Let’s look at how the magnetic connection with your horse and your leadership role work together to bring about a magical performance at Liberty.

Let’s first look at the dance with your horse as a spontaneous one.  A spontaneous dance is not a dance of predator and prey; it is not a dance of rivals; it is not a dance of a trained bear.   A spontaneous liberty dance is a dance of meaningful friendship that is special between horse and human, where the horse is drawn to follow the leadership of his human partner.

A trained dance differs from a spontaneous dance in that the horse and human are more focused on the performance. The dance does not arise out of them from the magnetism they offer to one another.  A spontaneous dance needs a clear leader that can follow and lead to be able to keep the dance alive. Like playing with a cat with a string, your role is to lead the cat by making the string come alive in a way that would attract the cat. The cat wants you to lead his dance and there must be a bond first for the cat to trust you enough … Read more

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A Powerful Ritual -

What I am going to share with you is a story from my book that I decided not to publish. This chapter is on Sharing Territory, the most powerful Ritual of my program because of the magic that has come from it.  This is where bonded relationships develop with horses without any effort and people become better leaders.  There is a deep awareness that opens the door to leadership behaviors that are more effective and desirable.

I also want to point out something that people are still a bit confused about. Your horse may never come to you while Sharing Territory. However, Sharing Territory still grows the connection no matter what. The shear act of Sharing Territory will create as much magic with your horse whether he is at your side or he never acknowledges you. It is about the evolution of Sharing Territory and becoming connected through sharing vibrations that the moment and territory create in you and your horse. The horse is completely aware that you feel a bond towards him by Sharing Territory. This cases the horse to then bond to you.

I Want to Share a Story with You -

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What approach do you use with your horse when leading with a halter and rope?

Have you ever thought about how the influence of tack affects your relationship with your horse? When using tack, many times a person will catch their horse as quickly as possible with no thought to rekindling the friendship and the horse’s desire to stick to you and follow your lead. A reason that this can happen is from thinking that the halter and rope will create the connection you need with your horse.

Tack can create sloppy connections with your horse. Think about it: If you took off the halter would you still be able to lead your horse and keep him at your side? If you can, it came from your attention to the relationship and the bond minutes before you put it on. What would your horse do if you took off his halter? Most likely you would no longer be able to lead your horse anywhere. But, if you have worked your horse at Liberty first without tack to gain the Magnetic Connection in Companion Walking, using tack would be a benefit rather than a device that enslaves the horse.

Tack can … Read more

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When working with the nature of horses you do not need to “get it done” to advance your horse’s training. Evolution will do it for you. Nature is always working for us if we can be in tune with it.

Removing the Focus on Force

The celebrated method of horse training in this country is based on making the thing you want the horse to do easy and the thing you do not want him to do hard. This method does not taking advantage of the evolution of a symbiotic bond and connection between horses and humans in the training of the horse.

In this method, a horse cannot get out of the “bind” the trainer creates until the desired result is obtained. This approach does not take the time to shape the horse’s behavior to have a desire to do something, that at first, he would not what to do. If the horse is allowed to stop his lesson and guide his human partner towards a fair and equitable relationship, the horse is shown more respect and this is the way we would all want to be treated.

To persist and force that a horse must do what he … Read more

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It is one week since my dear students completed the Beyond the Waterhole Ritual Clinic here at the Dances with Horses ranch in California. As I think back to the events of the week I am reminded that the learning continues well beyond the clinic dates. I am delighted to share your journey of connecting with your horses, yourself and the present moment.

Health and Horses

The energy the class brought made my teaching job a joy. Thank you for your interest to dig in deeper with my method and your unique skills you shared with me. What was challenging for me was that I had a cold that really slowed me down. I ran a temperature throughout the whole clinic. The good new is I was very happy with the over all material that we covered. I was very impressed with the skills of this group of students. What I noticed is that everyone had a wonderful connection with horses that was enhanced from my teachings and influence from the online classes. I was also pleased how people who had little horsemanship practice were as capable as the professionals were.

I was also pleased in how the class responded … Read more

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Wondering how to begin Liberty Dancing with Your Horse?

The “Beyond the Waterhole Rituals” students of 2011 will show you… it is easy, you begin with a smile and “Step By Step”… We’ve just finished the “Beyond The Waterhole Rituals” clinic and would love to share the week in photos with you… horse meditations, single lining, Nia body awareness dance classes, new friends, wild horses, liberty dancing, inspiration and lots of laughter.

Beyond The Waterhole Rituals Class of 2011

Magnetic Bond with Rosalie

Taking Territory ~ Reed Game

Liberty Dancing with Rosalie

Nia Body Awareness Dance Class

Chip & Page ~ Wild Horses Nap Time

Carrot Game

Liberty Dancing with Rosalie

Single Lining

Keeping the Magnetic Connection even AFTER tack comes into play…

Till next week… Remember to watch out for new horse and human sightings and may the horse be with you,

Warmly,

Carolyn… 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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