natural horsemanship

Wildforestpony18

Wildforestpony18

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hi, i was just wondering who else uses natural horsemanship and did it work for you because it worked for me also i want to train to do it so any comments?
 
"Natural" horsemanship is a much used and abused term. Do you have any particular trainers that you have seen or trained with?
I suppose you could say I use natural horsemanship, but that hasn't involved Parelli for many years and never involves Monty Roberts stuff. I think there are much better trainers out there, although you don't get your learning packaged up and sold to you in quite the same way as with those two approaches.
I don't try to impose my views on others and think that everyone should be flexible about shoes, rugs and living out 24/7. Oh yes, and all of my horses are trained to be ridden with and without a bit.
Howzat?
 
p.s. If you get on to discussing Parelli be prepared for the usual comments that are always repeated on every thread. I could summarise for you if you like to save time.
It's overpriced and too commercial.
Linda Parelli is a horse-abuser.
There's nothing natural about it.
It's nothing new.
It's just common sense "I" do it all the time with mine and I was just born knowing these things.
It's a cult.
The horses are robotic and it's just a load of circus tricks.
Pass me the popcorn
... I think that about covers it.
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Sorry misterjay, we crossed, but you've just ticked one item on my list LOL!

Oh, and of course a lot of people think that Parelli = natural horsemanship.
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Nice response tinypony (your first post!), that's the closest reply I have seen to what I think about these training issues. :-)
 
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I am 100% in favour of training horses and people with a natural horsemanship approach. I absolutely live it with my horses and they are a pleasure to be around and ride. That does not mean I am using the Parelli method though, there are loads of really good trainers who have similar roots who have a lot of good things to teach. Natural horsemanship is a huge field. To think it is just Parelli and maybe Monty Roberts is, to me, like saying dressage=rolkur. Just as an example.
 
would like more detail on what you term natural horsemanship. I'm a big fan of what Monty Roberts stands for and it was on my quest to find natural horsemanship i came across the lady who now teaches me. her website is www.connectedhorsemanship.com. She trained under parelli for 5 or 6 years, then trained under Chris Irwin, a canadian guy for 5 or 6 more years, then put her own spin on it and bang, you have connected horsemanship. She is a fantastic lady, very friendly but very professional. She says it as she sees it, but has done wonders for me. She works magic, but it's magic that takes time. The amount of people that think, 1 lesson and your horse is changed forever!!
What training did you do, and who with? Am interested in hearing from anyone that is into natural horsemanship, as it makes total sense.
 
Velocette, I edited my post to be clearer, just after you did the same with yours. Sorry, I should be in bed, it's been a long day.
 
i agree linda parrelli is a horse abuser but monty roberts isn't i don't personaly like parrelli anyway i had a really nice lady come out called hannah rose and she was brilliant
 
I'm not saying either of them are horse abusers. Mind you, some equine behaviourists are rather unhappy about what Monty does. He does use flooding sometimes, which can be a two-edged sword.
 
Depends on the type of natural horsemanship
types
1) parelli - not natural. A carrot stick and games?!
2) Monty roberts - more natural kind. Miles better than above!
3) born horsemen - they are natural horsemen who are born knowing how to care for and train horses
4) irish horsemen - one of a kind, probably the most "natural" kind of horsemanship! Born in a stable :p
 
Relax! It's only a general list!! They are TYPES of natural horsemanship!! If I had to name them all I would still be here in 2011. You opinion and mine are allowed to disagree you know.

Jeez, the NL has become so unfriendly!
 
I suppose I use natural horsemanship, although in terms of thinking about the horse's nature and instincts while working with him so that I understand why he might suddenly decide he doesn't want to walk past something because it might eat him.

