Evergreen Horses - Parelli Savvy Club

Transcription

ISSUE 46,
Evergreen Horses:
Bringing Parelli to India
Also Inside:
Standing on
the Shoulders of Giants
FreeStyle Riding
and Western Performance
Staying Calm and Connected in
New Environments
FEBRUARY 2015
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ISSUE 46, FEBRUARY 2015
Standing on the
Shoulders of Giants
26
In this inspiring article, Harriet
Laurie shares the story of
TheHorseCourse, a special
project in the United Kingdom that pairs
Parelli-trained horses with at-risk humans in a
therapeutic setting.
Evergreen Horses:
Bringing Parelli
to India
26
44
Evergreen Horses, a horsemanship
school in India, is working hard
to share the benefits of natural
horsemanship with the local youth. Cofounder Matthia Pontoni contributed this
fantastic article.
FreeStyle Riding and
Western Performance
72
As you likely know, Pat Parelli has
a longstanding interest in Western
Performance sports. In this article,
he details the ways in which a FreeStyle riding
foundation can prepare riders for a variety of
these sports.
44
On the cover:
Evergreen Horses, p. 44
Staying Calm and
Connected in New
Environments
84
Linda Parelli recently received
an excellent question on Parelli
Connect regarding horses in new
environments. In this article, she goes above
and beyond in answering that question,
providing a series of strategies for keeping
horses safe and relaxed.
NEWS
4
Dear Friends
8
Parelli Education Institute Update
12 The Origins of Mini Parelli
14 What’s New in Parelli Connect?
20 A Spotlight on Parelli’s
Auditions Assessors
26 Standing on the Shoulders
of Giants
COMMUNITY
34 Lost in Transition
40 A Zookeeper’s Guide to Parelli
44 Evergreen Horses: Bringing Parelli
to India
48 Parelli and the Cavalry
52 JoyFull: The Rest of the Story
EDUCATION
56 The Game of Effort
60 How to Become Best Friends with
your Vet and Farrier
62 Build a Stronger Relationship in
Just 15 Minutes a Day
68 Step-by-Step Blanketing Prep
72 FreeStyle Riding and
Western Performance
74 The Feel of Confidence
2 | Savvy Times February 2015
72
THE PARELLI MEMBER MAGAZINE
ISSUE 46, FEBRUARY 2015
www.parelliconnect.com • www.parelli.com • [email protected]
Parelli Central: 1-855-PARELLI • UK: 0800 0234 813 • AUS: 1 800 460 988
Founders: Linda & Pat Parelli • Official Parelli Photographer: Coco
Editor: Scott Teigen • Art Director: T Jay Carter
All photos are courtesy photos unless noted ©2015 Parelli Natural Horsemanship.
Huge thanks to all the members of our worldwide team, who
do their best to be “the best me that they can be” every day. We
value their commitment to supporting horse lovers worldwide in
whatever way they can.
78 Learning Without Teaching
80 Second Hand Gold: Improving
the Turn on the Haunch with
Stick Riding
84 Staying Calm and Connected in
New Environments
88 Four Phases and Teaching Stages
BONUS CONTENT
92 Recognizing Our
Parelli Professionals
94 Official Graduates
84
PARELLI
USA OFFICE
Coco Baptist
Elizabeth Brewer
Mark Brown
Aaron Burns
Alix Cammarota
Natalie Carpenter
Sharon Carr
T Jay Carter
Betsy Chavez
Elaine Chick
Daron Clay
Mattie Cowherd
Veronica DeAnda Perez
Tom DeAngelo
Lizzie Dickerson
Susie Drake
Russ Elliott
Jacques Favre
Theresa Fincher
Christine Fleming
Linda Franco
Michael Fuchs
Tina Giordano
Kat Green
Whitney Hicks
Josh Hughes
Stacey Lock
Mimi Lor
Jerome Love
Mia Maluchi
Jenine Marnocha
John Musulin
Alejandro Oropeza
Carlos Oropeza
Omar Oropeza
Hans Oss
Pat Parelli
Linda Parelli
Ryan Pfouts
LaVerna Phillips
Elli Pospischil
Joe Poye
Neil Pye
Tammy Reid
Connie Schanzenbaker
Susan Shoemark
Shane Smith
Maddy Stewart
Philip Swearngin
Polly Stoeber-Sweitzer
Scott Teigen
Samantha Thorning
Ashley Tippetts
Jeri Touchstone
Miguel Vera
Gale Weber
Mark Weiler
Yvonne Wilcox
Sue Wilhoit
Candace Wolf
Emilie Wood
Jose Zamudio
Omar Zamudio
Genevieve Zuchero
PARELLI
UK OFFICE
Graham Pickup
Rachael Eden
Emma Darwood
Margot Nillesen
PARELLI
AUS OFFICE
Shannon Davies
Maria Tomlins
Sam Cunningham
WELCOME TO THE PARELLI
FAMILY:
• Sam Cunningham has joined the
Parelli Australia team at our Wilton,
NSW office.
• Shane Smith has joined the Parelli
Media department at our Colorado
office.
• Lizzie Dickerson has joined the
Parelli IT department at our
Colorado office.
• Elaine Chick has accepted the
position of Events Manager at our
Colorado office.
www.parelli.com | 3
news I
BY L I N D A PA R E L L I
Dear Friends,
A
s 2014 comes to a close, I can’t help
but smile as I think back about all the
progress and success I’ve had with
my horses this year, and I hope you’ve
experienced the same. Nothing like
never-ending self-improvement! In
addition, we toured all over the country, and it was
great to see so many of you at our Future of HorseManShip events. Next year there’ll be more great
events, and you’re going to see us at more pop-up
events and expos as well! I have some special events
of my own as – more on that in a minute!
Look for our Super Clinics with Pat and with me.
Pat will once again lead students and horses with
Foals to First Rides and Level 4 and Beyond. Having
the opportunity to ride with Pat is rare, and his expertise for accelerating students’ savvy is legendary.
I’m also excited to be doing some Emotional
Fitness Super Clinics across the USA with Dr. Jenny
Susser. Our first one in Canada last summer was
a runaway success, and I’m still getting incredible
emails and reports from some of the makeovers we
did. Beyond my expectations, I gotta tell you! With
Dr. Jenny, you’re going to see how “It’s not about
the…” even when it comes to uncertainty or fear of
riding. HUGE!
DRESSAGE CLINIC WITH CHRISTOPH HESS
In late September, my team and I were lucky enough
to ride with Christoph Hess at a clinic in Texas. Apart
from learning lots and feeling the joy of watching my
team ride with him too, I could not have been more
complimented by Christoph for my progress and for
how well Jazz is doing. In his words, “To be honest, I
did not expect it to be this good!” and “Jazzy is really
talented for collection,” and “He LOVES to do this
with you; he is really happy!”
Well, that’s the Parelli plan, isn’t it? It’s really
an honor to be part of bringing these two worlds
together, and each time we see him, Christoph is
more and more impressed by the quality of the relationships we have with our horses. “Dressage needs
Parelli” is something he says to me every time we
meet, and he’s bringing up the Parelli name in some
pretty high places.
It was great to have some Parelli peeps pop in; it
was like having our own cheer squad! You guys are
so supportive – I love our community spirit.
And on that note, Luis Lucio, our longtime friend
and now coach of the Spanish Dressage Team, has
recently been appointed to the FEI Dressage Committee, which is huge. Those of you who’ve been to
clinics with Luis in the UK and in California this past
year know what a fan he is of the Parelli approach,
and that he uses the principles and ground work in
training horses and teaching dressage.
PAT’S SUCCESS IN THE
PERFORMANCE WORLD
And finally… I don’t know if you’ve heard the latest
regarding Pat’s incredible success in the sport of
cutting. He nearly made the world finals! To qualify,
you had to be in the top 15, and he just missed out:
he was in 16th place, by a difference of only $40 in
winnings! But his personal assistant, Elli Pospischil,
made the finals in her division and finished up 6th in
the world. The best part about this is the impact they
made on the riders, trainers and even judges throughout the year. They noticed that Pat’s horses just got
better as the year went on, did not get stressed, and
gained more confidence and exuberance. Now that’s
how it should be!
We look forward to seeing you throughout 2015!
Yours naturally,
Linda
ST
THE FUTURE OF HORSEMANSHIP
Our last three tour stops were lots of fun and, as
always, filled with learning. Highland wowed the
crowd every time, Jazz keeps getting fancier and
more confident, and we had some SUPER examples
for my sessions on Horsenality. The spotlights
featuring top Parelli Instructors and students were
fantastic, as were Pat and Caton’s “father and son”
performances. We included lots of fun kids’ activities
as well, which were a total delight.
My favorite session, I’d say, was Cross Training
with Pat and a group of riders, because it demonstrated how much more confident horses become
when we look for how well they complete the task,
rather than just doing it. Teeter totters, car washes,
ponds with rubber duckies, inflatable zebras… you
name it, we incorporated it! And the changes in the
horses and riders throughout the year were inspiring.
This NEVER gets old! Looking forward to this year!
www.parelli.com | 5
From the Editor I
B
ack when I was growing up in Wisconsin, my dad had a subscription to
Sports Illustrated. I remember that
the magazine arrived in our mailbox
on Thursdays around noon, and during
the summer months, I would be the one
to read it first, as I was home during the afternoons.
It was always exciting when I pulled the contents
from the mailbox and noticed that they were slightly
heavier than normal, for it could only mean one thing
to 15-year-old me: Special Issue!
(I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not
talking about the swimsuit issue.)
Knowing that I’d be able to walk down to the lake,
sink into the hammock, and spend the next two
hours of that gorgeous summer day reading not just
the standard 70-80 pages, but an additional 20-odd
pages of beautifully written sports journalism… it
didn’t get much better than that.
Why have I told you this slightly nostalgic, probably
unnecessary story? Because I’m really hoping that, at
this moment, you’re feeling something along the lines
of what I felt when I opened up those longer-thanusual magazines a decade ago: “Why, this magazine
is heavier than usual! There’s more for me to read!
What a fun surprise!”
Indeed, the magazine you’re currently holding is
longer than our standard 80-pager. We received so
much great content leading up to the creation of this
issue (seriously, our Parelli Professionals went above
BY SCOT T TEIGEN
and beyond) that I felt it would be a shame to remove
a lot of it, just to meet a rather arbitrary cutoff point.
So, after consulting with Parelli’s excellent designer
and magazine layout wizard, T Carter, I made the executive decision that the February 2015 Savvy Times
was going to be a little special. You’ve got more educational articles from talented Parelli Professionals,
some fun product highlights, beautiful photos… it all
adds up to 96 pages. Bigger is better, etc.
Now, I was about to write that this extra-length
magazine was indeed a special issue, and that the
Savvy Times would continue to be 80 pages moving
forward, with the occasional longer issue here and
there. But then a particularly influential member of
the Parelli Team (whose motto is “Be bold!”) stopped
by and told me that he would like to see the Savvy
Times become a 96-page magazine (at least!) from
now on. I suppose that makes this the beginning of
the next evolution of the Savvy Times! Get your party
hats out of storage!
So, with that out of the way, I suggest you stop
reading my ramblings, flip to the next page, and
enjoy your magazine.
- Scott
O
ver the course of my time at Parelli, I’ve met
many, many horsemen and women, and they
all have one thing in common: they all have
stories to tell. Savvy Times presents a great opportunity to showcase the many talented writers from
throughout the Parelli community. If you would like
to see your story featured in a future issue of this
magazine, just follow the guidelines listed below.
CONTENT
As you know, we feature three types of articles in
this magazine: News, Community, and Education.
To submit an Education article, you must be a 3-Star
(or higher) Parelli Professional. Anyone can submit a
News or Community article.
News: You can focus on an event led by a Parelli
Professional, a group of students doing something
great, or any other news-worthy topic. Have a look at
News articles from the past few issues for ideas.
Community: These articles differ from News in
that they lean more towards editorial-style writing, as
opposed to the more structured “reporting” of News
articles. If you are interested in writing a Community
article, keep a few things in mind:
Is this story unique and interesting?
Is my voice truly shining through?
Is this story relatable?
ARTICLE REQUIREMENTS
Where to Send Your Article: Email your article
and photos to [email protected].
Word Count: We don’t have any set-in-stone
word count rules, but a minimum of 600 words and a
maximum of 2000 is best.
Grammar & Spelling: I proofread and edit every
article that comes in, but your chances of having
your article included in the magazine dramatically
increase if your writing demonstrates a solid grasp
of the English language. Before you send it in, run
a spell-check, and have a friend look it over. It just
makes the entire process go much smoother.
Photos: We include photos with each article
printed. When you send in your article, please
include – as separate attachments – 3 to 6 hiresolution photos. Please use a digital camera with
the photo setting set to your camera’s highest quality
setting. Cell phone pictures may not be of a high
enough quality to use. Please don’t include the photos
in your Word doc, or in the body of the email; they
get too compressed to use. If you’d like your photos
credited, please include the photographer’s name in
your email.
DEADLINES
SUBMIT YOUR
ARTICLE BY…
… TO BE INCLUDED
IN THIS ISSUE
June 1
August
December 1st
March 1
st
st
September 1
st
February
May
November
Special Note from the Editor
Submitting Your Own
Savvy Times Article
Final Thoughts
Not every article submitted will be included in the
magazine. We receive many more submissions than
we can fit in the magazine, and oftentimes we need to
cut some very good articles from one issue and save
them for a future issue.
If you would like a confirmation email sent to you
after you submit your article, please request one in
your original email.
Finally – and this is one of the most important
points – please refrain from negative language regarding any clinicians, disciplines, tools, or methods.
This is a Parelli magazine, but our goal is to reach as
many readers as possible and celebrate good horsemanship all over the world. Exclusionary, “holier
than thou” language regarding non-Parelli people
will not be tolerated, and it will not be included in
the magazine, regardless of how good the rest of your
article is.
So, that’s it! I speak for the rest of the Parelli community when I say that I look forward to reading your
submissions; your stories truly make Savvy Times
special, and I can’t wait to see what you’ve got to say.
If you have any questions or comments, please send
them to [email protected] and I will get to
them as quickly as I can!
Scott Teigen, Lead Editor
www.parelli.com | 7
news I
BY LORI NORTHRUP
Parelli Education
Institute Update
G
reetings
from
the
Parelli
Education Institute!
It’s going to be another outstanding year of growth, excitement and
education for us.
Just in case you’re not familiar
with the Institute, we are an independent, non-profit
501(c)3 organization that focuses on education for
the natural horsemanship community. Our purpose
is to support an advanced natural horsemanship
education for students with the skills and aptitude to
become extraordinary horsemen, educators, or both.
We offer educational programs and opportunities to
individuals who wish to create careers around horses.
We also offer educational assistance to those focused
on youth horsemanship, therapeutic horsemanship,
and equine welfare. So if you want to continue to
learn and improve your skills, check out what we
have to offer. You’ll find that we’re a dynamic and
welcoming organization!
SIGN UP NOW FOR 2015 COURSES &
WORKSHOPS
In 2015, we remain committed to providing you
with outstanding opportunities to further your
natural horsemanship education. This year, you’ll
be able to take part in courses and workshops at the
Pagosa Springs, Colorado campus, as well as the
Ocala, Florida campus.
Taking part in a course or workshop at the beautiful
Pagosa Springs campus is an incredible experience! Photo
courtesy of Coco.
The courses run from one to ten weeks; from Level 1
through Level 4+ topics. A new Gaited Horse Course
and one-week courses in each Level and Savvy have
been added. There will be opportunities to ride in or
audit courses with Linda or Pat Parelli. The extremely
popular Horsenality/Humanality course with Linda
Parelli and Dr. Patrick Handley will be offered once
again, plus Riding with Confidence, Colt Starting,
and Liberty & Horse Behavior will all return.
In addition to our courses and workshops, we’ll be
offering specialty classes in the fields of therapeutic
horsemanship and horse welfare. All of these offerings can make a real difference in your relationship
with your horse, or in your work as an Instructor.
Plus, it can be incredibly energizing to spend time
with others who share your passion for making this
a better world for horses and humans. Many of these
courses and workshops fill up fast, so be sure to sign
up early for the classes of your choice. To see a full
listing of the available courses, visit www.Parelliinstitute.org.
WELCOME THERESA FINCHER
ROAD TO THE SUMMIT 2015: A NATURAL
HORSEMANSHIP CHALLENGE
We are pleased to announce that once again this
year, we’ll be hosting a Road to the Summit. If you
attended any of last year’s tour stops or the Summit
itself, you know what an incredible experience it
can be! The Atwood Ranch has again donated six
yearlings to the Institute, to be developed by Parelli
Professionals and eventually auctioned off to benefit
the Institute. The horses, which have completed their
Parelli Preschool Program, have been paired up with
six top Parelli Professionals. Mark your calendar
and start making plans now to attend the Summit,
Sept. 11-13 in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Additional
information will be posted on our website and
Facebook page.
RALLY ROUNDUPS A BIG SUCCESS!
Theresa Fincher is joining the Institute as Director of
Philanthropy & Operations.
The Parelli Education Institute welcomes Theresa
Fincher as our new Director of Philanthropy & Operations. Many of you are familiar with Theresa as
she comes to us from Parelli Natural Horsemanship,
where she was the Events Director. Theresa brings so
many skills and a lot of great experience to her new
role, so we are very excited that she’s joined our team.
In accepting the position, Theresa said, “I’m
excited to partner with the wonderful volunteers that
support this program, our Parelli Professionals, and
the PEI team. I am honored to promote Pat’s vision
of providing our education to youth, horse welfare,
and therapeutic horsemanship programs, as well as
continuing to build the platform to provide scholarships for those needing funds to perpetuate their professional and advanced educational goals.” Theresa,
we are fortunate to have you as a part of our team!
Rally roundups are a great way to further your natural
horsemanship education. Photo courtesy of Lara Haase.
Look for some outstanding rally roundups coming
your way in 2015! These wonderful events were
created and launched in 2013 by 2-Star Junior Professional Debbie Adcock. During 2014, more than
200 participants participated in events held in four
states. The idea is to invite horse lovers to an exciting
and interesting expo-type event. At a rally, each participant is guaranteed to learn how to bring out their
own “WOW.”
Each rally features workshops covering all the
Levels and all Savvys, as well as competitive events,
auctions, and an evening BBQ, plus lots of social
networking opportunities. The 2014 roundups
www.parelli.com | 9
news
collectively raised nearly $37,000 for the Institute.
That’s definitely a WOW! Here’s a brief look at the
rallies:
TEXAS RALLY ROUNDUP
2-Star Junior Professional Julie Payne and 4-Star
Senior Professional Christi Rains organized a rally
at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham,
TX. The event featured 13 Parelli Professionals, with
lessons covering all Levels, plus great demonstrations from Parelli Saddles, Young Living Essential
Oils, Omega Fields and Hanna Somatics. On Sunday,
they gave away a one-week course to the Colorado
Campus, plus a Parelli Saddle.
Christi Rains commented, “I can’t express in
words how incredibly well the whole volunteer team
stepped up for the Texas Rally Roundup. It is incredible how each person on the large volunteer team
saw what needed to be done and took initiative above
and beyond. It is clear that many months of long
hours went into the planning. The best thing about
the rally was the positive spirit and the appreciation
that everyone had for other members of the team. It
was truly one of those special times when everyone
brought their best efforts and created a special
moment in time.”
Thank you Christi for your kind words, and thanks
to the Professionals who volunteered for this event,
including Debbie Adcock, Julie Payne, Christi Rains,
Jerilyn Caldwell, Kerri April, Lena Petrilli, Jenny
Trainor, Jerry Williams, Jake Biernbaum, Pete
Rodda, Sara Drew, Isabelle Farmer, and Teri Gordon.
COLORADO RALLY ROUNDUP
The Colorado Rally Roundup was hosted by 3-Star
Parelli Professional Teri Sprague-Strege and featured
demonstrations, workshops, and competitions. The
playground featured 20 obstacles! The facility also
offered an outdoor arena, indoor arena, precision
pen, and two round pens.
Twenty classic Level 1 programs were given away
to people who were planning to gift them to friends,
therapeutic riding programs, youth programs, or libraries. In addition, a cradle bride was given away,
and a $500 scholarship to the Parelli Education Institute campus was won by one lucky attendee.
Participant feedback was outstanding. One participant rated the rally and facility “A+++++.” Another
said there was no place else in Colorado that would
have been a better place to host this. One participant/student said we “over-delivered.” Our thanks
go out to Vicki Knecht, Teri Sprague-Strege, Julia
Bell, Jerry Williams, Lyndsey Fitch, Amy Bowers,
Kathleen Rossi, and Kirsi Kesaniemi for making this
event a success!
CALIFORNIA RALLY ROUNDUP
The Atwood Ranch was the site of the California
Rally Roundup, with 3-Star Parelli Professional
Erin Fowle hosting this fun event. In all, eight
Professionals contributed their time, guiding the
students through a series of fun demonstrations,
Savvy Stations, Parelli Games, coaching lessons, a
Q&A session, and more. It wrapped up with a BBQ
and silent auction. Our thanks to Erin Fowle, Margít
Deerman, Cezanne DeCristoforo, Micaela Love, Cici
Bower, Holly Williams, Patti Devencenzi and Sandi
Parker for their time, dedication and effort!
NORTH CAROLINA JAMBOREE
A fundraising Jamboree was hosted by Dawn Roth
in Huntersville, NC. This event featured six Professionals providing their expertise at Coaching Focus
Stations, games, spotlights and tournaments in
all Four Savvys. We appreciate the efforts of Dawn
Roth, Marie Pruden, Bekah Maddox, Jean Denson,
Christine Madoni, and Kelly Patterson, all of whom
worked hard to make the event a success.
HOST A RALLY IN 2015
Now’s the time to consider holding a rally roundup
in your state! We would love to see them pop up
all over America. It’s a great way to expose a wide
audience to the world of natural horsemanship, and
help the Institute with fundraising at the same time.
We have event templates created to help any Parelli
Professional who is interested, so check out our
website or give us a call if you’d like to help organize
or host a rally. When we join together, remarkable
things can happen!
INSTITUTE SUPPORT CONTINUES TO
GROW: THE AMAZON SMILE PROGRAM
Just a quick reminder that supporting the Institute has never been easier. Just shop online at
Amazon.com! The Institute is now part of the Amazon
Smile Program. It’s easy and free to participate. Just
go to www.smile.amazon.com. On your first visit,
select “Parelli Education Institute” as the nonprofit
that will benefit from your future purchases.
Intensive
Horsemanship
Courses
PEGASUS CIRCLE
May 11-July 17, 2015, Pagosa Springs, CO
• Lead Instructor: Maurice Thibault
• Assisting Instructor: Susan Nelson
July 20-Sept. 25, 2015, Pagosa Springs, CO
• Lead Instructor: Maurice Thibault
• Assisting Instructor: Meggie Andrews
This beautiful Pegasus Circle pendant was given
to donors.
