Is Parelli bad for the brain?

I too am actually getting a bit bothered by everyone dissing a certain method, especially because the method itself is not too blame. Unfortunately NH does get a bad name because of a few idiots but to claim a particular method is bad, cruel, silly, stupid or something, i think its pretty unfair. I think everyone has had a pretty good laugh, but only if it doesnt go so far as to insult people.

Horse riding is not natural. No matter what we do to them, its not natural. Shoes, bits, bitless, the lot. But some people like to train there horses in a way that is more to his nature, what he understands. I think the term Natural horsemanship is incorrect. Because it makes you think that what you are doing is natural. Its not. A wild horse is natural, not one that is domesticated and ridden.
 
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Hmmm - have you ever been dragged round a field on your stomach while holding a tail ? It's not funny I can tell you, but that's a total other story involving a Santa hat and baubles, trying to catch said horse.

But then with the boy, I think roller skates may be quite fun, with said parelli stick now converted to a dangler. Hmmm * thinks of trying it this evening*..

bite, bite :D
 
shysmum said:
Hmmm - have you ever been dragged round a field on your stomach while holding a tail ? It's not funny I can tell you, but that's a total other story involving a Santa hat and baubles, trying to catch said horse.

But then with the boy, I think roller skates may be quite fun, with said parelli stick now converted to a dangler. Hmmm * thinks of trying it this evening*..

bite, bite :D
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SM you heard what Rema said, you need to go back to basics before you attempt a tail catch like that, goodness me do people never learn :rolleyes::D
 
SirenaXVI said:
Did you know that the game Pin The Tail on the Donkey originates from this practice :)
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Indeed, as before the invention/wide availability/affordability of bifocals in rural Irish communities, people had to use pitchforks to identify the right end of the horse/donkey before being able to go and grab hold of the tail.
 
Any tips how to get tea off a keyboard!:D Love this thread, although have to confess I seem to have unwittingly used parelli as I have been known to grab a tail if pony is wandering away when I am trying to put fly spray on or similar. Not too sure how she would take to being pulled round a school by her tail, but as I haven't got a school I shan't try, wouldn't want to confuse her.
 
Utterly pointless reply but my pony follows me around the field in reverse every day...but he just wants me to scratch his bottom. Pulling his tail just acts like an accelerator pedal!

Incidentally, since he taught himself this trick, brushing his tail did indeed cause him to step backwards, so I had to unteach him!

Same as so many other people have said, I take the bits of advice I like and that make sense to me, from Parelli, Monty Roberts, my riding instructor and this forum and use them, and ignore the rest.

People seem to be annoyed about the fact that they make money from selling their knowledge and methods. It's a business, and just like the riding school down the road, I choose not to give them my money because I think I get better value elsewhere. Although if I could make my fortune from packaging common sense and making it shiny, then I would!
 
MurphysMinder said:
Any tips how to get tea off a keyboard!:D Love this thread, although have to confess I seem to have unwittingly used parelli as I have been known to grab a tail if pony is wandering away when I am trying to put fly spray on or similar. Not too sure how she would take to being pulled round a school by her tail, but as I haven't got a school I shan't try, wouldn't want to confuse her.
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No I am still waiting for someone to let me know how to get Ribena off a screen and keyboard:mad:

Keep up MM, we have explained that although Parelli have laid claim to the tail pull method, it is in fact an old horseman's trick :rolleyes: and is indeed the origin of Pin the Tail on the Donkey :rolleyes:
 
rema said:
treeless saddle,bitless bridle and old macs.
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ohhh right- so a saddle is ok, as long as it has no tree?
and bridles- those really au naturelle straps all over the horses face- they are ok as long as there is no bit involved? ok.
and metal shoes are so horrific and unnatural- but horsey 'trainers' or 'sneakers' are ok?

i totally get it and understand now...

so i presume that the human wearing roller skates (prehaps only made of plastic as there appears to be an aversion to any kind of metal) and using a direction determining carrot stick (as no other stick would possibly suffice or be as natural) doing some tail 'dragging' is equally natural and good?

prehaps it would be a speedier way to get to those really natural situations called shows, than using a horrific barbaric box of a trailer or lorry?
 
Quote Rema:

if your horse will double barrel you then you do need to go back to very basic parelli and play the seven games before you are both ready to try tail pulling.the trust is very obviously not there.

I should jolly well say so. I would imagine I'd never trust it again, and it would never let me near it's back end again.

I've actually got tears rolling down my face :D

The best parelli person i've seen (for comedy/stupidity value) is a local lady who thinks NOTHING of hacking along roads on her horse (headcollar, bareback, no hat) with a loose foal at foot. I kid you not....
 
