By Karine VandenborreHealing Your Horse Through Liberty Connection WorkThis article is an interview with me, by Marina Parris, published in the 2025 autumn edition of the online horse magazine 'A Voice
In this blog, I share how letting go of perfectionism with your horse can change the way you connect and train together. If you’ve ever felt stuck when your horse seems to tune out despite your best efforts, this might be the shift you need.
“I just want to stroke her,” he says with a smile, already moving forward. His energy is big. His steps are firm and direct. He means well, of course. He’s trying to connect. He’s there before I can prevent what’s happening: Ulysse tenses, pins her ears, turns away sharply, and bam, in a split second she lashes out with her hind leg...
I still remember the moment so clearly...I was teaching a lady how to do circle work with her horse. Her horse didn’t quite understand her request to go out on the circle to the left. So I gently suggested: "Maybe you could already take a few small steps in that direction, to show him what you mean."She turned to me and looked at me with eyes like tennis balls.
Working in liberty with your horse is one of the most beautiful things there is, but there are 5 common mistakes in liberty that I see often. Because of these common mistakes, liberty doesn’t always turn out positive... You move closer, your horse walks away. You want your horse to walk with you, but your horse walks the other direction. You try something, but it just doesn’t flow…
You finally found the horse you always dreamed of. You felt an instant connection, and you imagined all the beautiful moments you would share. But once your horse arrived, things didn’t go as planned. Instead of joy, you are facing trauma... Your horse is tense, fearful, reactive, or even completely shut down. You start wondering: "What went wrong? Why is this so hard?"
It’s time to talk about something that’s becoming far too common in the so-called "true liberty" training world: using food treats to get horses to make contact and connect. True liberty and connection have nothing to do with food rewards. If you’re using treats to “train” a horse to spend time with you, it’s not liberty — it’s conditioning.
Some horses can be difficult to touch, and this can be due to a variety of reasons. If you're dealing with horse trust issues or you are trying to understand why your horse shies away from physical contact, it's important to recognize the root causes behind this behavior.
High-frequency words are words with a strong and positive energy. They are often linked to good qualities or feelings, like love or kindness. These words can change how we think, feel, and act. When working with horses, high-frequency words can help you connect with your horse on another, deeper level.
My ideal students are amazing horsewomen who share a profound passion for horses. They firmly believe in conscious and mindful training, rejecting coercion or punishment. They intuitively know these methods do not build meaningful relationships with horses. Open-minded and always willing to try new, less conventional methods, their hearts hurt when they see horses suffer from harsh training.
Everything comes in its own time, and everything I’ve been through with horses since I started at 13 has shaped me into the horsewoman I am today. All my learning experiences have also shaped Horsefulness Training into what it is now. With ups and downs, with important life and horsewomanship lessons ...
To truly connect with a horse is to be conscious about their natural yearning for freedom. It’s important to respect their right to choose, to lead, or to follow.
Many women don't always admit that they don't enjoy training their horse so much and actually want to learn more about natural connection and communication in liberty.
There are plenty of reasons to start "groundwork with the neck rope"! These 5 tips will help you make a good start!
Poco’s owners had been trying to catch Poco, their new horse, for over three months… They were starting to lose hope. The horse desperately needed attention.
Yep, I let my horses herd me. Just like I teach my students to let their horse herd them. Sometimes people say "but they told me to never do that!"
Leading your horse on the ground in a correct way is one of the very basic skills you need to avoid many horse problems. Let's have a look.
Playing with your horse helps build a strong friendship between you and your horse. When you play together, it's not just fun – it makes you understand each other much better, strengthening the horse-human team.Many horses love The Chase Game. Why?
My students sometimes face questions like, "Can giving your horse so much freedom be right?" or "Won't this lead to problems? You need to be the boss!" I encourage you, just as I advise my students, to ...
Yesterday I wrote you about the importance of Basic Groundwork, and the pivotal role it plays. Today I want to give you 3 extra tips, for successful groundwork. Here we go:
Today, I want to talk about something super important: mastering the basics in groundwork training. Basic Groundwork is like the ABCs for horses. If you were to ask me, "What should I do to be good in groundwork, or what should I do so my horse is good in groundwork?" Well, my answer would be:
“You always remain so calm and patient when working with horses, also in challenging situations. How do you do that?” The answer is very simple: I just know that things will get better and a solution is on its way. This will be within 5 minutes, the next day, within the next week, or within a few months.
“You always remain so calm and patient when working with horses, also in challenging situations. How do you do that?” The answer is very simple: I just know that things will get better and a solution is on its way. This will be within 5 minutes, the next day, within the next week, or within a few months.
“You always remain so calm and patient when working with horses, also in challenging situations. How do you do that?” The answer is very simple: I just know that things will get better and a solution is on its way. This will be within 5 minutes, the next day, within the next week, or within a few months.
