Circles on a Lead

As discussed previously, the cues to call the horse are to step backward, call him with your voice cue, and possibly motion to him with the whip. After your horse is doing that from a standstill, it’s time to add some energy to the equation.

Start by sending the horse around you, wearing a halter and long lead, on a left circle in a round pen. Hold the rope in your left hand and a longe whip or training stick in your right hand. Once the horse has gone around in one or two circles, swing the whip under the rope and out in front of him, which will block his forward motion.

At the same time, call your horse with your voice cue and step back, drawing him to you. Repeat this a few times, then go the other way and repeat the exercise with the horse traveling on circles to the right.

Leave the lead on in the beginning to help the horse understand that he should come to you, that way you can pull on the lead if necessary. Since you have already taught the horse how to do this from a standstill, this part should be relatively easy.

Loose Horse

Once you have had some success, take the halter and lead off and repeat the exercise with the horse loose. Send him around, cut him off just a little bit, and at the same time back up to draw him to you.

In some ways it becomes easier once the horse is loose because you don’t have to worry about getting tangled up in the lead rope. However, if you’re having any trouble, just put the halter and lead back on until the horse figures this exercise out.

You can practice this at different gaits, but I often find the trot is best because there will be enough energy without things getting too fast.

Liberty Circles

There are some misconceptions when it comes to horses circling at liberty; the main one is that a horse running around in a round pen without a halter on is not really a horse circling at liberty because the round pen is holding the horse in. It seems if the pen were bigger, then the horse would be farther away, so it’s not true liberty.

We always start in a pen, but you want to work toward the horse circling with a strong enough connection to you that in theory, he could be doing small circles around you in a 100-acre field.

The only tool you will need for this part is a whip (either a longe whip or buggy whip) or a training stick. Start by backing up to draw the horse to you.

When he comes to you, stop backing and use the whip to guide him around you as if you were longeing. However, only send the horse about half a circle around you and then back up again and call him to you.

Stop and pet the horse. Keep building off of this. Draw the horse to you, then have him start to circle a bit more, and then draw him back again.

What keeps the horse with you is the thought that he shouldn’t go far because at any second, you are going to call him back, and then he can stop and take a break. Your horse should look at being with you as his “happy place” for this training to work.

Advancing to Next Steps

Build up to where your horse will circle a few times around you before you call him back. If you notice that he looks like he’s going to leave while doing a circle, call him back right away (before he leaves).

If the horse does leave, move him briskly around the perimeter of the pen once or twice, then call him back and repeat the exercise. He will likely learn quickly that it’s easier to do the small, slower circles around you than the bigger, faster ones around the full pen.

Practice on both sides at both the walk and trot. Eventually you can do liberty circles at the lope, but make sure the trot is nearly perfect first.

Once your horse will come to you and circle both ways, you have an excellent liberty training foundation on your horse. From here, the world of liberty and all its possibilities open up to you. You can add obstacles, work in different settings, work with more than one liberty horse at once—and the list goes on. Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Watch our webinar with Jason & Bronwyn Irwin.

This article about building on liberty training basics appeared in the August 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Building on Liberty Basics appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There are several ways to get started with liberty. Everyone has their own style, but I am going to explain how I start training a horse for liberty. What makes liberty work is to make the horse’s favorite place in the world with you.

I basically want to turn you into a giant magnet for your horse so that he is either with you, or if he is away from you, he will be thinking about getting back to you. This is the invisible connection that keeps a liberty horse attached to the trainer—his desire to be with that person.

However, even though the goal is to work at liberty, I like to begin the early liberty training with a halter and lead rope attached instead of turning the horse loose. With the rope attached, I can teach the liberty cues much easier, because I can help the horse more and keep things slower than I could if the horse was free in the very beginning.

One last point before you start: make sure your horse has good ground manners before you begin this training. If your horse is pushy and doesn’t have good ground manners, that’s going to cause problems.

In the early stages of liberty training, you are going to be bringing your horse to you a lot, which teaches him to want to be with you. However, if your horse is rude, then he will likely end up pushing into you, which isn’t safe.

To get started, you will need a halter, lead rope, and a longe whip.

Watch our webinar with Jason & Bronwyn Irwin.

Step 1

Pick a voice cue to call your horse. It can be any word or a whistle or just about any other sound.

If you ever watched old Westerns, you have probably seen at least a few where the hero whistles or calls out and the horse comes running to save the day—usually just in the nick of time. This is the same idea. I usually say the word “here!”

Step 2

Stand your horse beside the arena wall or a good fence. Start out with the fence on your horse’s right side.

Stand in front of the horse holding the lead rope in your left hand and the longe whip in your right hand.

Step 3

Back away from your horse, and at the same time lower your whip. Give the voice cue to come to you, and then tap very lightly on the horse’s left shoulder.

If your horse starts walking toward you when you tap him, that’s great. However, if he doesn’t, it’s OK. As you back up, the lead rope will tighten, which will give the halter a tug and bring the horse to you anyway.

