Taking Parelli's Advice Could Get You Killed
There is no doubt in my mind that a horse is the most beautiful thing on the planet. Hollywood gave us "Black Beauty" and "The Black Stallion" and the horse's beauty becomes dreams that expand and push way beyond reality a hundred times over. Consider this: At least half of all first time horse owners will sell their horse within the first year of owning. Half of the rest sell within five years. Why? The reality is that a horse is 1,200 pounds of dangerous unpredictability, not "Black Beauty" or the "Black Stallion."
So, Rule #1 is to be safe while around a horse. To be safe right from the start means that you need the help of an experienced horseperson, and not one who's advice could get you killed. Let me give you a glaring example, taken right out of the Parelli News weekly e-newsletter...
Every newsletter features a question and answer section, presumably from a Parelli "student" to Pat or Linda Parelli. This example is overflowing with the Parelli lingo that always draws the person trying to learn horsemanship away from common sense and into insanity.
QUESTION
I got my very first horse last November. She was a rescue horse from the Humane Society, taken away from her owners because of abuse. Her name is now Mia, and she is a red roan Tennessee Walker with a very difficult Horsenality. She can switch very quickly from Left-Brain Introvert to Right-Brain Introvert. This last weekend, I went out to her stables to ride her. I played a few games on the ground with her before I rode her. She seemed fine, wasn't tense and she was focused on me. When I went to ride her she seemed fine and I couldn't feel tension in her body or anything. The only thing that I noticed was that she wanted to go faster. Usually I would love to go faster, but since it was her wanting to go and not me, I held her to a walk. Then all of a sudden, when I finally asked her to trot she reared twice! She has never done this before. So I got off and checked her feet and checked to see if anything from the saddle pad was sticking her. I couldn't find anything, so I got back on and tried it again. I did the same thing, held her to a walk when she wanted to go and then asked her for a trot. But she reared again. We checked everything again and I got back on (kind of stupid). This time when I asked her for a trot she seemed fine and so I took her down in the lower paddock. When I got down there, I asked for a canter and she freaked out on me! It was all of a sudden, she got tense and started rearing and bucking and kicking all at once. I managed to stay in my saddle, but got off after that one. I couldn't find anything that could be spooking her. Is she testing me to see if I'm in charge? Could she just be wanting to go? —JM
ANSWER
Dear oh dear, I'm glad you're okay! What you're describing is mounting panic and the main reason it built is because you held her back. Imagine yourself in her shoes.. you're wanting to go faster because you are a bit scared about being out there and feeling vulnerable to predators, think lurking LIONS! And now you're being held back and you just know when the lions will be nipping at your heels and your escape door is shut. Little by little the terror mounts and it's hardest to feel it in introverts. They seem to be handling it, that tension doesn't feel that bad, but then it all gets too much to bear and they explode. Even though she exploded once you got home, it's where the pressure was released but not where it occurred. Think about building her confidence at home with longer lines and creative extreme Friendly Games. When you do go on the trail pay attention to thresholds and do what it takes to overcome them. Finally, don't hold her back if all of a sudden she has trouble. Get off and direct that energy until she is calm. When prey animals get on adrenaline they need to move their feet in order to get it out of their system. Look to both the Right-Brain Introvert and Right-Brain Extrovert strategies to know what to do.
The Lone Ranger be damned, because the absolutely most dangerous behavior a horse can give a human is rearing, whether that person is standing on the ground or on the horse's back. Rearing is the severest show of aggression that a horse can do. Trainers, very experienced and real trainers won't bother wasting their time - or putting themselves at risk - to work with a horse that rears.
So, the answer that should have been given to this girl with no ability to handle such a problem horse follows. This is from an experienced horsewoman with years of training, riding and showing under her belt:
Lady, are you NUTS? For sure the horse is! Who knows what poor training (if any) a horse coming from that sort of background has had. The first thing you did wrong was buy a horse from a "rescue." They aren't "unwanted" horses without reason you know. Second mistake you're making is to think that with your lack of experience that you can safely (keyword safely) train this horse yourself, which your story has just now proved beyond doubt.
