Customer Reviews

Natural Horse-Man-Ship: Six Keys to a Natural Horse-Human Relationship

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To be "nice" I give this book a "2 star" as it interesting reading. There are now a lot of other books available that I would recommend rather than this book.

This book offers a structured approach that people find comfortable but I would recommend that if you do buy this book also buy Mark Rashid's book, "Horses Never Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership," and/or Marty Marten's book "Problem Solving, Preventing and Solving Common Horse Problems" and/or "True Horsemanship Through Feel" by Leslie Desmond and Bill Dorrance.

I had heard all kinds of people praising Pat Parelli, and it's hard to go anywhere and not hear his name. We run a very small breeding farm and I am always looking for better ways to communicate efficiently and effectively with our horses. All of the methods of horse communication out there require work and consentration on the part of the person, and it is important to choose which style and methods works best for you and the temperments of your horses. Not every style is going to be a good fit. Having read and studied Klaus Hempfling, I must say I much prefer Klaus' approach. There may be some nuggets of wisdom in this Parelli book and I will go on hunting for them. But for me, I will go back and pull out my much dog-eared copy of Dancing With Horses.

Being a beginner 3 years ago, I bought many books to prepare myself and my new 3 year old for our relationship. I learned alot from the concepts of Lyons and other authors, but they didn't give me enough direction to start actually working with my horse.

I found Parelli's book to be the best help - it started out with more specific exercises and details on how to applied what I'd learned. In one year working with Parelli book techniques a few times a week my horse went from green broke to "too well trained" to be enough of a challenge for me. I have since attended Parelli seminars and bought the "system" to start my new horse. I disagree with the reviewer that said some of Parelli is untrue or unsafe - that some horses cannot be ridden bareback. Parelli has a very detailed system with very specific pre-flight checks that guarentee your horse will be safe before you get on. If the horse is not safe to get on bareback, then he is not really mentally ready to get on with saddle & bridle either! It's all about preparing his mind and starting a relationship - and it does take patience & lots of work (DON'T try to rush it or shortcut). If you are looking for a quick way to make your green broke horse into an old trail horse, this book is not for you. But then again, you probably will get sick of trying to "train" your horse and be like the 80% of new horse owners that quite before the 1st year is up.

In Parelli training with Teri Palmer, I saw some "un-sane" horses with terrible relationships with their owners being ridden by the last day with a lead rope and halter. My new horse was on the other end - terribly confident and walking all over me. It took him a VERY long time to pass the "pre flight checks" (as Pat says to each new lesson & test, "I've never seen it take more than 2 days!"), but once he did, it allowed me to ride with more confidence and way more safely (no one in the program had a single problem, spook, stubborness, or anything on their horse!!!!-and everyone was there because their horses were terrible originally). The book does describe these pre-flight checks, but I recommend getting a video or going through training if you are unsure about any one of them since seeing it is easier to understand than reading it.

I do say though that although the book is a good start, the parelli trainer sessions (level 1) really helped me with some of the confusion and questions I had about certain techniques. It was very expensive, but so interesting that my auditing husband signed up for the last 2 days after the first 2 were so progressive. I would highly recommend that if you are serious about trying parelli, you consider sessions with a 3 or 4 star trainer, even over buying the system. And find a friend interested in working with it also - it's easier to bounce concepts off each other and get some feedback while working your horse. And it helps with motivation - I'm a "common just do it NOW" type person and it took alot of motivation to take a step back and really do things right (as my horse was ready for).

I'm actually out here today looking to buy Linda Parelli's riding video - I feel that I'm not quite communicating what I want to now that I'm up on my youngster bareback and I really like the way Linda communicates her ideas (she helped organize Pat's).

One other nice thing about the book - if you don't like it, you can alway sell it for asking price on ebay. One downside with parelli - although you can make your own tools (and I did), his ropes and carrot stick are really one of a kind and are expensive. His rope is custom made for his company, and is much much heavier than all other ropes - you cant buy this rope at any store that I've found, or already made lead ropes of this sort. I used much lighter rope of the same size & softness, with heavy clasps on the end, and it's much less effective in giving signals (but it does work sort of). The carrot stick can easily be replaced with any 4-5 foot stick with leather taped on the end(and he uses golf club handles on the end) and if you are new at it a lighter stick won't wear you out as fast (this stick is heavy). The savvy string is a must - it's also extra heavy weight, and there are no replacements (trust me I tried). And obviously rope halters are easy to make or buy on ebay.

Good basic guide to Parelli and Natural Horsemanship as conceived by Pat Parelli. It's a bit repetitive and some of the pictures do not clearly depict the intent.

It does provide a basic overview of the tenents and practices that are the basis of Parelli.