Have you considered joining the Pegasus Circle?
This is a group of special donors who’ve pledged
legacy gifts to the Parelli Education Institute through
their wills, trusts, or life insurance policies. Once a
year, we take time to honor the group with a special
day with Linda and Pat Parelli. If you’d like more information about how to become part of the Pegasus
Circle, please contact me at 716-474-7580 or Lori@
Northrup.net.
Finally, I want to once again take a moment to say
thank you. Thank you to our talented staff, Instructors, volunteers, supporters, and students who have
helped the Parelli Education Institute grow into an
outstanding organization. We truly appreciate your
support! ST
These 10-week courses will provide an experience like no other! Spend 10 weeks developing
your horsemanship in each of the Four Savvys,
as you immerse yourself in the “Heart of Parelli”
– the Pagosa Springs, Colorado campus. Special
opportunities abound, such as exposure to
Linda and Pat Parelli, participation in campus
events, possible invitations to participate in
demonstrations, building relationships with
visiting Instructors on campus, and endless
recreational opportunities in the local community. These courses will also prepare you
for your application to the Parelli Professionals Program, although this course is open to
anyone with the desire and ambition to learn!
Course topics will include presentation skills,
teacher-man-ship and communication skills,
and creating a comprehensive understanding
of the Parelli Program. These topics, along with
your horsemanship education, are designed
to set you up for success – not only for the
Parelli Professionals Entrance Exam, but also
on your own journey towards never-ending
self-improvement.
www.parelli.com | 11
news I
BY MIA MALUCHI
The Origins of
Mini Parelli
W
hat inspired you as a child?
For me, while riding in the car,
I used to look out the window
and imagine myself riding a
big thoroughbred alongside
the road, jumping ditches and
galloping through fields. My dream was to be around
horses all the time, to make it a profession and to
become the best horsewoman I could be. Although
it was only recently that I got my first real horse, as
a child I was successful in following my dreams, and
that is why I have created Mini.
My family spent six months a year camping on a
beach in Mexico, and the other six months we lived
on an old farm in the Northwest. Our lifestyle and
income bracket never allowed me to have a real
horse, but nonetheless, I was determined to have
horses in my life. My story is similar to many of you,
in that although a real horse might have been out of
reach early on, I refused to let that deter my passion
– no, obsession – for horses.
During the summers as a kid, I used to stay with a
friend just outside of Creswell, Oregon. Her family
had several hundred acres of forested land, and a
few horses. We weren’t allowed to ride as little girls
because we might get hurt, and we were told that the
horses “weren’t safe for kids.” Instead, my friend and
I spent countless hours designing horse accessories
and barns for our miniature plastic horses. And this
is where it started.
We built pastures with fences made out of sticks,
used wood from her father’s shop to construct barns,
found acorn shells for feed buckets, and created
miniature horse accessories with common household objects. I’d like to think we made the largest
and most complete miniature horse farms in the
world (I’m sure some of you would beg to differ).
When we got tired of small plastic horses, we raced
stick-horses through the woods and set up jumps for
our pretend horse shows. We competed and made
ribbons and trophies for all our equine achievements.
The summers went by so fast. Our understanding of
horses continued to grow, and our passion for riding
and someday owning real horses never wavered.
In the winter, my family left the Northwest and
headed south. I spent a lot of time alone and was
homeschooled from our camper on the beach. There
were never children my age, and my family stayed
busy with their hobbies, so I spent my time in the best
way possible – building and imagining all my horse
farms on the beach. It became an escape, and I didn’t
feel alone when I was with my plastic horses. They
all had their names, pedigrees, and stories, and were
even in different stages of training. I had created the
world I dreamed of with horses all around me.
By accident and by genius, I told this story to a
mentor of mine last winter (2013) while she was
helping me find a new career path. My husband
and I had just relocated to Pagosa Springs, CO, and
I was looking for something completely new and
engaging to invest my time. I sat with Yvonne, and
she asked me, “What inspired you as a child?” For
a few moments while I reflected on my childhood,
I fell into a trance. Both my husband and Yvonne
saw my mind dive into this imaginary horse world
that was so important to me. Unknowingly, we had
just tapped into the inspiration for Mini Parelli.
It didn’t take us long to have a plan and for me to
devise a strategy to incorporate Parelli into a durable
plastic “tool” for kids to share my inspiration. After
I finished telling her about the barns and pastures
and accessories I spent so much time building, I
looked at her. She said, “I know what you have to
do – you must create a miniature Parelli horse so
we can teach children how to be safe around real
horses, and so they can start building these amazing
horse worlds!”
My dream for Mini Parelli is that we help inspire
children around the world and influence imagination, creativity, and a learning experience – all with
natural horsemanship at its core. With technology
playing an ever-increasing part in our lives, I’d like
Mini Parelli to be part of the movement to get kids
outside and engaging with nature – and more specifically, horses – in a safe and fun way! ST
news I
BY SHARON C ARR
What’s New in
Parelli Connect?
B
ack in November 2013, I was asked to
give the Parelli Connect vault a facelift.
As a Savvy Club member myself since
1998 and someone who loved what
was available, and an employee team
member involved in the transition
from the Savvy Club to the new Parelli Connect, I was
excited about this prospect. There had been some
recent upgrades to the way you searched for videos
and articles in the vault, but inevitably that one video
that you were looking for was still buried deep in the
black hole of endless searching. It was to the point
where it would take more time to find the video than
to actually watch it!
It was from this project that the Learning Library
was born.
I had two specific goals in mind: 1) a clean, fresh
look, and 2) ease of navigation. I wanted you to spend
less time searching and more time learning.
This meant a lot (A LOT) of work on the back end.
When we first switched to Parelli Connect, we had
very good intentions, but were a little overzealous
with our tagging, which in the long run meant it
was actually harder to find content. So with the new
facelift, we went through every single video, article,
Q&A, and audio file, re-tagging, re-organizing, and
re-categorizing. Pat’s saying – “Take the time it takes
so it takes less time” – comes to mind. We spent a lot
of time on the back end so that you spend less time
looking for content.
By now, we hope that you and your fellow members
are familiar with the Learning Library and find great
value in the resources available to you! There are
currently 1200+ videos, 60+ audio files, 600+ Q&As,
and 1000+ articles at your fingertips, ranging from
educational to inspirational.
The Learning Library is constantly growing, with
new content being added monthly, and we are always
looking for ways to make the experience even better
for our members. The latest improvements to the
Library include the following:
SAVVY ARTICLES
As you know, the back
issues of the Savvy Times
magazine are available
in Parelli Connect. What
you may not know is that,
from our first issue back
in October 2003 to today’s
issue, over 900 articles
have been written.
Recently, we have had
a
hard-working
team
separate, upload, and tag
every single article, which makes those 900+ articles
now searchable in Parelli Connect! You’ll find the
articles under a new category, “Savvy Articles,” in the
Learning Library under the “Pick Your Topic” filter.
JUNIOR SAVVY
There are a lot of Junior Savvy articles in archived
Savvy Times magazines, but we felt that they needed
their own category – and with the new focus on Mini
Parelli, you can expect to see a lot more content
added to this filter in the future! You’ll find the
articles under a new category, “Junior Savvy,” in the
Learning Library under the “Pick Your Topic” filter.
NEW LANDING PAGE
library that can help anyone experiencing problems
with their horses. It’s a gold mine for any and all
horse owners!
There are two key new features to help share Pat’s
knowledge:
INVITE-A-FRIEND
The Invite-a-Friend feature allows current
members to invite their friends to join the Savvy
Club. This feature gives our members a great opportunity to receive an unlimited amount of digital gift
cards for $10 (10 in your currency) by simply having
a friend sign up. Through the Invite-a-Friend feature,
your friend will receive 3 months of membership for
the price of 2.
SNEAK PEEK INTO THE
LEARNING LIBRARY
You may have also seen improvements to the
Learning Library landing page, where you can now
view the newest videos, most popular videos, and
Parelli Connect tutorials. The newest and most
popular videos are updated monthly to give you fresh
and current content easily.
Finally, as you know, Pat Parelli is a self-confessed
share-a-holic! There are hours upon hours of educational resources in the library that we want to
help Pat share with everyone. This isn’t just about
helping Parelli students; there is information in the
The new Parelli Connect login page now hosts 12
free videos, giving non-members a look at some of
the content available to them in the Learning Library.
To summarize, Parelli Connect is the ultimate
horsemanship resource. Best of all, you can educate
yourself anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace.
Take your phone out to the barn and watch a video or
read an article. Having problems? Search for content
and get answers at your fingertips.
We hope you find the value in this resource! Be sure
to check back monthly for new content, and keep an
eye out for future improvements. ST
Linda Parelli, Dr. Jenny Susser, participants, and auditors of the Emotional Fitness Super Clinic in Ontario, 2014.
Get ready
2015
for
2015 SPECIAL EVENTS
March 7
One Day with Pat and Linda Parelli
UNITED KINGDOM
Addington Manor
May 23
SWITZERLAND
IENA
August 8
CANADA
Western Fair District
September 11 - 13
PARELLI SAVVY SUMMIT, COLORADO
Parelli Colorado Ranch
October 17-18
SPECIAL PARELLI EVENT, FLORIDA
Southeastern Livestock Pavillon
November 7
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
November 11
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
November 14
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
November 17
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
EXPOS AND PUBLIC
APPEARANCES
January 15 - 18
Pat Parelli at
HORSE WORLD EXPO
Maryland State Fairgrounds
January 20-22
Amy Bowers at
NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW
April 17 - 19
Pat Parelli and Ryan Rose at
MIDWEST HORSE FAIR
National Western Complex
Alliant Energy Center
January 24
Pat Parelli at
AUGUSTA FUTURITY
April 24 - 26
Linda Parelli at
MANE EVENT CANADA
James Brown Arena
Verde Equestrian Center
January 24-February 1
Carol Coppinger at
AZ SUN CIRCUIT
June 5 -7
Pat Parelli at
WESTERN STATES HORSE EXPO
WestWorld
Cal Expo
January 30-February 1
David Lichman at
HORSE EXPO POMONA
SUPER CLINICS
Fairplex
February 20-22
Erin Fowle at
WASHINGTON STATE HORSE EXPO
Clark County Event Center
February 28 - March 1
Pat Parelli at
ALABAMA HORSE FAIR
Garrett Coliseum
March 5-8
Farrah Green at
HORSE WORLD EXPO PA
Farm Show Complex
March 13-15
Teri Sprague-Strege at
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HORSE EXPO
National Western Complex
March 27-29
Avery Gauthier at
VIRGINIA HORSE FESTIVAL
Meadow Event Park
February 27 - March 1
EMOTIONAL FITNESS
featuring Linda Parelli and
Dr. Jenny Susser
CALIFORNIA
Industry Hills Expo Center
May 1 - 3
FOALS TO FIRST RIDES
featuring Pat Parelli
CALIFORNIA
Atwood Ranch Naturally
July 10 - 12
PAT PARELLI SUPER CLINIC
WISCONSIN
Horse First Farm
October 2 - 4
EMOTIONAL FITNESS SUPER CLINIC
Dr. Jenny Susser
NEW JERSEY
Horse Park of New Jersey
December 4 - 6
EMOTIONAL FITNESS SUPER CLINIC
Dr. Jenny Susser
FLORIDA
Bob Thomas Equestrian Center
For all of the latest event details, visit Parelli.com/Events or call 855-PARELLI
A look back at some of our favorite moments from 2014
news I
BY ASHLEY TIPPET TS
A Spotlight on Parelli’s
Auditions Assessors
As the Auditions team is gearing up for 2015, we
thought you might enjoy meeting our current team
of awesome assessors! Here are the items that we
answered:
1. Full name and Parelli title
2. Location
3. Website
4. How long have you been a student of Parelli?
5. How long have you been a Parelli Instructor?
6. When did you assess your first audition?
7. Approximate number of auditions you have
assessed?
8. Your favorite thing about assessing auditions?
9. Your favorite Parelli/equestrian activity?
10. Your favorite hobby outside of Parelli/horses?
11. Your favorite Parelli-ism or quote?
1. LOUISE ATKINSON, 4-STAR
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Bullsbrook (near Perth), Western Australia
www.whisperingsands.com.au
I have been a student of Parelli since 1992.
I have been an Instructor since 1996.
Initially we were only ever assessed by Pat
himself. This eventually extended to certain
clinicians, and then to certain levels of Instructors. As Instructors in the ‘90s, we were
required to assess students live out in the field,
and also on video. Gradually this was phased
out to just assessing by video, until eventually
Louise Atkinson
the auditions process came into being, whereby
all auditions were assessed via an auditions
team at the Parelli Centers. As technology and
training improved, this became available to
select Instructors to view from the comfort of
their own computers, wherever in the world
they are. I had a long period where I did not
view any auditions unless I was at the ranches,
until this past year, when I was invited to
assess Level 4 auditions.
7. Since the beginning of October, I have assessed
over 75 auditions.
8. The thrill of watching students strive towards
higher levels reminds me of how wonderful the
Parelli Program is. The dedication and hard
work they put in to achieving their goals fills
me with admiration. That students anywhere
in the world can, and do, progress towards
being better horsemen is inspiring to me. I
love it when a student surprises me with something new and imaginative during their videos,
something I might not have tried before.
9. I have recently returned to competing at
dressage and am bringing a young horse on
with a view to developing a high-level dressage
horse. I have started playing with working equitation, and I also enjoy eventing.
10. I am passionate about helping people, and I
have recently qualified as an Equine Assisted
Psychotherapist, whereby I can help people
become aware of thoughts, beliefs, patterns,
and contact styles that block their progress
with horses and in life.
11. With auditions, I think Pat’s saying of “Take
the time it takes, so it takes less time” is really
applicable. A student needs to make sure
the ingredients are in place before putting it
together, and then if it goes pear-shaped, they
can go back and take the time it takes to ensure
those ingredients were really okay.
1. KATHY BAAR, 4-STAR SENIOR
PARELLI INSTRUCTOR AND HORSE
DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
2.
3.
4.
5.
Glasgow, Kentucky
www.jkbaar.com
Parelli student since 2000.
Parelli Instructor since 2003, and Horse Development Specialist since 2002.
6. My first assessment was in 2003, and I
assessed my first audition when the program
was released in early 2009.
7. I have completed around 5,200 auditions,
and around 3,000 assessments, for about
8,200 total.
8. Students still surprise me! I still see students
and horses do things I didn’t expect, and often,
I’m even inspired to go try something new with
my horse!
Kathy Baar
9. Parelli Activity: Learning with my horse!
Equestrian Activity: Eventing and hanging out
with my horse.
10. Playing on the lake, boating, fishing, swimming,
and being with my son, Luke.
11. “Your horse doesn’t care how much you know
until he knows how much you care.”
1. JULIA BELL, 3-STAR
PARELLI INSTRUCTOR
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Byers, Colorado
www.bellsavvy.com
I have been a Parelli student for 13 years.
I have been a Parelli Instructor for 5 years.
I assessed my first audition on August 6th,
2012.
7. I have assessed about 1,210 auditions.
8. My favorite thing about assessing is visiting
different countries and beautiful locations
through everyone’s videos!
Julia Bell
news
9. My favorite activity with horses is trail riding.
10. Outside of horses, I love gardening and being
with my children.
11. “Parelli is WAY more than RIDING!”
1. JACKIE CHANT, 4-STAR SENIOR
PARELLI INSTRUCTOR, HORSE
DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST,
AND CERTIFIED GAME OF
CONTACT INSTRUCTOR
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Christchurch, New Zealand
www.jackiechant.co.nz
I began Parelli in December 1996.
I became an Instructor in October 1999, and a
Horse Development Specialist in 2002.
First audition in March 2014, but I also used to
assess Levels 1 and 2 ‘back in the old days’ when
field instructors did live and video assessments.
Since March, I have assessed 64 auditions.
I love having the opportunity to help progressive students reach their goals. Whether I
am offering advice and support to improve,
or congratulating them on an audition that
has passed, it is wonderful to be a part of
that process. I love seeing students who have
really thought about their audition and how to
present it from every aspect, but most of all, I
love seeing happy horses and happy humans!
Well, I totally love playing with Rocky, my
extreme Left-Brain Extrovert. Now that he
Jackie Chant
is playing in Level 5 at Liberty, we are truly
having a blast, and what he offers totally blows
me away! Now that Rocky is Level 4 in all Four
Savvys, I am really starting to focus on my
passion, which is dressage!
10. Horses take up all of my spare time, but when
I’m not horsing around, I am kept very busy
caring for my awesome one-year-old son,
Cooper!
11. There are so many great Parelli-isms, it is very
hard to pick one, but if I had to, it would be
“Good better best, never let it rest. Get your
good better and your better best!” It really
reminds me to be positive, progressive, and
natural and to always strive for higher standards in every aspect of my life!
1. CHRISTINE CORBIDGE, 4-STAR
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
2. ‘Wongaburra,’ Mooralla, Southern Grampians,
Victoria, Australia
3. www.chriscorbidge.com.au
4. Parelli student since March 1995.
5. Parelli Instructor since November 1996.
6. I completed my first assessment around 1997
or 1998, and my first audition was just this
past year.
7. I have lost count! I assessed hundreds of
‘Levels Assessments,’ both live and on video,
before the audition process was moved ‘in
house’ in 2009. Since joining the Audition
Team in 2014, I have assessed around 80 Level
4 auditions.
8. My favorite thing about assessing is meeting
students from all around the world, and being
a part of their progress.
9. I like to do practical things with my horses,
real ‘jobs’ like trail riding, obstacles, gathering
cattle, etc. I have always loved to ride precision
patterns, and I used to compete in reining,
western riding, trail, hunter hack, and bridle
path hack, as well as western pleasure and
halter. My favorites were versatility events,
where you did five different events and you
were judged on your overall performance.
I am planning to have some fun competing
next year in some stockman’s challenge events
locally. I love to play at Liberty, and I love
riding bridleless on my advanced horse around
Cezanne DeCristoforo
Christine Corbidge
our property. I love to ride fast (with control,
of course!), and I also enjoy raising foals and
young horses naturally.
10. A great book, a good movie, and entertaining
visitors at our property.
11. “Self-interest is not selfishness.” My dad gave
me this one when I needed it most.
1. CEZANNE DECRISTOFORO, 4-STAR
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR AND HORSE
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Bradley, California
www.cezannedecristoforo.com
I have been a Parelli student for over 20 years.
Parelli Instructor for 14 years.
I assessed my first audition in September 2013.
I have assessed over 400 auditions.
My favorite part of assessing is getting to see
the great connection that people have with
their horses.
9. My favorite equestrian activity is dressage
development.
10. I don’t really have any other hobbies, unless
you consider having two kids a hobby! (Not
much time for anything else.) I love my horses
and my kids, so my cup is full!
11. “It takes a lifetime to learn how to live a
lifetime.”
1. MICHAEL GROHMANN, 4-STAR
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR AND HORSE
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Bezirk Baden, Austria
www.pnh.at
Student of Parelli since 1999.
Parelli Instructor since 2005.
I assessed my first audition in the spring of
2010 at the Parelli Florida Campus.
Since joining the Auditions team in 2014, I
have assessed around 150 auditions.
My favorite thing about assessing is seeing
people and horses in true harmony, and doing
beautiful, creative, and accurate things.
I love Liberty and reining.
My hobby outside of horses is diving.
“Mind, flexion, weight, feet.” “Slow and right
beats fast and wrong.”
Michael Grohmann
news
1. MOLLY SANDERS, 3-STAR
PARELLI INSTRUCTOR
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Spokane, Washington
www.nwsavvy.com
Parelli student since 2005.
Parelli Instructor since 2010.
I assessed my first audition in 2010.
I have assessed around 1,000 auditions.
My favorite thing about assessing is getting to
watch the culmination of a lot of time spent
practicing and developing a relationship and
good communication. Also, the challenge for
myself, professionally, of watching 10 minutes
of activity and then choosing 1 or 2 key things
to help the student progress.
9. Dressage (just starting) and trail riding.
10. Outside of horses, I love yoga and reading.
11. “Take the time it takes, so it takes less time.”
11. “There is nothing you can’t do when the horse
becomes a part of you.”
Kristi Smith
1. SARAH WEARING, 3-STAR PARELLI
INSTRUCTOR
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Molly Sanders
1. KRISTI SMITH, 4-STAR SENIOR
INSTRUCTOR AND HORSE
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Ladora, Iowa
https://sites.google.com/site/parellikristi/
18 years as a Parelli student.
8 years as a Parelli Instructor and Horse
Development Specialist.
I completed my first assessment in 2007, and
then my first audition in 2009.
My best guess is around 4,500.
I love helping students achieve their dreams.
Favorite equestrian activity is trail riding.
Favorite hobby is four-wheeling.
Near Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England
www.sarahwearing.co.uk
8 years as a Parelli student.
Instructor since 2011 (nearly four years).
October 2013.
Nearly 900. My aim is to reach 1000 by
spring 2015!
8. There are so many things I enjoy about assessing auditions – how the students put the relationship first; seeing students move from one
level to another; the obvious effort, time, and
thought that has gone into moving to that next
level; and the way the horses are so generous
and also continually challenge students to
raise their game.
9. I enjoy it all! This year has been a great year for
Liberty with my foal, Dreamcatcher (pictured),
learning from her Level 4 mum, Maui. Having
a good level of Liberty has been really useful
because trying to play On Line with a mare and
a wriggly, energetic foal can get very interesting! In general, I enjoy time spent on Principle #7, whether it’s arena-based, teaching, or
hacking out in the lovely Wiltshire countryside.
10. Between horses, teaching, and other work, I
enjoy gardening in the summer months; eating
out with friends, and quiet time reading. I
am extremely lucky and very grateful that my
passions (horses, teaching and Parelli) are also
key parts of my work life.
11. My favorite is “Take the time it takes, so it
takes less time.” This is such a fundamental
principle, which I struggled with when I first
started the Parelli Program. As my emotional fitness has grown over my Parelli years,
managing time, priorities, and making choices
that allow every moment I have with my horses
and students count has been at the top of my
list. It’s something I remain very conscious of,
and as Pat says, “It’s simple, but it’s not easy.”
*(photo credit to Emily Corcoran Photography)
8. My favorite thing about assessing is that every
audition has something inspiring to offer.
I learn something new every time I assess,
and often get new ideas of tasks or obstacles
that I want to try with my own horses. I
also love seeing kids auditioning, and I love
reading stories of people and horses who have
overcome great obstacles, like physical disabilities or behavioral problems, to find great
success through the Parelli Program - watching
their auditions, you would never know!
9. FreeStyle riding, specifically trail riding, and
obstacle challenges.
10. I love to roller skate, downhill ski, sing, and
snuggle my kittehs! Cats, cats, cats, I love
the cats.
11. “Be as gentle as possible, but as firm as necessary, and reward the slightest try.”
