Training a horse at Liberty
Apr 7th, 2009 by Carolyn
To download the MP3 version, right click this link and then select Save Target As.. or Save Link As
In this day and age it’s great to take advantage of the ability we have to share with each other YouTube videos. It is a wonderful tool I can use to guide you in how the connection looks, how to lead a horse through the Waterhole Rituals and what the result looks like. It is also very nice to have the support of my students sharing their perfect connection with their horses.
As this new way of sharing information unfolds, I want to call attention to the dangers of working a horse at liberty. The reason I what to do this is some people can make the mistake of doing things that are not safe. Some think that sharing a heart connection and being on a spiritual journey buys them some form of protection and magic and that they can therefore forget the dangers of working around and with a horse at liberty.
Horses at liberty can be more dangerous than they are with tack because of their natural self-expression (sudden movements, biting, kicking etc.) and their understanding that they are free to express themselves. A horse interacting with you as he would another horse could result in an accident. Horses are aggressive around food with each other, they commonly run into and through one another. Horses can be aggressive or fearful, which can bring a defensive response or they can lose focus. All these conditions are not a good thing if you don’t know how to choose the approach and correct positioning that will keep you safe.
Some people make the mistake of thinking that their horse is following their lead and they see the horse as playful in its expression when the opposite is true… the horse is acting in an aggressive manner but hasn’t turned up the volume yet.
Working with the Waterhole Rituals requires a certain consciousness to stay safe and a well-rounded knowledge of horse behavior as well as lessons in Liberty Training. Yes many people are getting great results with my Method and that is why it can be so exciting. But a little bit of knowledge and having instant success with my Method can be misunderstood. It is not a quick fix but a long journey to mature a spiritual connection with your horse and a way to develop partnership and performance. The skills needed are an ability to solve problems and leadership skills. If you do not know how to lead a horse, the Rituals will not be effective in any way except where leadership is not required such as with first two Rituals. Once you have a connection though the Waterhole Rituals, everything can fall apart from not knowing how to lead and maintain trust and respect. To maintain it, you need to recognize what your horse is consistently thinking throughout the work session.
Even though the Waterhole Rituals are easy to learn, for many people it really needs to be something you learn from a qualified person so you do not make mistakes about your horse’s level of respect for you. Some YouTube videos on my Method are not representative of a responsible approach and can cause great error in judgment and a complete misunderstanding between you and the horse. My rule of thumb about what a person should know about leadership of horses is that they should have the skill in keeping a well trained horse, well trained and manageable and that they also have natural leadership skills in general.
On Thursday, I will give you an example of how I could tell whether someone I had a phone consultation with possessed these leadership skills naturally as well as showing a lovely new video where all of the above comes together.
Till then, I look forward to reading your comments on the above.
Carolyn
P.S. Mark asked me to say that if you ever want to send a particular blog post to someone because you think they would appreciate or benefit from it, then you can easily do this by clicking the ShareThis link just beneath. Try it!
Related posts:
WOW, There is a difference between bond and respect… !!! I had a bond , fabulous bond, without respect ! Now the difference is night and day having both integrated . Although it’s always a balancing act with my gelding, he’s so smart & constantly wants to check in with me to see if he can have the upper hand n smooze me!! As long as i stay diligent and present with respect and bond , we roll well together.
