvds…so much to learn and always more layers to add and enrich.
Carolyn and Kathy, hi
Carolyn, this sounds just exactly right with Capricho – to just work with him in the lot. Thanks for your patience with me, for I am the one being retrained. Sometimes I can really get into his thoughts, but once in awhile I guess I take our easy rapport for granted. Below I’m describing what I observe and do… I am so grateful for this forum and the chance to learn as we are.
And Kathy, thanks for trading notes with me on our horses.
The problem of course always is me, because I am learning to think liberty instead of the ways I learned growing up. Actually I won prizes on horses I trained, have always had a good seat and so on, but liberty training is another venue from what I learned. I try to learn from the horse. I just thought I’d be “sensitive” and let him go traipsing through other people’s driveways, empty lots and so on to encourage confidence towards the world but now I see it was a stupid idea – I taught him to take control.
So we’re back to taking territory and the game (I forget its name) where he has to come to me to be led to the food. I saw an immediate improvement. He did something tonight after playing that game which he hasn’t done in awhile, which is to leave his food and come to me (the food I gave him after our game, his usual dinner).
Then there’s the fact that a stallion was put in his adjacent pen and he’s just mad. He wants to control his environment, and who can blame the little gelding? He doesn’t realize he’s a gelding. This may or may not mean anything but when I’m sharing territory reading, he comes nearby and unsheathes himself. He is acting studdish too (and there’s no guarantee he’s not actually a “rig” – the seller believed he had not been gelded). He twice laid his ears back at the other woman whose horses are in our lot this morning when she tried to give him a little alfalfa, she just told me by phone. He is very angry about the stallion penned close by to him.
So I have a lot of issues simultaneously, and have decided just not to ride him for a few days until I’m quite satisfied with the ground work. And the WHR do indeed produce miracles – I definitely saw a change in attitude already today.
Dear Kristeen,
Your horse should become more and more connted as he grows with you if you keep doing and sharing with him and the time you give him stay the same or increases.
YOu job is to watch out for he expermentations and then to make the right diesision in how to respond to him.
I have gazed may horses from birth and death of old and and in ever case the older the horse got the more drematic the dance the performance and the abilty to learn. A good place to read about horses in also in dog books regarding social development.
Lets say I go out to train a clinets horse and I am getting it prepared of a show and when I lead him out of the gate he rushes past me. I would stop my going forward and hang out at the gate and allow the training time be all about the gate, read some book do some grooming- go in a out the gaite in imaginary ways until the I could take that act on the rode.
The conntion and pefromance I build of that one pit of training brings me a better performance in dressage that any dressage training I had planned. The same goes of tacking up my horse. I make an act of it. the same goes of the horse trailor and the same goes of new locations. I take a horse every were and when he frist travels he gets to go for short tripes in green fields that he gets to graze in for 20 minuets to and hour. I may take my lunch with me and his too and we sock up the sun. Every new adventure is a joy filled experiance. If it is not I keep it short and give it some time off.
Hope this is of some help
Hi Carolyn,
I hope this isn’t too off topic, but I plan to to the WHR with Micah my 4 yr old. He is deeply bonded to Moon, my older gelding. I have only 2 horses. My newly built arena that I will use is located about 10 minute walk away from the barn and Moon. The last week or so I have been taking Micah on short walks a bit at a time away from Moon and out of eyesight working on walk/whoa/back up a few steps all on a loose line with carrot slices as rewards. I try to keep his mind occupied and on me. However he gets to a point in distance and he says no more and will rear and jump and unfortunately yesterday got a hoof over the rope and I had to release the rope and he tore back to barn. I quietly gathered him up again and we did a shorter walk around the house which went fine. I then did some liberty play in the round pen. Can you give me any suggestions to getting him to accept leaving Moon? I felt terrible that he got away from me yesterday.
Thank you
Regina
Hi Mary and Sherry
Thanks. I felt SO blessed!
Thanks so much Carolyn!
I’m just so happy we have an approach where we meet halfway.
I can hardly believe the interest the WHR generate. He wants to be around and when he finally leaves its with one ear on me, just in case i belatedly come up with an idea. Across the field I can see his eye on me and he’ll willingly leave his friends. I have a question though – is this mostly due to his youthful curiosity, should I be prepared to be less interesting to him as he matures?
I’ve found leading from behind has been brilliant as he grows bigger in every way and the practice seems to make him doubly attentive – he was a little rude the other day so I sent him forward only a few steps and then at my invitation he backed right to where he had been. He knew what back meant but had never tried it with me behind him, but in the moment he stopped I could see his 100% awareness and desire to please.
