May 15th, 2024
By Karine Vandenborre
Poco looked like a rasta
3 months of sh*t
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. He had overgrown hooves, looked like a rasta with his tangled manes, and required essential check-ups.
They tried luring with food, applied pressure and release techniques, and many other things… They didn’t trust any new methods anymore, after all, everything seemed to fail and sometimes they even made things worse!
Poco recently started getting defensive, instead of just running away, when they tried to approach him.
A new start
So when I met them, and suggested trying Liberty Connection Work, starting with Bonding Time, they were reluctant… They thought: “How on earth is something like Bonding Time going to help us catch our horse…”
So I showed them how to do it.
I explained to them, it was not only about “sitting" in the field with Poco”. It was also about what to do when he starts to get curious, and how to react when he comes to make contact.
After my demonstration with my own horses, they decided to give it a shot! Three times a day - in the morning before heading off to work, in the afternoon as soon as they got back home, and before they gave hay for the night - they did Bonding Time with Poco.
It wasn't easy at first. They were still skeptical, wondering if spending these short bursts of time with Poco would make a difference…
But they stuck with it, and after just six days of these bonding sessions, something incredible happened. I got a call from them, practically bursting with excitement: "Yes Karine! You were right! Buddy finally comes to us, and we can even put a halter on him!!"
From that moment on, everything changed. Poco wasn't just a distant creature grazing in the field anymore. He became a friend, a companion eager to see his humans every day. They started bringing him in without any trouble, and they continued with the other 7 Connection Exercises too.
Liberty Connection Work did it again
Now, after doing more Liberty Connection Work, Poco isn't just willing to come in. He’s also friendly and affectionate, a far cry from the days when he would pin his ears and threaten them if they dared to approach him.
Now they're having the time of their lives together. They do Liberty and Groundwork, they play, they go for long walks, they explore. All because they took the time to build a true and natural connection with Poco.
Liberty Connection Work is what did it for them! Not the luring, not the dominance-based techniques that horses hate… Those are techniques that you need to stay far away from!
Instead, you need to open up to a more natural approach, an approach that is meaningful to a horse. An approach that the horse understands, because it’s what they do and what they know.
If you want this, then here is where you can read all about the course that Poco's owners followed.
Horsewomen, don't be fooled...
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