After finishing Carolyn Resnick's book Naked Liberty, which I naively bashed and then apologized for, I wanted to write more in depth about what is wonderful about her methods. I've read so many books, watched countless DVD's and tv programs and attended clinics that the rhetoric gets old. There are many trainers, especially western trainers, that sell themselves and make people think they have some special new method.  My first disillusionment was discovering that many of them used the same groundwork exercises that have been used for years and weren't new or unique to that trainer.

It all gets overwhelming, discouraging and confusing.  I want to do what is right by the horse and myself.  Is there a way to work with horses to create a symbiotic relationship that we BOTH enjoy?  How does one create this relationship with the necessary boundaries that protect both the horse and the person and build respect and trust?  I believe there is and Resnick has found it.

This very long introduction is necessary to fully understand why this book is so very helpful.  You see, it fit in perfectly with everything I felt to be true up to now.  It includes ways to empower the horse without giving up boundaries or being too aggressive. My other favorite training book Empowered Horses by Imke Spilker gives great arguments for having an empowered horse but doesn't give you a way to start.  I did write to her and ask if there were suggestions to get started, but she said this was also empowerment for me.  All well and good, but I was lost more than empowered.  I guess one can have too much empowerment...

Resnick, on the other hand, has a way to start the conversation with the horse, and that's what Spilker missed. The basis for Resnick's method is "magnetism" which is the connection between the person and horse where the horse wants to be with you.  In other words, you don't go out and capture your horse and halter it, it comes to you and puts it's head in the halter because it wants to (Read the book for further instructions).

How many times have you heard how some or other trainer "speaks the language of the horse"?  What is that, exactly? I used to think it was "round-penning" the horse which I thought created that magical connection, but it doesn't. It never did what I thought it would do, which is create a strong bond with the horse where it would want to be with me, work with me, etc. In fact, the round penning technique only seems to temporarily connect the horse to you.  I was always disappointed in how I would round pen the horse and get it to "latch on", and then that would be the end of it; clearly it didn't create a long-lasting connection.  Other trainers begin and end with this lesson on "horse language".  They never mention any other aspect of how horses interact or communicate.  

Resnick goes beyond the usual propaganda about the "language of the horse" to reveal a much wider, richer world of horse communication. She describes the language of horses in terms of pecking order.  We all know about it, we all see it, but we never talk about it. It makes so much sense to me that the horse's "language" is related to this and that it all leads to a stronger herd.  The goal of horses is to become a cohesive group, a herd, that can ward off predators because of the cumulative strength of the individuals.  

How many times have you watched a video or gone to a clinic and heard about how horses are "prey animals" and we are "predators" and therefore are afraid of us? It makes sense to a point, but then again, why do they come to trust us at all?  It seems obvious to me that the predator angle loses its value at some point.  Once the horse figures out we aren't there to kill it, then something else entirely is happening.  We are either friend or foe, and they know we aren't exactly the foe, but we don't always act as a trusted friend either. 

Resnick goes further and deeper into the workings of a horse herd to explain how horses communicate and form bonds - not in a nebulous, spiritual vague way, but a scientific way.  Knowing how they form bonds allows us in on the process.  It allows us a way into the horse's world that no other trainer seems to have discovered.  Spilker and perhaps Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling have insight but they don't explain it very well - perhaps they don't understand it this way. Knowing this mechanism allows us the opportunity to form the same kind of bond.  

While the book gives a few concrete steps she doesn't outline her entire process, which actually is good.  When the plan is too rigid then people feel that they must do things this way.  I agree with Spilker that we need to feel empowered too, and Resnick says this at the start of her book. Most of all, I found her methods and suggestions realistic and doable for most horse owners.  If you have any interest in horses, training or horsemanship, I highly suggest reading Naked Liberty. 

The last post I published was to state my disillusionment in the book Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick.  I had not yet read it, and based on things posted by others on the web I didn't think I wanted to.  I was, however, WRONG. I hereby apologize to Carolyn Resnick for my short-sightedness.  It is, however, the result of today's horse training market being flooded with all kinds of information both good and bad. It has made me increasingly skeptical! (I have removed the post I am referring to here - no point in leaving it up if it's not true!)

It's clear to me now that the review I read (that made me not want to read the book) was written by someone who either didn't understand or who didn't read the entire book.  As I said in my post, I really shouldn't have passed judgment until I'd read the whole thing. I have now read it and was pleasantly surprised.  I mentioned in the last post about how I constantly look for the book, the method... this book was very close!

Naked Liberty is about Resnick's early experiences with her own horses and culminates in her study of wild horses.  The premise to me, from reading the jacket, was bordering on hokey.  After all, Monty Roberts claims to have studied wild horses too... in an oddly familiar sounding account in many ways to Resnick's.  (I suspect he borrowed aspects of her account for his own.) However, I found Resnick's writing easy to read, interesting and humble.  She gave herself a pat on the back when deserved and also admitted to fault when she made a mistake. The book is largely anecdotal and experiential, including three summers observing and finally being accepted by a band of wild horses.

With everyone and their brother claiming to "speak the language of horses" and to use "natural horsemanship", whatever THAT means, I avoid trainers who make these claims anymore. I have also tried to read Linda Kohanov and others of that ilk, which were too complicated and so very self-important. So please forgive my initial skepticism. Many horse folk are egotistical and trying to sell their own brand of training methods, which are really nothing new when you come right down to it. 

Again, I will say it, I was WRONG about this book! Resnick has a very grounded spiritual quality that blends well with a scientist's curiosity and attention to detail that encourages experimentation. The result is a way of understanding horses that includes friendship and connection as well as setting boundaries and shaping behavior.  She was neither too tough or too soft with her training methods. None of us want to be accused of being too "touchy-feely", nor do we want to be seen as demanding and rough. There are few trainers/authors who walk the line so well as Carolyn Resnick.  

More to follow on the finer points of her method - until then, check out her blog which is very enlightening:

Carolyn Resnick Blog

Selling Out

I believe that all situations provide a chance to learn, either about ourselves or our horses.  Yesterday I learned a lot. Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I sold one of my horses.  Prior to this I had only returned one to the BLM and had to put down my old horse which is to be expected.

I never thought I'd have the courage to sell a horse.  It's only something I would do in an extreme situation, I thought.  I truly love all my horses, including Tequila, the horse I sold. If you follow this blog you know that she was up for sale and probably read about her.  I have had her for ten years, how could I let her go?

Here it is: one thing this taught me was that even with the best of intentions we get caught up in our ego and pride often takes over.  I constantly told myself that I needed to finish her training, get her going, etc. But things kept interfering.  We were both caught in circumstances not of our choosing.  Tequila never got the time from me she deserved.  I felt guilty, which brought a sense of urgency to the training.  "I need to get this done!  I have to ride her NOW".  It's difficult to have patience under those conditions - I gave myself too much pressure. Then  I put it on her - she  had to perform well for me.  When she didn't, when she got nervous I got frustrated.  It only made things worse. 

When we moved out of our house in Rifle, losing our pasture and facing the fact of having to board five horses, we took an honest look at them.  I knew that the broke horses would sell more quickly and so I bravely suggested selling Angel and Snickers.  My husband kept silent, for many weeks.  Finally he said, "I think we should sell Tequila." At first I thought "NO! She isn't finished!" Then I really thought about it.  We both really enjoy our other horses.  In spite of their beginnings, Angel and Snickers fit us and our lifestyle. They are easy and a pleasure to work with.  Since my new job will take a lot of time, I know that I can be productive with them in the short time I will have with them this summer.  I can also make time for Luna, who really needs me.

So, with a clear conscience we put Tequila up for sale.  It wasn't that easy, though.  It's hard to let go of something that you have worked on for so long.  Yet it is also letting go of a burden that you have had for too long.  She always hung over my head and all this time I felt guilty.  It actually feels good to turn her over to someone else.  

Here is what happened yesterday.  A young couple showed up to look at her and since she was to be the husband's horse, he took the lead.  He started trying to bond with her right away.  He spent a good two and a half hours with her, riding her in the round pen and out and about.  At one point he fell off because the saddle slipped and she freaked out.  He had patience though and as I watched them together I saw that she was wanting to trust him but really tested him too.   At one point I tried to step in and help him with her and Tequila gave me this look that said "Butt out, Mom.  This is my thing."  

Doug having a talk with Tequila

So I stepped way back and watched someone else take over.  I saw his patience, I saw how she tried things and when they were ignored or caused no reaction she relaxed.  His confidence gave her strength and although she acted really badly yesterday I think it made him want to take her and work with her.  They knew that they were buying a cheap horse and why she was cheap and accepted that. 

In the end I was so pleased with everything.  She found the right home and I felt good about letting someone else take over.  As I made the long drive back to Grand Junction, I realized that the guilt was gone.  Tequila had let me know she agreed with the situation, too.  Everything is right and never in a million years did I think it would turn out this way.  

If you want to be a complete horseman (or horsewoman) I encourage you to read as much as you can on the subject.  Read every horse book there is, even ones you think you won't agree with.  You should know WHY you don't agree. So read, read, read.  Go to clinics, all kinds of clinics.  Don't become a disciple of any one, listen to them all.  Immerse yourself in all that knowledge, and all the differing opinions.  Try it out, see if it works and if anyone of them is correct. Practice what you have learned, try it out. Experiment.  Take lessons, ask questions, don't prevent any information from entering your mind.  At some point you will become confused and realize that most of what you hear is one of three things:

1. The same thing someone else said.
2. The complete opposite of what someone else said.
3. Something completely new and different.

Almost everything really falls under #1.  However, that doesn't matter.  You need to see this for yourself.
There are also many, many contradictions in horse training.  Ask yourself why this is.  Look for the new and different.  This is easy because there is very, very little that is new and different.

Once you have done all this, and have a thorough knowledge of horse training theory, philosophy and method, throw it all out.


Only then can you trust yourself and realize that you know what you need to know already, the tools are there.

However, you won't believe this until you read everything there is first.

Only then can you rise above and attain true knowledge.

And come home again.

I wanted to fill you in on how things are going with the empowered horses experiment.  Thanksgiving was last week and the relatives just left, so last week I only had limited time to be with the horses.  I did have a few sessions with them, though and wanted to pass on how it went and what I did. 

First of all, it's difficult to head out to the horses without a plan or a training goal.  It seemed difficult for the horses to figure out what was going on, what they should do, and what I wanted from them.  Since our relationship up to now has all been one-sided, they were looking to me for some kind of guidance.  I assume that it will take some time for us all to come up with a new way of interacting.  To most horse people this line of reasoning may seem weird or pointless, but I see a change in the horses already. 

I have noticed, for example, that there are definitely things that particular horses of mine don't like doing.  Snickers doesn't like being ridden with a bit.  Tequila gets sore from the saddle and until I find a saddle that fits her, she will object to being saddled and ridden.  There are other things, too, that I can't remember at the moment.  So, our interaction is now one-on-one in my little arena (a bit too small for the purpose),  sometimes with a lead.  I have tried taking the lead off because that's the purpose - to allow the horse to be as free as possible while we are together.  I try to play, but this is difficult because I have never played with them before.  There is lots of scratching and moving.  They seem to feel uncomfortable just walking next to me, so that's something I'm looking for to show how well things are changing.  Snickers seemed to want to do his clicker training and even offered some of the things I had taught him, so we did some of those things. He is very smart and I feel that he really wants a connection with someone.  He is not afraid to express himself and to say what he would like. 

Bella, too, was eager to do the clicker exercise of going in the garage.  I backed off even further, though, and did the entire thing without a halter or lead rope.  That way she could do the entire thing without any pressure at all and at her choosing.  She chose when to come in, how far and when to stop.  This is completely opposite of any training method I have ever tried, and it may seem counter-productive.  But here's the thing - both Snickers and Bella chose to do the exercises we had already been doing.  It makes me feel good to know that that work was fun and enjoyable to them, and they found a purpose in it, too.  That's the best feeling!

The goal is to allow them a voice, a chance to interact with me in a way they choose, to play, to relax and perhaps in the end to work together.  We'll see what happens. 

This week some friends came up, two teenage girls and a mom.  They wanted to ride the horses which I enthusiastically encouraged. One girl thought she could handle anything and had ridden before, the other one had never been around horses but had an interest (not the 'horse crazy' variety), and the mom loves horses but hadn't ridden since she was a girl. 

My initial feeling was that the situation could turn bad with the two girls pretty quickly, so I was maintaining heavy control from the start.  I had confidence in my horses, Snickers and Angel, as I had been schooling them fairly regularly and had plenty of notice that everyone was coming to ride.

Here is how things turned out:

Fearless teen rode first on Snickers.  She was a good rider though not particularly knowledgeable. She was confident, though, made even more so by the presence of the other girl who was very shy.  After a bit of instruction she was off and running, confidently riding out his giant trot across the pasture.  I put the other girl on Angel with a lunge line.  She was not too sure of all this but after about 20 minutes she agreed to try walking around off the lunge line.  It went well until I sent her towards the fence.  When she got to the fence and turned around, Angel started trotting for home.  I was able to talk her down and got her to stop Angel before things got dangerous but it scared her.  She wasn't really enjoying it much.

Then I put the mom on Angel and she did really well, but  Angel was nervous and too quick.  I could tell that she was somewhat confused by the beginners and didn't feel comfortable.  With some instruction the mom was able to have a good ride on her and did a really good job of listening to me and doing what I said.  Whew!  Since the second girl wasn't feeling confident I didn't have to worry about the two girls galloping across the pasture and getting dumped somewhere while I yell "slow down" to no avail...

All of this reminded me of a few things.  One, that riding takes skill, actually skillS.  There are so many things you must do at once to make it appear smooth, regular and in control.  Even more skills to do the turns, shoulder-ins, etc.  Plus our pasture is dotted with small trees, about knee-high making riding a challenge at times. And ditches, yes, lots of small ditches and long grass, and POOP.  I suddenly realized that although I enjoy riding Angel and Snickers, it actually takes a lot of riding to get them to do what I want.  I am always comparing them to last week, last month, last year.  They keep improving but not enough for a beginner to feel comfortable on. 

In my mind, since Angel isn't rearing straight up and Snickers isn't turning back to the barn every other stride (I am NOT exaggerating!) that they are REALLY GOOD.  So this weekend was a wake-up call for me and for them too.  I think my horses appreciate me more now... I hope. 

The other thing I realized is that I am better than I think sometimes.  It's easy to get down on yourself, especially if you don't compete.  I have no way of knowing how far I've come since I can't take lessons right now.  I can't afford to compete, either, and these two facts tend to lead me to believe that I am not very good.  Or that I am becoming a bad rider...with bad habits.  This weekend I learned that I make two very green horses look good and that's not easy to do.  Although I would like my horses to be able to be ridden by anyone, I realize that it takes time for them to feel confident in themselves so that can happen. 

To everyone who has ridden for a long time, pat yourself on the back.  You are probably far better than you realize!