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Photo from the Labor day clinic. Videos up in Virtual Clinic

In case you missed it, I made an announcement a short time ago that Virtual Clinic blog will be merged with my FDH Horsemanship Blog so if you haven't subscribed yet, head on over! This Blog will remain active so you can access the archived posts but no new posts will be added.

Also if you are not aware of the new Virtual Clinic classroom, definitely head over and check it out and sign up. Everyone who has signed up has had great things to say.

"your videos are teaching me so much! Thank you for all of your FUN work!"

"I want to let you know that I really enjoy your classroom. You explain everything so clearly."

I have many videos on the way. Currently in the Virtual Clinic is A Colt Starting Vlog, My Going Bitless series, Seat awareness exercises, Liberty, Line, Mounted progressions and more! This site was developed so that I can offer the exercises that I use everyday in my Liberty, Line Mounted approach in an extensive library you can have at your finger tips. If you have any questions, comments or need help signing up or subscribing, let me know. See you at the Virtual Clinic and Blog!
http://fdhorsemanship.com/

Labor day weekend clinic: Herd Liberty class pt 1

Here is part one of the Herd Liberty class day one from the Labor day weekend clinic. This is a unique way to observe herd behavior and practice exercises inspired by herb culture and equine social behavior. I allowed the participants to choose and let the horses choose who they wanted to work with. The horses/human pairs turned out perfect and they had a great time working on all the exercises right up to mounted during the three days. Enjoy the video and keep a look out for the next installments.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
http://fdhorsemanship.com/virtualclinic/

Liberty Principles on Line

Here is a video showing how I take Liberty Principles to the Line Phase progression. See the next exercises and more at the new FDhorsemanship Virtual Clinic!

The New Virtual Clinic Launch

I have been busy cooking up the new Virtual Clinic Classroom! It is ready to launch and I have been busy with new videos that are being prepared as I write this. Some of you are already subscribed to my Classroom and this new Virtual Clinic site will replace the existing classroom. You will receive instructions for how to switch to the new Virtual Clinic Classroom in an email soon.

This is much more then a Classroom. My vision is to provide on going clinic support for those who have attended my clinics. My other vision is for those who would like to learn my Liberty-Line-Mounted exercises in an online "Virtual Clinic" environment and who may not be able to work with me in person. If you do work with me in person, you can still join to get access to the exercise library to practice by yourself.

Memberships are $9.95 a month. Some exercises will be free. Your membership includes a profile and the ability to upload videos of your practice for evaluation by me. You can schedule a personal, individual Skype or Google Virtual coach or you can get in on a Clinic Group call. You can also post comments and questions on videos. Online video chats will be available at scheduled times for Clinic Groups in different time zones. Clinic Groups are based on geographic location. Pay per view clinics and exercises will be available at times if you would prefer to just view a clinic exercise or video without a membership.

If you have attended a Clinic with me, The exercises in the clinic will be covered on the site so you can refer to them again and again. I know how hard it is to remember all the information you learn. It  also allows you to be able to progress to more advanced exercises when you're ready. You'll find it all at the new Virtual Clinic.

Currently, Starting Django will be up which is my Vlog of Starting a 3 year old Friesian colt with my Liberty foundation on to Line and Mounted.  I have also posted my Going Bitless class in it's entirety which includes my Liberty-Line-Mounted progression and some of my basic FUN!damental exercises for Chiropractic and Suppleness benefits to your horse. The Going Bitless Clinic should be considered useful for Liberty rein work and Bitted riding as well. My popular Bridling/Halter game Exercise is also up so there's already a lot to look over. New videos will be added regularly. If you enjoy my Youtube channel and want to learn how it's done, this site is for you.

Another change will be this blog will be merged with my Original FDH Blog so if you haven's already subscribed to that one, take this opportunity to do it now. This blog will be switched on October 1st.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Click here to visit the New Virtual Clinic Classroom.

http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
http://fdhorsemanship.com/virtualclinic/

Practicing test patterns for fun

Did you ever think of practicing test patterns just for fun? I know not everyone has competitive aspirations but if you are looking for a challenge and variety in your play and practice, test patterns can be a good learning tool and can be used in many creative ways.

Horses like patterns and shapes because they give them and their person intention and a goal. They give the horse a sense of purpose and destination. It is also a great focusing exercise for distracted horses and fearful riders.

Test patterns come in all levels and abilities so don't think you are not ready to try them. They generally start at the walk, trot/jog. You can also walk the whole pattern, trot in canter sections, and modify the patterns to your level. You can gradually work toward doing it exactly in your own time.