Either send Hi Ho Silver to a professional horse trainer for 3-6 months at $500 a month and HOPE you get something safe to use back, or shitcan the piece of shit and spend the $1,500-3,000 you would have spent on training on a GOOD LEGITIMATE horse that wont fall on you and cause you to admire horses from your wheelchair for the rest of your life (if you're lucky) THE END.
Like I said, there's a big, big difference between dreaming and reality when it comes to horses. I'm all for everyone owning one that wants one, but at least have the common sense to learn about horses before you buy. Most of all, be a bit more discriminating in who's advice you take -- before it kills you.
37 Responses to "Taking Parelli's Advice Could Get You Killed"
business and worry that some impressionable teenager might go home and try to
jump their horse over a picnic table! Or someone in a wheelchair thinks its "ok"
to be near a rearing horse, or...some kid jumps on his barrel horse with no
bridle because PP rides without one! Circus training a horse isnt valuable for
the way most people use their horses, and very unsafe for the average horse
owner. Im forever surprised that Mr.PP hasnt been sued plumb out of his monkey
business over someone getting killed trying to duplicate one of his stunts.
Ive also seen so many things that are just wrong! Have you seen them
demonstratring playing some of those "games"? ( a BAD choice of words for
anything being done with a horse IMO.) I cringe at the one where their horses
are chasing them around ( no halter or lead of coarse) and the horses ears are
pinned and the muzzles are stretched forward as far as they will go.Sorry...that
horse is telling them hed really like to have a chunk out of a human shoulder
over that "game" The horses clearly dont appreciate that one, and are exhibiting
aggressive body language. Put it this way,,,another horse would immediately know
to get the heck out of the line of fire.
Oh...and the time PP kept telling a young man to push his horse at a giant
blue ball in an arena ( watched this one on a hotel room tv ) This mans horse
was clearly terrified of the ball and call me crazy it was time to step down,
and quietly show the horse it wasnt a giant horse eating alien!, but
no.......that doesnt make good TV!!! So...PP insists that the guy keep pushing
the horse at it. I was watching this in total disbelief ,and even made the
comment to my hubby who was also watching. "That guy is going to get dumped! why
cant that idiot clinician see that, that horse is not just scared but
terrified?" Sure enough guy gets dumped in the arena a few seconds later, and
HARD! Had it been me with the bursitis in my hips I wouldnt have walked for a
week! Luckily the guy was able to get back on. Guess that ewe, awe, kinda
backfired on ole PP. lol! Oh....and who of you here have run into one of those
giant blue balls out in the woods riding or roads driving? I guess
that exersize would come in handy in those instances. lol!
One other thing Id like to point out. As far as "natural horsemanship" goes, I
have seen women all my life take the gentle easy approach to training horses. It
comes "natural" to most of us. Being the weaker sex we long ago learned that the
way to get along with others bigger than us was not through brute force but
through developing trust and building a working relationship. DUH! did we really
need to make some MAN rich to tell us that? lol!
You seemed to be very one sided.
You need to speak to somebody about your issues!
All the way from SA
I myself did parelli with a rearer, it got rid of all his issues and bad experiences with previous owners, and we went on to compete in Novice and Pre novice eventing, and HE DIDNT REAR EVER AGAIN.
Im now doing parelli with every horse, and getitn some absolutly fantastic results, and my horses are much happier too!
I know lots of other people who are alos into parelli, and like me, love it, so do thier horses.
Being a keen participant in parelli activites, has obliged me to go and veiw many demostrations on it, and iv seen horses jumping a full course of jumps with no bridle or saddle, showing wilingness and enjoyment to do the job, none of this 'ears pinned and the muzzles are stretched forward as far as they will go' that you are speaking of. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.
Dont be so closed in your silly little brains, if you feel so against Parelli, go speak to PP and see some of the horses he's worked with, you'll feel foolish you ever spoke of such things.
All the way from England!
I used to think Parelli was weird cowboy stuff - Now I know different and I'm from the dressage/hunter world. Don't judge it until you know more than only what you see from the outside.
PP is as phony as a TV evangelist, and if ask me cut of the same cloth. "Send me your wallets, and be saved" WTF ever!
Oh...and he HAS recently gotten someone killed and there IS a lawsuit pending over it. We can all only hope and pray that they win big, and hes shamed right out of rest of his idiot groupies bank accounts forever.
