Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship Blog: Horse Training from the ground up

It’s really touching that people have been responding so deeply on the subject of such a small issue regarding a horse being so unwilling to have a halter put on, or the horse being so freaked out about the need to rip away from a human, because of the distasteful feeling of being with a human.

I appreciate that many people are willing to take the long journey to build a relationship with a horse as Robin and Carry have done with Pony.

In the traditional programs of leaning how to fix problems with horses, the problem gets fixed from an overall system and does not take in to consideration of the needs of the individual horse and human. Recently I watched a Youtube of a horse, he has a similar problem as Pony, not as bad, but still a problem of putting a bridle. The method just used force and persistence at the time the horse was fighting to get away.

I am working on my book and I just finished my prologue and what I wrote really pertains to the subject of how to approach really big problems such as with Cary’s experience with her horse. It requires… Read more

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Carey Sweet rescued “Pony” from the race track. He was to be euthanized. She had rescued other track horses before and welcomed him into her life. In spite of her best efforts, his head shyness and jumpy reactions to movements or being touched escalated over the 7 years she owned him. She left a breakaway halter on because she couldn’t take it off without him exploding. Even unclipping the lead rope would throw him into a panic. Whenever he was loose he was nearly impossible to catch unless he was ready to come in for dinner. The situation became increasingly worse, as she didn’t have enough information about how to help him past his fears. After he panicked and crushed her mother into the wall of the stall, breaking her leg, Carey felt desperate. A respected source referred her to Robin Gates who’s work is based on my Method.

After 2 hours of trying to connect with him, Robin advised Carey to have an experienced body worker visit Pony because of the injuries he had inflicted on himself in his outbursts and then bring him to her ranch.

The first days at the ranch were spent simply being with him… Read more

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To understand the Waterhole Rituals and how the pecking order of horses function in a way that brings about the well-being of the herd, even to support the weakest individual, we need to look at the conditions that exist in nature that create herd behavior.

For horses to survive in nature, they need to stay in a herd. What prevents horses from beating up on each other is the need to stay together for their safety, as well as the open spaces that they live in, which give them freedom to choose who stays in the herd, and who goes. If a horse is too self-serving and aggressive, the herd has the ability to banish them. Likewise, a horse can only join a herd when they show they can fit in harmoniously.

I have never cared for referring to the pecking order of horses. I prefer to call it picking order. One of the main reasons family bands get established is a stallion’s need to win the favor of a mare so that she will go off and form a new band with him. In the beginning of a relationship, as these bands are being formed, the stallion must put… Read more

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WORKING WITH THE WATERHOLE RITUALS: RULES AND GUIDELINES

As we go along, you will learn many ways in which your approach can affect the relationship you share with a horse. The rules of your behavior will change according to whether your horse approaches you, or you approach your horse.

The rules for working at liberty to bring about a true instinct in a horse to want to bond and stay with you are:

1. If the horse does not like the direction that he is given, he goes away, signaling you to stop your interactio
2. To reconnect, you must seek permission to enter the horse’s personal space through the Hello Ceremony.
3. If the horse objects by walking or running away from you, you must then go away, giving the horse time to naturally choose to reconnect.
4. When you direct a horse when you are in his personal space, it should always be a request, and if he doesn’t respond to it, you drop the subject and walk away.
5. If a horse walks up to you and steps into your personal space you can be more assertive
6. If you are too assertive, your horse will leave you and you

… Read more

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Today I am sharing another question from my Insider Circle program. This is a common beginning experience. The student writes:

Three times I have attempted the circle game with my horse. The first time he behaved liked he invented the game. I thought, “This is easy.”

The second day with the circle game when I moved him off his hay he would walk a few steps forward then circle to my side and stand there looking at me. I would have felt bad chasing him off after he faced up to me, so I rewarded him instead. But, I worried that he thought that is what I wanted.

Then today when we were going to play the circle game I attempted to move him off his hay, he walked off in the opposite direction of the hay piles and stood about fifty feet from me, looking at me.

Looked to me like he didn’t want to play. So, I fed him carrots instead. I fed him carrots when he came up to me, then I chased him away and fed him carrots for moving away.
So, what do you think?

So let me first explain what the circle game… Read more

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Today your blog is a slightly edited excerpt from the comments section. I want everyone to read it that is in the Insider Circle and In a Box programs.

Many of you are leaving kindergarten with your horse and moving into first grade. In kindergarten, the focus is more on learning the method and developing the bond and respect and the heartfelt strings of connection. Many of you in the classes are now ready to focus on perfecting your body language and leadership ability with your horse, as you develop the dance in companion walking and liberty dancing to music as a guide. This letter will help everyone that is at this stage.

Do not try this until you can work your horse in a larger space successfully producing the results of each ritual; until you and your horse have become deeply bonded, and you have developed the magnetic connection both in walk and trot. The reason for this is, when you are working with your horse in a smaller place in the beginning, you will use the fence line to influence him when you shouldn’t. Small places are too intimidating for a horse in the beginning of his training.… Read more

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Expectations be gone!!

I have gone from ice boxes to refrigerators, from fans to air conditioners, from wild horses to Arabians and back.

I have experienced closets in homes three feet wide as being more that enough room, to walk in closets as big as rooms not big enough. I have experienced a running hose in the backyard at 100 degrees in the desert with my Mother’s dish pan as my pool and the hose as my fountain. Today I have a friend whose swimming pool rivals that of a theme park. I am now living in a culture that is less satisfied, where the games are only focused on being competitive. I prefer games that are creative and bring communities together working on a creative project or dance.

Today I love to watch cooking shows because of the art and culture of it and the history and the way to bring joy to friends though cooking.

All the shows are a contest built on speed and performance and frustration. Yes, frustration is part of the show and if frustration was not there, the show might be considered boring. It seems that frustration is a good thing in all… Read more

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