Category Archives: Liberty training

Stand by your horse

May 18, 2015animal communication, equines, exercise, fear, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, rescue horses, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizedenergetic connection, equine healing, equine liberty training, horse trainers, horse training, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, liberty horse training, liberty training, OrthoHorsehorsesatliberty

The mare saw the setup – one horse was going to move another horse into another horse and on it would go, a domino effect of movement, right into the little girl standing there watching.

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The good boy horse

May 9, 2015abused horses, alternative therapies, animal communication, barefoot hooves, bodywork, equines, exercise, fear, geriatric horses, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, liberty rein, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, performance horses, rescue horses, riding, therapeutic riding programs, therapy horses, trail riding, Uncategorizedbodywork, clinic, energetic connection, energy work, equine, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horse training, horseback riding, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, liberty training, OrthoHorse, rescue horses, ridinghorsesatliberty

The good boy horse is one who continually does what is asked. For some trainers and owners, this is exactly what they want, a horse that does not offer any challenges. For some good boy or girl horses, life is good enough that there is no need to question too much. For others, they have had their wishes trained out of them.

Patches_portrait — Photo courtesy of Katherine Hanson

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Moving in and out of connection

May 3, 2015energy work, equines, exercise, fear, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, mustangs, OrthoHorse, OTTB, performance horses, rescue horses, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizedhealing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horse training, horseback riding, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, liberty training, OrthoHorse, ridinghorsesatliberty

One thing that new liberty students may find troubling is their horse moving in and out of connection. In the beginning, when the student first gets a connection on the ground, real movement together, it’s very exciting. It feels wonderful. Then the horse decides to break connection and go visit with someone else or another horse. The student looks over at me, crestfallen, as if to say, what do I do now?

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Through an open gate

April 27, 2015healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, Liberty training, mustangs, OrthoHorse, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizedanimals, energetic connection, energy work, equine healing, equine liberty training, equines, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horsemanship, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse traininghorsesatliberty

Horses generally love an open gate. An open gate even if it’s one they’ve been through before, signifies something different, something to be curious about. Going places. Perhaps the grass tastes different there, or there will be an adventure.

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The difference between “doing” and “being” with horses

April 17, 2015animal communication, energy work, equines, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, performance horses, riding, Uncategorizedenergetic connection, energy work, equine training, grazing, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horseback riding, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, liberty training, Ortho-Bionomy, ridinghorsesatliberty

The Liberty Foundations are a forever thing with horses. Just because a horse has been taught them by other horses, for example, it doesn’t mean he or she stops doing them.

Ultimately we all want horses to do something specific with us. In order for that to come about, the horse will do the something best if first brought into relationship.

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Trouble in the herd

April 3, 2015abused horses, equines, exercise, geriatric horses, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, mustangs, OrthoHorse, performance horses, rescue horses, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizedenergetic connection, EPR, equine, Equine Ortho-Bionomy, equine positional release, herd behavior, horse trainers, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, OrthoHorsehorsesatliberty

When there is trouble in the herd – one horse picking on another, or a horse or horses continually picked on by the others, the Liberty Foundations can help.

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What’s in the dance with horses?

March 15, 2015abused horses, exercise, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, performance horses, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizeddancing with horses, endurance riding, energetic connection, energy work, equine, equine healing, equine training, equines, exercise, grazing, health, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horse training, horseback riding, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, levade, liberty horse training, liberty training, OrthoHorse, piaffe, safetyhorsesatliberty

What’s in the dance with horses?

The dance with a horse is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have.

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Not all hearts and roses with horses

February 15, 2015animal communication, bareback riding, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, performance horses, riding, trail riding, Uncategorizedenergetic connection, energy work, equine, equine healing, Equine Ortho-Bionomy, equine training, equines, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, OrthoHorse, ridinghorsesatliberty

My Valentine’s Day message is: it’s not all “hearts and roses” with horses!

Students may embrace Liberty Foundations and find their horse miraculously comes into relationship. Horse owners are in heaven thinking that they’ve achieved this blissful state with their horse so easily.

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For the horse who has done everything

February 7, 2015abused horses, animal communication, bareback riding, bodywork, equine positional Release, equines, exercise, fear, geriatric horses, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, OrthoHorse, riding, therapy horses, trail riding, Uncategorizedanimals, bareback riding, bodywork, endurance riding, energetic connection, energy work, equine, equine rescue, equine training, equines, grazing, healing, health, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horseback riding, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, liberty training, Ortho-Bionomy, OrthoHorse, rescue horses, ridinghorsesatliberty

My gelding Khami inspired me to write this blog. But he’s not the only one: there are others I have worked with over the past years who are like him in one way or another.

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May the herd be with you

January 31, 2015animal communication, endurance, energy work, equines, exercise, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse training, horsemanship, horses, Horses at Liberty Foundation Training, liberty rein, Liberty training, Ortho-Bionomy, OrthoHorse, OTTB, performance horses, rescue horses, riding, therapy horses, Uncategorizedbodywork, endurance riding, energetic connection, equine liberty training, healing, herd behavior, herd dynamics, horse trainers, horse training, horseback riding, horsemanship, horses, Horses at LIberty Foundation Training, leadership, liberty horse training, liberty training, OrthoHorse, ridinghorsesatliberty

In the pasture, the horses usually gallop off to one particular favorite place, up over the ridge to where some colts are stabled. Then I hike up there and my mare Zuzka rounds everyone up when I ask the horses to come back with me. This time, my gelding Khami took over, and he got everyone going.

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Susan Smith. A framework for healing—horse and human

A framework for healing—horse & human.

Category Archives: Liberty training

Stand by your horse

The good boy horse

Moving in and out of connection

Through an open gate

The difference between “doing” and “being” with horses

Trouble in the herd

What’s in the dance with horses?

Not all hearts and roses with horses

For the horse who has done everything

May the herd be with you