Have some q's about Parelli...

[nekomi]

Hi all,

I'm new to these forums so let me say first off that this might be a long post! :)

I've been reading about Parelli for the last few days and I've gotten really interested in it. I'm 19 years old and haven't ridden since I was 14 - I had been taking classical English riding lessons for three years back then, loved it and was fairly skilled in flatwork and jumping - but the demands of a tough college prep high school took too much time for me to consider continuing lessons. To top it all off, I had two pretty bad spills on a runaway right before I quit.

Fast-forward to the present. I've been bitten by the riding bug again and really want to be around horses. I was planning on taking classical lessons again, but after reading about Parelli, it's really caught my interest. So here are my questions:

1. Does Parelli complement classical English riding or prohibit it? I love what I've read about the system, but understand that there is a lot of bareback/bridleless riding involved. This sounds fun, but I am nostalgic also for the feel of an English saddle and riding stance! I wasn't doing dressage or anything so I'm not too particular about my posture, but I am still proud of what I learned, and frankly don't want to give it all up! :o

2. What changes occur in a horse's demeanor after using Parelli? For me, all I've ever experienced were riding either "hot" or "dull" horses, and it seems that Parelli gives you a horse that's somewhere oddly in-between. If I trained my future horse with Parelli, can I still expect to feel that little spark of fire underneath me? Even though I'm kinda nervous about it now, when I was younger I loved the feel of my horse crabstepping/prancing around lightly when she was getting ready to go before a lesson. I even enjoyed feeling the little spirited kicks while cantering sometimes. I like to be kept mentally alert and kept a bit "on my toes" because I feel I need that challenge in my life. Does that make sense? :) (Does it change things at all that I am interested in owning an Arabian horse in the future?)

3. What's all this talk about treeless saddles? I was trained on classical English saddles, but was planning on moving to an Aussie/endurance type saddle in the future because I have ambitions for endurance racing sometime in my life. I know that Aussies are heavier saddles; is this a problem?

Thanks in advance to everyone who offers info! I am very green to all of this, but I am enamored by what I've heard about Parelli and completely agree with the principles it seems to teach. Thanks again!!!

[Jacquie]

Hi Nekomi,

Quote:
1. Does Parelli complement classical English riding or prohibit it? I love what I've read about the system, but understand that there is a lot of bareback/bridleless riding involved. This sounds fun, but I am nostalgic also for the feel of an English saddle and riding stance! I wasn't doing dressage or anything so I'm not too particular about my posture, but I am still proud of what I learned, and frankly don't want to give it all up!

The PNH system doesn't prohibit classical English riding, what it does recommend is that you follow the programme by not reintroducing the bridle/bit before the middle of level 2, this is because by the time you've reached this stage the bit will be used for refinement purposes only and not control. However, in saying that, I know quite a few PNH students who combine 'ordinary' and 'natural' riding before they have reached this level and seem to have no problems mixing the two.

In level 1, the horsemans halter and 12' rope replaces the bridle to begin with, then the halter and savvy string and eventually the natural hackamore is used. It doesn't matter what type of saddle you use, I use an ordinary GP saddle. You'll find that very little (if any) bareback riding is required untill you reach level 2.


What changes occur in a horse's demeanor after using Parelli? For me, all I've ever experienced were riding either "hot" or "dull" horses, and it seems that Parelli gives you a horse that's somewhere oddly in-between. If I trained my future horse with Parelli, can I still expect to feel that little spark of fire underneath me? Even though I'm kinda nervous about it now, when I was younger I loved the feel of my horse crabstepping/prancing around lightly when she was getting ready to go before a lesson. I even enjoyed feeling the little spirited kicks while cantering sometimes. I like to be kept mentally alert and kept a bit "on my toes" because I feel I need that challenge in my life. Does that make sense? (Does it change things at all that I am interested in owning an Arabian horse in the future?)

