Liberty Training to Riding Your Horse
Jan 26th, 2010 by Carolyn
I have many friends who are trainers, coaches and skilled riders, who I enjoy talking with on the subject of horses and how to get along with them. Yesterday morning I was having a conversation on the phone with Vincent Spiaggia a friend of mine who is a lifetime student of horses and teacher of horsemanship, like me. Many times we get onto the subject of the different methods of training that have been used over the ages in horsemanship, dressage and other schools of training. Talking with Vincent is always a rewarding adventure.
We were both remarking on the fact that if you choose the right approach with a horse when riding, then less training is necessary. Also how training from the ground translates so beautifully to the saddle if you take the right approach.
The key to this is to have the same considerations in the saddle that you have from the ground, then the connection you have with a horse trained at liberty will translate to the saddle. People who don’t believe that groundwork does translate to the saddle, do not understand the importance of relationship and the true significance of partnership with the horse. From a well-developed partnership, the horse has a much better ability, desire and willingness to be ridden and a better understanding of your aids when riding.
Even those who understand this, sometimes forget that horses are not like cars, which can be driven from a totally cold start. We must never take the horse for granted by expecting him to perform under saddle as well as he does from the ground without any preparation. We must always look to maintain the connection and so today’s blog looks at how you can do this.
Things to consider:
When you have trained in a certain area, it is a good idea to start riding in the area he is familiar with in the first weeks of riding. When you get on your horse, spend some time sitting on him while you ask him to stand quietly. You want your horse to adjust to you sitting on this back and to feel safe doing nothing before you ask for something other than halt. Take the opportunity as you are sitting there to feel what your horse is thinking and what kind of energy he is holding while you are sitting on him.
Every moment you are with a horse you need to keep and eye on what he is feeling and thinking. Is he relaxed or is he nervous? If he is nervous, get off and wait for him to relax and then get back on again. Do this until he is completely comfortable with you on his back and you are comfortable. Even though your horse is well trained at liberty, he still must adjust to you being on his back, this is a daily consideration.
Don’t think of riding your horse if you are in a hurry and unfocused and if in the moment your horse is not feeling comfortable. Warm your horse up from the ground before you get on his back. Before you get on, you need to check the mood of your horse and his feeling towards you in the moment. You want to make sure your horse trusts you, respects you and that he is focused on you. He must be willing to hold the right energy and understand your requests in order to perform what you ask of him. If your horse’s energy changes in a negative way when you are mounted on him, get off or pick a task that would bring back the connection in unity.
When you begin to ride, choose things that are very simple like walk, halt, go, stop and simple turns in the areas he likes to travel in, just like you did on the ground. Ask your horse to take directions, just like you did on the ground. Ride your horse for a short time and build the time you are on him, just like you did when working at liberty on the ground. Always train in short segments at first and build up.
If you approach your horse with the same consideration you did from the ground and always look to maintain your relationship, you will find that your groundwork does in fact translate.
A tip when you are riding:
Ask your horse to move forward with your voice, with your intent, with your thoughts, your focus and from your seat and legs. When the horse starts forward, choose the direction you want the horse to go. Find out what direction your horse wants to go then ask him to go in a direction that you know you could get him to go easily. Choose the direction that would create the best connection.
Ask for halt if your horse does not listen to your directional aids. Wait until you can get him on a dropped rein and when the energy feels good and then direct your horse in the way you want to go. You might have to stop and ask again several times. Ask your horse to take the speed you choose rather that the speed he chooses as this way your horse will stay focused on following your lead. When I start a new horse I also ask him to turn in large serpentines on an unpredictable course so he is focused on following the path I set for him. I like to put tires down and ride around them so the horse has a job and sees the reason I am asking for the turns or I stay on a 20-meter circle.
If at any time the horse does not respond well to your direction, go back to liberty work and build the magnetic connection and the horse’s interest to follow your lead once again. Any time the horse is not responding to your direction, it can be fixed by choosing an approach that would create willingness. If your horse says “no”, don’t persist, do something that you know that bring back his willingness. If this does not work, seek guidance from a suitable coach.
All the groundwork you have put on your horse should give you an ability to make good choices on how to manage your leadership and how to set the dance that will give you the true support of your horse when you ride. It is the same when you ride at liberty, you need the seven heartfelt strings of connection to be there for you. You maintain the strings of connection by the choices you make when you ride.
Carolyn
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February 26th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Candle – I think your post is wonderful and important. It truly demonstrates how one can adapt things to work best for their horse and themselves. From what I’ve learned from Carolyn, your work is a example of good leadership.
February 26th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Reading this post was an affimation. For quite a while, I’ve been doing just about everything you describe when I ride my horses, including spending as much as a week just getting on and sitting there without moving until the horse was so relaxed about having me on his back that his head never lifted when I got on and off.
