Training a Horse Using the Waterhole Rituals™

I recently had a letter from Helene in New York who was telling me about her attempts to get to know a large German warmblood that was recently bought by her barn owner. Helene freely admits she is only a novice horse rider and has no horse of her own but she wanted my feedback on her attempts to use the Waterhole Rituals™ with this powerful horse.

We are kindred spirits and I am happy you enjoyed reading my book and blog. My advice is to stop your work with Max. I can see from your letter that you have a lot of talent for creative exploration and I would venture to say that you will be able to develop your skill with horses easily; however, you need more knowledge and horsemanship skill before you try to implement my Methods with Max. From what you are telling me about Max’s background and your background, you are not a match. With Max, anyone would need complete understanding of my Method and success using it on horses that have no issues first. What you are attempting could be compared to trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together with your eyes closed except much harder because the puzzle is not dangerous and the pieces you are working with don’t change shape. Max will present many behaviors and what will work with him in one minute would be inappropriate in another. Only after you have successfully worked with numerous horses that are appropriate to your skill level will you have the skill to handle Max.

My DVDs are designed for people who have a working understanding of horse behavior and for students that are working under my guidance or a qualified instructor in the Waterhole Rituals™.

My suggestion to you is to take the long journey if you love horses. Let horses and humans alike guide your way in more appropriate tasks. Learn to lead a smaller, more dependable horse through the Waterhole Rituals™ rather than a big unpredictable horse you don’t know, like Max. You require more knowledge under your belt before you start to experiment with horses as you have described.

I want to define leadership as it relates to horse training so everyone can understand why you need to take a slow approach relating to horses from the ground. You are the leader in the moment you give a request or suggestion in any form or even when you confine a horse in an area of your choosing. When a horse is in your hands you are taking full responsibility for his care, custody and behavior. You need to know how to read Max and how to bring a better connection and safety to you both. This takes time, and sharing space and doing nothing is what makes a really bond. It requires the “none action journey”.

With my Method, the horse has no fault insurance. No chasing after a horse. It is so important to be able to communicate only in the moments of companion energy like you would with a three-year-old child. It would be a really good idea that when working at liberty you know how to keep the respect in place when the horse knows he is in control and wants to challenge you. Max did not want to be involved when you were chasing after him even if it looked like you were making progress. It is not a good idea to place your care in Max’s hands and expect him to follow your lead. You are sending him a mixed message. You are saying I am the leader and I do not know what I am doing. That does not build trust with Max or give him a sensible reason that he should want to follow you. In my Method I do not have my students chasing after horses, it breaks the trust. I always have food and water in the area in which I start my horse at

liberty in and I do not start any interaction in the area until he feels this place is his home. This way I can communicate with him about territory issues to build a working bond.

First, you need to learn how to train, play, communicate, interact and click with horses in a free choice environment to learn the appropriate steps to take. Once you are able to handle easy horses, you then can work with a horse that might take more skill once you know the format. This way you will not lose your confidence, get hurt or injure your horse.

No horse is bad but we can surely develop bad acting horses and make them worse through trying to work with a horse we are not qualified to work with. If Max was in my charge, I would be sitting with him daily for a couple of months or even longer before I tried to manipulate him in any way because he has had too much manipulation already. To start the relationship you want to create in him the desire to want your presence without interaction and to fall in love with you without food. You would need to make an everyday commitment as it is a lifestyle change using the Waterhole Rituals™. Horses need your companionship everyday when we keep them in captivity. I would suggest that you sit in a chair with Max for an hour a day doing nothing and at the same time, work with horses that are kid safe on the ground with a coach who knows my Method. Taking lessons along with sharing space while doing nothing is invaluable to developing your skill.

My book clearly points out how much time I spent before I took any interaction with the horses. What you are doing to this horse right now is a lot of manipulation that needs to stop. You are not courting your horse, though you might think you are. You need to let him court you and then know what you are doing.

I am not saying that you could not succeed doing what you are doing but the dangers are too many. I would almost never run from a horse or lead him to carrots before a horse will allow me to move him around with a reed easily. I never chase after a horse as you have described. In the beginning, I keep the horse in walk only.

The tip off that you are on the wrong track with your work at liberty is that you weren’t sure of what to expect; Max was snorting and keeping an eye on you and you said that using a whip to drive him away or define your ground could possibly break the bond. This is not good news. In the beginning, this is too much speed, pressure and drama.

You need lessons with the reed before you use a whip. This way the whip will be accepted by the horse and he won’t be afraid that you might hit him with it. Let me explain a little about how I use the reed. I must educate the horse to understand when I would like to touch him with it that he would not move away from it and would accept it as a grooming tool if that was my intention. He would understand that when I need him to move away, he would move

away not from fear but from my request. I teach a horse to come to the reed, leave my company, go, turn, and stop. The reed and whip is not a tool of punishment but a guide; it is a direction tool and communication aid. The whip adds urgency to a request (not a demand) after the horse responds to reed. It takes a lot of lessons and time around horses before you begin to take on an adventure such as the one you undertook with Max. It would be a good idea to first know how to develop a working bond in a 50 acre field that has other horses, pasture, food, carrots and water that you have no control of and learn how to school your horse in these conditions. The rules of working at liberty with my Method is that you only communicate with a horse when he comes to you; and when he leaves, you must leave him. From this rule, you garner the trust and bond faster.

This way of communication is very different to the way people go about training horses at liberty. I have used this rule for more years than I am going to mention and I still find it works like magic. You broke this rule when you were chasing after your horse. Leading from Behind or ‘hazing’ as I called it years ago is done when the horse wants to be with you, not when he wants to avoid you. If he should run away in this scenario, I just keep following after him in a slow ambling walk. This formula brings more trust and respect at the same time. If the slow ambling walk causes tension, I move on to something that would bring back the harmony and the return of the horse to my side.

I am concerned that you may do a large amount of damage to the good training that Max has retained and that could cause him to become aggressive in his defense. The safest way to be around a horse is in a large space and to stay in walk with companion energy and no chasing. To use the Waterhole Rituals™ at this point, I would suggest that you find the right horse, a “Sweetie Pie” and sit in a chair and read a book. Share space with a horse that is kind and respectful in all circumstances until you have developed your skill. Wait till the “Sweetie Pie” comes up to you and wants to bond to you not the other way around.

Start with Sharing Territory and wait for this horse to come to you as a way to bond. When he becomes a nuisance, then move your chair or use your reed taking the space around him with swirling movements in the air around his body using your body language and your voice telling him he needs to leave. If you have done this properly, when he chooses to return he will not be so forward. After this action becomes a ritual to you both, you have the beginnings of a foundation. At that point you could leave and go get him a carrot and then go back to reading your book. Keep the carrots on the other side of the fence, not on you. You need to work with horses that appear to grasp the Waterhole Rituals™ happily, quickly and naturally. This might take you some time to put together but you will grow much faster working with a horse that matches your ability to one that doesn’t.

It is all about building relationship and understanding. Think of it this way; you can lead someone you trust and love to carrots more safely than trying to lead a thief you do not know to the carrots. Right now, you can’t tell whether Max wants to be a thief or lover. Max has thrown all kinds of behaviors at you and we want to avoid this. I hope this open letter is of help to many of you who read my blog and who are working with my Method.

Carolyn Resnick

Natural Horsemanship from the Ground Up