table of contents - amazon...

Table of Contents 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AGGRESSIVE HORSE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2

BOLTING HORSE ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4

KICKING HORSE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

HORSE REARING ............................................................................................................................................................................ 6

HORSE BUCKING ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7

SOLVING SPOOKING ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9

HORSES WHO SPOOK IN THE WIND ......................................................................................................................................... 13

HOW TO PREVENT MOVING WHEN MOUNTING ..................................................................................................................... 16

SKITTISH HORSE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 18

HORSES WHO SHY ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Table of Contents 2

AGGRESSIVE HORSE

WHEN YOUR HORSE BARGES INTO YOU OR RUNS OVER YOU, HE NORMALLY EVOKES ONE OF TWO REACTIONS ON YOUR PART: FEAR OR OFFENSE .

Most people respond to aggressive horse behavior with the instinctive reaction of a big, hard jerk on the halter. Frustratingly though, that approach doesn’t work. That horse keeps on invading your space; he keeps running you over.

Before attempting to solve any horse problem, the Parelli method of horse training always begins with understanding your horse and your horse’s behavior as the first step toward any solution.

Natural horsemanship starts by asking this question: Why is the horse engaging in this invasive behavior? When it comes to an invasive or aggressive horse, there are basically two reasons he would invade your space: either FEAR or DOMINANCE. It’s natural for a scared horse to crowd you because that’s how they survive in the wild…the safest place is in the middle of the herd! Dominant horses, on the other hand, are pushy. They move others out of their space. How do you tell which motivation you are dealing with when it comes to your aggressive horse? If the horse is tense and reactive, he is invading your space out of fear. If your horse is calm and deliberate in the way he’s pushing you around, that’s a dominance issue. Once you know which one it is you can craft the appropriate response.

Table of Contents 3

Doing something simple like jumping jacks or other unexpected – but harmless – behavior will keep a scared horse out of your space without upsetting him. Backing up your dominant horse by wiggling a rope as we teach in our Seven Games DVD will teach your horse to respect your space.

Roughly jerking on the halter isn’t advised with a fearful or dominant horse. It just makes both situations worse. That’s why Parelli Natural Horsemanship encourages horse owners, riders and trainers to understand their horses, rather than just reacting to their unwanted behavior or using traditional methods of training or punishment. Understanding a horse’s behavior equips you with the best methods of solving problems and does so in a way that is kind, loving, respectful and effective.

If you’re interested in learning more about horses and why they do the things they do, check out our Horsenality DVD which explains horse psychology through understanding different horse personalities. Or enroll for a Parelli Membership for horse lovers interested in developing the highest levels of horse savvy possible!

Table of Contents 4

BOLTING HORSE

PEOPLE THINK A BOLTING HORSE IS RUNNING OFF WITH THEM WHEN IN FACT THE HORSE IS TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM THEM.

Horses run off out of fear and confusion. They don’t run off when they are calm, trusting and comfortable with the rider. Because bolting is a fear-based reaction, the cure for bolting horses begins with earning the horse’s trust. This is not actually a hard thing to do in and of itself, but sometimes it’s hard for people to take the time to do it because they often want to just hurry up and ride.

There is no bit in the world that can control a horse’s emotions except a bit of horse savvy. You need more knowledge, not bigger contraptions in your horse’s mouth to work with a horse that’s afraid. The Parelli Natural Horse Training Approach The cure for bolting horses begins on the ground. You can’t just hop on the back of a horse that doesn’t trust you, or you can expect problems. It’s been years since Pat Parelli got on a horse that didn’t want him there, but his rodeo career sparked his interest in figuring out how to get horses to accept riders. There are specific things people can do to help a horse relax, beginning with working on the relationship itself. You’ll learn a lot about that in the Natural Attraction DVD. You also need to know how to play with the horse on the ground so you have mutual understanding, responses instead of reactions, and a horse that looks to you as a leader rather than as a threat to his safety. Our Seven Games DVD is a wonderful guide to horse play. The preparations on the ground are an important warm-up to get the horse in the right frame of mind to be ridden. A bolting horse is a horse that doesn’t want you on his back. Once you get him to let you on, there are specific exercises for calming the horse. Horsenality™ and Bolting Horses Certain horse personalities – which we refer to as “Horsenality™”– are more prone to bolting than others, while some are more prone to bucking or just refusing to go. Bolting is very much a Horsenality™-specific tendency (a Right-Brain horse for example is likely to bolt when fearful) but no matter your horse’s personality, if you make it a priority to have your horse calm and confident you’ll solve all those impulsive problems…naturally.

