As you all know, I am working full time on my next book. Right now, my focus is on compiling the rules and guidelines to follow when using my method.
Rules and guidelines are what makes any method functional. It is all about the dos and don’ts in how to approach a horse. Following the rules judiciously is what creates the success of any method, not just following the rules.
Here are some of my suggested rules and guidelines:
- Wait for the horse to come to you and want to interact before interacting with him; or wait until you feel the bond is mutually shared in the moment.
- Never work a horse in a place he is not comfortable in.
- Never ask for anything until your horse is feeling safe, secure, and willing.
- If you lose willingness, change your approach, and focus on returning the willingness and relaxation.
- When using tack, when a horse resists or pulls, release the contact.
- When using tack, do not pull against resistance, unless you are using it in the Uberstreichen Exercises in a relaxed, benign manner.
- When your horse walks away from you, you walk in the opposite direction, to accommodate his needs.
- Likewise, regarding a horse’s personal space when touching him to accomplish tack adjustments or medication or grooming, when you reach to touch your horse and they draw back, you draw back and do not force your touch.
- Never use the fence to trap or block the horse.
- You can use the fence line to your advantage as a supporting element if it is not used to trap or block the horse.
- Work on what your horse wants to do and stay away from what he does not want to do.
- Use the Waterhole Rituals to warm up the connection and to shape the horse’s character and social behavior toward your leadership.
- Spend as much time sharing space in companionship as you do in training.
- Train in short windows of leadership, and focus on building the horse’s ability to be directed for longer periods.
- Do not drill.
- Do not reprimand for a lack of performance or resistance, only for a lack of focus. Do this only through the third and fourth Rituals.
- Your horse has the right to quit anything they do not resonate to.
- Your horse has no fault insurance.
- You have no fault insurance.
Change the rules if you feel they are unfair to your horse, and work with your own belief system to empower your relationship and dance with them. This is how to be a conscientious caretaker to your horse and your own spirit, to stay within the bond and free spirit of your horse. The focus of your training is always to enhance the well-being of your horse and deepen the connection.
Maybe you would like to share some of the rules that have supported you with the Waterhole Rituals.
Have a great weekend. Remember to watch out for New Horse sightings.
May the spirit of the bond be with you!
Carolyn
No related posts.
Carolyn, I Loved your Waterhole Rituals and Liberty Training DVD’s (just watched it). do you have a dressage DVD? Can’t wait for your book to come out!
BR,
-d
Hi Carolyn,
I have been using the WHR on a new mare who is very frightened of people. Through sharing territory and applying most of the rules and guidelines (gleaned from all of your postings), things are progressing amazingly well.
I was told that she would not allow you to catch her once turned out and to not remove her halter or she could not be caught. Sharing territory and being respectful of her space, allowing her to lead and following her direction have turned things around in a very short time.
She communicates her wishes and seeks connection. She routinely comes into my space when I read in the field. She comes to me when I go to bring her in and companion walks with me in the field. She asks for me to remove her halter when turned out and offers her head when I go to put it back on.
I am constantly humbled and gratified by the trust and affection that she extends to me and I want to pass it all along to you for your generosity of spirit, dedication and leadership of the herd. I am really feeling the spirit of the bond!
Thank you.
Jan
Thank you for that list Carolyn. Many of these things I already practiced before the WRIC. However sharing space in companionship as much as the other rituals or things you do with your horse I have found so valuable.
This has really set the bond with myself and my horses. It’s so cute to be with one horse and have all of the others watching and jostling for the best spot to watch like they are sitting in front of the TV watching a good movie. I feel like putting a bowl of popcorn out for them to munch on while they watch.:-)
I think all of them, but especially
If you lose willingness, change your approach, and focus on returning the willingness and relaxation.
and
Wait for the horse to come to you and want to interact before interacting with him; or wait until you feel the bond is mutually shared in the moment.
Good list, thanks very useful, looking forward to the book
Hi Carolyn,
guess there’s crazy wisdom in slowing down, sharing a beer, shifing the focus, having some fun, and laughing – those mustang’s didn’t stand a chance !!
Bonnie mention this on the WRIC club – here is a link to the “cowboys” version of “sharing territory” – Gals read books, guys play poker – I think these fellows are rephrasing your rules a wee bit
http://www.denstarfarm.us/Denstar%20Web/Trash/Horse/Mustang_Poker.html
I hope this makes you smile, made me laugh out loud !! Thanks, Bonnie
Beth and Cookie,
in Virginia
hi beth, i have seen this page its great, similar Principe, really nice and very different you see from other mustang programs
Thanks Carolyn! These are already on my office pin board with a copy to take down to my yard!
