Has anyone has any PERSONAL bad/negative experiences with Parelli?

7 Comments

1. Peggy M says:

   July 8, 2009 at 9:40 pm

   I’ve been involved with the Parelli method for years! and NEVER heard of anything negative about it’s use. Problems can occur if you try to mix other methods with it since your horse gets mixed messages. Stick with it. You’ll love it!
2. pallypaint says:

   July 10, 2009 at 2:51 am

   Haven’t had any negative experiences, other than the cost. It’s great fun, and does help you build up a better relationship with your horse.

   I’m not a disciple, by any means, and tend to pick and choose things from different trainers. Most of the “natural horsemanship” trainers do things so similarly anyway that it doesn’t seem to me to be a problem to take the pieces you like from each one and do your own thing. And, the end result is well worth it.
3. Kaiialyne S says:

   July 11, 2009 at 11:18 pm

   Personally, I really don’t like the Parelli system. First and foremost, the cost, for me, is prohibitively expensive. I can’t afford to buy a whole kit.

   But second, I also sort of have a problem with the system itself. The exercises are designed for better communication between horse and horseman and for getting your horse to listen to you. But what about those exercises that involve riding your horse without a saddle or bridle? I don’t think it is safe to encourage riders to try that, not without personal training for it, and who can afford specially-geared Parelli training?

   I also feel a bit like the system is designed to be easy and to work the rider through the stages of learning. But it seems like a lot of riders sacrifice actually spending time with their horse – grooming, grazing them, lungeing them – for working on the exercises with them. A horse needs time with the rider that doesn’t involve constant learning, just interaction.

   Just IMHO.
4. Paint Pony says:

   July 12, 2009 at 8:30 pm

   This is the only thing I have ever found wrong with any of the programs (Parelli, Lyons, or Anderson). They are always a little to general for most people. Most of the people who buy them are very novice and when things do not happen like they see in the demostrations, they assume that the systems are flawed. Or take them as gospel and are not flexiable with having to adjust for different horses who have different responses, and expect their horses to behave exactly like the ones on the videos. I personally feel that you already have the best training aid that you ever could and that is your own common sense. I feel that videos can be useful as a training aid to see something different, but you still need to rely on what you know how to do and how your horse responds to you. Think about this. What you are paying for is what these people have learned over a lot of years. And the horses they use in the tapes have been trained over long periods of time. You can do the same thing without the tapes. All they really do it take out the trial and error part. Which can advance you a little faster, but can be expensive. Good Luck!
5. Mutchkin says:

   July 15, 2009 at 8:30 am

   Every person has their own ways of riding/training their horses.

   My horses personally are not “parelli” type horses as each have own personality and own way of being handled that Parelli doesn’t do.

   My mare is not a “wipe” or like the “agreessive” movements as some of the trainers who do Parelli when I did a clinic one time with her.

   It is way too expensive. My horses are expensive as it is, no way I want to add more to the cost.

   I do also find that I can get the same benefit of communication and bonding when I groom, feed, clean and play with my horses, at the same time, fighting with my gelding for running off with the leadrope in his mouth or my mare, who wants to run from me for a little bit cuz she knows she is getting in the trailer haha lol. (special moments that I do love, even when I am mad)

   Each horse is different and will respond to different training methods.
6. mindy r says:

   July 18, 2009 at 2:46 pm

   i hate parelli, in fact i normally refuse to work with parelli trained horses. i just got so sick of seeing horses that only do well as long as you have all your gizmos and whozits. i just dont like it at all- i see them ride with that expensive neck rope then the horse flips out compleatly on the trail, or lugs on the bit or worse is always behind the bit. then again i am not a big fan of gimick trainers granted each has a valid point to one degree or another but to follow them like gospel is another. not to mention it takes way to long, if i start a two year old i expect to be able to ride it by 5 and have it ride well. one of my boarders has a parelli horse level 1 and it is a demon. it is the worst mannered horse i have ever seen, but it can play all the parelli games perfectly. i have another boarder coming in next month to have me retrain his parelli ruined mare. she was actually better before going to the big local $350 a month parelli trainer. she was ridable before now hes scared to even lead her. she freaks out for no reason, invades your personal space, wont pay attention, is next to impossible to catch, disrespects the lunge whip and on and on. only reason i am taking her on is to undo the parelli damage, he wants that training totally undone. i prefer john lyons, craig cameron and gawani pony boy. they each have their weak points but you need to filter out the gimicks to get to the real meat of the principal, parelli to me seems to be all gimmick and no real meat. again this is just imo and some people swear by him.
7. languish_2006 says:

   July 21, 2009 at 7:41 pm

   Here is a link that shows mikey using level 4 parelli. Personally ive no expierence with it…watch the video! Obviously the horse has been trained for years but it sure is beautiful to watch.