Ridecamp: [RC] Equine clinicians compete

I near 'bout fell out of my chair when I read the first post to Ridecamp on 
this subject, for you see not but a few days ago, on another e-list, I got 
reamed for my lack of respect for these "trainers", when I complained about 
*anyone* taking a 2yo into a circus ring and *training* it.  And to make it 
even funnier, the "report" that showed up here on ridecamp, differs wildly 
from the 1st hand reports that showed up elsewhere.

1st hand accounts have this circus, held in a touristy area of Ft. Worth, 
basically to film a would-be documentary.  I personally can't wait to see 
the video.  But someone else will have to buy it, because I won't.

Josh (*not* John) Lyons, Parelli, and Cameron each had 2 2yo's to pick from. 
 These were not wild, unhandled horses.  1st hand reports indicate 
well-fed, well-adjusted, well-groomed, halterbroke, previously stabled 
horses.  Supposedly Parelli indicated he picked the "worst" of his two, but 
again 1st hand accounts differ on this.  Some watched have said he did, some 
said they disagreed.

THESE WERE TWO YEAR OLDS!!!!  Now I know that the old "western/cowboy" 
mindset usually has folks riding their 2yo's.  I've watched my share of yo 
Western Pleasure classes at shows.  Heck, I "broke" my first horse (he was 
both my first horse to own and my first horse to start) when he was 18mo's.  
I hereby admit publicly:  I WAS COMPLETEY STUPID.  TOO STUPID TO KNOW HOW 
STUPID I WAS.  But I wasn't being paid to put on a 1/2 day clinic either.  
Thankfully the horse survived, (obviously I survived) and I learned.  Which 
is why I have 3 unbroke 3yos in my pasture right now waiting to get mature 
enough physically to handle the demands of carrying around a rider and 
mature enough mentally to handle the demands of carrying a rider.

Am I to "respect" clinicians for getting on babies, working for a couple of 
hours and calling it training?  So thay can get a horse saddled and started 
in that time?  So what?  I probably could also.  But I wouldn't have the 
sheer audacity to call it a train horse.

I had one of my 3yo's backed three times now.  She can walk and trot 
carrying a person without bucking, stands still for saddling, stands for 
mounting and dismounting on both sides.  She's had a rider on her for 30 
minutes total in her life.  I might could put her in a round pen and have 
her lope carrying a rider also.  If she only needed to mind for a couple of 
hours, I could put on a clinic demonstrating my miraculous and amazing 
gentle methods of horse training and make enough money to send her to a true 
master trainer when on day two my one-day wonder explodes and needed repair 
work.

They all three claim to know better.  They all three *know* that most of the 
spectators (and by all accounts it was a spectacle) are going to ignore the 
"don't try this at home" warning.  They all three claim to want to teach 
gentler methods, how to build a solid foundation to ensure a happy health 
riding horse.  But what do they do instead?  Turn out 2 hour wonders!

To steal a phrase from a great friend:  JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN DO IT, DOESN'T 
MEAN THEY SHOULD DO IT!

I've seen John Lyons.  I've worked closely with Parelli devotees.  I took 
what I wanted and left, but this "contest" blew it for me.  I will never 
spend a single red cent on any material with any of these three men's name's 
on it again.  Because instead of turning down this "contest" and considering 
the needs of these colts, they did it anyway.

-Tamara

And PS:  1st hand accounts had both Parelli's and Cameron's horses bucking 
at the lope <VBG>, Lyons skipped the lope requirement.



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Tamara Woodcock
Scurry, Texas
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"I live in my own little world, but it's okay, they all know me here."


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