What do people think of Parelli?

Question

I absolutely swear by Parelli, it saved me and my horse, and thanks to Pat Parelli, i now have the most unbelieveable relationship with my horse. He is no longer pushy or manny, he listens to me, thinks about things instead of just running away and he is so much calmer and happier. It has also changed me, i no longer have a really short temper with my horse, i am calmer with him, have become more creative and see things more from his point of view. However, other people on my yard hate it and think it is pointless, although not one of them can deny what it has done for me and my horse.

Therefore i am just curious as to what other people think about it? do you think it is amazing or totally pointless?

Answer 1

i love parelli. i swear by natural horsemanship. but some people are old fashioned and stuck in their ways. Just keep doing what you do, and laugh when they sit dumbstruck at the relationship you and your horse posses. :D

Answer 2

its good if you have time and take it seriously. but really it's just common horse sense, so i don't do it. I've seen it work really well though on others.

Answer 3

Parelli is a master of marketing.

I know some folks like him, but I think its pretty arrogant to take something as common as a halter and sell it as a Parelli halter.

Its still a halter.

Kevin brought up a similar example with the bits...they are all the same bits.

Said my piece and prefer to keep any extra $ in my pocket that I have saved by NOT buying a Parelli_____(insert name of common object here) to pay for hay.

Answer 4

Parelli stuff is very cool. I don't own a horse but where I volunteer with them our in charge person at the time let me do some stuff with my favourite horse down there. He was absolutely incredible on it. He was so responsive and even though he doesn't do it all the time if you ever do it he immediatly gets where you're going with it. The stuff is amazing, Natural Horsemanship is such an amazing idea and really works. Anything a horse is doing can often be resolved with Parelli and Natural Horsemanship. Nice to hear it worked for you and your horse. When I do get a horse I will definitely do this stuff with it.

Answer 5

Parelli is really good! But he wasent the person who came up with all the horsemanship stuff. He Could have learned it all, but either way I love all the horsemanship stuff and usually watch it through Parelii!! It dosent matter what them people think beause its the bond between you and your horse the matters most now! (:

Answer 6

If it works for you and makes you feel good then fine, but all in all I personally think Monty Roberts and PP are the biggest Joke. Not bashing SOME of the methods but MR is a thief and PP is BORING to much BS. The only commercial Horseman that I respect is Clinton Anderson.

Answer 7

He makes his living from novices to intermediates..those people who are "late" to being horse enthusiasts/owners....those who have horses in MID TO LATER years...are his bread and butter.  

He's certainly personable; however, there isn't a pro trainer that I know who would endorse his methodology.   I've seen him in major s***w ups riding a top ten reiner stallion....."Sailing Smart".  

http://qhd.com/horse/stallion.asp?id=513...

He d*mn near came off the horse in a spin.... he wanted that horse to really put some sting on that spin and he did.   Thought Parelli would be airborne.....no skid boots/splint boots on this multi million dollar stallion and those are just a routine part of your equipment in the world of reining, you're never without them...they're sure enough required when you get into the dirt...how to wreck a horse in a very short time.....burn his heels...no thanks to the idiot.  So, I have little use for Parelli or his methods.....

*****EDIT: "Late to being a horse enthusiast" implies that one would be in mid forties to fifty years of age.....with no prior experience.  (Many retirees, 50 to 60 years of age,  state side who are new to the horse game).

EDIT:  Eqqus24 and "Ride and Slide"...agree.

Answer 8

A girl at my barn has just started with it and is doing amazing, I've never really payed any attention to it before, but it is totally cool. I think natural horsemanship is best.

I don't use it with my horse, mainly because I don't have any problems and we understand each other very well.

There are things I have picked up by just watching her at lessons and stuff.

I think it is excellent for learning how to communicate with a horse.

Answer 9

I have incorporated some of what Parelli teaches into my natural horsemanship training technique...not because I've studied Parelli, but because the trainer I have worked with on natural ways borrows from Parelli, Clinton Anderson, Richard Shrake, and I believe Jon Lyons as well.  I couldn't tell you what comes from whom, but the results are amazing and that's what matters.

As far as old verses new, I grew up learning the old methods the cowboy types keep tauting as theirs, and there was no genius going on in a lot of it...just lots of devices, intimidation, and fear tactics.  So far I've heard a lot of talk, but seen no proof that any of these guys were using these methods...if they were, where were they?  Every western trained horse from anywhere was pretty much the same animal back then.  The english world was no better, until you got into the world of dressage.  And many of those who claim to have used these methods still swear you can't accomplish anything without the fear and pain tools and tactics....I take most it with a grain of salt.  I speak from experience..I have been at this for 56 years and there's a lot of bull ***** spewed when it comes to horse training.  There are good techniques from the past, and some not so good.  So, use what works, and keep an open mind to anything that achieves the training goal without the fear and pain.  And if it takes a little longer, so what?  If we were to beat our kids to get them to behave today...what would they be when they grew up?  If it's worth doing, it's worth taking the time to do it in a way that instills trust and confidence.

