opinions on parelli

[horses4lf]

hey guys,

Im thinking of starting the parelli corses with my horse! just wondering what are your opinions about parelli?:)

Sarah xxx

[suneanarab]

i would say that out of all of them that you can do and have a program to follow as a home study then parelli is the better one to go for. it's close to what i have always done but i have adapted it to suit my way better.

[EnduranceAli]

Hi, Sarah

I would just say 'Go For It' :) I did the Level 1 course and really enjoyed it. Really helped me to understand Frayne and gave us lots of confidence. She is a sweetie to handle now and hacks out in a bitless bridle :)

I must admit, mainly due to my lack of finances now, that I haven't continued on to Level 2 - bought the Silversand videos cheap from Ebay instead, which seems to be very similar to Parelli. However, I wouldn't feel able to follow this system without having already done PNH. The PNH home study pack, and also the Savvy Club DVDs/magazines/forum (approx. £10-11 per month), is such a great system and very easy/entertaining to follow. I am also attending some local PNH lessons as a spectator (haven't got my own trailer/box yet :rolleyes: ), so still keeping in with PNH and seriously considering going back to it, as I just don't find Silversand provides the detail and support that I need.

Also, the PNH equipment/study packs/DVDs really are an investment - I sold all mine on Ebay for more than I paid for them originally :D

Ali xx

[NoviceNic]

You will get some people that like Parelli and some that dont...;) It is what you and your horse what work best with that is important...

[Afellpony]

I wouldn't like to say really - haven't had any experience of Parelli myself. My boy was broken in and started using NH but not Parelli. Have read his book about NH though and I think it's very good.

[Joyscarer]

Parelli is great as a point by point very structured coarse on which to build a foundation. Some prefer that sort of structure and some prefer a more flexible approach.

Parelli neatly packages together information and ideas that is available a heck of a lot cheaper from other sources.

Having said that for me personally I have benefitted from having that structured approach as I progressed that much quicker as a result and it catered to my lack of imagination and I liked the way it was presented. You might not though :)

[horses4lf]

Cool, thanks guys :D any more opinions on starting parreli
:)

Sarah xxx

[india]

Parelli is a brilliant place to start your NH journey. Whether you want to work through the levels or just do L1 - in my opinion, it's an excellent foundation to build on. :)

[BeachRiding]

I don't like his methods. I studied some of his stuff for two years, and overall decided it was too gimicky for me. You have ot have all his expensive stuff. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I am going to see him in June at the horsexpo. So will let you know how it goes. Don't get me wrong, I think they do alot of amazing stuff with their horses, but I found other NH I like much better. Parelli is good for a lot of people though. It gives you something to follow and have fun with.

Try to borrow some Parelli dvd's to see if you like his methods.

[Joyscarer]

You have ot have all his expensive stuff. :rolleyes:

Only if you choose to take that route. I chose not to and bought bog standard halter etc. I'll work by the books but as with everything I do what I want to do.

[james]

Only if you choose to take that route. I chose not to and bought bog standard halter etc. I'll work by the books but as with everything I do what I want to do.
£38 for a "special" lunge line and £16 for a halter is somewhat extracting the urine! I bought 2 linge lines from Lidl last month for £2 each and I am sure I could make a halter from a piece of string.

I am sure I could improvise my own version of the £16 carrot stick too. Off the top of my head, maybe a carrot, a stick and some duct tape...

[Yann]

There's plenty of good stuff in it but I'm personally not keen on the Alpha idea, or the use of escalating pressure. And Pat P is a bit annoying :D

[Joyscarer]

£38 for a "special" lunge line and £16 for a halter is somewhat extracting the urine! I bought 2 linge lines from Lidl last month for £2 each and I am sure I could make a halter from a piece of string.

I am sure I could improvise my own version of the £16 carrot stick too. Off the top of my head, maybe a carrot, a stick and some duct tape...

Exactly my point. I don't do down the official Parelli gear route but learn from the course itself without getting sucking for extras as boy can that stach up :eek:

[india]

£38 for a "special" lunge line and £16 for a halter is somewhat extracting the urine! I bought 2 linge lines from Lidl last month for £2 each and I am sure I could make a halter from a piece of string.
Parelli or any other NH training rope/line has a lot more weight in it than the bog standard lunge line - which would be much to light to do the job correctly...... and I'm sure you could make up a halter from a piece of string but I'd rather your horse wear it than mine. ;)

I am sure I could improvise my own version of the £16 carrot stick too. Off the top of my head, maybe a carrot, a stick and some duct tape...
James, is this a wind up? :D

[india]

You have ot have all his expensive stuff. :rolleyes:

No you don't, I passed L1 and all of the online and liberty tasks of L2 with non branded gear. ;)

[james]

Parelli or any other NH training rope/line has a lot more weight in it than the bog standard lunge line - which would be much to light to do the job correctly...... and I'm sure you could make up a halter from a piece of string but I'd rather your horse wear it than mine. ;)

James, is this a wind up? :D

How much do you think these things cost to produce? A few pence? Heavy rope is still rope. I have seen these rope halters and if I could be bothered, I could get the materiaks for a couple of quid in a chandlers.

