Parelli people?

[poniesrule]

Not looking to start a heated debate, everyone does their own thing & has wonderful results

I know the games, I use the games, but I also have added my own twist because it works for me. I am not stictly by the book, & this is my first time "playing" with a horse shorter than me! I figured this would be a good place for advice from those who've been doing it a while.

I am looking for people who use some or all of the 7 games, or the techniques involved with PNH. And for those who know the games, have tried & tossed it as well. What games are the hardest for you? How do you adapt? Which of the games benefits you the most since you are not riding? Do you use any while in harness?

The best thing I did was start using my daughter's carrot stick, it is easier to handle with the minis. For me, the porcupine game is difficult because I am at such an odd angle. I have tried on my knees, but when just starting out, the little devils rush up to me for treats. The yo-yo game is excellent with helping me establish MY space & their space, and is also helping me with a solid whoa/stand. I feel that the driving game will help with collection & getting them to engage their hindquarters in the future. There's nothing I love watching more than a collected, well-balanced mini driving! The circling & driving games in my opinion are a way to make lunging more productive. We circle over poles, between the dog & barn, etc. We also do the same with driving but add in & out of the barn, around the feeder, on to the co-op semi truck scale, even into the trailer.

We have a long ways to go, but with the weather we have (windy and below 0), it's nice to have the games to keep us stimulated & optimistic.

 

[lucky seven]

I think you will find more people enjoy Clinton Anderson than PP here. I do think they both have great ideas to try. My boy just looks at me like he's wondering what my problem is!

 

[Renolizzie]

Basically, I watch more Clinton Anderson than Parelli

Watching on TV does keep me inspired to get out there and do my best with my little horses.

Julie Goodman [Goodknight?] got me to turning my little Wiseguy into the rail and out from the rail in the round pen. That Is kind of cool.

 

[poniesrule]

Thanks for the replies Lucky Seven & Renolizzie

I was just hoping to connect with people and hear goods/bads. A good friend of mine did a summer internship with Clinton Anderson, so I've followed him as well. The PP seems easier to work with my daughters when they're playing with the mini's as well. Like I said, I do a little of everything. And never know if anyone else does something similar to what I try until I ask

 

[Performancemini]

I had a little introduction to Parelli and more with John Lyons; but ended up being a great fan of Clinton Anderson also. I think it's how you treat the horse doing any of the methods anyway. The comment I really wanted to make was you said you used (I believe) the child's carrot stick for your minis (and of course for your children's use); I found that Clint Anderson's child size "stick and string" are a better size for working with the minis to for even an adult.

 

[jeanniecogan]

Here I am, THE Parelli fan for all his career. I was there when he started and let me tell you He has come a long way and has never stopped learning. Love his stuff. I have tried Anderson and John Lyons, they just don't speak to me.

The 7 games are awesome. The only thing i change is that i teach the yoyo game first. It seems easier for them to learn and makes them want to learn.

My first two minis , a stallion and mare that were given to me by the local zoo, really. they were barely halter broke. The little stallion bluffed everyone by rearing in their face. He learned the yoyo game right there and i never had another problem with him.

Ive trained a lot of breeds and a few minis. love Pat Parelli

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No sorry, after watching the Catwalk debacle I could never take anything he said as truth again.

Too many You Tube videos of awful things done by his wife, as well. NOT misunderstanding them- the truth is plain for anyone to see. These people do not respect horses so their ways are not for me.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

No sorry, after watching the Catwalk debacle I could never take anything he said as truth again.

Too many You Tube videos of awful things done by his wife, as well. NOT misunderstanding them- the truth is plain for anyone to see. These people do not respect horses so their ways are not for me.

I really did look at the parelli program. Half of it is basic horsemanship we already did, then the other half I found to be trick training. I've never met a horse that followed parelli by the book I was impressed with either. I've found many that followed it loosely that turned out well, but none that had owners who were 'cult members.' If be lying if I said I didn't use pieces of his program, and I will give parelli that he breaks it down insanely well and makes training easy to understand - which is hard to do. But I find him and his wife to personally be appalling horsemen and his training program to be half tricks.

 

[MyMiniGal]

I use some of it, as my mini was taught it before I bought her...or taught some of it, before I bought her. I don't like some of it, but some of it I do. I do love the kids Parelli carrot stick I have. It is perfect size for not only my mini, but for my short arms, small hands and me just being plain short! LOL Works well.

 

[Tab]

You will find that most "natural horsemanship" programs are very similar. Round pen; pressure and release; keep them moving until they understand or get exhausted and submit; let up on pressure as a reward for each achievement. Monty/Clinton/Pat It's a lot of the same to me. It's all fads, and as soon as someone doesn't like one thing they see, they throw that fad under the bus and move onto the next one.

