parelli

Question
hi there, calling to you all the way from the uk, ill get straight to the point. i  have a sec d x tb, hes a lovely horse but is extremely nervous, he jumps at the  slightest thing and is becoming very difficult to break in!! im very interested  in parelli ive done a very small amount and working on doing more! ive  broken in several horses myself both western and english! i got him from a  lady who just didnt have the time for him, she had just left him in a field for 6  months! i realize by her doing this that he has socializing issues, but hes a  lovely horse and i dont want to give up on him! the extent of his nervousness  is cat leaping across the yard if someone touches the other side to him! i  would appreciate any advice you can offer!!  thank you charlotte

Answer
Hi Charlotte!

I really need more information to give you an answer...let's start witht the basics.  How old is he and how long have you been working/training him?  Where is he in the training and what specifically are you working on and how is he doing?  

Lastly, I must admit I do not like "natural" horsemanship much as I find it works too rarely for the average owner.  It is based in some solid principles but, overall I think it just makes money for Parelli instead of making better horses.  Your guy's skittish behaviour can be worked out of him through consistent repetition using good old common sense.  A "carrot stick" and other such gimmicks are not necessary.

I believe that horses are "outcome based" animals.  If they know and understand the outcome of a situation, they react based on that knowledge.  Put a verteran in the crossties and leave him there for 25 minutes and he will quietly nod off because he knows and understand the crossties...they are not dangerous and he knows he can be relaxed there, so he is.  You're coming back with a treat and he knows it, so he waits patiently.

Put a greenie in the same crossties for the same amount of time and they may become more and more agitated because they DO NOT know and understand that they are safe and you will be back with a treat.  They know nothing except that they are tied up against their will and left alone to the lions!  So....they freak out, either right away or slowly build the craziness.  

But, if you slowly and firmly introduce the greenie to the crossties, consistently stretching the time they are left and always doing it the same way, the greenie will learn the outcome is safe and he relaxes.

There.  That didn't cost you a small fortune and I did not need to include a "level 1" correction. LOL!!

Solange