Parelli - yay or neigh?

[Meowy Catkin]

Nooo, MC. Tsk .

The horse doesn't need a vet, it needs you to buy more dvds/carrot sticks/attend more demos/pay an accredited parelli instructor to analyse and sort out take forever to not sort out your horsey problem.

*tongue in cheek post*

I'm sorry.

Please take my money...

 

[SEL]

My mare seems to be in every quadrant in that chart - does that mean shes got a left and a right brain???

Still disappointed carrot sticks can't be used for carrot stretches. I thought they were some tool I could tie a carrot to for bribery. Horse won't go forward? Sit on top and dangle a carrot stick in front of its nose (off to patent that idea..)

 

[Roxylola]

Also, lest we forget....wasn't it Mr Parelli who said that anyone who wore a helmet did so because they were a coward and scared of their horse?

I'm not scared of my horse, I'm scared of the ground when it comes to meet me at speed ?

My mare seems to be in every quadrant in that chart - does that mean shes got a left and a right brain???

Still disappointed carrot sticks can't be used for carrot stretches. I thought they were some tool I could tie a carrot to for bribery. Horse won't go forward? Sit on top and dangle a carrot stick in front of its nose (off to patent that idea..)

SEL, I think it just means she has a brain ? I always thought carrot sticks would be a device like you suggest there - sounds a much better idea

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Nooo, MC. Tsk .

The horse doesn't need a vet, it needs you to buy more dvds/carrot sticks/attend more demos/pay an accredited parelli instructor to analyse and sort out take forever to not sort out your horsey problem.

*tongue in cheek post*

You forgot the Parelli app! All horse owners needs to download the Parelli app which showed up on my savvy string google search.
Your post made me go back, and open Google play, to see what it says about it. Under About this this app, it simply says Your horse will thank you. Doesn't that sound marvellously tempting?!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Not sure if it was Parelli but a video came up on my TikTok of a girl doing some kind of something with a rope halter and stick with bit on the end. To me it looked like the horse was 'herding' her with a cross looking face and then it was rewarded with food (not sure if that's a useful training thing but I don't think I'd feel safe in that situation). One that really caught my eye was it rearing up and for some reason she stepped towards it with her arm like that would stop it going up, it very nearly boxed her straight in the face with a hoof!

Grest post by AE.
The thing is that most of us would use groundwork as a means to an end i.e you have an issue, you use groundwork to work through it and then you transfer the solution to ridden work. Whereas with systems like Parelli their is no clear end goal and the horses end up being drilled endlessly.

Maybe this is part of why I'm not 'getting it' when I watch some of the videos, I think 'where is this going?' whereas others I understand there's a purpose (i.e. to get the horse to load, or lead nicely, or stand at a mounting block) which seems quite practical.

Saw another one of someone doing loose, round pen stuff and the horse kicked up it's back legs, not at her - to me seemed like a thing they can sometimes do when excited. Response was to wildly flap the stick with a bag on the end to chase it round frantically as punishment (I think), which also rattled up/unsettled all the horses in pens around the outside of the pen. To me that just seems like escalating things, I know you don't want them kicking out at you but I guess I contrasted this with watching my share horse being lunged after a week off. He had an exuberant moment to start with but the person handling him was calm about it and he settled in to what he was supposed to be doing without the need for added drama.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Whenever I see dressage whips or similar with a bag on the end, regardless of whether they are being used to wind up in-hand show horses or to train or lunge (anyone else see the video where a recently castrated yearling was 'lunged' with one?), I have a strong desire to break the bleddy things in half.

 

[HazuraJane]

Not sure if 'free lunging' is a Parelli thing? I used it before my youngster broke her splint bone. She responds to my verbal cues (also body position) completely - and it feels like I'm doing magic. Looking forward to doing it again once she's cleared for that much movement.

If I came at her with a plastic blowy bag on the end of a whip, however, it would be scene/exit/curtain. lol.

 

[Tiddlypom]

There’s ‘Liberty‘ work, which is when the horse is loose and reacts to your body cues.

FL, there would be an app now, wouldn't there . Luckily that must have been after I was dabbling.

 

[Gloi]

Will the bag of carrot sticks I got from Asda veg aisle work?

 

[ycbm]

Will the bag of carrot sticks I got from Asda veg aisle work?

Good grief no. How could they at 49p? You'd need to pay at least $30 for anything effective! Silly girl.

 

[Gloi]

Good grief no. How could they at 49p? You'd need to pay at least $30 for anything effective! Silly girl.

Bother. I found some reduced ones too.

 

[SJJR]

Is this a Parelli thing? Lady hacking her horse on the road whilst carrying a schooling ship with a red square tied to the end like a flag. I thought it was maybe her way of getting drivers to give her room as she carried it horizontally with flag to traffic side. However a van approached and it was raised vertically and waved at the side of the horses head. (Horse didn't really bother)

 

[SEL]

Will the bag of carrot sticks I got from Asda veg aisle work?

My horses have agreed they would be perfect.

