Naked Liberty

by Carolyn Resnick

NAKED LIBERTY is a captivating memoir of Carolyn Resnick's detailed account of how she gained a magnetic connection with horses. Carolyn reveals her struggle to be accepted into a herd of wild horses, beginning at the bottom of the pecking order, working to gain higher rank and ultimately riding on the back of a lead mare from a bonded trust. This book goes beyond "horse whispering" and will inspire readers to seek a higher level of communication with their horses. "I learned that dominant horses must fight for their position and lead horses do not. From these waterhole rituals I discovered the secret society of wild horses, and that the spirit of the bond has its own language," says Carolyn.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2005

Reviews

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️📌Details: ≈65,500 words

[Susan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with some pearls of wisdom on interacting with horses wild or domestic. One of my favorite take aways was the passage: "There would be no chance to hide in the moonlight for an animal with a white coat. White horses stand out like no others; they appear like powerful, magnificent spirits in moonlight while all other horses simply go unnoticed.
White horses cannot hide and from this I learned that white horses sleep in the dark of the moon and need to stay on guard in the moonlight while others rest." My first horse was a Percheron cross that turned lighter in color as he aged and I was always so aware of where he was in the field because he stood out so much. I also noticed that the herd treated him differently as he aged and got lighter. He was very smart and was the only horse that could figure out how to walk down the stream and put himself in another pasture for some peace and quiet. He would also jump into the hay feeder if the other horses were trying to give him a hard time about sharing hay.

I will need to reread the passages on moving the dominant horse up in pecking order - rather than dethroning them. This made so much sense about the dominant and submissive horses. I'd love to learn more about that.
"If a horseman has a way of thinking that is in harmony with his horse, it draws his horse to join him in teamwork. The essence of gaining a spiritual connection with a horse is that you develop a natural ability to lead, and the horse has a natural desire to follow. Understanding pecking order and how lead horses lead provides the magical map."

I feel I need to do the chair challenge again with my herd now that I have added another horse to the mix. My little herd has been a family unit for the last 5 years with no new horses and now their is turmoil where there once was tranquility. I'll have to see how I can help the new horse, Jack, become a part of the herd and help him move up rather than down in his place on the farm.

[Hollie Wildëthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I’m not so interested in the windswept desert of California, Carolyn intersperses enough horse wisdom in this book for anyone from any place.

Some of her lessons on horsemanship are simple but broad - teaching probably what Elsa Sinclair refers to as width and depth.

I imagine this book would have some new and inspiring ideas for people who come from traditional horsemanship principles. The lessons here will expand your thinking and relationship with horses in ways that traditional training may not.

[Karen Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic — blew me away

I am so glad I read this book! My cousin told me that I needed to and she was right spot on the work that we’re doing with Mustangs is going to really benefit as well as I will benefit from what I’ve learned and expand my communication with all animals. Great book

[Rose Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full the authors sweet childhood memories of growing up with horses. It also details her unique opportunity to observe and interact with the wild mustangs in the desert and share the observations she made of herd dynamics. She gives insight in how we might interact with our horses in non-traditional ways, though this book is in no means a training manual per say.
I enjoyed her stories with horses, as I was not a horse lover, as a young woman.
Others have said the book is boring, but I did not find it be so.
A good read for a weekend.

[Linda Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting and fascinating to read. The author had such an ideal childhood, growing up with horses, and she also spent a lot of time around wild horses and learned how to communicate with them. Highly recommended!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the title, I have to read this for work. Don't worry, it's really about horses!

[Amberlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was by far on of the most boring books I have ever read. I had to read for work. I do not recomend it!!!

[Dorota Raciborska · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary story, and exceedingly well written. Lots of bits of wisdom for horse lovers (and not only). But you do have to be open minded to appreciate it.

[Megflythe_cut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening book about horsemanship. I already knew a few things about liberty and the beginning of a natural connection with a horse but this book helped me understand far more than I expected.

[Jeannine Winkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, but very, very similar to Daughter of the Mustangs, I was hoping for something new.