What are the purposses of Parellis games?

Question

Does Parelli's games actually teach people the understanding of the horse and teach how to actually get full potential of the horse? Does it teach the use of the abdomen to lift the back? Also I always just see them on the ground. Does Parelli ever have people ride? These games seem like just teaching a horse a trick like you teach a dog to shake. Someone earlier said he lays the horse down to show respect.....uh....I've never heard of or seen horses do this in the wild...weird. I just wanted to see if I can get a good explanation of this.

Answer 1

The main purpose of the Parelli games, are so you spend more money to get to the higher level, so you can actually SIT on your horse and do more games! By the time your Level 4,000 you FINALLY know how to walk around the arena! OMG! YAY! *celebration* And you've probably spent something close to $10,000 to teach you bragging rights to your friends that your horse just lays down when you walk up to it. <3

Answer 2

Well I don't know the an$wer to your question, a$ I am not a fan of Parelli or hi$ technique$.

However, should he manage to teach them "Twister", then give me a holler...

Answer 3

Have you ever been present when a vet throws down a horse for medical treatment?  It is done using ropes to basically pull the horse's legs out from under it, and the horse is incredibly frightened.  The poster above me who claims that the old hands were doing this without the ropes must be from a different planet than the one I grew up on.  And when you are using ropes to do it, you're not teaching the horse to do it..you are forcing the horse to do it.  The cowboys used to do it as a means to gain respect borne of fear.  The horse, knowing the cowboy could render it helpless, would emerge complacent and submissive.  The Parelli method achieves that respect out of trust, not fear...a much better means to a superior end.

The exercises that teach flexibility and responsiveness will later allow the rider to cue the horse for lateral work and collection.  The most highly trained horses of classical dressage are prepared for riding with extensive ground work before the first stage of work under saddle begins...before they are ridden, they have been athletically conditioned and prepared, mind and body.  Horses are capable of cooperation and unity with their human counterparts, and don't require the fear and pain tactics often employed to train them.  The result of the Parelli brand of training is a confident, safer, trusting and trustworthy horse that functions in partnership with the handler. The games teach...everything we do around horses teaches, and is training....good and bad.

You don't see horses being ridden in the wild either.....of course you don't see them doing the Parelli games in the wild....they do things we want them to either out of fear and avoidance of pain, or out of trust and willing cooperation.

ADD....the Parelli methods are not the only effective methods, and no one is saying they are.  There are many good trainers out there with equally humane and effective ways.....but I count Parelli among them...it's not one way or another...just keeping an open mind.  I personally use Clinton Anderson methods as well....but if someone chooses to do the Parelli method exclusively, why does it get so many people so upset?  If you don't want to learn his methods, then don't...but don't bash the people who do.

EDIT TO MOORSLUCKEE7.....If that is your experience, then your questions are certainly valid.  However, I have experience that is other than yours, so it can't all be blamed on Parelli.  Each case is individual...every horse trained by every trainer can have problems...this site is filled with them.  I don't necessarily believe any one trainer has all the answers...I have never tried the treating horses that bite thing...and I doubt I ever will.

But I don't bash and ridicule the ones who do try it, as many on this site regularly do.  If one has not tried the methods and proven beyond a doubt that they do not work...proven it to himself after rigidly adhering to the method, and is capable of explaining why it failed, he/she is not in a position to judge it's value.  None of the people on here that routinely criticise it have done that.  Yet, the true believers have used it, and are happy with the results....much more convincing evidence.

To john r....how do you know they didn't steal it from somebody else before them?????  And why is calling it the "laydown" any different from calling it something else now?  Is it stupid and pointless, as the Parelli critics keep saying, or is brilliant technique practiced for centuries by the early horsemen?  

BSB....I said I read everything I could get my hands on to find better ways to train my horses.  Much of that was because the many trainers I worked with were using techniqes that I felt were harsh.  I have worked with cowboy trainers from various states and backgrounds...and the throwing down of horses was not 12 years ago...I'm talking about 45 and 50 years ago.  Your grandfather may have learned his techniques from someone else who learned theirs from someone else...and so on.  My bias, as you call it, comes from the same place yours does...my experience.  I still am open to the ideas different trainers come up with.  You say you never saw a vet or cowboy throw a horse using ropes....I've seen it dozens of times over 50 years, so my opinions are valid.  In fact, if you only worked with the techniques taught to you by family, you weren't exposed to nearly the numbers of trainers I've worked with. And if the vets you worked for didn't use throwing down with ropes, then why is Parelli's demo of getting a horse to lie down called pointless by those of you who know why it's done?