Table of Contents 5

KICKING HORSE

A KICKING HORSE IS ENGAGING IN THAT BEHAVIOR FOR ONE OF TWO REASONS…EITHER HE’S AFRAID OF YOU OR HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU!

It would be easier on our egos if we could make it more complicated than that, but that’s the simple, distasteful truth.

Fearful horses kick in defense; dominant horses kick out of resentment and dominance. Either way, smacking the horse – which is the common human reaction – doesn’t work to correct horse kicking. The Parelli method of horse training never condones any type of violence towards horses.

The Natural Approach to Correcting Horse Kicking Behavior There are three natural horsemanship approaches employed when faced with a kicking horse. The first ensures your safety, the third solves the problem long term, and the middle one does both. Number One: Stay out of the kick zone. Not a lot of explanation required here. If you’ve got a horse that’s kicking, stay alert and make sure you stay out of the reach of his kick.

Number Two: Learn to “read” your horse’s intent. Horses always give warning signs before kicking; learn to read them. The Parelli method of reading horses is based on determining the horse’s personality – which we call “Horsenality™.” In the August 2008 issue of Savvy Times, (The Parelli International Savvy Club Magazine) Linda Parelli writes about horse kicking in the Problem Solving section of the magazine. What is Kicking All About? – points out that “kicking is the most natural thing for a horse.” She then goes on to explain why, how and when each horse personality type uses kicking and the warning signs that precede the kick. Number Three: Don’t give your horse any reason to kick you. We’re not trying to be funny here. We really mean this. If you develop a relationship with your horse in which he trusts you, likes you and respects you, it is highly unlikely that the horse would ever kick you. Note that violence toward a horse achieves none of the elements of a good relationship. Horse kicking is definitely a problem, but it may not be the horse’s problem – or at least not his alone. If your horse fears, disrespects or dislikes you or the people around him, kicking behavior is a natural reaction. Work on becoming a trusted and respected partner for your horse using Parelli natural horse training tools and truths, and your horse kicking problem is likely to naturally fade away.

Table of Contents 6

HORSE REARING

If your horse is rearing up, it is likely happening for one of two reasons:

• The horse is being held back.

• The horse feels trapped or cornered.

The Parelli natural horse training approach is opposed to punishing horses for rearing, mostly because it’s a fearful reaction that is often caused by the handler or rider, albeit unintentionally.

Because natural horsemanship always begins by understanding any problem from the horse’s point of view, we ask you to consider horses’ rearing behavior like this: your horse has a driving, forward desire yet there’s something in his mouth that is holding him back. If you hold him back strongly enough there is only one way left for the horse to go – UP!

Some people think their horse is rearing up to intimidate the rider but something important to understand is that the horse is just being a horse and thinking like a horse. He’s naturally a fearful, claustrophobic animal whose main defense is to run away. If you’re holding him back and not allowing him to run, he’s going to move in the only direction he can.

Usually it’s more flighty horses that rear, and of course that makes you want to hold them back. They’ll begin by tossing their heads, and then proceed to rearing behavior if it gets bad enough. How to Stop Horses Rearing

• You start by understanding why your horse is rearing up and refrain from punishing him for his natural reaction/behavior.

• Then, you take steps to change your approach and your behavior in order to gain or regain your horse’s total confidence in you.

• Next, stop using two reins to control your horse and learn to control him with one rein.

These three things will dramatically change your horses rearing behavior. You can learn the Parelli specialized techniques for natural horse training with an at-home study course. The best place to start would be The Seven Games: The Secret of Teaching Horses DVD, then go to the Calm Ride DVD. Both of these DVDs will give you new and effective strategies right away. Next, we suggest you learn your horse’s particular personality type by studying the Parelli Horsenality™ system, so you begin to really understand your horse.

Table of Contents 7

HORSE BUCKING

SOME HORSES BUCK OUT OF FEAR, WHICH COMMONLY HAPPENS WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING STRAPPED AROUND THEIR MIDDLE, LIKE A SADDLE AND RIDER.