Obviously riding patterns is one way to use them. But you can ride them Bitless, Bareback, English, Western, Gaited or any other style you may do.

Did you ever think of just leading your horse around the pattern? You can practice leading from both sides and if you have a young horse, un-rideable horse, or a horse being rehabbed. This is a creative way to use patterns.

Another fun challenge is to do them at Liberty. Can to get your horse to do the patterns mirroring you? Can you get your horse to circle around you? You could put treats along the shape of the patterns and guide your horse to them. Be creative, modify the patterns to your own liking. Make up your own original ones!

If you do compete, these are fresh ways to practice and make it more fun. See the links here with Western Dressage patterns and USDF Patterns and enjoy the video of some patterns I make up.
Western Dressage Tests
USDF Tests
USEF Tests

Django under saddle

This is one of the last clips from the Starting Django Vlog. This video shows a ground to mounted "Touch" exercise progression for suppleness, communication and steering.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/

Change the bend exercise

This is a fun little exercise I like to do at Liberty and on line and can be taken to mounted work as well. 

UK clinic summary

I just got back from the UK clinic and it was full of fun, interesting people and horses. I saw many happy smiling faces and happy horses at the end. That makes me happy. Lots of new faces and some familiar ones. I so enjoy the interaction with diverse groups so we can learn about all different ways to work/play with all different personalities and types.

Some cool new programs have sprouted out of my connection with the New Horse and Carolyn Bourchier Horsemanship. We'll keep you updated on developments. We are working on being able to provide continued support to clinic participants throughout the year online.

I also got to visit with Jenny Rolfe and her Stallions again. It's always inspiring to be around like-minded individuals and share thoughts and ideas about horses and teaching. What's really cool is my US and UK network are really starting to overlap and allow us to provide support and guidance as a team. As usual Allie Bourchier provided us with unforgettable photos of the clinic. Enjoy and keep watch for the next clinic in your area here http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

UK clinic slideshow 1

UK clinic slideshow 2

Got to hang out with my good friend Taz again!

Working with food: part 2: Hay exercise

Other uses for hay when you're not eating it...

I have a simple exercise I do with hay which is a nice way to start introducing the idea of focus around food.

For safety, I must be able to move my horse away from my space easily at a slow or fast pace without any food around. I must feel that I can reliably move my horse without food.

First, I will sit/stand with my horse while they are eating their hay and just let them relax with me for a time. I am not in a hurry to chase them off their food. It's not about depriving them. Once I've allowed them to eat for a bit comfortably, I will ask them to leave the hay pile either by just my body language and voice or using a stick with body language depending on the horses' nature. I wont hold them away from it. It is just about them letting me move them off slowly and then allowing them to come back as soon as they show willingness to leave.

This game is played with horses all the time in paddocks when you drop several hay piles down with more then one horse. I call it the Musical hay pile game. The top horse will push the others from one hay pile to the next. But at some point you see horses sharing the same hay pile together. I also see this done with grass patches as well. It is not done out of meanness or spite though it may seem that way. It is how horses establish order using food. See more examples of food work in my Vlog of Starting Django http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!classroom Happy horsing!

Working with food

This guy loves his food!

Working with food exercises has many applications with horses from Leadership to rewards or just plain sharing a favorite tidbit. Before I learned Carolyn Resnick's Method, I didn't work with food much.  Of course I gave the occasional treat and reward for certain things. I found her way of working with food a simple and very powerful exercise that was not taught in any other approach I'd studied.

Horses use control of food and sharing food, as a way to bond and set boundaries and rank. In training communication, a well timed food reward can motivate your horse and make it far more interesting and fun to see when and how he gets you to give him a treat. The timing of rewards is quite important to the exercises you construct. A poorly timed reward can emphasize the wrong behavior as much as it can emphasize the right one.

Before I work with food around a horse. I will have established that I can move them away from my space a few steps slowly or quickly without food. This has to be reliable for my personal safety and confidence. Food can bring out dominance and territorial behavior that you have not seen previously.

I also work with something simple like hay when I am confident to move on to food exercises. Hay tends not to bring out a horses dominant behavior as much as say their regular feed or a very delicious treat. I work gradually toward foods that a horse may get more excited about as they get used to the idea of moving away from or waiting for permission to have the food.