BSB...well stated, and I love your spirit...even though I know you are not fond of mine.  The only other thing I would say is that, when a vet goes to work on a horse that already has learned these things, it makes his or her job easier if the horse has been trained to it.

To john r...glad you mentioned Xenophon...studied him years ago...invented some of the worst most torturous bits ever known to man or horse.

BSB....You too....and thanks for the fun.

Answer 4

Yea! I used them on my new 2005 paint mare Abbi and they are doing incredible things. I think that Parelli is using a method such as teaching your dog, or in this case a horse, but is doing something completly out of thought. He is helping you create a bond with your horse and help you bring out a special connection so that your horse will grow connected with you which will help you move further in future training. These "tricks" that you are teaching your horse will also help your horse exel in the future!

Good luck! I hope I helped :)

Answer 5

Its a way of building trust in a horse and using kind techniques to train your horse.

Answer 6

i am not a fan of the parelli's because of the training i was taught by many old trainers and waddies.i was taught that a horse is a curious animal by nature but also non trusting of things so you have to have a running conversation with a horse by asking questions and accepting the answers given so you can ask the same question in a different way to get the result you want.to properly teach a horse you need "common sense" and a good look in the mirror,without knowing yourself honestly you cant teach a horse. the parelli's say "anyone can be a trainer"but by using "tricks"to train a horse you are only fooling yourself,horses arent a dumb as some people think,they have the ability to reason and figure things out and without the "common sense"that some people have you wont know how to fix the new problem that your horse suddenly developed.i teach my horses to lay down but it is not for respect but trust or in case of emergency (it makes suturing a stomach wound or chest wound easier)and the old hands did this long before the term "natural horsemanship"came to be a commercial venture.

edit:150 years ago a book was written called"the classic encyclopedia of the horse"written by a guy named dennis magner and a pamphlet written by a guy named john rarey,they are good reading and explain the reasons for teaching your horse the "laydown" long before parelli was a twinkle in his momas eye.

edit 2:if you want to get technical you could say they recieved their information on horse training from a man called "Xenophon"in 350 bc or the oldest writen record of horse training and even then he attributed his methods to those who trained before him so in a nutshell all horse training goes back further than written record.parelli didnt invent the wheel,he just renamed it and put it under a circus tent.

thank you BSB that means a lot !

Answer 7

To confuse the c**p out of your horses!!!!  & To fill his pockets! I agree with 1024!!! I can't count how many of those horses I have had to retrain. It is sad that people will die to fallow him! His fallowers are scarry!! Beward of this question! Someone who would die for his training ways may get mad..... LOL Myself I think he is FULL of c**p!!!! He is a very smart marketing. There is a picture of him JUMPING a 3 mo foal over a log!!!! Now tell me he is a good trainer?? In my book anyone who would think of such a thing let alone DO IT, should be knocked out!!!!! Crazy if you ask me!!!!! I wouldn't buy one of thoses horses if it was 100.00$!!!!!! They are a head full of problems!!!!!!!

******edit******

I do a LOT of ground work with my horses. I have been doing ground work BEFOR Parelli games. His games ARE NOT the only way to do ground work! If it was ground work why on earth have I retrained sooooo many of his "gamed horses"?????!!!!!! Parelli IS NOT the first to do ground work. He just the first to have games that coast $$$$$$$$  & a LOT $$$$$!!!!!! Ground work is NOT a new thing!!! I DO NOT give paerlli credit for that!!!! He acts like he is the first person to start ground training. foooweee!! My grandpa always stressed on doing ground work! He was born 1901, do you think he used his ways..... I just laught the way people act like he started this whole ground work . He just learned how to make $$$ off of it. THATS IT!!!!   Clinton Anderson RUNNSS circles around parelli!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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People act like his way is the only way to buid trust!!!!! LOL He dosen't have a magical spell for that. Training for your horses builds trust! Ground work builds trust! NOT just those games!!!! A few of my horses & I have trust & bond & BY GOLLY IT IS NOT BECAUSE of parelli!!!!!!!! It is because I take time to train my horses. That is why **period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

********edit********

Gallop~~ I didn't thumb you down. I gave you thumbs up. & Yes, your right it is good to take a little for all trainers. & What works for your horse. I just get upset when people act like his way is the only way.

Answer 8

lol...I'm sorry I can't answer your question.

