Two Ways to Work Your Horse at Liberty – Directive and Connective
Jun 22nd, 2010 by Carolyn Resnick Method
Fact- The Magnetic Connection is not something that will always be there for you nevertheless you can always get it back though the practice of the Waterhole Rituals. It is normal to lose the Magnetic Connection when you are working on exercises or games that direct your horses where to go, like in the carrot game.
The carrot game creates a controllable gas pedal, encourages politeness, develops enthusiasm, and engages the mind in the horse. It also builds the horse’s trust and respect for people in general. It does not however, develop the Magnetic Connection because you are asking the horse to work independently from you and as he gets use to working independently it temporarily takes away the Magnetic Connection. You will always need to make adjustments in the horse’s mind as he transitions from being directed to matching your movements in companion energy.
At liberty, your focus is on making adjustement in the horse’s attitude throughout your relationship to bring about the performance you are looking for. You do this through working with the Waterhole Rituals that strengthen the heart-felt strings of connection and from the exercises within the rituals that increase the synchronicity in teamwork. You are also focused on creating the proper energy the horse will need to follow your lead. You will always be adjusting your leadership to suite you horse and his performance.
At liberty, you learn the working formula necessary to create a magical connection where the leadership roles are shared between you and your horse. This becomes tricky for some people because often when people turn over their leadership to their horse, they choose to do so at the wrong time. The trick is not to allow the horse’s leadership if it will dissolve the Magnetic Connection or cause you to loose the ability to direct your horse.
There are two ways to work with a horse in connection. One way is Liberty Dancing, were you are directing the horse without joining him. The second way is when your horse is matching your movements and not wanting to leave your side, which I call the Magnetic Connection.
When I lose the magnetic connection, I analyze which of the strings of connection are missing and then do the exercises that will return us to the connective dance. If you have lost the Magnetic Connection and your horse is moving around you, you could start to regain it by focusing on getting him to move around you more quickly. Once you are in control of the speed of his feet and when he starts to head back in your direction, call him to you while running backwards. This will cause a “draw” and a deep need in the horse to return to you as he responds from his instincts to go toward anything that is leaving him (which will be you.) If he does not respond but continues past you instead of coming to you, drive him forward without being punitive and repeat. Once you can get your horse to come up to you, take a pause to allow him to reconnect which will rebuild your Magnetic Connection.
A Tip: One thing you do not want to do when you are sharing the Magnetic Connection is to carry carrots on you. When a horse becomes focused on the carrots, he loses the Magnetic Connection because his new desire becomes to try to direct you. However, because the carrot game is a directive game, it is OK to have carrot on you while you are practicing.
At liberty, it will always be your job to work back and fourth between the directing dance and the Magnetic Connection dance. When you are focused on the directive dance, you want to increase and improve the horse’s responses to sending and drawing to be at their best and to develop them to be extraordinary.
Games that emphasize the Magnetic Connection, as in drawing dance, will make your horse want to be with you and match your movements. As your partnership grows from your practice, it will get easier to maintain both and to get the horse to switch his focus between being directed and shadowing your movements during the Magnetic Connection.
An example of a drawing game is one where you put down food that your horse wants and keep him from it. Then call him to you and take him to the food. Practice the halt on your way to the food together to ensure you have reestablished the Magnetic Connection to some degree.
If you have had a good Magnetic Connection with your horse in the past, you have the ability to build it back again. That will always be your job to do,
Remember that working at liberty you are always making adjustments. It is just a fact of life that you will regularly need to repair the connection and performance in regards to the draw and send, from the to directive connection to the Magnetic Connection
It is like building a sand castle at the waters edge. When the waves come over your castle, you rebuild. As your moat walls symbolizing your connection get higher, the less you need to repair.
In a leadership role you will need to notice the loss of connection and repair it through choosing the proper Waterhole Ritual that is meant to restore the connection you have lost or one of the games you know would achieve a better connection and performance. From the onlooker’s eye, the process of losing and repairing the connection looks like a magical dance.
Carolyn
No related posts.
Carolyn, I`ve read your answers to Christian and Candle about halter-training young ones. I have a three year old, who has been backing up and getting very scared (drags until she`s loose…) when she`s been tied up, even if I`m standing right there and there are several other horses there.. How can I practise her beeing tied up for an hour, when she get`s so scared…? I trim her and do everything basically at liberty.
