Video Library Introduction
Video LIBRARY Overview
This video explains how and why the videos are put into the order they are put in.
Many of the videos and playlists use the word Connection. We are really talking about Attunement. The sense of being seen, being heard, feeling felt and getting gotten (thanks Sarah Schlote for that definition). You can have connection without attunement but this is usually a clingy, unhealthy connection. We are looking for attunement which builds a healthy connection.
Developing the attunement skills in the way that Warwick’s process outlines, will set you up for future success in your training (and dare we say, in your life). You may think, “Well, I have a good connection with my horse.” and feel tempted to skip the connection piece of the videos. We really discourage this, because it is these little pieces that Warwick shows you that are the foundational pieces that are built upon later. If you have a different foundation, then the later steps may not work as well.
One mistake that people make is thinking that closeness means connection. Clinginess is not connection. Clinginess is anxiety. Connection does not mean that your horse comes when you call him either. The connection that we are trying to achieve involves trust, self-confidence, relaxation, autonomy and we do this through attunement.
The first part of the process involves not “doing” anything to your horse, it is more like the old Ray Hunt quote, “First you go with them, then they go with you and then you go together.” The first part is going with them.
The Groundwork videos are where you start to do something with your horse – “then they go with you”. Not only will you be bringing the attunement and connection from the previous work, you will also be bringing the patience and the focus on the process (instead of the outcome) that is a natural byproduct of attuning and connecting with your horse. Trying to train your horse without these skills will not deliver the results that you seek.
Before you know it, you will be going together and that, is a beautiful thing.
A reminder how to use this course: click on Mark Complete below and you will be taken to the next topic.
I’m looking forward to starting this. I have a horse I bought 4.5 years ago and one I bought 1.25 years ago. Both are Icelandic horses. I spent 2 years with the first one until he was relaxed enough to ride (he turns 20 this year). He is still not the keenest about going out, so I am planning to start over. The other horse will be 21 this year. He spent his life as a top sport horse for speed tölt. I actually only rode him at the walk before I bought him. I spent a lot of time on relaxation under the saddle, but the day he was the most relaxed, I decided to ask for a trot. He took one trot step and went into a fast canter. I slid a little and my leg touched his side, so he want to fast gallop and I flew off. Nothing broken, but badly bruised. 5 days in the clinic, 2 months before I could go back to the stable and 3 months before I was pretty well healed. I decided I need to go back to the beginning with him as well. So 2 very different horses. I am looking forward to the process. Thanks so much for this new course.
Enjoy the Journey
This program so resonates with me. Im dedicated to staying “disciplined” re the program. My concern is I “co-own” my 2 horses with someone who is now my “ex” and he himself NEEDS them to attach to him because of his own trauma history which he refuses to work on (thus the “ex” part). If we are coming to the horse work with same horses but different energy and internal healthiness (I will be spending my time with them at different literal times than him) and ex will not do warwicks program like i will be, I imagine this could create confusion in the horses and safety/connection process. Usually when there is divorce “someone gets the dog” so to speak but that hasn’t happened here (yet). Ugh. Icky question I’m sure but it is a concern. Will the horses just develop a different relationship and response to each of us or will it all just be an impossible s*^%$t show? Any thoughts? Disentangle from a 26 year relationship is having to be done delicately and slowly. Thus why I’m not just saying “I’m taking the dog”
I think this depends what state your horse is in. If your horse is an anxious horse, what you do will make your horse better for your husband. If your horse is a shut down type horse, bringing them out of that will make your horse have behaviours your ex might not appreciate, and react harshly to those.
Which of those 2 categories do you think your horse falls into?
One of the horses, “his horse”, is anxious and “high strung”, but he interacts with them both. The other one I’d say is more regulated most of the time unless she is antsy for turn out and she also has grooming trauma for some reason. Otherwise she is chill and tuned in. He would be spending more time with the anxious one as they move into training.
They are both OTTB rescues who have not been doing any “work” at all for 5 months other than remembering how to just be a horse and that they ARE in fact a horse and getting physically healthy. So moving into training with your program is what I am doing with them which led me to my question.
I know horses are what his heart calls for so despite our issues I’d like him to receive from relationship with them (and he is committed to their well-being for sure) AND I’ve waited my whole adult life for this time and space to be with horses again and I don’t want to start out with them in a way that will scramble regulation and trust.
In that case I think you will be ok,
Good luck
I’m really excited for this program and can’t wait to see how my partnership with my horse grows. What do you recommend for the best results? Is it okay to keep riding as I’m working through the connection/groundwork? Or would it be best to give my horse time off as I work through the pre-ridden work exercises?
Personally I would start at the start and work through it all. If you sent your horse to me, in order to guarentee the results you want, that’s what I’d do.
Thank you, that makes sense!
I have watched some YouTube videos and am now reading your book. It makes me want to know more. My goal is to go back to the basics with a horse I am leasing and tune up my skills as well as hers. I understand groundwork is where I need to start, but I love to ride. Can I still ride or do I need to stop and do groundwork only?
It depends if theres any dangerous behaviour in riding .
What can be done for a horse who is anxious in his pen? He will not relax unless he is IN a pen with another horse? I am leasing him for now to see if we can connect. I have not purchsed him yet. I intend to use this 30 day jump start as my step by step guide. I willd will take this journey slow (and not skip around at all).
The seller says that this horse was a pet for 5 years of his life. He is now 7.5 years. He was never actually weined from his mother or herd, other than the mother stopped tolerating the nursing and ran him off if he tried to nurse, but evidently he was never separated or ‘weined’ from his birth herd until he was 5 years old. The seller acquired him at 5 and moved him away from his birth herd to her ranch. So, he was broke to ride at 5 years old. The seller was very open about his herd bound tendancies.
Now that I have met him and observed his behavior, my perception of him is that he is insecure without another horse near him or a person near him. The seller says that if he is saddled and has a job, he settles in and does the job at hand if you are a confident leader in the saddle. I rode him prior to taking possession and found that to be an accurate statement.
My question is this: What can I do to offer him a feeling of security at his new home when I am not around? What can be done for a horse like this? The seller says he paced the fence line for 2 weeks until she gave up and put him in with her small herd – where he was promptly beat up by her horses …
What can be done about the pacing? He does it even WITH horses in view. He has only one paddock separating him from the other horse? He is literally only 20 feet away from the other horse, but he still paces and paces even if the other horse is in full view and not moving. If I come and get him, he calms down, but once he is tied, he is squirrely and wont stand quietly. He does not pull back on the lead rope or resist being tied, he just will not relax and stand still.
Should I change his living situation? What would you suggest? I board my horses at a facility where moving horses around may be possible in a week or so if needed. He has a large 14×14 stall with a very large paddock all to himself. My other horse is one paddock over from him. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Stephanie
i’d suggest making him as comfortable as possible, until you can go through all of the work in the videos, (which usually takes care of the issue you are having).