Ashley Tippetts
Sarah Wearing
1. ASHLEY TIPPETTS, 2-STAR PARELLI
INSTRUCTOR (CURRENTLY
UNLICENSED) AND PARELLI
AUDITIONS MANAGER
2. Originally from Utah (residing in Pagosa
Springs, Colorado since May 2010)
3. parelliconnect.com/members/75
4. I was introduced to Parelli in 2004, and
became a Savvy Club member in 2005.
5. I completed an Externship and became an
Instructor in August 2010. I then became a
Parelli employee in September 2010.
6. I was involved in the Audition Program during
my Externship (checking auditions in, sending
results, answering emails, etc.), and then I
assessed my first official audition in August
2011. That was also about the time that I
became the Auditions Manager.
7. I have assessed around 1,800 auditions, mostly
Levels 1 and 2.
Please let us know if you have any questions
about auditions at [email protected]. You can
find more information about all of our Licensed
Parelli Professionals at professionals.parelli.com.
Savvy on! ST
news I
BY HARRIET L AURIE
Standing on the
Shoulders of Giants
T
heHorseCourse project began four
years ago, taking two horses into the
local prison on the south coast of Dorset
in the United Kingdom and working
with violent young offenders to improve
their life chances. However, I started
work on the content many years before that.
As a Parelli student I was struck by the opportunity that Parelli presents for self-development.
Coming at it as a complete layman, I was curious to
see whether I could leverage this potential to help
people who don’t respond to speech-based therapies
or education. When I heard the statistic that over
70% of young offenders return to prison within a
year of release, that seemed a good place to start. An
inspired senior manager at HMP Portland saw the
potential of my ideas and we set to work on a pilot,
which proved far more successful than either of us
had expected: our latest results show a 70% drop in
negative behavior inside prison, and a decrease of
27% points on reoffending.
Over the ensuing years, a handful of Parelli Professionals joined me, and the project spread to other
prisons. We now also work with schools, social
services, mental health services, drug & alcohol organizations, etc.
With success has come the demand to replicate
– training others to provide the same program. So
I have had to think hard about the ‘active ingredients,’ including pondering what it is in the Parelli
Program that lends itself to fast and effective
human interventions.
As Pat Parelli says, horses are born followers. Crucially for our program, they will only follow proven
leaders, and the Seven Games give us a context in
which to prove ourselves worthy of that position.
Horses desire the very qualities in their leaders that
will serve us well to develop in ourselves if we want
to live successfully in human society. The un-wordy,
practical way we coach helps people try out and feel
the solution, rather than talking themselves into confusion! (See adjacent chart)
Our ReStart program takes seven hours of 1:1 work,
though we often work 2:1 for 14 hours so that people
get more dwell time. A pass at Level 1 is the horsemanship goal, but the bigger goal is teaching Level
4 techniques so that participants are practicing life
skills such as focus, calmness, and assertiveness,
rather than learning motor skills without real communication. We use a few charts to aid learning and
reflection, but there is no written work or psychoanalysis. We don’t talk about the past – we simply
build skills within a horsemanship context and make
sure participants understand that they can take
these into real life. We usually run courses intensively across five consecutive days so that new skills
become habits, rather than weekly sessions, which
might demand a more cognitive approach to change.
This lines up with the Parelli approach of repeating
patterns seven times to set a positive habit.
The THC Star overleaf reflects the areas we work on
through specific games, patterns, and challenges with
our Parelli-trained horses. Our evaluations indicate
that positive outcomes are achieved in the process,
such as increases in hope and confidence, reduced
disruptive behavior (including crime), greater engagement in education, training and work, and (not
surprisingly) better relationships.
Working within Parelli demands more of us
than simply getting our horses to comply – we are
Horses become calm, connected, and
responsive with leaders who are:
Calm vs. Anxious
Assertive vs. Aggressive
Effective vs. Ineffectual
Empathetic & Connected
vs. Disconnected or self-obsessed
Gentle vs. Rough
Focused vs. Distracted or dithering
Clear Communicators vs.
Nagging or confusing
Playful vs. Dull or lacking confidence
Responsible vs. Blamimg
Trusting vs. Micromanaging
Planners vs. Lacking in purpose
encouraged to work on the relationship, strive for
our horses to become calm, connected, responsive,
and even exuberant. Parelli leaves us nowhere to
hide, no room for equivocation – at Liberty, all that’s
left is the truth. In the context of TheHorseCourse,
this translates into practicing Level 1 tasks at a Level
news
4 standard. Rather than teaching “horsemanship”
per se, we are using horsemanship as a context in
which to learn and practice pro-social skills, whilst
holding a huge (horse-shaped) mirror to the gaps.
It is not good enough to safely lead the horse; can
you lead your horse at Liberty in Zone 3 with
perfect connection?
I believe that the success we are having as an organization stems from an obsessive attention to this
detail – working with high-level horses who give big
rewards for good leadership, but who are not push-
challenges that our horses can’t figure out until the
participant manages to communicate really clearly.
In their natural state, horses constantly ask questions, and how they react tells us what answers they
are getting. This “mirroring” effect is one of the cornerstones of equine-assisted practices worldwide.
However, if horses are handled carelessly for a
period of time, they become dull, and their feedback
becomes less and less sensitive, immediate, and
honest – they will shut down to survive, ignore
pressure because it has become commonplace,
button compliant, or drilled to perform patterns.
It feels pretty good to get a horse to touch a barrel
with his nose, but almost magical to place a hind
foot on an invisible marker from 12 feet away. Conversely, “push-button” horses rob the participant of a
genuine achievement; we have to constantly change
it up to keep our horses asking questions. What was
once tricky is now too easy. One of the challenges of
facilitating the THC program is coming up with new
and disregard focus because it cannot be relied
upon. Their brilliant natural qualities are diminished through exposure to our ‘white noise.’ Parelli
provides a solution. As we go up through the Levels,
we become quieter, smoother, more focused. We
emit less ‘white noise’ – and so our horses are able
to maintain their natural sensitivity, feel confident to
express their opinions, and offer instant feedback on
our leadership/herd-member qualities. It is critical
to maintain our horses’ sensitivity if they are to be
relied upon in sessions. I am often asked whether
the horses get sour with this work. My answer is that
they won’t if you are doing it right. Working alongside your cherished levels horse makes you extremely
demanding and particular as a THC facilitator; you
don’t want to see your horse tolerate bad handling,
and so you teach Level 1 tasks at a Level 4 standard.
This is perfect – the participants are practicing excellent focus, excellent feel, excellent timing, excellent
leadership – and as Pat says, only perfect practice
makes perfect.
horsemanship – offering the same leadership, the
same strategies, the same feel, balance, and timing
to our students as we do to our horses. In this way we
help students become ‘ready to learn’ - or in Parelli
language, ‘calm, connected, and responsive.’ Then
we are extremely progressive and extremely particular (without being critical) in order to build skills
as rapidly as possible. The better the horseman, the
better they will facilitate TheHorseCourse – which
is why we only train Parelli Professionals or Level
4 students.
We also find that it is really important that the
horses get to be real horses – with lots of time out as
a herd in big enough spaces to properly relax, play,
and chill with their friends.
Before we can work on participants’ skills, we
often have to deal with difficult behavior. THC is facilitated by horsemen – our model does not require
a psychologist or educator to be present (although
they frequently attend to observe and take part in
reflection and handover). We work directly from our
Through the concepts behind Horsenality, Parelli
provides a set of strategies to get the best from ourselves, our horses, and – in my line of work – our
participants. Linda created the system of quadrants to help us recognize which horse has ‘turned
up’ today, and to choose an appropriate strategy to
engage the horse or to reduce problem behaviors.
At THC, we have taken this further, using an “Observation Chart” for humans, which shows the four
quadrants in a traffic light system. For each area
news
(Right-Brain Introvert, Left-Brain Extrovert, etc.),
there are red, amber, and green areas. In our work,
we aim to build a full set of green behaviors, so that
our participants are confident and able to flex their
style from bonding, to active and focused, to playful
and experimental, to analyzing and planning.
Where amber or red behaviors show up, we quickly
employ the appropriate strategy to reduce them.
Over the length of the course, we aim to help the participants learn how to recognize the first signs that
they are going amber and which strategies will help
them manage themselves back to green.
Just as we would work on approach and retreat
with the horses, we do the same with participants,
moving them physically backwards from thresholds,
reading their body language rather than asking how
they feel. We flex our style according to what shows
up, in every minute of every session – helping our
participants stay calm, connected, and responsive
as learners. Strategies we might use with a tense,
reactive horse work equally quickly with an overactive child – “let me help you,” changes of direction,
pattern interrupts, and so on. Again, as Parellitrained horsemen, we are very well-placed to observe
body language and choose an appropriate strategy.
Without this foundation, my job of training facilitators would take years rather than weeks.
We get resounding feedback from a wide variety
of people and their associated workers about the
benefits of our way of working with Parelli-trained
horses; with the help of academics and evaluators,
we are likely one of the most evidence-based equineassisted programs in the world. Independent senior
academics have analyzed quantitative and qualitative evidence that TheHorseCourse programs are
effective; in prisons we saw a 27% point reduction
in reoffending (in a small but statistically significant
sample). With support from the Charities Evaluation
Service, we will soon be publishing recent evidence
around working with young people referred to Children’s Services.
Our aim is to build a robust evidence base and to
carefully replicate the program. With the help of the
Parelli community, we hope this can be a worldwide
endeavor.
Pat Parelli set about creating a training program for
people because he saw horses having a tough time.
30 years on, he and Linda have put together an astonishing body of work and created a following that
includes some of the most impressive horsemen in
the world. Parelli offers a clear and comprehensive
approach that lends itself perfectly to equine-assisted practice.
The longer I do this work, the more I appreciate
the value of standing on the shoulders of giants. I’ve
never seen myself as a follower of doctrine; I was
raised to question everything, look outside the box,
experiment and think critically – but when I find a
box with so many pearls within, I keep coming back
to it. I still question and feel free to debate, but I am
at the same time grateful. Standing on the shoulders
of these giants is indeed a perfect place from which
to envision the particular quest I am drawn to – how
horses can help humans.
As with all innovation, the biggest thing that slows
us down is funding. The equine-assisted field as a
whole is poorly evidenced. We have made it a priority
to collect outcome data as we go along and to publish
results. We are at a point now where we have proven
that this program is extremely promising and ready
for “roll-out.” This is where you can help.
We are currently fundraising £100,000 to continue
the work and the replication. Along with helping 100
individuals turn their lives around, this will produce
a really strong ‘study group’, big enough to prove to
government funders that what we are doing really
works. We will be able to give our newly qualified
facilitators hands-on experience and a head start in
setting up projects to help people in their own areas.
This in turn will enable more Parelli Professionals
or high-level students to train and, we hope, establish
Parelli as the leading foundation for equine-assisted
interventions. ST
PLEASE HELP US WITH THIS
AMBITIOUS PROJECT!
Please donate at www.thehorsecourse.org
TheHorseCourse is a UK charity, established
in 2010 to provide horse-powered interventions,
which reduce ‘social exclusion.’
Currently there are 10 trained THC Facilitators,
all Parelli Professionals or high-level students, and
17 more are partway through the training process.
See our website for more detail or to donate.
Linda Parelli, filming a new Parelli DVD this past summer. Photo by Coco.
Elli Pospischil and Aurelie De
Mevius on the morning of a
Future of HorseManShip show.
Photo by Jerome Love.
Omega Fields
There has been a lot of talk about
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Here is our belief: horses were designed to get all
of their nutrition from natural live grasses. Omega-3
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health; if they were living on all-natural living
grasses, they would be receiving all the Omega-3
needed to survive. But in today’s world, most horses
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nutrition. Most commercial feeds are very rich in
Omega-6 fatty acids from corn and soy. Omega-6 by
itself is a healthier fat, but without Omega-3 in the
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Over the years, we have seen dramatic results in
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community I
B Y B A R B A R A M U R R AY
Lost in Transition:
How Undemanding
Time Helps Horses
Teach Humans
The second case study in this series describing Equine Facilitated Human Development and Learning
(EFHDL) activities focuses on how the horse/human connection helps horses teach humans and humans
teach horses. In this case, Shelley, a career woman in her 40s embarking on her mid-life transition, is beginning to realize (as is typical for this period) that certain qualities and certain questions that she has been
putting off dealing with are now coming forcibly to the foreground and demanding her full attention: “Why
do I put others’ needs ahead of my own?” and “What’s really holding me back from pursuing my dream?”
In this session with a carthorse called Lozen, Shelley’s experience takes her straight to the underlying emotional and spiritual core of her questions, paving the way for her to do the work on finding the answers she
seeks. These answers can become the foundation upon which her personal and career life-structure could be
built for Middle Adulthood, the next stage of her life. I was one of a group of observers at this session, and
had the opportunity to follow up with Shelley for a year afterwards.
A
s Shelley began to scratch under
the black carthorse’s knotted, frizzy
mane in that “go on, really dig your
nails in” way that horses love, the
mare’s eyes, deep and dark as wellwater, gazed dreamily off into the
depths of nowhere. If ever two beings looked happy
and harmonious, these two did: Shelley scratching
heartily and the mare leaning in heavily to get the
best out of it. Lozen shifted her weight and then
adeptly reversed her more-than-ample hindquarters
into position, so Shelley would hit precisely the right
spot on that rotund belly. Yep, that’s the spot!
Except, after just a few of these deep belly scratches, Shelley quite suddenly stopped, and decisively
withdrew her hand. The horse remained suspended
for a few seconds, chin up, neck, back and tail fully
extended. She then sidled even closer in a bid to keep
those scratches flowing. Shelley, however, moved
away and the surprised mare had to quickly readjust
her footing.
The mare was settling in for a scratch-fest, yet
had triggered the opposite response in Shelley. Afterwards, in the debrief section of the session, we
explored what changed at that moment.
“It was when I felt the shift in the connection with
her – at first it was two-way. But then, the horse was
only focusing on her own needs.” Why was this an
issue? “Because it’s always about focusing on their
needs,” realized Shelley. “That is what I always do!”
OLD DYNAMICS RE-SURFACING
What had prompted Shelley to move away from the
horse?
“I recognized that familiar ‘I’m being used’ feeling.
I get it with my own horse sometimes, and no doubt
elsewhere in life! So I moved away as I didn’t want
to re-enact that old dynamic.” Still within the round
pen, Shelley moved about fifteen feet away from
Lozen and was crouching with one knee on the grass,
mulling over what was unfolding here. And the mare,
well known for her unstinting dedication to grazing
with the efficiency of a motorized lawn mower, quite
remarkably remained solid, perpendicular to Shelley,
her legs now squarely set to hold her weight, exuding
the presence and might of a Fernando Botero statue.
Evidently, she too had noticed a change in the connection between them and was also taking time out.
Something had really jarred
in her mind and emotions.
Keeping others happy was
one thing, but what about
her own needs?
Wrapped up in those few words – “It’s what I
always do!” – was a long-standing internal dialogue
that Shelley had had with herself for a long time. But
now she wanted to understand herself better in order
to control this ‘IT’: to put a stop to ‘IT’ controlling
her. So when the fun so suddenly and vividly went
out of it for Shelley, something had really jarred in
her mind and emotions. Keeping others happy was
one thing, but what about her own needs?
LIVING IN TWO WORLDS
Currently, Shelley’s career involved juggling two
radically different, separate yet equally successful
worlds. She held a professional career as a recruitment consultant in London and enjoyed being widely
respected in her field. This was a three-days-a-week
position that had for years subsidized her adjunct
profession as a Facilitator of EFHDL. Helping facilitate people’s growth and development through
horses was what Shelley wanted as the central career
pillar in her life. Unlike in her city job, Shelley found
the facilitation work with horses intrinsically fulfilling. Her gift was to help people trust their bodies
and emotions in order to overcome blockages in
their lives and move ahead. Yet here she was, just
like many of her clients, feeling ambushed by old
patterns and unable to forge her own way ahead.
Shelley saw herself locked into a life structure of
her own making: holding a smart briefcase in the city
for the first half of every week and a muddy horse
on a lead rope in the country for the other half. The
city job had been a neat solution for financing what
had started out with the horses as a hobby but soon
became a passion, but now the city job seemed more
to Shelley like a hindrance to her dream of helping
people through horses. Dreams are all very well,
but without the necessary funds, they could become
nightmares! The midlife transition brought all
this into sharp focus for Shelley, telling her ‘time’s
moving on,’ but it hadn’t yet suggested any solutions!
community
MIDLIFE APPRAISAL
Aware of moving into her own midlife transition,
Shelley knew about the profound mental, emotional
and physical impact that this life stage has, especially
on women, and had already made considerable effort
to prepare the ground for her own process. Anticipating some big decisions coming up, she had engaged
a life coach, for example, and was broadening her
scope of practice in EFHDL through a formal qualification in the treatment of trauma. She had a close
network of well-informed, supportive friends and
colleagues - with no shortage of advice on how her
life ought to go forward. Yet, she said, “In the midst
of all this, I feel somewhat lost.” The only option
other than the status quo was to fully embrace the
transition process and do the emotional and spiritual
‘soul work’ required.
Scratching a horse that had self-indulgently
expected more from Shelley was putting her in
contact with deeper feelings about her own strivings
for fulfilment: what future do you really want? What
part of you is holding yourself back from fulfilling
your own passions and talents? And why?
THE BODY ALREADY KNOWS
A reflective EFHDL session is a structured ‘Undemanding Time With Your Horse’ experience. The
aim is to spend time with the horse, sometimes with
a specific question in mind or with the desire to
explore a particular theme. The preparation phase
that takes place before going into the round pen
with the horse involves a body scan. This is about
noticing what sensations the body has whilst preparing for being with the horse, and finding a baseline
state so that whatever new sensations, thoughts, and
emotions arise during the round pen experience can
be attributed confidently as information from the
evolving horse/human connection. In her body scan,
Shelley had associated the words ‘Stop’ and ‘Peace’
with some intense sensations she noticed arising
around her heart (where our courage resides) and
her throat (where our voice resides). Shelley said
these sensations spoke to her of “Vulnerability and
Sadness.”
Sometimes, these body sensations and the impressions or words they give rise to can be indicative of
what we would be wise to pay attention to. When
the scratching stopped and there was some distance
between Shelley and Lozen in the round pen, they
presented an image of being at peace together. Once
or twice during the next 10 minutes of silence, the
mare adjusted her stance to square her weight, as if
settling in for a long haul. This shared and silent stillness enveloped us observers too.
After leaving the round pen, during the facilitated
debrief phase of the session, Shelley began to consider
the meaning of what had happened, saying “I didn’t
know what ‘Stop’ and ‘Peace’ looked like anymore.”
The body sensations she had noticed earlier had apparently been alerting her to useful information. So
by choosing just to stay apart from Lozen rather than
scratch her, Shelley had made time to closely observe
how very uncharacteristically un-greedy the mare’s
behavior really was. Rather than indulge herself,
Lozen had chosen instead to remain still and silent.
A very different quality of connection now existed
between horse and human, one in which the horse
now seemed to be giving to Shelley, not greedily
taking from her.
MINDFUL REVELATIONS
For Shelley, that undemanding (reflective) time
gave rise to a series of mindful observations that same
day and, it turned out, over the coming year. Shelley
perceived these as useful pointers or ‘revelations’ as
this transition period of her life continued to unfold.
Horses, we know, ‘soak’ up experience too, and we
often find during their development that something
that had caused them major problems one day has
dissolved away into indifference the next day after
they have ‘slept on it.’
HOW DOES THE CONNECTION WORK?
Through the horse/human connection, these
learning experiences become accepted and integrated (i.e. they ‘soak’) into each one’s expanding
repertoire of things that are now deemed to be acceptable to their horse/human wiring: this is what
the psychologist Daniel Siegel would describe as a
‘widening of our window of tolerance.’ Herein lies
the potential for learning and flexing our range of
responses to situations that offer to stretch us.
STOP! PEACE!
Unlike horses, we humans build on our experiences
by attaching layers of meaning, value, and degrees of
significance to them, some of which can be revelatory and helpful. This is how Shelley began to make
sense of her experience. “First,” she said, “the horse
was literally modeling for me the ideas of both ‘Stop’
and ‘Peace.’ I noticed that the more still she was, the
deeper the connection felt between us.” Shelley was
forming an image of what a sense of ‘Peace’ could
look like for her if she were to stop long enough to
develop an actual relationship with it.
Next, going deeper, Shelley realized that “she
reminded me that I do know how to go there, to
‘Peace.’ But, when I do go there, I then have to
tolerate sadness.” Sadness is not an emotion that any
of us tend to embrace willingly. “I can do it, but then
I tend to have to make myself busy again.”
Shelley already knew that she relied on an old
pattern of avoiding ‘Stop’ and ‘Peace’ time by using
business to ward off her sadness. Often this took
the form of giving too much to others, draining the
energy she needed to self-direct her own life.
So Shelley’s unfolding dilemma could be seen as:
getting the fulfillment she wanted implied radical
career change. To pull that off, she would have to
community
develop or strengthen certain qualities to a much
higher level than had been needed so far. To dedicate
the time and mental space for that development
would require putting herself first. So: how to break
the old pattern of keeping herself too busy, especially
doing things for others? Changes such as these would
mean learning to say ‘no,’ even to some good things
(and accept that others would be disappointed); it
could also mean giving up the income and career
status she has enjoyed. Such changes would not work
without deep self-assurance and conviction.
Changes of this magnitude expose what parameters
are negotiable and non-negotiable when push comes
to shove. If we prefer a life in which financial risk
must be totally minimized, then we are hardly likely
to let go of a good salary to pursue something that
has no guarantees; not unless there is a safety net of
some strength put in place to mitigate our fears. We
would worry that saying ‘no’ could lead to people not
liking us any more. On the other hand, saying ‘no’
could liberate the time and energies that used to be
blocked. It may reveal who in our circle truly respects
our boundaries.
Little wonder, then, that Shelley’s body scan
revealed sensations of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘sadness.’
Her body knew the emotional strain that letting go
of the financial comfort she was used to would entail,
and the work behind the scenes required to find the
self-starting initiative, the tenacity and the entrepreneurial drive that she would need to stitch together a
safety net comprising a new or different combination
of income streams.
Who amongst us could ever willingly let go of assumptions, self-beliefs, habits or patterns that have
served us so far without there being a quantum of
sadness? Yet, as we stand on that threshold and
imagine inner peace shimmering out there on the
horizon, wouldn’t a more profound sadness be inevitable if we just continue on as before, but this time
knowing the limits presented and the real price to be
paid? Life transitions lay all this out before us and put
us into a state of spiritual deficit that motivates us to
do what we must to get back onto an even keel again.
INTEGRATING OPPOSITES:
A NEW TERRAIN
In a second revelation, Shelley said something new
had happened in that silent phase in the round pen
with Lozen: she had in fact experienced both peace
and sadness simultaneously. “Having both peace and
sadness together in my body at the same time: that’s
a new way of looking at it.” Shelley concluded, “Now I
can remember that I’m okay in that place. I can have
both. I don’t have to run away any more. It offers me
peace and that’s fine.”
