What does Parelli 'mean'?

Blizzard

Blizzard

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I was thinking about Tia's commets in the Parelli thread, and I think its fair to say that I, as Im sure some others do, have a certain impression of Parelli.

I admit I usually think Parelli; pah, carrot sticks and bits of rope for hundreds of pounds, whatever!


When we had the big Pareli thread, started by Admin, I was hoping to find out a bit more, but it seemed a lot of the people into Parelli on that discussion were very irate cult members or something, either the Parelli way or your horse in unhappy!

This put me off Parelli even more, but I dont want to dislike something out of ignorance, so would anyone care to explain what Parelli actually involves/aims to achieve, and what makes it so good?

Thanks
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I've been shouted at by a "cult" member before for speaking out against using it in the UK.....hell, she can do it again for all I care!
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I think that over here, where there are many many working horses, whose job it is to work a ranch with thousands of head of cattle, then Parelli is probably invaluable. So invaluable that I very much doubt the job could be done anywhere near as efficiently by a horse not trained in this manner. Yes of course plenty horses do manage to work the ranch but it is often under duress....I know this as I have bought 3 working cattle horses from people who do not even practice "kind horsemanship" let alone Intelligent Horsemanship. The first one I had, oh yes he could work VERY well! Too bloody well; but he spent his entire time for the first few months pooing his pants incase he misinterpreted my signals. Nowadays, and 2 years later, I have a lovely calm guy, who can still whizz up a notch or 8, when I take him to play with cattle.....but he does in a far more fluid fashion now.

What it has to do with British horses? Well to be charitable, I think it is a wonderful tool for desensitising skitty horses, and perhaps for people to have a bit of extra-curricular fun on their horse, but only in the hands of people who have a reasonable equine knowledge under their belt.

Those are my thoughts - so shoot me down - I won't change my mind though.
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Thank you Tia, I had no idea it was so widely used in ranch horses!

Perhaps that is the problem sometimes with acceptance over here, because we dont see a 'practical' use for it?
 
Gotta admit; I certainly don't see much practical use for it in England, other than the couple of examples I gave previously. I don't really even have much use for it myself to be quite honest, but I would like to train up one of my horses (I have one in mind) to be competent at getting somewhere close to the guy in the video....not for a couple of years though
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Wow, just finished watching the vid, that is truly amazing. They make it look so fluid and easy, but I imagine there have been years of work put into achieving that.

Really? What an achievement that would be.

So is that video the ultimate aim of Parelli, to achieve a relationship where there is no need for devices or force, and for your horse to want to be around you, and to trust you?
 
Totally agree, which is why I have trouble understanding why horse people are so condescending about other horse people who just choose to get there using slightly different methods or under a banner of a particular name.
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Well I hold my hands up and say I have been like that in the past, although it wasnt the practice of Parelli that 'got my back up', it was people's attitude over it, ie the whole cult status thing some people seemed to have.

Scared me off even looking into it if Im honest. I just thought well if THAT is how it makes you act, then no thanks.

Watching some of those youtube vids makes me realise that what it is truly about though, is what you have with your horse...not what tricks you can teach them.
 
It appears to work both ways though, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it!
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They decry us as much as some of us decry them - just seems silly to me that we all have a common goal at the end of the day, but I do have to admit to chuckling about whom sees whom as inferior/superior - I just think it's the fear of the unknown.

I'm a firm splinter-bum so I'll just take the moral high ground thank you very much.
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Sorry Tia had my OH not broken his heel I would have made a video of his horse Jezz who follows him like a dog.
He hasn't the fine control that chap has but he can walk trot canter go over a whole course of showjumps or Xc with the filly stuck to him like glue.
She also gallops up the field to his call..
She is three and hopefully will go on to be started later this autumn, but at the moment he is just visiting on his crutches every day, she of course ignores them..
He never uses a headcollar or leadrope to bring her in or turn her out either (no I don't agree with this) and she does anything he asks, so yes, although he isn't a forum member, he can almost do this!
 
