Absolutely Shocked at Parelli!

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cruising_for_you

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I went to Equus Live (Ireland) yesterday, sat in the stands all day and watched everything from fallabella puissance to a Geoff Billington masterclass - it was all amazing! But one thing that really annoyed me was the parelli display? Don't get me wrong, absolutely love Monty Roberts and do agree with having all this bond etc, but was really shocked about the Parelli.
We came about a quarter way through the class. The lady was bridling the horse, and called bridle users "Dictators", really guilting people for using tack, which kind of put me off at first.
Then they started tackless riding, which everyone loved, but to be honest, did not impress me. Tackless riding is really popular now among like 11 year olds who can't be bothered putting tack on, and to be honest they were more correct than these riders, who turned by shaking the long whip at the horses head. Horse then went in the flatest canter ever around the ring. How is that helpful, just because the horse doesn't buck them off and trained off the leg?

Really don't see how this works. I've heard awful things about Parelli hitting and beating horses - is it all this guilt trip of trying to make us ride tackless as the way to get a "bond" ?
next there was a western display that I was very impressed with, all ponies in lovely natural outlines without riders touching there mouths - how horses should go, to work to the best of their ability.

Did I just see a bad display, or is Parelli just like this?

 
Did any of these people say they rode their horse on the roads with no tack, as most people in America ride in areanas no riding on the side of the roads as they don't have Bridleways
 
There is a lot of hidden aggression masquerading as "bonds" IME - for example the horses who follow their handlers have been taught never to turn their bum on handler by having it hit every time they do. Some of it can be useful but you have to take it all with a pinch of salt and look carefully at all the methods used to "teach" stuff.
 
Echo Bravo said:
Did any of these people say they rode their horse on the roads with no tack, as most people in America ride in areanas no riding on the side of the roads as they don't have Bridleways
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Lol!! :smile3: Some people only ride in arenas over here. The vast majority do not. Most ride along roads leading to the tons of state/provincial parks and federal land available for use by everyone, or on ranches, or along the huge abundance of trail networks here. Out riding in most states and provinces over here is fantastic! You're a very, very unlucky rider if you don't have miles and miles of outriding at your fingertips.
 
Spring Feather said:
Lol!! :smile3: Some people only ride in arenas over here. The vast majority do not. Most ride along roads leading to the tons of state/provincial parks and federal land available for use by everyone, or on ranches, or along the huge abundance of trail networks here. Out riding in most states and provinces over here is fantastic! You're a very, very unlucky rider if you don't have miles and miles of outriding at your fingertips.
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I'm incredibly jealous, I live in rural mayo - it's literally fields surrounded by fields with rural roads. There is no off-road riding whatsoever near me :(
 
Spring Feather I apologise as last time I was in California roughly 20 years ago, we had to go over 30 miles to find a Ranch? that let people ride on some tracks but were restricted to 3 tracks. Where my Stepmom lived there were small grazing areas but was told they weren't allowed to ride on the roads, in fact when my youngest brother can over for a holiday he was very surprised to see 2 young girls riding their horses pass my house on a small lane(I live in a small village).
 
Spring Feather said:
Lol!! :smile3: Some people only ride in arenas over here. The vast majority do not. Most ride along roads leading to the tons of state/provincial parks and federal land available for use by everyone, or on ranches, or along the huge abundance of trail networks here. Out riding in most states and provinces over here is fantastic! You're a very, very unlucky rider if you don't have miles and miles of outriding at your fingertips.
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Don't rub it in SF..... What I would give for a verge on the road side safe enough for a 30m canter!!!!!
 
Echo Bravo said:
Spring Feather I apologise as last time I was in California roughly 20 years ago, we had to go over 30 miles to find a Ranch? that let people ride on some tracks but were restricted to 3 tracks.
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Yes parts of California have some of the very, very unlucky people I'm talking about. Many parts of California have no turnout either, just pens of 50ft x 50ft. However if you live up in the Canyons or on the outskirts of some of the cities there are large tracts of federal land that anyone can use. It's the same around some of the densely populated east coast cities, but for the most part, if you are living in a semi-rural area then trails are never very far away. Where I live there are fabulous trails and we are very close to a number of multi-thousand acre forests which you can easily get lost in if you don't know where you're going and yes I have been lost in them a few times lol!
 
Note to all , in every system , fad , and fashion always always be cautious of those who say other peoples system , fad or fashion is cruel and theirs is not.
 
doriangrey said:
I'm incredibly jealous, I live in rural mayo - it's literally fields surrounded by fields with rural roads. There is no off-road riding whatsoever near me :(
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Ah now see I would have thought you had great riding there. Don't you have open moorlands to ride on?
TandD said:
Don't rub it in SF..... What I would give for a verge on the road side safe enough for a 30m canter!!!!!
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If we ride on busy roads where I live, we have very wide gravel verges (the size of another lane) so we don't actually ever have to ride on the road itself. And usually next to these verges is another very wide area of long grass, so if we wanted to canter along we could. I don't go on the busy road much unless I'm heading into town to pick up a drive-thru coffee or donut but even then it's only for a couple of minutes as it to get to the outskirts of my town it's along a federally run trail (which goes all the way to the west coast) and then I hop off it and ride on the town roads for a couple of minutes to the drive-thru. Once we've had our refreshments then all we have to do is cross the main road and there's a trail that runs alongside the river all the way to the conservation area (with a swimming lake and forest trails). My forest meets up with this forest so I just zip on up the hill and I'm back at my farmhouse again. I really like where I live because we have such diversely different trails around here. I lived on the Hampshire/Berkshire border in England previously and I thought the off road hacking was pretty good around there, but it's nothing compared to what I have right outside my door here.
 