I will make use of the messages of letter 55. I have missed being part this insider circle but I would like to join the next time around.
Mary,
She will let me know. I do not know untill each person lets me know how I can find them. If you would like to see you tubs on my method with other people in practise go to you tube and put in my name you will find so there,
Dear Carolyn – I ma not in the UE class but you have asked Kerrie to put utubes up and I am wondering if these are available to me and if so, where do I find them?
Dear Christian,
the reason I did not suggest the other book is for the reason you mentioned. YOu can post your you tubes as your last suggestion would be great..
Class and to Kirsteen – read Kirsteen’s letter. I belive it will help many off you to make good choices in how to lead and train your horse.The relatioship that Kirsteen is getting to have with he animals opens the door in how to really understand animals and have a way with them. Kirsteen we need you tubes of your experainces or a book please and thank you for sharing.
I would also like you to look at my letter 55 I thing it will help with how to approach a horse when you ride.
Dear Karrie,
I would like to see a you tube of your liberty work that is working out for you it sound inspirational. Did not read my last 55 letter to you and did it help you? If it did I would like to now how it did. It always helps me in how to guide the class if I hear back from everone when I offer my guidance.
Hi Carolyn,
I spent the entire day yesterday with the herd it was amazing. They have been out in the pasture all winter and I have been visiting with them and sharing space as long as I could brave the cold. For a Canadian winter ours was not too bad this year pretty mild. Anyway, yesterday morning I spread individual flakes of hay and small piles of grain around the pasture for them,then stood in a corner and observed. It was so amazing watching the dynamics in reality as I had observed this only from your 2 DVD’s reflections of the WH and WHR I saw them chase each other away from a pile of food and then take over the territory. After observing this I am really excited to begin the rituals. I didn’t know how I would go about starting the first ritual with 9 horses but know I feel confident that I can do WHR with the entire herd together. What do you think? I also went into their run in shelter and changed their bedding laying down fresh straw. Cleaned out there water trough,and got everything ready. They were all so very happy coming to me one or two at a time to say hello receive grooming or getting scratched. Actually I did the same with the 18 month old steer spending time with him after changing his bedding, just scratching his head and feeding him treats All animals love to bond and be touched and loved isn’t it amazing. I would love to quit my day job and do this full time. Kirsteen what an amazing dreamy story I love it……. Namaste Sherry Thomson
Dear Carolyn – I imagined that this would be your answer. I thought I’d ask just in case I was wrong! I am going to try to work this out so I can be in the upcoming course. All the best!
Dear Kathy, 56
Thank you for responding. I will be looking forward to your reports. Youtubs would be nice to see.
Dear Mary,
YOu will need to work with your horse away from any other horse. The course is a huge understaning and responsibility for me and to guide you with extra conditions requires a lot more time on my part and a possible accident and lose of getting the most out of the course for you. He you can not work it out next year I might geve another one that you can join in on. I hope you to have you in this course and you can work out the details.
Dear Christian,
What you suggested last with the you tubes is great and I am trully looking forward to your work. I only suggested the one book for the reasons of what you mentioned.
Kirsteen – I just had to respond to your post. Your story is a heavenly dream of herd life. What a blessing for you and your horse. Thank you for sharing it with us all. I know I’m not the only one who was so deeply touch.
Hi Carolyn
I’m so glad I have the WHR from the beginning 4 months ago with my youngster. He learns at liberty and when I trim his feet he’s free to leave the yard if he chooses – but he never does. As a 2 year old I sense our interactions make sense to him and even when I send him away for rudeness he is eager to return.
This weekend I extended my sharing space by camping overnight in semi-civilisation of the horses shelter along with a good friend.
We lit a fire in a little brazier outside the doorway, cooked up some food and relaxed in the firelight with our collie dog companion. Despite the novelty of flickering flames and smoke he soon came in to visit and after a few minutes lay down and dozed with his back to us. After a while I sat with him and we leaned into one another back to back.
It was more than I’d hoped for but I had underestimated his level of comfort around us, this was clearly the most natural thing in the world to him, later when we’d bedded down for the night I opened my eyes to find he was sprawled flat beside us sleeping soundly, his deep breaths, rumbles and wind companionably filling the quiet night. I watched him in humble astonishment full of joy but also a little fear that I might ever fail him.
Next day I was leaning on the doorframe drinking tea when he wandered in and sank down right at my feet. I had been about to leave but instead as his herdmate I stood sentry.
I would have spent this time with him just for the joy of the experience, but I believe it has also deepened our bond immensely. Our walk yesterday had a new level of togetherness, when we trotted out we were travelling together, when we headed home there was no visible anticipation of returning to the other horses.
