Liberty Horse Training

Nikki S · Advanced

Liberty Horse Training

Horse-hearted · Advanced

My mom and I have begun training our horses at liberty. Our older appaloosa has bad hocks and can't do much riding, but we wanted to be involved with him still. Liberty was the perfect solution, and has really changed my perspective on how horses communicate. It's helped me with riding and everyday handling.

We follow Jonathon Feild. Although there are alot of great liberty training videos out there, I love Jonathon's way of explaining things. It's what worked for us. We bought the liberty series DVD's, which go to tune of $300. Pricey, but the knowledge is so worth it. We watch the DVD's over and over and are still pick up new techniques and nuances.

Two of our big breakthroughs:
My appy followed, backed up, and moved around me at liberty during turn-in (and therefore supper time) at home. He also now loads on the trailer at liberty with hand cues.

Our paint will lunge at liberty walk-trot, and "dances" with us.

If you have the patience and the thirst to learn, liberty is fantastic!

Nikki S · Advanced

Horse-hearted, that is so awesome! Way to go, that must be an amazing feeling to be at liberty with the horses like that! aww

Horse-hearted · Advanced

For sure! After seeing Cavaila (which is just, so awesome) I thought Liberty was out of my reach- not so! If you are willing to learn and pay attention to your horse, anyone can do it! It's too cool!

Marlene · Advanced

I've discovered another advantage to liberty horse training. I don't do a lot of it, but incidentally a few tricks, walking nicely with "invisible halter", and most of daily grooming, cleaning feet etc. without a halter. Mostly because I'm too lazy to run for one every time I want to do some little thing. So the other day Sharif was due for a hoof trim, but the trimmer came more than an hour ahead of schedule, and I was having a shower, doing a few exercises, in the house. To my surprise I get a phone call from the trimmer that he is done, Sharif is trimmed. I didn't hear him arrive, my dogs didn't bark, and I wasn't looking out for him at that time. So with the help of my two hyperkinetic dogs :) and no halter, he managed to trim Sharif's hooves in a pretty short time. This might not be so amazing to some but this is a horse who was extremely difficult to trim five years ago, and being an Arab, he wouldn't have stood nicely for someone unless he feels like it. He didn't even like me touching or brushing him when I got him, he was so twitchy and squirmy over every little thing. Now he stands like a lamb even for a trim. Every horse should be so lucky to have a trimmer like that. I might have to have a talk with my "guard dogs" though.

-- Edited by Marlene on Friday 20th of July 2012 08:02:07 PM

Nikki S · Advanced

That is so neat Marlene, liberty training really seems to build self confidence in the horse (to the point where you wouldn't need a halter to trim, because they willingly stand there with what the human is doing to them).

Horse-hearted, I love love love Cavalia, what an amazing show of great talent, passion and horsemanship :)

FancyTrot · Yearling

:D Why hello :D Oooh a forum post I can get passionate about. Navara the mare in my videos was a mare who did not like to work, was explosive by nature, hard work, pushy, rude, and very very nervous my whole way of training her and now every horse I deal with had to change and adjust to make her feel comfortable, and we have never looked back :). Barnmice have just featured another of my videos for you to have a look at. I find Liberty work means that your horse can tell you when training is not fun enough, or if you are expecting too much and it's surprising how many actually dont just 'walk away' as many expect them too, and like Navara, always seem more interested in work if theres nothing forcing her to do so :)

Marlene · Advanced

terrific video, Thanks for this! I always enjoy seeing Liberty "work". I am a bit physically wrecked these days, so I have been doing a bit of Liberty work with my guy. Sometimes we work for a few minutes and then he just hi tails it away from me and throws in a few playful bucks. How can I tell what he is saying? Is he feeling a bit of pressure, is he bored, is he just digesting what I did with him? He will usually come back after his little "boogie" and a minute of rest, and I invite him back.