Try Parelli!

South West UK Parelli
Instructor Team
parelliinstructorteam-sw.co.uk
Try Parelli!
Everything you need to know to get started
What is Parelli Natural Horsemanship?
Horses are as individual as humans in terms of character and a
‘one size fits all’ approach to training doesn’t always work so
humans who choose to be with horses need to have varied skills to
adapt their training to be as individual as the horse. Parelli is a
people training programme that provides you with the techniques
and mentality to give your horse a strong foundation. Through the
various education channels outlined in this leaflet, the aim is to
empower you to become a horseman who can read your horse’s
behaviour and apply the appropriate strategies for any given
situation.
The Four Savvys
“The first
key to
success is
Attitude”
In order to ensure the horse has a solid
foundation, there are four areas for
development. These are:
• Online - developing ground skills such as
leading your horse, trailer loading or just
getting your horse ready to ride or to
stand still to be groomed, clipped, shod or
saddled;
• Freestyle - riding your horse without
contact to develop your skills as a rider
and allowing the horse to become more
sensitive to the leg and seat aids so that
he can become braver and more
confident;
• Liberty - on the ground with your horse
but without a rope, to develop a deeper
mental connection with your horse; and
• Finesse - riding with precision and contact
to progress towards specialisation, such
as dressage, show jumping or showing.
Progress in these four areas will help you and your
horse learn to communicate clearly and become
partners, from where, anything is possible.
Levels of competence
Parelli has developed a series of Levels to help people track exactly
where they are on their horsemanship journey. This starts at Level
1, learning very basic skills in order to get both horse and human
used to the tools and techniques that are used. Many people see
almost instant changes in their horses within the first few sessions,
because the horses respond to people thinking as horses do,
rather than like humans, which is of course, our natural instinct.
The Parelli foundation, from which your horse is mentally,
emotionally and physically ready for specialisation in any sphere, is
Levels 1 to 4.
Licenced Parelli Professionals
Everyone has a different learning style.
Some like to read theory and then test
things out. Some like to watch someone
else and then give it a go. Some like to dive
right in and see what happens. Whatever
your learning style, getting help from a
licenced Parelli Professional can help to
either start or accelerate your learning.
Parelli Instructors have been put through
rigorous education and testing to ensure
they are mentally, emotionally and
physically up to representing Parelli and
teaching the Parelli programme.
“Communication
is two or more
individuals
sharing and
understanding
an idea”
It takes real commitment and dedication to become a
Parelli Instructor. All fully licenced Parelli Instructors
are listed by Parelli at instructor.parelli.com If
someone offering lessons is not listed, it is unlikely
that they have had the appropriate training and
endorsement to teach Parelli. Beware of imitations.
To find Licenced Parelli Instructors belonging to the South West
Parelli Instructor Team, go to parelliinstructorteam-sw.co.uk
Get Informed!
Here are three easy ways of finding more
about Parelli Natural Horsemanship for free.
“The alpha
horse is the
one that
moves its feet
the least”
1. Go to the source at Parelli.com
On the Parelli website, you can:
• Sign up for weekly E-News
• Read horsemanship articles written
by Pat and Linda Parelli
• Locate and contact a Licenced Parelli
Instructor for advice
• Watch ‘The Horseman’s Apprentice’,
tracking the life of Parelli students at
the Parelli ranch in Colorado
2. Access educational snippets on
Facebook:
• Parelli Natural Horsemanship www.facebook.com/
ParelliNaturalHorseTraining
• South West Parelli Instructors www.facebook.com/
ParelliInstructorTeamSouthWest
3. Watch Visual Media
• Find Parelli TV programmes on Horse and Country TV
(Sky/Freesat Channel 280)
• Get inspired by short videos at Parelli Tube including excepts
from educational DVDs - www.youtube.com/user/ParelliTube
“Think like a
horse
before
thinking like
a human”
Can you?
Rub your horse
all over with a
plastic bag?
