Starting to Walk Together at Liberty

A Fell Pony colleague recently asked me how to start walking with a pony at liberty. I like questions like that because they make me think! In this case, I had to think back quite a few years to how I got started. The good news is that most of us already have probably started without even knowing we’re doing it.

By walking with a pony at liberty I mean walking from one place to another or in a particular pattern with no tack connecting me to the pony. They willingly walk beside me, stopping, starting, and changing direction whenever I do. Mostly I am doing things at a walk with the pony right beside me where they would be if there were a lead rope between us. Sometimes I increase the distance between us, which requires a stronger connection between me and the pony, and it’s certainly possible to send the pony away from me and bring it back, if our connection is strong enough. And sometimes I will ask for a faster gait such as a trot or canter.

The way that I got started was to evolve something we were regularly doing with a halter and lead rope between us to doing the same thing without that physical connection. Once we’d figured that out, it was possible to build on that. Rather than communicating via the halter and leadrope, we communicated via body language. It’s likely your pony is already paying attention to your body language when it comes to being led, so this sets you up well for success!

First, leave the halter and lead rope on, and be more intentional about how you move your body to communicate with your pony. Perhaps you can stand up taller before you start walking. Perhaps you can take a step without moving the lead rope. Perhaps if you use voice commands, you can say ‘walk’ before you change anything else. Look for the slightest reaction from your pony, and reward it, whether they just flick an ear or raise their head or perhaps even prepare their body to take a step. And build from there. Remember this can be subtle stuff, so pay really close attention to what you are doing and how they respond.

Another thing that I have found helpful in working with ponies is to have a succession of ask ‘levels.’ Ask subtly first, then a little less so, then more assertively, etc. Be really consistent each time you ask, with the goal being they recognize the ask with the most subtle cue. For instance, if my goal is to have my pony step forward when I do, my first ‘ask’ will be to visualize what I want. Yes, I’ve had a pony respond to this sort of ask. It is incredibly humbling. My second ask will be to stand tall. My third will be to lean forward. None of this has any impact on the lead rope. My fourth ask will be to take a step, trying not to move the lead rope. And wait. If my pony doesn’t follow me, then my fifth ask would be enough of a tug on the lead rope to get them to move their feet forward to stay with me. Then I will start the series of asks again from the beginning. Eventually, if we’re patient enough and consistent enough, the pony will start to see the pattern and respond with movement before the lead rope is engaged. We can then build our liberty work from there.

Another way to ‘start’ is while you’re already walking. Then without using the lead rope, stop and see if your pony stops with you, and build from there, again using your body language and not the lead rope for communication. It’s important to be really clear with your body language, so if you’re walking, stand tall and plant your heels with authority when you stop, maybe even raising your elbows to increase the ‘size’ of your intent. It’s my experience that I need less and less ‘size’ or ‘authority’ over time because they learn that I’m using my body language intentionally to communicate, as opposed to being unconscious about it, which I definitely have been in the past.

What I have learned over time is that I can be really sloppy with my body language, or I can be really clear. The more clear I am, just as in spoken language, the more easily my intent is communicated. So perhaps the first ‘step’ is to walk with your pony as you always do and pay attention to what you are communicating with your body rather than the lead rope.

I can guarantee that beginning to work with your pony at liberty will change your relationship with your pony. I consider the change to be for the better, but not everyone will. The photograph here provides a good example. The mares that I wanted to come into the paddock in the morning decided instead to stay outside it about forty feet from the gate. I walked out to where they were, greeting them verbally and stopping about five yards away to see if there was an explanation for their unusual behavior (they usually meet me at the gate and come in when I open it.) Then, because I hadn’t brought a halter and lead rope with me, I walked to the lead pony and tucked my hand under her head and with gentle pressure asked her to come with me. She didn’t move except to toss her head in mild defiance. I took my hand away, and she stepped toward me, offering to follow me at liberty. Our liberty work has changed our relationship: she preferred in this situation to comply at liberty rather than with pressure from my touch. Some might not like the mild defiance; I just took it as a suggestion of a better way. As you can see from the photo, all four ponies then followed me in through the gate at liberty. I certainly can’t complain about that!

© Jenifer Morrissey, 2023