In the months to follow, in her own reflections
and with her life coach, Shelley peeled back another
layer of meaning around her sadness that has a lot
to do with another old acquaintance: guilt. “Part of
me feels there’s something about it that is way too
selfish. Of course my head knows that following my
passion and talents is not at all about ‘me first, at the
expense of others.’ But still, I feel guilt in my body, so
something there is still to be resolved.”
TRANSITIONS ARE MESSY
When any of us face big choices or decisions, it is
wise to take time to thoroughly explore options, to
consider the pros and cons, to examine our instincts
and to listen to suggestions or advice. People offering
the advice may see the way forward as abundantly
clear, and show some frustration when their clearsighted advice is not taken up! That’s because they
aren’t the vulnerable ones feeling the shifting sands
beneath their feet, nor are they feeling the blood-chilling fear of loss of security, nor the weight of sadness
from having chosen to let go of something that had
served them well! Almost a year to the day after the
session with Lozen, I asked Shelley what she was now
thinking about her career options. She replied, “It no
longer feels like the important question. The most
important thing for me currently is having a better
relationship with myself. My feeling is that the direction of the life structure will make itself known when
I am in a better relationship with myself.”
“I’ve gone through a massive (therapy) process
over the last few months, and actually it has brought
me back to the same place as that session, only now
much deeper and with more clarity. It’s all about that
annoying cliché: loving myself. No wonder I didn’t
want to stop!”
TRANSITIONS CAN TAKE YEARS
What? A whole year and still no closer to a decision?
Welcome to the real work of life transitions! Decisions tend to come fast and furious only when the
‘readiness’ to act has reached a tipping point because
is it no longer thwarted by resistance. Developing real
‘readiness’ is the real work of transitions. We finally
arrive, after passing through much uncertainty and
ambivalence, in a place where there is something
compelling enough to move towards. We want to find
out whether what’s on offer could conceivably offset
the pain or inconvenience of taking it on board.
So, Shelley would need to have the inner security
(or ‘ego strength’) to practice looking people in the
eye and saying “Sorry, but I don’t dedicate time to
that anymore”; she would imagine her bank statement showing a considerable drop in income and no
other guarantees of security, and set that alongside
the pleasure of her time being dedicated to helping
people through horses. Or, she may imagine some
other way, or some other as-yet-unknown option
may turn up.
A RISKY BUSINESS
To take on changes like these, we must have thoroughly worked through all the emotions that arise
when our resistance rears up, neutralizing their
charge by listening to what they ask and what they
need us to do. Shelley’s work now centers on finding
out what she needs to do to feel fully deserving of
the future she wants. Then she can explore more
practical issues. It doesn’t really matter what the
actual final answer is, whether she changes jobs or
things remain much as they are. What matters is that
Shelley arrives at her answer through completion of
an honest emotional exploratory process (exactly
what she has been doing). The work continues.
ask, and paying attention and putting effort into the
right things. It’s about not wasting too much time
and energy procrastinating or going up blind alleys.
There is no doubt in Shelley’s mind that Lozen illuminated for her what to focus on as well as how
to go about focusing deeply. Shelley was shown
the way towards building readiness for making her
choices through taking the time to listen to the ache
of initially painful emotions, until a sense emerges
that, whatever the future holds, it should be Shelley’s
future, in the fullest sense that she can manifest it.
Anyone who values the horse/human relationship
can take from Shelley’s experience the validity of the
connection we feel with our horses and their role in
helping us develop and grow. Undemanding time
with our horses has a lot more to offer than perhaps
we could ever imagine! ST
Note: This was a teaching demonstration of a
Reflective EFHDL session as part of the IFEAL
Facilitator Training Programme (www.ifeal.me).
Kathleen Barry Ingram facilitated Shelley Carr
as a client with the horse Lozen. The session was
observed by the faculty and students of the 2013
program. Barbara Murray (author of this article)
and Shelley were co-faculty on this program. They
corresponded over the following months to explore
the ongoing impact of the session. Shelley Carr authorized the publication of this script.
GOING WITH THE FLOW
One conclusion to this case it that Shelley’s work
is by no means concluded! During the year since the
session, she has been swimming in the deeper waters
of the emotional dimension of the transition. Here,
the undertows could be treacherous if she were not
willing to stop and find a place of peace, to enter into
the flow so the work that needs to be done can run
its course. This is where much of the real nitty-gritty
stuff of human growth and development resides.
This has been a case about someone who, in a
session with a horse, had a powerful intuition and
went on to develop insights that shed new light on
some deep and long-standing struggles. It’s not
about having (or forcing) answers and solutions
right away. It’s about feeling confident that we are
on the right track, identifying the right questions to
community I
BY Y VET TE FENNING
A Zookeeper’s
Guide to Parelli
A
ny Australian around my age will
probably remember the TV presenter
Ranger Stacy. I used to watch her
on Totally Wild and be in complete
awe of all she knew about animals.
From dingoes to grasshoppers, there
wasn’t anything she didn’t know everything about.
Ranger Stacy had such a fun way of teaching people
about animals that it made me hungry to learn more.
I wanted to be Ranger Stacy, so I started reading everything I could find about animals (my favorite of
which was, and still is, the horse). I still have every
copy of Horse Sense magazine, which I subscribed to
as a child, along with about four bookcases of other
books about everything from horses to chimpanzees.
As much as I was focused on achieving my childhood dream to become Ranger Stacy, circumstances
led me down the scenic route to zookeeping. It took
a music degree and five years as a professional
musician before realizing that maybe I did have what
it took to work in the zoo industry.
Of all the courses I’ve taken and books
I’ve read, I credit the Parelli Program
for teaching me the most, which has
driven me to share the Parelli Program
with my zoo industry peers.
When I first started at the zoo, I thought that I
would be the dunce of the staff, with no formal
training in zookeeping (unless you count teaching
8-year-olds how to play the violin). Even though I’d
spent every spare moment of my life thus far attending Parelli clinics, studying dog-training courses,
attending reptile husbandry courses, raising injured
wildlife, and caring for my own growing menagerie,
I still felt that I knew nothing much about animals.
As it turns out, all those courses had taught me an
awful lot that I now apply daily in my workplace. Of
all the courses I’ve taken and books I’ve read, I credit
the Parelli Program for teaching me the most, which
has driven me to share the Parelli Program with my
zoo industry peers.
Since working in this industry, I have discovered
that there is very little taught about animal behavior
and psychology in any of the formal training courses
that lead to a zookeeping career. Most of our staff
has either a TAFE certificate in animal management
or a University degree in biology, zoology, environmental science, or even music. All of these courses
teach valuable things, but they do not teach animal
behavior from a psychological perspective – nothing
about prey/predator differences, prococial vs. altritial learners, herd/pack dynamics, and so on.
Having studied Parelli for many years now, it has
become easy for me to apply those techniques with
other animals. For example, when I walk into the
kangaroo paddock, I ensure that my belly button
is turned away from them, so they don’t get “bullhorned.” If I need to move the mob, I put pressure
either in front of or behind the drive line, and retreat
as soon as they move in the desired direction. What
I’ve also noticed is that some people have a natural
understanding of these concepts without actually
ever knowing what they are or putting them into
words, while other people need to be taught these
concepts; then, once they’ve learned it, it becomes
obvious to them too. While we have a very good team
of zookeepers, I wanted to offer them further learning
opportunities for their professional development,
and more importantly, I wanted them all to have the
same knowledge and skills as each other so that the
animals had more consistency and understanding
from their keepers.
Enter 4-Star Senior Parelli Instructor Carmen
Smith. The proposal for Carmen to present a talk
to the zoo staff was written and then accepted by
my manager, and Carmen came to the zoo in June
2013 for a two-hour session with our team. Carmen’s
knowledge and professionalism were so well-received that in June 2014, she was invited back to the
zoo, this time for four hours with our staff.
Carmen’s sessions at the zoo were held in our
office, which is plastered with photos of all sorts of
animals. This was very useful when Carmen was
speaking about the difference between prey species
and predator species, as it was very easy to look at
the photos and see if the animals’ eyes were placed
on the front of the face (like tigers), on the side of the
head (deer), or even on top of the head (crocodiles).
In fact, we happened to have a tank of 11 baby crocodile hatchlings in the office at the time of Carmen’s
visit. Carmen was able to use their tank as her desk
for the duration of her presentation.
Carmen talked with the staff about anthropomorphism, and introduced the Horsenality charts. Each
of the keepers filled in a Horsenality chart on a zoo
animal of their choice, and Carmen led a discussion
about what people learned from filling in the charts.
Carmen then discussed strategies for working with
different Horsenalities, and delved into the complex
world of Humanality/Horsenality matches or mismatches. Carmen navigated this discussion with true
professionalism and an overwhelming level of understanding of all the different personalities in the room.
Watching Carmen at work made me realize what a
master she is at teaching humans as well as horses.
community
Once Carmen had finished her sessions with the
staff, I took her on a behind-the-scenes tour of the
zoo. Carmen was kissed by Cassius, our gorgeous
male chimpanzee. Chimpanzees don’t just readily
accept newcomers into their dens, but Carmen was
accepted straight away with no noise or displays from
the chimps. Carmen got to hand-feed our beautiful
macaws, and then hold two of our largest snakes. She
met our dingoes while they were out on their daily
walk, and of course had to spend time with the best
animals in the zoo: the wombats. On Carmen’s last
visit, Esme – our Left-Brain Extrovert wombat – had
a taste of Carmen’s shoe, but this time around the
wombats were less mouthy.
It’s been a few months since Carmen’s visit, and
the staff members are still talking about it. They are
adjusting training strategies with their animals to
match their “animalities” and talking to each other
about the differences in their Humanalities. It’s given
the team a whole new dialogue to work with, and has
created a much deeper understanding of what motivates the animals and their fellow team members.
My sincere appreciation and thanks go to Carmen
for stepping into this environment and sharing her
knowledge and skills with a different crowd. I’m
encouraged by the acceptance of Parelli concepts by
our management team, and look forward to many
more Parelli-inspired events at the zoo in the years
to come.
I still feel like I’m a long way short of Ranger Stacy,
but I’m much further down that road than I was five
years ago. It’s a privilege to be in a position to be able
to help others develop their knowledge and skills for
the benefit of the animals in our care. ST
Atwood Ranch
It’s Baby Time!
A
t the start of foaling season, Atwood
Ranch revisits the past. We keep
fastidious records of past foalings,
and look back to review which mares
foaled early, who had complications,
and the signs each mare exhibited.
This helps prepare us for coming events.
The broodmares have spent the winter in green
pastures and rolling hills. Thirty days prior to a
mare’s expected due date (which we calculate as 340
days from the last breeding date), we bring her close
to headquarters. Generally she is trailered up with
a couple mares with similar dates. These mares will
spend their days out in the pastures and paddocks
close to the lab and barn, and their nights in the
foaling barn.
We will vaccinate the mares in order to build up
their colostral antibodies, which they will subsequently share with their foals via nursing. Our attentive team watches for signs of pending delivery while
we prepare our foaling kits. We test the pre-foaling
milk for changes in electrolyte levels, calcium in particular. This oftentimes is a good indicator of parturition in the coming 24-48 hours.
Since most mares foal during the night, two other
high-tech tools are used to enable us to attend each
mare’s delivery. One is a closed circuit camera system
in each foaling stall (which our team can access from
our laptops, smartphones, and tablets), and the
other is a transmitter that is attached to the vulva of
the mare.
Being present during foaling allows us to imprint
each foal and assist (if necessary) in the delivery
process. Should there be difficulties, we can intervene
or call our vet for assistance. We have spent several
years and many hours establishing solid, trusting relationships with our broodmares. They don’t object
to our presence, and seem to appreciate our support.
As the foal is born, we towel-dry him, keeping him
near his dam and assuring the mare that she is safe
to stay in a prone position for as long as she likes.
This is where the relationship with the broodmares
is critical. They trust us to be there during the most
vulnerable of times, and to handle their newborns
with a gentle touch.
Our protocol at Atwood Ranch is such that the
foal needs to stand within an hour of birth and
nurse within two hours, and the mare must pass her
placenta within three. If any of this does not occur on
schedule, we may choose to assist. Research shows
that 80% of the time, nothing goes wrong. But after
waiting more than eleven long months for Junior to
arrive, we want to be certain that both mare and foal
are safe, healthy, and happy!
It’s these little differences, like the rapport we’ve
built with the broodmares and the time we invest
in foal handling, that make the big difference in the
Atwood Ranch horses. When you’re ready for your
next partner, come see for yourself!
ATWOOD RANCH,
16565 Reeds Creek Rd.,
Red Bluff, CA 96080
(530) 528-0504
www.AtwoodRanchNaturally.com
community I
B Y M AT T H I A P O N T O N I
Evergreen
Horses: Bringing
Parelli to India
E
vergreen Horses is a natural horsemanship school based in Auroville, South
India. Yes, South India: 45º Celsius,
90% humidity, heavy traffic and free
roaming cows. On top of it, the school
adopted the name of the forest in which
it is located, the Evergreen forest. Yes, forest... filled
with snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes.
This is the place we call home!
Auroville is an international township founded on
the philosophy of human unity and making the most
of all discoveries to make the world a better place by
creating a society based on new values. It’s a place
of unending education. So, we thought, what better
values to share than love, language and leadership?
What better discovery than that of re-discovering
oneself through horses? What better way to broaden
one’s horizons of unending education than the
journey of Horse-Man-Ship?
That’s how Evergreen Horses was created by Sara
Eberle in 2009, with the support of her partner (and
the author of this article) Matthia Pontoni, who’d
been planning the development of the school; Maya
Martens, who has been instrumental with regards to
the classes; and Namoi Moro, only 14 years old, but
eager to participate in the school activities by helping
with classes and stable chores.
What better discovery than
that of re-discovering oneself
through horses? What better
way to broaden one’s horizons
of unending education than
the journey of Horse-Man-Ship?
Five horses and five ponies make up the Evergreen Horses family. Some of them were rescued
because their previous owners could not handle
them anymore, some used to kick people or other
horses during lessons, some were impossible to
saddle, and some were simply left-brain dominant.
We gave them a new home and a purpose, and in
turn they taught us many things, particularly about
how important it is to understand Horsenalities and
adapt accordingly. All our horses are kept together
in a herd and are barefoot. Most of the riding is done
bareback, which, for them, has been a relief from a
life of ill-fitting saddles.
The lives of these horses changed dramatically
for the better, as the overall equine sport industry
community
in India has not yet reached the level of awareness
needed to understand that, by keeping it natural, a
true partnership can be formed. Most schools still
put the goals before the principles, and this is one of
the reasons we think that Evergreen Horses shows
how natural horsemanship can make the difference.
Since the beginning, the project has been self-sustainable, and our main goal is to increase awareness
in the new generations of young horse people, to introduce them to something different than the “usual”
riding schools; we want to give the children the necessary tools to not only excel with horses, but also
gain a different perspective to life. With the adults,
we aim to give real solutions to real problems and
empower them with clear strategies to work towards
excellence with horses.
Parelli Natural Horsemanship is what we learn, and
it is what we wanted to teach the children in everyday
classes, but we did not just want to teach them the
“art of not falling off a horse.” Instead, we wanted
to establish a solid background theory in horsemanship, so that everyone can really understand the real
meaning of the games, exercises, and simulations.
Evergreen Horses wants to be primarily an education
facility, and not just another “riding school.”
This year, in order to move further in that direction,
we are going to offer a new program with a group of
children attending two classes a week: one on theory,
and the other on practice and simulation. Our first
textbook will be the new HorseManShip Theory
Book, which we find so awesome! We are so excited,
and we’re looking forward to a year filled with fun
and learning!
Today, we have a total of 25 students of all nationalities. We hope to increase the number of classes and
students in the future and expand our curriculum as
our knowledge increases. In fact, our team members’
dream would be to become Parelli Professionals and
go around India and share natural horsemanship in
as many schools and with as many horse people as
possible.
The main difficulty we face in running the school
efficiently and pursuing our betterment as teachers
is economic. We have enough funds to support the
school, but expanding our facilities or purchasing the
tack for every horse is the result of many years’ worth
of savings. Also, the DVDs and educational materials are not easy for us to acquire, and the course fees
abroad are prohibitive.
We work based on contributions from our students,
and their parents work as volunteers in Auroville and
receive a minimal salary, so what we receive at the
end of the month covers the running costs. We want
Parelli Natural Horsemanship to be accessible to
all children that show interest; in order to keep this
going, the team has had to make a lot of sacrifices.
We have nonetheless progressed so much that we
want to keep going!
On the learning front, it has been difficult to keep
progressing in India, as we cannot find support and
feel slightly isolated. We learn alone and teach each
other, but in order to move forward, we have asked
for help from a Parelli Professional abroad!
In May 2014, Sara and I met with 4-Star Senior
Parelli Instructor Carmen Zulauf at her stable in
Switzerland, in a quest to bring a Parelli Professional to India and find a coach that would help us
progress with our horsemanship. The response was
overwhelming; she gave us so much support and motivation! It has been amazing to meet other Parelli
people and feel part of a family! We now believe that
we are on the right track, that the help we need for
the school and ourselves will come soon, and that we
will be able to create an important point of reference
for Parelli Natural Horsemanship in India.
One of the things Carmen told us that we kept in
mind was that “if you take care of your horsemanship, your horsemanship will take care of you.” We
want to start this new year with this motto, and with
her help, we’ll take our horsemanship and the school
to the next level. ST
If you want to keep updated on our progress, contribute in any way, or just find out more about us,
you can visit our website, evergreenhorses.com, or
write us at [email protected].
community I
B Y I S A B E L L E FA R M E R
Parelli and
the Cavalry
I
was recently asked by Mr. Bob Byrns, the
site manager and horsemanship advisor to
the Parsons Mounted Cavalry at Texas A&M
University, to volunteer and help teach their
cadets and equines for one day before the
school year started. As an enthusiastic Aggie
myself (class of 1980), I was thrilled to be asked and
agreed immediately to such a great opportunity. This
was made possible through my connection to Sgt.
Leslie Wills of the Houston Mounted Patrol, who
has been implementing Parelli Natural Horsemanship training at the Houston Mounted Patrol unit for
many years now.
The other volunteers that day at Texas A&M were
Sgt. Leslie Wills, Officer Greg Sokolowski, both of the
Houston Mounted Patrol Unit, and Dr. Wendy Carpenter, an avid Parelli student. As a group, we were
able to touch the lives of over 40 cadets, and also
members of the Texas Border Patrol.
A founding member of Parsons Mounted Cavalry
as a student himself in 1973, Bob’s dedication to the
cadets and the equines of the PMC is impressive. His
goal is to have the PMC be a perpetual and integral
part of Texas A&M University, so that many, many
more cadets can get the unique and powerful experience of being one of its members.
The Parsons Mounted Cavalry at Texas A&M University is a ceremonial unit, which is part of Texas
A&M’s Corps of Cadets. Before World War II, Texas
A&M commissioned more officers into the US
military than the US military academies combined.
Now, at 2500 in number, about half of the Corps
of Cadets become commissioned officers in the US
military upon graduation, a number that puts it only
behind the three US military academies.
Parsons Mounted Cavlary is a dynamic, hands-on
leadership laboratory that focuses on cadet
interactions with horses, consisting of ground skills,
riding, and pulling wagons and cannons. They are
the largest mounted military unit in the world. In
addition, the cadets, along with their equines, have
the chance to travel and perform for the public.
The cadets are also expected to learn horse husbandry, along with facility and equipment maintenance. The cadets are completely responsible for the
running of the unit, the planning and implementing
of events, and the care and feeding of the horses.
These opportunities provide cadets with important
life experiences and lessons in responsibility.
After graduation from Texas A&M University, the
cadets’ cavalry experience is expected to translate
into management, leadership, self-motivation and
organizational skills. All of their accomplishments
as cavalry members occur within the context of historical importance to Texas A&M University and the
history of the US military.
One of the things I found extremely impressive
about the PMC cadets is that when cadets enter as
sophomores, approximately 95% have never touched
a horse. It is a prized position to be accepted into the
PMC, with three applicants to every slot available.
The cadets are chosen based on grades (they must
maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA while a member) and
character.
Bob teaches them to ride in the first sixty days,
bareback and with a single rein lead rope. Imagine
seeing all of these beginner riders in an arena doing
bareback one-rein riding! In just a short year to yearand-a-half, he has his cadets ready to perform in
parades and major functions with very large crowds
of people, including home football games at Texas
A&M University. Bob’s dedication to his cadets
also extends to the horses of the Parsons Mounted
Cavalry.
First, he has focused his training of the horses with
natural horsemanship. Slow and right beats fast and
wrong, and it is obvious as the cadets go through their
preparations for a football game day at A&M that
they follow a methodical, consistent, well-rehearsed
community
protocol. He has developed two infinity tracks for
the housing of the PMC equines. He has made the
decision to have their equines go barefoot, and their
horses are very sound.
Of course, if any of the horses do require care for an
injury or illness, they have one of the best veterinary
colleges in the world at Texas A&M. In addition to
their role as ceremonial mounts for the PMC, these
equines are also used in the rehabiltation of our
military veterans in the College Station area, another
program to which Bob Byrns is dedicated.
The day we helped the cadets with their training
started in the morning, helping them with Level 1
ground skills as well as Level 2 riding skills through
the Seven Games. In the afternoon, we took what
the cadets had learned earlier and put those skills
to a purpose by simulating what it’s like to ride in a
parade atmosphere and football game days at Texas
A&M. The PMC is asked to march in review onto Kyle
Field before each home football game.
This year, as a result of a multi-million dollar
facility upgrade, they now have the additional challenge of having to ride their horses in formation
through tunnels that run under the south end zone
stands leading to the football field. The cadets put
natural horsemanship principles to a purpose!
In the afternoon, we taught the cadets the importance of the Stick-to-Me game, so that they can be
safe and effective leading their impressive equines.
Of course, like horses but more so, the use of understanding, communication and psychology is
even more important with their group of four sweet,
lovely mules.
This game also added a purpose to the Porcupine
and Driving Games that they had learned earlier in
the day. It wasn’t long before they all had their mules
willingly following them around the arena. The sense
of accomplishment was palpable throughout the day.
We found the cadets to be very open and eager to
learn about the nature of equines and how they can
get their job done with understanding, communication, and psychology. It was great to feel their level of
commitment in taking excellent care of their equines,
to staying as safe as possible, and to being excellent
representatives of their university and the Cadet
Corps at Texas A&M.
One cadet, Stephanie Minors, said that she wants
to use her love of horses and her experience with
the PMC, along with her degree at Texas A&M, to
help veterans and others rehabilitate from injury or
illness through equine therapy.
