At liberty/tackless training?

I was wondering if anyone else does it


My favorite way to train with Divo is to just go out in his pasture and train. Not lunging type training, but picking up his feet, teaching him to flex, to back, and to trot along side me with vocal and body cues. Laying on his back, hanging on his butt, playing with his tail, rubbing down his legs, etc.

I was last out Sunday and we made awesome progress with flex. When I quit for the day, you could stand by his side and give him a tap on the opposite side and say 'Flex' and he would bring his nose around and touch his barrel. Same for the side you're standing on. I alternated sides, left, right, left, right, to get even 'flex training'. We did it all without a halter or lead, just me and him out in the pasture, having a blast. He kept wanting to give me his head, determined that he would be rewarded quicker, but he did get it quite quickly that the only way he gets rewarded is if I'm standing beside him and he brings his head around.

I also did some small work with walking beside me without a lead, trotting beside without a lead, and we played hide-and-go-seek I'd 'hide' behind a tree, and he'd try to 'catch' me. Or I'd sprint to the next tree and 'hide' and he would come trotting over. At once point I dashed to the lower gate, and he went tearing off around the pasture at full speed, bucking and having the time of his life.

The sliding stops in front of me when I called him were a bit unnerving though. I'd whistle for him and he come BARRELING over and stop just in time. Lovely Divo, but a bit scary!



I don't consider this 'natural horsemanship'. At the most, I'd call it at-liberty training, tackless training, or training without aids. Does anyone else enjoy doing this with their horses? I find it to be quite fun, honestly. I worked him in between with a halter and lead, but I have the best time with just me and him.

I'll do something similar sometimes, more to "test" Scout or just fool around than to teach him something new. I love it when he's really cued into me, we'll almost "dance"; drive bum away, draw nose, cross in front of me and change sides, draw nose again, trot around me...

Of course, we've got nothing on clinician-style exhibition liberty work. Some of those routines absolutely astound me in the time and training that goes into it. I'm sure anywhere but my home arena or in the stall he'd either be far too interested in chomping grass or barreling around flagging his tail to focus on my silly agenda.

I do as much as I can without a halter/lead. I can lunge, lead at w&t (turning right and left), send her away and call her to me (she will come back at either a trot or gallop, depending on how much ground she has to cover) stop, back up, lift and clean feet, rasp feet, flu spray, blanket on & off, groom, tack up... working on riding bridleless and feel comfortable in the pasture to w&t, stop, back up and turn l&r, but haven't pushed for a canter yet.

I do this - but not so much out in the field because the horses out there get antsy if you give attention to another horse >.< Whenever I get the school to myself Harry and I go off lead, we can do groundwork and sideways, and jumping/riding on a good day We have the best time playing with random things, or just messing about with each other :)

Haha boy do I hear you on that! Luckily my mare shares her pasture with only one other mare and pretty much ignores her antics. I cought a bit of it on video the last time I rode in the pasture (though not tackless that time)

I love, love, love working with Flash at liberty. He loves it too.

I actually feel bad for the other horse on the property, he always seems like he wants to come play with us too, but since he's not my horse I don't really have a right to. Not to mention, when the two of them are together Flash tends to get pushed around a bit, so that's just me and him time!

It's funny, I can lunge him and he'll do it but he knows it's just work.. the second I take his tack/line off he turns into another horse.

Here is a vid I forgot I had of Honey & I goofing around a bit (forgive the camera, I was trying to film and work with my horse... clearly not a good combo for me)!