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  • From: pennbo@bbv.net
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING
  • Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 12:07:45 -0700

Jorene@CEOates.com wrote:

   Parelli methods and had fun. Those same people said it wasn't appropriate for the novice because too many things could happen that the 
  novice wouldn't even understand was a step in a wrong direction ... working towards a potentially big problem. I haven't been hands-on with 
  his specific training routine, so I can't comment on that.
I had to stop and think about your comments on Parelli. I have used his methods pretty intensely over the last 4 years. There is some merit in what you say about novices- however I think that is true about many training methods. My daughter started her own mare with Parelli. I coached. <G> We avoided missteps as well as frustration on both their parts by having an experienced person observing. This mare is my up and coming wonderful MSAR and trail horse. She has a great foundation and is still very willing. She was 3 and my daughter was 14 when they started.
 But I confess it doesn't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling that Parelli's target market is the "I love my horsey" crowd - the reason I couldn't 
  tolerate more than 15 minutes of his demo. I disagreed with too many of his "explanations" regarding herd behavior, etc. Doesn't mean the 
  training methods don't work - if performed by someone with a clue about horses - but the reason Parelli was giving was obviously slanted 
  toward his target market.
Yeah, that used to bug me too.(The financial gain still does sometimes!)  Then I thought about it. Most of these "I love my horsey" novices need guidance. If someone with gentle methods doesn't give it to them someone else will. I bet we've all seen novices yanking their horse around, beating it, etc because the resident "expert" told them that was how it was done. I finally decided that Parelli gives "horse knowledge" in people friendly sound bites. Those of us who are more horsey sometimes shake our heads and wonder if he's daft <g>  but the main audience is listening, and understanding. What I have found is that the proof is in the working. His methods work- very well, if done correctly. But they do require time and consistency. Those two ingredients are what is often missing from any training program and especially from the beginning horsepersons routine.
 The successful handler/rider is tuned in to how the HORSE perceives the human's attempts at communication.
Amen to that!! <G>  I think your suggestions of alternatives is excellent. Let me add one more- look around your area. Check out other people's horses. When you find someone whose horses respond the way you would like yours to ask them if they trained them theirselves or had them trained. Listen carefully- some of the best advice you'll ever hear is gained this way. Personally I like an active alert ready horse with a thinking mind that will go where I ask and is fairly well desensitized without being asleep on their feet. I have friends who prefer the asleep on the hoof variety. <g> We are probably not going to look into the same training methods! And that's OK!

Sacking out- I have found that this means different things in different areas. Here it means taking the horse as a youngster, snubbing them to a pole, and then terrorizing them until they finally give up and don't care anymore. Somewhat effective for some horses. Dangerous for many. Personally I prefer a gentler, more time consuming method of exposing the horse to unknowns while it learns that the scary won't hurt it. It builds trust which comes in real handy in other difficult situations! <G>  Maybe your defintion of sacking out is different!! I've heard many variations!

To the original question- Yes, desensitization is a good thing! Whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you or experience it in a class!  The only thing I would add is that it takes constant reenforcement. Just because your horse doesn't spook at that helicopter after an intensive weekend this year doesn't mean they won't if one lands next to them five years from now if they haven't seen one since! <G>

Chris Pennington
Big Bear Sheriff's Posse
MSAR

 



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