I believe that as long as your horse is happy and willing to work with you, the method you use to achieve this (whatever one you pick) is fine. Personally, I do not like Parelli - a video I watched on loading disgusted me. I have also had some experience of Monty roberts, and although some of his stuff is great, I agree with others that he does flood horses as well. I do believe that you should try to work out why a behaviour is presenting itself before resorting to gadgets - e.g. your horse evades the bit, so instead of sticking a flash on have his teeth checked first.

That's all!!
 
Right Im going to ignore everyone else on here and post my story...

We have three horses, two aged 12 (mare and gelding), who are handled "traditionally", i.e. smacked if they're naughty, generally non parelli. We've recently (for about 3 months) got an 11 month old youngster, who I'm bringing up mostly based on the Richard Maxwell books. I wanted to do it differently after reading his books (and Kelly Marks books) mostly because our big lad takes the p*ss with me and its dangerous. Foalie is gonna be a big girl so I wanted to enable myself to be able to manage her from early on. My basics are - following "horsey behaviour" i.e. broad shoulders and big posture to chase them away when they're wrong, slightly stooped and turned away when you want them to approach. She doesnt get titbits, she gets a rub on her neck for praise. They have to WANT to be with you. I don't force her in to anything - if shes scared, there is no point forcing them because they wont become any less scared.

Joined to this is all the work I've been doing with her in the field I've been doing without headcollars and lead ropes. The basis being that she WANTS to be with me - and if shes scared, she could run away. The only exception to this was when I first put the bridle on her (with no bit) because I didnt want her to do herself an injury if she got caught on somethng when she ran off. So, she had her headcollar on but a really long leadrope that was always slack, and I never used it cos she was fine but I would only have used to it get close enough to her to whip the bridle off, or to pull her away from fences etc if she did freak.

She DOES get a smack if shes being really naughty (i.e. biting is unacceptable fullstop) but this is always followed with a "horsey" telling off, i.e. the broad shoulders in R.Maxwells book. However, she is never pushed in to things shes scared of (i.e. walking through a very tight fence) just praised when she does do it.

I dont know whether its the best way, its certainly hard work!! But its working so far for me. She is a joy to lead, doesnt invade my personal space, waits for her feed, etc etc.

I agree with the Linda Parelli comment, however.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do! Ultimately its up to you how you feel you can best manage your horse!

Hannah xxx
 
"Relax! It's only a general list!! They are TYPES of natural horsemanship!! If I had to name them all I would still be here in 2011. You opinion and mine are allowed to disagree you know.

Jeez, the NL has become so unfriendly! "
Blimey, calm down. I don't see anything unfriendly about what I said.
A lot of people seem to base their views of natural horse training on just Monty Roberts and Parelli don't they?
 
Wow this topic gets so heated!! Think the problem is as stated that the definition covers so much, but even if you narrow it down to one area such as Kelly Marks' intelligent horsemanship there are still people doing it to different extremes, I had an RA out to my mare who was so "fluffy" I would have been longlining my girl for the next 9 months! Yet a different RA worked with a friend of mine and made it really clear from the beginning that the goal was to get the horse happy being ridden and she was on her horse in 2 weeks. On that note if anyone can recommend a "non fluffy" trainer who uses natural / common sense / kind (call it what you want) methods near Swindon could they let me know please
 
horselover360 said:
hi, i was just wondering who else uses natural horsemanship and did it work for you because it worked for me also i want to train to do it so any comments?
Click to expand...


You might have more luck if you give up the "natural horsmanship" definition and just go find some good trainers to work with :) It's such an abused definition nowadays that for me it's become meaningless. What's natural anyway? - I can't imagine that a horse thinks it's particularly natural when we sit on him ;)

For what it's worth trainers that are on my list are:

Mark Rashid
Kathleen Lindley
Amanda Barton
Tom & Sarah Widdicombe
Steve Halfpenny

Other ones that interest me but who I don't yet know enough about to "recommend" as such, include:

Perry Wood
Ben Hart

All I can say is read up on the people/ go see them work, then decide what style best suits you. There's a reason that the phrase horses for courses exists :)

Good luck!
 
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