Hi Carolyn,
Trying to get caught up. Please consider me for your next Insiders Circle to be held in the fall.
HI Carolyn
Like Carolyn Bourchier #21 I would love to be considered worthy to be in the advanced class, however if I need to be an Insider Circle member first could you please put my name down on your list for that one.
I am planning to go through all the calls and the steps we have taken with this current course again with my 5 yo mare once we have come to the end, as she is my more challenging horse. I am very curious to learn your one lining and two lining and would absolutely love to learn bridleless riding on the horse I have been doing the WR’s with this time round.
Thank you for this blog, there is much to think about.
Regards, Sue
@Carolyn 22
What great news! Will there be more information coming out on the fall Insider Program — when it will be held and that sort of thing?
Thanks,
Hannah
The less I think about having to be the leader, the more the horses want to follow me as being their leader. Amazing, relaxing!
Christian 19,
Good plan!!
Hannah #16
Hanna there has been a change of plans, we are going to offer the Insiders Circle program again. If we can fill the class, we will have one this fall, otherwise I will have it in the spring.
Hi Carolyn
Synchronisity is just great
I am over here in the UK and have just done 3 days on the WR with Julia Felton which was just GREAT 
I would love to come on the next Insiders Circle program in the fall – please please put my name down.
Thankyou Judith
insider circle
Hello Carolyn – Great blog and the discussions it brings.
I am really interested in the tack/foal scenario. I introduced Lu Lu, my yearling, to a halter and single line when she was 3 months old. We worked on moving the line over her head than around her rump, moving her away and back to me etc.. Since starting the WR’s I have not put a head collar back on her. I was thinking of re introducing it to her but am not in a hurry. I have been using the first UE on her and she relaxes her head very well. I also would love to be on the next course, I hope I can prove myself worthy. I am attending an EFL course with Frank Levinson next month. My path is taking me towards using by small herd to help children and teenagers to find their way. How life changing you are!
Thank you – Carolyn Bee
Dear Carolyn,
First, that is really a brilliant idea for a new course! It sounds fantastic, just the thing. I wish it was starting immediately. Would you consider Hannah’s suggestion of pre-registration? If so, count me in.
Second, I was hoping for a detailed plan for halter-training my baby without disrupting the sweet relationship we are developing. When I stopped to think about your suggestion of using the Uberstreichen Exercises, I realized that is exactly what you provided.
It strikes me as applying the UEs in reverse, sort of. That is, using positioning the baby to teach yielding to the halter, rather than using the halter to teach the position.
I have no problem putting a halter on this colt and he is perfectly comfortable wearing it for a while. The difficulty is likely to start when I try to restrain him against his will or lead him somewhere he is not inclined to go. He will fight because he knows nothing about yielding to halter pressure (and would not approve if he did). However, now that you point it out, it seems obvious that the First UE is just the place to start. No line maybe, just a halter, and begin moving his head in response to light pressure, teaching him gently but firmly that he should yield to pressure. I foresee allowing him to quit the game at first when his attention wanes, but gradually building up to longer sessions and more responsive yields. I can also see that single line following, then guiding, then driving — with lots of halts — might soon be a good bridge between liberty and accepting directions from the halter. I think I can see a path to explore now and I cannot wait to begin.
Thank you very much.
Carolyn, thanks so much for your response. Please count me in for this class that you are proposing. Sounds like exactly what I have been waiting for
As far as Destry’s halter training, I have not started with the UE’s with him, but already thought that I should, especially UE 1. Plus I should no longer dodge the tying issue. I’ve always done as little as possible around his head, but it makes total sense to start with the UE’s to get him really comfortable with the halter. He is not bad with it. In his own space he is perfect. Usually it is just the continuation of our companion walk, only with that halter and lead, but I want to get some more control over him when he gets excited without exerting pressure on the head.
Thanks again!
Christian
This was a wonderful Blog Carolyn. It made a lot of sense to me and painted a picture in my mind. I also really appreciated your answer to Candle and Christian (15). I was hoping you would answer them. Your new class sounds wonderful! It will be a fortunate 10 who get in. I will write you on the Insider page about my most recent good progress with Micah.
