How to use the Waterhole Rituals
Jul 2nd, 2009 by Carolyn Resnick Method
The definition of a spiritual connection is that when the mind, bond and soul is entirely shared in the moment with your horse in a bonded connection in harmony and unity. Please do not use the Waterhole Rituals until you understand how to apply them and their purpose.
There are seven heartfelt strings of connection.
1. Bond
2. Trust
3. Respect
4. Willingness
5. Focus
6. Magnetic Connection
7. Desire and energy necessary for dancing.
For example in the last step if your horse is really too relaxed and not paying attention, then work him fast with you at a moments notice following your lead. Alternatively, if working fast would make him nervous because he is too hyper then his energy needs to be aligned.
When you go to your horse with my program you first must be in the moment and wait until you are completely balanced with no thought of the past or future outside of the territory you are sharing with your horse. You open your awareness to everything in the moment and the changing conditions that occur like a lead horse would. To get in a state of mind like a lead horse causes a horse to respect you from your focus and state of being. This is so important to understand and powerful.
At this time, evaluate your horse and what he is feeling in the moment towards you. Check the heartfelt strings of connection and identify the ones that are missing. Begin to repair them using the appropriate Waterhole Rituals to mend the string of connection that is not vibrating. Your horse is ready to step into your program for the day whether riding, training, or dancing with your horse at liberty once all the strings are vibrating between you. As a leader, you need to follow these rules to maintain the connection when you go to ride and train with tack.
There are two sets of rules you must follow one for the Waterhole Rituals and one for riding and training.
The rules for the Waterhole Rituals are:
- The horse must pay attention to you and must respect your direction and do what you ask if he choose to be in your territory
- You must pay attention to your horse and must respect his direction if you choose to be in your horse’s territory
- You must respect your horse’s personal space
- Your horse must respect your personal space
- If you walk up to your horse, you must follow his direction
- If your horse walks up to you, he must follow your direction
- You must give your horse your full attention at all times
- Your horse must give you his full attention at all times
The rule for riding and training is:
- Do not force your horse to do something he does not want to do
Riding and training is a self-serving act and you must always have your horse’s approval to participate. Think ahead and ask yourself the question. Will my horse do what I am going to ask him to do easily? If the answer is no, then don’t ask. Your job is to keep leading in every moment of your agenda and to pick the activity you know your horse will do and stay away from what you think he might not like. If you make a mistake and loose any of the heartfelt strings of connection then stop your agenda and repair the relationship. This is best done by asking your horse to stand still for while and relax on a dropped rein, until he is happy. Then reconsider how to get on a better program with your horse. Ask him to do something you know he would do and then build your horse up to more challenging exercises by asking for mostly easy stuff with a little harder things when he is in the right state of mind to try them.
The following might be a useful template you could follow when training.
- 3% of the time on activities your horse finds difficult to perform
- 10% of the time on activities your horse would rather not do and would not resonate with
- 2% of the time on new activities
- 85% of the time on activities your horse knows well and enjoys
Mix the activities up to give variety to the program. These percentages can change a lot but consider them in some form.
Have a lovely weekend
Carolyn
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I’ve just started working with my girls and I’m already seeing such a difference in how they react to me. Lots of times I feel like I’m doing everything all wrong, but yet it’s coming together. I wish I had the money to purchase more of your training, but right now have to stick with what I have which is your liberty training dvd. thanks for you online training, it helps me tremendously!
Susan
Hi Carolyn,I am so pleased with how my horse and I are communicating with no words spoken.I am a beginner using these methods and feel very confident with the education I am learning.I am about to start a new journey with my Arabian mare is terrified of other horses..I am very excited,thank you so much for sharing your gift with all of us
J.Bacon
Hello,
I am just discovering all this great information & material about the Waterhole Rituals, Uberstreichen Exercises, & working at Liberty.
I have been trying collect postings, & arrange them into an organized semblance, but this has been difficult to do, as I have to keep looking backwards, for the beginning of threads of thought.
I am hoping for a book on the Waterhole Rituals, which I understand is coming out soon? Also, is there a video of the whole sequence?
What about a course? Where do I go for dates of clinics/courses offered?
Thanks so much, Carolyn. You have really pushed my attitude about relating to horses in a more positive direction!! Now I need to learn the Method.
Sincerely,
Patti
Carolyn, This is my first time on your web site and Im really enjoying all that I read. I would like to thank you, for seeing the horse for who they really are. I really believe it takes being present and aligned, spiritually, emotionally,and mentally for us to succeed with our horses. One thing I have not see yet here on your page….and then again I have not read your books or watched any videos…but something that has helped me immensely with my horse is…..the quote…” BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE”. If we pay attention to our horse… they mirror us. For those of us that are brave enough to look deeply into the horse also see ourselves. I just thought I would mention this because it has helped me so much with understanding why my horse does certain things or for me to be more present.
Love your great work you are doing! Thank you for the blogs.
wow, its a great post Carolyn
Hello,
I really enjoy reading about your work with horses. I had horses for a long time however there was a time lapse between those horses and the one I have now. What is different is he picked me. About a year and a half ago we met. He walked up to me while being shown by his owners and looked me straight
in the eye , when I turned he was right there next to me and we walked side by side around the indoor. He had issues but today he has become one of the most fantastic horse I have ever known. One of the things that you mentioned is never make a horse do what he does not want to do. With my horse I have won him over because I show him what I want him to do asking him so he understands but never go any faster that he wants. I have always done it on his terms with good results. This has always been the way from the start of my relationship with him. I am so priveleged , it is a two way street. He shows me , I listen. I talk and he listens.We both learn at the same time.