What is important is to give the voice cue before the tap on the shoulder; the horse needs a chance to respond to the verbal cue before feeling the tap.

Step 4

As the horse is walking toward you, keep backing up. When you’re ready to stop, say “whoa” and lift your whip straight into the air.

The whip going up like this encourages the horse to stop, and later on, the whip being held up can be the cue for the horse to stand still, no matter how far away you are.

Repeat these steps several times. Once your horse is coming to you willingly, just motion toward him, but don’t tap as often.

Step 5

Turn your horse around so that the fence is now on his left side. Stand in front of him holding the lead rope in your right hand and the longe whip in your left hand, then repeat all the same steps tapping on his left shoulder.

Repeat until your horse is walking toward you as soon as you motion with the whip and begin backing away. Be sure to be very inviting to the horse with your posture and expression.

When the horse comes to me, I pet him (usually using the whip) to teach him that all pressure goes away as soon as he comes to me.

Step 6

The idea behind using the fence and tools as described is to make coming to you the easiest thing for the horse to do.

The horse is held in on one side because the fence is there; he likely won’t go the other way because the longe whip is there, and he can’t go backward because of the lead rope attached to him. Coming to you, therefore, becomes the most logical thing for him to do.

However, we don’t want to be stuck at the fence forever, so now it’s time to get away from it and move around in the middle of the arena. Sometimes I will hold a second whip (such as a dressage whip) in my other hand. This way I can gently guide the horse back toward me if he veers off to either side. If you’re holding two whips, you would lower both to bring the horse to you and raise both to ask for the stop.

Step 7

If your horse is coming to you the moment you call him and is following you around willingly, it’s time to get rid of the physical connection. Take off the lead rope or put it around the horse’s neck. Practice calling the horse to you and stopping him, and if it’s going really well, you can get rid of the halter and lead rope completely.

You’re now working at liberty! To learn the next steps, stay tuned for Part 2 of this liberty training series.

This article about how to start training a horse for liberty appeared in the July 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Start Training a Horse for Liberty appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Welcome to Barn Banter, the official podcast of Horse Illustrated. In Barn Banter episode 24, hosts Susan Friedland and Horse Illustrated Editor In Chief Holly Caccamise talk with Dr. Elizabeth James, the co-founder of the Liberty Festival and CEO of International Liberty Horse Association. To end the episode, they chat with Rachel Navarro, Equine and Farm Animal Intake Coordinator at Nevins Farm, about this month’s ASPCA Right Horse adoptable ponies, Buggsy and Muffin.

Click to listen on mobile.

Listen to Barn Banter episode 24 now to learn more about liberty from Dr. James.

Title Sponsor of Barn Banter: Adequan

Big thanks to our sponsor, Adequan! For over 30 years, Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) has been trusted by veterinarians, trainers and horse owners. Ask your veterinarian if Adequan® is right for your horse. Visit Adequan.com to learn more. Adequan®. Start with it. Stay with it®.

Dr. Elizabeth James, CEO of International Liberty Horse Association

Dr. Elizabeth James was born and raised in Montana where she grew up riding horses working cattle. Upon graduating high school she set out to turn her passion into a career by earning her BS in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska, a Masters degree in Equine Reproduction specializing in Genetics from the University of California at Davis, and most recently a PhD from the University of Kentucky in Experiential Education.

In 2005, Dr. James started her career as an equine instructor at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo. where she taught Colt Starting and various training classes. In 2007 she accepted the position of equine instructor alongside Chris McCarron at the North American Racing Academy. From there she went on to spend more than ten years as a full time professor in the Equine Department at the University of Kentucky. Dr. James has over 15 years of experience helping students achieve their dream careers, coordinating internships, and working closely with the equine industry to develop what they are looking for in a workforce.

She left the University of Kentucky in 2018 to launch Equine Career Coach which offers resources, advice, coaching, and career services specifically for the equine industry & Equine Business Solutions which helps entrepreneurs in the equine industry succeed. Together with her husband, Dr. James founded the exciting new International Liberty Horse Association in 2018 which is the first ever association for the liberty discipline and the Liberty Festival in 2022 — the first expo dedicated entirely to Liberty horsemanship.

Dr. James currently resides in Midway, KY with her husband, Dan; daughter, Isabella and son, Jesse on their farm, the Australian Equine Performance Center.

◆ Liberty Horse Association website
◆ Liberty Festival website
◆ Follow International Liberty Horse Association on Instagram (@libertyhorseassociation)
◆ Follow International Libery Horse Association on Facebook

Buggsy and Muffin, Adoptable Ponies of the Month

Buggsy and Muffin are best friends seeking a companion-only home together.

Buggsy

Buggsy is a cute and flashy 21-year-old Paint mare who would make an adorable addition to your barn. She is easy to halter in her stall, lead to her paddock, and catch for turn in. She is an easy keeper (as most ponies are) and seems quite hardy and healthy. Nevins Farm does not have a full picture of her history, but as far as they know, she came from an auction in Oklahoma and hasn’t done much ridden work in her life. She would be best suited to just hang out and be your best friend from the ground.

