Pattern Explanation and some others

[Spoof]

Having a clinic this week, my part starts Thursday (2/3) but my friend just got done with the 1/2 section.

The instructor was talking about the patterns while I was there helping in the morning.

The patterns aren't meant to replace anything.

Pat sat down, took some ideas out of his head for using each set of level skills and put them on paper for you. It's already all stuff you know.
You don't need them, they are to give you ideas, help you become creative and keep from driving yourselves to boredom.

The reason they are changing the levels;

Originally anyone who went and took a course at the center passed. People would pass but wouldn't "get it" and would panic or leave in level 2 because it was too hard. They scrapped that. (original packs)

They made it easier to get through level one (teaching the human the skills) but people are perfectionists and would never leave level one. Level one is intended to take a very short time, then you move on to level two and three. (newer packs) He gave an example of once you know the skills, you can take a new horse through level one in a week, working at a leisurely pace. A day if the situation requires, but he prefers a week.

*They've now decided to make the skill levels flexible. People/horses excel at different things at different speeds. (Coming out in Jan 2009)

Just thought that was interesting. I'm sure we'll learn loads coming Thursday!

 

[annareeves0]

To coin a phrase 'hmmm, how interesting'

I think there has been a lot of hoo haa around the patterns, much of it appearing to be people immediately reacting to change but I think we need to trust that the marketing machine and many years of horse and teaching skills would not leave people 'stranded' as they seem to be feeling. It will all come out in the wash...... I do beleive the Parellis want the best for their students and horses and are pretty good at listening to their customers. I think if people are still stressing this time next year things are going very wrong, but there are so many changes happening in January perhaps they just didnt want to introduce EVERYTHING at the same time.

Although I havent seem the patterns close up I often think, oh what shall we do today, so having something specific to work on would be a help sometimes (although i prefer imagination) and I think thats all they were intended to be - exercises to perfect your art?

 

[Crystal Fire]

I think this new "patterns" stuff is getting mixed reactions because people who've been around Parelli a while are associating it with the old, repetetive patterns (like the Clover Leaf) that were sometimes over-used by instructors and students.
I'm sure when your new programme is up and running that sort of assocation will wear off.

 

[Lili & Morgan]

Level one is intended to take a very short time, then you move on to level two and three.

Yep I heard the same "propaganda" But it is a *new* propaganda. My friends who are Italians (so no home-pack from them), were KEPT at level 1 for AGES, by THEIR instructor. They gave up after it, because they felt they were "blocked" and basically milked ( from their money) by the Parelli organisation. That instructor HAS LEFT and the new one seems to aplly the new philosophy. But I do no think it was always true ...

IMO, the patterns are a waste of money ( yes I bought them ,silly me), I just bought from EBay the catching game DVD, and Pat explains in the Q & A of the video what a pattern is how to train a horse BETTER than the patterns video.

I do not understand the recent changes in the Parelli organisation. It makes me wonder if it is not a marketing ploy to remove the level 1 and 2 for putting them later back on the market.

IMO they were the BEST programme ever made point of view human pedagogy, coaching and horsemanship. Yes I have spent LOTS of money on others DVDs.

I passed my level 1, and I would like to work on my level 2 when I get a horse (desperately seeking a horse for me). But I won't go beyond as I found the finesse pattern RIDICULOUS.
I would love to get better at free-style, liberty, but the rest can be done better and more correctly throught classical trainer, IMO

 

[Spoof]

Interesting!

I still haven't passed level one. When I did get a friend out to tape it once my horse looked bored silly and had his ears back most of the time. That's why I signed up for the level 2/3. =D I'll start another thread on how that goes.

 

[Crystal Fire]

Yep I heard the same "propaganda" But it is a *new* propaganda. My friends who are Italians (so no home-pack from them), were KEPT at level 1 for AGES, by THEIR instructor. They gave up after it, because they felt they were "blocked" and basically milked ( from their money) by the Parelli organisation. That instructor HAS LEFT and the new one seems to aplly the new philosophy. But I do no think it was always true ...

Blimey, that's very interesting. As you know, I was a Parelli student for some time, and worked for them, and I often heard that level 1 should be completed in about a month, but a week by more experienced students, and a day if it needed doing.
Lily - do you think that, if you are going to work on the "finesse" through your classical training - do you need to do the ridden stuff in level 1 and 2 at all? I've sort of come to the opinion that you would get to where you want to be much more quickly with a classical trainer, leaving out all the "exaggerate to teach" etc. Maybe some rope halter riding if you need that yourself... ?

 

[Lili & Morgan]

hat you would get to where you want to be much more quickly with a classical trainer, leaving out all the "exaggerate to teach" etc. Maybe some rope halter riding if you need that yourself... ?

Yep but I have not a classical trainer nearby.
What I have is a reining trainer

My problem is that I become too tense when my horse panic or in order to stop ... I have not yet learnt how to relax my body in crisis.
Now do you know what happens when you ride a reining-trained horse at the canter, and you tense your body to stop him ?

He goes faster and faster. Nowadays I end up cantering the fastest I have ever done in my life. "Zis Lil' QH" DO have an impressive acceleration!

I am interested in the free-style for learning to have an independant seat emotional and physical.
Then and only then I could do Dressage ... Just my take on it

 

[Spoof]

Today we talked about the level packs, the Liberty series and the patterns. The instructor hands down preferred the old packs to the new ones, but warned that they really only suited a certain type of learning style.

The newer packs really target the audio-visual crowd.

He stressed that nothing replaces the level one and two packs, regardless of which (old or new) you chose.

Supposedly they are remaking them to be easier to follow for all three learning types.

He mentioned that they are constantly learning, improving, and changing how they communicate ideas. He rides at the ranch twice a year minimum and always feels like he's out of date with the program. They just evolve that much that fast. Thought that was interesting.

 

[Lili & Morgan]

The newer packs really target the audio-visual crowd.

Yep I can see your point. These packs (new level 1 &2) are NOT for the kinesthetic learners ( that means the hands-on type of people). It was also very "feminin" with a NLP coaching approach. I know that my male friends were not impressed by it. It was "too girly".

I LOVE IT, I won't part with them

Riding is a kinesthetic skill, and only practise will get you there.
However "on-line, and liberty" rely more on visual skills. I feel happier on the ground. because I have more communication with the horse. But I am a more visual person than kinesthetic person. (I guess I am 60-40).

My friend who is a reining trainer does not like to do anything on the ground, I guess it is because he likes to "feel" more than seeing.

I am interested how Parelli is going to be able to create a programme for the different types of learners:
- visual,
- audio,
- kinesthetic

Then global learner (people who catch as they go) or analytical learner (the step-by-step people).

Interesting indeed but certainly very expensive
Why not ? There are the only one puuting effort doing it