Training horses for liberty

[vickie gee]

I want to start training a horse or two for liberty. What size pen do I need to construct? I could sure use some pictures, contruction advise, tips on building it economically, etc.

 

[targetsmom]

I don't do liberty a lot, but when I do, I don't train for it. In my opinion, a horse either has what it takes for the class, or it doesn't. If your horses like to show off and prance around with their tails up, then they should score well on grace, pressence, and animation, which are what the class is about. What I WOULD train for is the all-important catch, but you don't need anything fancy for that. The other thing that helps is music that matches the horse! I saw some good examples of that on the AMHR National web-cast.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Hi there! Liberty is a fun class and I think you'll really enjoy it. Luckily there is no need to build a special pen to practice in, in fact your horse needs to be prepared to run in any kind of arena you might find yourself in and still come to you. It's a real challenge when you're given a huge arena with really enticing dirt to sniff and flowers all over the judge's box...the horses tend to get distracted!

Generally speaking it helps if you have a horse with a natural flair for the event. One that has a fancy, eye-catching trot, likes to break back and forth from trot to canter and enjoys showing off will usually do well. However I have two that don't fit that description and do well anyway because my one little guy really has an attitude and loves to show off to his own special music. He can be sleeping outside the arena in 100+ degree heat and when I ask him if he's ready and say "Okay Kody, let's go!" he comes alive and hits the ring cantering and bucking. He goes to the Spirit soundtrack piece "Get Off Of My Back," and in time to the music he'll sass the judges, sass my assistant, trot around flipping his nose at me and then take off galloping exuberantly. When the music ends he either plays Can't Catch Me if he's feeling naughty (those are the times we don't place

) or he comes galloping in to a sliding halt at my feet then stands like a lamb while I halter him. That never fails to impress the judges and we'll generally place very well.

I really want all of my horses to know how to play/dance with me (pick the term you prefer) as the relationship is a very important part of horsemanship for me. When I first get them I start by turning them out in a roundpen or smaller arena and simply seeing what they do. If they run and buck, I play with them and cheer them on. If they stand there, I'll take a lunge whip and encourage them to move off around me and get some exercise. I'll tell them "Good Boy!" every time they pick up a trot or break to a canter or otherwise offer to be a bit more lively and use my body language to coax them into changing directions and speeds. I praise them a lot and delight in seeing them move. As the horse catches on over the course of a few weeks they'll usually start throwing in a few bucks or rollbacks and I praise that to the skies. Pretty soon they're looking to me with that gleam in their eyes to see which way I'm going to dodge and they'll match me, playing and leaping and shaking their heads. Over time this develops into a really fun way to play together and that sense of mutual enjoyment is contagious to the audience when you're entered in Liberty. Find music that matches them and teach them to at least stop when the music does (if not actually move towards you) and there you go!

I mentioned earlier I had several horses who wouldn't be natural liberty candidates- well, the other one is a yearling I'm just going through that learning process with now. I've had him a month and he's beginning to get more and more energetic and responsive when I play with him and I think within another month or two he'll be bucking and squealing and running around. He may make a liberty horse yet!

Leia

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I have several horses that I do liberty with. But like said, you really don't train for it, either a horse has the natural movement or they don't.

The only thing that you can really train for is the catch. This will vary, as some like their horses to stop and stand when the music stops, and others like for their horses to come up to them. I prefer the horse to come to me. I train for the catch all year long, such as giving them a treat when I call them in their paddock. When I exercise them in the round pen, I will drop the whip, bend down, pat my chest and tell them to come. Each time they get a treat. This teaches them to WANT to come to me. I have 6 horses that I do Liberty with and they will all come to me but one! But I never have to chase her down, but she just stops at the gate and waits for me. When doing a liberty class, it is always best not to chase your horse around the arena, just let them do their natural stuff. If you have a horse that likes to hug the gate, then both people need to be there to encourage the horse to use the whole arena.

It may take your horse a time or two at the show to catch on to what you are wanting them do to, so don't get discouraged if they don't perform the first few times. I have a shetland 3yo mare that I showed last year in liberty for the first time, she just kept stopping and looking at me. She wasn't sure what to do. I will give her another 2 tries and if she fails, then she will be pulled from that class. You count on them to do their best every time either. I have a stallion that has kicked butt at one show, then will flop at the next. Then I have a mare that will consistantly place at the top.

Good luck with this, it is a very fun class to do, always everyone's favorite.

 

[vickie gee]

I don't do liberty a lot, but when I do, I don't train for it. In my opinion, a horse either has what it takes for the class, or it doesn't. If your horses like to show off and prance around with their tails up, then they should score well on grace, pressence, and animation, which are what the class is about. What I WOULD train for is the all-important catch, but you don't need anything fancy for that. The other thing that helps is music that matches the horse! I saw some good examples of that on the AMHR National web-cast.

Thanks so much. My little stallion has all of the above AND as far as the catch...well, he is usually wanting me to catch him. He loves to be hugged, talked to, etc. I have been jotting down tunes that I think would be good choices for liberty. Seems like I hear a new one every day going to or from work while listening to the radio. So I guess I do need to get a round pen built. Our corrall or lot as we call it slopes downhill and he thinks the corners are his stopping places. LOL. Thanks again for the helpful information.

 

[vickie gee]

Hi there! Liberty is a fun class and I think you'll really enjoy it. Luckily there is no need to build a special pen to practice in, in fact your horse needs to be prepared to run in any kind of arena you might find yourself in and still come to you. It's a real challenge when you're given a huge arena with really enticing dirt to sniff and flowers all over the judge's box...the horses tend to get distracted!