Thank you for this gift.
Kirsty
Dear Carolyn,
Thank you for your lovely story, and further instruction throughout this week’s comments section. All really valuable to where I am with Sun at the moment, particularly the leading and following discussion. When Sun and I reach a point on our walks when we want to go in different directions, we stop before conflict ensues. Sometimes I insist on a few steps in ‘my’ direction and then we can go in hers for a bit. When we really do need to go in my direction (it’s getting dark, say) sometimes she plants herself and shakes her head, and waves a front leg, what I call her ‘protest leg’, and sticks her nose out and stares in the direction she would like to go (just in case I was in any doubt as to what she would like to do!). recently I experimented with telling her we really do need to go, then I ignore her protests, stand firmly facing the direction where I would like us to travel and then I really focus on, and stare hard in that direction – each time it takes a couple of minutes and then she huffs and comes my way, and if I have a treat on me I sometimes give her one when she walks on. I think we are both a little stubborn!
I read the ‘Songs for Horses’ book yesterday in one sitting and it made me cry. I felt that I know absolutely nothing about horses and riding but that this is a good thing, not a disempowering thing as I have everything to learn and what a journey, what teachers, and what majectic beauty is possible when horse and human commune in motion.
I will make a video of the UEs 1-5 asap and post on youtube, and I can’t wait to start the WHRs distance course.
Many thanks for all of your support.
P.s I met a herd of mustangs for the first time yesterday. I was particularly interested in the stallion as a possible future stud for Sun. He was gorgrous, so gently and wise, and I thought of your stories in ‘Naked Liberty’!
That’s fantastically clear, Carolyn! Thanks for that clarification……it makes perfect sense (like everything you’ve written) and will certainly give me a hand when it’s time to get in the saddle again.
I’m starting the UEs with my mare this week……I’m keen to see how we go!
Thanks again, Kathy
Kerrie,
You have and easy fix. Ride him at home and ask for him to do many complicated patterns and work on the gass and brake so his mind becomes focused on listen to you. Ride him on a random detailed pattern then when he is at his best with your direction take him out on a ride. If you loose his focus bring him home and approach him the same way again the next day. Time is all it takes.
When riding you need to be consistant in this case you need to stay the director in where you are going until it is a habit with your horse and that he is so use to that you can then let him go when you ride him and let him pick the way so he understand that it is a gift from you when you allow him his direction and not that the horse took over with out your permision just like the treats are at liberty.
All it is is managment. If you can do all of what you have done you can easly get your horse back.
I am much stronger at liberty with a horse on the ground than I am when I ride.
But I make sure that my horse when I ride has one thought on his mind and that is listen to my direction and that I form in him a strong habit if this is how he was started.
But I also trained the other way. The other way letting the horse work with me the same way I let him work with me at liberty by him having all the choices in the begining to let the horse do what he wants but I only do this where I am safe place where there is nothing to worry about or in a fenced field. I can then take let the horse be free to respond and little my little get it to listen more and more to my aids.
The both methods work well.
But what you did is to start with the horse needing to listen to you and you got your horse half traind and then let the ruels change too soon. I could also get the oppisite bad respons work the other method I have for training a horse with out tack and the horse being able to alway to do as he wishes.
Imagin if I started a horse out and let him go were ever he wanted and half way though his trainig I decised to ask the horse to listen to every aid I gavehim it would lead to the horse not wanted to be ridden and I would have to start over again. Get one thing done so you do not confuse your horse.
Just think cutting horses get to do both ways to lead and to follow in their training right from the begining but there is an order and a plan and the horse needs to understand it. You emotions are not the driver of your horse but your good judgment is as well as your instencts.
Hi Kerrie
I’m following this conversation with great interest. Like you I took on an abused/neglected older gelding who didn’t trust people and is pretty much a one woman horse. After a couple of years of other types of “natural horsemanship” which only saw him doing things for me but closing down, I decided to look for other ways and came across the liberty ideas….which have led to amazing results……but mostly on the ground……he still hates the saddle but has learned to really be comfortable with the halter and rope, so currently we are riding with no tack or only a halter/rope. For him, a big part of the “break through” to trusting more has been by watching me with the other two horses and by watching other people interact with the other horses. Of course, I’m always present to make sure that what other people do are acceptable, so he still looks to me for assurance….but he now allows other people to approach him at liberty…..but he’s free to move away if he chooses and I won’t let people “chase” my horses, so he truly has the choice. Maybe that could help you and your boy…….some liberty approaches from other folks.