But on the part where these people make their horses lay down to show respect..I have a dog that does, I don't think it's out of respect though...it's more out of submission as she see's me as alpha.

LOL...I would just faint if I walked up to one of my horses to go for a ride and have it flop on it back and show me respect...LOL! What if all the horse did from then on was to show respect?...hehehehe...

I guess I kind of answered your question because I don't see how they could ride if their horses are all on their backs showing their owners respect...lol!

Answer 9

$parelli$$$$

Oops, er, I mean...

Let's just say that personally, I like to keep things as simple as possible.  Doesn't matter if I'm making a casserole or trying to get Old Red to have better ground manners...I just see no reason to make things any harder than they have to.  Or more expensive, for that matter.  If I were making that casserole,  why would I go buy organic shittake mushrooms that have been grown in Iceland in the manure of a cow that was blessed by the Dali Lama when I could just go to the supermarket and get regular old garden mushrooms that taste just the same?  

"Levels" and gimmicks do not excite me.  In fact, they turn me off.  Hence my disinterest in Parelli.

And don't EVEN get me started on "horseinalities"...

EDIT:  Here is the best description I could find of "horseinalities".  There is no online article on that topic, you see, because that would mean you didn't line Parelli's pocket with cash in order to get the information.

http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2...

Look at the top Q and A, the part in italics.  

Oh, heaven help us all.

ANOTHER EDIT:

I found photos of Parellites at work.  Priceless!  ...And puzzling.  The infamous foal-jumping photo is at the bottom...

http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2...

Answer 10

MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!! & getting his 15 minutes of fame from gullible people who think this man is a genius when all he has done is rip off training techiniques from other people, slap his name & a ridiculous child like name on them & TA DA!!!! charge people money to learn common sense.

*EDIT*

OH GEEZ BO!!!!  That was hilarious!!!

*EDIT*

Gallop, I wonder where you get your biased information?  My dad & grandad did all of the gelding of the colts & most of the doctoring at our place & they DID NOT use ropes to "throw" the horses down. I also worked 12 yrs. as a vet. tech. some 12 yrs. ago & there was not one single time when the vets I worked for EVER used ropes to "throw" a horse down.

The techniques developed by Native Americans & YES even cowboys are the SAME techiniques Parelli has RIPPED OFF added his ridiculous baby names to & called them his own.  He is not a "trainer" he is a showman, plain & simple.  His soul concern is his checking account & NOT you or your horses.....PERIOD!

Also, if I recall, you said before that you learned about horses & training from reading books.  I have said this before....Just because I read a book about brain surgery, it does NOT make me a brain surgeon.

*EDIT*

I was not speaking of 12 yrs. ago.  I simply stated that when I worked as a vet. tech 12 yrs ago the vets I worked with did NOT use ropes to "throw" a horse down & my dad & grandad did not use ropes to "throw" horses down to geld or doctor them back when I was kid either.

You stated that you are open to different trainers who "come up with" new ideas.  There are NO new ideas, there are ONLY "OLD" ideas that new trainers put their names on & call their own. Hard to respect people who are willing to lie to make money & a name for themselves instead of being honest & saying, "I learned this method from..." or "I saw this method used but tweaked it abit to suit my needs."  At least it's honest!

As for teaching a horse to lay down, explain what good that is.  How often is it necessary for a horse to lay down during training?  If the horse needs to lay down to allow a vet to work on it, it is given meds & eased down.  It is truly absured to claim that it is to teach a horse respect & if that is the case, why won't a simple bow suffice?

Funny, I have seen wild horse herds, but I do not recall ever once seeing them flop onto the ground to show their respect to the herd leaders.

You say your information is valid & perhaps it is, but is it anymore valid than information written 150 years ago?  In fact, I would be more inclined to take that information from 150 yrs. ago than ANY received from these so called "trainers" even in the past 20 yrs.

Some training methods may seem harsh, but in reality, when used correctly, the methods work correctly & quickly.  But, there are some that need to be harsh.  A horse that kicks for instance, what does Parelli say to do about that, discuss the problem over sugar cubes & apple slices?  I prefer my method, I will not allow a horse to turn it's butt to me & if there is even a possibility they would like to lift that leg to kick, they WILL get the idea quickly that that is NOT acceptable behavior when I whop them with a 3 ft. length of garden hose.  Seem harsh does it?  Funny, must work, I have NEVER been kicked & after the first time, a "knock it off" does the trick.