Thank You , Alethia
Hi Carolyn,
I have been working with a filly for about 3 months now. This has always been a passion and a dream to work with bond and train a filly from the ground up. I also have a 2 year old grandson and wanted him to be a part of the process. In the beginning observing and learning to just share space. So, when my grandson was born I began hunting for a paint filly or foal. With divine guidance I have acquired the perfect paint filly Shiloh is her name. I have never had experience with young horses but did train a horse when I was 10 years old . I lived in a small village and passed by a horse trailer, well, not so much passed as hung around , you see I lived breathed and pretended to be a horse 24/7. Sadly there were no wild horses or horses of any description near by. This summer day was about to change that. I asked the driver of the trailer where he was taking the beautiful appaloosa. In a not so kind manner he gruffly stated that he was taking her to the glue factory. I politely asked him if my father could purchase her for 100 dollars. The man with the trailer happily deposited my first horse and left with a smile and 100 dollars. My dad was a sucker for tears and anything related to saving animals or children. I had no tack and not even a book to guide me. I only had the passion and the patience and a whole lot of time on my hands to play with my new best friend. By the end of the summer she followed me everywhere I rode her without bridle or saddle we played danced and fell in love. For years we had this amazing bond, at the age of 17 I went away to school and my father took over her care . In my 30′s I bought a horse and showed field hunter and jumper. This lead me into the world of showing and not so much connecting with my horse. In my 40′s I gave up my passion to foster my daughters dreams, pony clubs and showing pony hunter. Finally, in my 50′s here I am back to basics and my little filly is perfect.At the same time that I found my filly I also found you. I have bought all of your books and dvd’s, as well as joining your blog.Back to breathing in everything horse. I take my 2 yr old grandson to the barn with me and they are connecting . Shiloh is doing liberty training and the ET. training so far, great results but she is 10 months old so perhaps there will be issues when she is a yearling. I am looking forward to doing insider circle. How do I apply for this? Thank you for helping me fullfill a lifelong dream. Sherry Thomson
Hey Carolyn, My new horse, Gunner is doing really well. My shut down western pleasure show horse is now an exuberant, somewhat dominate, funny, playful, curious guy. He’s a very happy horse, and I will be bringing him home to the herd on Feb 1st.
My question is, when we do companion walking and go into a trot, he will pin his ears. I can feel the energy change, and yep it feels dominate. To quote you..
Some people make the mistake of thinking that their horse is following their lead and they see the horse as playful in its expression when the opposite is true… the horse is acting in an aggressive manner but hasn’t turned up the volume yet.
So bring it down to a walk a little leading from behind, and maybe some reciprocal movement???? I have taken territory twice, and lots of eye contact. He never takes his eyes off me, now. He does a great trot and come up, but can (it’s rare) kick out. This horse is loving our new way of doing things, but it is bringing out his innate characteristics, which are dominate. LBE in Parelli terms. I know this is about finding a balance between his being totally shut down, and dominate dangerous. Any suggestions?
Miss our biweekly phone calls, Carolyn. When you start the insider circle program up again, anyone that WAS considering it, you should jump on it. Any chance you’ll go on tour and do maybe a 3 day clinic schedule?
Yeah, that’s quite an interesting difference in opinion. Klaus doesn’t believe in foal training, while most people here don’t seem to mind. What is your opinion, Carolyn?
Hi – I am replying to Marianne. I am brand new to all this and am having a wonderful time doing Reiki with horses. I have been taken through The Way of The Horse with Barbara Alexander in Ashville, N.C.
Marianne – have you listened to what I think is the most recent call with Klaus, through the Horse Conscious site? He has some very interesting and to me unexpected things to say about working with foals. I encourage you to go there. It is a wonderful website and full of resources and connections. You may already even be a member for all I know! Anyway, this is what came to mind as I read your comments on the foal you are working with. Good luck!, Mary
Carolyn, thanks for your reply. I want to explain more fully. First, I was present in the foals earliest moments (though the mare tricked me, in order to obtain privacy for the actual delivery) — and was with her for about a twenty minutes before she stood to nurse for the first time. I introduced myself, stroked her all over, flexed her legs, and tapped on her hooves. This shortened version of Dr. Miller’s “imprinting” was repeated several times in the first week of her life. As she grew, I noticed that by three or four months, that the filly was not good at respecting my space, and did not easily move away when asked. I wondered if the ‘imprinting’ was somehow implicated. Because I was feeding her and her mother separately from my other mare, I would want them out of the pen when done eating, and the mare would ‘drive from behind’ easily, but the foal would dawdle, which posed a conundrum. By six months, I decided that I would take a stick and just tap her on the rump to encourage her out of the gate when she would get balky (even though her dam was moving off!) Now you get to see why my question on the Rituals and foals comes up when you discuss safety with horses at liberty! Yup! The foal kicked at me — just a one legged threat that did not hit me, but I got the message and realized I was in trouble! I actually did exactly what you recommended. I contacted a husband-wife team experienced in Parelli methods who had worked with foals. They listened to me, commented “well, you’ve got the bond, now you need respect.” In one twenty minute session, that filly threw quite a tantrum rearing and carrying on. But she also learned to back up when asked. They also pointed out to me that when the filly crowded me, I was backing up rather than using my arms to block her out of my space. Between their short visit and my changing that one piece of my behavior, we have a whole new relationship. She rarely enters my space unless invited, and I raise my arms to ‘block’ if she does, so she either backs up or has a collision with my arm. Further, when I direct my energy and use a hand signal, even when she is at liberty, she now backs up when I ask. However, I’ve not gone on to the later Rituals as I mentioned in my first post. As noted, now that she is one week into weaning and doing well, I’ll review your DVD and decide if and how to proceed. Obviously, this was as much learning for me as for the filly. And perhaps it doesn’t need to be said — this is the first foal I’ve raised. Hope that fills in some of the spaces and helps my question to make more sense. Thanks again.
And let me say that I am so happy about your school/center plans. It is so heartening to me to learn of your vision and begin to see this take shape!
Marianne
Dear Marinnie,
My advise is different depending on the expertise of the person and the behavior of the foal. I think it takes real skill or a natural knowingness to approach a foal or any young horse. If you are wanting advise,the best advise is to find someone who can guide you that you respect that works directly with you and your foal.
Find a breeder in your area that might help you that has well behaved animals and learn for them. This is how people years ago got adivse and I think it is the best approach to take.
I hope to put out a DVD on how to use the Rituals with foals but it would be a DVD for people who are already experianced in foal managment.
Hope is can help,
Carolyn
Hi Kyle, you can listen to the telecalls of several teachers at http://www.horseconscious.com, after you first have registered yourself as a member there.
I saw a video on you tube that was about Carolyn’s method but you don’t even need to be an expert to see how unsafe this lady is being around this horse who is clearly given her attitude. I think it’s all about never taking for granted that horses no matter how sweet they are, are always so much more powerful than people and at liberty it’s even more clear that in a split second they can hurt us, intentionally or not. Just being aware of what my horses are doing and how what I am doing at the moment is affecting them has kept me safe from what could have been accidents in which I could have gotten hurt, not that it was my horse’s intention but they are just being horses, I guess I could say I was lucky to deal with a difficult horse in the beginning who taught me to always be aware of everything that is going on, I believe that if I would have had a safe horse from the beginning I could have been that lady on the you tube video who was not aware of her horse’s attitude and was not looking out for own safety.
Can anyone tell me how we can get into the teleconferences with Klaus Hempfling? and/or with Carolyn Resnick?
Thank you so much for this post Carolyn, they are all wonderful.
Excellent and important comments, Carolyn. Liberty training is thrilling because it can be dangerous – we don’t admit that for some of us, myself included, that it is that danger that is part of the attraction to horses.. that at any moment we could be hurt, even though unintentionaly, by these lovely creatures that are simply much larger and more physically powerful than any human. Even the sweetest and most loving horse can do us damage if we put ourselves in a vulnerable position. An important thing to consider is that every moment we are with horses IS a vulnerable moment and it is up to us, as the “leader”, to make the moment safe and clear. We must be ready at any moment to set expectations and change course if needed. That is when our horses really begin to trust us, when they realize they are “free” with set kind, and yet firm, expectations from us. Being with my horse is my therapy and sometimes I may appear to someone outside to be dozing in the sunshine while with my horse, but there is always a part of me that is “vigilant” to what is happening around us – even things at a distance that could affect the current state of our environment must become a part of the awareness. But in that awareness comes the most incredible sense of well being and calmness. It is in these moments that we can be joyful and yet prepared for the unexpected and live to be at liberty with our horses for another day.
