Parelli? Your Thoughts?

This is what I think-- you take what you like from this clinician, and take what you like from that clinician, what you don't like you dont take-- the only thing that I have bought from a clinicians clinic is a really good rope halter- On Parelli they have to much stuff to handle while trying to work with a horse- I'm kind of clumsy so I would really be more clumsier with all those things.! IF you try one thing and it doesnt work out you try another approach. The point I suppose is how to make the connection from you to your horse so that he understands and responds!

I like the basic philosophy, the idea of helping the horse to understand, and the handler learning to understand the horse, but that isn't Parelli per se, its more Tom Dorrance and the other foundation trainers (of horses and of people) of the NH movement.

I have had a similar experience with the system itself to that of savvylover112, my horses just don't seem to respond to Parelli specific techniques. They usually just stare at me like I'm stupid or something . I have personally gotten better reactions and responses from my Clinton Anderson/Chris Cox/Dennis Reis/Ken McNabb/John Lyons/whoever else is on RFD - Ryan Gingrich (shudders) + a healthy dose of critical thinking and common sense. Granted, I probably was doing something wrong, as I learned about the 7 games from a magazine article, some Googling, and a few infomercial-esqe tv shows.

I also think that a lot of mainstream tv NH trainers focus much of their time and energy on foundation training, colt starting, and rehabbing problem horses (and owners ). Because of this, it's up to the owner/handler/trainer to decide where to go when the solid foundation has been established. You can refine a foundation to kingdom come, but someday you need to decide when to level up. Dressage analogy here: Perfection at Training level, but what if you never take that leap to begin schooling at First level? I do know that some NH trainers are attempting to remedy this shortfall: Clinton Anderson has an advanced riding DVD, I think Parelli has something similar (at any rate, followers of the Parelli's have added elements of classical dressage and other disciplines to produce a well educated horse).

The long and short of my rant... Parelli ok, he gets results. His biggest faults are the sheer price of his materials (but that can be argued of several trainers), and the potential for followers to end up in a "foundation skills rut" if they do not branch out a bit (again something that can be argued of most NH tv trainers).

My biggest personal beef (getting really subjective here... I'm not at all meaning to offend), sometimes the Parelli's just rub me wrong, and almost seem condescending in the way they come across, that because I don't follow their system my horses hate me, but that is certainly just my personal opinion and perception.

Its a great place to start , but like anything you learn you end up with your own style and adapting methods to suit you &/or your horse better.

It has become some what of a money making train.

I think there's a lot in the program to take away, learn from, and adapt into a more well-rounded program.
But on its own, it is very limited and limiting. If you will only practice Parelli, you are greatly limiting yourself, and your horse.

I do learn with my horse.....that's the Parelli home study course. I also do clinics when I can.

*Grabs some popcorn and sits back to watch*

I personally don't like mixing training techniques because you run the high risk of confusing your horse. There have been times when something wasn't working right for me (especially with my warmblood) but did I give up and throw in the towl and look for another out? Nope. That's because I know the program works and I believe in it.....and most importantly, I know that if something isn't working it's because of me. It's not the program at fault, it's my ability to read the horse, be the right leader, not taking enough time, etc. that is the problem. I think it's because of this determination to be the best horse-woman I can be for my horse and my dedication to a program that does work that I rarely have problems anymore....with my own horse or other people's horses.

Um sorry.. what?

No, you mix them together. For instance, I use Monty Roberts' join-up technique, I use a surcingle and bungees, I use some classical dressage techniques.... it's drawing from ALL angles that gives you the best chance of having something in your "horsey toolbox" for each horse.
No confusion, simply a melange of techniques, rather than having only one, singular view on how to train a horse.

To me it seems it would confuse the horse because he wouldn't know who is coming to the barn today.....the person who acts more natural, or the person who acts completely different just because their goal for that day has changed.

At least in my view, Parelli stays the same no matter if you are practicing a safety technique for trail riding or you have preformance goals and are practicing the fundamentals for performance. The attitude doesn't change from simple maneuvers to more difficult ones, the principles don't change either.

To me, mixing techniques means you create a whole NEW technique, one that envelops a whole wide range of horses.