Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship: Liberty Horse Training

Hi again. I’m glad my post from last week generated so many interesting comments, it’s always good to hear other people’s experiences, isn’t it?

Before I continue with my advice on Stallions and if you haven’t already seen it in the HorseConscious newsletter…

Right, we were talking about Stallions and that they can be difficult to handle, especially if they feel you don’t respect them or you try to lower their position.

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Hello again. Well, my post on Tuesday sure kicked up a bit of a storm judging by all your comments. Thank you so much for these and it’s great to see such lively debate.

I want to make it clear though that I am not condemning the use of round pens entirely. They certainly do have their place in training and I use them extremely regularly. What I am saying is that, in my personal opinion, they are not the place to start building the bond with a horse that I believe is absolutely essential to any sort of shared performance. So let me talk a little about bonding.

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Hello again. Today I would like to talk a little more about treats as it’s one area that seems to cause a lot of people a lot of confusion. When people are having difficulties with using treats, it is always because they haven’t put in place the right foundations.

Treats work for me because I set a strong bond without treats first and then I develop respect with a horse using treats. In formative training, I do not carry treats on me because it helps to keep the horse’s attention on my direction instead of begging. In short, a horse will then perform what I ask without wanting a treat when I don’t carry them with me. A horse will learn respect quickly if you put food on the ground, explain to him that the food is not his and that he needs to look for your direction when he is allowed to eat and when he isn’t, just like a nursing foal. By not having the treats on me, I notice the horse thinking more about his performance and trying to figure out what it is that I am asking him to accomplish and he loses interest in… Read more

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I am not against formulas and lessons in the training of horses and people. I am only against them when they are the only way you go about communicating and the training of horses.

Following formulas blindly, without question and without adjustment, can cause a person to lose their natural leadership ability, which then causes the horse to focus on having to pay attention to the rules rather than focusing on the connection.

I think that it is best for a person to hang around horses and horse trainers to develop a rhythm and a way of being around horses when things are right. I have watched horses being trained by other people for years as one of the many ways I gained my knowledge of horse training. It’s a lot of fun and I can’t think of a faster way to learn how to train a horse than by watching horses in nature and trainers that horses like as a way to develop your skill in the training of horses.

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Hi. I was asked the other day if I could sum up what my Method, DVDs and courses are all about and what makes me different to other horse trainers. So I sat down and tried to condense my philosophy into a few sentences, which wasn’t so easy! Anyway, please find below what I wrote, I hope it resonates with you.

Before we get to that though, I have a small survey it would be great if you could complete so as to give us some feedback. It’s very easy, just check one of the choices and click vote. Thank you.

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Hi. Before we get on to today´s blog post, I just wanted to say “thank you” to all the people who have been posting comments on my blog. Because of my work with horses, community is something that is very important to me and so to see our little community here growing is wonderful. I will endeavour to get back to you on any questions that are raised as we go along.

Right, today´s blog post is a question concerning how to handle a new foal and comes from Nancy who writes:

Hi Carolyn

I have your DVD on the Waterhole Rituals. I wondered if you could give me some tips on how to handle a new foal. We have a one week old foal who is so cute but he is already charging us, then turning and kicking out towards us and he is trying to nip. He is quite a handful. We aren’t sure what to do so he trusts us and wants to approach us but stop the inappropriate and potentially dangerous behavior. Also, is there anything you recommend teaching young foals?

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Hi. Today’s blog post is a question from Dee in California about the difference between respect and dominance with your horse. Dee writes:

To me, as a new horse owner, there is a fine line between gaining respect and being dominant. I really don’t understand the difference. When I try to get my horse to stand still by the round pen railing so I can mount him bareback, he either steps backwards or swings his hindquarters away from the fence. Every time he moves away, I send him out for a few more rounds in each direction and then finally he remains still so I can mount him. I feel like I am scolding him for not doing what I asked him to do. I don’t enjoy making him work so hard, but it seems like it is the only way to accomplish what I am trying to do. My horse is like a puppy. He is my new best friend and he is adorable. I have never been happier. Do I have to be dominant in order to gain respect?

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