Horse bucking can also be an act of defiance; horses that don’t go forward very well tend to buck for this reason.

You can tell the difference between a fearful buck and a defiant buck because the fearful buck is lightning fast and violent while the defiant buck is somewhat premeditated and, by comparison, lazy. Fear-Based Horse Bucking The key to curing the problem of horses bucking depends on the reason for the behavior. For fearful horses, the key is to develop a relationship of trust with them. The Parelli Natural Horsemanship Horsenality™ is very helpful in learning how to develop trust between you and your bucking horse. Once you know how to get your horse’s trust, then you have to know how to “talk” to him, using body language – a language horses understand. The Seven Games DVD has decoded this body language so you can use it to communicate your desires without causing fear and confusion, one of the key concepts of Parelli natural horse training. Useful for all horse problems, not just horse bucking, the Seven Games will teach you how to help your horse overcome his fear of things and how to move him around on the ground in a way that is far more constructive than lunging. It will teach your horse the elements of every maneuver and show you how to prepare your horse so he doesn’t feel the need to buck.

Table of Contents 8

Horse Bucking As An Act of Defiance If you have a defiant horse, you still have to get him to trust and respect you, but your strategies will be a little different from those used with a fearful horse. Natural Attraction and Horsenality™ will be very helpful. The Calm Ride DVD will show strategies to motivate your horse to want to go forward without you pushing him. That’s important because these horses respond negatively when pushed, and even more so when spurred or whipped, especially when these techniques are used as punishment. The goal is to stop your horse’s bucking by not giving him a reason to buck – and that starts with his mind and emotions. Relationship and communication-based Parelli natural horse training will help you reach that goal and stop the horse bucking as a result.

Table of Contents 9

SOLVING SPOOKING

CREATING POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES – BY LINDA PARELLI If you were a prey animal and knew that other animals hunted you for food, wouldn’t you be alert to every little noise or unexpected movement in the bushes? Just try walking through the bad part of town and you’ll start to feel what the horse feels! Danger is lurking, and every hair on your body is standing on end in an effort to detect and react to that danger as quickly as possible. Your survival depends on it. The intensity of a horse’s fear is such an easy thing to forget when he spooks – it scares us, it’s frustrating, seems unpredictable and can be very dangerous. The more unsafe the horse feels, the more he spooks, which means the safer he feels, the less he will spook. It is up to us to teach our horse to feel safe when in our presence no matter

what else is going on. Gradually this will affect him in other parts of his life as he becomes a more confident, trusting and settled animal. The horse is one of the best, most successful prey animals on the planet. He has survived millions of years of predation with his capacity to detect danger, his lightning-fast reflexes and his ability to outrun predators. Being spooky is critical to survival in the wild, but it is often the reason people lose confidence and sell their horses. Yet with a little savvy you can help that spooky horse be your perfect partner. The Wrong Thing at the Right Time How we react is going to either help the situation or make it progressively worse, because the horse is not only scared of the thing that’s spooking him; he’s also scared of the thing on his back. Spooking is a reaction that scares us, too. We don’t want to fall off, so we grab on for dear life, quickly gripping with our legs and pulling back on the reins. In this moment, nothing could be worse for the horse, because it feels as if a lion has jumped on his back—the claws are in, he can’t run away, he’s being dragged to a stop, he’s totally trapped, and for sure his life is about to end.

There are two aspects to solving the problem of spooking. You need to know what to do and what not to do in the moment. But even more important is how to prepare your horse so he doesn’t feel the need to spook.

