Things to do at Liberty with Your Horse

Things to do at Liberty with Your Horse

You don’t have to be trained in the art of liberty to enjoy connection and trust with your horse. There are several things I do at liberty that I enjoy and require little training. The wonderful thing is “no halter needed!” I don’t know, sometimes I just don’t feel like catching each horse to brush them or fly spray them.

What are the benefits of doing certain things at liberty? Well, the horse has the freedom to choose. What a wonderful feeling when your horse chooses to be with you! There are more benefits than this, but the main being the horse has a choice in the matter. There is so much you can learn from your horse when they have a choice. I find we become more attune to what they are thinking. I become a better listener because my I’m allowing my horse more decision making.

At Liberty Grooming

I would say 90% of the time I groom my horses it’s at liberty. A lot of times I do it while they are eating or I am just hanging out with them. The only time I don’t, is when I am tacking up for a ride and I have them caught and tied. The benefit of this is you can figure out their favorite brush or favorite itchy spot. My horses are not shy to move around and tell me where they like it best. It’s a new level of communication you can have with your horse. I even find our new mustang, Mathias loves being brushed so much he doesn’t even move a muscle. He stands in one spot the whole time and I have been brushing him at liberty since the day I got him.

If your horse struggles with this, start out small. Begin by just having a brush with you and approaching them with it and seeing how they react. You can start in a round pen or small area or walk out to them in your paddock or pasture. When you have no halter with you your horse may think what are they doing? But begin brushing them and seeing where this new method of grooming takes you.

At Liberty Photo Shoot

Photos with your horse with no halter? Yes, please! I love taking photos with my horses, but I really love how it looks when the horse is wearing no headgear or halter. These make really beautiful photos.

Start in a small area if you can and try using positive reinforcement to keep their interest. If your horse is more interested in grass, having something like treats with you in a pouch can help. But even just working in a small area can help. I recently did a photo shoot with my horse Poncho in our pasture and I did have to keep his attention a few times because he wanted to eat, but with repetition they can get better. You don’t have to pay a photographer especially for practice and fun. My husband took these and I love the way they came out.

At Liberty Fly Spray

This was a big one for me. Especially short on time and the daily application that is needed in the warm months. My horse Poncho really struggled with this!! No matter how many times I applied it using negative reinforcement, he wouldn’t stand for it unless he had a halter on. But one day, I decided to incorporate positive reinforcement, and it finally clicked with him. Now I can apply the fly spray on all my horses in the morning without even catching them. Which makes me really happy.

If your horse struggles with this, be patient and try using the positive reinforcement as well. You may be surprised like I was.

At Liberty Walks

Here is the real test! When the halter comes off will your horse walk with you? It may take some time to build up to this, but I’m all about goals. The key is keeping your horse’s interest. The more liberty work I do, the more connected we are and if my horse happens to walk off I can usually grab his attention again. If this is a goal for you, then keep working at it. I think it’s a fun thing to do with your horse.

I begin with the halter and draping the lead on their back. They are at liberty to walk away, but I still have a lead to grab if needed. I’ve had fun walking my horse in the pasture at liberty.

At Liberty Hoof Cleaning

This is another thing I do quickly and easily at liberty. It takes only moments this way and I find my horses stand really well for it. If daily hoof cleaning is something you neglect, maybe this is key to doing it more often for you.

If your horse struggles with this, put a little food in a bowl and start with the front hooves. You can even click and reward and add more to their bowl.

At Liberty Play/Hang Out

If your horse has a strong play drive then having a toy such as a ball to roll around with them could be a lot of fun. Or grab a book, your tablet, or phone, and simply hang out with your horses at liberty. I am a big proponent of hanging out with your horse while asking nothing of them. It’s a great bonding time.

I hope this has given you some great ideas to not only take the halter off, but spend some well needed time with your horse. Being at liberty with your horse is just an added bonus! Happy training!

If you are interested in learning more about liberty check out my post on virtual options for learning liberty.

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