SirenaXVI said:
No I am still waiting for someone to let me know how to get Ribena off a screen and keyboard:mad:

Keep up MM, we have explained that although Parelli have laid claim to the tail pull method, it is in fact an old horseman's trick :rolleyes: and is indeed the origin of Pin the Tail on the Donkey :rolleyes:
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Yeh I have realised that now, feel happier knowing I am just following traditional methods. Have used a pitch fork to load the pony so obviously I am a true old fashioned horseman.
 
amandaco2 said:
ohhh right- so a saddle is ok, as long as it has no tree?
and bridles- those really au naturelle straps all over the horses face- they are ok as long as there is no bit involved? ok.
and metal shoes are so horrific and unnatural- but horsey 'trainers' or 'sneakers' are ok?

i totally get it and understand now...

so i presume that the human wearing roller skates (prehaps only made of plastic as there appears to be an aversion to any kind of metal) and using a direction determining carrot stick (as no other stick would possibly suffice or be as natural) doing some tail 'dragging' is equally natural and good?

prehaps it would be a speedier way to get to those really natural situations called shows, than using a horrific barbaric box of a trailer or lorry?
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Obviously you didnt read my last post. NOTHING WE DO TO A HORSE IS NATURAL. No tack, shoes or riding. Like i said, the term Natural is incorrect.
A lot of people dont ride with bits or shoes because we feel that they are detrimental to a horses health and way of going. not always linked to NH. And lots of NH trainers also use bits and shoes. Its up to each individual trainer, not the actual method.
 
shysmum said:
Hmmm - have you ever been dragged round a field on your stomach while holding a tail ? It's not funny I can tell you, but that's a total other story involving a Santa hat and baubles, trying to catch said horse.
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Not laughed so much in years! I go out for the afternoon and come back to this.
I now have images of KP's cult members being dragged about on thier faces, whilst holding onto thier horses tail as it lets off a volley of farts:D
Thats before you start on Sirena's swap shop of veggie sticks!
 
rema said:
firstly i must apologise but my caps button is not working properly.

You need the horse to respect and trust you in any situation.out hacking and there is a scarey monster in the bushes you need the horse to trust you enough to walk past the monster because you have asked him to.that is what tail pulling does,it makes the horse trust you 100%.if the horse will happily reverse around a school by being gently pulled by the tail then the trust is totally there.

if your horse will double barrel you then you do need to go back to very basic parelli and play the seven games before you are both ready to try tail pulling.the trust is very obviously not there.
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I'm afraid I simply cannot see that.
I can quite understand that if you are daft enough to pull your horse backwards by its tail and it lets you, that that is an expression of its trust of you but how that can possibly build up trust is totally beyond me.
I'll stick to my 'old-fashioned' methods, thank you!
 
Still reckon it should be naked, if horse is going au natural, you should too in equalness and all of that.

Maybe, if PP then hired good looking apprentices and practitioners...he'd get even more $$$ from extra people going to see THEM shows ;) Pmsl.

I'd go :p
 
Binky01 said:
Hmm. I'm dumbfounded then, as to when on earth, you would ever need to pull your horse round by it's tail?

Maybe it's for when you're entered to compete and you've had so much time perfecting your Parelli, your horses brain has forgotten common sense things like dressage or jumping...so you can drag it out the arena perhaps?

Spinning off from that.
Unloading would be easy!
Though the initial loading could be an issue.... would you then pull it by the forlock to load??

;)

Sorry, I'm not closed-minded...I just really don't see the point. Fair does, if it works for you...but for me, I can honestly say it would have no part in any of our horses schedules really.
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Oh STOP IT I'm crying with laughter
 
SirenaXVI said:
All the 'Parelli' people I meet seem to be a little 'soft' in the brain tbh, is it all that quality time with carrot sticks and green bouncing balls or what? I would love someone to explain it to me - in simple terms please :cool:
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On behalf of ( I think) everybody, thanks for putting this post up!!!!!!!!!!
Bloody good afternoons worth of entertainment, haven't laughed so much in ages!!!!!!!
Keep up the good work!!!!!!
 
I use natural horsemanship and pull his tail so I can do this with my horse :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SORYzaBLTI&feature=channel

(If I could but actually stand up on rollerskates I did/would seriously consider this with Frankie. He's daft/trusting (delete as appropriate) enough to let me. Only hazard of the job is the toxic fumes though.)