Table of Contents 10

WHAT NOT TO DO

Don’t pull on the reins. When a horse feels the need to flee, holding him back can cause total panic. Obviously you don’t want to be run off with, but there is something better to do. Don’t chastise the horse and think he’s acting like an idiot. “What? It’s just a stump!” When you growl at your horse or punish him, it makes him afraid of you and confirms that you are a predator. Don’t make him go up to it in order to prove to him that it’s not scary! If you were afraid of a snake and someone was pushing you toward it, would that help? No! Same with horses. But horses do not have the capacity to reason the way we do. They spot an unusual shape, and it means danger. They don’t realize it’s the same bucket that was there yesterday but now is tipped over. They just know that something in the environment changed, and this could mean danger. Horses are incredibly perceptive. As you help them to become braver you will not change their perceptiveness, but you will change the intensity of their reaction. Success with a spooky horse starts with total understanding and freedom from judgment, because he needs our leadership and protection and to not feel additionally threatened by us. From there we can start to increase a horse’s confidence so he can act more like a trusting partner instead of a prey animal who is literally scared for his life.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR HORSE SPOOKS As with just about everything Parelli, watch what everyone does and do the opposite! Point your horse’s nose toward the danger, but allow him to drift sideways or backward. Do not push him toward it in any way. When facing the danger, he cannot take off in blind panic. Even if he goes backward pretty quickly, it’s a lot slower than a gallop! Remain calm. Remember that you are supposed to be a leader, and your horse has to be able to depend on you. If you get scared, it’s going to scare him threefold! Learning how to manage your own emotions is critical. First you have to not react, and then you have to do the right thing. Stay balanced without gripping. It helps to push on the base of your horse’s neck, which will anchor you and loosen your legs automatically.

Use one rein for control if things get really bad. This is an emergency one-rein stop. When you bring your horse’s head to your toe you can stop him more effectively and safely than if you pull back on two reins. Get off if necessary. A scared horse is a dangerous horse. Get off quickly and then help your horse to calm down. Act as if nothing happened rather than make a fuss and force him to go up to the scary thing. Commit to better preparation for a better future. Take the time and make the effort to teach your horse to become calmer and braver so he is more confident in himself, in you and in his environment.


Calmer, Smarter, Braver Repetition, approach and retreat are the keys for desensitizing a horse and building his confidence, but the real secret is preparation. Confidence is about being prepared for the unthinkable. Every day that you play with your horse you need to be doing something in some way that improves his confidence. Some horses are not very spooky at all (usually Left-Brain horses), but you still need to improve their confidence as insurance for the future. Here are some ideas for developing your horse’s confidence:

• Teach your horse the Seven Games. This gives you a language with which to communicate, and it establishes your leadership in a 51:49 partnership. The Seven Games are applied through Parelli Patterns, and together they create positive behavioral changes in your horse and advance your horsemanship and leadership skills. All are important for overcoming spooking.

• Respect fear thresholds. When your horse hesitates and won’t go forward it is usually because he’s afraid. Rather than force him forward, retreat and reapproach the threshold until he offers to cross it without fear.

• Develop the extreme Friendly Game. Can you get to where your horse stands relaxed and calm while you whirl your Carrot Stick and string around (overhead like a noisy helicopter, slapping the ground all around him)? Use approach and retreat over many sessions, getting stronger, then softer, stronger, softer, but maintaining the same rhythm. If you stop when your horse reacts, you’ll teach him to react. Keep going; just get softer or move away some, and pretty soon your horse will learn to not worry.

Important: Learn when your horse is calm versus frozen in fear. Look for soft eyes, regular breathing, level head, no tension in flanks or neck, as opposed to staring eyes, irregular breathing, a high head or really low head, tense neck and flanks, which will tell you that he’s actually still worried.

• Send him over tarps, under tarps and through narrow squeezes. Using the Squeeze Game pattern – going back and forth, back and forth – is very calming for a horse, and when you do it near the object he’s afraid of you’ll find that he may get curious and want to go up to it, which is great so long as it is his idea!

• Following is a great way to build a horse’s confidence. For example, if he is afraid to step on the tarp, simply drag it around until he tries to catch up to it, sniff it and step on it. Same with fear of vehicles or dogs or bicycles – as long as it’s going away from him, he’ll get the courage to go toward it, and pretty soon it won’t matter what angle it comes from – it won’t bother him.

• Bring his energy up sometimes while playing with him on the ground, urging him to gallop, such as on a 45-foot Line or in big corral at Liberty, and then help him calm down by gradually focusing him on a task, such as putting his foot on something. This is about expanding his emotional fitness so he can think even though his adrenaline is up.

• Put a plastic bag on the end of your Carrot Stick like a flag, and cut the end open so it doesn’t balloon up. Ask a friend to sit on a chair or log and gently rattle the flag while you play with your horse. At first he’s going to be distracted and afraid, but the key is to ignore it. Gradually your horse will get more focused on the task you’re giving him and ignore the commotion, too. Do this every day for seven days in a row and then keep it up a couple of days a week until your horse doesn’t even give it a second look. (Using a Parelli Pattern such as Figure 8 or 180s is a good idea.)

