Very Urgent! Parelli, Natural or intelligent horsemanship

I understand what a tricky situation your friend is in but I do think she is asking an awful lot.

I honestly think the best bet would be to give the mare a good dose of painkillers and move her as planned.
 
OP you could try pming Tinypony. I think she has NH contacts that way on. The facebook idea is a good one or even the regional horsey page. There are also NH yards around the UK now so giogle those. Personally I'd be finding a grass livery with shade and assistance and when she's recovered telling the YO to stuff it. That's appalling lack of support. Has your friend not asked her if she can bend the rules? It's not like there are other liveries to consider!!
 
Find a local yard with grass turn out and good fencing and put them there. The horses honestly wont care who handles them as long as they have food, water & shelter. They're horses, not babies, not toys.
Then perhaps find a more supportive Parelli type yard in due course if that's what your friends into.

I must say though that I find it insulting on behalf of these two intelligent TB's that you/your friend think they wouldn't respond favorably to any good horse person. If the horses really are that neurotic then perhaps it would be wise to rethink the methods used to handle them. I'd suggest though that in many cases the apparent neuroses lie more with the owner than the horses.

All the best in any case.
 
I have no comment whatsoever with regards to how your friend can sort this situation however after the posts re 'can only be looked after by somebody trained in Parelli', I find this statement quite odd... Where we run our full livery service there is a strong following of Parelli up to level 3/4 from the DIY side of the business and let me tell you for sure, their methods are not the be all and end all of looking after and training horses. I do not follow Parelli in the slightest but the animals here are beautiful to handle from a traditional or Parelli handling method. There have been times when we have shared the school and although I do not advocate the silly circus tricks, their animals do lateral movements better than the adv/med stressage horse. For some stupid reason and I don't know why but a 'traditional method' suddenly conjures up images of stick wielding and spurs for most NH die hard fans. It isn't the case, the basics of all training methods are exactly the same, treating a horse fairly, with respect and allowing it time to understand the questions asked, why should it matter who handles the horses so long as it's basic needs are met?

Sorry OP, the Parelli/trad divide is wide enough, it's posts like this that widen it further. It isn't 'us' and 'them', it's just different ways of doing things to achieve the same goals.

ETA: Not sure what your purpose of 'not suitable for amateurs' is meant for? There are probably more amateurs out there that are more than capable of handling them, more so than some cowboys that call themselves professional. I find this comment quite insulting on behalf of amateurs or whatever you mean by it.
 
Last edited:
I would call round local livery yards and explain the situation and ask if they would do a month's (because your friend might be out of action longer than planned so best to cover yourself) full grass livery for two thoroughbreds. As long as they have a field with shelter and water, checking them once or twice a day isn't too difficult. If you found somewhere close to yourself could you help even?

Just as a by the by, my pony is used to being led by someone incompetent, I hear that yesterday 'someone' forgot the headcollar and had to bring her in using the dog's lead :D should stay her in good stead if I'm ever out of action :D
 
Dizzle said:
Just as a by the by, my pony is used to being led by someone incompetent, I hear that yesterday 'someone' forgot the headcollar and had to bring her in using the dog's lead :D should stay her in good stead if I'm ever out of action :D
Click to expand...

Mine have an incompetent handler too and often get led by the rug chest or forelock ;)
 
Thanks Guys for all the suggestions, quite frankly if it was anyone else I would just say to put the horses wherever they will survive, but it is not as easy as it sounds. They are two very sharp younger fit thoroughbreds which have been used to rope halters anyone experienced with TB's or a professional is not going to have a problem with them at all but they aren't suitable for everyone.
 
Myhorseeatsmoney said:
Thanks Guys for all the suggestions, quite frankly if it was anyone else I would just say to put the horses wherever they will survive, but it is not as easy as it sounds. They are two very sharp younger fit thoroughbreds which have been used to rope halters anyone experienced with TB's or a professional is not going to have a problem with them at all but they aren't suitable for everyone.
Click to expand...
You really have made a big issue with these horses, they are just 2 TBs. So send them, WITH their rope halters to a professional then. Never read so much rubbish about 2 horses in my life!!
 
I don't think rope halters are exclusively used by Parelli people. I use them and I'm by no means a parelli convert....just use good old fashioned common sense!

I hope some of the NH/Parelli yard suggestions are of use to your friend, she will have to pay the going rate though.
 
Op - I know people who might be able to help near Tunbridge Wells, I'm also friends with one of the ladies at Parelli in the Cotswolds who might well be able to help. The thing is, you're asking for full livery and your friend would need to be prepared to pay for that. It sounds as if that might be a problem, and also I wonder if she'll be able to carry on paying if she needs longer than 2 weeks to recover? Either way she's ending up travelling the mare who apparently can't be travelled far. I agree with others, grass livery, basic care to make sure they are safe, they'll be fine.
I have horses trained in a sort of nh type way and they're fine being looked after people who don't quite understand where they are coming from. They might be a bit twitchy after being led about held under the chin and handled in a way they aren't quite familiar with, but they're fine and any horse can be a bit unsettled by change.
Personally I think your friend needs a good yard with sensible staff that offers full livery. It doesn't matter what they have on their heads, they are just horses.
The danger in asking for people who are experienced in Parelli or whatever is that you might find some well-meaning soul who is studying their "levels" and over-estimates their skills. They could do more damage to the horses than someone who is a good handlre from any point of view.
 