 

[Muddywellies]

Is this a Parelli thing? Lady hacking her horse on the road whilst carrying a schooling ship with a red square tied to the end like a flag. I thought it was maybe her way of getting drivers to give her room as she carried it horizontally with flag to traffic side. However a van approached and it was raised vertically and waved at the side of the horses head. (Horse didn't really bother)

No this is just keeping the traffic away.
Edited. Sorry ignore me, just re read the last bit. Goodness, the mind boggles??

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is this a Parelli thing? Lady hacking her horse on the road

Nope, she is riding the horse .

 

[AdorableAlice]

My eyesight is not good enough to read that circle diagram, please can someone tell me where the furry fool fits into it.

Ps, Lidl carrots are 25p. I just remove them from the bag before Adorable Alice notices they are not from Waitrose.

 

[ycbm]

My eyesight is not good enough to read that circle diagram, please can someone tell me where the furry fool fits into it.
.

Don't be silly AA, you know Furry Fool doesn't fit into anything he's so huge!
.

 

[Caol Ila]

Gypsum is very keen on these carrot sticks. She doesn't care if they're from Asda, Waitrose, or whatever the hell I just dug out of my lockdown veg garden. Interpret as you will.

 

[Cheval Gal]

I am so with those of you whose experience of Parelli is that its followers appear scared of their horse or spend 90% of their time leading in hand or doing Parelli exercises on the ground, rather than riding.

I have no doubt there are nuggets of useful stuff in amongst all the stick waving and bag rustling, but I'm yet to see it.

It has been interesting to read that the general consensus on this thread backs up my gut instinct, so thanks to all for taking the time to reply.

 

[Kaylum]

I will be honest I love it cause when I get anything donated with Parelli on I know it is going to make a lot of money. I have see the Pattern packs they were selling for extorationate prices and second hand these are still making good prices. The carrot sticks and the ropes and halters. So yes I love them for that reason.

 

[Ish2020]

there is a YouTube channel that is extremely push with natural horsemanship and her calls any other training method Abuse here is the link to his YouTube account. https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkLikeAHorse

 

[Tiddlypom]

I have see the Pattern packs they were selling for extorationate prices and second hand these are still making good prices.

I flogged my dvd sets on eBay and got really good prices for them, even though they weren’t the current offering.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Ah yes, this reminds me of an individual that used to keep her horse on the same yard as mine. She purchased a decent horse for a fair sum of money. Horse was trained well, looked good condition wise, and just wanted a job to show up to everyday.

Said individual proceeded to "de-train" this horse, pop him continously with a knotted rope halter until he reared, wave plastic bags at him, and go after him with the lunge whip if he flicked an ear "wrong" horse began spooking and bolting out of confusion. Then eventually became the dullest of creatures and lost much of the fabulous condition he arrived in. Only took 6 months! What a program! I'm think he has a new home now. I hope so, anyway.


My thing is, I don't care what people do with their horses. They don't need to ride. They could've bought the thing to go for long walks in a field picking daisies for all I care. It's when the horses health and well-being are impacted negatively as a result of "training" or poor handling, that's when I care.

 

[littleshetland]

I had a lady livery who had a sweet, willing ,well adjusted happy little tb mare that she seemed to have a lot of fun with. She suddenly decided, after some sort of Parelli weekend seminar she went to, that she'd "seen the light.." bits and bridles were cruel and Parelli was the only way... Her horse went from happy and sweet to a nervous, confused wreck in just a couple of weeks. The really worrying thing was, this woman just didn't see it. She was convinced the horse was progressing nicely and better than ever. So, so sad.

 

[9tails]

there is a YouTube channel that is extremely push with natural horsemanship and her calls any other training method Abuse here is the link to his YouTube account. https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkLikeAHorse

That's Rick Gore. He's a dick but occasionally has tiny nuggets of wisdom. He's also a misogynist of the highest order.

 

[Sleipnir]

I do hate the pure nonsense that comes with the Parelli marketing - all those different coloured strings for "levels" of parelli-ness and whatnot. However, over years of being closely connected with the local NH crowd, I've observed a few things:

If you look back at the very beginnings of the Parelli system, before it was taken over by Lindas' marketing tactics, the basic 7 games can be useful with an unstarted horse, if done correctly and not overdone. Really, they shouldn't take more than a few sessions, and basta, move on. If. Done. Correctly. It's just basic pressure and release, but if the handler doesn't have good timing or just repeats the exercises ad nauseam + thinks only of "being the leader" and "demanding respect", it creates a shut down and unhappy horse. What I've seen in unfortunate amounts are beginners (often afraid of their own horses), who never develop past these basics and just go over and over and over the 1st level exercises, punishing the horse (chasing him in tight circles and disengaging hind legs hysterically - "moving his legs", "making the wrong thing hard") for any signs of life/emotions, until the beast either explodes or dies internally. Plus, many just watch a few online videos and repeat them without any feel or understanding - because they've got no real horse sense and experience, which deepens the problem.