Turner Bickford, another member of the PMC,
already has a contract with the US Army; when he
graduates in 2016, he will be commissioned in the
US Army as a Second Lieutenant. As a fifth grader,
he saw the PMC before a football game and said to
himself, “I want to be one of them!” Now, he’s made
his dream come true. He also told me that the chance
to go out and be with the horses of the PMC has been
a great stress reliever for him, as an extremely busy
college student.
As a Parelli Professional, I have found volunteering to be an invaluable part of my helping to make
the world a better place for horses and humans. As
Pat says, “Don’t go the extra mile for someone who’s
going in the opposite direction.” In the case of the
Parsons Mounted Cavalry, their direction is clear
and focused: it’s on what is best for their equines
and their cadets, and to having the Parsons Mounted
Cavalry sustain itself into the future so that others
can experience the powerful lessons horses can teach
humans. It’s been a privilege to be a small part in
that vision. ST
Introducing
Your Parelli education. One step at a time.
On Line – using ropes of varying lengths while playing on the ground – is the first of the four Parelli
Savvys, and it has proven to be the most successful entry point into the Parelli Program for hundreds of
thousands of students across the globe. On Line teaches you how to develop a solid, reliable foundation
with your horse. By becoming proficient with your tools and developing your understanding of horse
behavior and body language on the ground, you will go on to achieve amazing results.www.parelli.com | 51
community I
BY TERI SPR AGUE-STREGE
JoyFull: The Rest
of the Story
“W
hat’s the story on
your Atwood filly?”
I got this question
quite a bit at the
2014 Savvy Summit.
AR Bound for Silver
(aka JoyFull) was my Road to the Summit filly who
did not make it back to this year’s Summit due to
lameness, but there is quite a story behind all that,
which I would like to share with her followers.
The story actually starts a long time ago, but let’s
pick it up in August 2012. My beloved horse Dazzle
died suddenly from colic at the age of five. During
her illness, I felt a special closeness to God and—
strangely—did not mourn. However, in the spring
of 2013, I would be working around the ranch and
suddenly find myself shedding tears. I’d ask, “Why
am I weeping?” The answer seemed to be “mourning
for Dazzle.” After several months of this, I was getting
tired of how quickly the tears could come. Then I
began to have another thought—from scripture:
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy!” (Psalm
126:5).
I thought, “Well, I must have a very bountiful
harvest in store, because I certainly have been sowing
a large crop!”
Fast forward to late August 2013. I was on my way
to the Instructor Conference by way of a couple of
days of lessons when I got an email announcing the
Road to the Summit opportunity. I had long entertained the idea of doing something like this, but this
was way safer than taking on a makeover mustang.
This was almost like raising my own. To take an
imprinted, gentle, and already nearly Level 2 horse
(with great Atwood breeding) and develop that horse
seemed perfect, but since I was already on the road,
I had no way to print the application and get it in
before the deadline. I figured if I was supposed to do
it, a way to get the application would show up.
When I arrived at the Instructor Conference, I met
up with longtime friend, colleague, and study center
director, Ann Kiser. She said she would bring applications to the conference the next day. She did, and
many Instructors took advantage of the opportunity. More applications came in than there were colts
available. A committee would review the applications
and make selections. I figured that if it was to be, I
would be selected.
In the meantime, the colts arrived. I went out to
take a look and dream a little bit. First I looked for
fillies, because I have a strong preference for mares.
There was only one, but she was grey. Even though
she was a hand taller than the colts and very refined,
I wasn’t sure I wanted another grey horse. I had had
two and they require a lot more effort to prepare for
exhibition because they show dirt so much more
easily. Nevertheless, I was drawn to her.
I asked about the horses in general. There were
other geldings that were quite nice, but I kept
thinking about the filly. Then Mattie Cowherd told
There were other geldings
that were quite nice, but I kept
thinking about the filly.
me her barn name--Joyful! It was pretty much all
over after that! But of course, I had to be chosen, and
I had to be able to pick her.
I got word the next day that I had indeed made the
cut. Over the next few days, Joyful garnered quite a
following. She definitely stood out in the group of
yearlings with her unusual color, size, and English
look. I knew that in order to get her, I would have to
have first choice. I prayed, “If you want me to do this,
please let me get the first pick.”
The Instructors filed into the arena after Pat showcased the herd of Atwood youngsters at Liberty. He
began passing the hat around for Instructors to draw
their choosing order. Four other Instructors drew
before me, but none drew number one. I put my hand
in and came up with two pieces of paper. I rubbed
them together until one fell out, and then unfolded
the remaining piece. I gasped! It said “1”!
community
Pat asked me which one I wanted, and I said “The
filly... the grey!” I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t
stop smiling.
I changed the spelling of her name to JoyFull
because she was such a gift to me and a testimony
to God’s love for me, but that was just the beginning.
Over the first few weeks that I had her, I kept getting
the impression that somehow she was going to be in
my life on a long-term basis, and specifically that I
was “to give her my whole heart.” This was a great
challenge for me because I had learned many life
lessons that taught me to protect my heart.
As I got to know the big grey filly, I discovered that
she was very much like Dazzle: a Left-Brain Extrovert that liked to argue, but would show some RBI
tendencies when she was uncertain. She learned
quickly though and soon we were working On Line
through Level 3. She could do all the obstacles on
my playground, including (inadvertently) the big log
jump. I was just circling her one day, not thinking she
would even give it a thought, when she sailed over
it! At her young age, I decided to avoid that, but the
thought of that kind of talent excited me!
Her training went along at a good clip. I was impressed most days with what we accomplished. We
continued playing through Level 3 On Line and
Liberty and began Level 4 by the end of March. I
began to scheme about how I might be able to buy
her myself, but being that I was recovering from a
challenging business situation, funds were tight.
In April, I started her saddle training. Initially she
had some issues with the saddle, but we worked
through it and I began riding. On the fourth ride, she
seemed a little off. I gave her a few days off. She was
then okay for a few rides, and then off again. I kept
giving her more and more time off after a lame ride,
but after two days of riding she would be off again.
I scheduled an appointment at the Colorado State
University vet hospital. However, after three days,
she got better and better, not showing any lameness.
I cancelled the appointment.
The next week I had some great rides on her. I had
less than 20 riding hours and we were beginning
Level 3! I decided to sell one or both of my other
horses in order to make a bid on her at the Summit.
Then she turned up lame again. I took her to the
University and they diagnosed her with a lesion on
her fetlock. A second opinion called it a cyst. Both
said it would required surgery, to the tune of $2500.
Even with the surgery, the prognosis was only fair.
An alternative was steroids with an even more
bleak prognosis.
In either case, she was not going to be rideable for
the Summit. I was stunned! But was this how she was
going to be able to stay in my life? I was torn between
sending her back to the Parelli Education Institute or
asking them to sell her to me at a reduced price. I was
secretly hoping I could get her for just my investment
in her. It really did not make good business sense to
take on a lame two-year-old, yet I could not get it out
of my mind, the sense that she was supposed to stick
around in my life.
So I emailed the Institute and asked if they would
sell her to me at a reduced price. After nearly a week
and no response, I decided they must have some
other plan for her. I had just sat down to send an
email asking about where and when they wanted
me to bring her when I got an evening call from Lori
Northrup. She said they had a proposition for me.
They were willing to sell her to me for a very low
price, and through the kindness of an anonymous
donor, ultimately it did not cost me an extra penny!
You may or may not be a believer, but I cannot deny
God’s hand in all this. I know he still has a plan for
me and JoyFull, and I can hardly wait to see what he
does next. Will he just heal her miraculously? Or will
he provide, just as miraculously, for the surgery?
Press Time Update: Since late August JoyFull
has been on a special feed regimen suggested by a
race horse lameness specialist. The feed improved
her lameness from a grade 4-5 at CSU to about a 3.
In late September, I started photonic therapy. After
four treatments, she was barely noticeably lame. She
was sound from October 8-November 13. On that
day, I brought her in to brag on her progress to my
farrier and she was grade 4 lame, seemingly in both
front feet. Sigh! I realized that, because of the bitter
cold weather we had been experiencing – along with
her great progress – I had become lax in my photonic
treatments. She had not had one for about a week.
I treated her that day, then two days later, then
skipped a day, and then three days in a row. At the
end of this sequence, she was sound and sassy again!
So far, so good. In the meantime, I sold my warmblood, Triumph, and have the money for the surgery
if needed. I plan to give JoyFull a couple more
months before taking her for more x-rays. I am not
sure why she is to stay in my life or for how long, but
it is an exciting journey! ST
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education I
BY DON JESSOP
The Game of Effort
O
ver the past decade as a 3-Star
Parelli Professional, I’ve helped
people who are struggling with all
kinds of things. But the biggest
“bugaboo” of all is the Circling
Game, particularly when it comes
to getting the horse to maintain gait. People who
are okay with making mistakes usually figure it out
pretty quick, and get their horses going for longer.
People who are worried about screwing it up usually
do and end up taking forever to get to the higher
levels of Parelli. The reason the Circling Game is so
challenging for people is because it’s challenging for
the horse. The horse pulls away, quits on you, comes
too close, goes out too far, keeps changing speeds or
direction… this can all be frustrating. Why? Because
the horse doesn’t want to go around in mindless
circles. He doesn’t want to trot or canter just for the
sake of trotting or cantering.
In the field and in the herd, horses play together.
They run, they trot; occasionally they even keep it
up for a few minutes at a time. However, from the
horse’s point of view, there is no logic in going round
The reason the Circling Game is so
challenging for people is because it’s
challenging for the horse.
and round on a circle for you. I want to show you
how to help your horse want to put in effort towards
playing this game and maintaining gait.
I call it the “Game of Effort,” and here’s how it
works:
We’re going to use the canter as our example.
Let’s say I ask my horse to transition smoothly up
into the canter on the circle. He gives me two strides,
then breaks down to a trot. Sound familiar? In this
game, I will allow him to break gait and turn my focus
to the reality that he did actually canter when I asked
him to. I’ll reward him for his effort by bringing him
in and petting him (sometimes I give treats), and
then set it up to play again.
This time, I ask my horse to transition smoothly up
again into canter, but I won’t allow him to break gait
unless he makes it past two strides of canter. When
he does make it past, I allow him to keep cantering –
maybe he’ll offer more than three strides. If he does
offer more, I gratefully accept his extra effort. If he
quits at three strides, I’m okay with that too, because
he did exactly what I asked him to. I reward his effort
by bringing him in to rest, and set up the game to
play again.
This time (after he gave me three strides), I ask
for four strides of canter or more. I won’t accept
anything less, but I’ll allow anything more than it.
Let’s say he offers me only two strides again. I don’t
allow it. I ask him to keep going, and then I send him
right back into the canter. He offers me three strides.
CREDIT: LAURIE FIX PHOTOGRAPHY
I don’t allow it. I ask him to go again. He offers me
four strides and breaks gait. I allow him to stop and
rest because he finally made it to my mark. I reward
his effort by giving him time to rest, then I set up the
game and play again.
Next, since he gave me four strides, I ask him for
five or more strides. I won’t accept anything less, but
I’ll allow anything more. In this case, he offers me
five strides, and then keeps going: six, seven, eight,
nine strides before breaking gait. I allow him to stop
and I reward him for his extra effort. He rests, then I
set up the game and play again.
Since he offered nine strides last time, now I ask
him for 10 strides. I actually leap frog with his effort. I
don’t accept anything less than 10 but allow anything
more. Let’s say he goes all the way up to 18 or so. I
immediately offer him a huge reward.
At a certain point, I stop this game for the day and
come back tomorrow. Otherwise I’ll cause my horse
to be physically fatigued, and I won’t be able to get
any effort from him. If I go too long, I’ll actually
have to stop before I reach my goals because he can’t
physically do it when he’s unbalanced or too tired.
When I come back to the game the next day, I
always ask him to offer what he wants. I may ask
him to canter and he only offers three strides, even
though yesterday he offered 18. I always start where
he needs to start, and I set a goal to end the day by
beating the 18 I got yesterday.
Here’s a true story. A few years ago, when I started
teaching this concept, one of my students in Montana
was struggling to get more than half a circle at the
canter. I asked her to play the game, and coached
her along as she did it. At first the horse wouldn’t
canter more than eight strides (about half a circle).
We started by asking for nine strides, not accepting anything less but allowing anything more. She
finally offered 10 strides. Within a few minutes she
got the concept. When she asked for 11 strides, her
horse offered 17 strides. After rewarding her horse,
she asked for 18 strides. Her horse offered 32 strides,
then broke gait. She rewarded her and set up to play
education
again, because it was all happening so quickly and
the horse was not fatigued. I asked her to ask for 33
strides. Her horse offered 72 strides.
At that point, I asked her to stop and leave it on a
good note. I sent her home to practice, and then give
me an update in two weeks.
Two weeks later, she indeed phoned me and said,
“Okay, Don. I got to a certain point and stopped
counting strides. I decided to count circles instead.” I
said, “Great! How many circles is she offering now?”
She said, “Remember how I could only do about half
a circle before? Well, yesterday I got 62 circles at the
canter on a 22-foot line! What do I do next?”
I said, with huge laugh welling up inside me, “STOP
circling! You only need 20 circles for Level 4!”
I was so proud of her commitment to the game.
Plus, as you can see, her horse clearly understood
that putting in effort was well worth it. I said to her at
that point, “You both enjoy the game now, and you’ve
got your horse maintaining gait well enough to help
you prepare for your Level 4 audition!”
Now, I wouldn’t recommend doing 62 circles, as it’s
not great for your horse’s joints. You want to build
slowly. But the concept of rewarding effort rings true.
If you reward effort, you get effort. If you only focus
on “not breaking gait,” you’re destined to be frustrated. All you have to do is clearly define what effort
is in the moment, so you know when your horse is
offering it or not.
In this game, the effort was clearly defined. We
made the right thing easy and the wrong thing
difficult, rather than punishing the horse for not
maintaining gait.
For riding, the concept is the same. Recognize the
horse’s initial desire to maintain a particular speed
by counting strides or distances. Then progressively
move the marker further away and ask the horse to
make it to the new marker or past the marker. You’ll
have your horse maintaining gait in no time.
It even works for horses that want to go too fast.
Simply count the strides until the horse breaks gait,
and then set a new marker to make it past that point.
Slow the horse down every time he goes too fast, and
reset the game. Be progressive but safe, and have fun!
In this game, the effort was clearly
defined. We made the right thing easy
and the wrong thing difficult.
Special note: As with any technique you learn as
a student, I want you to remember that there are
others. This isn’t the only way! Stick to your principles and you’ll discover many ways that work. Some
better than others, of course, but horses are smart
and can figure out what you want even if you’re not
perfect. Especially if you’re persistent and kind.
POSSIBLE PITFALLS:
1. Recognize physical fatigue! In the beginning,
even with impulsive horses, you can wear
them out physically because they put so much
energy into opposition reflex. Don’t get frustrated! Recognize physical fatigue and quit
before your horse runs completely out of gas!
We don’t want a lame horse.
2. Don’t set your goals before you start. In other
words, don’t say “I want four circles” when you
haven’t even asked what the horse wants yet.
Allow the horse to dictate the start point and
work up from there.
3. Don’t punish the horse for breaking gait –
that’s a big NO! Simply send him back into
the gait again – unless of course he’s already
accomplished the small goal you’ve set it front
of him. At that point, you simply allow him to
stop, and reward that effort.
4. Don’t be too quick with anything you do, unless
it comes to a safety issue! Smooth horsemanship is always more attractive than rough and
sharp, or fast pressure coming from you!
5. Don’t stop the horse when he’s putting in
effort! Allow the extra effort, because you
might find out your horse is more capable than
you thought. Allow, but don’t make him keep
going after he accomplishes the task. Only stop
him after he’s decided to slow down and the
task has been completed.
6. End on a good note. If it’s too physically challenging for the horse to get past a certain point,
don’t push the issue. I’ll usually try three or
four times at those particular physical thresholds, and then if I notice the horse is starting to
tire out, I won’t continue, even if I didn’t reach
my goal. I know that if I’m patient, day-by-day,
the horse will improve!
Want to see the “game of effort” in action? Go to:
www.DonandRachel.com/gameofeffort ST
Leads&LLead
CHANGES
PREREQUISITES FOR PERFORMANCE
WITH PAT PARELLI
The lead change is an integral component of performance, regardless
of discipline, but the necessary skills
and techniques need to be developed
long before you enter the performance
arena. With this educational DVD, Pat
Parelli guides you through the essential building blocks of reliable, fluid
simple and flying lead changes. As part
of Parelli’s Four Savvys Support Series,
this DVD offers an in-depth look at an
important but often misunderstood
skill, from concept to execution and all
the way to excellence.
“Love, love, love this! The way Pat coaches
Aurelie through the basics with this young
horse is awesome! Don’t lose forward, don’t
make the horse feel wrong, great isolation/
suppling/strengthening exercises, all about
managing the impulsion by managing the
rider’s energy. And Aurelie’s ‘what I got out
of the lesson’ was spot on with the most
important things Pat said, for her and Sam
at this point.” ~Jennifer M.
education I
B Y M AT T I E C O W H E R D
How to Become Best
Friends with your
Vet and Farrier
Y
our horse is very important to you, I
am sure, just as my horses are to me.
We always want what’s best for our
horses. This includes quality professional care, and our vets and farriers
are two key players in our horse care
team. We want professionals who are courteous and
have our horses’ best interests in mind. Believe me,
most equine health professionals are there because
they love horses. Since we are all there for the horse,
we need to work as a synchronized team to give our
horses the best care that we can.
I have been an equine professional for years, and
now, as a Parelli Professional, I am even more aware
of how important prior and proper preparation is
with regards to our veterinarians, farriers, and other
equine professionals. Having been on both sides of
the equation (I am a barefoot practitioner, as well as
a 3-Star Parelli Instructor and Horse Development
Specialist), I can honestly say that my job is infinitely
harder when a horse is not prepared properly. Just
as we expect good bedside manner from our equine
professionals, we should also return the favor and
have horses that are fun and easy to work with.
This is something that, as Parelli people, we need
to make part of our culture. Yes, I want my horse’s
needs taken care of, but I should also have high standards for my horse’s behavior. I want all of my horses
to be my vet and farrier’s star clients. I also want my
equine professionals to look forward to seeing and
interacting with ME.
THINGS TO DO BEFORE MAKING
AN APPOINTMENT
Pat Parelli always says, “If your horse is scared
of blackbirds, expose them to eagles.” This same
statement needs to apply to our preparations. If my
horse has trouble standing quietly for my farrier or is
scared of needles and is a danger to my vet, I have a
responsibility as the owner to handle my horse ahead
of time. It can also be beneficial to let my practitioner
know about the horse’s past history in a calm, collected way. The past is the past, so don’t dwell on it, but
if your horse has been dangerous in the past, let the
practitioner know so they can change their approach.
I may need to be more aware of how I pick my
horse’s feet daily – not allowing him to lean or pull
his foot away whenever he wants. I may need to play
with my extroverted horse for a while before the appointment so she is ready to stand still. If I have a
horse that is dangerous to deworm or needle prep,
I should make a program for a few weeks before my
vet or stable manager is going to deworm and vaccinate or sedate, so my horse is more willing during
the exams.
If your horse is having trouble during an appointment, make a note of it. In your practices between
appointments, focus on the issue and see how much
more you need to do so that the appointment itself
seems easy for your horse. For example: if my horse
gets tired or impatient easily when my farrier is
trimming and shoeing, maybe I need to practice
holding his feet up for longer and get him more used
to allowing me to move his leg into strange positions.
I may need to slap the bottom of the hoof or slide
objects across it so the horse gets used to strange
sensations, so the rasp, nippers, and nailing process
goes easier.
Something I hear from a lot of vets and farriers is
how frustrated they are when horses are not caught
and ready for their appointments. Go out early and
have your horse brought to a place where you can
easily catch it when your farrier or vet arrives. They
have busy lives, and not all appointments go well, so
be sympathetic when they come in tired, a little later
than expected, or distracted – they may just be concerned with a horse that they just left.
The other big concern for them is having owners
that fuss the horse – often causing the horse to be
agitated during the exam – and who argue with their
feedback. Be attentive to what your practitioner needs
while they are there. Gather notes and ask questions
politely. If you want a second opinion, you can still
be courteous during their visit. Be aware of your
emotions – you may want to bring a neutral friend
to the exam if you know that you are not in a state
to remember what is being said and to be a positive
assistance for your practitioner. For example, you
may want your friend to be there if it is an emergency
situation and you are worried. You may also call a
friend if you are not a calm, confident leader when
your horse gets upset.
are fantastic clients. Many Parelli horses are super
stars. Be proud of what your horse is good at – and
don’t be afraid to work on the things that could be
better. We want equine professionals to be excited
to know that they will be going to a Parelli home. If
your practitioner isn’t excited to see you, ask why
and be prepared to work on yourself when you get
the answer!
Emotional fitness is probably one of the biggest
pluses or minuses in a client. If you stay calm and ask
lots of questions – especially educated ones, to gain
knowledge – it can help the whole process along.
Be part of the team and be a constructive client. If
your practitioner is requesting that you work on a
behavior or change something in your daily routine,
be willing to ask why and try to implement it. You are
the one who called THEM to ask for their help, after
all! Even really challenging situations are so much
better when you know that you are both working in
the same direction.
CONCLUSION
Be a proactive and helpful part of your horse’s
health team. Learn to do the little tasks – like bandaging, taking vital signs, and the horse training
aspect – very well. Keep your professional help happy
by preparing yourself and your horse for their visits.
We want to make a difference in the horse community, so we need to build our foundations up from the
inside to share it outward. Let’s go, team! ST
THINGS TO CONSIDER FROM A
PROFESSIONAL’S PERSPECTIVE
Working with horses is an exhausting and dangerous profession. Horse owners have a funny way
of allowing their charges to be unsafe and thinking
it’s cute. Horses are large animals and many are not
properly prepared and played with to become good,
solid citizens. Even the most docile horse can simply
not be paying attention and accidently hurt a human
– just because of their size and weight.
Parelli focuses first and foremost on the relationship with a horse. This does make an equine professional’s job easier – as long as the horse is respectful and confident around humans. A conscientious
owner is a dream to work with. Many Parelli students
education I
BY CEZ ANNE DECRISTOFORO
Build a Stronger
Relationship in Just
15 Minutes a Day
I
think I’m like most horse people. I love
spending time with my horses. However, I
am also a busy mom with two young boys,
trying to juggle day-to-day life with kids and
work. Finding an hour or two for my horses
can be difficult. However, I can usually find 15
minutes. This is a strategy I use. It should get you
motivated to get out with your horse and build a
stronger relationship. It’s time to be successful, and
enjoy your horse!
How much time do you invest into your relationship with your horse? If I told you that you could get
results in only 15 minutes a day, you probably would
question it. How could you be successful in just 15
minutes, when you go out for hours and your horse
doesn’t seem any better than the last time? The truth
is, you can get a lot done in a small amount of time.