• Teach your horse to bend to a stop with one rein from the walk, trot and canter. Try not to release the rein until he calms down, and pretty soon it will actually become a calming exercise. (Note – Do not force or fight your horse. Take the time it takes and help him to learn it as a skill.)


• Take every opportunity to help your horse become braver. Whenever he is worried about something, practice the different things to do: Turn his nose toward it and let him drift; give him a task or pattern to do to change his focus; bend him to a stop and get off; play the Squeeze Game near it; follow it. Stay cool, calm and collected yourself.

Building a horse’s bravery takes time and repetition, and it is our responsibility to help our prey animal trust our decisions and adapt to the environment, not live in fear.

Work on your own emotional fitness and develop appropriate reactions: • Think before you act or react.

We should always remember that the horse is a prey animal that will default to fear, and that we are a predator who defaults to fight. A technique we teach when a horse does the opposite of what you want is to say “How interesting!” It helps you to think before you act instead of reacting, and in this way you’re more likely to do the right thing for the horse in the moment. As you practice something as simple as this, you are practicing keeping your cool when a horse spooks.

• Improve your skills. How quickly can you reach down one rein, bend your horse and step off (without falling over!)? This needs to become second nature, so automatic that you can do it as a positive reaction in a negative situation—a situation in which you don’t have time to think. Under stress you are likely to do what you have been programmed to do, so this little safety drill is a great program to install. Most people clamp onto a scared horse because their program says “Stay on no matter what!” That’s how you get hurt. Change your program and change your results. How Will Things Change? Some horses will completely stop their spooking, while others will just spook a lot less. For example, instead of jumping out of their skin and changing counties, they will flinch and cock one ear at the object and the other at you, as if to say, “Should we be worried?” And you’ll reply, “Nah, it’s just a stump,” and sail on by.


HORSES WHO SPOOK IN THE WIND

WHATEVER THE TIME OF YEAR, THE WEATHER CAN SUDDENLY TURN WINDY… SOMETIMES MAKING HORSES SPOOK MORE EASILY. IN THIS ARTICLE, LINDA PARELLI GIVES US SOME ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO IN WINDY CONDITIONS.

It’s natural for prey animals to be spookier in windy weather. All that movement in the bushes makes it much harder to detect a predator, so they are on high alert. But here’s the key: when a horse completely trusts you, he will no longer feel unsafe. It’s all about the relationship.

Many people think they have great relationships with their horses, but let’s take a look at what a “relationship” between horse and human really means. Does he see you as friendly and trustworthy and a worthy leader? Think about and answer the points below….

1. Does he come to you as soon as he sees you or turn away and leave? 2. Does he prefer your company or the company of other horses? 3. Does he let you touch him everywhere or does he have spots he’s worried or defensive about? 4. Does he do what you ask willingly, or does he argue with you or get skittish and bracy? 5. Does he move confidently where you ask or does he balk and shy and try to go the other way? 6. Does he become more relaxed in your presence or more tense? 7. Is he calm when you are calm, or does he act as if you aren’t even there? 8. When he’s afraid, do you get tense and hold him back or can you stay calm and focused without making him

feel worse?


This is the kind of relationship we are talking about. When you can confidently say “yes” to all the above points, then you know you have transcended the prey-predator relationship of constant insecurity (with both you and your horse). Once this relationship has been formed, all of your problems go away… not just the spookiness when it’s windy.

Horses respond to love, language and leadership in equal doses. Some people are really good at love, others at leadership, and most are not good at language with horses. This is because for the most part we are taught to longe our horses in mindless circles to blow off steam, saddle up and get on, kick to go and pull on the reins to turn or stop. There is so much more that you can do to communicate in a more sophisticated way; a way that gives you the language to calm a horse down, prepare him, and use energy and body language more than legs and hands. In order to truly get your horse’s trust as friend and leader, you need to be good at all three: love, language and leadership.