Safety should always be a top priority with horses, at liberty or not. This is simply due to the fact they are so much larger than we are, regardless of their personality or temperament. Its always important to be aware of where you are and where the horse is relative to you are. Its important to maintain personal space with the horse. One time I was just standing next to my horse one evening enjoying his company, and he lowered his head to the ground. Then he suddenly came up and I was standing too close-so got clocked in the jaw. He didn’t intend to hurt me or anything, but he sure did because his jaw is a lot bigger than mine!
Dave
I am really enjoying everyone’s comments on this important topic since it is so easy of me to forget to think like a horse as a leader, in spite of how much I practice–I am spending more time observing the dynamics of my herd and really staying open to interpreting them accurately. Staying aware, focused and grounded is all important, and helps me to remain a humble student. I know that I am dedicated to being a lifetime student of the horse and how easy it can be for me to have a little knowledge without the depth of experience to back it up. That is why reading Carolyn’s comments and the interviews on Horse Consious are so valuable. Many thanks to all of you!
Connie Funk
Hi, friends
Can someone explain more about why the licking Laurie experienced could be signs of a problem?
Kathy
Wonderful posts! This is such an important area — and we humans (and our egos) are so easily seduced that we can forget the wild in our horse companions — certainly I can. I have a question about the Waterhole Rituals with young horses. I have a 10 month old filly (along with her mother and aunt) and regularly sit with her and do a formal greeting. I’ve not yet gone to the rest of the rituals with the youngster — and am curious about any advice you might have, Carolyn. We’re just in the process of weaning, and my intuition says to wait a while. Do you have any age guidelines for the Rituals and work with young horses?
i am so glad you posted this…even though i enjoy sharing space with my gelding, i reprimand him for turning his hind end toward me when turning away or bending his ribs into me when we are sharing space. i enjoy his company but he must respect me as well. when he makes a rude gester such as above, which is seldom, but if he does, i correct it and then he bows to me and moves off like it is no big deal and usually is relaxed or relieved that i have taken the leadership role non-agressively.
thanks carolyn for teaching me how to be assertive without being a bully.
stephani
Yes, Jack I think you are right on. Intensity of focus and intent is very important.
When a horse turns up the volume I match him with the energy of a flamenco dancer. The body language must take on a core strenth or it means little. To do this for it to be sucessful I must have the ability to keep him for a safe distance form me. I hope that makes sense. When you use body language you must believe in your body language like an actor who becomes the part, I belive it is called method acting.
When my horse turns up the volume some times I become soft and sweet to get the respose of softness back or I might choose to match this energy or quickly change the subject.
It is a courtship process that a leaders needs to maintain as well as being sure to hold a horse responsible for being a caretaker in the relationship he shares with me.
I could accomplish this by stopping my request that caused the break and do bonding interactions that he likes to make it up to him or asking him to stay away from you untill he gets in a better mood.
Hope this is of help
There is always two worlds that needs to be handled leading a horse the planned leadership that the horse is willing to follow and the extemporanious free expresion. With a horse taking on his own dance we lead him back rather than to dominate him back.
The horse likes it better that way and will be a safer horse.
Terrific post Carolyn, I can only echo Marja’s words: thank you for emphasizing the dangers in working with horses at Liberty as well as the responsibilities that we must assume in undertaking such a journey.
I am planning to keep handy your comments on “thinking that sharing a heart connection and being on a spiritual journey buy some form of protection and magic.”
Just like Marja, I was recently listening to Klaus Ferdinand Hemp fling’s words of caution in his latest Teleseminar. At one point, he was warning a caller, telling her that being surrounded by unknown horses that were continuously smelling her was not as cute as it appeared but could become very problematic. It seems that the licking related by Laurie could fall in this category…
All the comments are also very helpful. Mine are not as significant but they might help someone too.
