Life at LIBERTY

Author: Cinelle Claassens

This podcast is dedicated to all things Liberty. It explores the relationship that's possible between horses and humans when each has the freedom to choose. It celebrates Liberty horses both famous and unknown and the lives of the people who love them. And it was created for those that ask What is Liberty and those who dare to ask 'Whats possible through Liberty?. Life at Liberty will leave you inspired, intrigued and eager to connect with horses on a deeper level.
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Language: en

Genres: Education, How To, Kids & Family, Pets & Animals

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The Liberty Troubleshooting Room with Ryan Rose
Friday, 16 October, 2026

If you listen to Life at Liberty, we’d love your feedback. Our short listener survey takes under three minutes: Life at Liberty Podcast Survey Episode Summary What do you do when your horse anticipates the next maneuver, struggles with a stop, or becomes worried when the physical connection comes off? In The Liberty Troubleshooting Room, recorded live at Liberty Festival 2026, host Cinelle Claassens sits down with trainer and clinician Ryan Rose to work through questions about liberty training. Ryan shares his perspective on connection, drawing on his experience as a trainer and liberty competition judge. The conversation explores emotional fitness, the preparation behind individual maneuvers, and how liberty can support a horse’s foundation training. We also discuss handling setbacks, deciding when to end a session, and choosing a horse for liberty. It’s a practical conversation for anyone looking to better understand their horse and work through the places where training gets difficult. Highlights: What liberty and connection mean to Ryan Ryan’s experience judging liberty competitions Using liberty as part of foundation training Developing emotional fitness and assessing your horse’s emotional state Troubleshooting anticipation, stops, and preparation cues Handling setbacks and deciding when to finish a session Preparing for complex maneuvers, including flying lead changes Breed considerations when choosing a horse for liberty Key Moments: 00:00:00 Introduction to the Liberty Festival and Ryan’s background00:01:12 What liberty means to Ryan00:02:29 Ryan’s experience with ILHA and judging00:05:02 The development of liberty and its community00:07:16 Common liberty training challenges00:08:30 Liberty as part of foundation training00:10:15 Developing emotional fitness00:12:30 Assessing your horse’s emotional state00:15:50 Managing anticipation and preparation cues00:18:52 Ending on a good note and handling setbacks00:20:32 Preparing for flying lead changes00:21:21 Choosing a horse for liberty00:22:11 Clinics and future possibilities Summaries: 00:00:00 Introduction to the Liberty Festival and Ryan’s backgroundCinelle welcomes Ryan Rose for a live Life at Liberty recording at Liberty Festival 2026 and introduces the troubleshooting conversation. 00:01:12 What liberty means to RyanRyan shares his understanding of liberty, with a focus on connection and the horse’s willingness to participate. 00:02:29 Ryan’s experience with ILHA and judgingRyan reflects on his involvement with the International Liberty Horse Association and his experience judging liberty competitions. 00:05:02 The development of liberty and its communityThe conversation explores liberty’s development as a discipline and the community forming around it. 00:07:16 Common liberty training challengesThe discussion turns to difficulties people encounter during liberty training and how to approach troubleshooting them. 00:08:30 Liberty as part of foundation trainingRyan explains how he incorporates liberty into foundation training, including everyday interactions such as catching and connecting with a horse. 00:10:15 Developing emotional fitnessRyan discusses emotional fitness and the role training can play in helping horses develop the skills to handle challenging situations. 00:12:30 Assessing your horse’s emotional stateThe conversation considers how a horse’s emotional state can inform training decisions and what to ask for next. 00:15:50 Managing anticipation and preparation cuesRyan addresses anticipation and discusses how preparation and cues can help clarify what the horse is being asked to do. 00:18:52 Ending on a good note and handling setbacksThe discussion explores setbacks during training and the decisions involved in bringing a session to a close. 00:20:32 Preparing for flying lead changesRyan discusses the preparation involved in complex maneuvers, using flying lead changes as an example. 00:21:21 Choosing a horse for libertyThe conversation turns to breed preferences and considerations when selecting a horse for liberty work. 00:22:11 Clinics and future possibilitiesCinelle and Ryan close with a discussion of potential clinics and opportunities to work together again.