What is Parelli Natural Horsemanship?

In 1981, Pat Parelli founded his training program, which he called "Parelli Natural Horsemanship". What Does “Natural Horsemanship” really mean? Horse-Man-Ship has a very simple meaning: the horse and man do something together or go somewhere together. You can roughly divide the term into three categories: •Chemical horsemanship •Mechanical horsemanship •Natural horsemanship One would not think that chemical or mechanical horsemanship would play a role in our everyday life with horses, or that we would even call it by those names. Although, if you look, you can quickly find examples. How about those horses who are sedated to clip, or to see the dentist, or even in extreme circumstances, to shoe? These are everyday situations of chemical horsemanship. There are also examples of mechanical horsemanship: ancillary reins fall into this category, and bits for example. The Parelli program is dedicated to following the Natural Horsemanship ideology. The term "natural" stands for natural handling of the horse. This means that the human is dealing with the essence of the horse and is willing to see things from the point of view of this flight animal, to better respond to the natural behaviors of the horse and prevent problems before they can arise. Parelli is not its own riding style. It is foundation training for humans and horses, which is based on mutual communication, respect and trust between humans and horses. It takes into consideration the varying needs of each horse’s personality (Horsenality ®). It does not matter what discipline you ride, English or Western, if you want to just spend time with your horse or if you have competition goals. It's all about understanding the natural behavior of the horse and using that knowledge in everyday life to prevent problems before they can arise or fix them if they're already there. Parelli is a collection of skills, techniques and strategies that teach humans how to be naturally with the horse. It is a “way of being”, a lifestyle. The Parelli Program is a Step-by-Step pathway to success - on the ground as well as in the saddle! It is based on four learning areas – called "Savvys". •On-Line - Groundwork with halter and rope. •FreeStyle - Riding on a loose rein, or even without reins! •Liberty - Groundwork WITHOUT a halter or rope.  •Finesse - Riding with contact and refinement. It's not just about the horse; it is also about the personal development of the human as well as his communication and leadership skills. This is precisely what sets Parelli Natural Horsemanship apart from other similar types of training, which focus primarily on training the horse. In the Parelli program, you go through four levels of learning with your horse, step by step, from the basis of natural horsemanship to performance-oriented fundamentals for sport or professional goals. These levels are structured logically and are set up for easy and effective study.