I bought my own first horse, who is still with me, from a parellite yard. He had gone through this regimen extensively and would jump across and back two borderline behaviours - either sour and aggressive at any attempt to do anything with him (read - rearing, striking, biting), either completely shut down. + he didn't know how be lunged properly and also hated it with a passion (because it had been used as a tool for punishment), and he was afraid to allow himself to move faster with a rider, especially at canter, as he had been punished for that, too - by smashing his chest with two carrot sticks by the rider as soon as he tried to stride out. He had eventually worked out that, if a stick/whip touches his chest, he can get out of it by bucking violently... It took me several years until I could say with confidence that his previous experience is erased and reprogrammed, but attempt doing any of the Parelli "games" with him now, and he instantly shuts down and becomes passively aggressive - and it's been 10 YEARS since then!

 

[Tiddlypom]

If you look back at the very beginnings of the Parelli system, before it was taken over by Lindas' marketing tactics, the basic 7 games can be useful with an unstarted horse, if done correctly and not overdone. Really, they shouldn't take more than a few sessions, and basta, move on. If. Done. Correctly

Agree with this.

We took the now senior but-then-young mare through the first 4 games in order to get her easier to load in the trailer. It did work, it’s just basic handling, and she enjoyed the sessions. Daft name, of course, calling them ‘games’.

Then Parelli got huge and started adding twiddly bits.

We needed to undo the traditional approach when my then trainer railroaded her into the trailer with a broom up her backside - that worked just once, then unsurprisingly she wouldn’t go anywhere near it.

https://www.wikihow.com/Do-the-Seven-Games-of-Parelli


Parelli Natural Horsemanship: The Seven Games

• Friendly Game. The Friendly Game is the first of the Seven Games because nothing beats a good first impression. ...
• Porcupine Game. Horses naturally push into steady pressure, moving against it or barging through it. ...
• Driving Game. ...
• Yo-Yo Game. ...
• Circling Game. ...
• Sideways Game. ...
• Squeeze Game.

 

[paddi22]

it's interesting that on a busy horse forum there isn't even a fight being put up for the Parelli side by anyone? there must be a percentage of people on here that do it? or is it something a small majority might try early on and then moved on?

 

[saalsk]

I've watched a lot of the videos, not just parelli, monty, Kelly marks and so on, but many other types of NH, and just plain behaviour ones ( including ThinkLikeAHorse, and others who just put videos on YT of what they do with their horses on a daily basis ). I am no expert by any means, but I do enjoy watching horses behaviour ( ridden, loose, basic handling, herds etc ) and it is helpful if there is some narration on what is happening. Even more helpful if it is useful info ! I tried the 7 games, and I have a basic understanding of the right brain/left brain thing - but found that anything beyond the very basics, and I wasn't doing it correctly, and the horse reacted accordingly. I was either mis-reading the signs, or just not reacting quickly enough, or in the right way. Timing is everything, or the thing you teach is the wrong thing. The phrase Green-on-green leads to blue-on-black isn't new in the horse world, for a very good reason. Done correctly, I am sure it produces great results, but it is far far too easy to do it badly - and the repercussions of doing it badly is a stressed, upset, confused and eventually shut down horse, and a frustrated owner. There are still some so called parelli things I do - the friendly game is simply a new name for teaching a horse to be handled in a calm way. Same with some of the handling ones - move a horse over while you are mucking out, or they are in a trailer etc is the same whatever you call it - and your horse either respects your authority to do it, or doesn't. I like the squeeze game for getting 2 horses through a gate calmly and safely, but it is still just basic handling manners - the squeeze game isn't the only way of opening a gate, having the horse walk through and then turn and wait on the other side. I'm not the only one who used to *help* at a local riding school, and go collect 4 or 5 ponies each, early in the morning, and ride one bareback, leading another 3 or 4 along side, all in headcollars and ropes, and often along roads. Sometimes we wore hats ! The circle game was basically lunging without constantly chasing the horse around with the lunge whip, and not moving in circles yourself. But people got obsessed with the games, and did them repeatedly, and the horses got bored, and I don't blame them.

From what I saw, unless you spent the £ on the CD's/DVD's and regular one-to-one teaching for every little step, it was hard to progress in a way that was acceptable to owner and horse. Trust was easy to loose, especially for more reactive horses, and having moved thru various livery yards ( house relocations due to jobs, not always choices ) I saw many people start on the NH journey of some sort - several parelli ones, and most fell by the wayside.

Having said that, I also love the videos of the lady who has a herd of various grey horses ( connies ? ) and some mini's, and how she has taken them to an island for months at a time, bareback/no halter riding, group training, and fab videos of the mini's doing little stories ( spa day, first aid training, valentine meal ) - all of which have been done with training, not entirely dis-similar to most of the NH training, all related to conditioning, and making the right thing easy etc. It all looks calm, friendly and like the horses are having a great time. Very different to some of the videos showing the bad side of NH work.

 

[SBJT]

It’s funny I’ve always avoided Parelli like the plague as I don’t go for all that hokey, cultish philosophy. I think Clinton Anderson is the same too. I spent some time training with Jonathan Field and he incorporates a little of it but he takes pieces from all over. I think anything works in small doses but timing and feel are crucial and that’s not always easily learned. Some of what I’ve done with my boy I’m sure has incorporated parts of the parelli method but I haven’t stuck with one method of thinking. Whenever I hear that one method is the only way to go that’s when I move on.