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The Key to Training a Horse at Liberty:
The key to training a horse at Liberty, from my observations and experiences with wild horses, is that all horses are born with two instincts. One is a tendency to move away from things that approach them and the other is to follow things that are leaving them. They do this without thinking and they keep this behavior throughout their lives, if we do not take it out of them from the training we do. Many traditional training methods remove these responses. Most people feel safer if they remove these responses because they feel a horse will shy on the trail or might be herd bound if they do not.
In removing these instincts a horse looses a sense of himself and it’s harder to train from being dummied down. What happens when these instincts are removed is that the gas pedal is also removed. I believe the most important thing you can have in a horse is a good gas pedal. This idea was shared with me from my mentors, about the importance of refining the gas pedal on a horse. If I had a good gas pedal, I discovered that not only would a horse go where I wanted him to go but a lot of benefits came along with it was well; the bond, connection, bravery, dependability, loyalty and trust. If approached in the right way I got the “ Full Monty” of what I was wanting to achieve, which was a horse that’s training came naturally and easily for him.
Honey has a gas pedal!
To get this gas pedal I am looking for, it is important that I develop the horse’s herding instincts and tendency to follow and leave to a dependable response. What I found is that because I am the one that developed his instincts to be consistent, the horse is over all more dependable and prefers my company over his horse friends.
This consistency helps you to dance with horses at Liberty in a new way. In a spontaneous interaction, you can then direct a horse easily. It is my wish that everyone could feel this connection. It would grow the empathy around the world. When I dance with a horse, the horse and I want to dance to the other ones wishes. It will open your eyes to the universal connection to all things. It is like a courtship from the way your body goes back or forth, left or right, and the way his body responds to you and how you choose to lead him. You are just locked in together in a spiritual embrace from your dancing bond of friendship. You do not know what you are going to ask the horse to do until you see an opportunity to send him this way or that way. It is profoundly uplifting to experience this way of connection at Liberty. You and the horse are engaged in a creative expression.
You start out like a jazz band looking for your groove. Then you find it and it is magical, then the connection dances you.
It is so easy; all you need to do is get your horse moving on his own power and then shape where he goes. When you see he wanted to be shaped and he can go where you direct him next, direct him there. You then send and draw in a courtship manner.
I learned how to dance with horses because I loved how I could court a horse from the ground. It came very natural to me and it will for you too.
When you are dancing with a horse, in those moments you can also train him at the same time. When I start a horse this way, most horses will fall into the game quickly and easily because it is his nature to connect and be directed from his herding instincts and his play drive. Most all horses can be courted to dance with us.
END
I have begun this journey with Cookie. Stay tuned for the first article describing her training.
I encourage all of my readers to follow Carolyn's teachings, watch her videos and read her book. If you are a student, or work with me in any way, this will help you immensely.
Loretta
the natural horseman
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