Liberty Horsemanship

Just that - doing whatever with your horse at liberty - no strings attached - or big, round, close fences involved

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Learning so much!! I bought a mare about three weeks ago and I have been doing this somewhat. I have been going out and just hanging out with both my girls. They eat and do whatever. They have came up to me and been nosey so I do rub them. But I am going to start learning how to better myself!! This is great!
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I love liberty training:) I have been having an issue getting Nohea to back up so I left it up to him to do in his time. I was working with my new little guy, Luke, yesterday and asking him to back up, which he did with no problem so I gave him a treat. I looked over and Nohea was standing there glaring at me and I said to him "He backed up that's why he got a treat" and right at that point what does Nohea do? He backed up with out skipping a beat, and backed up every time after that when I asked him. I guess he finally had the motivation to prove he can back up or he's just jealous. Haha!

By the way, Nohea, horses, as herd animals, learn extensively from what they observe in their peers. So, if you train a horse with other horses present and watching attentively, they are more likely to learn a new behavior more easily. That's how I've taught my own and other horses a couple of things and I always like having a youngster or a less experienced horse in the arena while I'm teaching someone more experienced.

When working with one horse at liberty the other will watch for a bit then join us. Altho my focus is on the first, the second is eager to participate so I wind up working/playing with both.

That's a hotly debated topic - whether or not horses do learn by example. My personal feeling is that they don't really, not specifics, but they do pick up on the feelings that go with it... so will be more or less motivated & in a learning frame of mind depending on the attitude of the horse before them.

Loosie, from your statement I just realized that because our focus in on horse A, horse B senses this and decides to partake. If the focus switched to B I wonder if he'd be as eager. Hmmm, food for thought. Thanks

I think working at liberty with your horse is one of the best things you can do, especially for improving your relationship. I start by just playing with my horses and hanging out in there paddock, making sure that they enjoy my company. I do a lot with them on the ground in a halter, but I make sure that their work stays very varied so they never become bored. However, if you have a nervous horse who likes to run repitition of the same exercises can be a great way for them to settle down and relax, whereas a slower horse with less 'go' will often quickly become bored with doing the exercises over and over again. Once your horse enjoys your company and respects you as a leader then he should follow you around without a halter, but for doing finer points of liberty, I will train them with just a halter on or other VERY basic equiptment, and train them to respond to the lightest of cues, which starts with body language. Once this is established it isn't such a big deal to remove the halter and continue doing the same thing at liberty. Practise disengaging your horses hind quaters, this way if when at liberty your horse should try to walk away from you, simply disengage the hindquaters until they are facing you again. Always start with liberty in an inclosed area should anything go wrong, and remember to ask for little bits at a time, and remove any pressure as soon as they respond in a positive way.

Honestly I think they do learn from example. I taught my pony to take his halter off the hook and hand it to me. I've sense been trying to unteach this adorably obnoxious skill -.- As he quickly learned that if he (my 9 hand 450 pound pony) took his halter and swung it at my 1350 pound draft mare - she'd run away. He thought this was just hilarious until she grabbed her halter and swung it at him. Luckily both of them are dumb enough to drop their halters after the first 'throw'. So now, every day I come home and find two halters in the middle of the barn floor. -.-'
But I never taught my mare anything to do with touching or grabbing her halter, she definitely learned that from him.

While I agree it's not easy for horses to pick up skills just from watching - but I do think - if they're paying attention - they are thinking about it. Just not putting 2+2 together until it's their turn to learn the skill. But when working with my little herd of minis/ponies at the rescue I'll teach one to back up and the next - who was watching - picks it up 10 times faster.

Awesome. I would love to do this with both my horses but I feel that my mare will be alot easier. She follows me around EVERYWHERE.she and I have a way closer bond then me and my gelding.. how do get I get started. What are the steps you take?