Blessings,
Regina
Hi Carolyn, Sherry Thomson IC…… Yes I found your post most timely as well. I am still ST with my herd. They seem to take turns now coming to me to be lead from behind then coming to me also some have progressed to companion walking . I really have developed a great bond with the lead stallion the aggressive mini ( never been aggressive with me only his herd) he moves off of the reed very sweetly and I am definitely in love with him.(must be my lust for the bad boy!) LOL I love the little black stallion as well and since coming back to the farm without his mom he has been sweet on me as well. Just another bad boy turned sweet, LOL at least I am working this out in the equine field! I am between homes right now so my video camera has been accidentally packed away but I am working on borrowing one but also need to find someone to operate it…….. I am very interested in your advanced course as well as booking a private session at your ranch perhaps this winter when it is freezing here… Also …….. I worked with both my filly and the stallion colt with Eubersricen(SP?) then went easily into halter and lead rope actually reversed just went to them with no intent not to put the halter on easily and lead , had no problem then did the exc. eubersrichen and it got even better. Namaste Sherry
That sounds like a really exciting program, Carolyn! Would there be a way perhaps to “pre-register” or get our names on a list for more information when it is available? I had wanted to join the next Insider’s Circle club and then read that they weren’t going to be held anymore. I was disappointed until I read this! Thank you for continuing to build programs that guide us in the best way possible.
Blessings,
Hannah
For Christian and Candle # 6 & #13,
These are great questions for a direct coaching call or private clinic from my ranch. I will also consider doing a DVD on this topic in the future. I like this subject a lot.
Maybe these few words will be enough. Uberstreichen Exercises give you the ability to step into tack and gain complete halter control. I also develop dependability of my horse when in a halter using my Single Lining Method. You need to focus your games of developing dependability at liberty in a safe field and then take him to places that you know he will behave in the same way until you build reliance. You also need to tie your horses up everyday, for an hour to build an attitude in your horse that he enjoys this kind of required beingness and control. It is my secret in taking the spook out of a horse. I stay with him while he is being tied up to maintain his willingness.
When I had a breeding ranch my foals and horses were all trimmed at liberty. I even body clipped them at liberty.
This question I could easily answer in my next program for the advanced students from the in the box and Insider Circle program.
I am going to be offering a course you might like to take, open to 10 qualified people, in the same format of Insider Circle program but much more direct coaching and detailed. It is in the planning stages right now. I will offer it next year.
In this program, you video your work on your assignments and I send you a response in how to accomplish your task on video. You will get to speak to me privately and on group calls every other week.
The subjects you get to choose from will be on Liberty Dancing and Bridless Riding and Ground Driving using my Single Lining Method, my Uberstreichen Exercises and my Double Lines method to increase the performance for Dressage. Should be loads of fun! You will get to see everyone’s work and my response.
Each person will design their course with me before we begin by choosing the subjects they wish to pursue and I will then design a course plan and the horse will be the controlling factor and have the last say in the direction we take.
I would consider that you both would qualify for this program and you would both benefit for this next step and I would love having you in this class.
Dear Carolyn,
Like others who commented on this post, I found it especially timely and helpful in my efforts to connect with my horses. However, I want to second the question that Christian Gundermann (6) asked you about making the initial transition from liberty to halter with a young horse.
I too have a youngster who has been raised almost exclusively at liberty, although mine is still a suckling, a lot younger than Christian’s two year old. My usual practice with foals has been to begin halter training very early, using a body harness (a lead rope looped in a figure eight) rather than a halter to avoid injury to their delicate polls. They quickly learn not to challenge the constraint and to follow my guidance when I lead them and, more important, ask them to stand still. However, there is no doubt that this involves the use of physical coercion. My reasoning was that halter training was something they had to learn sooner or later, and it was easier for them (and me) when done early.
But this spring, as I began learning more about the WRs, I became increasingly enamored of your ideas about training exclusively at liberty. Just to see what would happen, I stopped working with this foal in my usual way. Instead, I started doing everything with him at liberty. Now he follows me around the pasture quite a lot and is learning to be mannerly, although he is a studly little guy and restraint is a challenge to him. I can give him a shower, groom him, pick up his feet and give him oral wormer (with the help of syringes of applesauce), although all of these activities currently take place on his timetable, not mine. But so what? My reward has been the utter joyousness of his relationship with me. He races to the gate ahead of his Mom when he sees me approach. He is as bold and playful as a colt can be, and genuinely seems to enjoy my company. In fact, he devised a version of the carrot game, entirely his own idea, racing full tilt between me and his Mom, back and forth, clearly exalting in his own game. He still pretty much stays with his mom, so it is still relatively easy to move him from place to place as required.
