More on Liberty Training, Your Authentic Self and Personal Empowerment with Horses
Horses need your authentic self as it is, whatever it is. What they need is your full attention. When you are nourished simply from their company, they see you care and in those moments a horse begins to trust you, which gives you an opportunity to grow the bond.
In this caring you are more aware of the leadership choices you make. A horse recognizes your care, and develops a habit to naturally follow your lead. In the initial phase, whether it be starting with a new relationship or in each leadership request you make, it is important to approach the horse in this caring way.
When a horse does not feel trapped or pushed, communicating at liberty (without tack), it is easier to read both a horse's reaction to your influence and the vibrations that you bring out in the horse. If the vibrations are not right and you are not aligned with your horse, the exercises in the Waterhole Rituals® will bring back the willingness of the horse to follow your lead.
You may take a horse for granted using tack because it is harder to read your horse’s feelings. It is natural that with tack if you do not get what you want the tendency is to keep asking until you do. Forcing a horse causes your critical thinking to go out the window.
Note: Critical thinking is a non-judgmental point of view, used for evaluation and deep consideration, coming from self-awareness. It is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It entails effective communication and problem-solving ability through trial and error. In critical thinking you avoid any kind of negative or limiting beliefs and focus more on your strengths. It helps to develop, understand, and be in touch with your authentic self.
Horses are fine with trial and error. What they are not fine with is a lack of leadership or trying to lead them when they are resistant.
At liberty you must be more careful directing your horse because force will not work. The only way you can control the horse is if the horse feels a desire to follow your lead. You must figure out what to do to get a positive response. That is where critical thinking comes into play.
If you think about it, what kind of horse person would you be if you came from heart-centered leadership along with critical thinking and being totally present in the moment in a state of neutral? The Resnick Method®, the Waterhole Rituals®, is meant to develop all of these things to allow you to dance with your horse in a perfect partnership. Being in a state of neutral and bonding with your horse before you ask anything, allows you to come from a non-judgemental point of view that will open the door to critical thinking which helps to gain the partnership you are wanting to have.
For example, when you have gotten a horse to respond to your leadership doing something that you know the horse will perform, you re-establish the magnetic connection where a horse will naturally follow your lead. At this point, you will then recognize that this is a good time to ask for what he would not do before the magnetic connection was gained.
By following the rules of Liberty Training®, you know better when to lead, when to follow, when to pause, and when to act. To further the development of a horse's performance, no matter how much experience you have, or how gifted or desirable your leadership approach is, believe it or not, you must always come from a trial and error approach for a horse to really trust you.
Let me explain. Trial and error are how relationships are developed. Through communication, we find harmony rather than enforcing ultimatums. A horse will naturally understand that you will not enforce something he would object to from your trial and error approach and attitude. Trial and error allow the horse to direct your leadership to what works. From trial and error, you learn the horsemanship skills I mentioned above, when to pause, when to lead, when to follow, and you will recognize what is too much to ask for and when you’re not asking for enough in a way that brings consistency.
Leading your horse when the horse is receptive develops likeability and respect for you. Considering all of this is focusing on the needs of the horse and the performance you hope to gain, if you are coming from your authentic self, you will be focusing on an honest relationship with your horse. What is interesting about horses, if you care for their needs and get them to respect you as much as you respect them, your personal power emerges and in that power, you find your own true nature.
In working with a horse, one has to see when it is important to know how to keep a horse responsible through your leadership. In our understanding of what we expect from a horse, it is our job to hold the horse and ourselves responsible. If we do not, we get taken advantage of. It is the same thing in the human world. Learning how to lead, influence, and make change without drama and manipulations, we find our personal power and in the process, we win the support of others from their influence and vice versa.
It isn’t only horses, all cross-species relationships are magical teachers that support all things as a way to bring abundance to ourselves and others. A day with a horse or any form of nature brings us a sense of balance and well-being.
Be on the lookout for new horse and human sightings. May the horse be with you.
Warmly,
Carolyn Resnick
P.S. - If you would like to know more about The Resnick Method and how you can improve your horsemanship skills Schedule a FREE Breakthrough Session and let us help you to unlock your gifts with horses!
Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our FREE online course, Developing the Bond! This mini-course will help you begin to understand how to be the partner your horse needs you to be!
