Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship: Liberty Horse Training

I am really excited! I am taking a new horse “Chip” in training for my project horse for the Insider Circle and Extended Circle Program that will be starting this spring on April16th, 2011.  The official announcement will be soon, and that is when you will be able to register for those of you who are interested. The Insider Circle will be open to 40 students in two separate classes, and the Extended Circle program will be open to everyone. You will get to read all about the course details soon.

Back to Chip!

Chip is a yearling wild horse that was taken from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s band of wild horses in the North Dakota Badlands. He was three months old when he was taken from his mother. He had pneumonia and had to be nursed back to health. In the process of his recovery, he developed orphan foal syndrome. He lost his social skills and instincts he was born with from too much human handling to get him well. It will be my job to raise him back to what his natural behavior would have been.

Natural Instincts

When a foal is born, he is born with… Read more

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Second Annual Free Course, Winter 2011

Welcome to week 5!

What we have accomplished up to this point is that your horse can stand on a dropped line or without a line, and will stay in place while you walk around him to the right. (This is the beginning of you horse learning to stay in tune with you without governing his performance. You are creating a horse to be more responsible and in self control.  For a horse to do well in self-carriage, your horse will need the desire to follow your request, and then carry out what you ask of him without your constant direction.)

What we have also accomplished now is that your horse will allow you to take a floating hold, and that your horse will drop his head down at any lower level you ask for. (It is important that your horse is willing to put his head in a lower frame anywhere you request it to go, and hold it there in a natural way.)

So far in this exercise you are getting the horse to unlock the base of the neck where the neck ties into the shoulders. You are not yet… Read more

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Back at the desk again after our 10-day WRIC and In the Box Program’s First Annual Beyond the Waterhole Rituals™ clinic with nine students. It was an amazing journey! The group was focused, understanding, nurturing, happy, supportive and very willing. I am sure you who were in the clinic are safely back home. I am still resting up. Thank you for bringing your smiling faces and opens hearts.

Over the 10 days, we learned more about who we are, and how we as individuals want to go about approaching our horses, each other, and our lives ahead.

The art of horsemanship starts every day rather than being found at the end of the journey. My Method is so different that it takes some time to catch on in how to train a horse without tack and only in the moments of connection without repromand. Everyone in the class was really comfortable with my method. I was very impressed.

Liberty Training, a word I coined, is a training method that begins at liberty rather than a method of training that ends at liberty. It starts with the first breath, and at the moment you and your horse are in the same… Read more

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I can’t believe how much fun we have all been having during this Beyond the Waterhole Rituals™ Clinic! The other day we had the opportunity to visit the ranch of a dear friend of mine, Linda Harris. The following photos that I am sharing with you were taken at her beautiful ranch with her wonderful Thoroughbreds! Thank you Linda for giving us this very special opportunity!

As the photos show, our weather has been truly spectacular! You can see the beautiful sunlight that seemed to gently touch everything around us with a sparkling golden hue. Everything was perfect- from the crispness of the air, to the excellent Companion Walking dance that we shared- it was one of those days that I know I will never forget.

I would also like to share a poem that Kathy Cavanah wrote during our poetry break out session. Thank you Kathy for sharing your inspiring words!

Elmo and the Bucket Game by Kathy Cavanah

The bucket’s there,
I stand and stare.
I want to move
but I don’t dare.

I’m on my spot,Read more

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Hope you all are staying warm and enjoying the holidays! We are in full swing of the WRIC and In–the-Box Program’s Beyond the Waterhole Rituals™ Clinic and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you! Our weather has been great! We have not had any rainfall, and some days have actually been T-Shirt weather. Sometimes we have to bundle up in the morning, but then it warms right up. The girls in the clinic inspire me to work till the sun goes down! As for our daily activities, we have started with morning meditations and Sharing Territory ™. Then we go into Liberty Dancing, Uberstriechen Exercises, and Single Lining. My horse Liberty has had the opportunity to demonstrate the Dinner and Dancing room as well! Alessandra’s horse Rosalie has been the star teacher! I think we are all having a great time- I know I am, and so are the ponies! I am amazed at how fast the class is learning. The Insider Circle and the new Extended Circle program for next year, is definitely the way to go. We are getting rid of the name “In the Box” program – nobody wants to be in a box!… Read more

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I am once again sharing a letter from one of my Insider Circle Students. I am sure most of us can identify with her observations.

Dear Carolyn,
Thank you for your reminder to us on Monday’s call about how subtle and important intention is when we are with our horses.

When I first was leasing Yowahtee, I was purely in that place of making it all about him. That was how I dreamed having a horse would be and I was continuously thrilled having him in my life. That has not changed after proudly becoming his person and spending the last couple years with him.

In the beginning, others said my first horse should be such and such, and he should not have any lameness issues, perhaps should be older than 5+ years, etc…however, I persisted because this horse deserved to be loved, as every horse does, and I felt a deep connection with him. I had his teeth done, sheath cleaned, nearly fused hocks injected, and tried chiropracty and accupuncture to help the front leg issue…it was expensive, but it worked. I believed in him and saw the treasure within. I was involved with him because of

… Read more

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Sorry we missed posting on Thanksgiving! We hope you shared some lovely quality time with your family and your horse! Today I wanted to share a story from one of my Insider Circle students, she writes…..

HI Carolyn,

I just wanted to share with you what happened today with my horse Jeri. Jeri is a Thoroughbred/Trakhener and about 15 years old and he came to me as a green broke 10 year old. I bought him to show him in dressage which I did successfully. He is the kind of horse who will to do what you want when tethered to you but he never really had his heart in his work.

When time permits I have been doing the WR with him, so about 2-3 times a week since the WRIC course started in April.

Today as I shared territory he stood in front of my chair, relaxed for 5-10 minutes. He spent a few minutes with his nose touching mine just breathing in and out with my breath. It was a very magical moment.

Later I did some companion walking. He just connects to me as soon as I get off my chair and start walking. After a

… Read more

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