Pat Parelli - Horse That Can't Be Caught

Pat Parelli is world famous for his ability to teach people what horses want and need them to know - savvy. He says that if you can try to understand why horses act the way they do, you're on the way to knowing how they think, and gaining their trust. His theory of horsemanship is based on the prey-predator concept. Horses evolved as prey animals and their best defence against predators was to run, or in other words, the flight response.

Dave's horse

Dave asked for help with an eleven month old horse that was hard to catch. Pat explained that this is a very common problem which can easily be fixed, keeping in mind the following points: why the horse doesn't want to be caught reverse psychology approach and retreat creating confidence in the horse

The catching game

Horses have a simple psychology. Unlike humans, they are not interested in praise, recognition or material things. Horses are interested in safety, then comfort and play. Pat plays what he calls the 'catching game' where he uses reverse psychology on horses. He demonstrated this technique on Dave's young horse. Whenever it turned towards him or even looked at him, Pat walked away. This made the horse feel comfortable in a situation where it would normally feel pressure. However, every time the animal turned away from Pat, he put pressure on it by flicking a rope towards its hindquarters. If the horse turned its tail towards Pat, he put it under even more pressure. The game continued with Pat walking toward the horse in an arc, holding the halter out in front of him. Soon the horse was following him around the yard, walking confidently right up to him and nuzzling his arm, but Pat was in no rush to put on the halter. Instead, he rubbed the horse gently with the back of his hand, making it feel completely comfortable. Finally he slipped on the halter.

Partnership points

Pat Parelli says that horses give people 'partnership points'. Every time a horse is treated in a non-threatening way it becomes more convinced that the owner is a partner, not a predator. Even little things, for example always leading a horse on a slack line, help to build trust and balance out the horse and human relationship. Pat told Dave that if he tried these techniques his horse would not only be easy to catch, but would soon be running to him in the paddock.

Further information

Pat Parelli's courses are run Australia-wide under local approved instructors. For details contact: Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship,
PO Box 2232, Gosford, NSW, 2250.
Phone: 1800 627 404

Copyright CTC Productions 1999