Since the last time you and I talked, I followed your advice and settle for an easy horse. I volunteered to walk and exercise a 28 years old Morgan/Mare who is suffering of Cellulitis. She is beautifully trained and is remarkably smart, affectionate and curious as a cat. Since last September, rain or shine, I have been walking her in an adjacent park every week end. When in the right mood, she follows me around the arena without any leading line where ever I go.
We developed quite a bond, I particularly loved the way she leaned her head against my shoulder when we walked together. Well, one day a ground hog scared her and she leaped high in the air falling back against me and sending me flying. I can still hear the sound! I realized that I could have been seriously injured and decided to keep her at arm length following your and others sound advice on this matter. What I though was a “special” moment between her and I was actually my refusal to assume true leadership as well as seeing her for what she is: a lovely but a large, unpredictable mare wild at heart.
This past week end, we had very strong winds in our areas; once again, I came to realize that it would not be business as usual – Her instincts were taking over and she tried cantering off a couple of times with me at the other end of the lead line! This time, I quickly asked for help to handle her and shorten our time in the arena.
Many thanks for your enlighten and continual thoughtful posts.
Helene
I’m really glad you mentioned this safety factor in dealing with horses. I have found that most horses will feel a bond, but as you say can overstep their boundries, especially if one isn’t particularly vigilant in reading them. Another thing I’ve noticed is that horses can read ones intensity of thought. A horse communicates not only with body language, but also with his thoughts. If I am totally relaxed and playful I might get more of a playful response from a horse than I want. And that playfulness could become dangerous to me or both of us. However, if I am relaxed but intense within my thought and project the direction of play from within that intensity, even though I look playful and relaxed on the outside, then the horse will stay within his bounds. Does that make any sense?
So it seems to me that the mental intensity is just as important to the work as the body language. Please tell me if this perception is right or not.
An excellent post, providing lovely food for thought, as always. I especially liked your comment about sometimes it seems like horses “playing” or “following your lead” (or both), when in fact the horse is seeing it as something aggressive, perhaps taking your territory. I will continue to watch for that with my own horses, for learning to tell the difference between the two would be critical for successful and safe interactions — and ones that aren’t frustrating for the horse!
Thank you for bringing up this very important issue!
I don’t know if anyone else can relate to this, but I had some “beginners luck” with the first two horses that I tried working with your method. Since then, some horses I have found to not be so easy. In my learning process, I was challenging myself by picking horses to work with that I wasn’t very comfortable with. You helped me realize that it makes more sense to learn by setting myself and the horses up for success every step of the way. So now I am working with horses that are easier for me to understand and are more comfortable for me, and it is a much nicer way to learn! Another way you told me to set myself up for success is to DO things that I feel comfortable with, which might mean something other than the waterhole rituals that I know I can do with the horse.
It makes sense that while learning to have the presence and actions that a horse can trust, enjoy, and want to follow, it is important to pick horses that are more likely to follow our lead. I had picked one young, totally green mare that doesn’t seem to respect any of the horses in her herd. She is the dominant bully type, and has no fear of the reed or even a whip, or other horses. So what a relief. I stopped working with her, and I may have also saved myself from getting hurt. Maybe after some successes with more horses I’ll feel ready to try again with her, and maybe not. It makes so much more sense to approach learning in small steps, building on successes, rather than to approach learning by setting one’s self up against challenges.
You teach to to do what works, and set yourself and your horse up for success. To focus on the positive both with yourself and the horse. It sounds so simple! These are popular phrases in new-age rhetoric now, but I deeply appreciate how you’ve been living this way for a long time and incorporate it in everything you do. It is easy to do this on just a surface level, but you really live this, and I can see why your horses want to perform for you! You help them feel good about themselves and make it fun for them every step of the way.
One other thing you have taught me that relates to safety: Never underestimate the power of the first ritual! I thought I “got” how important it was, but continue to realize what you have said, and how this sets the foundation of the feelings of familiarity and trust, which can also enhance a feeling of safety of both parties when moving further into the relationship.
Thank you for your inspiring leadership Carolyn!