I hope OP finds a suitable option.......

It is however a BIG ASK and any horse should at least have the basics of being able to be handled on the end of a rope either short or long! And this is why I hate all this Pirelli stuff....shoot me now.....

Find a field and stick them out for couple of weeks and if one is sensitive find a barn free for couple of weeks.
 
unicornystar said:
I hope OP finds a suitable option.......

It is however a BIG ASK and any horse should at least have the basics of being able to be handled on the end of a rope either short or long! And this is why I hate all this Pirelli stuff....shoot me now.....

Find a field and stick them out for couple of weeks and if one is sensitive find a barn free for couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

I think there are huge misunderstandings about this Parelli stuff. The horses should be as good to handle as any other horse. I handle mine in rope halters and with long ropes, and would lead them with some rope to spare. That doesn't mean they can't be dealt with in a headcollar and short lead rope though. If someone leads them with the hand on the rope under their chins it doesn't destroy them, they just look a little bit confused but they aren't going to throw themselves about or anything.

I think Op's friend's "problem" is that their horses are a bit lively to deal with. That's a reflection on handling, not the label you choose to stick on their training. Still, the matter had to be dealt with by today so probably too late for any suggestions here to be of any use.
 
I just don't understand why they can't be chucked out in a field for a couple of weeks. The handling would be minimal beyond daily checks so the parelli issue just wouldn't be an issue. By the way your friend sounds, she is going to delay her operation just because she is unwilling to let her precious darlings have their routine slightly changed. If she can't afford full livery, her ONLY option is grass livery. As I said earlier, there is a reason full livery costs as much as it does and if she really needs a specialist to handle them then surely that will cost even more than full livery.

Also I thought you said the mare couldn't travel so why is she looking for a yard?
 
Tinypony said:
I think there are huge misunderstandings about this Parelli stuff. The horses should be as good to handle as any other horse. I handle mine in rope halters and with long ropes, and would lead them with some rope to spare. That doesn't mean they can't be dealt with in a headcollar and short lead rope though. If someone leads them with the hand on the rope under their chins it doesn't destroy them, they just look a little bit confused but they aren't going to throw themselves about or anything.
Click to expand...

I don't think i know anyone who leads with one hand under the chin, unless they're doing a BHS exam! I certainly don't - my lot all lead off a loose rope - how else would I get three horses out to the field on my own without having to do several trips ;-)
 
Auslander said:
One hand about 6 inches below the head collar clip, and the other at the end of the rope. Never made any sense to me!
Click to expand...

Nor me. I've never understood it really.

Pops will lead however you choose to do so - including on a piece of cotton while wearing a clown outfit (handler, not him) - he will even follow me from the field to his stable with the leadrope chucked over his wither (not that I do that where we are currently as we have to walk up a driveway). However, if he is already in a snit/panic/paddy, grabbing him underneath the chin and holding on will simply wind him up even more because he feels panicked . . . giving him a good three foot of leadrope and a gentle pat and walking on calmly will result in him calming down and following the handler.

That said, I feel for the OP on this thread . . . she has made it abundantly clear that she cannot take these horses on herself - and given cogent and coherent reasons why - but has been on the receiving end of a bunch of vitriol about the uselessness of Parelli.

OP - I applaud you for trying to help your friend . . . and agree with those who say that the best bet in the short term would be to turn them out at current yard. If that's not possible, then bute up the injured horse and transport them to suitable grass livery and have someone check them daily (leg count, feed/hay/water, etc., as necessary) until your friend is well enough to sort them out herself.

P
 
I learned to lead the way Auslander has described as a kid in my riding school. Was told by my instructor that this was the safest way to do it and anything else was dangerous (this was how aforesaid instructor explained most things). This was about as far from BHS as you could get, a western barn in Colorado with a strong natural horsemanship inclination.

That aside, I lead my horse at the end of the rope, but the yard owners, when they bring her in, hold her near the headcollar. This hasn't caused a nervous breakdown yet.
 
I lead off a lose rope too and my horses walk when I walk, stop when I stop (mostly lol), change direction when I do on that lose rope. If for some reason I take a short hold they don't seem bothered but I don't like it as I feel too close and find I am exerting a constant pull on the horses unless I hold my hand high near the chin which makes me feel unbalanced. Don't ever do it with the minis as I would have to walk bent over even though I'm mini myself!.
 
PolarSkye said:
That said, I feel for the OP on this thread . . . she has made it abundantly clear that she cannot take these horses on herself - and given cogent and coherent reasons why - but has been on the receiving end of a bunch of vitriol about the uselessness of Parelli.

OP - I applaud you for trying to help your friend . . . and agree with those who say that the best bet in the short term would be to turn them out at current yard. If that's not possible, then bute up the injured horse and transport them to suitable grass livery and have someone check them daily (leg count, feed/hay/water, etc., as necessary) until your friend is well enough to sort them out herself
Click to expand...

Completely agree with PS. I feel sorry for the OP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top