Just what is liberty training?
Jun 25th, 2009 by Carolyn Resnick Method
For those of us gifted at birth with a natural affinity for horses, or those of us who as children developed a fantasy surrounding these marvelous creatures after reading King of the Wind, Black Beauty, or Fury, we gave special anthropomorphic quality to horses and that magical relationship based on communication, trust and understanding.
However, for those of us who have somehow maintained contact with horses as we matured, the relationship and training have become somehow more pragmatic, more cut and dry. The magic of horsemanship has been relegated to our youth.
Yet what if our adult dealings with the horse could be somehow aligned with our youthful dreams of a close personal bond with our horse, while at the same time facilitating and enhancing our training program? What if training could be more than simply a human’s will imposed on the horse, and become instead a mutually shared partnership between horse and rider, based on a system of communication both could understand equally?
What if the horse could have a real voice and truly participate actively in his training, working with the rider to achieve success, without coercion or forceful means? … And what if, in the process, the training time was dramatically reduced while results were significantly amplified?
All of this is definitely possible with liberty training, which is based on the actual language horses use to communicate with each other, which fosters a healthy ego in the horse, stimulating his desire to learn and motivating him to excel.
Unlike the general perception of liberty training as a system which applies pressure to the horse in a confined area, through aggressive pursuit with snapping whips and manipulation along a fence line or in a bullpen, this form of liberty training relies on the innate instincts of the horse and his basic desire to communicate in a herd environment. Rather than forcing specific behavior from the horse, my liberty training focuses on the horse’s language, which is spoken through movement, not sound; through eye contact and touch. It is a ballet of shared energies, which forge a truly harmonious working relationship between horse and rider akin to dancing, where body language and compatible movement create a strong bond.
Horses in the wild have a large extended family, the herd, while in captivity they are more frequently isolated from one another and stalled for human convenience. This separation is in direct conflict with the most basic instincts and needs of the horse, which is why liberty training has such rapid and dramatic results. For thousands of years, the very survival of horses has been linked to their interrelationship in the herd, with a clearly established pecking order. They feel a responsibility and a security in the herd, structured by a hierarchy topped by the lead brood mare.
All horses in a herd are responsible to the lead brood mare, whose function in the herd is to caretake and provide order and discipline. She is to be vigilant and alert for any danger, and must, if called upon, relocate the group. As such, all individuals in the herd have a duty to keep an eye on her. This lead mare will, during the course of a day, formally elicit eye contact from the various members of her group. Should any horse fail to acknowledge her, she may kick him, haze or chase him, or outright banish him from the herd until proper respect is learned.
Being aware of this, the horseman, with an understanding of appropriate communication skills, may convince the horse that he is a viable substitute for the missing aspects of a herd in his life, and may gain the attention and respect of the horse by functioning in the following recognizable capacities: lead brood mare, mother, father, sister, brother, enemy and friend.
The basics of liberty training teach the person how to communicate with the horse in a language he can recognize as the same he would experience within the herd, thus generating the necessary concentration and commitment needed for effective horse training on any level.
Through liberty training, the horse readily comprehends the goals the trainer hopes to achieve and has the freedom to work with him as a team player. It is an exhilarating feeling between horse and trainer when the horse is allowed to be trusted as a willing participant.
As the horse recognizes that his human counterpart is actually speaking in a language he can understand, cooperation is instant, precipitated by his immense gratitude for his returned voice, coupled with the security felt upon rejoining the “herd.”
I hope that all rings true for you now. Have a lovely weekend
Carolyn
P.S. I’m very excited as Mark and Elke are visiting tomorrow for a week!
No related posts.
Just came back to see if my question was ever answered. Sigh. It wasn’t.
I have a question that no one that I know has been able to answer. My mare, 6 years old now, was orphaned at 1 1/2 months old. I got her a month later. She is in a herd of two, me and her. Her yearling summer I made a terrible mistake (in hindsight) of putting her on 6 acres – all by herself. Who knows what fears she had to face all on her own. As a result she is an alpha mare. But that is background and not the question. The question I have is this: Since she did not grow up learning from her mother about horse communication will she ever be able to learn it?
In June I put her in a boarding stable just for a month so that I could do focused teaching away from here, in a new setting, to see if we couldn’t redefine our relationship.
We turned Merry, that’s my mare, out with 6 other mares. I watched with concern as Merry walked right up to the group just as she would walk up to humans, “hey there, what’s going on,” and she was scared witless when they turned on her and chased her off. She ran up to me for safety, so that settled in my mind what she thinks of me.
Merry did not get turned out again with that group, but rather with one mare who let Merry push her around. “Let” is the word because that mare usually prefers to be the lead mare.
So, my second question is, if Merry does not understand horse communication/
body language, how sensitive can she be to my body language? Or is the whole body language thing something innate in horses?
I found out about you, Carolyn, from a good friend of mine just last week and through your encouragement on your blog, Merry and I did some liberty work in the arena at the barn. It was fun! I found I could call Merry back to me and she’d follow me, stop and backup when I did. She’s coming home tomorrow and I have a new found confidence and determination to grow my relationship with Merry.
Thanks!