I learned that from a Choctaw Indian friend of our family when I was a kid.  He use to train horses with my grandad using methods FAR older than any of those methods used by the  celebrity trainers.

So far, I have heard & seen zero evidence that Parelli training is anything more than ridiculous cutsie names given to "OLD" methods & training tools.

Seriously, I have never had a horse that went nuts when it saw a whip, but when I said, "Don't worry, it's not a whip, it's a carrot stick" the horse let out a sigh or relief & layed on the ground.

Believe me, I am not against "other" training methods, but just show me how they are better, why they are better & the idea behind it, without the showmanship & patting yourself on the back.  I would spend any amount of money to have people like John r, Kevin h, Black Bunny, Sovereign, American, etc. etc. etc. to train my horses & then have them teach me to ride them so as to best utilize the training the horses received & learn the methods used before I would buy a book or dvd set to teach my horses circus tricks.

Horses are not pets that you play games with.  They are tools with a brain.  When tools can think, they can also hurt you.  Respect can be taught that draws a line  between acceptable & not acceptable behaviors without cruel or harsh treatment & definitely without baby talk & kid gloves.

O.K., I'm done!!!

*EDIT*

Didn't say I wasn't fond of it.  I enjoy a good debate with someone who doesn't get angry.  I am Native American with a little Irish thrown in.  I was born to debate & like me mam likes to say, "she would argue with a wall if it would argue back."

I am also an Aries, not a real good mixture there, because I am very tactless & I enjoy being sarcastic!!!

Funny, my husband is a calm, quiet Cancer.  He just let's me go off, then smiles & says, "Are you done now?"

Anyway, have a good one!

Answer 11

I agree with your opinion that the games seem like something you would play with a dog.  I am pretty critical of Parelli, I'd like to see him show people more solid training tips than "look what my horse can do!" and making it a cutesy show.  I think he's probably a very knowlegable horseman, but I'm afraid his clinics and training shows leave MUCH to be desired!  It's all for the almighty dollar, and I wouldn't spend a dime on the stuff he's selling.

I want to ride my horse and be able to understand why he does the things he does.  And I'm not about to wait for Level 3 or whatever to be able to get on my horse.  Groundwork has its place, but the ultimate goal is to ride and communicate cues clearly to get a desired response.  There just isn't a lot of solid horse knowledge portrayed on Parelli's TV shows...it's more about entertainment.  Just my honest opinion.

Answer 12

Ahhhhhhh shucks, I always miss the great debates....he he he Well as everyone knows who knows me, how I feel about this subject and I think BSB John LE and American say it best. The games are ridicules, hes out to make money, and the proof is in the pudding. I have never seen any of his horses win any prestigious competitions, compete at any National level show or in fact have i seen any Parelli follwer accomplish any wins in riding events. As for the foal jumping , it just goes to show you he has no concern for the health of horses, sov7 also said he rode a champion reining horse, almost killed himself because he couldn't stay on and didn't put protective boots on the horse, thus risking , again the welfare of the horse...I think hes an idiot, and a thief.

Answer 13

Each level of the "games" has a different purpose.  As you progress, through the levels, the accomplishments become more advanced and refined.  Level one is totally about safety in handling and communicating with your horse.  Then the levels progress from there.  There is nothing "typical" in the natural horsemanship techniques.  They basically say, "take everything you have ever been taught about horses and riding by the traditional trainers and DO THE OPPOSITE and you will be right".  Natural horsemanship is not about tricks, just increasingly advancing levels of communication, respect and and ability to ride with finesse.  Have you seen their horses?  Pat and Linda Parelli are phenomenal riders.  While he rides his million dollar mare, his stallion is beside him at liberty and they are both doing passage in unison.  How much ability do you think it took to accomplish this?  This is not a "trick".   Linda is an amazing rider, one of the best I have ever seen and she excels at jumping and dressage.  While it is not anything I would be interested in accomplishing, being able to lay your horse down (and Pat lays his stallion down by laying on the ground himself and then they roll together), it about TRUST.  To put himself in such a vulnerable position, he really has to trust because his instinct tells him he could die very easily when he is down.  Make sense???  While I don't agree with all the NH promotions, I understand the point and how it all started.  The young NH group has promoted the art and they are making a living doing it - sorry I don't see a problem in getting paid for something in which you are a proven expert.  The main problem with a lot of those who object to NH is that they don't get it.  People have been in horses for 20-30-40 years and they still don't know what they are doing.  You can use fear, intimidation, and pain and get your job accomplished but how wrong and sad is that?  Mostly for the horses.  I don't really care about the humans.  Learning to communicate properly with your horse takes time, patience and an ability that most people will never have.  Everybody wants to go, do, ride NOW without proper preparation or consideration for the horse.  Unfortunately, that will never end and again it's the horses that suffer because of it.  NH is not new.  Native Americans were amazing with their horses.  Look at some old pictures and you will see the "Indian ponies" with nothing but a cherokee bridle - amazing.    So many horses are NOT REALLY BROKE but people ride them all the time.  Example:  Last year at one of the world champion dressage competitions - Australia I think - the winner could not ride her horse into the arena to get her award.  She could not get on her world championship dressage horse (worth millions I'm sure) by herself.  Her horse bolted and it took 5 cowboys to catch the horse - THIS WAS NOT A BROKE HORSE - make sense???  He could perform the moves because of pain and fear and mechanical force and I can assure you he was not happy in his work.  But a lot of people are 'happy' with that type of thing - they won the prize and that is the important thing - to them - not their horse.   Pat has an interesting past.  He says he was a bronc rider "before his brains came in" and before he really understood horses.  My favorite NH guys are Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance, they have some great books out if you are interested.  Keep yourself open to many different viewpoints because there is no "one way - only way - right way".  Don't let negativity and closed minded people keep you from accomplishing all you can with your horse.  Never accept limitations.  For me, it has to be all about the horse.

