03/11/2023
So applicable to dog training!
#1. is really Number 1 !!!
10 Rules for Liberty đŽ
4 weeks on the road teaching dozens of people and horses has helped clarify a great deal in my mind as a trainer and liberty artist. Below are 10 points I believe can help anyone achieves their goalsâŠ
1. Be present. Nothing outside of this moment is of consequence. â€ïž
2. Dedicate every sense to gathering information about your body, the horses body, the horses movements and reactions, the environment around you. Every factor must be considered and collected to calculate your next move. đ
3. Be neutral. Take in information you see as fact. Neither good nor bad. It is nothing more than information to be processed. đïž
4. Imagine every move you plan to make as a shadowed image playing out in front of you. As if viewing your life from a third person perspective. See each action in the future and combine it with the information you have gathered to make an educated prediction of what will happen next. âł
5. Donât put out fires. Keep your eyes peeled for sparks. Watch your horse and memorise every tick and tell that precedes any negative reaction or outburst. See the spark and stop your ask before itâs fanned in to a flame. đïž
6. Take small steps but donât march on the spot. Train your horse in small manageable stages that can be easily understood and digested. But donât become bogged down in fruitless repetition. Make goals. Log your progress to measure achievements to keep motivated. But always have a goal. If youâre failing to advance towards your goal the answers is nearly always to breakdown the sequence in your mind or by watching it on video. Pin point the moment or moments things go off course and then breakdown each signal you give and pair it with the reaction you desire. Write it down if you need to. Once youâve found the weak point in your training, polish it up until itâs one of your strongest skills and return to the task you were failing at. But this time with the tools to finish the job. đ ïž
7. Give signals ( especially using the whip ) with the precision of a brain surgeon. Flailing and flapping is equivalent to drunken mumbling and will frustrate not educate. Flapping around like your dusting off cob webs or hammering away like a musician performing a drum role can never be precise or productive đ§
8. You are looking for reactions. Not to complete your signal in a way that is identical to your idol / instructor or friends. Every horse is unique and will react differently. Watch the horse and stop the moment they react in a way that is positive. This is not only how we keep a horse light but also how we show the horse we see, accept and understand their âtryâ we appreciate their effort. đ„°
9. Doing the wrong thing calmly and confidently will offend a horse much less than doing the right thing carelessly in haste. Itâs not just what you do, but how you do it. đ€
10. Your entire body is a signal. Feet, shoulders, arms, hands, head, eyes. Everything. If possible practice some form of daily movement / exercise to build your skills in body awareness. You canât control things you are oblivious of. Find physical interests away from horses to keep gaining mind muscle connection. Learn new skills to practice this control. Then when you train your horse you are conscious of your posture, where and when you step, the movements of the limbs not directly involved in the exercise. You must learn to be aware of and direct your body efficiently or it will constantly give signals to your horse that will be counter productive no matter if you realise or not. đȘ
Let me know what you think in the comments below đ
Photography credit to E J Lazenby Photography