However, unlike Christian, I do not do my own trimming and in the soft sandy soil of Florida, it is important to trim a foal’s feet regularly. It will soon be time for him to meet the farrier. That cannot be done at liberty, although we will try to do it in the pasture where he is most comfortable. But he will have to learn to stand quietly in a halter for longer than his quicksilver coltish mind will want to tolerate. Any suggestions you can offer for making the initial transition between liberty and the halter will be very much appreciated.
Dear Carolyn,
Like others who has commented on this post, I found it especially timely and helpful in my efforts to connect with my horses. However, I want to second the question that Christian Gundermann (6) asked you about making the initial transition from liberty to halter with a young horse.
I too have a youngster who has been raised almost exclusively at liberty, although mine is still a suckling, a lot younger than Christian’s baby. My usual practice with foals has been to begin halter training very early, using a body harness (a lead rope looped in a figure
rather than a halter to avoid injury to their delicate polls. They quickly learn not to challenge the constraint and to follow my guidance when I lead them and, more important, ask them to stand still. However, there is no doubt that this involves the use of physical coercion. My reasoning was that halter training was something they had to learn sooner or later, and it was easier for them (and me) when done early.
But this spring, as I began learning more about the WRs, I became increasingly enamored of your ideas about training exclusively at liberty. Just to see what would happen, I stopped working with this foal in my usual way. Instead, I started doing everything with him at liberty. Now he follows me around the pasture quite a lot and is learning to be mannerly, although he is a studly little guy and restraint is a challenge to him. I can give him a shower, groom him, pick up his feet and give him oral wormer (with the help of syringes of applesauce), although all of these activities currently take place on his timetable, not mine. But so what? My reward has been the utter joyousness of his relationship with me. He races to the gate ahead of his Mom when he sees me approach. He is as bold and playful as a colt can be, and genuinely seems to enjoy my company. In fact, he devised a version of the carrot game, entirely his own idea, racing full tilt between me and his Mom, back and forth, clearly exalting in his own game. He still pretty much stays with his mom, so it is still relatively easy to move him from place to place as required.
However, unlike Christian, I do not do my own trimming and in the soft sandy soil of Florida, it is important to trim a foal’s feet regularly. It will soon be time for him to meet the farrier. That cannot be done at liberty, although we will try to do it in the pasture where he is most comfortable. But he will have to learn to stand quietly in a halter for longer than his quicksilver coltish mind will want to tolerate. Any suggestions you can offer for making the initial transition between liberty and the halter will be very much appreciated.
Great post Carolyn
. I feel I am getting more and more into the ‘welding together’ of all the rituals, and that’s precisely what you have been talking about today. Thank you!
Hi, Carolyn, As usual, your posts are so helpful. I am not yet doing companion walk with Snowy (although the pony, Rainey, does it). But the idea of balancing the direction and connection seemed to fit with my Taking Territory and then balancing that with Saying Hello to restore the relationship with lots of pauses in between. The activity felt unpressured and more natural, and it seemed to give Snowy time to think about things and become more connected. The pacing of the rituals is so much slower and leisurely than so much of other types of horse training which are so drill, drill, drill. But the results seem so much more natural and powerful.
Thank you Carolyn… really helpful…
Stuart
Insider Circle
Dear Carolyn,
Thank you for the time you give us by writing your blog. Each entry holds in it a great lesson for me. I so appreciate your blog, and you.
Kathy
Hello Carolyn,
Wonderful information today and a very enjoyable blog. And so timely. I have been working my horse at liberty with a couple of cavaletti poles. He has been very worried and stressed about going over the poles. He doesn’t have brave feet. So I have been letting him spend time in the pen with poles, letting him look and feel comfortable. Then gradually he made the decision to go over them counter clock wise in the pen. He canters or trots over them, and then becomes more relaxed about it and does a couple of walk overs. Which is great! Now going clock wise around the pen at a walk, trot, or canter at liberty he freezes when he comes up to the ground poles. So I have been placing carrot treats on top of the poles and on the other side just out of reach so he has to step over to get his reward. He has placed one front over and back in his attempt to get his treat, but has made no further forward movement over the poles in this direction of going around the pen.