P.S. The post WAS yet again amazing and so clear, despite the ‘rules’ issue, and if you wrote that in a hurry, it’s no wonder we all want you as our distant on-line mentour! For instance it’s the first time it’s ever been made clear to me about how the horse directs when you approach him/her and you direct whe he/she approaches you. I kind of know that, and yet having that made clear means i can bring that clarity into my sessions, sometimes it pays to make the instictive concsious.
I wonder if language (verbal) is something that can be limiting when trying to describe the meaningful bond between horse and human. I always thought the word ‘method’ to be limiting in a world where i believe we should be working in liquid form, using creativity and spontinatity yet inside safe and humane bounderies. I always thought that the ‘Carolyn Resnick Method’ was more like a non-method because of the way it allows for the unexpected – which is the reason i am drawn to it. But it is called a method and i just accept that as a framework for the ‘rituals’ which is a more free-flowing word and implies something repeated yet allows for the spontanious…hmmm.
So i see it as a non-methodised methodolgy method????? Sorry…
Allright I was figuring it was simply just a misunderstanding and that “rules” were being implied more as common sense and meant as if you probably didn’t use theses other little rituals for this method more than likely you could be heading for a untrue connection. When I saw it though I just had to scratch my head at the choice of word. But I still got the message you were trying to cross, I was actually taking some time today to review the waterhole rituals with both my horses. They both knew what to do and (laughs) I didn’t have to spend more than an hour or two in the chair before I finally got up to say one quick hello. “Saying hello” has got to be my favorite ritual out of them all and I love the respect their comes inbetween it and the boundaries it gives you so you don’t ever get tempted to reveal yourself as a predator. Hey Carolyn I want to ask is that frequently my filly *Jewel* has been really mouthy and I can feel the tension in my body when I see her teeth chomping at the base of my skin, I am really not bad with a horse nuzzling but she wants to bite! I keep asking her to go away but when she does walk away she comes back and will nuzzle a bit then teeth my hand a lot then finally bites. How should I solve this??? Should I just keep up with taking territory, should I get more dramatic with it?
Daer Kathy,
What did you ask?
I am still working on the first ritual with Amber. I have spent time in the pasture with all the horses (only Amber is ‘my’ horse). So far, an elderly POA mare has come over and stood with her muzzle on my knee for 15+ minutes; a young molly mule has hung around where I am reading; a yearling has come in close but backed off when I asked. Amber grazes nearby but does not hang out. If the others move on, Amber goes with them.
Amber will come to me if I have not been seen for a few days. She will walk over to the gate with me, go through, and dive into the lawn grass –
Knowing some of her background and the struggles we had over driving, I suspect Amber’s bond will be a long time coming.
Thoughts welcome
Kathy
Dear Amber,
I agree with you on my next reading and I will rewrite them.
I did write them harshley and thank you for pointing that out.
Sorry everyone. I was in a hurry when I posted this today.
Amber maybe you would like to help me with this rewrite.
If not I will post them again with a better voice.
Thank you for sharing your valid point.
Dear Amber,
You never want to use a rule if it gets in the away of your relationship even these rules.
I belive it is common sense and respect to the horse.
I do not understand your point.
Thank you Carolyn, I’m still having trouble putting the rituals and training together, so that was a very thought-provoking and useful post.
Hi Carolyn,
I have so enjoyed your last 3 posts, especially the Bruce Lee one. One of my problems is how to set a training program for Andre. He is my first horse. He has not been ridden for 3 years and so the basis needs to be ground work. I will be taking ideas from Linda Tellington-Jones and Peggy Cummings, but from a conditioning point of view I am not sure. He is an ex-racehorse and was retired because of joint issues so that has to be considered His previous owner said he loves to work but she said if you try to lunge him (with a lead on) unless you are in a round yard he will run away with you. I am able to get him to run around the perimeter of his paddock without gear. Andre is very reserved about new things, He is quite nervous of poles and will step over one but gets nervous of several poles. I realise that this course does not cover regular training, but if anyone can give me ideas or a book to refer to I would appreciate it. We are gradually making progress with a big soccer ball (especially for horses).
WOW. Carolyn, you just keep digging deeper for us and writing down what you instinctively have farmed from your experience. This is awesome! I love the heartfelt strings you describe, it will help many of us check to see if we’re in the flow. Also, your description of being in the Present Moment when we come to Horse. Fabulous! Thank you. I am enjoying your blog more than I can say!
Great post Carolyn!
Amber, maybe it would help you to not consider them as ‘rules’ but as conditions you can’t do without, if you want to have full benefit of the waterhole rituals and your training/riding?
Good advice to give but hey Carolyn I thought their are no rules with horses, I mean yeah defenitly want advice and always keep your head and be cautious and all but how come you put Waterhole rules??? I was watching one of your vids today and I remeber you said don’t let books or trainers rules get in the way of a relationship?!? So wouldn’t these be more like guidelines.
Though forgetting about that one word though haha really good message. I am only 15 years old so I am always wanting to try something new but then I realized when I did that I would chase my horse away so I had to focus more on fine tunning something I knew and when I did introduced something I made sure it was superbly easy to do. Yep all of those things you defenitly need for Liberty to bad you can get away without some of them with riding and competitions. it gets a little sad sometimes.