Love Different horses need to be shown “love” in different ways; this is not just about petting your horse and giving him treats. If your horse is unconfident, nervous or withdrawn, you need to give him lots of undemanding time. If your horse is confident, domineering, playful and easily bored, you need to do interesting and playful things with him. Either way, you are showing how much you care about his emotional needs, and each approach does not work for the opposite Horsenality (his unique personality)! Learn how to approach your horse as the individual he is and he’ll start to change his opinion of you. Language Horses have a well-developed language between themselves, but when it comes to horses and humans, you can’t even call it a language. A series of kicks, squeezes, pulls and clucks might help you start, stop and steer, but you really have no way to get the horse connected to you mentally and emotionally. How are you going to tell him everything is okay? It’s not by saying, “easy boy,” but if he looks at you like he does his alpha horse, he’ll take his lead from you. If you are calm, he will behave calmly. Pat Parelli figured out a way to communicate with horses using body language and a specific set of maneuvers that horses use with each other. These are maneuvers which mares use with foals right from the beginning. He named these maneuvers the Seven Games. No matter what maneuver you want a horse to perform or situation you want him to be able to deal with, one or more of these Games can be found at the root. The most important game is the first one, the Friendly Game. Until we accomplish this maneuver, horses can be suspicious about our predatory intent, and that alone is enough to make them not want to listen. Leadership What is a leader in the horse’s eyes? The horse is calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic! The 7 Games help you to appear this way because they are the games horses play with each other in order to establish dominance and leadership within the herd.


When in “Horseville”, you need to do as horses do, to feel, think and act like a horse and to earn your position as alpha, as the leader rather than the “owner” or “rider”.

Horses are natural followers who are looking for natural leaders. In a horse’s eyes, natural leaders are good communicators, sensitive and focused. They are mentally, emotionally and physically fit, and they never use force, fear or intimidation. If leadership does not come naturally to you, then you need to learn it. Your problems are not about the wind. Preparation As your horse’s leader, you are going to be taking him into situations that he has no genetic preparation for; therefore, it is up to you to prepare him. Use simulated situations where constant movement is a feature and play with your horse on the ground as if nothing’s going on, as if to say “don’t focus on that, pay attention to what I’m telling you!”

You could have a friend tapping on a fence, rhythmically rustling a tarp or blanket, opening and closing an umbrella, etc. You don’t want them to come near you; just have them in one spot a good distance away from the horse so he’s distracted but not panicking and trying to leave.

Play the Seven Games with your horse as if the object is not there. Each day, play the Games closer and closer, retreating as soon as your horse gets worried and then re-approaching. Continue doing this until your horse doesn’t care what else is going on. You will improve not only his self-confidence but especially his confidence in you as a leader.

Remember, it’s not about the commotion; it’s about your ability to stay focused and keep getting your horse to focus no matter what is going on.

Conclusion There is no quick fix for a SPOOKED HORSE. It’s all about building their self-confidence, their confidence in you as their leader, and then maintaining that confidence as you go into more and more challenging situations. When your relationship becomes really strong, all those problems simply disappear; it’s not about the wind.


HOW TO PREVENT MOVING WHEN MOUNTING

WE’VE ALL SEEN THE DESPERATE RIDER WHO’S HALFWAY UP INTO THE SADDLE WHEN THE HORSE JOGS OFF.

The rider starts yelling and grasping for horn, saddle string, cantle, breast collar, pommel, mane – anything that he or she can reach. It may sound (and look) funny, but that can be a very dangerous situation.

Getting your horse to stand while you mount is not difficult. A horse that’s being mounted starts into motion when he gets off balance. So most of this “he won’t stand” behavior is caused when people ask the horse to bear their weight during mounting (lopsided, mostly) when the horse is unbalanced. The horse shifts around to gain his balance, and then he just keeps moving. Mounting Problems Can Be Prevented 1. Ground Play Play with your horse until he gets left-brained, is listening to you, and wants to stand still. This means all Seven Games, including a lot of Friendly Game, which involves repetition: tossing the lead rope over his back, flopping the saddle pad off and on, lifting your foot toward the stirrup and back down (over and over until it ceases to bother your horse). Play the Seven Games before you saddle up; you’ll find out what side of the corral he woke up on. 2. Positioning Position your horse so his feet are braced in readiness for you to get on. Cause the horse to spread his legs to best balance himself. This can be easily done by pushing and pulling on the saddle horn; rock the horn or pommel from side to side and actually try to unbalance your horse. You’ll feel the horse spread his front legs and square up behind. He’ll get into a position where he kind of says, “Hey, you can’t knock me off balance.”