Carolyn is right about horses being dangerous at liberty especially when they feel good and feel like being wild. When I work my mare at liberty I always have a whip or something in my hand not always to keep her running around but if she is feeling good to keep her out away from me so when she leaves she does not kick out at me and accidentally kick me. When I send her away I step away from her before I send her away then I step away again so when she leaves I am safe. Sometimes when she is feeling good and comes in she comes in at a fast trot and I back up and sometimes I put my whip out to keep her from coming too close especially if she is being wild.
thank you for that reminder Carolyn and on that note then, I am wondering how to interpret my recent sharing space session with my horses. Maybe I should be more cautious and not allow such closeness?
I haven’t rcv’d my dvd yet, but have started sharing space & some of the other rituals I listened to on the radio program that you were on.
I do have a couple of questions about sharing space. With my chair & a book I sat with my 3 horses in a 60×80 area. My youngest mare (7yrs, who I have only had for 1yr & her previous owner bought to use as a brood mare in a large herd, so she was never trained other than to lead) came up to me first. I knew she would as she loves people & is extremely curious & still acts alot like a baby horse. She is a 17hh TWH, very gentle & loves attention. She sniffed me all over, & held her nostrils against my forehead, just softly breathing on me. Forget about reading cause I couldn’t see a thing out of my foggy glasses…LOL. I never looked at her & tried my best to not “interact” with her. She was very much ‘in my space’ tho I never felt threatened & just felt that she wanted to be close to me for whatever reason. Then she licked and licked and licked me, my book, my jeans, my coat, the chair & finally I waved a short stick around my own body to get her to stop because I was starting to feel like a Lollipop! She tried a few more times to lick me, walked a small circle in front of me, came back to lick & sniff some more, then something strange, I couldn’t help but laugh & wonder what the heck she was trying to do. She simply turned her butt right in front of me & stood there. She was so close to me that her tail tickled my nose & I thought she was going to sit in my lap!! Needless to say, I moved my chair, but she just stood there. What did the licking and closeness and final body positioning mean?? I had tried moving my chair away early on to get away from her licking, but she just followed me & continued to lick.
My 32yr old gelding who has a similar personality to the mare licked me alot too. 3rd in line was my 24yr old lead mare who is very aloof, just approached & stood beside my chair about 2 feet away in a comfortable closeness. She has not had a good life prior to my getting her & has learned not to show emotion at all and doesn’t like being touched, but will accept me stroking her face & top of neck and will even bury her head in my chest for a very long time just standing quietly. I hope to learn how to get her to open up more & not have such a ‘wall’ up against humans.
thanks for any help on interpretation that you can offer
What a coincidence, I just happened to speak with a friend about this subject today. Just recently I’ve become more aware of the dangerous situations you can get into with horses and I have a very painful accident with my friend’s horse to ‘thank’ for that. Some months ago my friend and I were working with this horse. Eldgos (an Icelandic gelding) is very ‘closed’ (don’t know if I use the right word) and it’s not easy to get him to open up. Anyway, during this work with him I got too close behind him because he suddenly stopped and in a reflex I wanted to drive him forward again. Before I could think he kicked me full on my right hand with his hindfoot. My hand was severely bruised and I couldn’t use it for several weeks.
This incident caused me to think a lot about how this could have happened and I could come to only one conclusion: that the ‘work’ I had done with Eldgos had nothing to do with a good connection between us but everything with my ego! The horse just was RIGHT and at this moment I am grateful that this happened because it made me much more aware of exactly the things you described in your post above.
I also listened with great interest to the last call with Klaus Hempfling where he emphasized the importance of caring for your own safety among horses. He told that he can handle difficult horses just because he is always 100% aware of the danger and of his own fear. This fear is often put aside by many horse people, but it is your life insurance if you want to keep yourself in one peace.
Thank you Carolyn for emhasizing the dangers in working with horses once more, it all seems to fit in with the things I have to learn at this moment about fear, safety and agression.
I’m grateful that my hand is well again and that only a small scar reminds me of the important (and humbling) lesson it taught me.