Liberty or not

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So this video was our first attempt at liberty. Midnight is so bonded to me that she really doesn't want to leave my side. I just love this silly little mare!
 
Well, you have the catch down pat.

looks like you'd get a good work out trying to get her to strut her stuff.
 
Well, she's very pretty when she runs, I think.

But would you please explain a bit more regarding what you were trying to do. (?) (Sorry, if I'm dense.) I don't understand what you were doing/attempting "at liberty." I'm asking so I can learn; hope that doesn't sound offensive.
 
Liberty class they are suppose to run and trot and show off. Midnight stays by my side when I drop her halter. So I thought if I would run around, she would take off away from me and start playing. Nope, she just kept following around me. It will take a little time and I'm sure that she may get the idea. She plays at turnout when I leave, but if I'm out there she wants to stay with me. Silly girl!
 
Liberty class they are suppose to run and trot and show off. Midnight stays by my side when I drop her halter. So I thought if I would run around, she would take off away from me and start playing. Nope, she just kept following around me. It will take a little time and I'm sure that she may get the idea. She plays at turnout when I leave, but if I'm out there she wants to stay with me. Silly girl!
Thanks. I was not familiar with horse show liberty class. I searched and watched some YouTube videos. ...that looks too fun!!!

We already play with the girls and encourage them to run, so this one seems like it would be easy to train. Crank the music up for the proper amount of time; then shut the music down and halter immediately. Our girls are so easy, I bet I could get them doing it within a week or so. In an arena/strange place, it might not work so well.

I was trying to figure out the rules, like whether they have to trot or walk a certain amount of the time? I read the AMHA criteria; some of it seems kind of arbitrary. Like for instance, what if you play the "wrong" music? Oh well, ours aren't registered so I don't guess I could ever do that anyway. ...still looks fun.
 
You could always try the other kind of liberty!
ohhh. He is so handsome.

I watched the first part of the video and was wondering why she didn't ride him (because she seems small in size) And then saw her on-board.

Wow. I love that horse/pony. Nice.
 
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Liberty class they are suppose to run and trot and show off. Midnight stays by my side when I drop her halter. So I thought if I would run around, she would take off away from me and start playing. Nope, she just kept following around me. It will take a little time and I'm sure that she may get the idea. She plays at turnout when I leave, but if I'm out there she wants to stay with me. Silly girl!
After watching some YouTube videos, this seemed easy enough; I've tried it a dozen times when it's not been raining. And at first it went OK.

I cranked up some music on the garage stereo, opened the window so Baby could hear the music and told her to run. She would run. Then after 1.5 minutes (found that in AMHA rules) I had the husband cut off the music and yelled "Whoa" at Baby, followed by "Come." Our pasture cross-fencing is a mess, so she was always too far away when the time expired, so I had to tell her to "Whoa/Come" to me, which she always did. And most times I could halter her easily after she came to me. But 1.5 minutes isn't very long to run, and she got pretty excited. Most of the time I was able to halter her, but a couple times she reared up. Back when she was very young, I saw her rear up at her dam and bounce her hooves off her dam's back. She's reared near me once several years ago and startled me so I yelled at her, and same with the husband--she did it to him once, startled him to yell at her. She hasn't tried that since, until we tried this running at liberty.

I think she's pretty smart (for a horse) and I think maybe she knows she shouldn't. She rears up like she wants to play, but keeps her distance: 3-5 feet. And stands there on her hind legs with her forelegs tucked up, looking like a kangaroo. She looks so silly it's hard not to laugh, but I don't think it's a good behavior (rearing.) And I don't know how to respond to it.

For now, I've discontinued this experiment.
 

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