It just takes a plan, a focus on small successes, and
commitment from you to get out and invest the time
each day. Now, I’m not saying your results will be immediate; however, you should start to see a change in
your relationship soon. Give yourself permission to
be okay with whatever is offered in 15 minutes. You
need to recognize the smallest change, and realize
that he has the rest of his life to be perfect.
Everyone has heard Pat talk about “simple things
done well.” Well, how well does your horse do the
simple things? Here are five of the 13 things that Pat
says everyone needs to be good at with their horses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Catching
Haltering
Hands-free hoof prep
Trailer loading
Saddling
CATCHING
Does your horse catch you with enthusiasm? Or
do you have to catch your horse and lead him out
like a husband going Christmas shopping? If your
horse won’t come to you, you may spend your 15
minutes sitting at the gate. Eventually your horse
will get curious enough to come over and check you
out. Think about how you catch your horse and how
it could be better. What would it take to get him to
canter to you? Maybe your bring-back on the Yo-Yo
or Circling Game needs to be better. Remember that
“catching” their attention is the first key. Once you
have their mind, the feet will follow.
HALTERING
How well does your horse halter? Do you have to
fish for a nose, or does your horse practically halter
himself? Can you halter from your knees? Can you
halter from his back? Think of what you have been
doing, and then what would be a little bit more difficult. It might be as easy as getting your horse to tip
his nose around instead of pointing forward. Use
your 15 minutes to work towards that goal!
HANDS-FREE HOOF PREP
Maybe you clean your horse’s feet out every day,
but can you teach him to help you pick up his feet?
Can he place his feet on things when you ask? Can
you snap and have him pick up his feet, or can you
pick up the feet from one side? Can you hold his feet
like the farrier does? Your horse may be fine when
you pick up his feet, but what about when the farrier
comes and tries to put on shoes? I had a horse in
training that had to be drugged every time the farrier
came. I tapped on that horse’s feet with a hammer,
maybe 1 or 2 minutes each foot, every day. I started
with picking up each foot and holding the hammer,
and then progressed to light tapping, then firmer yet
rhythmic tapping. The horse needed shoes about a
month later, and no drugs were needed. This horse
never knew she was being trained. Like Linda says,
“It was peppered in.” You start by getting the horse
confident, and rewarding small successes.
TRAILER LOADING
You don’t have to be in the program long to know
that it takes all Seven Games to be excellent with
trailer loading. Where do you need to start? Think
about how your horse trailer loads. Does he go in and
freeze, or race in and out? Trailer loading is a process
of many steps. Think about which of the Seven Games
need to be better. Then spend your 15 minutes developing more understanding or feel in that game. If
your horse has issues with stepping up and down in
the trailer, work on stepping up and down off a bank.
If he has a problem with squeezing into the trailer,
work on squeezing under a tarp. Can you back him
between two barrels? Remember to keep your goals
small; if your horse can’t get near a tarp, start with
walking near a plastic bag. Your horse may not have
any problem going in the trailer, but can he trot or
canter into the trailer? Can you trailer load from the
roof of the trailer? Can you back him in? Can you
education
send him from 45 feet away? Will he trailer load into
a moving trailer? If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” then you know what to work on with
your 15 minutes!
SADDLING
You can become excellent at this, and you don’t
even need your horse to do it! The best way to get
better at saddling is to spend 15 minutes saddling
the fence. Your goal should be to take the heaviest
saddle you have and swing it up on to the highest rail
you can find – without the stirrup banging the fence
on the other side. This technique creates muscle
memory. Start by taking a light saddle and swinging
it onto a short fence. Get fluid and rhythmic, then
build up your strength with a heavier saddle. Then
swing it onto higher fences. Remember that there
are two sides of your horse, so you should be able
to saddle from either side easily. Once you get the
rhythm of the swing, the weight of the saddle won’t
be so much of an issue. Next, take your new skill to
your horse. This is a Friendly Game, and if your horse
is anticipating the saddle or stirrup banging them in
the side, then there will be fear associated with the
placement of the saddle. Now, if you have great technique and your horse stands perfectly, can you send
your horse to the saddle and have him stand next to
it? Think about how they participate in the process.
Does he enjoy being saddled, or does he check out?
This is your opportunity to spend 15 minutes investing in your relationship, and building trust and understanding. This is all part of the Friendly Game.
So, think you can do it? Can you make a commitment to your horse for 15 minutes each day? You
need to pick the one thing you want to focus on.
Next, assess where you and your horse are with that
task, and then break down the goal and start where
it is easy. Think laterally and get creative. Just get
out and spend time with your horse, even if it means
spending 15 minutes doing something simple. It will
improve your relationship. If you’d like to learn more
about any of the five things listed above, there is an
abundance of information in the Parelli Connect
Learning Library. You are working towards these
goals, and it might take weeks, months, or years. And
that’s okay. But just remember: every day, you will be
15 minutes closer. ST
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beyond the original source. Limiting fire spread can mean
the difference between life and death for your horses.
Combined with a stall system that has been perfected over
the last 30 years, MDBarnmaster barns offer peace of
mind to horse owners and equine professionals.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association
(NFPA), defective or improperly used heating equipment
is the number one cause of barn and stable fires. During
cold winter months, stable owners may rely on space
heaters, heated buckets, portable water heaters or other
such equipment. Each of these, if defective or improperly
used, can present an increased fire risk.
NFPA also reports that nearly half of all barn and stable
fires occur between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., when
there is less likely to be a watchful eye present. Additionally, more stable and barn fires happen during the months
of January, February, and March, when those devices are
used, but barn traffic is still light.
To keep your horses safe this winter, here are some tips
to winterize your barn:
1. Inspect all electrical equipment thoroughly before it
is put into use. Then, inspect this same equipment
on a regular basis throughout the winter, or months
of use.
2. Do not use equipment or cords in poor condition.
Avoid running excessive electrical cords.
3. Have working fire extinguishers in the barn and
make them easily accessible. Check fire extinguishers periodically as part of your regular maintenance
and care.
4. Make sure electrical fixtures in the barn are free of
dust, dirt, cobwebs, chaff, hay, or other combustible
materials.
5. Keep your barn clean and as free of dust, trash, oils,
cleaning rags, and other fire hazards as possible.
6. Keep barn aisle ways clear.
7. Have a barn evacuation plan in the event of a fire.
8. Keep halters and leads easily accessible to each
horse in case a quick evacuation is needed.
9. Store fuel or fuel tanks well away from the barn.
10. If possible, store hay and other combustibles in a
separate structure.
11. Barns can be retrofitted with sprinkler systems.
New barns may be built to include these.
To learn more about MDBarnmaster’s kick-proof,
chew-proof, and 0% fire-spread barns, visit
www.mdbarnmaster.com.
saddle savvy I
BY LETITIA GLENN
Shim the Same for
Big or Small Horses!
Does it seem difficult to imagine that the gorgeous
draft horses serving for hours under mounted patrol
officers in Austin, TX are comfortable carrying their
riders in the same saddle, pad, and shim configuration as a Paso Fino being ridden up and down steep
trails in the Rocky Mountains? Well, maybe, unless
you’ve tried it or witnessed what we’ve seen during
our 15 years of research!
Parelli saddles are built to offer a welcoming hug
to the dynamic, bulging, flexing bodies of horses in
motion. The ones with broad, flat backs can be small
in stature: Icelandics, Cobs, Arabians with widesprung ribs, some Quarter Horses, and even some
Paso Finos like Dino (pictured below) really love
the room we’ve built into our “SuperWide” saddles,
the same saddles big horses love to wear. But our
“Standard Wide” saddle gullets are generous enough
in all the right places to be extremely pleasurable for
most breeds.
Samson, one of the sturdy steeds of the Austin, Texas Mounted
Patrol, was curious about his new saddle and very much approved of
it later when we set it up with just one shim in his Smart Pad.
We recommend the use of shims to make certain that saddle pressure is lifted off your horse’s working shoulder motion enough to keep scapula swing unrestricted in full stride.
Generally, one tapered foam shoulder or center shim (positoned so that its thickest part is behind the scapula’s maximum backswing point) is sufficient to custom fit your horse.
It’s especially good to have someone lead your horse
forward while you walk backward to feel the shoulders in motion and make certain it’s not too tight there.
When your horse is standing still, it will feel tighter.
Sergeant Adam Johnson called us a few months ago,
saying “I’ve noticed that the horses ridden by officers
who have purchased your Parelli saddle systems are
much happier and healthier-looking than the horses
who still carry the old saddles we bought before we
knew any better.” He asked if we could build seven
saddles in our SuperWide gullet Natural Performer
style - all black in color, with special attachments to
hold a badge and billy club.
We were thrilled, of course, and I went down to
Austin as soon as our saddle makers could finish the
prototype sample to make sure that each officer understood our simple shimming system, so that each
horse could feel well-fitted.
I was not surprised to find that every one of them
felt wonderful with just one or two tapered foam
shims in their Smart or Theraflex pads.
You’ll find typical diagrams on
www.parellisaddles.com/education.
Oliver’s saddle needed just one center shim shifted forward in his Theraflex pad so the
thick part of the shim lifted the front just enough to ensure his big shoulders had no restrictive pressure. Sgt. Johnson smiled as soon as he mounted, since Oliver felt so
obviously comfortable.
The above scars on this patrol horse’s wither area are from saddle
damage due to a restrictive tree and not enough protection via pads
and shims. What a miserable time Titan must have had trying to
serve his duty and be a good partner for his mounted officer (who
tells us he is now very happy and comfortable in his Parelli saddle!).
Parelli Saddles are designed to enhance your partnership
with your horse so that BOTH of you can enjoy the equine
sport of your choice. Provided by
NATURAL HORSEMAN SADDLES, Inc. exclusively.
“ Cruiser ”
Hybrid English
and Western available
“ Fluidity General
“ Pro Dressage” Purpose” and “Dressage”
Mono flap styles with stationary
dual flap styles
or moveable thigh blocks. and all other saddles on
“ Roper ” styles
“Jumper” monoflap styless this page can be custom
“ Australian Halfbreed”
include Wade and Ranch Versatility “ Cutters” and “Reiners”
“ Western Dressage”
are also available.
ordered with choice of
Ask about our complimentary test ride program. We’re here to guide you if you need us. Free layaway programs. www.ParelliSaddles.com
color and dimensions.
education I
B Y K AT H Y B A A R
Step-by-Step
Blanketing Prep
O
ccasionally in our journeys with
horses, it may be appropriate to put
a blanket, sheet, cooler or fly sheet
on our horses. In these moments,
it is always better to be prepared
than to wish you were. As Pat says
at nearly every event, “Prior and proper preparation
prevents p*** poor performance.” Another great
thing about preparing horses for the blanket is that
it can help prepare them for their first saddle and/
or help you see how the horse’s confidence is with
“things” that wrap around their bodies. To set horses
up for success, we can take our time with the blanket
preparation and help the horse become a more
willing and confident partner. The following steps
are some ways that I think of preparing a horse for a
blanket; the photos are of my new weanling filly, who
needed this lesson in preparation for winter (just in
case).
The first and most important key for this exercise
is to help our horses understand the Friendly Game.
To once again quote Pat, “A horse doesn’t care how
much you know until he knows how much you care.”
Here we are going to play the Friendly Game in
two forms: 1) accepting the human, and 2) accepting
In these moments, it is always better to
be prepared than to wish you were.
our tools (Carrot Stick, string, blanket, etc.). For
safety reasons, it is often best to start the Friendly
Game with the stick; this way if the horse is feeling
defensive and we misread the situation, they will hit
the stick, not us. Begin by checking that the horse
is confident with the stick being rubbed in all zones
(neck, legs, belly, tail) and that he doesn’t have any
“yeah but” spots (these are areas where your horse
says “You can touch me anywhere but there.”). Using
approach and retreat, build the horse’s confidence
until he is calm with the stick, and might even enjoy
it, as if it were another horse grooming him
A great thing to check out next is the horse’s acceptance of the Friendly Game with the stick and
string in all zones. This will help prepare him for the
motion of the blanket when we toss it over his back,
and the motion he will feel when trotting or cantering with the blanket on. While playing with this more
active Friendly Game, we need to be sure our energy
stays friendly; this is how the horse will tell the difference between the Friendly and Driving Games as
you advance.
Now that the horse is prepared and we feel as safe
as possible with the Friendly Game, it is important
that we can play the Friendly Game with our hands.
After all, it will be our hands reaching between the
hind legs for the straps and positioning and adjusting the belly straps! With this in mind, it is a great
time to over-prepare our horses for this reach. Play
a little exaggerated Friendly Game with your hands,
trauma in our horses. Using phases for the Porcupine
Game and a 12-foot or 22-foot line, ask your horse
to follow a feel/Porcupine on his legs off of steady
pressure from the rope. By using the rope again, we
get a little more space in case we need to allow our
horses to drift, or they get a little concerned. Keep
in mind that, even with your hands on the rope, it is
important to use phases (1. Hair 2. Skin 3. Muscle 4.
Bone), and to release on the slightest try. The goal in
this exercise is to help our horses understand how to
follow a feel, rather than do what is natural and push
into it. There is some great information in the Parelli
Connect Learning Library about leading by the leg.
rub with some energy, and be sure your horse is accepting, particularly in Zones 3-4.
Another great preparation for the “just in case”
situation is the Porcupine Game, specifically with
the legs. This is great for preparing horses for a malfunctioning blanket that falls partially off, or drops
a leg strap. By preparing them for the possible and
probable, we can often avoid injuries or emotional
The next preparation or “test” before blanketing can
come from playing the Friendly Game with a towel or
saddle blanket to toss over your horse’s back. This
tests out the horse’s acceptance of our tools (things
that are an extension of us, like our Carrot Stick and
string). By applying the same approach and retreat
method with the stick and string or saddling, we can
now prepare our horses a step further for the blanket
with a towel that falls off much easier (just in case
they take a fright). Using a towel also allows us to
education
use something small enough that we aren’t getting
tired “heaving” it over the horse’s back. Also, in the
winter, static can build up between the horses and
blankets/towels. If this happens, a quick spray of
water will help tame the static so that the horse is not
getting shocked!
Our goal is ensuring that by the time we get to
blanketing, it is easy, and we have over-prepared our
horses for the situation. After all, the quote “Take the
time it takes so it takes less time” is nearly a Parelli
anthem. This way, horse and human can relax when
it comes to blanket time, and trust that the preparation has laid the foundation for success. ST
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education I
B Y P AT P A R E L L I
FreeStyle Riding and
Western Performance:
The Importance of a
Solid Foundation
B
ack in the early 1980s, when I was
running clinics all over the country, I
realized that the following assumption
was pretty common within the horse
industry: if you rode Western, you rode
on a loose rein, and if you rode English,
you rode with contact. While this may be accurate
more often than not, it simplifies these two kinds of
riding to an unfortunate degree.
Through my early studies of horsemanship, not
only did I learn the importance of working with
horses on the ground – On Line (with a halter and
lead rope) and Liberty (no ropes, just mental connection) – but I also came to understand the importance,
and the benefits, of riding on a loose rein and riding
with contact. As I developed the Parelli Program, I
decided to give these two types of riding new names:
rather than just “Western” and “English,” I called
them FreeStyle (riding on a loose rein) and Finesse
(riding with bit contact).
For the purposes of this article, I’m going to
focus on FreeStyle and the benefits it provides for
Western Performance horses and riders. Western
Almost everything we describe as
“Western riding” has a practical
reason for existing, going back
hundreds of years.
Performance is the umbrella term that covers many
sports, including Western pleasure, reining, trail
riding, and the various cow sports.
Almost everything we describe as “Western riding”
has a practical reason for existing, going back
hundreds of years. In North America, when cowboys
started riding horses, herding cattle, and sitting in
the saddle for hours upon hours, they needed specific
kinds of horses. They needed horses who acted like
partners, who were easy to catch, dependable to ride,
and who would put effort into the job at hand. This is
the epitome of the Western horse.
Riding on a loose rein became an everyday expectance, as did riding with one hand (for roping,
shooting, or acting in Western movies, for instance).
The first real “competitions” in this area were likely
wild west shows and rodeos, with folks who were
roping and riding, doing stunts, trick riding, and so
on. This was the genesis of “Western Performance.”
Take for instance, Western pleasure riding. Where
did the concept come from? Well, think of the ideal
general purpose ranch horse. It’s a horse that can
walk fast, jog slowly, demonstrate an extended
trot, offer a nice “rocking horse” canter, and give a
good back-up. My first Western pleasure show was
probably in 1964 or 1965, and those were the five
things we were judged on. Every horse should have
those characteristics in their foundation.
What does it mean for a horse to be a partner? To
me, it means that the horse offers more while you,
the human, do less. This is one of the major benefits
of riding on a loose rein: the horse understands his
responsibility, whether it’s in a competition arena,
gathering cattle in an open field, or out on the trail.
The horse benefits from FreeStyle riding in other
ways as well. For instance, it oftentimes rids them of
some of their inherent spookiness. I’ve noticed that
horses that are ridden with a lot of contact without a
foundation in loose-rein riding are often some of the
spookiest horses out there. Why is this? Well, if the
horse feels that he can’t move his head to adjust his
vision, over time he can become very leery of moving
objects at distances other than what he can immediately see when he’s in a collected position. The irony
is that some people are under the impression that
by exclusively riding with contact, they can actually
keep their horses from spooking! This is why a solid,
well-rounded foundation is so important, and why
it’s to your horse’s benefit to combine FreeStyle and
Finesse in your training.
Think of it like this: FreeStyle can help your horse
become more confident. Once a horse is confident, he
can become calm. And once a horse is confident and
calm, he can become smart (in the horse sense). And
once he’s confident, calm, and smart, he can become
brave. And from that point, he can develop his selfcarriage, which improves his overall athleticism.
Which, of course, is a real plus when you’re competing in Western Performance sports.
So, those are just a couple of the benefits for the
horse. How does FreeStyle benefit you, the human,
as a rider? First, it helps you develop an independent
seat. It also teaches you to feel what the horse feels,
which allows you to begin to truly think like a horse.
Third, it teaches you that the natural power of focus,
or willpower, is the most influential thing we can
offer to the horse. More than our hands, more than
our legs, more than reins, more than spurs.
In my opinion, this understanding – the importance
of willpower – is the greatest benefit FreeStyle offers
to us as riders. When we learn to utilize patterns and
then integrate them into our day-to-day riding, we
can begin to have real conversations with our horses.
And these are not one-way conversations, either. It’s
a dynamic relationship.
In the end, every horse should be able to walk fast,
jog slow, demonstrate an extended trot, offer a nice
canter, gallop, transition upward and downward
fluidly, come to a halt, and back up on a loose rein.
When done naturally, here’s the end result: the
human is in charge of the gas pedal and the yields,
and the horse is in charge of the brakes and the
turns. He looks where he’s going, and when we quit
riding, he decelerates. This is the greatest feeling in
the world: when you have a horse with just as much
“whoa” as “go.”
No matter what our ambitions or our endeavors
are, discipline-wise, FreeStyle riding – taken to a high
level – is an essential piece of a solid foundation. Take
my word for it; your horse will thank you. ST
Photo Credit: Shane Rux
education I
B Y D O N H A L L A D AY
The Feel of
Confidence
O
ver the years, I’ve had a few memorable horses who had a special
“feel.” It seemed to me that they
had the confidence to do anything
I asked. There was that palomino
ranch horse who would try to hold
any cow no matter how rank; that one brown mare
who would cross bogs and go anywhere I asked her;
and there’s my cutting horse, Koki, who gives everything he has to keep that cow separate from the herd.
If you have ever ridden a horse like this, you know
the feeling I’m talking about. And if you haven’t felt
this in a horse, you should know it’s definitely something worth trying to develop. How can we cultivate
this “feel” of self-confidence in the horse?
In the Parelli Program, we talk about building
confidence in our horses through the Seven Games,
in particular the Friendly Game. We want the horse
to have confidence in us and our equipment while
maintaining his sensitivity. We should not aim to
desensitize him, but rather to build his confidence.
Too much desensitization will turn the horse into a
“dope on a rope,” and nobody wants that. Further, a
rider has a big responsibility to not reduce or destroy
a horse’s confidence. It is always harder to regain a
horse’s confidence than it is to build it right in from
the get-go. In this article, I will discuss encouraging a
horse’s self-confidence while riding.
Tom Dorrance once said, “I like to get a horse to
where I feel like I could ride him up a telephone pole
or down a badger hole.” Horses can’t do either, of
course, but Tom wanted to develop his horses to the
point where he felt like they would attempt both if he
asked. Such a horse would have to have a high level
of confidence, not just in himself but also in his rider.
So the question becomes, how do you develop your
horse’s confidence in himself and in you? The short
answer is: never get him in trouble. We want him to
always feel successful, and if he feels successful, then
he’ll feel good about what happened and there will be
no dread, fear, or confusion. The idea is to do it right
the first time while still building emotional fitness –
this means taking the horse to the limit, but not over
it. Keep in mind Pat’s mantra of “Expect a lot, accept
a little, and reward often.” This doesn’t mean we
have to be satisfied with less overall from the horse;
it means we should expect a little improvement over
the last time, each time, until the response is at the
level we want.
The longer and more realistic answer to how one
builds confidence begins with “Well, it all depends.”
It depends first of all on how much “feel” you have
as a rider. It depends on the age and development
stage of the horse, whether it’s a young horse with
just a few rides on him or an older horse with more
experience. It depends on the animal’s Horsenality and if he’s showing left-brained or right-brained
behavior. Finally, it depends on the situation, and
each one is totally unique. With a young horse, his
confidence level may have more to do with what
you don’t allow than what you do allow. If a horse
is allowed to do things that will get him in trouble
later on, then he never really gets a good foundation
on which to build confidence. A horse will accept
leadership and develop a high level of confidence if
the start is done right and subsequent development
is consistent. Under those conditions, the horse
doesn’t know there’s any other way, and that’s what
will help keep him out of trouble. Remember – they
are all looking for good leaders, and if you begin your
horse’s development with the end goal in mind, you
will probably be on the right track. For older horses,
their chances of developing confidence will depend
on their past experiences in training. If the rider has
“feel” that goes beyond just being able to sense where
their horse’s feet are (especially when those feet are
leaving the ground) to having a level of “feel” that
lets them sense when the horse’s mind changes, that
rider will be better able to build the horse’s all-around
We should expect a little
improvement over the last time,
each time, until the response
is at the level we want.
confidence. A horse’s feet will always follow his mind,
and if you know where his mind is, your correction
can be sooner and smaller.
Some examples will help to explain the “feel” you
might get back from your horse, and also the feel you
might try to give him. Say you are asking a horse for
a yield off an aid. If his feet immediately go the wrong
direction and you up the intensity of your “ask,” what
is often the result? His feet continue going the wrong
way, but faster. Building a horse’s confidence in this
maneuver may require the rider to try and analyze
where the horse’s mind is at. If he’s a left-brained
horse and he is “bowed up” (an expression used to
describe a big brace), he’ll be giving you the feeling of
“I won’t do it, and there is no way you can get me to do
it.” A right-brained horse, on the other hand, might
be thinking, “I can’t do it and I don’t understand
what you want anyway.” I’m sure you can imagine
that those two types of horse mindsets would send a
very distinct and different feeling back to you.
What can you do, in these situations, to build the
kind of confidence I’m talking about? If you get into
a contest with the left-brained “won’t” horse, resentment may build up and he will start to argue more
with every “ask.” If the rider doesn’t follow through to
a good conclusion, the horse begins to take over, and
the lopsided partnership will never reach that ideal
level of mutual confidence. My experience with this
type of horse has taught me to be very patient, consistent, and persistent without increasing the intensity of the “ask,” so that he’s allowed to find the right
response himself. When he tries, release. Setting him
up for success and waiting until he gets it himself will
allow the horse to feel good about the outcome, and
his confidence will grow. If you force some reaction
on him or attempt to make him do something, ultimately he won’t feel good, and next time, you’ll feel
a brace instead of feeling him search for the right
answer. The “force” approach gets results, of a sort;
I know it does, because I used that approach in my
pre-Parelli years. However, if you want your horse
to have the kind of confidence in you I’m speaking
education
about, this more patient method will result in him
being a much more willing partner; if he becomes
fearful, he will look to you for the answer. It may take
a little longer, but it’s worth it.
For the more right-brained horse, whose mind is
saying “I can’t understand,” just slow down. If you
have to, chunk the task right down to the smallest
“ask,” like “Can you put your foot there?” The horse’s
“can’t” feeling usually has an element of fear, so his
sense of self-preservation shows up. Self-preservation will have a totally different feel to you than
the “bowed up” feel. Either way, if you can feel the
horse’s mind change and feel what that change is,
you will certainly have a better chance of helping him
through it while building confidence. The more good
experiences he has with you, the better he will feel,
and the more he’ll enjoy his work. For that reason, I
think any scale of training should not only begin with
the horse being relaxed, but also end with him being
relaxed.
The only way I know to expand the horse’s confidence (and yours) is to provide a wide variety of
situations and tasks for you both to experience. The
important thing is to stay “on this side of trouble,”
and when confusion or fear shows up in your horse,
be the leader he needs and help him deal with it
by not going over the limit, but keeping him in a
thinking frame of mind instead. Consider things
from his point of view, with an end goal of having a
great partnership built on a relationship of trust and
confidence. Sometimes pride and ego get in the way
of humans giving the horse a feeling to be confident,
but if we want that horse to go the extra mile for us,
we will put those aside. A good leader does not allow
pride and ego to ruin their relationship with the
horse. Keep giving that horse good experiences and
you will be surprised at what he will do for you.
“Feel” seems to be a very elusive thing; it’s hard to
describe verbally, and difficult (if not impossible) to
teach. But a rider will surely experience it by using
the right approach, and it begins with awareness.
You’re probably not going to ask him to head up a
telephone pole or down a badger hole, but it sure is
a great feeling when your horse “feels” like he might
just be willing to try that for you. Happy trails! ST
5-year-old Hartley, granddaughter of Parelli Professional Kerri April, performs a
spotlight in Ardmore, OK.
education I
BY KRISTI S. SMITH
Learning Without
Teaching
H
ave you ever had a teacher that could
cause you to learn without you even
knowing that you were learning? I
did. I went to a very small elementary school in Brighton, Iowa. There
were 12 kids in my 4th grade class,
six boys and six girls. Most of us had been classmates
since kindergarten. It was with that group of kids
that I gained my most valuable skill. I developed a
very high level of confidence around learning.
The teachers that I had were people who loved to
teach children. They were of a generation of teachers
that became teachers because of their passion for
learning and teaching. One particular teacher stands
out in my mind. His name was Mr. Volgler. He was
my math teacher in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. What he
did so well was make each lesson fun and purposeful.
I remember one particular lesson. We were learning
how to calculate circumference and volume. It was
the early fall, when syrup could be harvested from the
maple trees. We learned how to calculate the circumference of the trees as well as how long it would take
to fill several different sized containers with syrup,
given how fast the syrup was flowing from the tress.
We tapped several trees and harvested the syrup
and later learned how to process it. That day still
stands out in my mind as one of the greatest days
of my childhood. I have such fond memories of my
scholastic experience. It is because of those experiences that I love to learn and am, for the most part,
a very coachable person. It is those types of experiences that I want to give to others. My purpose on
this planet is to instill confidence in others while they
are learning. This is a lifelong pursuit. I know that I
have made and will continue to make mistakes while
guiding horses and humans. But I am observing my
results, taking responsibility for them, and seeking
ways to improve my strategies on a regular basis.
Growth is rarely convenient or comfortable. But it is
worth the effort.
This is a perspective that I try to remember and
focus on when I am training my horses or teaching
people about horsemanship. The best lessons are the
ones you learn without trying to learn something.
My goal is always to make a game of each lesson
and have the lesson learned through the game or
purpose. I recently had an opportunity to ride with
my mentor, Pat Parelli. This experience reinforced
my desire to get better and better at doing this for
myself and for those that trust me with their horsemanship journeys.
Pat is a master at giving us experiences that we
learn from. His favorite purpose happens to be cows,
and teaching our horses how and why to harmonize
with us through the job of training the cows. It is so
great to have a worthwhile answer to the question,
“Why should I?” Most of us answer that question
with, “Because I said so.” What if our horses could
learn for themselves what is expected and how to
be successful because they see the purpose of the
lesson and feel responsible for their own contribution? What if they did more than learn to stay out of
trouble, but instead learned to discover their role in
the game and feel excited to seek out the answer to
the puzzle?
Parelli Natural Horsemanship teaches us that
pressure motivates horses to learn, but it is the release
of that pressure that teaches them what to do. Many
folks get stuck in a routine of teaching their horses
how to avoid pressure. That perspective can get a lot
done, but often at the expense of the horse’s expression. Is there learning happening if all you can think
of is, “What do I have to do to stay out of trouble?”
Not really. That is just survival. What might be more
fulfilling for students and horses is for them to learn
to seek out success, not just avoid or escape trouble.
I want to focus on giving people and horses a
learning situation, rather than being their teacher. I
want to be their guide and help them when they feel
overwhelmed, confused or discouraged. But I want
them to discover the information they are seeking
on their own, through their own desire and commitment to an outcome. This way my students, whether
they are humans or horses, will learn to be their own
puzzle-solvers and be empowered to feel like the
captains of their ships. I will eventually either teach
myself out of a job, or I will be motivated to seek out
bigger puzzles to solve and share. ST
education I
BY TERI SPR AGUE-STREGE
Second Hand Gold:
Improving the Turn
on the Haunch with
Stick Riding
I
remember my first experience riding with
sticks. It was in a clinic in Galena, IL. I thought
stick riding was about the most fun I had ever
had on a horse! I still think it is “way cool” to
sit on my horse with my arms crossed and be
able to ask for and get isolation of the ends, i.e.
turn on the haunch or turn on the forehand with just
a curl of my toe!
“Just a curl of your toe?” you ask? Absolutely!
In order for this to work, however, you must NOT
ride with your toes curled all the time. Try this: while
sitting in the saddle (or now while you are sitting
in a chair), spread your toes. Feel the back of your
calf by pressing your calf toward your shin bone
with moderate pressure. While keeping your hand
there, curl your toes. Feel the tension in the muscle
change. Your horse can feel this too! The wonderful
thing about riding with your toes spread is that it
also relaxes/stretches your whole leg, which in turn
benefits your fluidity!
Now, if you can do the prerequisites, you are ready
to advance your horse’s turn on the haunch.
Success Prerequisites Can You?
1. From the ground, with the BACK of your
hand, “porcupine” your horse’s hindquarters over, using a place in Zone 3 that
matches about where your leg would
hang while riding.
STEPS:
1. Sit deeply on your balance point (on your
haunches).
2. From the ground, with the BACK of your
hand, porcupine your horse’s hindquarters a full revolution or more, with the
pivot foot remaining in a space the size of
a platter. (At this point, it does not matter
a whole lot which foot the horse pivots on,
just that he does not change in the middle
of the revolution. If the horse is pivoting
on the far hind, it is called a spin and is
desirable in reining. If the horse is pivoting
on the hind near you, it is called an offset
and is desirable in cow work.)
3. From the ground, while standing next to
your stirrup, drive the forequarter with a
stick for one full revolution, with the pivot
foot staying in an area the size of a platter.
4. While riding, back your horse with two
sticks – or better yet, just your seat. (See
article in November 2013 Savvy Times.)
5. With reins, do a full turn on the hindquarter with enough precision that the pivot
foot stays in an area the size of a platter
or less.
2. Turn your eyes.
3. Turn your belly button/shoulders.
4. Curl your toes on the outside of the horse (if
turning left, use the right leg).
5. Turn your toes out.
6. Turn your toes down.
7. Begin tapping the air near the nose, neck
or shoulder.
8. Tap closer to the nose, neck or shoulder.
9. Tap the nose, neck and/or shoulder.
10. Tap firmer if necessary.
education
Troubleshooting
Nothing happens.
Be sure you can drive the forequarter with
your stick from the ground. Use your phases
effectively, increasing the pressure if the horse
is ignoring you. If the horse is noticing your
request but just does not know what to do,
be passively persistent without increasing the
pressure or rhythm. Hang in there until he tries
something. When he does – even if it is only a
shift of weight – stop, release, relax, and wait
for processing (licking, sighing, lowering the
head, etc.).
Horse goes forward more than turns.
Use both sticks to back him up a step or two,
then ask for “over” again. The timing of this is
critical. Each time you feel the horse shift his
weight forward, use both sticks to shift the
weight onto the hindquarter and immediately
ask for the turn while the weight is correct.
When he keeps the weight on the hindquarter
for a step, just stop, release, relax and wait for
the lick or some other sign of processing.
As you practice and your horse starts to understand
the communication, use your stick less and less. One
day you too will be able to fold your arms and look
over your shoulder and get a turn on the haunch with
just a curl of the toe! ST
Teri Sprague-Strege is a Licensed 4-Star Senior
Instructor in her 19th year of Parelli. She has taught
at the Parelli Centers and is available for lessons,
clinics, workshops, and camps at your location or
at her facility in Berthoud, CO. Her unique perspective and years of experience set her students on the
fast track to safety, growth, and success. If you have
questions or comments regarding this article, she
would love to hear from you. Contact Teri on Parelli
Connect or at [email protected] or 970-532-9864.
Photos by Teri Sprague-Strege, with special thanks
to Sally Suk and her Left-Brain Introvert Tennessee
Walker, Echo.
Horse drifts with the hindquarter, and the
pivot foot does not stay put.
Make sure it is working on the ground and
in the saddle with reins. Make sure you are
sitting on your hindquarters and your eyes and
belly button are focused! Try the steps in the
previous situation, shifting the weight to the
hindquarter. If that does not seem to help, you
may need to “hurry” the shoulder. Tap the air
three times, then tap the shoulder firmly.
Another approach that often works is to start
the horse on a small circle. Get in time with
the inside foot, and each time it picks up, push
with the outside leg and tap the nose/neck/
shoulder with the stick. This should cause the
circle to get smaller and smaller until the horse
rocks back and steps straight over. When he
does release, relax and wait for processing.
This becomes a game for the horse to discover
that the release happens when he controls his
own forward motion and steps directly over
with that end. This is especially powerful with
left-brained horses when you keep a playful
attitude (a smile on your face), but can work
with all Horsenalities.
education I
BY L I N D A PA R E L L I
Staying Calm and
Connected in New
Environments
A
couple of months ago, I received a
question from Savvy Club member
Lisa McPherson on my Parelli
Connect wall. She asked a very intriguing question about keeping
horses calm and connected in new
environments. I figured that answering this question
in-depth could help a lot more people than just Lisa,
so I decided to really dig in and make it a Savvy Times
article. Thanks for the question and the inspiration,
Lisa!
So, the question was: How do you keep your horse
calm and connected in new environments?
ANSWER:
Horses need to be confident in five areas:
1. Themselves (self-confidence)
2. In you as the leader
3. As a learner
4. In new environments
5. Among other horses
Everything is about preparation, and the better
your leadership is, the more success you’ll have. If
you were to score each your horse in each of those
areas, what would you give him out of 10? You
want everything to be a 7 or better. As you advance
through the Parelli Program, these grades will begin
to improve, but if you don’t expose your horse to new
environments or other horses (like at clinics or horse
shows), you won’t have the chance to work on your
horse’s confidence in these last two.
Let’s talk about new environments and some strategies you can use.
When you look at things from the horse’s point of
view, you’ll understand that he feels safe in places he
knows and when he’s with other horses he knows. As
soon as this changes, he feels unsafe, and the prey
animal comes out - frantic, trying to run away from
you, etc. The goal is to get him under control, calm,
and connected with you.
The following tips are to be done on the ground.
You’ll be safer this way.
PREPARATION
Preparation is everything! Think about ways to
bring your horse’s adrenaline up so you both learn
how to handle it. Most horses have only felt adrenaline when they’re scared, but with exposure, you can
help them become more emotionally fit, and not
so reactive.
Here are a few things to do:
• Extreme Friendly Game. Develop your horse’s
confidence by exposing him to things like
bouncing balls, whirling your stick and string
helicopter-style, using a plastic bag on the stick
as a flag, running and jumping around him,
etc. Use the principles of approach and retreat
and re-approach, rather than desensitizing or
flooding him.
• Controlled Catastrophe. Get someone to
shake a flag or other scary object as you walk
around with your horse. Make sure you start
with it a long ways from you. Keep yourself
between the flapping thing and the horse; this
way the horse won’t run over you. You’ll learn
the Power Position, and also how to keep the
horse out of your space – by doing jumping
jacks, for example. You learn to stay calm while
you direct your horse.
When you look at things from
the horse’s point of view,
you’ll understand that he feels
safe in places he knows.
•
Sideways FAST. Use a 22-foot line and do
this along the fence, so your horse can’t run
forwards. Keep driving him sideways until he
is actually going sideways, then slow to a stop.
Repeat the other way. Just a few times is all
you need; don’t overdo it. At first your horse
might get quite fizzy, but with repetition over
the next week, you’ll find you can bring up
his energy and he can run sideways, stop, and
relax. That’s emotional fitness.
How to get control:
• Disengage the hindquarters so he faces you.
This is better than pulling on the horse’s head,
because with the wrong timing, he could pull
away or drag you with him! You need to stay
in place, and when he moves away from you,
tap the hindquarters so he faces you again. Do
this every time until he realizes that that’s the
goal and remains more connected to you. Important: Stay out of the kick zone! Don’t move
in to his hindquarters; do that with your stick
and string so you can keep your feet still.
• Stay in the Box. Imagine a rectangle on the
ground that is just big enough to fit your horse
in. When he’s in the box, put slack in the rope
and trust him. The moment he moves out of it,
put him back in using the Driving Game and
Yo-Yo Game. Try to keep your feet still; this will
up your leadership, and get you thinking and
reacting quicker. The more you run around,
the more you add energy to the situation and
affect the horse’s ability to focus.
• You Better Run! It pays to do this with every
horse to improve their emotional fitness and
their connection with you. Use a 22-foot or
45-foot line, make sure the ground is safe, and
(if your horse has a tendency to pull away) be
inside of an arena or round corral. You will
need to encourage your horse to run off his
adrenaline in a constructive way, by driving
him forward on the circle for one lap, then
education
giving him three laps to make a change. If he
doesn’t, repeat. Repeat the process until the
horse slows down and comes in to you. Check
the Learning Library for the “Lesson with
Linda” video on this topic, as well as the Savvy
Times article with the details on how to do it.
How to get more connection:
You now need to give your horse something to do
so you capture his mind and connect it to you and a
task. If his energy is still high, you’re going to have
to ask with more vigor and energy. This is not about
being harsh; it’s about being heard! If you are too soft
or subtle when a horse is really distracted, he won’t
even know you’re in the room. Move with certainty
and focus, and be clear about what you want.
Here are some things to try and keep repeating
until the horse is calm:
• Get your horse to put his front feet on or over
something, like a pedestal or a pole.
•
•
Play the Touch It Game. Send him to different
things to touch with his nose. If he runs ahead
of you, don’t hold him back or bump his nose;
simply move his hindquarters away as you
walk forward and continue with the task. If
you change direction or follow him, you are no
longer the leader, so make sure you are clear
and focused on where you want his nose to go,
and hold that thought and that direction no
matter what. Pretty soon your horse will focus
on you and your request.
You Better Run! This may not always be
possible; it depends on the situation and your
ability. I’d recommend a round corral or an
arena with no other horses around, and be sure
the ground is okay so your horse won’t slip.
Finally, I’d like to recommend that you go to some
Parelli clinics. This is the best way to get your horse
in a new environment and have a qualified Parelli
Professional make sure you achieve success. ST
Healing at a Higher
Level
As with Parelli Natural Horsemanship, there are different levels and layers of natural healing
modalities. When we combine our techniques and take them to another level, amazing things happen
even beyond our wildest imagination. Can you imagine healing a severed deep digital flexor tendon on
your horse? What about if he had a severed deep digital flexor tendon and a 90% severed superficial
flexor tendon? This is a terrifying injury that calls for immediate action and attention from the veterinarian.
In several situations, red light therapy and essential oils have been combined to produce incredible
outcomes. Both modalities by themselves are incredibly powerful and very healing in nature. When they
are put together and used in synchronicity, the outcomes can be absolutely mind blowing. With essential
oils activating the limbic system within seconds, and red light therapy activating healing at a cellular level
within seconds, the detrimental effects of injuries can be minimized and greatly reduced and even
eliminated. When combining red light therapy and essential oils, apply red light therapy first, as it
stimulates the cellular activity and accelerates the mitochondrial activity within the cell.
Because essential oils can be so powerful, a different level of education is needed in order to combine
them with red light therapy successfully. For example, there are several oils that are photosensitive –
meaning they are sensitive to light. Not just red light therapy, but also sunlight. These oils are: Angelic
Root, Bergamot, Grape Fruit, Lemon, Citrus Oils, Pines, Cypress, Douglas fir, and Wild Scotch Pine.
These oils should not be used at the same time as red light therapy.
For more ways to combine red light therapy and essential oils, visit www.PhotonicHealth.com
Sunni, a baby elephant in Zambia, was found almost dead and had
severe injuries which caused paralysis in her right back leg. She
was on the verge of death due to a severe infection that would not
clear up.
In May 2014, a Photonic Health representative visited her and
assisted in training her caretakers on red light therapy and
essential oils. Within a month of treatment, she had improved
greatly. She received red light therapy sessions 3 times daily, along
with self-selection of essential oils. She was incredibly responsive
to both.
Combining the two greatly reduced her anxious and frustrated
behaviors, and decreased swelling in her leg, which
allowed her to wear her boot and play with
other elephants.
Copyright Photonic Health, LLC 2014
education I
BY C ARMEN ZUL AUF
Four Phases and
Teaching Stages
A
s you probably know by now, horses
use phases in their interactions with
each other. Phase 1 is sometimes
almost invisible to us, while Phase
4 can be surprisingly aggressive.
The challenge for us humans is to
be as gentle as possible and as firm as necessary, to
be gentle without being sissy and to be firm without
getting mean or mad. Balance is key, and so is context.
WHAT DO THE PHASES LOOK LIKE?
What is Phase 1? It can be your thought, your
energy, and maybe one first gesture. Phases 2 and
3 are intermediate and used mostly in the teaching
stage. Phase 4 is the point where you’re essentially
“bothering” the horse. Oftentimes it’s about being
more intelligent, not necessarily harder. Remember,
flies bother us pretty effectively, and they’re tiny!
Horses will test you as a leader. They want to see
if you are really present; if what was true yesterday
is still the same today. Sometimes they‘ll just walk
into your space, not to be friendly, but to see what
you do (or, as I like to say to my students, “to check
if someone is home”). If you can be clear and say
“Thank you, but no thank you,” everything else will
be easier.
ENERGY AND BODY LANGUAGE
Be black and white in your energy and body
language. How does the horse know you want
something? It’s not because you wiggle the rope or
use your stick, but because of the change in your
attitude. Once the horse knows for sure that you are
doing what is natural to him, he will trust you. Play
the Friendly Game, and when you’re “at ease,” make
it obvious to your horse that you truly are relaxed by
whistling or yawning.
When you are relaxed, your horse should be as
relaxed as he is when he’s sleeping in the field. At
the same time, make sure you are fair when you start
wanting something. In the army, when they hear “at
ease,” everyone knows that they just need to stay
there and wait. They also know that before being
asked to move, they will hear “Attention!”
Your “attention” is the fact that you come out of
neutral and you increase your energy. This is without
the stick, the rope, or a gesture. This doesn’t mean
“Do something” – it means “Get ready, because I’m
about to ask you something.” If you do this, your
horse will respond much better to your Phase 1.
STAGE ONE: TEACHING
Begin rubbing and playing the Friendly Game,
slowly increasing the intensity from Phase 1 to 4.
Remember, there is no “1-2-3-444444,” because
if you do that, the horse will most likely freeze or
explode. This is where opposition reflex kicks in.
Phase 4 is Phase 4.
You are in a teaching stage anytime you teach your
horse something new. The process will not necessarily look like the end product. If you trust the process,
you will get there quicker. Remember, in the beginning, it is hard for us predators to trust that prey
animal logic will get us to the goal. You will have
to learn to be less direct line, yet clear and firm
and friendly.
STAGE TWO: CONTROLLING When interacting with horses, it’s inevitable that
things won’t always go as planned. That’s what this
stage is about: keeping things from getting out of
control. Above all, safety comes first – both yours
and your horse’s. If the horse is behaving like a
prey animal or being very dominant, you match the
energy, not the emotion. Do what it takes so that the
horse realizes that you are there. Usually, this is when
you have to defend your personal space. Take control
when the horse runs through pressure. Oftentimes,
you have to find a way to get the horse to disengage,
face you, and not run over you.
You cannot do anything new in this stage, because
the horse is not in a learning frame of mind; he’s in a
prey animal frame of mind. The more skilled you get
in the program, the more effective you’ll become in
interrupting your horse’s negative patterns. But even
more importantly, you will have built a relationship
where this stage won’t actually be that necessary,
because you’ve gained your horse’s trust and respect
as a leader.
STAGE THREE: REINFORCING This is when you will really start to play with your
horse. You’ll spend more time using Phase 1; that’s
what reinforcing is all about. Once you’re confident
your horse knows the task, move to this stage and
reinforce his positive behaviors. Have fun, challenge
yourself and your horse, and use your imagination.
education
Pat has given us hundreds of “Can You?” Challenges
over the years – implement a few!
