True liberty: ditch the treats, build a natural connection!

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.

Liberty training, as I believe in it, is based on genuine, two-way connection — one where the horse chooses to be with you naturally, not because it’s expecting a reward.

Horses are capable of connecting deeply with humans naturally. You don’t need to give them a treat to “reward” their presence or engagement. Give them the freedom to connect with you out of genuine choice. When a horse chooses to be with you simply because it wants to — that’s where true liberty lies.

Developing self-awareness, breath awareness, and self-compassion allows us to show up as calm, grounded humans. Horses respond to this energy. When we work on our own connection to ourselves, it makes space for a deeper connection with them.

Too many "true liberty" trainers out there today are selling a version of connection that misses the point entirely. True liberty is about building trust and a connection hat’s freely given by the horse, it's not trained / shaped /reinforced with food rewards?

This isn’t about judging anyone who uses food rewards (I also use food rewards in some training, but never to connect with a horse). Just don’t treat your horse as if it needs a reward for doing something it can do naturally! By relying on treats to encourage basic connection, you risk taking away the very thing that makes the bond so beautiful — its naturalness.

Thát's the most beautiful part of a true connection with your horse:  the natural, effortless way it can unfold!  When we give our horses the freedom to connect with us in a natural way, not in expectation of a treat, we’re able to experience a level of connection that goes far deeper than any reward could ever provide.

Are you ready to take the first step towards a natural, deeper connection with your horse? Then I invite you to join me in the Bonding Time Deep Dive course. A simple but powerful mini-course with clear guidance to build a deep, magnetic bond rooted in trust.

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