And on the surface, it looks beautiful.
The horse is moving freely.
The horse is offering.
The horse is “choosing.”

But is it true liberty?

Or is it a trained response?

Because here is what we must face:

Most horses working at “liberty” are still trapped in the old frame.

They are still operating under conditioning.
They are still performing what they have learned is safe.
They are still trying to manage the human’s energy — offering, trying, staying close — because that is what has been trained.

And the difference is profound.

In true liberty — the horse is free to leave.
Free to express no.
Free to offer — or not offer — without expectation.

In trained response — the horse is moving through patterns they have learned will be reinforced.
They are performing — even when they appear free.

The space may be open — but their mind is still shaped.

When I look back at my own journey...

I will never forget the moment it broke through for me — with Florida.

She had always been the most beautiful spirit — bright, expressive, naturally playful.
She would levade (collected rear) naturally, pirouette in canter, and move with incredible expression — full of life.

And when I began my so-called liberty work with her — I believed I was offering choice.
No tack, no pressure — it looked like freedom.

But I was still shaping.
I was still trying to get her to do what I wanted.
And one day — during a session where we were asking her to “work at liberty” — that truth hit me.

There she was:
Standing still.
Head down.
Eyes half closed.

Gone was the brightness.
Gone was the life.
Gone was the spirit that had once lit up the space.

And I knew — standing there — this is not liberty.
This is not freedom.
This is not relationship.

It was one of the hardest moments in my journey — but it changed everything.
It was the day I began to really understand:

Most liberty is not liberty.
It is trained response.

And our horses know the difference — even when we don’t.

This is why this work matters so deeply.

Because so many of us — thinking we are giving freedom — are still shaping our horses into what pleases us.
And piece by piece — we lose the truth.
We lose the relationship we truly long for.
And the horses lose the chance to be fully themselves.

This is the heart of what we teach in the Learn To Speak Horse course:
How to recognise when “freedom” is not free.
How to release the old patterns — even when there are no ropes.
How to build a space where the horse can truly express — without being shaped, reinforced, or conditioned into what pleases us.

It is some of the deepest, most beautiful work we do.

And when the real voice of the horse begins to return — everything changes.

I will never forget when it happened with Florida.

She chose to walk away — for a long time — truly in her own choice — not because I asked her to, not because she thought she should.

And when she finally came back — not to perform, not to manage me — but simply because she wanted to...

That moment was worth more than anything I had ever trained.

And today — when Florida chooses to bring her incredible athletic gifts into the arena — when she chooses to teach students — the impact is extraordinary.

She gives them gifts in her teaching.
And again and again, students end up in tears — not because of what she does, but because they can feel her — her truth, her spirit — alive and free.

This is the potential that lives in every horse — when we stop shaping, and start listening.

If this speaks to you — you are so welcome to explore this work with us.
It will change your horse’s experience. And it will change you.

With love,
Paulette

Explore more about this work

🌸 The Horse Knows Best

🌸 Embracing the No

🌸 Mutual Respect — What It Really Means

🌸 Truth Seeker

🌸 When Kindness Feels Like Control — to Your Horse

🌸 My Journey With Whips — What I Learned About Control

🌸 Why “Calm and Kind” Isn’t Always Listening

🌸 Beyond Obedience: Why Shaping Can Still Be Control

🌸 True Liberty vs Trained Response — Can You Tell the Difference?

🌸 What Real Leadership Looks Like for Your Horse

🌸 Offering Choice Isn’t Enough — How Our Intentions Still Shape the Horse