I've been pondering your question as I prepared dinner LOL

As I said I am very new to Parelli. It started like this;my mare had a series of problems(lameness,blummin' awful chest injury etc) , you know the one thing after another syndrome
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, which meant riding , lungeing etc was not on the menu . I was looking for something that would allow us to play without work!
As you're probably aware Pat Parelli clinics have been running for about 25 years now and I decided that this must mean it was worth a look at. As I read up on it I felt that I'd been doing much of it already albeit in a very very ugly fashion
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It sounded like a fun way for her and I to spend quality time together without risk of injury and so far it is!
In the short time of progressing through it I can hand on heart say that I've changed and by doing so she is too. I like the 'work' plan you get with the kit and the sense of achievement as I put a star next to a completed job
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So far Parelli means to me that I've started another phase with my horse, one that I can incorporate into what I know does work with her and hopefully to earn some savvy so I can see more quickly what doesn't. I honestly feel more relaxed , confident and happy already. Oh and it really is fun too
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LOL!! Well I can almost do it too ...... but I sure as heck can't get my horses jumping jumps like that and have that sort of ridden control over them without a bridle on. So in my mind; I'm actually nowhere near the level of this guy as I see following and leg commands are the norm. I want to be higher.....but I'll have to wait till I have full confidence in my 5 year old, and that won't be for a couple of years I wouldn't have thought.
 
Versus what? "Give me some of your hard earned cash .... and I'll not sell you a right old dog......or I'll train your horse to Grand Prix standard....or I'll make you a silk purse out of that sow's ear".

It's no wonder they can't bear most of us.
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no, meaning it's common sense, nothing new, rehashed to provide a nice earner for mr and mrs parelli by those who want/feel the need to buy into it.
 
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no, meaning it's common sense, nothing new

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Which begs the question, why do you feel it's your place to tell people that what they are buying is rubbish? Seems slightly contradictory to me.
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[ QUOTE ]
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no, meaning it's common sense, nothing new

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Which begs the question, why do you feel it's your place to tell people that what they are buying is rubbish? Seems slightly contradictory to me.
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who mentioned rubbish??

i said "old rope".

meaning something that is not new/re-used
 
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who mentioned rubbish??

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Unless I am mistaken, you have on many occasions told us all that it is rubbish.
 
The use of the 'results' is entirely up to the horses owners and I can certainly see how ranch/cattle horses use these 'skills'.

My argument is that this is NOT built through 'partnership' but through dominance to the point of fear on the horses part and the appalingly messianistic cult like attitude of those indoctrinated into Parelli.

To be told that you are NOT welcome to attend clinics by those promoting Parelli in the UK was the final straw for me.

I saw Pat give a demo many many years ago when he very first came to the UK. There must have been about 25 of us there, thats all, and it WAS very interesting.

Things have now become all about marketing and dividing the equine community into factions. On that level it is very succesful. Not very sucessful for those horses whose owners feel they are above the rest of us because they have got the gear and played some games.
 
Tia, I am curious as to why you think the Parelli methods would be invaluable for a working cowhorse. In my experience working cowboys don't have the time to play a bunch of "games" with their horses. Further to most working cowboys horses are a tool of their trade and they don't really care if they have a bond with their horses. Most of the time they have a string of several horses and ride whichever horse is freshest or is suited to the job at hand. Most working cowhorses are started by sacking out, saddling, maybe some ground driving or lunging, ridden in the round pen or arena until they have some decent handle and no buck and then taken out to the pasture to complete their training. I think that most real cowboys would think Parelli is a load of bull.
 
I wasn't talking about them playing games with their horses - I was talking about training techniques. I know a handful of real cowboys who would say exactly the same as you have suggested, and unbeknownst to them, they do actually use many of the same training techniques, they just don't know they do.....most likely because half of them haven't even heard of Parelli. I also know another handful of cowboys who are the sorts who gave the name "cowboy" it's different meaning.
 
Well I live in South Leciestershire, and my next door neighbour is a Pirelli trainer. She walks her mare around the village, although not always, without either saddle, bridle, headcollar, nothing! it usually just walks at her side. Ok so the mare obviousoy trusts her and vice versa, but, hello, its a fairly busy road, and people are getting annoyed!
She even has her climbing the village hall steps!
God know what she thinks when watching me trying to catch my Welshie, never mind leading him from the field!
However, this practice is fine if you don't really want to ride your horse, as she doesn't seem to, personally I'd rather take mine out for a good three hour hack with lots of cantering.
 
And what happens if this ever-so-trusting horse gets petrified of something? Will it cling to mummy or run and possibly cause an accident?
(sorry, not really relevant to the thread)
 
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