The idea of food work is not to torture or prevent your horse from ever eating. It is an often overlooked area of Leadership opportunity for many people.I see it more as a Leadership and rank exercise which can be creatively implemented in training. This is also how I see it used within herds. Where my horses live, we feed large round bales of hay. All the horses must share the round bale but as you can imagine there is a very specific order to who is allowed to eat when. When a new horse is added, (depending on where he fits in) is how long it will take for him to get his "place" at the round bale. Once they feel the proper protocol has been reached, All horses are allowed to eat at the same round bale peacefully (there are anywhere from 3-6).  I find it fascinating to watch different herds as well at different barns. No two are the same.

If you have the opportunity to observe your horse(s) at feeding time or a new horse coming in to a herd, see how they handle each other around food and what you can learn from it. If you want to see some examples of how I used food exercises in Starting Django you can subscribe to My Classroom to follow along with his progress and approach.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!classroom

Django's Continued fun progress

I am having so much fun with Mr. Django and his training. Here is another photo diary of his introduction to arena work and natural lunging. If you'd like to follow his vlog from Liberty-Line-Mounted and FUN!damentals go here to subscribe http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!classroom

Vlog: Starting Django: Making Progress!

Django's start in training is going great! He is fun and smart and working with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals is, as usual, building a fantastic connection for our progression to the Line and Mounted phases of my training. If you'd like to follow along in my classroom you can subscribe here and see my full Vlog as Django progresses from Liberty-Line-Mounted! 

http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!classroom

Using the Liberty Rein and Bitless Bridle

This week I wanted to show how you can use my Liberty Rein and My Bitless Bridle together while riding or for Ground Play. You don't have to ride Bridless the try it out and play on your own.

I like to give the horse the freedom of his head by using the Liberty rein. I start by getting us both used the feel of each piece of equipment on the ground and then working gradually toward the Liberty rein by riding with less and less contact on the Bridle rein (you could also do this with a bitted bridle) and communicating more with the body and the Liberty rein.

The Liberty rein talks to the horse in a different way. It really makes you have to think about your communication. If my horse and I are well prepared, it is quite amazing how well we can do together as the video shows. If you want to practice simpler versions of these exercises, substitute walk, to halt, trot to walk, trot to halt. If you are doing, well canter to trot or walk is a good one. Work on the same pattern and see what you can do. Take your time, don't be in a rush and know your own limitations and safety.
If you'd like to purchase my Bitless Bridle go here:
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!bridles
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!

New FDH Vlog! Starting the young horse

Here is the first in a new Vlog series about how I start a young horse. It shows Liberty exercises inspired by Carolyn Resnick to build our Connection first before I start developing the Communication we will need for technical training. The focus from beginning to end will be on Connection, Communication and Calm leadership. I will use my Liberty, Line/In Hand, to Mounted progression. I will also be introducing my new FDH Classroom for those interested in following along on this young Friesian's journey. Details coming soon!
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/

Liberty Rein work: What and Why

In the past years several, I have been increasingly drawn to working with less and less equipment and more and more communication and natural outlines. I am studying where a horse tells me he wants to put himself when asked to collect as opposed to where I want to put him. It has answered several questions and debunked several things for me in my personal study of horsemanship. I find it fascinating.

I started playing with corderos and learning how to apply them to my play and horsemanship and was pleasantly surprised at how much the horses took to it and showed me there was no need for control of their head for even challenging movements. I observed with trust, connection, and clear communication that they would offer me beautiful round postures and collected movements and they seemed to enjoy it more when allowed to carry there necks and heads freely. There was clearly more pride and spirit in the movements. I was having more fun and so were they. It is very hard in advanced work to introduce challenging exercises while maintaining the fun and pushing just enough to encourage, but not too much to worry or stress the connection. It is a constantly changing conversation that is lively and fun as long as it stays balanced. 

I was taken enough with this tool to have Buckaroo Leather work with me on a design. I now use it in conjunction with my Bitless bridle for ALL Line to Mounted phase communication. I often warm up with my Liberty rein around my horses neck for In Hand and line work after my Liberty phase. I ride with it on with my bridle, not necessarily because I may ride bridless but because I can work on communicating more with my body and leg and less with my bridle. I can hold the Liberty rein and keep a long rein on my bridle and take the emphasis off the bridle. I have found there are many applications for this versatile tool and who knows, I will probably discover more, I'm always experimenting! Here is a sample video of what can be done with the Liberty rein. It should not be assumed that it is just for riding bridless. It has replaced my halter and sometimes my bridle! I will be introducing more exercises for In Hand and Line work with the Liberty rein soon so keep an eye out! If you are interested in purchasing a Liberty rein, you can get one here http://fdhorsetraining.com/Bridleshop.html