Karen O'Connor (Eventing champion), David O'Connor (Eventing champion), Walter Zettle (World renowned dressage trainer), Craig Johnson (Reigning and working cow horse world champion with lifetime earnings well over $1,000,000), Karen Rolf (Represented the United States 4 times on the Young Riders team, passed her USDF 'L' judge test with distinction and was accepted into the USEF 'r' judge program), Lauren Barwick (2008 Summer Paralympic gold medalist in dressage 72.7766%), Darren Simpkins (World champion cutting trainer), Luis Lucio, Luca Moneta. There are more…
I guess we just run in different circles. To be fair, I can’t say I actually “know” all of these people. I’ve really only met a few of them personally, but they do all endorse Parelli. And their reputations speak for themselves.
Reading your advise i beleive you would have put both of my horse and pony down, i am thankful for PP that there is an alternative to your "advice".
Mels Partner
The whole point of that first book was to teach the human how to understand a horse enough to communicate with it in a way that the horse would understand. It is NOT horse training.
I repeat: The stuff that makes up Parelli's way of doing things is teaching the HUMAN not the HORSE.
Parelli himself says that horses learn about 3 times faster than humans do. It is a far safer approach to learn a heck of a lot more than the questioner in my post has learned before taking on a severely problematic horse such as one that rears. To that end, the human's safety must be first and foremost in any training/teaching scenario.
I'm glad that all the Savvy Club people are finding this post. I hope you all think hard before putting yourself in avoidable danger. You see, the point is to expand the horse world, not shrink it by killing people off!
Those that disapprove of Pat's program don't have a clue and are reluctant to change. Those horseman who force with any means a horse to do whatever they request are not horsemen, they are abusers. Those who build relationships on trust and confidence without the use of force, fear, or mechanical means are the true horsemen. We have lost most recently one of the greatest horseman "Ray Hunt" and Pat Parelli's mentor who is carrying on his legacy.
If you want some really good advice about Pee Pee man, read all you can here.
http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/search?q=pat+parelli
Then you will know what real horsemen, and normal people not oozing of Pee Pee man "CULTanality" think of him, and like "TV cowboys"
Use your OWN brains people!
Keep it natural
To become so defensive and hostile when faced with criticism of belief in one person is exactly the kind of thing that turns into cults and cult-like behavior. To a slightly lesser extent, others who are more than willing to give up their own personal rights, beliefs and thoughts in order to be a 'part of the crowd' aren't far behind.
What disturbs me the most is that my intent in writing the post was to have you question enough to be more intently aware of your safety. Instead, I'm left with a bunch of anonymous posts taking cheap shots and running away. In this case, I'm sure the Parelli regime would agree that's not very good for business either.
To that end, be warned. The next rash of childish, immature, off topic comments will be deleted without reserve.
Just to let you know, I've had horses since I was 6, and trust me, that was a long, long time ago. None of my horses ever developed bad behaviors or suffered through anything other than too much loving. It also didn't take me costly levels upon levels or overpriced tack to get to where I am today - over 50 and quite alive and well. And I use nothing but a rope halter.
In regard to the aspect of saftey, i contacted a parelli professional regarding my horses rearing and bucking and they did advise me not to ride her until i had dealt with those issues on the ground. this seemed very safe and was successfully.
Thanks
Mels Partner
Using Parelli's early stuff, I felt very comfortable around all horses - until I met a friend's yearling. This filly had to be the rankest horse I ever met, and is the only horse I never was able to touch in my life.
I too was at a point where I needed to read books and watch videos about horse training when I bought a weanling and had no training experience. There were no trainers in my area, and I also wasn't willing to let anyone else teach my horse. I started him, the horse I have now, with the stuff in Parelli's first book.
And I also read John Lyons' first book, Clinton Anderson on RFDTV and Chris Cox. I learned the most from watching countless others deal with their horses, and the horses that did the best were the ones that did not pin ears or wring tails. Of the TV cowboys, Chris Cox's horses are the only ones that do not display displeasure at what they are asked to do.
