Here it is what I promised you, a REAL lesson at Liberty. The “how to” portion of the lesson will be in Thursday’s blog. I am taking Tuesday’s blog to explain some points to get you started.
Isn’t it a crazy idea to think of training your horse at liberty before you train him with tack? Not really- because it is much more natural to begin training a horse at liberty. It is certainly easier on the horse. If you start with tack first, a horse must give up his independence. It causes him to feel compromised. I am wanting to develop a committed partnership with a horse. Tack in the horse’s mind is restrictive, and the horse does not see that the partnership is consenting, or that it is his idea. When a horse is trained at liberty, tack is only a supportive element for communication.
Character Development
I also want to allow the horse’s character to mature from the relationship I develop with him in a free environment. By developing a relationship with the horse first, I can take the time needed to develop a deep committed partnership with him, like I created with Panadero. Panadero is the horse on my DVD Panadero’s Journey and also in my DVD the Introduction to the Waterhole Rituals. These DVDs give people a chance to see how to work with the Waterhole Rituals in a creative way. Panadero, because of his liberty training, sees training as completely enjoyable and understands very quickly what he is being ask to do. He has gone on to be a much appreciated and beloved horse in dressage with tack. He learns everything like he was born to do it because he was given foundational training at liberty. The purpose of the Waterhole Rituals is to create this kind of horse. Another feature of the Waterhole Rituals is a course in self- realization to discover your authentic self – because I designed it with this in mind.
This lesson is for people who are just learning about my method of working at liberty. This way, you can take part and see if you would like to learn more about the self-realization journey with your horse that I invite you to take with me.
I do not offer you a “step by step” approach because you are working with your horse at liberty. You will need to make the adjustments as you go along from your intuition and instincts. The interactions that take place during the training practice of the Rituals is the important part and why the bond grows deeper. What I offer in this lesson is what you need to achieve, and then when you achieve it, you move on to the next step. This may sound like all other methods, but the difference is how you go about this is left in your hands. When you accomplish each step, you have really trained your horse yourself- I just direct where you need to put your focus and what you need to accomplish.
You are learning true horse whispering skills for liberty dancing. This is a lesson to get you started in learning how to communicate with your horse at liberty. If your horse knows how to halt from your voice, and you can move him around in the area you have him in freely at liberty, your horse can learn this lesson easily. In this lesson, your horse learns to wait after he has halted and to be content to wait as long as you would like him to. This exercise prepares a horse to stand quietly later on when you go to tie him. The horse learns that it is his job to stand quietly.
The Joy of Training!
Training your horse at liberty can be so much fun that I must share it with you! I train because of the enjoyable interactions it offers to me and my horse. Even the challenging parts and the frustrating parts will bring you closer to your horse! In this process, you get to know the true nature of your horse and learn how to work with his personality. Having your horse at liberty, your horse gets to respond to you the way he chooses which develops your communication skills. The freedom you give to your horse brings out his desire to play, learn, and connect with you like the boy with his horse in the movie the Black Stallion.
Training first for fun rather than for a purposeful outcome will help both you and your horse to learn quickly from one another when you know where to put your focus, and that is what I can help you with. By forgetting about your goals of training, you will achieve a unity and harmony you always dreamed about that would take conventional training years to accomplish. This training exercise can also help you and your horse to work more closely together for all other equestrian pursuits.
The Waiting Lesson at liberty creates a totally enjoyable game. You will learn how to communicate with your horse at liberty as a trainer would in a fun and creative way. This lesson can be easily taught to a horse at liberty in a few days to let you know if you are on the right track. If you experience confusion or upset for either you or your horse, stop the program. I can help you with this exercise and offer a whole program of liberty communication through my online Insider Circle and Extended Circle Course. Come join us in the next online class that starts on the 28 of August. Registration will be open soon.
Everybody who is working with my method and getting positive results, it would be nice if you could leave a note in the comments section something that would help people who are just getting familiar with my method. Thanks a bunch!
May the Horse Be with You!
Carolyn
https://www.carolynresnickblog.com/