Can you?
Stand in front of
your horse and
push them away
from you using
pressure on their
nose or chest?
Can you?
Protect your
personal space
if your horse
tries to ‘move’
you?
Test the rapport and respect you have
with your horse.
Why?
To build your
horse’s
confidence and
trust in you as
a leader
Why?
To help your
horse
understand
how to follow a
feel and not
push against it
Why?
To help the
horse
understand
that you are
the alpha
horse
How?
Start slow and
steady, back off
if the horse gets
scared and try
again and wait
for them to
relax.
How?
Start with light
pressure and
build it up slowly
until your horse
moves, then
stop, wait and try
again.
How?
Use your arms or
rope to create
rhythmic pressure
to send your
horse away from
you.
Get the Tools, Get Learning…
Equipment
Parelli is famous for its orange sticks and white ropes. These days,
they produce halters and ropes in a wide range of colours to suit
your taste. However, the basic tools have not changed and each
one is designed for a specific purpose. For example, the sticks that
are used do not flex like a whip and can be used as an extension of
your arm, to enhance communication by being as 'long' or as 'tall'
as the horse. It is strongly recommended that you have a basic kit,
comprising rope halter, 12ft rope, 4ft stick and 6ft string. These kits
can be purchased from the Parelli shop. Some Parelli Professionals
even loan or sell these items.
Parelli Connect
If you want to progress your horsemanship,
joining Parelli Connect is strongly
recommended. The benefits of this service
include:
• Track your progress, be it as you learn from
home or get information from an Instructor
• 25% off all equipment and educational
materials in the Parelli shop
• The ability to find people doing Parelli near
you
• Access to a library of hundreds of
educational DVDs streamed over the web
The basic price is £6.95 a month with no
contract or obligation to join for a certain length
of time.
Lessons from a Licenced Parelli
Instructor
Accelerate your learning and
develop new skills from someone
who has been trained to teach the
Parelli programme.
“Take the
time it takes
so it takes
less time”
Jump Start DVD
Available to purchase from
Parelli for £19, this provides
a useful introduction into
how to start out in the
Parelli programme.
“Horses set the
principles and
the timeline,
humans set the
purpose”
Can you?
Rub your horse
over all parts of its
body using your
stick and string?
Can you?
Lower your
horse’s head or
move your horse’s
hindquarters over
using steady
pressure?
Can you?
Send your
horse around
obstacles 10ft
away without
moving your
feet?
Test your new skills and tools to
communicate clearly.
Why?
To build your
horse’s
confidence
with rhythmic
motion.
Why?
To help your
horse
understand
how to follow
a feel and not
push against it.
Why?
To help the
horse
understand
how to
respond to a
suggestion.
How?
Start slow and
steady, back off
if the horse gets
scared and try
again and wait
for them to
relax.
How?
Start with light
pressure and
build it up
slowly until your
horse moves,
then stop, wait
and try again.
How?
Use your stick and
string to create
rhythmic pressure
and the 12ft rope
to allow your
horse to drift away
from you.
Get Progressive!
The Four Savvys
Parelli has spent 30 years developing its
educational material to provide different
types of information for different learners.
The Four Savvys is their flagship
educational material, providing not only
expert techniques to master within each
savvy but also a student lesson to help with
common problems that arise. There is also
material in horse behaviour and
psychology, which can really drill down to
the key issues that you may have with your
horse and how to address them.
“Never-ending
selfimprovement”
The Four Savvys can be purchased on the
Parelli.com website.
Take a Course
Contacts
Many instructors hold courses over
one or more days, to really help
accelerate your learning. Details of
these courses can all be found on
South West Parelli Instructors
website:
parelliinstructorteam-sw.co.uk
Parelli UK Office:
0800 0234 813
South West Parelli
instructors:
parelliinstructorteamsw.co.uk
or instructor.parelli.com
Your local Parelli Instructor’s contact: