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Is Parelli worth it?

3K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  Oxer 
#1 ·
I hear hot and cold things about Parelli. I have several people at my barn that are more than willing to teach me (one at level 4 and other at 3). But I've heard that it can mess up the horse, pretty badly.

I really liked the bit about improving your relationship with the horse, but some of the other things in Parelli seem to make sense. I'm must being careful before I dive in headfirst. Opinions and experiences with Parelli are much appreciated.
Also, the horse is currently training with traditional methods.

Thanks :)
 
#3 ·
Keep a close eye and a firm hand on your pocketbook. Don't buy into the idea that you need to have all the expensive gear or join any of their clubs.

Don't fall for the 'horsenality' garbage, and if you can stick to just the actual training methods and reject the kook-ade, you'll be fine. Take what you can use, and jettison the rest.

None of the ideas put forth by the Parellis are new or even innovative; they're just packaged with different names and shiny, expensive toys. All of it can be found in regular, traditional training if you look hard enough. They're just not called 'games' by traditional trainers.
 
#4 ·
You can only mess up the horse if you dont know what you are doing or dont understand what the methods are about or how they work.
I would reccommend it. As far as i've heard, people's reasons for disliking Parelli never seem to have anything to do with his methods, usually with the man himself and these are usually people who have not actually studied any of the DVDs.
I've been working with my horses for over a year now using his methods and we are doing great. My old mare for example has improved drastically in her attitude towards people and her work. She's alot more willing, patient and sensitive to my body language. Nolonger pushy either and i didnt have to accomplish any of this by manhandling or causing her any degree of pain.
We nolonger even have to ride with a bit anymore.
The same can be said for the other horses i've worked with as well as my friend, who also practices this form of training. She started her 3-yr-old this winter through Parelli as well as taken over her sister's horse and improved his flighty, dominant, unpredictable behaviors within a few days.
The key point us understanding it and treating horses like horses, NOT humans because they are not humans. One area where alot of people mess up and end up with poor results is knowing when to add pressure, how much and when to take it away. You cannot be a passive person, nor can you be aggressive. You have to strive to be assertive and patient and take every little bit your horse gives you.
 
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#5 ·
PP is not a trainer I personally think is very good. I think if you look at some of his stuff it has a place but in reality there are a number of other trainers who are better more proven less expensive then PP and you will end up with a better understanding of what you are doing.

If these trainers are someone you wish to work with take a good hard look at the horses they have trained. Ask to ride their horses. If the horse is well trained you shoul have little problem getting the horse to do basic things like walk and trot. You may not get the horse to do more advanced maneubers. If the horse is not well broke and trained and soft and is not one you can ride then think about it. It this someone you want training your and your horse? What if you have to sell the horse. Will the next person be able to ride that horse is they are not a PP person? This is the biggest problem I have found with PP horses. They are not very well trained they tend to be pushy and it is very hard for a non PP person to ride that horse.
 
#7 ·
i would get all the info you can from the people at your barn who are knowledgeable about parelli. they sound like good resources !!
 
#11 ·
Free is only as good as the person giving it out when it comes to advice. Just b/c it is free does not mean it it correct. Most of the time you get what you pay for.
 
#12 ·
you never have to take advice though.

if you want to do some parelli or see what its like, ask the girls at the barn. if you like it, then think about buying/borrowing the dvds and stuff. if you dont like it, do something else.
 
#13 ·
My mother knew parelli back in 74 when he was a roper haha he was just as gregarious then, but all that aside.

Find a book called True Unity from Tom Dorrance, its a bit of a tough read because its conversationally written. There you will understand where all those guys got their foundations.

But if you decide to buy a video you probably need just one and remember everyone's method works because its basically the same just each guy has branded it different. That being said if you like the way Parelli, Chris Cox, Clinton, Craig Cameron or even Ken McNabb puts forth the info i'd go with their video.

Just remember those guys put in years and make it look easy but not to worry with time and patience you will learn as your horse learns. Not to get frustrated when your horse wont move like theirs will after 5 minutes, its a learning to communicate process.
 
#14 ·
Parelli was the beginning of my nh education. It was the foundation that eventually sent me on a journey of nh and I have never looked back. No, I don't like Pat a whole lot. I've "jettisoned" a lot of it, kept the bits that worked for me and my horses. The horsenality part did help me understand my horses ennate characteristics and how to work with them. No horse is one horsenality, and you WILL see all four at any given time. Knowing how to deal with the different "moods" of a horse is pretty important. I can look at just about any horse now and know where he's coming from. There's nothing unimportant in knowing your horse better. For the Parelli's to even attempt to box and educate millions of back yard horse owners (most owning horses that never should have bought) is a monumental achievement. It's a good place to start, especially if you can't afford to go to a clinic. Having help, is like gold. How to hold the rope, timing and feel can't be easily learned via dvd. I've moved on, but will always value Parelli as the beginning of my journey. Remember, if your gut or your horse tells you this doesn't feel right, don't do it. I like Carolyn Resnick's water hole rituals quite a bit. Much more instumental in getting my horses mind and respect. Whr's taught me how a horse thinks, and why they do what they do. Carolyn has an excellant on line class, and she is very involved with her students. Good luck and keep it natural! Deb
 
#15 ·
when i bought my horse, he was absolutely rank. I can honestly say that i had no clue what i was doing with a 1000 pound horse that was frightened, reactive, and dangerous on the ground. I hired a Parelli trainer to simply help me better understand why my horse was the way he was, and how i could better handle him. It was, honestly, the very best decision i could have ever made for him and for myself. I continued to keep him in training with my regular trainer, and every thursday the Parelli trainer would come out and work with us. I never stopped riding my horse, although the NH trainer encouraged me to.

Long story short, I took what i wanted from the NH stuff, and left the rest.
 
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