About 10 years ago I started Parelli Natural Horsemanship and over time adjusted the program in a number of ways that just felt right to me once I started to think things through from the horse’s point of view and rejected my old competitive training. My biggest changes away from PNH are in the direction of what I gather you are teaching: (1) I am intensely conscious of and responsive to my horse’s feelings (PNH actually teaches this but most practitioners miss it, even, alas, at upper levels of the program), (2) I do most of the groundwork at liberty, first in an arena and then making as rapid a transition as possible to playing all over my 300 acre farm, and (3) when riding I stay at a walk for much longer than the program suggests, working on straightness and responsiveness to just my seat until it is habitual at the walk, then at the trot, before asking for a canter. In fact, I usually do not ask for a canter at first but wait for them to volunteer one, which they always do when they are feeling strong and balanced and enjoying their own movement. If the horse volunteers a canter that feels lurchy or unbalanced in the first stride or two, I ask him down right away and go back to walk and trot work. Then magically one day, usually shortly after the walk-trot-halt transitions and turns are all feeling really light and completely cued from my seat, the horse spontaneously gives me a canter that is springy and straight and balanced and I just go with it. That moment, the first time they offer a canter that feels good enough to ride, is always a thrill. I ride it as long as the horse is offering it, sometimes just a few strides, sometimes a few laps, and transition down as soon as it gets unbalanced or too fast. When the horse canters, stays in balance and cadence, then comes down to a trot on his own, I usually jump off that first time and immediately take off the saddle. Once we’ve started cantering, it usually does not take long (a few weeks to a few months) before most of my TBs are loping like reining horses in a halter or snaffle, on-the-buckle, following my seat and balance to turn, change gait, halt and back, at least in the arena.
Outside the arena I have a favorite technique for getting my very animated TBs to remain slow and steady on a loose rein at speed in open places: I start by asking them to walk from tree to tree in a big open 50 acre field dotted with widely spaced trees. When we get to each tree, I ask for a halt and stand there for a count of 30 to 100, depending on the horse, until they can relax and wait comfortably at each tree. Frequently I lean over and feed them a treat while we wait. Then we walk to the next tree and repeat the process. They quickly figure out the game, realize it is easy, and walk straight and relaxed from tree to tree. When they are completely relaxed at a walk, usually about one or two weeks of daily 10-to-30 minute rides in the field (often depending on how windy it is), I start alternating walking and trotting between trees. If a trot gets unbalanced or too quick, I ask for a walk the rest of the way to that tree and try again on the next one. Some horses catch on quickly and maintain a soft trot within a few days, some take much longer. But eventually they all get there. Only when I consistently get a completely relaxed soft trot without rein contact do I start to ask for a canter. If we cannot maintain a soft cadenced canter the whole way, I ask for a trot or walk as soon as I feel too much impulsion. My two most advanced horses now can maintain a lovely soft canter with no rein contact as we circle and serpentine and change leads in big swoops around the huge open field, even on cold windy days when they are feeling pretty zippy. This process is my own adaptation of Parelli’s point-to-point game. I play it out of the arena with consumate softness and a much slower and less regimated (no backing) attitude than the way I learned it from some Parelli professionals long ago.
By the way, I’ve come across some virulent anti-Parelli attitudes and hasten to say I do not share them. For me PNH is an invaluable gateway to true understanding. It has opened the door to what clearly is a lifetime pursuit to many people like me, who otherwise might never have known about the enchanted garden.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Carolyn,
When I was in the Inner Circle I received your posts in my email. I indicated interest in the UE, but I stopped getting the posts in my emai., I have lost touch for a couple weeks, needing to remember to look up your website, but noticed how much I missed reading the blog. I am doing the UE and teaching my dressage students about them weekly.I , my horses and students neeeeed them. Please don’t stop! Is there a reason I don’t receive them in my email any longer?
Your blogs continue to reflect a world I continue to want to enter into with my horses and share with my students.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:48 am
a very great post.. i think its very wonderful to be able to ride a horse.. what types of horses are good for beginners?
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:09 am
Hello Carolyn, I thought when the writer mentioned a virus they were speaking of a bug like addiction to your site! I look forward to reading yours and the others.
I continue to play with my mares and some days still seem to have broken every thing i once had, like their draw to me. I wonder when I attempt to apply the rituals that it might take them back a bit so they can re assess the herd dynamics.
Then i try to forget everything i was ever taught and just be with them and talk to them and to explain to them what i was noticing or appreciating. This seemed to clear my mind up and help me speak out and clear out intentions and connect with a desire to communicate. I try to encourage play by hiding carrots around and asking them to find them, or having them play with a ball and receive a carrot for doing so. They seem to like the hide and seek but not the ball, it is more like “oh, bother”.
My red mare who just seems to be angry, grumpy most of the time when i got on her at liberty with only a neck rope and reed I felt she really liked this freedom. We actually backed through to panel gates and rode out to another pasture without the slightest annoyance.
I will continue to explore how to bond with them for this is my goal above all else. Thank you, Renee
January 31st, 2010 at 8:48 am
Great post Lee, thank you!