Generally speaking it helps if you have a horse with a natural flair for the event. One that has a fancy, eye-catching trot, likes to break back and forth from trot to canter and enjoys showing off will usually do well. However I have two that don't fit that description and do well anyway because my one little guy really has an attitude and loves to show off to his own special music. He can be sleeping outside the arena in 100+ degree heat and when I ask him if he's ready and say "Okay Kody, let's go!" he comes alive and hits the ring cantering and bucking. He goes to the Spirit soundtrack piece "Get Off Of My Back," and in time to the music he'll sass the judges, sass my assistant, trot around flipping his nose at me and then take off galloping exuberantly. When the music ends he either plays Can't Catch Me if he's feeling naughty (those are the times we don't place

) or he comes galloping in to a sliding halt at my feet then stands like a lamb while I halter him. That never fails to impress the judges and we'll generally place very well.

I really want all of my horses to know how to play/dance with me (pick the term you prefer) as the relationship is a very important part of horsemanship for me. When I first get them I start by turning them out in a roundpen or smaller arena and simply seeing what they do. If they run and buck, I play with them and cheer them on. If they stand there, I'll take a lunge whip and encourage them to move off around me and get some exercise. I'll tell them "Good Boy!" every time they pick up a trot or break to a canter or otherwise offer to be a bit more lively and use my body language to coax them into changing directions and speeds. I praise them a lot and delight in seeing them move. As the horse catches on over the course of a few weeks they'll usually start throwing in a few bucks or rollbacks and I praise that to the skies. Pretty soon they're looking to me with that gleam in their eyes to see which way I'm going to dodge and they'll match me, playing and leaping and shaking their heads. Over time this develops into a really fun way to play together and that sense of mutual enjoyment is contagious to the audience when you're entered in Liberty. Find music that matches them and teach them to at least stop when the music does (if not actually move towards you) and there you go!

I mentioned earlier I had several horses who wouldn't be natural liberty candidates- well, the other one is a yearling I'm just going through that learning process with now. I've had him a month and he's beginning to get more and more energetic and responsive when I play with him and I think within another month or two he'll be bucking and squealing and running around. He may make a liberty horse yet!

Leia

Leia,

Thank you so much. Sounds like a lot of fun and some much needed exercise for me as well. I am not sure how it came about but my command for my little stallion to run is "HOODY HAH!!" So a couple of more questions please:

(1) How do you teach a horse to stop when the music stops?

(2) Are you allowed to use a treat when catching them?

Thanks a bunch. Anyone else want to share a few tricks of the training?

 

[cretahillsgal]

I have not read it, but there is a book for sale at small horse press that is ALL about liberty.

www.smallhorse.com

 

[targetsmom]

NO treats are allowed - make sure your pockets are empty!!

This is why the catch is so important - and of course you can use treats in TRAINING for it. What I do is when I finish working my minis in the round pen, I kneel down and offer a treat (well, I used to do this for training but don't do it now). They come for the treat and associate it with me kneeling. So when the music stops, I kneel down, and most of the time, the liberty mini comes running right over. I even tried this for a mini that was doing her very first liberty class (as a sub for one that was injured) and she knew right what to do when I knelt down. Judges LOVE this.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

So a couple of more questions please:
(1) How do you teach a horse to stop when the music stops?

(2) Are you allowed to use a treat when catching them?

1) It's as much a matter of intention as anything else. Your body language when the music is on says "Be lively! Run! Play! Woohoo!" When the music stops, I calm my own energy and sink it into the ground at my feet. I straighten out of my playful crouch, relax the whip from it's driving position, take a deep breath and relax like a horse about to lick and chew. The horses automatically look to me at those signals and understand that something has changed and it's time to stop running. Now if they're riled up, frankly sometimes they hear me loud and clear but say "No way! I'm not done yet!"

That's where the training comes in. Every time you work with the horse at home, let him take breaks by relaxing your body posture this way and then reward him with a food treat or just petting and quality time with you when he stops. He needs to learn that coming in to you is a pleasant thing he'll enjoy. When he's relaxed about coming in, then you make it exciting and fun to come in to you. This is sort of like how you teach a dog to come. I'll sometimes start running backwards as they approach and reward them lavishly for following me at a trot. I don't do Natural Horsemanship particularly but I think this is similar to the Join Up phenomenon in that the horse learns to want to follow me. As they gain experience in lunging, round-penning and liberty work I'll up the difficulty and start asking them to come in when they're excited instead of just when they're done running. They come to me, get a goodie, hold still and let me run my hands over them or just ground-tie for a minute, then I say "Okay!" and send them back out to play some more. I don't want a horse who will come in but bolts away again before I can get a halter on him so that moment of really whoa-ing and waiting for me is important.

This feeds into answer number two.

2) No, bait of any kind is not allowed in a liberty class. However, as Targetsmom said, that doesn't mean you don't use them liberally in training! My horses know I always have goodies and will come to me in expectation of that whether or not I actually have any. I think the pockets of all my show jackets smell like treats anyway! *LOL* I pet and praise after the catch and then slip him a goodie as a reward once we're outside the arena and he's perfectly happy with that.

Just FYI, your assistant handler is not allowed to touch the horse in any way. He or she can help herd the horse towards you for the catch and can try to block him from dodging away, but the person wearing the number must be the one to handle the horse. Read the rule book for your association before competing for the first time so you know what is expected.

Leia

 

[vickie gee]

Thanks a bunch ladies. This has been very valuable information. Assistant!

I don't have any assistant! Guess I better get busy recruiting in addition to training.