Pat Parelli: Horse Sense

Pat Parelli is an American horseman with a philosophy of natural horsemanship which has won admiration worldwide.

His theory is based on the prey-predator concept. Pat Parelli says horses evolved as prey animals, that is they were animals which were hunted then eaten by carnivorous animals such as the big cats and humans, the predators.

The best way horses had of dealing with an attack - and avoid being eaten - was to run (the flight response). He says this explains why horses run from situations that frighten or intimidate them.

Pat Parelli says horse-sense is commonsense, and savvy, one of his key words, is horse know-how. You have to know how to make the horse feel safe and have it trust you.

Once humans understand this, he says, they can begin to understand the way horses think. He believes his system could benefit all horses.

Leadership

Our segment showed how a horse can learn who is the 'alpha' (or top) horse. He says the horse must first trust its trainer, then it needs to be convinced the person is worthy of being its leader.

Instead of 'breaking' the spirit of a horse with pain or violence, Pat Parelli uses a long stick (which he calls a carrot stick) to touch the horse lightly. He says the horse thinks the stick is an extension of the trainer's arm and is impressed by his reach, or control. He says the horse is baffled by the person's ability to touch it in so many places so quickly and is impressed.

Pat Parelli believes it's a myth that giving horses treats spoils them. He says "carrots and kindness" is the way to gain a horse's heart. The two first steps are:

(a) to show the horse you care; and
(b) show how much you know the way it thinks.

Further information

Pat Parelli's courses are now run in Australia under local accredited instructors. More information can be obtained from:

Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship
PO Box 2232
Gosford NSW 2250
Phone: 1800 627 404

Copyright CTC Productions 2006