Why is he having such difficulty going over the pole in one direction?
Can you give me any suggestions in how to proceed in my efforts to assist my horse in becoming braver about the cavaletti poles? We made great progress going in the one direction but the other direction poses a significant challenge for my horse. Thank you for any suggestions you can give me.
Best regards,
Barbara and Monie
birroyal@aol.com
Thanks for that Carolyn. It’s funny, just when I have questions you come up with the answers to help me out. So timely as usual and very eloquently put.
Very enjoyable and helpful blog.
Dear Carolyn,
beautiful blog on the balance between direction and magnetic companionism.
I have a question concerning my now 2 year old stud colt Destry (he turned 2 today!). He has, so far, known very little tack in his life. I have done everything at liberty with him: trimming his feet, grooming, feeding, moving between fields etc. We have been practicing the Waterhole Rituals pretty much since he was born. So as I am beginning to do more leading with a halter, I know that leading with the halter on is basically a companion walk. If the magnetic connection is there, there is no difference whether the halter is on or not. But what to do when the magnetic connection dissolves? I love that at liberty I don’t have to worry about that, but when I have tack on him and am somewhere outside or around other horses (not horses from his herd), I cannot apply the same principles that I would at liberty (I can’t send him off, and draw him back, at least not at the same magnitude….and he is quite big in his movement and sensitivity to react at a distance). Is it just that I need to work the same way but all shrink-wrapped to the length of my leadline? I don’t like the rope-jerking strategies that I learned from “natural” horsemanship anymore, or even less the traditional use of nose chains and tight lines. Do you dance with tack as if without, just within the 12 feet of the line? Or do you count on and practice the magnetic connection until it doesn’t break down (is that possible) before you put the halter on?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Christian
What an absolutely perfect post for me to hear! Just today I was liberty dancing with Maia, and yet struggling a bit in how to incorporate the mirroring/magnetic dancing with that. I now see that there can be two kinds of dancing — one with me leading, and another with me mirroring. Both are critical to the holistic relationship.
Thanks so much!
Hannah
Caroyln, shelley dunkin insiders circle,
I love what you wrote. Your class, your dvd’s, your review of my video’s. your insightful answers to the other students…it has been the difference that makes the difference for me and my horses.
There is always the balance between the drive and the draw and I was reluctant to push the drive because I worried about losing the draw and/or the connection. Now I am learning what to do if I lose any of these and the best thing is it totally works!!!! and it doesn’t take very long.
I have become a better leader for my horses in just a couple months from your method vs. years in my other program.
I just got your Liberty DVD and it is showing me even more little ways of moving that make all the difference.
Thank you so much for sharing what you know to the world and taking the time to help us really get it!!!
Carolyn,
Again, perfect timing on the topic as we move through this journey. Your analogy of the sand castle building really cements the concept well. Constant adjustments. I was needing that next step in moving from the connection building to the directional and instructional part of spending time with the horses. I am much more conscious about all that I do, adjusting to moment. I had intended on riding
the other night, instead we just went for a nice walk and filed the water troughs.
the time just dissipated and next thing it was 9:45pm!
Liberty training, is the foundation for all the other interactions we ask of our horses. With the water hole rituals as our foundation , we always have that to go back to and move forward again. It grounds the relationship.
For me, in the classroom of students. I often have to go back to the boundaries and rules. Them move forward again. I am learning so much and often through the filter of the classroom teacher. I do well with my horses, yet fail short in the classroom management at 180 students/day.
Consistency and clear communication is the key with horses , now to transferee that to the classroom.
Thank you again for your insight and concise writing and relaying of information.
Celia
Carolyn,
This makes so much sense. I sort of knew this in an intuitive way, but here you explicitly talk about activities that connect, versus activities that develop other qualities in the horse through direction. It’s a powerful concept because horses want connection, but they also recognize and enjoy things we do with them that help them to develop in body or mind or spirit. Effective leadership consists in being able to switch smoothly between connection and direction, depending on what your relationship requires in the moment. That is my goal. Thanks for making another piece fit the puzzle.
Bonnie
Wonderful blog—really important information, to keep working on the liberty work.
Thank you, & I will do my part to keep practicing.