Make a little game of it until he just thinks that the way to prevent you from rocking him is to spread his legs and stand solid.


Assess the Situation If you get up on the horse and he starts to walk off before you want him to, and if you’re in a good, safe position, I want you to think of one of two things. You need to determine quickly if the horse is just sort of drifting off and sauntering away, or is he getting right-brained, tight, fast and furious. If the horse is getting fast and furious, get off and start again. Evidently you didn’t do enough preparation on the ground (Seven Games, assessing the horse with the “Parelli pre-flight checklist”).

Drifting If the horse is just drifting a little bit, there’s a saying to keep in mind: “Lift to stop the drift.” The lift I’m talking about is the rein in your left hand (if you’re mounting from the left side). Whatever side you’re mounting from, lift straight up on that rein – don’t pull back, don’t pull sideways, just lift the rein straight up.

Just try to get in his way a little bit, and if you have to, just bend him a little and then stand there until he squares up. Instead of getting on, step down. Then put your foot in the stirrup and step up again. Mount your horse three times on each side This is one of the tasks in our Level 1 program we recommend: mount three times on each side. This gives you the skills and physical and mental fitness to teach the horse to stand still. Both of you should practice this little drill together: down and up, down and up, down and up, stand halfway up, and when he stands still, reach over and rub him on the far shoulder to ask “permission” to get on.

If he stands still, go ahead and get on (settle gently into the saddle and find your other stirrup without looking, if possible). Sit there for 30 seconds minimum (this is the hurry-up-and-wait stage). Be friendly. Smile. Don’t go anywhere or you’ll teach the horse the habit of moving as soon as you mount.

Teach your horse to be still and polite by doing this every time you mount; it’s a way to develop a good habit. Don’t Forget the Dismount One last thing that gets horses good about being dismounted is this: every time you dismount, do the same three-times drill (up-down, up-down, up-down). He’ll learn to stand still while you smoothly dismount.


SKITTISH HORSE

HUMANS SEE SKITTISH HORSES AS A PROBLEM AND SEE SHYING BEHAVIOR AS A VICE, BUT MOTHER NATURE BUILT IN THE SHYING RESPONSE AS A USEFUL DEFENSE MECHANISM, AND IT SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

In a herd environment, the most dominant horse (the alpha) is the leader. All the other horses take their cues from him; they feel safe and sure about his decisions, and they don’t feel the need to stay alert for danger or be reactive. Following his alpha horse, your horse would be calm and confident. A major key in solving the problem of your skittish horse is for him to perceive you as “alpha.” In human terms imagine you are a young child walking with your dad on a dark street. If he is calm and sure, so are you. If he startles at every sound or movement, you’re going to feel pretty skittish. It’s no different with horses. If their leader is cool, calm and collected, so are they.

The Natural Horsemanship Approach to Horses Who Shy The most common mistakes that people make with skittish horses are punishing the horse for shying and losing their own focus. Punishment doesn’t work for prey animals because they don’t understand it. The solution lies in Horse Savvy, Preparation and Focus. Horse Savvy means thinking like a horse rather than a human. Because they’re prey animals, horses are chicken, so don’t expect them to be brave – that’s your job. If your horse suddenly shies and you over react, it just compounds the problem, and your skittish horse will become more so. Becoming your horse’s alpha means he’ll follow you without question. If you are calm, he can be calm. If you’re scared, he’ll prepare to flee. Your steady emotional state is critical to your horse’s confidence.


Preparation. To prepare your horse to be ridden mentally, emotionally and physically, and to accept you as his alpha, deal with him on the ground first. Start by playing the Parelli Seven Games in order to gain your horse’s respect and trust. Once you have his respect on the ground, and have challenged him by sending (not leading) him into, through, over or under “scary” objects such as jumps, logs, tarps, trees, trailers, plastic bags, etc.…then you can transfer that leader-follower confidence to his back.

