Playing with a horse at Liberty (with no halter or lead rope) is the childhood dream of many, as you may have seen a group of horses that are drawn to a human by some magic in a show like Cavalia or Cirque du Soleil.
Developing the kind of connection has fascinated me over the years and challenged me become better at reading the horse. The real magic lies in understanding the horse’s mental and emotional needs. By using horse psychology (animal behavior, animal psychology) you can tap into their individual characteristics, offer them choices and create motivation for your horse to want be with you.
With my Parelli Levels horse, Condoleezza, I was able to do some pretty fancy stuff at liberty without really understanding how I got it. I have since had the opportunity and continue to develop many different horses. My understanding of how we can cause a horse to choose us, or unintentionally (sometimes intentionally) bully a horse into staying with us has come to life.
In this new video you will see my newest horse, Quest. When Quest came to me in November 2014, the idea of having a conversation with, or emotionally connecting with a human was foreign to him. I chose to use him in this clip not because our liberty together is advanced or impressive; but rather, to give you a clear picture of where it all starts and how to consistently read and be present for your horse’s mental, emotional and physical feedback.
To learn more about Quest and how we came together click HERE