M, it's just my thought process tied to "terminology" but I encompass all "good" horsemanship as NH.  I think of it as "inclusive" as opposed to "exclusive" - make sense??   There are many  trainers who hold themselves out to be NH  trainers and there are many of their techniques that I would not consider using.  I read and study and audit and do clinics so I can learn, even if I learn what NOT to do.  But just because I disagree, that doesn't mean it's not OK, it's just not for me.  I will never stop learning from my  horses.  I did get a good solid base from one of Parelli's premier trainers and an absolute ace of a colt starter (16 days) from Australia (he trained under Ray Hunt a lot) and that was beyond amazing.  I didn't realize ability and knowledge could be garnered in that way.   It is so refreshing to hear you know Ray Hunt.  I actually got to talk to him a couple of times and he is truly an amazing man.  He has health issues and was sitting there with an oxygen tank strapped to his back but it was me that was having trouble breathing.  He is really an awe inspiring man and the way he talks to you about your horse "awakens" you and I thought -"wow that was so simple, why didn't I come up with that idea myself".  He just smiled at me and told me to "stop and think" when you are having difficulty accomplishing something with your horse.  It was a great moment in my life.  Pat's comment about doing the opposite of what you are taught is sort of a joke he uses but it has a lot of truth to it at least from where I was.  After NH, I could see that most of the junk I paid people to teach me was wrong for me and very wrong for my horse and neither of us was happy doing it.  Example:  Riding with constant use of leg aids -you have to keep your leg on actively all the time to keep your horse moving - Wrong.  When you ask your horse for a gait, it is his responsibility to maintain that gait without additional or constant legs until I ask for a change.  Just my experience is what I can speak about.  Another aside, Pat Parelli has a degree in education and he is a wonderful teacher.  However, Linda is the writer and organizer and the person who knows how to reproduce Pat's thoughts and techniques  and write it down or make it available on modern medium that can be endlessly distributed.  They are doing so much to help horses have a better life, to help humans be safer with their horses, and horse and human to obtain excellence.  So good for the horse.

Relevant to all people having to go through  Parelli's program by law - that would be a bunch of nonsense - bad rumor.  No one could ever do that as it would be a monopoly of business which is illegal.  And knowing Pat, he wouldn't do that because as his premise is to help horse owners help their horses, he can't get to everyone himself.  Doesn't make sense.  Sounds like a story from the Enquirer.  Maybe what you heard had to do with some recent copyrights.  Because of the work and terminology recorded by Linda, some of their information is protected in this way but not relative to making PNH the only or standard method - never happen.  A lot of the young NH people have tremendous following.  My grandfather used to say, when you are on top, there will be so many that want to top you off.  Again, accept the good things offered and pass over the rest that has no value for you.  You speak like an intelligent person going in the right direction.  Never give up, just rest a while.  good speaking to you.

Answer 14

I observed some folks who were boarding at our barn using the Parelli method. I have never seen anything so silly in my life.  And I am talking about a lifetime with horses.  I would suggest that the methods are useless, and silly.