14th July, 2010 The Rise and fall of Pat Parelli (I hope)

I'm often asked whether the training I provide is the same as Parelli, and I'm very happy to say that it isn't. Everyone should be made aware that if they want to use Parelli training for their horse, it does involve hitting and it does involve violence - horses are hit with the rope, the clip, the end of the rope, the carrot stick, the string on the carrot stick and the hand - and this comes right from the very top of the organisation; all in the name of love, language and leadership. Think before you buy - just because it's expensive and just because it is well marketed doesn't mean that its ethically sound.

Just so that you don't think I am making it up -

Pat Parelli – You Tube

The original loading DVD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwYAn4IH918&feature=player_embedded

More recently on loading

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ueprRcH5B4


Catwalk, Robert Whittaker’s stallion, being dealt with for bridle shyness (about which there are 100 pages of discussion on the Horse and Hound Forum)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gf7w_1ifus&feature=player_embedded


Linda Parelli – You Tube

So called bargey horse with one eye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyF2QqP29DU


And a short story for you. A few years ago I was asked to go and halter train two New Forest foals that were about five months old. The owner had been able to touch them and stroke their faces. She had first turned to a local Parelli trainer recommended by her local vet. The trainer started to work with them both together in a part of a field on a steep slope, sectioned off with electric tape. The trainer lassoed the filly, which fled through the electric fencing taking it with her along with all the stakes, the colt and the lassoo itself around her tummy rather than her neck. In order to stop her, the trainer tied the end of the lassoo to a tree, whereupon she fell into a ditch and landed upside down. The trainer hit her to get her out. The session did not improve from there and neither were the foals halter trained. I turned up with my panels and we created two little pens within the garage. Here I was able to gently put the headcollars on the foals and on and off and on and off a few times before I left. They were fine after that. The owner has never forgiven herself for letting the first trainer work with her ponies although it seems that the ponies did. We started the filly last year and although she was a little worried about the long reins at first, she accepted them and went on to be absolutely fine.