The wind up is someone selling these things for these prices...

[india]

How much do you think these things cost to produce? A few pence? Heavy rope is still rope. I have seen these rope halters and if I could be bothered, I could get the materiaks for a couple of quid in a chandlers.

The wind up is someone selling these things for these prices...

James, no one puts a gun to a persons head and makes them buy the PNH branded gear. :rolleyes:

It's NOT a necessity to have the PNH tools to follow the programme or to take the official assessments, but if someone chooses to buy the stuff that's their personal choice.

The wind up I was refering to was the stuff you'd use to make a carrot stick.:rolleyes:

[KateWooten]

Parelling is fine - just don't drink too much of the Kool-Aid. You can buy cheap stuff or expensive stuff it's all just stuff. Right now you can get the whole Parelling experience cheap as chips by buying the old-style level packs on e-Bay.

I've tied my own rope halters, cheap to do but they're a bit crap. You're better off buying decent rope halters from someone like LodgeRopes who've done all the figuring out and process streamlining for you.

Rope, OTOH, is just rope, and you don't need (and are better off without) a heavy clip on the end of it. Just choose a rope you like, cut it to length, seal the ends and then loop one end of it through and around under the fiador knot on your halter. If you don't know how to do that, tell me and I'll explain with pictures. No worries.

Parelli appears to make it all easy by setting everything out very clearly in levels. Of course, there are no 'levels' - that's a human way to look at things not a horse way. Parelling peters out at level 3 ... just about the level that you realise there are no levels. BUT ... at least it will get you there so that you will see that.

Aha ! I see this castle is built on air ! So, what am I standing on ?

[EquiBabe]

I've done parelli and didn't like it. My friend uses the Kelly Marks methods whihc are a lot better for me & have worked really well for her. I don't like how the pressure is increased in parelli or as yann said earlier the human is alpha thing. It has some good exercises in the seven games but I dont like the rest of it and especially the riding bit.

[Lili & Morgan]

Parelli gear is expensive but VERY good quality!!!

Parelli lunging/lead rope is expensive because it is expensive good quality rope. If I remember well it is double braided SAMSON rope. It is branded therefore expensive. It is also very heavy.

I personnaly prefer Lodge Rope's gear a better price, better colours and made-to-measure service ... ( no I am not on commission :p ).

Yes Parelli is very good point to start I wish his "ideas/tuition" were added to traditional riding. I cannot stand to watch traditional Riding-school tuition. Just yesterday I thought a lady slapping her horse with her whip again and again. Okay she is a beginner. But she was riding a ex-GRAND PRIX S-J horse. i am sure this horse could move at a cluck. I also got told off because I told HER to stop whipping that poor horse.

At least Parelli explains from the start how to be light!

[Afellpony]

It's been very interesting reading these posts about Parelli's method of NH. It seems to me that he uses an awful lot of "gadgets", albeit made no doubt by himself for use in his "NH" and to sell to owners at an horrendous price. The guy who broke Falcon in for me using NH used nothing but a plain snaffle bridle for riding and long reins before he was backed. None of these fancy and seemingly over the top "implements". When does natural horsemanship become "mechanical horsemanship" - my guess would be when one starts using all these devices. To me natural horsemanship is, (when the horse has been broken to ride) just using a plain, simple bridle and a saddle. Sooooo my idea of of NH is kindness to the horse, a good knowlege of horses, experience in breaking and schooling, bearing in mind they are flight animals and less use of all the 'mechanical crap' that seems to be part of breaking and schooling horses these days. Apart from long reins, all that was ever used on Falcon was a plain snaffle bridle and a saddle.

[india]

It's been very interesting reading these posts about Parelli's method of NH. It seems to me that he uses an awful lot of "gadgets", albeit made no doubt by himself for use in his "NH" and to sell to owners at an horrendous price.

As far as I'm aware Parelli uses nothing more than a horsemans halter, different length ropes and a carrot stick for the groundwork training. Ridden gear consists of a natural hackamore and nothing harsher than a loose ring snaffle bit - all these are easily availabe as non branded items, as most NH trainers and students use the same type of tools for their groundwork training.

Incidently, it was due to the lack of gadgets and mechanical devices that I first became interested in the Parelli training method.

[LodgeRopes]

Hi all.