Does that mean that everything else the others put out there is worthless? No. Not at all. Do you need to follow only one person's advice as you run into sticky spots with your horse? NO, not at all.
I teach myself and read over and over. Once it's in my head enough to guide my physical actions, that's when I take it out to my horse. In the end, it's not Parelli, Cox, Anderson or legions of others that I am following, it is just me and my horse.
It doesnt mean that they dont know what they are doing either, or that their horses are in any way suffering, or that they need any advice from Parelli or need to buy boat loads of horse training videos. If you are getting along with your horses all I can say is if its not broke, there is no reason to fix it.
Millions of horse owners have gotten along just as fine as frog hair long before Pat Parelli ever emptied his first customers wallet. The simple truth is many millions more will get along with their horses just fine, numbers of them to a very high levels without ever buying an over priced vegetable stick, riding without a bridle, teaching a horse to rear, feeding the horse a food treat for biting at them, or spending one penny on his brand of anything.
Love him or hate him, thats the bottom line folks. To each his own.
Do animals have to pay, for people's mistakes. When horses (and other animals) have behavioural problems this is the fault of humans. Most wrongs can be undone. So thank God for people like Pat Parelli, who is here to teach us how to understand horses behaviour and respond appropriately. I've never had any problems with any of my horses, but I've learned so much and my relationship with my horses has come along leaps and bounds. Instead of tolerating me, he likes being with me know.
A few months ago, I adopted a horse that was going to be sent to the butcher. The issues this horse has are all created by people thinking that brite force is the way forward. We are making progress, slowly but surely. Some wrongs can be undone. Thank you Pat and Linda and all other great horsmen in the world.
I watched a John Lyons symposium video where he said that he no longer rides his horse bridleless because he figured out that Zip wasn't happy about spurs in his sides all the time - by the wringing tail.
All sorts of competitions show horses just as unhappy, such as dressage which is the worst, any of the speed events, etc. But cutting horses don't do that. Those horses are doing something that they would normally do, and the rider stays out of the way.
Pat Parelli's first book says that he has a Bachelors Degree in clinical psychology, and most of what he does is basic behavior modification. It works with animals, and he has shown that behavior mod doesn't have to include punishment. Kudos on that one!
What I feel is trouble in what he has been doing lately is that he is attributing human traits and characteristics to the horse - anthropomorphism. Even though he may be doing this to explain a horse's behavior to a human, it is a dangerous path to take because a human should never forget that it is a horse at the end of that rope.
A horse's brain is about the size of a walnut, so they say (could be wrong about the size) and has no parietal lobe, the part of the human brain where conscious thinking occurs. It is the parietal lobe that is split into preferential halves with the left side of the brain relegated to math and logic in a right-handed person and the right side to emotion. It's switched if the person is left handed.
The same thing holds true with Jung's introvert/extrovert - it's in the parietal lobe, a part of the brain that horse doesn't have.
Do you need to know more about human psychology to understand a horse? NO! No, no, no! You need to stop thinking and behaving so much like a human to relate to a horse. It's an experiential thing, if you want to throw around psych terms, not a psychoanalytic thing!
One of the question/answer parts of the Parelli newsletter was a question about a girthy horse who would bite hard when girthing up. Whoever answered that letter told the person to have a big ol' carrot in hand to shove into the horse's mouth! What, reward very dangerous behavior??? NO NO NO NO NO!!
I suggest that everyone read Parelli's first book. Please. How far he has strayed from what was good about his techniques is just too much! After reading that book is when you'll have that relationship with your horse that you seek.
I believe that prior and proper preparation is one of the golden tips as of course a good dose of common sense is a necessity. People's opnions also differ as some people treat horses as a thing, an object that they can use to achieve their goals, while others try to respect the horse as a living creature, where the relationship and mutual respect is the most important thing. But for a lot of people it is so difficult to let go of our ego. The behaviour of a horse often reflect how we people treat them.
Mels Partner.
Level 2 - Spent $1000 on Parelli Crap
Level 3 - Spent $2000 on Parelli Crap
Level 4 - Spent $4000 on Parelli Crap
Level 5 - Spent $8000 on Parelli Crap
Level 6 - Spent $15,000 on Parelli Crap
Level 7 - Bought the Parellis a new horse trailer
Level 8 - Bought the Parellis a new farm
Level 9 - Bought the Parellis a new horse trailer, matching new trucks, a farm and a vacation home in Aspen.