LLM: Lateral work and Leg Yield: Mounted phase

A series showing the progression through all the elements of lateral work and Leg Yielding in a fun, creative way. This 3rd video shows the Previous Liberty and line exercises practiced while mounted. If you are doing well with these you can progress to the trot or just try it for fun. You can always go back to the walk if it is to hard. Have fun!
http://fdhorsetraining.com

LLM: Lateral work and Leg Yield: Line phase

This is a series showing the progression through all the elements of lateral work and Leg Yielding in a fun, creative way. I am using the Liberty rein for ground play and Line work in this video to allow my horse to have the freedom to place experiment with his body positioning and arrange himself without too much interference. Purchase a Liberty Rein at this link http://fdhorsetraining.com/Bridleshop.html
http://fdhorsetraining.com/

LLM: Lateral work and Leg Yield: Liberty Phase continued

This next video shows a continued progression of my Liberty-Line-Mounted approach to Lateral work and Leg Yield. It is another Liberty exercise using "Touch training". The next series will be Line work continuing the series in a fun, creative way.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/

LLM: Lateral Leg Yielding: Liberty part 1

In case you are wondering what LLM is, It stands for Liberty, Line, Mounted. This next few post will be about using that progression to introduce Lateral work and Leg Yield from the Liberty exercises, to On Line (or In Hand) to Mounted. It's a really fun and flowing way to introduce any new communication to a horse and it make for an often lively conversation! The first video addresses Liberty warm up for this of movement.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/

Lots of stuff!

I wanted to let everyone know some of the current and upcoming events in the coming months. First off all, The St. Vincent's Caribbean Clinic is coming up February 28th. This is an amazing clinic with Stina Herberg and Myself is paradise with her horses! It is magical! We work with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals, Yoga and Meditation for riding and transitioning to riding from Liberty work. This clinic is especially good for fearful or traumatized riders. I can't express what an amazing experience it is. We are offering an early bird sign up with a savings of 10% on this already great value. Go here to sign up and get detailed info http://fdhorsetraining.com/Showschedule.html check out a video from the last one http://youtu.be/UbRt-d23b4w

In other news, I am now able to offer playshop intensives at Back Acres Farm in MA. There is accomodation available for you and your horse on site or near by. You can come and work with me for 1-3 days in small groups. You do not need to have a horse. You can lease one if needed. These are arranged by request and demand so If you would like more info about this Contact me here.

Also keep and ear out for clinics in CT as it gets warmer. So far I will be tentively scheduled to do clinics in the UK, Washington, New Zealand and Australia for 2012. Contact me for more info or to find out about having a clinic in your area.

I have currenty available The New Zealand Clinic video and the Going Bitless class video for sale here http://fdhorsetraining.com/FDTIinstruction.html
It's a great way to experience the clinic or classes if you couldn't make them.

Last but not least keep an eye out for the new website launch and the on Demand Video Library coming soon! It will feature exercises in my Liberty-Line-Mounted progression with and emphasis on building Connection-Communication-Calm Leadership. Hope to see you soon in the virtual world or the real one!

http://fdhorsetraining.com/

Goal Setting and Visualization

FDTH in New Zealand...Cool!

Here is the first exercise of the New Year. Every year at this time I like to evaluate where I've been and where I'd like to go in the coming year.

It's been an amazing year for me with lots of travel and meeting incredible horses and their people.

Mercury and I have had our usual fun and adventures with a year of careful rehabbing and training us back to full fitness again. He had a year off previously due to injury. We did our first Demo together and he was the Star of the show as he likes to be always.

As I look to the year ahead, I see Mercury and I going back to the show ring and exploring deeper connection and partnership as always. Making up new fun games and my goal of Dancing with horses even more! Whether it be at Liberty or Riding.There is also more travel in the year ahead to new places, people, and horses. I have a deep sense of gratitude to be able to do all the things I do.

The exercise is to write down what you did in the last year with your horse or otherwise, how far you've come and what you are thankful for. Acknowledge your successes and write what you might carry on to the next year as a work in progress. Once you've done that, write any new goals that you would like to achieve with your riding, liberty or connection (or otherwise). Keep that paper or file so you can look at it next year in January and see what happens. That's it! Happy New year! You will reach your goals....

http://fdhorsetraining.com/