Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] Parelli and Natural Horsemanship - Mary Ann Spencer



Well, said, BRAVO!!!!  When we quit learning we are back sliding.
Unfortunately, many go thru life with blinders on.  Some trainers seem to be
afraid of the Parelli system as it may threaten their income.  Can't say I
blame them but then this is a 'free enterprise' system.   That has it's good
and bad points.  Mr Smith has really summed things up well here.

Oh, Of Course:  IMHO      some here think they are the only ones with the
'right' opinion.
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: Smith, Dave
 To: ridecamp
 Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 11:34 AM
 Subject: [RC] Parelli and Natural Horsemanship
 Coming late to horses when we adopted our mustangs two and a half years
ago, we were pretty much at sea.  At the time, my wife and I were taking
riding lessons from a local cowboy who suggested we look into Parelli and
Natural Horsemanship. At his suggestion, we went to a Parelli demonstration
in Reno and came away in awe of what the Parellis could do with a horse.  So
we purchased the Level One program and began to learn how to relate and work
with our horses. The Level One program is all about safety and building a
bond with your horse. It is mainly ground work that takes anywhere from a
few months to a year to complete, depending on how much effort you’re
willing to apply.



 I can safely say that the lessons we learned that first half year kept us
from getting hurt by two formally wild animals and have helped us gain some
insight into how a horse thinks and relates to its world.  For us, the
Parelli program has been a huge success. At my first endurance-related ride,
several of the vets volunteered that my horse was one of the best behaved of
all those they had checked that day. When I first brought him home, anything
would have set him off, and often did.  Drop a brush while grooming him and
he was gone.  Approach a car or other man-made object and he was a basket
case.  I attribute his transformation to, in large part, the lessons we
learned from the Parellis.



 As much as we’ve come to value the Parelli program, I would never insist
that it is the only way to work with a horse.  There are many ways to train
a horse.  Most are effective or they would have been abandoned long ago.  I
routinely check into Anderson, Lyons, Cameron and others and always come
away with something worth while.



 In my view, the Parellis have improved the lives of many horses and their
owners. They certainly improved ours.  However, I would never treat their
program as if it was a religion.  And while I am sure there are probably
some out there who do, I’ve never met one.  Therefore, I am continually
surprised by the attacks on Parelli and what he and his wife have offered
the horse world. I almost never hear similar attacks on the other
clinicians, so I am always curious as to the basis of this criticism.
Usually when I probe this animosity, I find that the critic knows little
about the program and his/her criticism is based on some faulty assumptions.
Probe a bit deeper and I often find that the root of the criticism is really
about the financial success Parelli enjoys. So, in my view, much of the
Parelli criticism is simple old-fashioned envy.



 Now I would be the last to say the Parellis are perfect.  They probably
should wear helmets as an example to others.  But then, none of the other
big-name clinicians wear them either. And jumping over picnic tables riding
bareback is inherently dangerous.  But then just getting on the back of a
1,000-pound animal is dangerous. There stuff does cost a lot (although I’ve
bought cheaper ropes, halters, etc. and usually come to regret it.)  And
other than an occasional demonstration on trailering and proper riding
balance, there shows rarely provide “how tos” like those of other
clinicians. So when I boil down the Parelli program to its most basic level,
I come away with the idea that the Parelli program is about the bond between
rider and mount.  How to respect and partner up with your horse so that
he/she will give you that extra bit.



 And what’s wrong with that.  To criticize this program for its use of such
tools as “carrot sticks” or 12-foot rope is really petty.  But hey, that’s
just my opinion.







=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=