I’m not sure I understand what you mean by the last two guidelines,
Your horse has no fault insurance.
You have no fault insurance.
But if I’ve understood them correctly then I think the most important rule I have made for myself ties in with this. That is, to try to suspend negative judgement indefinitely for both myself and my horse. I try not to conclude that our relationship isn’t working, that she’s bad at this or I’m bad at that and just observe and gently adjust daily. Not sure I’ve explained this very well so I hope that makes some sense!
I too am really hoping to join the In a Box or Insider Circle programme when it starts again. Been reading the blog and kicking myself for missing joining it the last time round!
Dear Kerry,
That is exactly right.
Hope this is of help,
Carolyn
This one has changed so much for me:
–Do not reprimand for a lack of performance or resistance, only for a lack of focus. Do this only through the third and fourth Rituals.
It clarifies so much on how to encourage a free choice willingness to perform, while still maintaining leadership. This is one of my biggest interests and challenges, and this rule helps a lot.
I have a question on it, though. How do you reprimand lack of focus through leading from behind? Is the reprimand simply asking your horse to move away if he doesn’t follow your direction to go right/left/stop when doing it?
Thanks!
Hannah
Dear Hanna,
You are only bringing back the focus in each of these Waterhole Rituals. I made a mistake when I said there was reprimand in the Third and Fourth. What they are is a replacement for reprimand. It is focusing on creating focus, so there is no problem. In Taking Territory, there is consequence for a lack of focus, not a reprimand. Likewise, Leading from Behind is a practice of focus, which returns the horse and removes the resistance. In this Ritual, there is constant direction, but not a constant push. About the direction, you first move the horse in any direction away from you as slow as possible, so you have to be very careful in how you go about asking the horse to move forward from a standstill, then, you can direct the horse in a more specific way.
Carolyn
Carolyn, this is very clear. But now I do have a question, because I was initially surprised that you didn’t include ‘Eye Contact’ in the list of rituals for re-establishing focus (and then I thought, maybe I just had my numbers wrong and you put taking territory and eye contact in there, but then leading from behind would be missing). Anyway, don’t you think that, depending on the mood of your horse and their personality, Eye Contact would be the perfect way of getting focus, especially if they are shy or fearful…..?
Thanks!
Christian
Got it, thank you for the clarification!
Hannah
Hello Carolyn!
-Wait for the horse to come to you and want to interact before interacting with him; or wait until you feel the bond is mutually shared in the moment.
-Never work a horse in a place he is not comfortable in.
-Never ask for anything until your horse is feeling safe, secure, and willing.
These 3 have much meaning for me as I have been working with my 4yr old Micah, to build trust and confidence in me and himself. We have gone from pure panic at him leaving his buddy Moon, to now we are trail riding alone and away from home and he gets more comfortable and willing with each ride. This way of being with horses is exactly what I was searching for.
Love & Blessings
Regina, Moon & Micah
“Wait for the horse to come to you and want to interact before interacting with him; or wait until you feel the bond is mutually shared in the moment.”
This is the one that says it all for me.
The others are good and true, too, but I mostly had them before taking this course, in one form or another. This course has given me a much deeper understanding of how to cause my horses to adopt my ideas as their own, to my joy and, apparently, theirs. The one overriding insight I got from the course is my newfound understanding of the overwhelming power of the pause. I would never have imagined that knowing when — and how — to do nothing is the real secret to success with horses. By “how to do nothing,” I mean that beginning to control my thought patterns as well as my actions has opened up a whole new perspective on how to be effective at being passive.
Hello Carolyn,
I shared the lessons hold by Alessandra in Italy, very good experience!
I’m really happy to know your method!
Bye
Elisa
Dear Carolyn;
I can’t wait for your new book either nor the next session of “in the box” or the “insider circle”. I too am saving up and would like to join your next sessions.
Key has responded so well to the sharing of territory that now she asks to play. I have her halter and her lead rope hanging where she can reach them and when she wants to play she tugs on them. We put them on and work on turns, leading, or I don’t put them on and we just work on companion walking. She still doesn’t get the hang of it, or maybe I am just doing something wrong, because some days she will and some days she won’t. On the days she won’t, I just sit back in my chair and she seems to get all depressed and just hang out.
I am missing a cue or something. It saddens me to see her like that, but I just have no clue what it is she wants to do.
Yesterday, the ferrier came to do her feet and when he was done he said, “I really hate to say anything at all, because most people I work with tend to not feed their horses enough and yours is FAT! I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but your horse is at least 100 pounds over weight. You just love her too much.”