 

[jeanniecogan]

A fad?? Pat has been around since th 80's. i did all my training on myself and the horses at home. i had one quarter horse that i took to a clinic to see how we were progressing. EVERYONE stopped to watch him as he did the 7 games with zest and obviously enjoying every bit of it. even the clinician had us do some stuff not practiced. i felt really good about the fact that i did this with gentleness and pride.

 

[lucky seven]

I checked ebay for C. Anderson's and P Parelli training dvd's. I found them to be very expensive, including the magazines. I can understand that they need to make a living and pay expenses but their products are way to expensive for the average person. They make you believe you need the special halters, lead ropes, boots, sticks and round pens for their methods to work, then add in the price of the dvd's and it might be cheaper in the long run to send your fur friend to a trusted trainer. I enjoyed watching all of these trainers when I received RFD but it all boils down to common sense and your ability to read and understand your mini or pony.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

It does not really matter how long they have been around, that does not make them right and it does not make them any less of a fad- a fad is, by definition, a "peculiar notion" or "craze" and crazes can last forever! I cannot see the draw in doing something that is just common sense, but paying through the nose for it and being told it is someone else's idea! Makes no sense to me at all.

 

[lucky seven]

The last Clinton Anderson show I watched was a few years ago, in it he was working with a dangerous horse that had no manners. During the training session the horse flipped over backwards. Afterwards, Clinton made the comment that the horse was okay but had acted stupidly. I accepted his statement as fact at first but then wondered if maybe he had pushed the horse to hard to make progress faster. On a Pat Parelli program I watched with interest as he worked with a young girl with disabilities to help her with her very well trained standardbred. This was not a young horse but one that was well trained and "bombproof" for her to ride. He had this horse (standardbreds are so very smart) so confused and worried about what it was doing wrong that this gelding's lower lip was flapping up and down so hard that you could hear it sitting at home. He had this girl waving a lunge whip at him pushing him backwards around the round pen. That was the last time I watched Pat, in my mind, teach someone to abuse a horse for TV's sake. The girl needed a good riding instructor to gain confidence not him.

 

[Renolizzie]

I think you can take some of the learning points from these people and use them but you have to think about it and not allow the horse or yourself to get too stressed. I also think it is admirable for people to try to make good horses out of dangerous horses but sometimes it really isn't a great idea. Sometimes an animals just has to leave your property and you have to learn what you can from that experience and move forwards.

Caesar Milan is great with dogs and I have learned a lot from him but you aren't going to cure a seriously dangerous dog without sending it to his dog center for months. That isn't practical for most dangerous dogs. And a lot of those dogs probably won't work out for the previous owners and shouldn't be given back. so now what?

There is a lady named Victoria on TV and she works with dogs, as well. Totally different style than Caesar. Guess what, she gets good results, too. I have learned a lot from her as well.

Obviously, TV isn't real life but maybe that isn't obvious for some people? We all have our limitations and it doesn't hurt to know that.

 

[poniesrule]

I have a problem with methods that everyone uses, not a problem, but I believe that methods don't always work the same for everyone. I don't do things by the book. I don't believe that a horse will magically play the games the first day. I have followed Monty Roberts & Clinton Anderson, and john Lyons and Pat Parelli... I like some of everything. Like I said before, the games are easy for my kids.

That being said, I was just hoping for input on success/failures with the games & how you modify your own body language to make it more mini friendly since they are vertically challenged compared to humans. I didn't mean to start a hot argument.

 

[Minimor]

I do think it is Sad that so many people get sucked into paying so much money for something that is simple common sense--and it is

Absolutely pathetic that quite a number of people pay big bucks to attend natural horsemanship clinics only to have their horses abused by the clinician. That happens way too often, and not just one particular clinician. The really sad part is--in many cases these clinicians are not helping their followers as much as those followers think they are. People spend a fortune on their natural horsemanship training and still can't do a thing with their horses.

 

[JAX]

There are places on the internet where you can rent these dvds of CA or PP and lots of others if you would like to see the different training methods without having to buy them. No late fees and you keep them as long as you like for a low monthly rate. I believe Giddy Up Flix is one but there are others as well.

 

[lucky seven]

I'm lucky, I have an excellent trainer close by and she will come to my home and help me work with my boy. I wouldn't begin to train him to drive by myself. This spring I will be taking driving lessons from her so I won't be starting my boy until I'm more confident in my abilities first.

 

[jeanniecogan]

WOW. always learning. I have never seen so much negativity on these people. However I believe in the 7 games more than anything else any of them teach.For me, i need to see it to learn how to teach it. I could never afford their stuff either. We found ways to get it without having to pay so much. Ebay for instance. it's there.

I love communicating with my animals in a friendly and fun way. They all respond to the 7 games. But i am also a big believer in everyone having their own opinion and having the right to say it.