I can only speak from personal experience but I found my once flighty 'hot headed' TB who would shy at the slightest thing, has become a safer, braver and much more fun to be with horse. I've also noticed how 'like minded' we've become since stuying PNH - he's learned not to act like a prey animal and I've learned not to act like a predator. Thanks to PNH, I feel we now have a true partnership.

3. What's all this talk about treeless saddles? I was trained on classical English saddles, but was planning on moving to an Aussie/endurance type saddle in the future because I have ambitions for endurance racing sometime in my life. I know that Aussies are heavier saddles; is this a problem?[/B]

Sorry, I can't give my opinion on treeless saddles as I've never tried one. I can say though, they do come highly recommended by a lot of members on this board. As for Aussie saddles, I can't see the weight being much of a problem after all the Aussies use them most the time. :D

I hope my opinions have been of some help, I'm sure you'll get lots more help and advice from other members on this board.

Good luck.

[Tootsie4U]

Lots of info. in this post :D

Any natural horsemanship education can and will compliment classical riding because the fundamental lesson you're learning with NH is how to better understand and communicate with your horse. Thats the primary goal in any and all NH venue.

Parelli's techniques are different in the way that he addresses his 'tasks'. He calls them games, which automatically changes the human's conception of how to work with the horse. Games have no rules. Games have no boundaries. Games have no pressure to reach a goal. You're just there having a good time with your horse and at first, the beginners dont even know they're training and being trained!

I supplement my horse's ridden career with Parelli and in doing so, only in doing so, has he become significantly more light in his responses. He has also become more attentive because our relationship is now farther established via the NH. He has also become more obedient because he sees me as his leader and is more *willing* to take direction. I tried to achieve the same thing with conventional methods prior, and the truth is, using NH it came much quicker and easier. My horse is also growing in independance (ie maturing) because we are now advancing through the Parelli system and the latter parts of it play games to make your horse more independant. This is a problem he's always had and we're finally able to address it with the help of the Parelli system. So; lightness, attentive, obedient, independant - dont you think these would substantionally benefit under saddle work of any discipline?

The bridlelss/saddleless riding he advocates is for two reasons. First, it is a true test of your ability to communicate with the horse. Obviously, if you can w/t/c/gallop and jump your horse with such subtle aids, you've come a long way in the communication/trust/willingness/respect path, havent you? Secondly, it teaches the human how to be a good passenger. How can you micromanage a horse when you're so limited with mechanical devices? It forces you to 'just go with the flow' and installs trust. If you can achieve an independant seat this way, how much easier would it be to ride saddled in a dressage test on a truly willing, obedient and respectful horse?

Because you are essentially playing with your horse using Parelli, you can actually rekindle sparks in dull horses. They click on, become interested in what you're doing, look at you with attention and respond immediately. Imagine a relationship with your horse where all you have to do is THINK it, and he knows what you want him to do and he goes and does it. How is that dull? Instead of telling your horse to do something, you're asking and he happily obliges. With Parelli, I've learned to focus my energy so that my requests are almost (still refining them) indistinguishable. A grid can be set up in our arena and all I have to do is look and maybe point to that oxer over there and my horse will follow my focus and jump it. This is off lead by the way.

Parelli has a free promotional DVD out. Its somewhere around an hour long and you can plainly see in it playful horses who ENJOY working with humans. Watch for Linda Parelli dancing with her warmblood. Watch Pat Parelli take his black horse over picnic tables just by looking at them. Those horses are full of life and are obviously having a blast!

Treeless saddles are becoming more popular because there is no ridgid piece of wood (or fiberglass or whatever) placed on thier backs (trees). Without the rigidness that many times can cause pain and hindered movement, the horse has a soft,flexible piece of leather placed on his back that flexes with him as he moves. There is no tree to grow out of. There is no tree to pinch the shoudlers, there is no tree to break or twist out of shape.

Can't offer any help in the endurance part of your question. Thats not my cup of tea. :)

I owe my success with my horse to Parelli. I also dabble in many other NH trainer techniques as well (Lyons, Cameron, Rashid, Roberts, etc.) but I always go back to Parelli.

Welcome to the board! :)