Buggsy is patient for vet care and enjoys being groomed and fussed over. She seems to really like her cozy stall in the winter, but could likely handle living out 24/7 with adequate shelter and blanketing in bad weather.

Learn more about Buggsy here.

Muffin

An 25-year-old pony mare, Muffin was a bit shy and avoidant of touch when Nevins Farm first met her, but she has fallen into a great rhythm with them and is now easy to halter in her stall, lead to her paddock, and catch for turn in. She is an easy keeper and seems quite hardy and healthy. Muffin does well living out 24/7 and stalling overnight with day time turn out; she is super flexible.

Nevins wouldn’t go so far as to say she is a kid-safe pony yet, but it is possible she could get there with some time and patience. She has been straightforward for them to work with and hasn’t offered a bite, kick, or rear. She does require an experienced handler for vet care, but has also improved greatly for this type of handling in the time they’ve had her. She stands well for the farrier and tolerates grooming; Nevins Farm thinks she’ll enjoy it one day when she finds a family who will dote on her.

Learn more about Muffin here.

In addition to Barn Banter episode 24, you can check out all previous episodes of Horse Illustrated’s podcasts.

The post Barn Banter – Episode 24: Sponsored by Adequan appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Partnership with your horse, fun with friends, the opportunity to showcase your skills: the International Liberty Horse Association (ILHA), a new organization dedicated to liberty training, now offers opportunities to liberty fans worldwide.

From Roman riding bareback to jumping without tack, liberty training brings horse and trainer together with a special connection, whether individually or with other horses, ridden or on the ground.

Creating a Showcase

Formed by trainers Dan and Elizabeth James with the mission of celebrating liberty horses and their people, ILHA offers an organized venue to promote liberty training through recognized shows with tiered levels, competition rules, and an emphasis on safety coupled with creative expression.

“The idea behind the association was threefold: both Dan James and Dan Steers [of Double Dan Horsemanship] do liberty clinics, and people come back every year,” explains ILHA CEO, Elizabeth James, Ph.D. “Everyone is excited to show what they have achieved with their horses over the year; this is almost as big a highlight as progressing on from the clinic itself. We see people put a lot of time into it. They are talented, their horses are talented, and the clinic [was] the only place they [could] showcase it.”

Elizabeth, a Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover contestant, realized trainers preparing Mustangs and Thoroughbreds for makeover events often include liberty in their performance. These equestrians didn’t have a public venue to school their act beforehand as other disciplines would, such as going to a schooling show to practice a dressage test or ride a full hunter course.

Camaraderie in Training

The final catalyst in deciding to found the organization occurred, Elizabeth says, when Dan was a member of the Australian reining team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C.

“The camaraderie between the participants and getting to compete at that level doesn’t exist for the trainers who do liberty,” says Elizabeth. “There are exhibitions and clinics, but there isn’t anywhere for them to compete and be recognized for their hard work and talent in liberty.”

Like all good horse training, liberty work incorporates a systematic, step-by-step approach.

“I’ve always considered liberty to look more like a discipline,” says Dan. “It’s very similar to other disciplines in that you’re developing a foundation, and from that foundation build up through the different levels of tasks. A good liberty horse is really just a well-disciplined, well-broke, patient, easy horse to be around.”

Cross-Training Benefits

To that end, liberty training may also greatly benefit horses working in other fields.

“There are multiple benefits, especially in the sport horse and performance horse world,” says Dan. “We get sent horses for dressage, jumping, racing, and reining that may have other issues. The liberty goes into a deeper level of thinking for the horse because he has to do it at liberty, so it’s much less mechanical. Teaching them to be liberty horses addresses a multitude of problems that we see that happen in the performance world.”

Many horse owners are drawn to liberty work to strengthen their bond with their horse while enjoying new avenues.

“What I think is exciting about liberty is that not everyone who owns a horse wants to ride or can ride, but they are looking for something more to develop the relationship with their horse,” says Elizabeth. In addition, Dan explains
liberty training is truly open to all sizes, breeds, and ages, unlike many other disciplines.

“In liberty, you have a lot more opportunity, regardless of the type of horse you have,” he says.

Competitive Classes

The ILHA will offer its first competition, the International Liberty Horse Championship, Oct. 18-20, 2019, at the Kentucky Horse Park.

“What we are looking to do is to bring all styles, techniques, and trainers together,” explains Elizabeth. “We want to offer a platform for people to showcase their horses and have a goal to work toward. The idea is to be all-inclusive, from beginner to professional. We offer levels from leadline to working one liberty horse, working one liberty horse off another horse, working a team, bareback and bridleless, bridleless for people that don’t want to ride bareback, and obstacles.”

Going forward, the ILHA will begin coordinating online competitions, as well as support for others to put on their own event.

“We’ve had people in France, Canada, Australia, and Sweden contact us wanting to host competitions,” says Elizabeth. “Once we get the format ironed out this year, there will be international shows available.”

This article about liberty training originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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