This is one thing I FIRMLY believe in….
…At one time you had a ✨dream✨
…maybe it was with horses or something else.
And then something happened, life changed and at a certain point you stopped believing it was possible …for you.
For other people? Sure! but not for you.
The “world” tells us all sorts of things about ourselves and our voice echos them the loudest.
..too young, too old, too fat, too skinny, too weak, too busy, too much, not enough…
There will always be too many why nots to count.
And maybe some even hold truth,
…But what if you decided to do it anyway.
You acknowledged the unique challenges you may face along the journey and said “f*ck it, I will figure it out.”
What if you held that vision of what the higher version of yourself could be and achieve and you started crawling towards her…
Taking tiny steps and leaps of faith along your metamorphosis into the person you were always capable of becoming.
Success looks different for each and every one of us.
And yet I deeply hold the belief that everyone that WANTS it is capable of their version of success.
It will often take sacrifice of time, money and energy. It will take support, desire, a little delusion, and above all else…action.
Whatever your vision is, I challenge you to do just one small thing today to move you an inch closer.
If your dream is of liberty work and building a deeper connection with your horse I would be honored to support you.❤️
Comment “me” below and I will let you know when enrollment opens for my 90 day 1:1 coaching program, - The Connected Liberty Pathway-.
Pay attention‼️
This ONE little thing will stop you from successful liberty work.😬
There is something we are always seeking from our horse…
A key ingredient to the whole shebang- ✨Focus✨
Yet oftentimes we are impatient little humans annnd can be quite demanding…without even realizing it.😅
Take notice next time you are working with your horse… see if you commit this liberty work SIN!
🎶Duh duh duh🎶
Jokes aside this little thing creates a huge handicap for your liberty work.
…the lead rope wiggle
…the tug her head up from the grass
…the non specific attention grabbing click
—-all attempts to demand focus from your horse BEFORE cueing a behavior.
Here’s why it’s a problem👇
Effective liberty work builds focus on its own.😌
When we work to build subtle cues, our horse must develop their attention to “see” these lesser signals.👀
However, when you demand focus before giving your cue it robs your horse of the opportunity to create this.😔
Give your cue and reinforce if needed, but skip the attention grabbing precursor.🚫
Drop a 🖐️ in the comments if you have ever been guilty of this.
YOUR learning process is going to be slow until you address this😳
Let’s be honest—horsemanship isn’t easy.
Especially when you care deeply💜
As a compassionate horse owner you have a unique gift AND an added challenge.
You always want to do right by your horse and be the absolute best you can be.
The responsibility you take and introspection you do is beautiful.🌹
It will be exactly what propels you forward into growth….
…however…
It also means you are probably extremely hard on yourself.
You beat yourself up when you make a mistake.
And you feel shame about the way you did things before you knew differently.
This is when the beautiful responsibility you take can end up being what holds you back🥀
Here is the thing: Shame creates a cycle of destructive behavior—losing our temper is a common one.
Without giving yourself grace you will often find your growth stunted by same cyclical mistakes or even simply the fear of failure.
So hear this👂-
It’s ok.
You’re learning and it’s ok. We are ALL learning.
👉It’s easy to hold onto resentment of the past version of you, but remember—she is who got you here, she got you this far.⛰️
👉It’s easy to be hypercritical of the current version of yourself, but remember—you are creating the world for your future self. 🌏
Let go of the weights and allow yourself to move forward through the ups and downs of the learning process without attachment.
Leave a 💜 if you relate to this struggle.
My “origin story” moment.📖
From my very first little horse girl dreams there was always something about these creatures that captivated me🦄
“Horses!”, I shouted out the backseat window ever time I spotted them
…no Barbie fantasy world was complete without her horse being a main character.
And I read every book I could get my hands on.📚
From a young age I had deep, inexplicable yearning to connect with horses.
When I finally got the chance it was magical!✨
They were everything I imagined. Powerful, kind, complex, and honest.
….
But, eventually I learned more and the initial magic faded. The weekly riding lessons felt transactional.😕
I wanted more.
This set me on the journey where I discovered liberty work.