I do love her, but don’t want her to be over-weight. I have changed her eating habits to what he said, but she gets bored and I probably DO use to much hay to passify her.
I started having her canter in the round pen, 10 laps twice a day. Yesterday, being the first day, she did kick up a little letting me know she wasn’t happy about it, so today I brought carrots and after 5 laps I gave her one and after the second 5 laps I gave her the other. She didn’t kick up at all, but when we were done she seemed to have a slight confused look on her face.
What am I doing wrong????
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I just want her to be happy.
Thank you,
Catra
Dear Catra,
I think you haven’t done anything wrong. I think things will iron out. What you are describing sounds like it will be just fine. If you would like a coaching call, we could discuss this in depth.
You can leave me a message here:
http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/info/contact/
Hope that was helpful,
Carolyn
Oh, and I forgot to say, this one is very revolutionary, and has worked wonders for me. Thanks for teaching me this:
* When using tack, when a horse resists or pulls, release the contact.
Christian
Dear Carolyn,
best of luck with your book, and like everybody else, I can’t wait for it to come out.
These guidelines are fantastic in their concision. I want to print them out and distribute them everywhere where there are people with horses in the area…..
All my best,
Christian
This is a very valuable list Carolyn, thank you
!
The following guidelines have made the most important difference for me and my horses:
* Never ask for anything until your horse is feeling safe, secure, and willing.
* If you lose willingness, change your approach, and focus on returning the willingness and relaxation.
* Work on what your horse wants to do and stay away from what he does not want to do.
Unfortunately my English knowledge falls short regarding the ‘no fault insurance’, could you please clarify what that means? Thanks.
I’m so looking forward to your book
!
Excellent guidelines Carolyn.
After years of training the conventional way I began to realise a few years ago that it is actually SO much easier and quicker to teach my horses when they are, as you say “feeling safe, secure, and willing”.
I try to do most things without gear. That way I know instantly if my horse is not happy with the way we are doing things – they move away. I then work on “changing my approach, and focusing on returning the willingness and relaxation”.
I wish more people trained like this and realised just what a difference it can make.
I’m really enjoying your blog post.
Thanks,
Jain.
This is a very helpful post. I will print it and stick up the rules on my fridge. Will you be doing another in the box or insiders circle this year or next? I have been saving so I can afford it next time around.
My most important guideline which I have learned from the WHR is the importance of the magnetic connection developed through sharing space.
Last week, I had friends over to visit. Two of my equine immediately came over to share space in that wonderful meditative place where no one is touching but we are all together. Kaya and Frisco were New Horses!
Dear Carolyn,
Insider Circle
I’d like to tell you about my New Horse sighting this morning.
Elmo was to have his feet trimed at 8 a.m. I was planning on something new, and that was having him trimmed at liberty. On trim days I usually leave him in his half acre paddock, which I call “The Fat Farm,” until after he’s trimmed, instead of turning him out into his three acre field. But not this morning. I let him out for an hour and then it was time to ask him to come back in. I asked. He declined and walked off in the opposite direction. For about five minutes I followed him around the field in dewy, two foot high grass. It was then time to either get the halter, or get more directive as 8 o’clock was closing in. I got more directive and using the reed I asked him to move. He reared and when he came down I sent him off at a canter. At the bottom of the hill he turned around and galloped at full speed back up the hill, into The Fat Farm, whinnying all the way. He was rather full of himself and snorted and pranced around while I got the gate closed. What an invitation to “Go Trot and Come Up.” He came up, and at that point it was time to calm back down. I got the treat bucket and we companion walked some clover leaves around it, came to some halts, and Jerry arrived. Elmo was a star. He stood at liberty for the trimming. After each foot was trimmed I gave him a treat and told him how great he was.
I have never seen him happier.
Hi Carolyn,
thanks for this, it is always good to go back to basics…
I like to think of the process of creating the bond/relationship as ‘building a sand castle, one grain at a time’…
The first & greatest lesson for me (and what makes the WRs so fundamentally different to all that I was taught before) is sharing territory, with no agenda.
Then allowing the horse to ‘initiate’ interaction & being guided by him as to what may or may not be ‘right’ for today.
Practising the WRs has given me so much more confidence & calmness around horses. Not just my own, but all horses, even ‘nervy’ ones!
You often speak of ‘joy’…
nothing gives me more joy than the simple gift of a horse ‘seeking’ my company.
Blessings,
Moyna, Hero, Buddy & Corry (our new herd member)
Dear Jess and Tristan,
I will done with it in December then it will take some time with the publishers.
It am be out in the spring.
Hi Carolyn,
When will your new book be out? I can’t wait to get it!
Thanks,
Jess & Tristan