Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship: Liberty Horse Training

Hello. I will be doing one more Uberstreichen Excercise in this series before we take a break to give you some more time to work with them. I’ll then be doubling back round for the sake of any new readers to the blog and revisit the Waterhole Rituals in the run up to the new Insider Circle Class.

So today I thought it might be fun to share with you some of the videos I’ve received from students who have been working with the Uberstreichen Exercises. You will see a variety of styles and responses from the horses. Some of the videos you may have seen but the feeling and the technique will be different between these videos. These clips help you see the ease and pace you are working toward.

And to whet your appetite for the Waterhole Rituals, here are a couple of videos from the last class:

If you’ve been working with either the Uberstreichen Exercises or the Waterhole Rituals, please let us know about your experiences. This should make for another a great discussion!

Have a lovely weekend!

Carolyn

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Today I would like to share with you a video by one of my students using the Uberstreichen Exercises. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This video clip I made yesterday.

I put the camera up in a tree and started. Before starting I have been reading on Carolyn’s UE Thursday blog and I had printed out the first two exercises and read them over a couple of times and also watched Farah’s and Carolyn/Alexandra’s videoclips on UE. So after the theoretical preparations, I did the mental preparations which was to clear my mind. I clear my mind by watching some video clips of horses, it can be the Unbridled Spirit Videos or listening to a few music pieces. I did not watch the Waterhole reflection DVD yet of Carolyn, but this is the kind of video you can use to clear your mind.

You may notice in the video that I am not distracted of the other horses and I am very focused on what I am doing. My mind is right there 100%. Through my journey so far with Carolyn, one thing that has surprised me the most is how much of what you

… Read more

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Hello. So sorry if you were expecting a blog post yesterday but it was one of those days and I didn’t get round to finishing this till late. Anyway, here is the fourth Uberstreichen Exercise for you to have a go at.

Before I get into it though, each time you practice the exercises, start them from the beginning and do them in order. Remember your horse needs to be willing and in a good mood before you start. Before I start training, I spend at least 15 minuets Sharing Territory with my horse in whatever place he is kept. This way the glue and the connection is always re-established. Stand in front of your horse on a dropped line when you begin each session. Pause for at least a minute and then walk around your horse. If your horse begins to walk off, take the rope and lead him back to the spot he was standing. Hold him for a moment and then release him the moment he is still and say “whoa”.

So, the fourth Uberstreichen Exercise is done like the third exercise with an addition of a halt when you are asking the horse to carry his… Read more

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This was a very good question from Elizabeth in Thursday’s classroom and I thought it would be useful to share my answer with you too.

Elizabeth’s question was how the 7 steps of liberty training I taught in my first video Liberty Training are related to the Waterhole Rituals. Well, the short answer is that they are basically the same although I have obviously continued to develop my Method a great deal since that first video came out. For example, the 7 steps of liberty training I taught back then didn’t incorporate treats as a training aid and the video did not go into as much detail and had fewer related programs.

I realized over many years that I needed to give people more information on how to use my Method because most people have little practice in interacting with a horse without fences or tack. I needed to find a way to give the horse more reason to want to connect with a human and “food” was the answer. By introducing the use of treats, it helped to develop the bond and keep the horse motivated to figure out what the person might want when the person was… Read more

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The purpose of the third UE exercise is to teach your horse to lower is head while he is walking. The third exercise is done in the same manner as the second exercise. You will start each day with the first exercise and then when it feels good you move on to the second exercise. When you feel the horse is really connected and listening to your “rein aids,” which are the requests you give your horse through the halter and the rope, you then move to the third exercise.

Start yourself and your horse in “companion walking” on a none influencing looped line on a 20-meter circle. Do some walk-halt requests to get the connection in rhythm and team work going between you. Halt about every 10 feet. When your horse would slow down and speed up with you in companion-walk without the influence of the rope, you can begin the next part of the third exercise. While you maintain a steady speed in walk ask your horse to lower its head while he is walking in the same way you did the second exercise. Lower you head and tuck your nose a bit and request that your horse… Read more

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I’ve had a change of heart. I previously said you should master one exercise before moving on to the next. However, as the second Uberstreichen Exercise is a lot easier to do than the first, I’d like you to give it a try to see how your horse responds, even though he may not yet be able to do everything I mentioned with the first exercise.

When you read about this second exercise though, it will seem easy to do but don’t be surprised to find out that your horse will need training and practice. Please do not get frustrated and quit. At first, your horse may do the exercise easily but be a little harder to control. It is part of the process so be prepared.

You can do both the first and second exercises at the same time. The second I believe will help you to complete the requirements of the first.

We are going to add another 10 minutes to your exercises. As you advance, no more time will be added to your practice time. Remember as you are practicing the exercises to continue to do your usual program of riding and training with or without tack.… Read more

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For anybody coming in to my blog for the first time, I welcome you.

Thursday’s blog is my classroom on the Uberstreichen Exercises, the exercises that I offer are a system of training horses to be able to create collection when you ride and to introduce tack and rein aids. You can go back through the blog and find the start of this class. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.

Continuing with the program…

After having worked with the first Uberstreichen Exercise for a month, on a regular basis for 10 minutes a day, and that you feel that you have received a great deal of benefit, you are ready to move on to the Second Uberstreichen Exercise. Before I give you the next exercise, on next Thursday, I want to further explain some details in what we are achieving through their practice, and what benefits you need to have received from the first exercise.

1. Your horse is more trusting.

2. Your horse is willing to allow you to hold on to both sides of the halter, in a free-floating hold that asked nothing from the horse.

3. Your horse allows you to… Read more

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