I still hadn’t identified what exactly I was searching for, but liberty felt closer.🌱
Some time later I performed in front of an audience for the first time with one of my previously wild Mustangs.
The moment as I walked out of the arena with was a powerful one for me.
Filled with adrenaline and accomplishment yet simultaneously an overwhelming softness and beauty. 💜
I did it, she did it, we did it..together.
So much gratitude.
Then, what happened next shocked me.😳
Person after person came up to me with tear filled eyes.
Complimenting me, congratulating me, and most importantly expressing what that performance meant to them and how much they would love to have this connection with their horse.🐴
This was the moment I realized—-I wasn’t some anomaly.😅
So many of us are searching for something *more*.
We desire deeply to connect to something bigger than ourselves through the horse.
Liberty work moves us.
This moment sparked my passion for empowering compassionate horse owners like you with the tools to build your vision.🛠️
We each have our own reason for coming to horses, yet often what we really seek is connection.
I am incredibly grateful to now have the beautiful opportunity to facilita
How to find *ease* in your liberty work🌊
Have you found yourself wondering how other people’s horses to not only *do* the maneuvers you are working on——but do them with such flow and ease?🤨
When you ask your horse to move their hip for example, they do it very “correctly”—their front end stays still and they nicely cross behind….but let’s be honest
They are so SLOW😩
Slow to respond and then sluggish in their movement🐢
…if you ask them to move more they either ignore you or get irritated.😕
You are deeply inspired by the ease, connectivity, and movement of liberty work…
But right now your horse’s energy just feels heavy. ⚓️
So why does this happen?
When we typically think about training a behavior we focus on *what* we want to happen—-but not *how* we want it to happen.
When you teach your horse something new and immediately focus on technicality, the energy of it is often lost. 😬
👉Your horse does not automatically know the level of effort and energy you desire.
In order to both clarify what you want and empower your horses movement you must intentionally reward effort🐴
This looks like encouraging and rewarding your horse for their busts of energy and increased speed. Even if the footwork/accuracy is imperfect.
Once your horse understands that this is what you are asking for, THEN you can shape the details of the behavior with ease.🎉
This order is the 🔑 to creating a flow with your horse and helping them find movement that feels light and effortless.
I love liberty work, but I’m so tired of this.
Sometimes when I see liberty performances it really grinds my gears.
I’ve seen the elaborate showcases and subsequent training programs sold💰
Clients attracted to the illusion of connection…
When behind the scenes—the vision you are sold doesn’t match the reality of the training practices.😕
The result seems to embody everything a conscious horse owner like you would want…
Yet you are either mislead or not informed about the coercion, intimidation, or punishment used to achieve it.😩
Liberty at its core is something beautiful🐴
In the right hands it deepens one’s understanding of the horse.
👉Understanding of her language, her patterns, how she learns, and how we affect her.
When approached with curiosity and compassion you learn how to communicate more effectively.
In the right hands, liberty is a container for growth and learning to connecting with something bigger than yourself🌱
…In the wrong hands it is an ego boost or sales gimmick—-hidden behind “if the horse wanted to leave she would”.
It saddens me to see this misalignment.
My hope is that by empowering more of the
“right” hands with the tools to succeed we will see a shift in the industry.
If you want to do liberty work.. let it burn🔥
—Insert villainous laugh—😈
Ok, just kidding…kind of…
Here’s the thing:
…..When you watch the connection at liberty you aspire to have, what moves you❓
I bet it has something to do with the effortless flow both horse and handler seem to be engaging in together🌊
Both are strong and confident in their own movements yet working in harmony.☯️
There is a level of freedom throughout the connection.
I know this is what you want🌱
Annnd here is the problem- right now you are more than likely not creating space for this.
You’re used to holding onto control by “helping” your horse—- and letting go WILL feel a lot like letting it all burn😅
When your horse does the movement you ask for, instead of allowing them the opportunity to take responsibility for their movement…you are holding them there.
Why? Because you won’t let your horse “fail”.
Chances are, you’re not even aware of it. It’s subtle!
