The Art of Liberty Horse Training: Building Trust and Communication

Liberty horse training is a captivating discipline that emphasizes freedom, trust, and seamless communication between horse and handler. It’s a practice that allows horses to perform complex movements and commands without any tack, relying solely on the bond and understanding developed with their trainer. This method is not about force, but about fostering a willing partnership where the horse chooses to engage, creating a unique and deeply rewarding experience for both. Whether observed at live events or practiced at home, liberty training offers a profound way to enhance a horse’s responsiveness and strengthen the human-animal connection.

The Unparalleled Benefits of Liberty Training

Working with horses at liberty goes beyond the thrill of seeing them perform intricate maneuvers freely. It cultivates a level of trust and respect that translates into a safer and more harmonious relationship on the ground and under saddle. Ben Atkinson, a renowned liberty horse trainer, highlights that liberty horses are often exceptionally well-behaved and easy to handle, requiring no pulling or forcing. This emphasis on clear communication and mutual understanding is a cornerstone of liberty training, promoting a partnership where the horse willingly follows the trainer’s lead, much like water flowing around a stable rock. This approach builds a solid foundation for all other forms of horse training and handling.

Cultivating a Deeper Bond Through Liberty

Liberty horse training offers a unique pathway to deepen the connection between horse and human. By removing the tack, trainers can communicate desired movements and behaviors on the ground first. This allows for a clearer understanding of the horse’s capabilities and limitations, akin to how an instructor observes a rider. For instance, teaching a horse to yield to pressure in specific ways on the ground can directly translate to more complex movements under saddle, such as piaffe and passage, with significantly less resistance or confusion. This method encourages a more intuitive understanding and a more fluid partnership.

Liberty Training: A Universal Approach for All Horses

The beauty of liberty horse training lies in its inclusivity; it is suitable for horses of any age, breed, or discipline. Ben Atkinson emphasizes that every horse, regardless of their background, has unique talents that can be uncovered through liberty work. This training method provides a clear and reliable communication system, which can be particularly beneficial for horses who have experienced trauma. By creating a low-pressure environment where the horse is never forced, liberty training helps them regain confidence and learn at their own pace. For instance, a mare prone to napping was successfully retrained using vocal and physical cues for acceleration, eliminating the undesirable behavior when ridden. Liberty training effectively communicates with horses in a logical way they understand, helping to resolve behavioral issues by addressing the underlying reasons for their actions.

For horses that tend to be “lazy” or “unreactive,” liberty training can significantly improve their responsiveness to lighter aids. Conversely, for “sharp” horses that tend to expend excess energy at the beginning of a session, working at liberty beforehand allows them to release this pent-up energy in a controlled manner before being ridden.

Essential Aids in Liberty Training

Similar to traditional riding and handling, liberty training employs specific aids to guide the horse’s actions. These include indirect aids such as a whip, vocal cues like whistles or spoken commands, and crucially, the trainer’s body language, including their positioning and footwork. Precise footwork can teach a horse to respect the trainer’s space, preventing them from moving into it, even when startled. The ultimate goal in liberty training, as in all effective horse training, is to achieve a response to the lightest possible cue. This is accomplished by starting with the gentlest aid and gradually increasing intensity only as needed, with immediate release and positive reinforcement upon desired response.

The Three “Cs” of Effective Liberty Training

To ensure training is on the right track, Ben Atkinson suggests adhering to the “three Cs”:

Clarity: Be unambiguous about your goals and how you will ask for them.
Consistency: Repeatedly ask for the same movements or behaviors in the exact same way.
Confidence: Consistent and clear requests build the horse’s confidence in performing the desired action.

Liberty training is a collaborative effort, with Ben noting it’s a “two-player game” where the human element is significantly more influential (70% human, 30% horse). This principle extends beyond the arena, influencing how horses are handled in stables, led, and caught. The consistent communication fostered through liberty training allows horses to relax, knowing the established rules and expectations.

Bridging the Human and Horse Mindset

Understanding the fundamental differences between human and equine cognition is crucial for successful liberty training. As prey animals, horses are naturally wired to process multiple stimuli simultaneously to ensure survival. Humans, as predators, tend to focus on one task at a time. Liberty training aims to bridge this gap by encouraging humans to perceive the world more like a horse, opening up their awareness to their surroundings.

Personal Development Through Liberty

The journey of liberty horse training often leads to significant personal growth for the human involved. Horses look to their handlers for reassurance, especially in uncertain situations. This requires trainers to develop strong emotional regulation skills. Simple techniques like mindful breathing – exhaling longer than inhaling – can help ground oneself and project a sense of calm. Maintaining a monotone and steady demeanor, even when a horse is frightened, is essential. If a trainer becomes overwhelmed or agitated, stepping away briefly to reset is advised. Using music or other calming activities can also aid in mental preparation for sessions.

Getting Started with Liberty Horse Training

Embarking on liberty horse training requires minimal specialized equipment: a simple headcollar, a lead rope, and a schooling whip. A secure working space is also necessary. The foundational exercises involve teaching the horse to move forwards and backward, yield their hindquarters and shoulders, and move sideways, both towards and away from the handler.

Exercise 1: Quarters Away

This exercise is a critical early lesson, teaching the horse to move backward away from pressure rather than advancing into the handler. It reinforces that increased energy signals a need to move around, not over, the human. The goal is for the horse to move in a circular motion, akin to the hands of a clock, with their head facing the trainer and their tail on the outside.