KateW & Lili Thanks for the mention, it is really appreciated.
I have to agree with India, string is not suited for any halter i would put on any horse on our property...but I think James may have been trying to point out it is the technique and finess not the gear that gets results...???(many opinions on that one i think)
James, just 2 quick points, all rope is not as suited for training and ,if my friends in the UK are correct, you cannot buy polyester marine double braid rope for a couple of quid at a chandlers.... it is very expensive. a 12ft lead consumes over 13ft or rope and and average halter uses around 21 ft.

If you would like to read some info on rope for halters, I suggest you find a thread by Harry Hobbs on NR or read an article we have just put on our website
http://www.lodgeropes,com
click on the Halter tech Arcticle link in the homepage menu.
Also of interest, we have info on how to make carrot sticks for a few quid.

gotta rush but we are pleased to help out with rope problems/questions, we are not experts but have made a lot of gear over the years

Re Parelli, everyone needs a starting point. trying to start with John Lyons or mark rashid, infact, most of the US clinicians is difficult. At least parelli gives a basic foundation from which you can build and develop your own experiences of what works for you at your level of ability and understanding. Often the trail leads to a less is more approach.
We still use the Parelli 7 games on every horse that comes onto the property. It enables us to safely assess the individual horse, develop a basic level of communication and find the "hard twists" that need work.
We drifted to John Lyons, mark rashid, dan Sumerel, Curt pate and in Australia, Ross Coventry as they all calmly get a horse to respond, not react, and we prefer a responsive horse..but we have to start somewhere and if nothing else, parelli gives us all a common language.

cheers

[Porsche]

ROFL !!!

Go James - I am with you on this one.

[Afellpony]

Thanx for your post India and explanation of Parelli.
Best wishes.

[EnduranceAli]

PNH certainly doesn't need any expensive equipment - and you can't get much more basic than a rope halter, 12' rope and carrot stick :) I am now riding Frayne in a Lodge Ropes Enduro Bridle - which is superb value for money and admired by everyone who sees it (can I be on commission please? :D )

Ali xx

[Widget]

Well I just bought level one and think for the amount of stuff in the pack it is not that expensive. Then the lovely chaps at Parelli sent me level 2 for free so I really cannot complain about them!:)

[TevisCup2012]

I highly recommend Parelli. By far the best step by step instruction I have ever seen.

[mayoguinness]

Never really done Parelli myslef but some of the Aussie NH stuff is symilar. Parelli is always a good place to start and expand. If you don't get on with Parelli though don't give up on NH like a lot of people do as there are so many different types to suit each horse:)

[BeachRiding]

Never really done Parelli myslef but some of the Aussie NH stuff is symilar. Parelli is always a good place to start and expand. If you don't get on with Parelli though don't give up on NH like a lot of people do as there are so many different types to suit each horse:)
I agree. There is so much other stuff out there to try

Look at your other options and compare them all before deciding.

[mayoguinness]

Yep, no harm in it, you might come full circle and go for PNH which I'm not at all against but its worth having a look at all options:)

[suneanarab]

just to let james know. i make my own halters, a) coz it does work out slightly cheaper (but your first fiador knott can drive you mad lol), b) coz i don't just use the thinner parelli type and like a thicker rope, and c) i can make them to fit each horse if i want to. they cost nearly as much to make at trade cost as they do to buy from parelli. but you can get cheaper stuff made in india.

as for the thick ropes, lodgeropes is right, you have to specially order the rope and buy it for 100-200mtrs and its expencive stuff! you do need a rope with weight in it if you want it to swing correctly but you can use normal everyday stuff.

afellpony, gadgets? rope halters weren't designed by pat. if you watch old western movies you will see them being used even then. however, many of the other tightening halters were designed by the people who are spoken about with such passion on here. a money making ploy by them? i really do think so! as a pointer for parelli, he does say that you don't have to buy his stuff and that you can use your everyday equipment.

[LodgeRopes]

"rope halters weren't designed by pat"

Suneanarb is correct, we all know Parelli did not invent the rope halter but he did show many of us that it is a useful training tool when used with knowledge and understanding. We have always enjoyed researching the historical evidence of human/horse encounters, especially when it involves training or riding development.

on display at the Metropolitan Museum, New York is a chinese scroll with a drawing of a horseman and 2 horses. The artwork is attributed to Chao Meng-Fu (1254-1322) of the Yuan Dynasty. Chao was a respected artist, calligrapher and statesman and served as an official at the court of Kublai Khan.
Two interesting points, perhaps three if you are interested in Chinese art,

1. Chao painted a horse wearing a Rope Halter identical to parelli's almost 700 years before the Level 1 Savvy Pack was available.

2. The rear horse is spotted, perhaps one of the ‘heavenly horses’, a part of the appaloosa legend.

3. Chao did paint horses in the style of the earlier T’ang Dynasty so if you google the artwork and find it online, don’t go emailing us saying ‘but it’s a t’ang dynasty painting ’
(we know how you horse owners love your t’ang dynasty Chinese art :0)

(did i really post this...lol :0)