I've owned horses for 25 years and in the beginning I remember leading a horse on a rope by holding it close to the snap trying to control every movement , thinking I could stop a 900 lbs animal from moving away from me without dragging my body behind them. Then came the years of learning to correctly lunge a horse on a 12 or 14 ft line, aspiring to go as far as 22 foot on a line. WOW! Being able to control a horse that far away from me seemed like something magical. The next step was getting to the point where you could work with your horse at liberty, completely unattached. It was emphasized, by the way, that this was the pinnacle of success in horsemanship, the goal to aspire to, not a place to begin your relationship with the horse. After all, a horse that was unattached could quickly make up his mind to take off, leaving you holding a lunge rope, wondering why he didn't want to be with you any more! You first had to move the horse and control his feet on the lunge line and with movement of his feet came control of his mind and behavior. Yes, this is definitely the key to success with horses. But who says you have to do it at the end of a lunge rope. Horses will move their feet just as easily at liberty and with an obviously greater senses of freedom and choice. We have been lead to believe, however, that the movement and the ability to give the horse relief from the movement is the ONLY way to communicate with the horse.
With liberty training, a whole world of possibilities opens up to the horse owner, creating a language that the horse understands quickly and consistently. Greater communication leads to a deeper bond between horse and human. A strong bond allows the human, who now becomes a calm, confident and consistent leader, to shape the character and behavior of the horse. This is a much more solid connection and carries over to all aspects of the relationship-on the ground or in the saddle. The best part is that there is no force involved. You make a request of the horse that you are pretty sure he will respond to positively (so set the bar low in the beginning, much like starting with the ABCs in school before reading) and build on each small accomplishment. Depending on the horse's personality and energy level, you may find yourself progressing quickly or you may find your horse resisting at an early stage.
This is where an open minded, ever present human with a good imagination (or a teacher to inspire you) will take the time necessary to allow the horse to think. When you pause to allow the horse to ruminate about what he has been offered, it gives you a chance to look into the mind of the horse. We want to feel safe around our horse, but do we ever stop to consider that the horse is looking for safety around US? Horses have four basic priorities: safety, comfort, play and food, in that order. How many times have you mistaken fear in your horse for obstinance, defiance or just plain orneriness? The concept of comfort usually conjures up visions of soft bedding and warm blankets or fresh food and water for the horse, but in reality, comfort has to do with a sense of over all well being without stress or pain. Whenever we ask our horse to move their body in a way that is difficult for them due to lack of balance, flexibility or strength, we can trigger resistance through a discomfort that the horse feels. It may seem ludicrous for horses to feel uncomfortable when we move them on the ground or in the saddle, but imagine having someone push you to your physical and emotional limits and ask yourself if that would make you feel uncomfortable?
It may seem surprising that the priorities for horses place food at the bottom, above play, but horses will not eat unless they feel safe, free of emotional and physical stress or pain and will prefer to interact with other herd members (especially if they have not seen each other before or it's been a long time) just before they get down to eating. Socializing is critical to the health of the horse herd and the time they spend together reinforces the bonds, establishes leadership and enhances the sense of safety and comfort in the horse's world. We are no different-I think about the times when we've invited guests to our home for dinner. We are in a safe and comfortable environment and when everyone arrives the first thing we do is hug, laugh and talk about what we have been doing since we last saw one another. After everyone feels reconnected, we sit down for dinner, sharing more of the rituals of bonding among friends and family. It is the same with horses.
I have been studying the 7 Waterhole Rituals of Carolyn Resnick, inspired by the years of observing horses in their own environment, out on acres of land in a large herd, mares and foals, youngster of all ages as well as the stallion that breeds the mares. You may be interested to know that it is not the stallion that leads the herd, but the older, experienced mare, who, while not the strongest member, is the one who remains calm, confident and consistent with the horses she leads. Sound familiar? Now, after having the unique opportunity to study the rituals with Robin Gates, I feel I am better equipped to play with my horses at liberty and share these skills with others. The response from the horse at liberty is like speaking to someone you've lived with for years who didn't understand English and was waiting for you to speak their native language-"what took you so long?" they're saying! There is a calm and a connection that is hard to imagine feeling on a lunge line.
I am excited about this new phase in my relationship with horses and will continue to share the experiences with anyone who will listen. I'm just thrilled that the horses are listening-I hope they know I am too!