How to Execute:

Establish a fixed reference point by laying a rope in a circle on the ground and standing within it.
Use the whip to cue the horse to move away. Apply gentle inward flexion with the halter towards the whip side and point the whip towards the horse’s thigh above the hock.
If the horse hesitates, gently wiggle the whip to create a sound.
Offer praise for even the smallest movement away from the whip. This praise can be a scratch on the forehead, neck, or elsewhere.
If the horse remains unresponsive, vary the whip’s contact or rhythm. For increased auditory stimulation, a plastic bag can be attached to the whip, gradually transitioning back to the whip alone.
Practice this exercise in both directions, completing a full circle on each rein. This teaches the horse to move away from pressure in a controlled and nuanced manner.

Exercise 2: Backing Up

Backing up teaches the horse to move away from the handler instead of moving forward into them, a vital skill for safe handling.

How to Execute:

Position the horse against a fence, standing with your chest aligned with their eye.
If the horse’s off-side is against the rail, hold the lead rope in your right hand and the stick in your left.
Raise the stick approximately 1 meter in front of the horse, creating a swishing sound.
Reward any backward movement, even a small step, with praise.
Gradually refine the technique to elicit backward movement with less overt reactions.

Exercise 3: Send Away and Recall

This exercise teaches the horse to move away from the trainer on command and then return. It begins on the lunge and progresses to loose schooling, forming the initial stages of true liberty work. A headcollar or cavesson, lunge line, and lunge whip are required.

Starting Position: Stand facing the horse’s shoulder and ask them to move on a counter-clockwise circle using the lunge line and whip. The signal involves gently touching the horse’s cheek with your left hand and pointing the whip towards the floor behind the horse, creating energy for them to move forward.
TOP TIP! Never touch the horse with the whip; its purpose is to create energy and intention.
The Drive Line: Understand the horse’s “drive line” (around the girth area). Pressure in front of this line slows them down, while pressure behind it speeds them up. Use your body’s “headlights” (chest area) to direct your intention. To send the horse forward, point your headlights at their tail, indicating forward movement.
TOP TIP! Begin this exercise on a small circle at a walk, gradually increasing the circle size as the horse progresses. Adapt the training for larger, older, or lame horses by using bigger circles and a slower pace.
Getting Them to Come to You: Once the horse is circling happily, swap hand positions. Hold the whip in your left hand, pointing towards the horse’s rear, and the lunge line in your right. Swing your chest to point your “headlights” towards the horse’s front end. Gently raise the whip in front of the horse to signal them to stop and approach you.
The Lunge Line: As the horse stops and turns towards you, walk backward, keeping the lunge line slack and gathering excess rope to prevent the horse from stepping on it. Crucially, lower the whip as the horse approaches you directly, teaching them to come straight.
TOP TIP! An established “back up” signal is essential, as it provides a familiar cue for the horse, preventing them from feeling overwhelmed.
Stopping: Once the horse reliably stops and comes to you on the lunge, introduce a verbal cue, such as a whistle or a word. The cue should be consistent with the movement. Avoid introducing verbal commands too early, as they may become vague without established context.
Loose and at Large: Progress to loose schooling in the arena, where the horse stops and comes to you with a raised whip. Gradually add freedom, starting with a few steps of walking alongside you, rewarding them for maintaining proximity. If the horse moves away, return to loose schooling to reinforce the recall command.
Recall: If the horse heads in the opposite direction, remain calm and continue using the “come to me” command until you regain their attention. This is a normal part of the learning process, similar to a show jumper knocking a pole.

Exercise 4: The Bow

The bow is a graceful movement where the horse lowers their head and bends a foreleg, mimicking natural play behaviors.

How to Ask for It:

Yielding the Head: Stand the horse against the arena fence. Apply downward pressure on the lead rope, pulsing gently. Praise any lowering of the head, even a centimeter.
Lowering the Head: Apply backward pressure on the halter and gentle pressure with your hand on the horse’s head to encourage it lower. Take a couple of steps backward, focusing on the downward motion rather than significant backward travel.
Downward Flexion: Hold the halter and lead rope, and apply backward pressure. Tap the side of the horse’s knee until they lift their leg, aiming for a bend of the knee (not an extension), holding the leg at a 45°-90° angle with the hoof under the belly.
Putting It Together: Combine the knee bend with downward flexion of the neck and a slight backward rock.
Asking for More: Gradually increase the backward tilt and lower the shoulder, stopping to praise each small milestone achieved.
Take a Bow: Once the horse can touch their cannon bone to the floor, use the same principles to increase the duration and depth of the bow, remaining calm and persistent.

Top Tips for Liberty Horse Training

One Direction: During loose schooling, horses should remain on the initial rein unless a change of direction is explicitly requested.
Get the Right Speed: A moderate trot is generally sufficient. If a horse is energetic, allow them to canter, but avoid galloping, which can lead to adrenaline surges and hinder learning.
Practice Makes Perfect: Liberty training requires patience and consistency, much like whipping cream. Some horses learn quickly, while others may take weeks, but persistence and clear instructions will lead to success.
Don’t Overdo It: In the early stages, keep sessions short and focused. Achieve a desired outcome and then move on, returning to groundwork with a halter and lead rope.

Ben Atkinson, alongside his father Mark, operates Atkinson Action Horses, training and performing with horses for film, television, and live shows. Ben’s extensive experience began at a young age, developing skills in liberty, classical dressage, and trick riding.

Horse training