It looks like:
👉Constant clicking to keep your horse moving backwards
👉Keeping your whip raised after a cue to ensure they don’t stop moving
👉Moving practically as much as your horse when lunging her, just to make sure she doesn’t break gait.
We might simply be unaware of this or even have good intentions of wanting our horse to be successful—-while in reality, what we end up doing, is nagging and robbing them of the chance to find their own power through movement.😔
If you want to experience the beauty of liberty work—-you first have to get comfortable letting it burn and allowing your horse to make mistakes.
🚨Ask for what you want, reward/release COMPLETELY when your horse does it, and if they stop, simply ask again.
I know it can feel frustrating and uncomfortable in the beginning to let go in this way—but your horse and your future self will thank you. 🙏 😊
This terrifies me.
You have heard the options- nasty, dirty, stupid, untrainable, b*tchy, dangerous, and a million more I’m sure.
All labels slapped on horses after they exhibited certain behaviors.
Labels that travel along with that horse as they are passed from hand to hand.
Labels that influence the way they are valued, the way they are treated, and the way they are trained… or not trained.
……..Labels that are often placed out of ego and lack of understanding.
“Yeah, that horse was just too (insert overgeneralized negative term).”
Often really translates to:
“I didn’t know the answer, so this horse must just be bad...”
It is so scary how fast both individuals and professionals in this industry turn to demonizing the horse BEFORE getting curious.
Curious about why the horse might be displaying certain behaviors.
Pain? Confusion? Past training? Physical ability? Diet? Living conditions?
And curious about solutions.
Curious about solutions that may be outside of the trainers current knowledge or abilities.
And curious enough to try something new or learn something different.
Not having the answers it’s OK…making that the horses burden to carry is not.
This is why your training is going so SLOWLY🐢
Have you ever felt like you should be progressing faster with your horse.😣
At the end of each session she seems to fully understand what you are asking…
She is doing the maneuver correctly, listening to your subtle cue, AND giving you the energy you are looking👏
….But next session she is back to being confused, unaware, or sluggish. 😔
I know how frustrating it can be—-it feels like you’re just crawling towards your goals when you KNOW you and your horse are capable of more.😩
“It must be something I’m doing, but what??” You think.
Ask yourself this question👇
How focused are you during the “in between”?
The moments in between “training exercises”—
👉When you are switching positions in the arena.
👉Standing and chatting with a friend.
👉Or leading your horse from the pasture.
All of these little moments may seem unimportant, however, they are critical.🚨
Here’s what happens—- you offhandedly ask for one of the same behaviors you’re working on in training,
Your horse may or may not execute it at all OR if they do— not to the level of energy or accuracy you are working on.
Because we are distracted we accidentally reward this.😬
Diminishing the clarity and consistency your horse is receiving from you.
Being intentional to have the same cues and expectations in those small moments has a huge effect on the ease and speed of your progress. 🌱
Leave a 💙 if this is something you are going to be more aware of!
This is why you can’t work with your horse at liberty….yet‼️
Does this sound familiar—
Your session starts out relaxed, but after a few minutes… things change😬
Haven’t even given the cue to lunge yet and your horse starts to take off on the circle.
When you go to walk up to them they start frantically trying to guess what you want… is it the back up? Sidepass? Lunging?
They are throwing the whole kitchen sink of maneuvers at you before you have even given a cue. 😣
Your desire is to be able to work with a relaxed and focused energy from your horse…🧘♀️
You ultimately want to be able to take the halter off and flow with them at liberty.🌊
But right now they are more hypervigilant than anything else.
Your horse is reacting to your every movement rather than responding.⚠️
So what gives?
Well, often times we get so hung up in the details of certain maneuvers that we neglect *this* 👇principle.
As an owner and trainer- your job is not to simply teach your horse behaviors, but to teach her to read your intentions.
By having a clear and consistent change in YOUR energy when you are asking for something vs when you aren’t ——-and rewarding your horse for responding accordingly…
She will build relaxation and confidence through knowing exactly WHEN something is being asked of her. 😌
The creation of this clarity is what sets your liberty work up for successful connectivity💕