But before that, let’s think about what defines a
game. It has a clear goal, rules that are to be respected from all parties, and two or more participants
who are both engaged. Both have to understand the
game and take care of their responsibilities. If you’ve
played the Yo-Yo Game or the Circling Game more
than 10 times, you can be sure your horse knows it.
For example, if you send the horse on a circle, aim
for the place where his front feet are when he’s facing
you. If you turn to tag even though he’s left that spot,
it’s like cheating in the game; it’s unfair to the horse.
At the same time, you have to really tag the spot; if
the horse has left, he’s won the game. Remember, if
you play tag, there is no fun if you run away and the
other person doesn’t really try to tag you.
STAGE FOUR: REFINING
Now your horse knows. You have spent quite a bit
of time using positive reinforcement when he understood the task, particularly when he put effort into
something. He trusts that you have a plan, he understands the game, and he fulfills his responsibilities.
The possibilities in this stage are truly endless. The
key in this stage is staying progressive, and constantly working to improve your horse’s responses. If you
find yourself going beyond the first phases here, go
back to the Reinforcing Stage.
Everyone has the potential to be a good leader. It’s
up to us to make the decision and step up for our
horses. They will thank you for it. ST
4-Star Senior Instructors Russell Higgins and David Grace at the Parelli Ranch.
Recognizing Our Parelli Professionals Around the World! • Professionals.Parelli.com
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Rush
Smith
Sprague-Strege
Thibault
Andrews(Allen)
Bell Ryman
Biernbaum
Bogle Easley
Caldwell
Calkins -Trainor
Cowherd
Deerman
Drake
Fincher
Fowle
Gauthier
Green
Grimm Ellis
Jessop
Jessop
Knapp (Manshardt)
Larsen
Maddox (Koutsos)
Madoni
Nelson
Victoria
Terri
Rachael
Jody
Sarah
Jo
Nell
Sue
Sean
Elaine
Aurelie
Tracey
Rebecca
Elaine
Cath
Graham
Kim
Barbara
Paul
Emily
Jennifer
Luciane
Samantha
Emma
Joshua
Aurelie
Carol
John
Dave
David
Neil
Kerri-Ann
Kathy
Lauren
Amy
Cezanne
Tina
Jesse
Christi
Ryan
Nita Jo
Kristi
Teri
Maurice
Meggie
Julia
Jake
Erin
Jerilyn
Jenny
Mattie
Margit
Brian
Rhett
Erin
Avery
Farrah
Jody
Don
Rachel
Michelle
Doreen
Bekah
Christine
Susan
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Palmer
Laura Lee
Pospischil
Elisabeth (Elli)
Rea
Marc
Roquet
Lillan
Roth
Dawn
Sanders
Molly
Sigler
Kelly
Small
Hillary
Thompson
Emily
Vacco
Mollie
Warrington
Gena
Williams
Jerry
Wilson
Terry
Woodbury
Karen
Alway
Michael
Andrews
Steve
Bartsch
Jane
Bower
Cici Cynthia
Burns
Terry
Clarke (Trares)
Courtney
Condie
Dani
Curless
Bonny
Denson
Jean
Drew
Sarah
Dudas
Ashley
Farmer
Isabelle
Fulwiler
Kris
Goebel
Carol
Hare
Mel
Harris
Robin
Helle
Bryna
Hill
Anna
Howard
Alecia
Kartchner
Karen
Latane
Fran
Love (Johnson)
Mick(Micaela)
Lowery
Carol
Moses
Pat
Moses
Ralph
Newell (Hansen) Jodie
Northrup
Lori
Paashaus
Charity
Parker
Sandi
Pinguet (Merry) Sarah
Piovesan
Juli
Pompei
Tom
Pruden
Marie
Rowe
Tiffany
Slater
Nancy
Sutherland
Jennifer
(Durant)
Thorrez
Zoe
Williams
Debby
Zulli
Jason
McDowell
Jolene
JUNIOR INSTRUCTORS
Jeyaseelan
Rebecca
Schionning
Lynetta
Tetlow
Julianne
Whish-Wilson
Jodie
Archer
Antoinette
Briggs
Jacqui
Coombes
Kathryn
Goodburn
Wendy
Goodwin
Sharalee
Hurlbatt
Sylvia
Jackson
Hilary
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Canada
Dubai
Germany
Germany
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
New Zealand
New Zealand
Norway
Switzerland
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Gegenschatz-Falk
de Winne
Owens
Schevers
Bowser
Koch
Lamontagne
McTaggart
Robson
Tindell
Poehlmann
Odenwald
Pieper
Arcadi
Van Wollingen
Cook
Woods
Strom
Pilloud
Bennetts
Burgess
Evans
Alexander
Andrews
Angeras
Bessell
Bever
Broadway
Buckley-Hewing
De Vries
Dixon
Evans
Greenleaves
Hansen
Hardwick
Heffron
Mattei
Nowak
Olney
Ousby
Adcock
Arndt
Avery
Axton
Green
Grimm
Hofmann
Payne
Petrilli
Richmond
Rodda
Rossi (Renwick)
Runge
Shank
Skulina
Sparling
Williams
Avila (Slater)
Beaver
Bolf
Denzik
Devencenzi
DeVries
Goodland
Gordon
Iacovelli
Johnson
Barbara
Nic
Maureen
Jeanette
Kari
Bruce
Ghislain
Carolyn
Brenda
Carrie
Stefanie
Dagmar
Alexandra
Alessandro
Fleur
Jane
Kim
Ingrid
Linda
Holly
Claire
Rachel
Kate
Liz
Marianne Hall
Nicola
Tanja
Louise
Janine
Sara
Laura
Jackie
Anthony
Dorthe Sus
Niki
Kirsty
Isabelle
Estelle
Sarah Louise
Brian J
Debbie
Gretchen
Bill
Ted
Kat
Sarah
Carole
Julie
Lena
Nancy Allesee
Pete
Kathleen
Zuzana
Anne
Amanda
Michael
Holly
Shaylee
Laura
Kevin
Alex
Patti
Jeane
Robert
Teri
Gigi
Mary Lou
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Canada
Canada
Italy
New Zealand
New Zealand
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
Johnson
Todd
Jore
Schatzi
Kesaniemi
Kirsi
Mahaffey
Joanie
Massinger
Christine
Negley
Carrie
Roia
Dru
Roser
Christa
Roser
Dan
Simmons
Mike
Van Zyl
Whitney
Woodyard
Patricia
JUNIOR TRAINEES
Amos
Chloe
Anderson
Barbara
Coyle
Jessica
Haar
Hayley
Johnston
Amelia
Lake
Carol
Metelli
Jason
Rowlands
Ashleigh
Tomlins
Maria
Walker
Paisley
Warnes
Natalie
Dickson
Tammy
Maschi
Marianne
Bacchini
Holli
Beardmore
Sandy
O Rielly
Kate
Cameron
Elizabeth
Dawson
Angela
Deportemont
Julie
Dutoit
Luce
Furber
Anna
Gockenbach
Sandra
Hagen
Katrin
Halls
Jean
James
Elizabeth (Liz)
Köhler
Birgit
Lawrence
Natalie
Mahler
Kristina
Neu
Stephan
Oster
Mikkel
Stelzer (Fuerst)
Cornelia
Tasker
Larisa
Vezzoni
Sergio
Wheatley
Alison
Wright
Jo
Avera
Cryshtal
Ball
Gina
Chick
Charles
Cunningham
Tamera
East
Delisa
Faulconer
Nancy
Gaereminck
Allison
Garnet
Dana
Holmes
Jill
Johnson
Charlie
Kessler
Russ
Purcell
Jennifer
Roberson
Sheri
Savage
Cindy
Stanley
Barb
Starnes
Linda
Weinraub
Kara
Whitt
Stephanie
Wimpy
Karen
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Official
Graduates
Congratulations to the new Levels Pathway Graduates!
September 16, 2014 – December 15, 2014
Level 4 Graduates
Mary Hodgson, UK
Jennifer Purcell, USA
James Johnson, USA
Nicola Steiner, Germany
Mina Lunde, Norway
Maria Tagger Niederkofler, Italy
Joanie Mahaffey, USA
Nicky Van Der Sluis, Netherlands
Silvia Aigner, France
Sergio Matteoni, Italy
Anouk Dahrs, Netherlands
Evelyn Mills, Canada
Level 4 Graduates
Kendra DeKay, USA
Emily Mosher, USA
Jean Denson, USA
Barbara Parziale, Italy
Gloria Mei Beaupré, Canada
Isabelle Farmer, USA
Rachel Robertson, Australia
Kari Bowser, Canada
Jennifer Hall, USA (2012)
Anne Schoeling, Belgium
Jacqui Briggs, Australia
Margaret Lane, Australia
Lavinia Scrymgeour, UK
Joshua Burke, UK
Giorgio Pagliaro, Italy
Elizabeth Stanfield, Australia
Laura Funderburg, USA
Jeannie Parkinson, USA
Lori Whitman, USA
Allison Gaereminck, USA
Linda Pilloud, Switzerland
Stephanie Whitt, USA
Pamela Gardner, USA
Linda Sanders, UK
Sally Witt, Australia
Sharalee Goodwin, Australia
On Line + FreeStyle +
Liberty + Finesse
Amanda Skulina, USA
Fulvia Sommovigo, Italy
Dorthe Sus Hansen, Denmark
Anna Tommasin, Italy
Level 4 Graduates
On Line
Level 4 Graduates
FreeStyle
Tania Boehmer, UK
Rebecca Burnell, USA
Benedetta Bussolo, Italy
Anna Chilese, Italy
Liberty
Julia Grun, Austria
Ghislain Lamontagne, Canada
Kristina Mahler, USA
Jolene McDowell, USA
Michelle Rasmussen, USA
Franco Roa’, Italy
Lavinia Scrymgeour, UK
Marlene Takle, USA
Barbara Beaufils, France
Mallory Fields, USA
Larrelle Benjamin, Australia
Anthony Greenleaves, UK
Ashley Boswell, USA
Martin Hess, Switzerland
Joshua Burke, UK
Gigi Iacovelli, USA
Nancy Erdman, USA
Kristina Mahler, USA
Mallory Fields, USA
Robbie Maus, USA
Christian Guastamacchia, Italy
Gabriele Neurohr, France
Kari Bowser, Canada
Susan Hall, Canada
Tom Pompei, USA
Tammy Dickson, Canada
Mona Ulas, Norway
Monica Zuberbühler, Switzerland
Level 4 Graduates
Finesse
Sandra Gockenbach, Germany
Sally Rogers, USA
Thomas Rast, France
Gigi Iacovelli, USA
Judy Saunders, Canada
Annette Raynor, Australia
Elisa Mocellini, Italy
Ellen Sidwell, USA
Judy Sanders, USA
Ann-Kristin Sigge, Germany
Katrin Sandviken Pettersen, Norway
Ramona Vierheller, Germany
Gillian Sonnenberg, Canada
Bridget Sheeran, Ireland
Elisabeth Weiss, Luxembourg
Dee Dee Sorsby, USA
Hope Shergold, Germany
Alison Stephenson, UK
Nancy Sommers, USA
Laurie Tetreau, USA
Evelyn Spencer, USA
Sue Thomas, USA
Marzia Storti, Italy
Jacque Thoms, Australia
Leslie Stuba, USA
Jennifer Tod, Australia
Angelina Svan Olofsson, Sweden
Angelique van Voorst, Netherlands
Fiona Sykes, UK
Dick Walter, USA
Mike Thiel, USA
Nikki White-Bayne, Australia
Susan Towne, USA
Sally Witt, Australia
Marie-France Turmel, Canada
Virginia Wylaars, New Zealand
Christina West, USA
Level 3 Graduates
On Line + FreeStyle +
Liberty
Danna Ayers, USA
Sadie Beech, UK
Sandra Berger, Germany
Michelle Brannan, Australia
Brittany Buchanan, USA
Jen Chiswell, Australia
Helen Clarke, Australia
Nicole Cranston, Australia
Debbie DeShais, USA
Level 3 Graduates
On Line
Level 3 Graduates
FreeStyle
Cara Elmira, South Africa
Lauren Abell, USA
Joy Gallupe, USA
Elaine Fletcher, UK
Sue Andrews, UK
Julie Grace, USA
Susan Gibson, Canada
Ronald Barker, Canada
Alischa Grade, Germany
Anthony Greenleaves, UK (2012)
Michelle Boers, Canada
Christian Guastamacchia, Italy
Andrea Heidrich, Austria
Anjanette Brown, USA
Sylvia Hurlbatt, Australia
Inger Horve, Norway
Linda Cole, UK
Kaylie Jerman, USA
Laura Inman, USA
Veronica Cooper, USA
Sara Dabovich, USA
Louise Jeppsson, Sweden
Katy Egan, Ireland
Becki Ensell, UK
Karen Kressenberg, USA
Frida Einarsson, Sweden
Lena-Sophie Nitsch, Austria
Caroline Kunz, Switzerland
Sally Follis, UK
Melanie Price, Australia
Donna Macaulay, USA
Kyla Foo, Australia
Maureen Summers, USA
Priscilla Marble, USA
Tegan Ford, Australia
Ester Vonk, Germany
Sarah Martin, Australia
Amy Goddard, USA
Caroline Young, UK
Colleen McGuinness, New Zealand
Julie Grace, USA
Audrey Miellet, France
Kristie Hefling, USA
Dennis Miesner, USA
Laura Hermann, USA
Sandy Miesner, USA
Paula Hill, USA
Valerie Andrews, USA
Sharon Morell, Australia
Darci Hortness, USA
Michele Beehner, USA
Mary Morgan, UK
Therese Ingebrigtsen, Norway
Rachel Bennett, Australia
Cyndi Morin, Canada
Rebecca Kerron, Australia
Audrey Bjerke, USA
Hayley Neal, USA
Kerstin Krappinger, Austria
Heather Bjerke, USA
Hege Nerseth, Norway
Maya Martens, Italy
Nives-Sara Bosshard, Switzerland
Colleen Nye, USA
Nadia Munford, Netherlands
Sheryl Brown, USA
Alexandra Patzal, Austria
Cilla North, UK
Linda Cole, UK
Bonnie Pentney, Canada
Jody Ober, USA
Veronica Cooper, USA
Robert Pickering, USA
Eileen Owens, UK
Heather Drummond, New Zealand
Jessica Ponte, USA
Andrea Posch, Austria
Nancy Enslin, USA
Timothy Reed, Australia
Danielle Pratt, Australia
Kyla Foo, Australia
Level 3 Graduates
Liberty
education
Ava Marinne Frey, USA
Uta Gund Ciarla, Canada
Sherry Garrett, USA
Jens Cnudde, Belgium
Deborah Sherriffs, Canada
Susan Garrido, UK
Rosanne Dangerfield, Australia
Amanda Smith, UK
Erin Gatliff, USA
Valerie Daniel, USA
Nicola Spiers, UK
Sandra Hall, UK
Stefania Doretto, Italy
Kelly Stewart, Australia
Paula Hill, USA
Jena Dorsett, USA
Andy Towell, UK
Anne Hodgson, Canada
Melissa Eade, UK
Jorunn Veltman, Netherlands
Patricia Hofstetter, Switzerland
Fiona Elliot-Dixon, France
Alexandra Verstraeten, Belgium
Therese Ingebrigtsen, Norway
Adriane Esquivo, USA
Bethany Visokay, USA
Andree Keen, UK
Terri Ferraro, USA
Jessica Waistnidge, UK
Rebecca King, USA
Arielle Fischer, USA
Jennifer Weiss, USA
Kirsten Kirwan, Australia
Nan FitzGerald, Canada
Lauren Welt, USA
Anne Mather, UK
Casey Fleming, USA
Lacey Wilde, USA
Johanna Pechmann, Sweden
Stacia Gates, USA
April Woitowicz, Canada
Elena Pocaterra, Italy
Lisa Green, USA
Amy Wood, USA
Amy Podlogar, USA
Wiebke Gruber, Germany
Caroline Young, UK
Annette Raynor, Australia
Kilea Haire, USA
Debra Young, Australia
Dru Roia, USA
Susan Huot-Singer, USA
Donna Schnepp, USA
Jasmine Jacobson, USA
Andrea Jani, Austria
Becky Sibley, UK
Tammy Jaynes, USA
Jennifer Snitko, USA
Jacqueline Jenkins, Australia
Doreen Snow, USA
Kaylie Jerman, USA
Evelyn Spencer, USA
Phil Jore, USA
Bonnie Kearns, Australia
Fiona Stiller, Germany
Shannon Kelly, Australia
Joke Van Den Eynde, Belgium
Jean Larsen, South Africa
Sally Webb, UK
Alison Matthews, USA
Naomi Wilson, USA
Jamie-Lynn McGarvey, Canada
Jeff Wohler, USA
Anita Normandin, Canada
Britta Wutke, Germany
Patty Oschell, USA
Rossella Zambelli, Italy
Kerry Page, USA
Level 2 Graduates
On Line + FreeStyle
Janet Pearson, Canada
Moa Pechmann, Sweden
Emily Pelz, Germany
Fay Allan-Banting, UK
Ben Podlogar, USA
Tina Andersen Berchtold, Switzerland
Madeline Podlogar, USA
Sam Podlogar, USA
Nicole Angus, Canada
Leanne Preece, Australia
Céline Balcaen, Belgium
Melanie Price, Australia
Lesa Bassett, Australia
Rebecca Quam, USA
Sophie Baulderstone, Australia
Dana Resch, Germany
Tenaya Beaton, Australia
Diana Richards, Australia
Michele Beehner, USA
Gretchen Rohde, USA
Jessica Brill, Canada
Katelynn Ronk, USA
Nela Bruestle, Canada
Miroslava Rueda Rodriguez,
Belgium
Anna Burggraaff, Australia
Jessica Busbroek, Netherlands
David Russell, USA
Level 2 Graduates
On Line
Jennie Adams, Australia
Millie Ager, Australia
Christine Anderson, Canada
Oliver Arnold, New Zealand
Marloes Benschop, Netherlands
Carole-Anne Boivin, Canada
Daryl Breda, USA
Lynne Brine, Canada
Tanja Brown, Australia
Melissa Cantacuzene, USA
Sigrist Caroline, Switzerland
Lise Chrétien, Canada
Lyn Coleman, Australia
Dayle Collins, Canada
Rosemary Copley, UK
Danielle Crowe, Canada
Terry Davidson, Canada
Miriam Debelak, USA
Zosia Dedie, USA
Veronica Dickerson, USA
Gaby Doebeli, Australia
Cheryl Donovan, USA
Kathy Draffin, Canada
Tashi Eaton, Canada
Carole Fiddler, Canada
Daniela Gantioler, Austria
Christine Gibbons, Canada
Jacinthe Girard, Canada
Kay Greeley, USA
Shellagh Gutke, USA
Aurélie Habasque, France
Ruth Sølvi Helland, Norway
Patri Janyk, Canada
Naomi Jones, UK
Cheryl Kindred, USA
Kirsten Koop, USA
Erin Kurtz, Canada
Toni LaSalle, USA
Claudia Lowe, UK
Michelle Marble, USA
Elisabeth Marchi, Italy
Level 2 Graduates
FreeStyle
Laura Bashford, UK
Jane Brehany, USA
Catherine Browning, Australia
Marleen de Soir, Belgium
Molly Jones, Canada
Debbie Marley, USA
Julie Oelmann, Canada
Angie Pyle, USA
Level 1 Graduates
On Line
Saranne Jacka, Australia
Christelle Jorge, USA
Jessica Kelly, Australia
Kim King, UK
Victoria Knowles, Australia
Joanne Lamont, UK
Gerald Lyon, UK
Rachel May, UK
Samantha Moritz, USA
Brenda Morrison, USA
James Newell, USA
Sharon Promm, Canada
Annabel Redfearn, UK
Linnea Rode, Germany
Jessica McNab, Australia
Fredric Agdern, USA
Josie Sallows, Canada
Donna Mead, Australia
Thea Noreen Agdern, USA
Jody Schloss, Canada
Valentina Mencatelli, Italy
Allison Alvarez, USA
Carolyn Schulte, USA
Brenda Merpaw, Canada
Alison Alway, Spain
Heather Shepherd, Australia
Angie Nelson, USA
Christina Antonsen, USA
Shallie Sible, USA
Mary Ann Noonan, USA
Avery Apfelbeck, USA
Uschi Soukup, Canada
Jessica Normand, USA
Tina Bacon, UK
Brandon South, Canada
Jane Felicity Nunn, Australia
Vera Barker, UK
Levinnia Spencer, Australia
Paula Overfelt, USA
Paula Barnes, Canada
Olivia Stutz, Switzerland
Danuta Pennycuick, Australia
Claire Beaumard, France
Brianna Thompson, Canada
Kelly Pettigrew, Canada
Lise Beaumard, France
Victoria Urbanik, Australia
Pierre-Alain Picard, Canada
Anna Berger, USA
Allyssa van ‘t Hul, Netherlands
Cindy Pilot, France
Ina Bernard, Belgium
Sydney Vonk, Netherlands
Amy Podlogar, USA
Christa Bichlmayr, Austria
Lisa Wachter, USA
Enrichetta Punzo, Italy
Angélique Boillat, Switzerland
Emily Walker, USA
Clara Ricketts, UK
Jane Bussenschutt, Australia
Anna Walschaerts, Belgium
Wilco Roets, South Africa
Leah Cash, USA
Sophie Weinhandl, Austria
Michelle Ronci, Australia
Laura Cassiday, USA
Jeanie Welch, USA
Debbie Rowan, USA
Sharon Clelford, UK
Anna-Marie Woodcock, New Zealand
Peta Sammut, Australia
Myah Clifton, Australia
Olivia Young, Canada
Janice Scott, USA
Janine Coetsee, Zimbabwe
Helena Zielinski, Australia
Lisa Spencer, USA
Audrey D. Lirette, Canada
Marlene Spencer, USA
Cecilia D’amico, Italy
Michelle Stoddard, USA
Marleen de Soir, Belgium
Sophie Streit, Ireland
Ranveig Ellevsøy, Norway
Jane Sutherland, Australia
Diane Gordon-Freeman, UK
Joni Trimble, USA
Abbe Hall, USA
Tina Urbahn, USA
Victoria Hammond, USA
Marly van den Reek, Netherlands
Olivia Hess, USA
Saskia Van Der Zee, UK
Joan Hogben, UK
Brigitte Winter, Australia
Alicia Hoitinga, Netherlands
Samantha Woodhams, UK
Mellissa Holzheimer, Australia
Every effort is made to ensure this
list is accurate. If for any reason we
have missed your name, or misspelled
it, please let us know right away by
emailing [email protected].
Annika Hüfner, Germany
Carlo Isidori, Italy
PO Box 3729
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
1-855-PARELLI
www.parelli.com
PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO
SEPTEMBER 11-13
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
Parelli Natural
Horsemanship
We’ll see you there!

Evergreen Horses - Parelli Savvy Club

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