I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day.

I would also like to thank all of you for reading my blog and supporting me as you have.

I do not have a lot to say this time.  I am busy getting ready for the December Clinic and my mother hurt her wrist and needs my help getting around right now. We thought it was broken, but it is likely a sprain and she is healing very fast. By the time the clinic gets here, she will be fine.  If you have anything you want to share with me this holiday season, I would love to answer any questions on horses or would be happy to hear any stories you would like to share.

I do have a message though for today

We have several people who are sending in videos to get qualified for the Bitless Dressage Course that have not yet taken a course on the Waterhole Rituals with me. This is a prerequisite that I forgot to mention. I apologize for not stating this earlier. I am not just teaching how to ride bitless as a way to avoid a bit, but my course is about developing … Read more

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I have been having so much fun back at my ranch training horses with Kai. We have been training from the ground with tack for preparing a horse to be ridden bit-less. We are working with Honey and Maestro. I want to share with you these lessons.

If you are a new reader and have any questions let me know so you can better understand the lessons on bit-less riding. My method offers a unique approach with horses from the very beginning, working first at liberty in an open field or arena rather than a round pen.

The other unique thing about my method is that the rules I follow training horses are different. Most every method agrees to the same rules in how to approach a horse, but almost all the rules you will be following with my method are different. Here is one way in which they are different.

When a horse looses interest or you hit resistance rather than asking again and again until you get what you want, you change the subject to something that your horse would rather do. You never force your horse to give up his resistance or pay any attention to it.

… Read more

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My Clinic with Ruella Yates
I have not done a Waterhole Rituals clinic away from home for some time. Going to Ruella Yates Spirit Horse Ranch in Oklahoma City was a great adventure; it was a very nurturing event for me.  Yes it was cold but I was able to dress warm enough.  Karen Corn and her husband Tony brought heaters for the guests. Thank you for your contribution! It was greatly appreciated. I felt the clinic would go well but not as well as it did or that I would have so much fun! I would like to do more clinics like this one on the same intimate level that was built around bonding and performance.

What I Offer:
I feel what I offer to people in my clinics is important in regards to training a horse without insistence, force or entrapment.  Giving freedom to the horse and allowing the horse to begin a relationship with you offers a path that is eye opening in how easy it is to train a horse and how willing and smart horses are when we allow a horse time to process and … Read more

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Carolyn, When you asked me to write this piece for your blog, my heart rate went up a few beats and it felt like all the blood was being pushed straight up to my head. It’s been such an intense journey and my head felt like it was going to explode just thinking about all the things that have happened to me and my horse Abby. You asked me to include some information about Abby’s past and I thought long and hard about how to word it without making her sound like the terrible horse she probably never was. The memories are still fresh but they are being overwritten by new ones every day.

Abby’s attitude change has been remarkable; even non-horse friends notice the difference. Abby now greets people with a smile instead of a sour face and a threatening look. She is less defensive about her body and is even starting to enjoy a good scratch and a hug. She has started to call out at me, which is very special because she has never been a very vocal kind of horse. In fact, I was not even sure what her voice sounded like (it’s heavy; like her … Read more

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Here is what several students have asked me to write a blog about: Taking Territory – the 3rd Ritual of the Waterhole Rituals:
Taking Territory creates respect and raises your position in the pecking order. You can gain the right of passage to be accepted in the horse world as a leader. Taking Territory is not about chasing a horse around; it is about Taking Territory away from a horse.

All animals in nature experience the loss of territory in social interactions and it is what builds their character and social behavior to fit in and be responsible in the community. You can Take Territory easily with a horse by surprising him in order to initiate his flight response.

The Proper Guidance:

Taking Territory Ritual is a ritual which is seldom used without my guidance and that is a good thing. In most cases it would not be applied in the way it needs to be applied without proper coaching. You do not need it at all in order to train a horse with my method, though it does have a strong purpose. In Taking Territory the horse is never touched, but only encouraged to move forward by being surprised. … Read more

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There is a time for everything…
With horses, as with life, there is a time to lead, connect, direct and a time to pause. Just like on the potter’s wheel when you are at the right moment and you choose to influence the clay, things work. When we were children this seemed to be natural. So, how did we loose this ability to be in tune with life and with horses? Haven’t you noticed the natural connection a child shows around horses? Shouldn’t we know how to throw a pot because we have a natural ability to make adjustments and a natural ability to know how to work with the unknown? Shouldn’t we be comfortable working with the unknown?

How did we loose that naturalness in how to fit in and influence others to want to help us and follow our lead?
What happened is that we turned into bullies. When we want something, we feel we are entitled to it. Bullies do not need to adjust to the feelings of others. Bullies even enjoy the resistance that they create. You can see that in the horse community. Bullies don’t want to consider the feelings of a horse or work … Read more

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The Online Waterhole Rituals Course
If your horse could talk I’ll bet he would say, “Please let’s take the course so we can get to know each other better, where we both can get to be our authentic selves, so we may dance at Liberty effortlessly, easily and naturally”.

We still have a few seats available in my next online courses on the Waterhole Rituals. We only have 10 seats available for the Insiders Circle. In the Extended Circle we are already over half full. Both classes start July 22nd. We would love to have you join us.

From the positive feedback we have received, the course is a wonderful medium for everyone to learn the Waterhole Rituals. My program is created to support and enhance all equestrian pursuits.

You and your horse will share bonding rituals natural to horses to deepen the connection and enhance the performance of your horse. These rituals, when shared by humans and horses, develop an ability to match each others movements like a mirrored reflection. It is the most nurturing dance you can experience with a horse from the ground. Your movements become one with a horse without training and without thought. It is … Read more

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