January 31st, 2010 at 7:25 am
another great post, thanks, i will start riding
sun and wind from st.vincent /stina
January 31st, 2010 at 4:24 am
“Do one thing. Then another …”
!
You’re so right Candace, that’s all it is… Just focus on the one ding you’re doing right now and the next step will reveal itself. Thankyou for this reminder
January 31st, 2010 at 1:26 am
Dear Carolyn,
Quite a few horse persons I respect agree with what you say here, though they don’t use the “liberty” handle. One of the best pieces of advice that touches on your approach was by Ray Hunt. He advises a rider not to “argue” with his horse. Anything worth arguing about, if there IS anything of that worth, should be of core relevance. He tells of picking an argument with a young colt, whom he was not even riding at the time. The “argument” stayed with the horse for years.
I hear so many riders, especially of the British variety, talking of their mounts’ “refusals.” The word itself reminds me of your comments about driving a car. It’s a “control” thing. The animal has “refused” your control.
Your idea of liberty — and its so important beginnings in ground work — can be viewed as trying to look at things through your four-legged partner’s viewpoint. (I suppose it’s obvious that I also see Tom and Bill Dorrance as earlier practitioners of what you say here.)
I could go on and on about how “competition” and “competitiveness” are most times inverse mindsets to “liberty” training. The “goals,”"measurements,” “template movements” always have a set time frame. We see it return in those non winning thoroughbreds who are destroyed, those two year old futurity Quarter babies with joint and leg problems at six or seven, those “dressage” candidates with numb and/or broken jaws and teeth. I start and continue riding my horses in a bosal hackamore. And I’m impressed by how many old three rein masters warn about being in a hurry to get your horse to a certain point. Those gentle three rein vaqueros are “libertying” their animals and at the same time learning what makes them do what they do.
The horse, before he was ridden by Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, or Nez Perce, was a free spirit — an animal of space and movement. And his early riders capitalized on this freedom, or “liberty” as you put it.
There is no greater reward than having your animal make some of your decisions while you are up — and then finding that those “decisions” are the same ones you would have made.
I had a wonderful animal for twenty-six years; a wonderful Hickory animal. It was about half way into my now sixty-six years. And it was long before I was consciously “into training” or reading about training. I merely put hundreds of miles on my wonderful friend Crazy Horse. One day, when he was about eight, someone asked me to help him and his dogs round up some nasty East Texas forest-hidden cows. Suddenly, in front of someone else, it occurred to me that my animal was doing everything “right.” No, he was “anticipating” everything I wanted or hoped he’d do — almost before I wished it, or leaned in that direction.
I supposed I’d NEVER consciously taught him anything — merely “Libertied” him into uniting with my balanced wishes; into falling under me every way I leaned; into cuing me on his next move when he had to jump in front of a calf or hop over a ditch or stop a slide in slippery forage by sitting down.
One PS about ground work: In the mornings very often I’d take my mountain bike out into his eleven acre pasture and pedal as hard as possible around the edge. Don’t know if it was ground work, but Crazy dearly loved to accompany me. He was “free” or “at liberty” to make these rounds. I’ve also jogged with all my horses.
I very much believe in “your” way (the way of Hunt, Dorrances, Brannaman, Hempfling, Nevzorov). It’s the true way of the horse — in which he allows us to become part of his world. There is no freedom or liberty I regard as highly as that invitation. I’ve spent six decades trying to return that honor with respect and a willing sharing of the point of view of the animal who allows me to ride him.
Best,
Lee Schultz
Carlsbad, Texas
January 30th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Hi … Thank you so much for your work and the video. I do very similar things with my horses down in Central Texas. People are amazed at what my horses do at liberty – standing to have their hooves done sans halter, or performing away and back at the gesture of my hand. This is something everyone can do with their horses and it doesn’t take much time. Just the awareness that it can be done. You might notice that horses are herd animals. They are sociable and will work with you if you only have the awareness and willingness. Do one thing. Then another …
January 30th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Stina,
Loved your video… worth a thousand words… this helped me so much to understand the full picture of the exercises….
THank you and keep sending them for all of us to learn!!!!
January 28th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Hello Carolyn,
I didn’t get to sign up for the program for my horse is not ready. But I love all this wonderful advice. I am trying to do some of the Waterhole Rituals with him. Could you please tell me what to do when you are sharing territory and your horse is totally rejecting you. When your done and he still pays no attention to you. How do you leave him? Do you go up and greet him and say good bye. Or do you just leave and say or do nothing. Thank you ~Lisa
January 27th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Hi Carolyn and all, just checking in, thanks for the post.
January 27th, 2010 at 2:54 am
Dear Mary and Regina, thank you so much for your responses. It was a little scary to share the video as I am prone to worrying about ‘doing the right thing’ by Sun, particularly as ‘connection’ and ‘liberty work with horses’ are not common phrases around here; the ‘just get on and ride’ approach is the norm! The support and encouragement of this classroom is so important to me, thank you