I'd say this one is worth the money that I spent. It's been read by several members of my family now, and although the reviews aren't entirely positive, everyone learned something from it.

I would hope that every one of Pat Parelli's detractors carefully read this book. I'm not a PP groupie but the more I read this book the more I see how his ideas are mangled and maligned by those who are put off by the razz-a-matazz, or jealous of the celebrity or perhaps have seen a bad example of his pupils.

This book is an introduction. It tries to cover all the principles of Natural Horsemanship (PP style), introduce the Parelli philosophy, give you a couple of exercises to start out with, talk about the gear and discuss PP's life and experiences. Covering such a wide range of topics, it is easy to complain that it covers none in depth - but it was never intended to.

What I particularly like about the book is that, if you are willing to read it (perhaps several times), in its entireity you get a much better picture of what Pat Parelli is really all about. Here is a man with an understanding of the horse as a complex being in its own right - not a big dog or a cow or a surrogate baby or a tractor. He explains equine motivation, and needs and how understanding and working within those boundaries will make your relationship with your horse much more satisfying (for both of you).

I'm a believer. I tried the others, then found the truth in Pat Parelli's teachings. If you don't know anything about Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship, this book is a good start. His whole home study program and the tools that go with it can be purchased online. Once you get into Parelli, there is no turning back. We came to him because of a horse that adamantly refused to get into a horse trailer. Now the whole family has learned to savvy our horses in ways we never thought possible. This book will explain how humans behave like predators around horses, driving a wedge in their relationship. More importantly, he explains how to overcome that tendency and how to teach yourself new ways of communicating with your horse as a loving partner and leader. Giving you specific techniques and exercises to use, Pat sets you up for success with your horse, no matter how difficult he may be now. I have now seen dozens of people get incredible results from their horses by changing their approach and adopting Pat's methods. My own former spookaholic Arabian now trots after me at liberty and I ride him bridleless - with nothing on his head. This didn't happen overnight - in fact it took a year of dedicated focus, but the results are, frankly, amazing. Try the book, then the program, but be warned: you cannot return to normalcy. And by the way, the horse that wouldn't load now trots happily onto the trailer when we point to it. No kidding.

This book is about getting your horse to become your partener while gaining his trust and respect without fear and developing yourself to become a better horseman (or woman). I can't believe this book received bad reviews! Parelli's students are his proof. Yes it takes time and it won't happen overnight. He sells his own tools(not gadgets)because nobody made what he was looking for. The "normal" people just don't and won't get it! I have to say that if you get this book (and you take the time to read it) you will want more info and Parelli Natural Horsemanship has all of the info you could possibly need in getting it natural & right with your horse.

I do not agree with all Pat's methods. But it is not torture. I strongly recommend that "I would give it zero stars if I could" go out and watch his or her horses for a while. They do not bribe each other or politely ask the other to move. They bite and kick. I do not beat my horses, I just act like another horse that knows her stuff. My horse respects me and even though it sometimes comes to "bites and kicks" we get along great and she does anything I ask her willingly. She loves me and I never force her, I spend time with her and just give her love. I feed her treats and give her rubs. I watch the way she acts in a herd and try to mimick her when we play. Watch a herd of horses and then try to say that Pat's method is not even a little right. I learn from various people and do not try to pretend to be an expert, but Clicker training is not what is natural in a horse herd. They play games, not exactly the way Parelli does, but we are not horses so we need ways to make our body more like theirs, Pat is not a big corporate dude, he does not have sponsors. Take time and think, feel, act, and play like a horse. Pat is using his methods to try and get people to do what horses do. Sure you can never "bite" your horse and he will love you, but he won't respect you. Take time and let your horse teach you, this book is worth reading along with many others. The message many "natural" trainers are trying to get across is that the horse will teach you what you need to know, you just have to listen.

Pat Parelli gives sound advice on handling horses with a gentle and natural touch. His attitudes about building a life-long relationship with your horse are well spoken, and the terms he uses are easily understood and eloquently written. Although sometimes repetative, his instructions are easy to read and well thought out. Having lived my life with horses, I found it refreshing that Pat focused on the communication between man and beast, rather than "how to FORCE your horse do what you want". The communication tools recommended are non-invassive and can be purchased at almost any farm and home store, or tack shop. Of course the do-it-yourself horsemen could build some of their own since all the tools and the materials used to produce them are described in detail. Awesome reading for any horse person in any discipline who is interested in having something more than their horses resentful obedience.

This by far is the easiest to read, easiest to apply and best training tool I've ever bought. This book was well worth the money. You'll find yourself actually able to sit down and REALLY read the book, not just look for what you want. I've read it several times, and will probably read it again. Highly recommended.