Answer 10

i love Parelli.  my whole life i was always naturally soft and gentle with horses and eventually i started seeking new and better trainers and methods to learn. i came across Clinton Anderson, Clay Wright, Parelli, ect. and i still follow the others but Parelli is the one i like the best. im just in the middle of level one with my horse and it works great.

Answer 11

his methods are great and he is a joy to watch in action but he has gone to commercial for me.  in every horse magazine i see now he has a ad about his methods.  I still use the basic 7  games but i mix it with T- Touch and Clint Anderson( Down under training) as well as some training methods that i have discovered y jsut plain body movement.

Answer 12

I think that Parelli is a incedible marketer. His methods, are not that different than what many good trainers use. With the exception that he has coined term, renamed equipment, and takes a lot longer to accomplish the same thing it takes many other trainers only 180 days or so. I have read many things he has written and have seen many videos. The man is a great horseman and marketer. If you want a good trail horse, he is the man.

Now with all that said. As a trainer myself. Many other aspects of Parrelli training and philosophy is more geared for the feelings of the owner and not the horse. I personly question any one who swears by one method or one philosophy. Again, I am not a Parelli student, but I have read enough to know his philosophy and methods, but I have worked under 4 different trainers, to become a trainer myself and I continualy am trying to learn more. The biggest part of Parelli training is about playing with your horse. This is a trick, much like teaching your dog to roll over. Your dog likes it because you reward him. The same with a horse. You put a cow infront of my horse and tell she isn't playing. Infact we have to keep her and several horses away from our pen of calves because they will work them to death, with no one on their backs. They do it because we made if fun for them.

Again the man is an incredible marketer if nothing else. A great example is I was talking to a 3rd level Parelli student(what ever the h**l that means) and he was against tom thumb bits, and said he likes Parelli engagin bits only. Because I was couriouse I asked to see it. You know what. A Parelli engaging bit, Tom Thumb and a Venazualin shanked snaffle are THE SAME BIT. The man is a great marketer, for trail horses. You want to compete? Work with succesfull competitve trainer. That is my opinion on Parelli.

I am ready for the thumbs down on this. Bring it. But thats my opinion on Parelli

Answer 13

I think parelli is amazing!!

Answer 14

I LOVE PARELLI!!!   he is amazing i dont care what anyone says he is great

Answer 15

I think the "Pat Parelli" mentality is gimmicky.  I'm not talking about the actual horsemanship stuff - I'm talking about the need to get parelli training equipment with parelli videos and talk to parelli trainers and get qualified at a parelli training clinic to become a parelli trainer yourself...

I think parelli is really good horsemanship that people have known for thousands of years but that parelli wrapped up in a box to sell for a lot of money.    

Admittedly, I have to pelt the "parelli" horses at my barn with poo to make them quit mobbing me and slobbering on me when I try to get another horse, so I don't have the most flattering view.

Answer 16

in certain situations, maybe it can help.

But Parelli is nothing new.  He's just a marketing genius who was able to market common sense to amateurs.  To me his stuff resembles circus tricks, most of which are pointless.  I've seen and heard too many people who hate to get Parelli horses to work with because their brains are fried and they don't respond to things how they should.

I don't like that Parelli encourages giving treats to a mouthy horse, or that he stamps his name onto a bunch of c**p and says you can't train your horse unless you spend tons of money on HIS stuff.  Same with the DVDs and clinics.  You pay a ton of money for info and he just BSes his way through them and doesn't really tell you anything except to buy the next DVD for all the answers, which, guess what, aren't on that one either.

And......HORSENALITIES? WTF is all I have to say.

edit: yeah sorry "lovemean..." but no one is going to be dumbstruck.  It has nothing to do with being "stuck in old ways" it has to do with laughing our asses off at fanatical Parellites who have to listen to a guy who, guess what, is telling you the SAME STUFF as all those "old fashioned" trainers, except he's RIPPING YOU OFF at the same time by putting cutesy names on all his "games" and products.

You're all a bunch of sheep who are going to follow this guy right off a cliff.

Answer 17

It doesn't really matter what they think. What matters is the result you got from your clinic.  I know people that have gone to Parelli clinics and they loved it.  I don't think you need the ropes - I have gone to Harry Whitney clinics and just a wiggle of his finger and the horses respond and that is without hitting or yelling at the horse. It is all about getting their thought with you. I think there are a lot of people that have jumped on the band wagon about training horses the natural way. Maybe we should be glad that at least more horses are be trained with kindness now even if we don't happen to understand the training methods. In California Monty Roberts claims to be The Horse Whisperer - baloney. People were training horses way before him - he just marketed it.

Answer 18

Same goes for me i TOTALLY swear by it and it helped me get closer to my horse and we trust each other a heap more !!!!!!!!!

alota people tell me the same thing that its crazy :(