Dear Brenda,
To read a horses expresions put your self in her “shoes”. Look at the action between you that preceded the look, it might help you to read her facial expresions. To interact with a horse in a free choice interaction creats more body language making it easire to read your horse. When a horse begins to disapprove I always as them to leave and find a place that they would be give up their attitude.
Horses that start to disapprove of what you are doing will get aggresive as a rule.
Well, I don’t have this ‘natural ability’ to draw horses to me, but since I’ve ben learning about this, (reading Naked Liberty, following the blog and the course) I notice that my whole perception is changing. I find it harder to understand why people would impose their training on their horse while some horses just don’t like doing it. I love just looking at my mare and try to find out what her facial expression means. I found that there’s a lot of depth in our horses that we always overlook.
The gift I feelis being connected to the web of life and the fantaasy is to re-establish this connection through relationship with horses -horses are leading us back to connecting with our instinctual selves and being in harmony with mother nature and mother earth as for many of us that connection has been forgotten because of western civilised notions of motherhood child rearing and control over nature -those gifted are blessed with the connection intact – most of us need to some degree to allow the process ofremebering and re-connection – horses seem to be aware of this need and are allowing ust oreloin the family of mother earth Blessed be
Just perfect……
if you understand this then you dont have a nice weekend, you will have a nice life with your hors(es)
i can’t say it anny better completly agree with it
Hi Carolyn,
Your sentiments are clear, honest, and happily received. Since my mustang Banner arrived, I’ve been spending lots of time sharing territory with him asking for nothing but fairness and respect. What I immediately gained was a very strong bond with him. It’s become so strong that when I left him in a neighbor’s arena with my other two horses one afternoon, he ignored them and kept calling to me to come back! I’ve always wanted to “speak horse” fluently, and that was the closest I’ve ever come to feeling like I’m finally learning the proper dialect. I’m very grateful to you for sharing what you know with us so we can not only better our relationship with our horses, but we can learn to provide them with the proper leadership they need to feel whole. Thank you!
yes, liberty, this is an absolute truth for me…I can find out exactly what my horse thinks of me and our relationship. sometimes good…sometimes bad.
Carolyn, I also find an indescribable “long sought for kinship realized,” a feeling that one I’ve long sought after now also seeks me, wants to BE with me, will even demonstrate this physically by moving in synch with me or welcoming me to move along beside or with him in return!
I even have been sensing lately, after playing at liberty ever since reading your book last winter, that the way I’ve been feeling could be how our Creator feels when we behave in ways that acknowledge and welcome His Presence and demonstrate our willingness and desire to BE with Him. Whatever it is, I must say that I agree with Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling when he advises us to consider anything our horse does that we ask him to do as a GIFT!
I thank you, Carolyn, for pointing the way and giving me the confidence that liberty does indeed present the perfect atmosphere for learning and growing and gradually realizing the dream we’ve long dreamed for being with our horses.
Great post! This is why I come here, why I am grateful to Carolyn. She is living the life with horses I have wanted to achieve since I was small. Seeing the magic she and a few others can create with horses who are free to choose, it now seems possible. Speak the horse’s language – how simple, how profound!
Wow, what a stunningly clear and moving post. That is one of the best summaries that I have read of liberty training through leadership, not force.
~Hannah
I have to comment on this wonderful post…I can truly identify with what you have written!
I have been a horse and animal lover all my life, but only took riding lessons for a short summer as a child. I am now lucky enough at 40, to finally have a horse in my life again. Although it was completely unplanned, my horse was given to me by his owner who could no longer afford him even with my help.
My “Dante” who is 26 this year, was a lease horse for me beginning last July when I moved out to horse country in Massachusetts. I then decided to follow my heart and try to become the Equestrian I had always dreamed of. I have to be honest and say I have always had that “natural affinity” for animals and horses alike, ever since I was a child. Fascinated with wild animals and petting zoos, I found that they would always come to ME, especially over other people, it’s hard to explain it, really!
I began my bond with Dante through many nights of grooming and stroking, just talking to him and listening to his inner voice and actions as well. All this before I even began to ride him. Then before I realized it, it was like I was reading his mind, he would come to me so easily and whinny at me when I arrived and even when left him, just like other horses do. He also seemed to read me just as well. Now that he is with me since October, I have discovered how strong our bond really is and how easily he responds to training at liberty. It’s like our hearts are connected and I can feel him, maybe it’s his “Core” which you spoke about?? Or maybe it is my core energy?
I feel like he can and will do anything for me, with the trust we’ve accomplished in such a short time. I allow him to teach me too and he has taught me the ability to observe and understand the ways of the horse! He has allowed me into his world, and we spend many hours in the paddock playing at liberty and just relaxing in his stall. I think he respects me in so many ways and he is getting the life every Senior horse deserves after doing so much work for us humans!!
I would love your feedback if possible about this special connection we have and wish everyone could find that with a horse. Thank you!
By the way, my boy still is happiest on the trails…he loves to gallop through the open fields!! =)
Have a splendid week all together!
I love this post! Especially your phrase “immense gratitude for his returned voice”. This encapsulates the spirit of this ancient (new to us) Way of being with Horse. Fabulous, Carolyn!
My problem with training has been just ‘that’ I can’t let go long enough of that fantasy. Its hard to become a leader when you view them as beings that are above you.