Students Talk 

Fleur & Guiditta (Giddy) - my Parelli journey hasnt been that easy; to be quite honest, I only really started having real fun quite recently! My extremely left brain introvert Halfinger x Quarter Horse mare (who can turn on occasion to a wild extrovert which has to be seen to be believed), literally ran rings round me for years. Well, I say ran, what I mean is, she usually did very little, and I flapped around like an incompetent fool ;0)Whereas she once used to push me around constantly, grab at grass constantly when riding, plant her feet and refuse to move under any circumstances, and any other number of left brain tactics, she is now (generally), a horse that is happy with her human and is showing impulsion and willingness.  Mind you, she did lie down with me when i was riding her the other day, so she certainly still likes to play games with me!
 
I am not ashamed to say there were times when she would reduce me to tears because of my inability to get her to do anything other than frustrate me! I don't know why it took me so long to find the leadership, confidence and focus to be a good partner for her, but we got there eventually. We passed the old, old level 2 groundwork some 2.5 years ago, then got stuck, and frankly lost. In December 08, we passed the new (now old!) Level 2, with the exception of the ridden canter. On the final day, the 31st January, we finally got our canter task, and passed L2 ;0) Parelli has become a huge part of my life, and it challenges and inspires me on so many levels. I started out dreaming of riding bareback and bridleless, but now, just try hard to build our relationship every day, and we will go as far as we can. I have two instructors in particular to thank for enabling me to at least live a little bit of the dream! Alison Jones from Devon, and Kaffa Martginier from Australia, who have both been inspiring, supportive, patient and wonderful teachers.

Anita Burns & Xeb (L3 students) - I have been a Parelli student for several years now and along with Fleur and Alex formed a little group of enthusiasts who met up, usually on the moors in the early days, to provide mutual support and friendship on our PNH journeys! The Devon group has come a long way since those early days and from those first fledgling get-togethers. It is now a thriving “club” of Parelli enthusiasts of all levels who meet up regularly for playdays, lessons, social gatherings etc. My personal journey along the Parelli path has been made so much easier and much more enjoyable due in a large part to the “club”. I am currently a L3 student with my second Parelli Horse, Xeb. My first Parelli horse, Max was a great horse to start with in the programme. He taught me so much as we made our way through L2. Sadly I lost him very unexpectedly just a few tasks short of getting our blue string. I was left bereft at losing my much treasured partner and with no money to buy another horse. However, everything is done for a reason and I was offered a problem horse who was about to be put down. That was Xeb. I paid the sum of £1 for him to make him legally mine and then started on our Parelli journey together. It has turned out to be a path of swinging highs and lows, lots of tears and lots of laughter but overall a growing sense of wonder at this beautiful grey horse that spent most of his earlier life misunderstood and scared of just about everything. We are now the proud owners of that blue string and hopefully one day a green string. However Xeb has taught me the journey is far more important and rewarding than any coloured string I am aiming for. Please remind me of that next time you see me frustrated and too direct-line with my horse!!

Louise and Mel (L3 Students), and Jazz the pony. As long as I can remember I have always wanted to have a horse. In 2005 I found the planets had lined up and I had both the time and the money to have a horse. So I went in search of one, we seen an advertisement in the local freeads for a welsh x quarter horse mare but as had no photo, I was curious to see what this cross would look like as at the time I hadn’t seen many quarter horses. So my Dad and I went to Cornwall to see. This is where My Parelli Journey Started in I saw this most beautiful black mare and fell in love with her. At this time I had never heard of Pat Parelli. However, her owner/breeder had attended a Parelli seminar just before Mel was born and she showed me how this horse knew the 7 games and when I said I’d buy her the lady gave me a photo copied A4 sheet explaining how to do each game. I figured that as I was a complete novice and didn’t know anything about a horse I better learn what this horse already knew.

 

I soon found out Mel was lonely living alone so went to Southwest Equine Protection and adopted a little coloured mare called Jazz that had been abandoned. In July or August 2007 I saw that Parelli Professionals Alison Jones and Eddy Mode were putting on a Demo in aid of Southwest Equine Protection, so I went to spectate. It was there that I met people from the SavvySouthwest / Devon Parelli group, until this time I hadn’t realised there was anyone around me also doing PNH. They told me about a Fun Dressage Day they were having at Cholwell. So I went even though I didn’t think I was ready to do dressage, they assured me it would be fun. It was so totally not what I was expecting everyone was so friendly and it really wasn’t like any Normal competition, everyone seemed truly to want everyone else to do well. I knew at that moment I was surrounded by like minded people and have been an active part of this group ever since.

 

Horsanalities:

Jazz LBE/LBI with a little RBI just to keep it interesting J

Mel Mainly LBI but with more LBE revealing itself everyday!

 

Acheivements:

Starting Jazz from scratch and watching what good care she takes of her riders.

Me & Mel Jumping and a 3ft fence with only feathers I still can’t believe we did it!

Gaining Level 1 with Mel in 2006 and Level 2 in 2008.
 
Mary House - I am an overseas member of this group, I have been in contact with Anita now for over 6 years and a very regular basis and have managed to attend both play days and clinics during my stays to visit family in the UK.

 

I first came into the Parelli fold in about 1990.  I had a very head strong Connemara pony x who had been mistreated.  I turned to the natural side of riding to see if it would help Annie to overcome her fears.  I was able, with care, to ride her bareback with a halter in safe places.  I still have Annie she is now gracefully retired in our back paddock and is 31.  In 1991 Pat came to Australia on a Seminar Tour with several other horse experts, I wasn’t taken with his brash American attitude but could see the benefit of what he was teaching, and signed up for the original level one series – a photocopied group of notes, that included a bareback canter for the level one pass!  How that attitude and teaching have changed over the years, it is far more a people program than just for those with horses.

 

Since those early days  I have taken another three horses through the program.. Hopefully one day I have acquired the green string. My main levels horse, Lucy, was retired this year with some of the level 3 elements on tape, but she has severe melanoma and it is unfair to ride her now.

 

I have an older horse, he was badly abused as a youngster but now at 21 he has been in the program almost since coming here many years ago. He is a delight to ride and how anyone could have abused him beats me.  I can almost say that now after the many years of dedicated PNH play Tex is a very happy horse.

 

My youngster, Sasha, the horse sent to me to teach me patience, has had no other start in life apart from natural, although the person I chose to start her had not really encompassed the full teachings of the PNH movement.  As a result she was misread and suffered some unfortunate pressure.  I am happy to say though now after several years of patience and kindness we are well on the road to achieve something.  We have a wonderful bond and I am really beginning to trust her just as she is beginning to trust me.  If  I hadnt had the previous experience of my other horses and the extensive time I have spent playing with the natural methods I think Sasha and I would have parted company and she would have been labeled a rogue horse and probably put down.  Such a  shame really, that so many good honest horses don’t make the grade because of the owners and the handling that goes on. 

 

I also incorporate the PNH philosophy in my business doing energy and alternative healing for horses, www.healthyhorsesnaturally.com.au

 

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