Pat Parelli: Creating a Bond
Pat Parelli demonstrated how to form a connection with your horse, in the same way that a foal stays with a mare. They are joined together, emotionally, mentally and physically. It is imperative that the foal sticks with its mother: stride for stride, moment for moment, position to position. This is something that horses know from the moment they are born. Pat says that if you can mimic nature, you can create a bond with your horse that is stronger than any lead rope you can buy.
Working in harmony with your horse
Pat started work on the ground, his horse wearing a halter with a long lead rope attached. He held the lead rope in his left hand and in his right he held a long stick with a piece of string tied to the end. (Pat often uses a long stick to train horses; they think the stick is an extension of his arm, and are impressed by his reach.) The lead rope was kept slack at all times. When he wanted to go left, he pointed the stick in front and to the left. When he wanted to go right he flicked the stick back over his right elbow. Pat taught the horse a few basic yields: a gentle tap with the stick and the horse moved its hindquarters, then a push against the horse’s shoulder and it learned to move its front end. The next step was to remove the halter and go through the same exercises with the horse at liberty. Pat demonstrated how to take off the halter in such a way that his horse wanted to follow him with her nose, and the connection was not broken mentally. He then changed sides, moved left, right, back, forwards and sideways, always asking the horse to follow. Pat explained that when you ride your horse, you don’t really control it with the bit. Your emotions control the horse, and if you can teach your horse to tune in to your emotions you will form a very strong bond with your horse. This is the ultimate in horse and human relationships.
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