On a more serious note, I do use natural horsemanship for the following reasons:

1) Yes, the equestrian world in general is in danger of losing ground skills and remembering what they are for. I feel that interacting with my horse from the ground using NH methods is more interesting and better for him, and my relationship, than lunging him (although we do that too when its appropriate). We also long rein.

2) I enjoy it. I am certainly not afraid to ride, but its a nice change, a bit of variety. I love that I can work towards finesse, getting extension and collection within paces, working on pirrouetes and leg yields and turn on the forehand etc from the ground so I can see how his footfalls are going, and explain things to him better than when I am on board in some cases. Its also a wonderful demonstration of harmony and your relationship when a horse will work with you freeschooling. I'm not saying I can't get that ridden traditionally, but its just different. Its equally enjoyable as riding a decent dressage test.

3) It can be used as a diagnostics or remedial tool to solve problems which come up under saddle, and can be used to rehabilitate (following injury or trauma). when F was too fat for his saddle I lunged, long reined and natural horsemanshiped him back to fitness. Half of the lunging turned into natural horsemanship, although I can honestly say a poly headcollar, light lunge line and lunging whip just aren't as good as the "real (cheap of ebay) things for the natural horsemanship. Just like a driving bridle isn't as good as a riding bridle if you want to ride.

I've spent a fortune on natural horsemanship instruction: I've also spent a fortune on normal ridden lessons. Frankies saddle and bridle cost far more than his rope headcollar, two long ropes and the imfamous rip-off crab stick :D Hell, I think the pessoa alone cost more than the Nh set :D

Horses for courses, yes parelli has a lot to answer for, but there are a lot of people doing all schools of natural horsemanship without effing up their horses. :)

As for the original question, yes I probably am soft in the head, i like to make my horse's lives as natural as possible for them and don't think the fact that they have a job to do should be an excuse not to do that, or that it should be sacraficed (spelling?!), I like to be shoeless where possible and use natural products not chemicals if the option is there. So do a lot of other people who use NH.
 
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I'm not a fan of Parelli personally but why do people feel the need to attack others just because it's something they enjoy doing? I think showing is ridiculous and rammed full of cruel practises but I'm not going to start a thread attacking anyone and everyone who shows horses.

Bullying is not nice... and there's a lot of that going on in this thread. The joys of the internet... not.
 
^ Everything has been a tongue in cheek answer, as was the original post...not serious or targeted. As most of the threads atm are...call it HHO boredom baiting or something I guess.
 
Jennyharvey said:
Obviously you didnt read my last post. NOTHING WE DO TO A HORSE IS NATURAL. No tack, shoes or riding. Like i said, the term Natural is incorrect.
A lot of people dont ride with bits or shoes because we feel that they are detrimental to a horses health and way of going. not always linked to NH. And lots of NH trainers also use bits and shoes. Its up to each individual trainer, not the actual method.
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sorry i didnt realise you and Rema were one and the same
:rolls eyes:

besides IM not the one calling it 'natural'. its actually the people i aimed the reply at.....
honestly :rolls eyes again:
 
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:eek:Okay, who mentioned KP - are we now onto KATIE PRICE :eek::eek:

Mr darcy, I really don't think there has been a serious post on this thread - in fact, I would be outraged if there was ;)
 
Funnily enough I have always found that people who don't understand Parelli or Clinton Anderson or any of the others that sing from the same song sheet are a little bit how do you say " soft in the brain" or as I would say thick!
 
rema said:
Yes you are quite right about helping horses to load but parelli helps with that because thats what owners want.But parelli would rather not see horses 'travelled'.
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Has anyone else noticed something wrong here??????

Don't Parelli TRAVEL their horses ALL OVER THE WORLD to do demo's???????

Maybe they don't, Maybe the horses have wings and fly there themselves. Or hack a few miles across the ocean before having a rest, then do the demo. Or, they just swim, or think themselves there.

I am blond. I have no funny answers to my question. Please help!!!!!!

(Unless, they use the big squashy balls like space hoppers....and that's the play ball things, not their own, cos they might already be geldings :D )

Jelly tots and a wispa duo to the best answer!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D
 
PMSL.

I said in my first post I couldn't comment on the brain question...I'm blonde anyway so any tests will show mushage regardless ;)
 
Actually, I have to correct you all.

Riding IS natural. It says so in the Koran. It says: God created the horse from the wind and made him more beautiful and strong than any other animal on earth so that men could ride him and spread the good word among the men of earth. (sort of)

(Ok, admittedly the excerpt meant an arab (snooty little ****es) but I guess anything goes.... does it not?)

Instead it spread war and disease (not the horses, the smelly men) and hilarious threads like this one on H&H!!

:D:D
 
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