I don't want to hear anymore about it, Spring Feather. We had over 300 acres of trails through the mountains at my stable in Colorado and that was just on the property. It bordered Open Space land, which had even more trails.

Now, I ride on the road most of the time and through some forestry, but the footing on the off-road tracks has been trashed by motorbikes and quads so you can't really go much faster than walk or trot. It sucks.
 
Caol Ila said:
I don't want to hear anymore about it, Spring Feather.
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Oh I don't know; it sure makes a change to go off topic on another dull and predictable Parelli thread! Lol!

I have friends out in Colorado and they speak of the same as you, that the outriding is incredible and seemingly never ending. That was how it was where I lived in the States too.
 
Didnt see the parelli but was so so impressed with the vaulting and how attentive the vaulters were to both horses ..... Also Geoff Billington was fantastic, don't think i will forget him jumping that huge vertical with bottle of beer in his left hand as if it was a tiny cross pole .
 
All a bit odd . When Bob the nota cob has had a good schooling seshion (ok dont ask me about spelling!)In his normal bridle (french link bit) he is so joined up and with you afterwards that ,to be honest I cant see what advantage these other methods have.
 
Sorry to hijack post slightly but have to agree with CFU when it comes to American riding styles. I have just moved to the states (6 months ago) and I have never seen anyone riding out on a road. The first time we did it we had abuse hurled at us by other road users. Everyone else at our barn just schools their horses every day on a long rein and just let them plod along

Spring Feather said:
Yes parts of California have some of the very, very unlucky people I'm talking about. Many parts of California have no turnout either, just pens of 50ft x 50ft. However if you live up in the Canyons or on the outskirts of some of the cities there are large tracts of federal land that anyone can use. It's the same around some of the densely populated east coast cities, but for the most part, if you are living in a semi-rural area then trails are never very far away. Where I live there are fabulous trails and we are very close to a number of multi-thousand acre forests which you can easily get lost in if you don't know where you're going and yes I have been lost in them a few times lol!
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Where were you?

I have certainly ridden on the road back in the US, but only in small sections, to link up two different trails or whatever. Drivers were all right.

To be honest, I can't ever remember going out of my way to "traffic proof" my horse. And previous owner didn't ride on the road at all so she didn't do it. She just was.

Far better to ramble off topic than whinge about Parelli, who would surely cause more of a shock if he said something sane and agreeable.
 
Goodness, I thought there had been another Catwalk incident.
I don't think it's particularly shocking that some people enjoy riding tackless in an arena. In a few 100 acres might be shocking I suppose.
 
Yasand, that's just a myth. Parelli advocates riding and is not responsible for those who use his methods just because they're too afraid to ride or choose not to.
 
Sleipnir said:
Yasand, that's just a myth. Parelli advocates riding and is not responsible for those who use his methods just because they're too afraid to ride or choose not to.
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I know - I was being antagonistic - I am in that kind of mood today. It is just the standing joke isn't it although I concur it's not true - I see probably many more 'traditionalists' not riding their horses than those that practice parelli. I did have to laugh though as I passd some local friends and parelli people - I said to my friend riding with me these folk practice parelli and she piped up about 'playing with their horses' and sure enough as we passed they were in the manege with a gym ball and barrels ;)

I have a lot to be thankful of the natural horsemanship methods. My WB really needed this type of training and handling when he was in a very dark place and I think without it he could have well ended up pts he was so dangerous. He responded very well and it restored my confidence in handling a highly strung and aggressive 17hh horse.
 
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"The lady was bridling the horse, and called bridle users "Dictators", really guilting people for using tack, which kind of put me off at first."

I don't quite get this, why would she say that if she was putting a bridle on her own horse? Pat Parelli rides in a bridle he uses a curb bit with advanced horses and expects his advanced students to do the same.

http://www.equitana.com/medien/resi...pat-parelli-sidebar_pat-sidebar-2_800_800.jpg

Goodness knows how I post images these days...

If they were riding waving their sticks about they weren't particularly advanced by the way. That was in the older (harder) Level 2. It should progress to nothing in the rider's hand.
 
Tackless is generally no big deal for me. If the animal is trained, it will do what it's asked. I think it's a lazy way of saying 'oh wow look at me and the 'bond' I have with my horse'.
 
DanceswithCows said:
Tackless is generally no big deal for me. If the animal is trained, it will do what it's asked. I think it's a lazy way of saying 'oh wow look at me and the 'bond' I have with my horse'.
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I think it is more than that. I am in awe if the amazing balance and core strength the tackless riders have - they seem to ride extremely effortlessly. imo it shows great riding skills, not so much bond.
 
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