I’m keen to read more about the line between giving your horse choices while you’re on their back and losing leadership. I’m a bit confused on that point and I’m getting ready to begin riding a mare that I’ve retrained through liberty and was thinking I’d be the same on her back as on the ground, but now I’m thinking perhaps that’s not the best thing to do. I give my horses choices on the ground……am I not to do that when I’m on their back?
Looking forward to more clarification from Carolyn on that one! In the meantime, best of luck with your boy.
Cheers, Kathy
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for this great tip. Over and over I have to learn to just drop the agenda and see where the horse is at.
Actually I am the one who trained Capricho. When we got him last year the seller had put a saddle on him a couple of times by great force, and done something to his head to make him extremely frightened and head shy. Then I became his friend last summer through the WHR .
You may recall I had four months of liberty training when I did not so much as put a halter on him due to an injured hand. When I got on him again about three weeks ago, I was amazed. He was turning and stopping on a dime, pole bending around trees, extremely light, and even backed – something I had never tried before when mounted. Before the accident he understood whoa and go very well with just a vocal command, but was vague about turns. After these four months of liberty work, when I got on him again about three weeks ago, it was as if he were born trained. I could hardly believe it.
Then I started experimenting with letting him go into places that interested him in order for him to check them out. This is where I goofed up. My reasoning was that we live in an area of old cobblestone streets going through a village – I can not access the mountains without passing through the village – and I was hoping to have him overcome any fears by seeing things and walking willingly up to other people and their environments. I realize now that this was a mistake. I’ve spent a lot of time leading him, and at least he passes readily through tight spots with me. He seems to accept my lead in this way.
I think I have a guilt issue for having been too hard on horses before. When I grew up it was all about “making them mind.” There was no one who trained from a point of view of respecting the horse’s feelings. When I was fifteen a horse trainer whom my parents hired to teach me had me tie up the leg of a young gelding who was giving me no trouble. It made no sense. Not long after that I stopped working with horses. Being so hard on them took the fun out of it. By then I had trained horses who won reining, barrels and poles.
Then I took 37 years off, only getting this little guy last year. I guess I need to balance all this new liberty thinking with some old-fashioned approaches to leadership.
It is a little hard to know just how to approach him, however, because of his fear of other people. He will follow me all over fields at liberty, dance at liberty and everything. But there are only a couple of other people he will even allow to approach him. If people try to come up to pet him on the street he jumps away from them. He went through some kind of extreme abuse. I think that’s another reason I’ve been too soft with him. Poor guy, there’s no telling what happened to him before. It has been a long haul to get to this point. And that is the other problem. I’m having people give him treats to try to win him over, but he’s pretty much a one woman horse. I guess this is going to be a slow thing – convincing him of the goodness of other people. Any suggestions are welcome.
Dear Kerrie,
Why did your horse do everything for you when you first started riding?
Could it be from someone else’s training and your training brought about the new behavior? You need to ride smart. This might be a tough thing to say, but it is how I was raised from my Dad.
What I would do is get him to stop and stand on a droped rein for a long while and then ask him to go in the direction I wanted and take it real slow. If that did not work I would get off and lead him.
I do not have this problem with horses because I know that what you did was allow too often and did not feel him learning that he was going to take over. Horses learn easliy that if you do not lead they will.
When you wrote the last letter I felt that you knew that it might lead to this.
Just a feeling. I am sure you will fix this and figure out when to allow and when to lead.
Hi Carolyn,
I don’t know if you can answer questions about riding, but you will recall I’ve been practicing the WHR with Capricho for some time. Only that until this past week I had not been spending the kind of time with the first ritual as I had in the past.
I began experimenting with letting him lead me while I was riding him, as long as he did what I asked when I wanted to turn around or whatever. On a subsequent ride he tried four times to turn in a direction I did not want – something he had never done before.
So I’ve gone back to ground work to establish leadership – the first ritual.
I’m just curious, therefore, if you personally ever experience having a horse you are riding try to go somewhere you don’t command him, and how you handle that. I have a feeling I already know the answer – groundwork and WHR – but if you have any feedback I’d be curious.
Until that pair of rides he had been totally willing to go anywhere for me, as light as he could be. I did make him turn where I indicated and said good boy a whole lot. I was taught in youth to never let a horse declare the agenda. Maybe things are different when mounted than on the ground?
Anyway we’re quite happily back at the rituals, and I’ve got the Songs of Horses book to catch up on while sharing territory. He mostly just stands about four feet from me for an hour. First he got rude, and I drove him away, and now he just walks up, lets out a big sigh, and will stand there for an hour by my side.