| Mark: So, Carolyn, how would you recommend that | | | | long would you suggest that someone spends with |
| someone starts to train a horse and develop a close | | | | their horse doing this exercise? |
| connection at liberty? | | | | Carolyn: I would prefer that someone would do this |
| Carolyn: You should think of developing a relationship | | | | for at least 3 days before they move on to anything |
| with your horse in the same way horses do when | | | | else. Just spend an hour sitting with your horse for |
| they first meet each other in natural setting or in the | | | | about 3 days. What we're waiting for is for the horse |
| wild. They go through a series of rituals not always in | | | | to come up to you and if you have a horse that |
| the same order but it is the way horses normally | | | | doesn't come up to you, it really signals the fact that |
| meet, greet and get to know each other. How you | | | | you really aren't connected to that horse. So it |
| start the process is that you want the horse to | | | | probably would be a good idea to just continue to sit |
| really fall in love with you and that the horse really | | | | with the horse until the horse would come up and |
| feels it. | | | | say, 'Well what are you doing sitting in that chair?' |
| Many times owners love their horses, but what's | | | | And he would investigate you and look at your book |
| coming back really is interconnection. Horse connect | | | | and it's really important that when that happens, that |
| with their owner because of food or because they're | | | | you do not interact with the horse. Because as soon |
| gonna take them to some place or there is some | | | | as you interact with the horse, he feels that he can't |
| benefit to the horse. The reality is that the horse | | | | connect with you anymore. |
| really isn't that connected to the owner. So what I | | | | He has to defend his connection with you by saying |
| like to do is to get the horse really, really feeling | | | | 'Oh, well maybe I don't want you to touch me there.' |
| secure with the owner and the way we do that is | | | | We don't want him to be thinking about his personal |
| by sharing territory. | | | | space and how he needs to control it. We want him |
| Mark: What do you mean 'sharing territory'? What | | | | to be able to just interact with you the way he |
| does that look like? | | | | wants. He might nibble on you or whatever. |
| Carolyn: Sharing territory with the horse is going to | | | | Mark: Isn't that dangerous? Surely you don't want |
| where he feels he lives, where he feels comfortable, | | | | the horse just doing what he likes. |
| like where his home is. If it is in a stall, then it makes | | | | Carolyn: If it feels to you that the horse is being |
| it more difficult because the stall doesn't really give a | | | | aggressive, if you are worried he is going to bite you |
| horse the feeling of space and normality. So if a | | | | or knock you over in the chair, if you feel that from |
| horse is kept in a stall, its best to take him | | | | him, then what you would do is stand up and ask him |
| someplace, maybe into a round pen or an arena or | | | | to move away. I always advise that people have a |
| field or somewhere they can be outdoors and feel | | | | reed with them that they can use to create some |
| more normal. | | | | space and energy to move the horse off. |
| You start off then by putting food and water in that | | | | So that's all part of getting to know each other, just |
| area and sitting with the horse in a chair reading a | | | | continuing to ask him to move away. If he's shy and |
| book and staying out of the horses' way as much as | | | | aggressive, than just move your chair someplace |
| possible. Don't focus on the horse, just be there at | | | | else. If he follows you then you'd just ask him to |
| the moment with him. This is a very simple thing for | | | | leave you, and say 'No, no, you don't understand. I'm |
| people to do and in the process the horse will start | | | | moving my chair over here to get out of your way, |
| bonding with you and it's just a very lovely thing that | | | | so you need to move away from me.' All of this |
| will happen. If you do this with your horse as much | | | | going on teaches the horse that you have rights to |
| as you can, it will help the relationship. | | | | your personal space too but in a very kind manner |
| Mark: OK, that's starting to makes sense but how | | | | that he fully understands. |