Focus is the most powerful tool you have while riding. Your skittish horse is shying because he feels vulnerable without his alpha horse. Try to become aware of the things your horse is apt to shy from and focus beyond that point at least 100 yards. This gives the horse a feeling that you, his new alpha, are not concerned, so why should he be? Remember the example of the father and child. A common mistake that riders make with a skittish horse is to focus on the problem or ride up to the scary thing to show the horse it won’t hurt him. This is human reasoning not prey animal reasoning! Sometimes riders just get surprised when the horse shys and instinctively clamp their legs and hands. Both these approaches cause the horse to feel that his alpha is concerned, so he should be too. We all want our horses to be calmer, smarter, and braver, but they can’t be until we are! That’s why Parelli horse training believes it’s so important to work on yourself and play with your skittish horse until his confidence in you grows.


HORSES WHO SHY

MOTHER NATURE BUILT IN THE RESPONSE OF SHYING AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM. HOWEVER, HUMANS SEE IT AS A VICE.

Imagine you are walking through a graveyard after midnight. You're only nine years old and you are holding your father's hand. Suddenly, something rustles in the bushes. Your father jumps ten feet and turns to look with his heart pounding, hand tight on yours, shaking with fright. Then he realizes that it was just a rabbit and seeing that you are still scared, he tries to take you up to the bushes to prove there is nothing to be afraid of. How would you feel? Now consider an alternative scenario. The bush rustles, your father's hand hardly flinches, he never loses the rhythm of his stride or takes his eyes off the path, or tightens his hand on yours. Calmly he says, "those darn rabbits." Which "father" would you rather have as your leader taking you through this scary graveyard in the middle of the night? If you substituted a rider as the father and a horse as the young child, which rider do you think the horse would prefer? In a herd environment, the alpha (or most dominant) horse is the leader. All the other horses take their cue from him. If your horse was following his favorite alpha horse down the trail, his confidence level would be at its highest. He would feel safe and sure about the decisions being made for him, and he wouldn't feel the need to stay alert for danger. All horses know that this is the alpha horse's job. A major key in solving the problem of shying is for you to be perceived as "alpha" by your horse. The most common mistakes that people make with horses that shy are: a) Blaming or punishing the horse for shying b) Losing their focus


The best two words I can give you to explore are: Savvy and Focus. Savvy Try to think like a horse rather than a human. Horses, as prey animals, are big chickens. So, don't expect your horse to be the brave one! Punishment will not work for prey animals because they don't understand it. If they are acting out of fear when they shy and suddenly the predator (human) on their back comes to life, it really compounds the problem and the shying will become worse. The answer lies in preparation for a situation. In preparing a horse to be ridden, most people lunge him in mindless circles until the horse is tired enough to behave. In order to prepare your horse mentally, emotionally and physically, it would be better to play The Seven Games (groundwork in Parelli Level 1) prior to riding. The Seven Games are based on what alpha horses do to establish their dominance in the herd and gain another horse's respect and trust. The alpha horse causing the less dominant horse to circle is only one of those games. The other six games include moving him backwards, forwards and sideways, with physical or implied pressure, and even causing the other horse to squeeze over, under or through a small space. Becoming your horse's alpha causes him to follow your suggestions without question. If you are calm, he can be calm. If you become scared, he will prepare to flee. From this perspective, your steady emotional state is critical to your horse's confidence. So in preparing your horse to accept you as alpha, deal with him on the ground first, just like another horse would. Play these same seven games in order to gain your horse's respect and trust. The better you get at playing them with your horse, the better the results in everything you do with him. Once you have his respect on the ground, have challenged him by sending (not leading) him through, over or under questionable objects such as jumps, logs, tarps, under trees, into trailers, past plastic bags hanging on things, etc. then you can transfer that leader-follower confidence to the saddle. Focus Focus is the most powerful tool you can have while riding. When your horse is shying he is using his power of focus against you because he feels vulnerable without his alpha horse. The technique I use while riding is to be aware of the things my horse is apt to shy from and focus beyond that point at least 100 yards. This gives the horse a feeling that you, his new alpha, are not concerned, so why should he be? Remember the example of the father and child. The most common mistake that riders make in this area is they focus on the problem. They try to ride up to the scary thing to show the horse it is not going to hurt him. This is human reasoning not prey animal reasoning! Sometimes the rider just gets surprised from the shying and naturally clamps his legs and hands. Both of these approaches cause the horse to feel that you, his alpha, is very concerned about this "thing," so he should be too. We all want our horses to be calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic, but they can't be until we are! This is why it's so important to work on yourself... and play with your horse.

table of contents - amazon...

Documents