So, maybe things are expensive, but these people have got to earn a living. Who can blame them for making money. And when you do a good job, you deserve to make a good living.
As far as being so good at schmoosing people that you have done it well and worldwide doesnt mean its something to be admired. Does the name Bernie Madoff mean anything to you?
Unfortunatly when an individual markets themselves to the point of actually achieving a cult following like Parelli has almost always the "Guru" takes full advantage and promptly empties his groupies bank accounts. Oh and dont forget the joy of brainwashing and perks of idol worship.
Theresa has had to delete more than a few nasty posts here from rabid Parellites foaming at the mouth from the 'Savvy Club" hackles full up, and spewing venom defenfing their God. That alone says it all.
You talk about brainwashing and idol worship, I do not follow what is now called the "normal" horse trainers, because until they do away with using tie-downs, running martingales, and spurrs to make a horse do something instead of want they have nothing to say.
My bank account has not been emptied because of Parelli, it's been emptied because of other reasons. You do not have to buy everything, many of his instructors started off with just the Parelli Natural Horse.Man.Ship book and went all the way with it.
My sympathies are for all the HUMANS who have been injured, killed, and maimed by buying into these ridiculous games of poor horsemanship and dangerous circus show antics. These poor fools who know nothing about horses or how to handle them who are his #1 target, and #1 cash cows.
The main thing PP sells is that he is the only one that knows anything and all the rest of the world has been doing it all wrong all along. So...he has to sell too much ass backwards advice to prove hes different.
Hes different all right, and not one single professional competitive horse person that I know (and being a show judge I know quite a large number) gives the guy and his wife anything except laughing disregard. They however arent the ones hes endangering.
One things for sure, you have to give the guy credit for being a self marketing wonderboy and guiltless self made millionaire.
First, the above poster is right: It's the Parelli-ites that have slamming those commenters outside that particular school of thought, which all we've done is slam Parelli. There's a bit of a difference there, don't you think?
Second, while you all blindly follow the drunken sailor off the high dive, NOT ONE OF YOU HAS BOTHERED TO CHECK ALL THE OTHER HORSE POSTS ON THIS BLOG! Just look at the far right side bar, and you'll see an area called "Topics." One of the topics is called "On a Horse." Go check out what is here and then tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. My horse is featured prominently, and no one, not one single person can say that my horse is not happy!
Thirdly, if I see another juvenile delinquent say that they are sorry for my horse, not only will the comment be deleted, but I will track you down by ISP and have your butt kicked off the Internet. I've tried to keep things civil in hopes to reach enough people to save a few of them from putting themselves into unnecessary danger. But, I'm at the end of my patience. My HORSE acts better than most of you!
Fourthly, I will say for the last time that Pat Parelli started out with some damned good ideas, then let ego and wallet get way out of hand to the point where it's nothing short of ridiculous. Brighten up people, and start thinking for yourself. YOU MUST! It's YOU on the other end of a rope attached to 1200 pounds of potential danger.
Pat Parelli doesn't do my thinking for me. I was thinking for me & my horses before I heard of Parelli & will likely be at it for long after. PEOPLE make the choice to part with their money. No gun to anyone's head. And people have to be responsible. The person from that letter is lucky he/she isn't badly hurt but the Parelli program didn't cause nor will they be able to prevent it IF the person doesn't realize the horse didn't 'suddenly' do whatever... the signs were there for the reading. How many times does the animal give warning & the person didn't heed it & just kept pushing on? Parelli didn't do that. The horse's owner did that.
also i was about wondering wat i can do to keep my horse from freaking out at the evergreen sapling next to the 'wash stall' outside my barn. one day, the only nice warm day last month, i took my horse out to hose him off being that his white patches where no longer white, they where stained with little streaks of mud and dirt (he was a mess)and about halfway through hosing the shampoo off the sapling became a big scary monster and he reared at it (it more like skittering backward). as soon as i got to where i could reach hiss halter he stopped though, and was fine. there was one other horse grazing behind us but that was it.
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