Someone I know recently purchased a "Level Two Parelli Horse" (oooh-ahhhh watchout!!). Apparently the horse has impeccable ground manners, but can't be ridden. He's spooky as hell on the trail and seems to come unglued at random intervals. OK with something one minute (like a parked car) and going into fight-or-flight the next over the same stimulus.
Interestingly this controversy was going on simultaneous with another one, a guy that used the old method of tying a horse's head around. He has decades of experience with this and didn't hurt the horse anyway, but the reaction was "he's not touching any of our horses!!"
This got me thinking about all this groundwork promoted by natural horsemanship gurus like Parelli and Clinton Anderson. I'm more familiar with Parelli because that's what everyone is into around here, although lately a few people have been spreading their wings a bit-Wylene Wilson happened to come through town and stayed at a ranch devotee's house-and while there taught her how to lay horses down. Now this woman who used to think friendly game was the entire universe thinks laying horses down is the central and only horse training technique.
Getting back to the horse that started this story, I'm not sure what a "Level 2 Parelli horse" really is anyway. I assume in some sense that means the horse has "graduated" from "Level 1", but what the hell does that mean? The horse responds when you ask him to move his hindquarter? The horse stands there when you rub it with a stick? Well OK, that's great but no wonder none of the real issues the horse has have been addressed!
Parelli is all fine and dandy but that kind of "training" is just enough to get you started. I've been watching people obsessed with Parelli get mediocre results when it comes to reality-which is riding your horse. Its constant hassles with horses misbehaving or getting scared once your in the saddle.
Sure people have always gotten bucked off, had their horses rear up or spook. But in the old days, they didn't have time to fuck around. If you were in the army, for example-your horses had to behave. Well even on a more basic level, the horse was your only means of transportation so it couldn't be freaking out every time you rode to town.
"Old School" training seems harsh to many modern eyes. We're more sensitive to animals being living creatures as opposed to just "livestock". But if done properly, the result is horses that are (relatively) safe to ride. The harsh techniques don't have to be done over and over because they work the first time. I know because I have an "old school" trained horse, and he is truly "bomb proof", as close as you can get to that ideal. But I don't have to go around tying his head or laying him down. That's already been done and that's why he is so able to cope with things that spook other horses.
Remember, those old-school, firm training methods were born out of centuries of experience with horses and understanding their nature. In the modern world we need to balance our sensitivity to the welfare of the horse with that old knowledge of what works.
I even have a friend who asserts that Parelli is doing the more firm training methods behind the scenes and just not telling anybody, he says that's the only way he could get his horses to behave the way they do. I don't know about that but what I do know, is that many people relying exclusively on Parelli face endless hassles and headaches with their horses. Maybe its designed that way? You never quite get your horse where he needs to be, so you've got to pay for another membership and round of videos to just get an inch closer! Clever marketing ploy.
I'm not criticizing the Parelli methods per se, they are great. But they can't be used in a vacuum. If you really want a safe horse you might have to lay him down or use other techniques. Horseback riding can be pretty serious business, as my friend with the "level 2" horse can attest to, he's had a few broken bones to prove it.
The old school methods may seem overly harsh but if they produce horses that are relatively safer to handle and ride, that's better for the horse over the long run-helps keep him away from rescue ranches or sale barns.
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch and love horses then you'll want the new Horse Wallpaper app for the iPhone. This easy to use app allows you to select from dozens of beautiful pictures of horses to select a horse lover's background for your iPhone. 
Another year of crazy fires in California. This year though, the blazes appear to be near some really populated areas. Pasadena has been mentioned, which is a pretty dense urban area. This morning they're saying that the fires are threatening LA's media communications towers along with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Mount Wilson.
Well the summer heat is finally cooling off enough that I can ride my horses without baking. Today I took Wishes out for a short ride on the nearby King Ranch. These days there aren't many people to ride with, all the folks I used to trail ride with have left the ranch so I have been riding out there by myself. On the way back I decided to do a little walking, and Wishes followed me without a lead line or anything! I was surprised to find out he knows Parelli! Wishes has never been trained with Parelli, I guess he knows that I know it! Amazing how that natural horsemanship works by telepathy.
Its amazing what a little rain can do. Instead of tumbleweeds blowing across the road you've got an almost lush green landscape. Here's what the weeds look like before drought sets in.
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