Bonding with Horses at Liberty: Self Realization and Leadership

Apr 14, 2021

Healing horses and human hearts through bonding is therapeutic for both the horse and the human. Many people would love to have a true partnership with their horse-like they have with their family dog. Some people do, but it is rare. 

As a horse trainer and breeder over many years, my interest has always been to help people achieve this kind of relationship. Once you understand the culture of horses this kind of bond is achievable. 

To develop a true bond with a horse requires knowledge of their herd behavior and how horses form lasting bonds. Horses are not like other domesticated animals such as dogs and cats; horses are seemingly more difficult to manage until you understand how to approach them. When dogs or cats share a deep bond with a human, they prefer their human companion over another dog or cat. A horse, on the other hand, prefers to be with other horses.  

A horse has two opposite instincts; one is to lead, the other is to follow. Luckily for us, horses have a stronger desire to follow than to lead. This is even true of lead horses. However, horses also have a pecking order nature, they will change leadership roles. From their point of view, if there is no active leader (horse or human), they will take over the role. If you don’t keep a horse focused on following your lead, your horse has a responsibility to take on that job. This is how horses keep herd unity. It is easy to get a horse to follow your lead if he feels a bond, trust, and respect for you because a horse’s strongest instinct is to follow a leader.

Some people find that developing a working partnership with a horse and keeping the bond is not an easy task. One common problem that can occur, after the bond is formed, is that a horse can become unwilling if a person doesn’t know how to keep a horse respectful. A horse can be deeply bonded with you and not respect you; likewise, a horse can respect you and not be at all bonded. You need the bond and the respect to be optimum to excel in a partnership. 

Through the Waterhole Rituals, we bring horses and humans together dancing at liberty as a way to understand the true nature of horses. The program we share in our online school makes anything you do with a horse much safer, more fun, and enjoyable for both the horse and yourself. The Waterhole Rituals satisfy the horse’s need for social bonding interactions while the human experiences self-realization from a deep bond in a heartfelt leadership role. 

The program invites self-realization through training and communicating with horses through teamwork activities for any and all equestrian pursuits. It is a practical program as well as a program that deals with expansion, growth, and healing the true nature of the horse and the human. I am always looking to bring a better deal to the horse.  

Our online school is a great way for a horse person to make new friends and grow connections while cultivating their instincts. Many professional horse people take our courses to develop their skills in handling a horse at liberty and deepening their bonds with horses to gain a close connection with a horse for improved performances.   

I owe my success in the training of show horses from the bonds that I created with them at liberty from the ground. Why? Because in developing this bond, I learned how to support the personality of the horse bringing out an optimistic, secure horse that wanted to follow my lead and enjoyed learning and performing.

The online school guides people in how to develop a horse’s attitude to seek out your companionship as he would another horse. Getting a horse to bond with you like he would with another horse opens the door to an amazing relationship. 

May the horse be with you and stay on the lookout for new horse and human sightings. 

Warmly, Carolyn 

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Would you like an opportunity to work directly with us to help you improve your horsemanship skills at Liberty? If so, book a Free Coaching Call and we will speak to you about whether you are a good fit for our online and live coaching course/clinics! The first 10 people to sign up,  and show up for the call are eligible for a FREE VIRTUAL COACHING SESSION! This session can be a live virtual coaching session if you have access to the internet where you work and play with your horse, or we can coach you by video! Either way, we can't wait to meet you! 

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