tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post3103650981377317471..comments2024-02-29T09:31:25.294-05:00Comments on camera-obscura: when big name trainers get too caught up in their own egos: Pat Parelli and Catwalkbilliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-37120631447808090042010-07-19T15:13:01.513-05:002010-07-19T15:13:01.513-05:00Jane, I understand what you mean -
on some level t...Jane, I understand what you mean -<br />on some level though I also think the thing to do is trust our gut and pay close attention to the horse. <br /><br />In my experience the horses' reaction to the trainer is the best clue. If the horse is escalating, or conversely, shutting down, it generally means the trainer, whether kind or cruel, is pushing the horse too far, too fast.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-75393895387143244142010-07-19T15:06:26.289-05:002010-07-19T15:06:26.289-05:00One of the worst crimes (IMO) the Parelli's pe...One of the worst crimes (IMO) the Parelli's perpetuate, as proven in this video, is the idea you can get a strange horse to trust you with their deepest fears nearly immediately. Generally, it seems the people who go to them for help are new horse owners without a lot of experience, and want "natural" (read kind and appropriate) training for their horses. Or people who have had trainers who are far *worse* than the Parelli's, making the P's look like angel saviors for their horse.<br /><br />It's so frustrating. I wish there were some form of owner education out there on HOW to choose a trainer, what red flags to watch for etc. It can be overwhelmingly confusing to a first time horse owner to understand why what Parelli did was awful, but their former trainer who rode kindly and quietly, but tapped the horse with the whip to encourage the horse to work through something is NOT awful.Janehttp://www.theliteraryhorse.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-30522446756032771092010-07-15T12:24:00.047-05:002010-07-15T12:24:00.047-05:00You're right, Matthew. Slaves to the whims of ...You're right, Matthew. Slaves to the whims of the humans who claim to care for them.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-48913433210082655002010-07-15T12:18:23.161-05:002010-07-15T12:18:23.161-05:00... in which j calls a fame-whore a fame-whore!
L...... in which j calls a fame-whore a fame-whore!<br /><br />LOL!<br /><br />I wish I could have read what you'd have written last night!<br /><br />as usual, thanks for stopping by - I am hoping this provokes you into a new post over at your blog... :)billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-58417000005617662902010-07-15T09:34:41.505-05:002010-07-15T09:34:41.505-05:00my mom forwarded this to me last night and i wante...my mom forwarded this to me last night and i wanted to comment then, but all that would come out was expletives, so i held off until this morning after a cooling off period :-\<br /><br />disclaimer: i have always thought parelli was an egotistical jerk with questionable methods (like a lot of other NH gurus i have no respect for....) <br /><br />he's not a great horseman, he's a great businessman. he just takes the old, abusive methods 'natural' horsemanship claims to oppose, gives them a polish, adds in some folksey sounding cowboy 'philosophy' and then expects us not to notice it's just a clever rebranding of the same old crap.<br /><br />then, when we do notice, he insults our intelligence and tells us we aren't understanding what we see. in other words, 'i know it LOOKS bad, but it's ok when I do it because i'm special - i know how to terrorize and abuse a horse the RIGHT way.'<br /><br />um, pat, i think we get it. we're calling you out for being a charlatan and a money-obsessed fame-whore who exploits horses for personal gain and abuses them to spare your fragile, overinflated ego. that's what i see. nothing mystical or obscure to understand there.jmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04295140724737185132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-88079718688336140852010-07-15T07:43:43.462-05:002010-07-15T07:43:43.462-05:00Thanks, V, I will go check it out right now!Thanks, V, I will go check it out right now!billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-89352096035803728582010-07-14T21:44:28.731-05:002010-07-14T21:44:28.731-05:00Hi Billie-
Just found the link to a petition call...Hi Billie-<br /><br />Just found the link to a <a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/parelli_investigation/" rel="nofollow">petition calling for an investigation of the Parelli / Catwalk incident...</a>Valentinohttp://transitiontoharmony.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-86685457467565610152010-07-14T21:07:06.469-05:002010-07-14T21:07:06.469-05:00Arlene, thanks for yet another example of a reason...Arlene, thanks for yet another example of a reasonable approach to a horse's issue. Some of this has to do with the fact that people want fast solutions to problems that simply require an investment of time and patience. <br /><br />I've seen the same tendency in the therapy world - parents wanting their children "fixed" - quickly - which I believe has resulted in far too many children being put on psychotropic medications when they shouldn't have been. <br /><br />Parenting and horsemanship involve investing our time, our energy, our patience, and our love and respect into what is, or should be a lifelong commitment.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-15687792619238046052010-07-14T21:01:51.507-05:002010-07-14T21:01:51.507-05:00V, I posted about Linda Parelli as soon as I saw t...V, I posted about Linda Parelli as soon as I saw that video. I was livid - we have Salina with one eye and the thought of someone treating her the way Linda Parelli treated that horse infuriated me.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-25240371490334590032010-07-14T21:00:20.310-05:002010-07-14T21:00:20.310-05:00Claire, it's crazy that they are taking the pe...Claire, it's crazy that they are taking the perspective that the people who are upset don't even know what they saw to upset them. It's more smoke and mirrors, I guess, or else an arrogance so supreme it's frightening.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-79393282597600293082010-07-14T20:57:09.045-05:002010-07-14T20:57:09.045-05:00Kate, I'm glad you brought up the dead eyes of...Kate, I'm glad you brought up the dead eyes of these horses - that to me is the biggest crime of all.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-3278849335461380502010-07-14T20:45:02.105-05:002010-07-14T20:45:02.105-05:00Unfortunately, there are so many horse training gu...Unfortunately, there are so many horse training gurus nowadays who have so many followers that I'm afraid it's the horse who always comes up on the short end of the stick, so to speak. <br /><br />I'm not a fan of Parelli or any other 'natural horsemanship' guru and I can name quite a few who absolutely anger me. I did by the way see the wife with that poor blind horse and my feeling is she should have been whipped for her behavior. Still they have a lot of flash and dash, a huge bag of tricks with cutesy names and people looking for training answers which they are willing to supply for the right price. I really have no respect for most of these guys (and women too) who take advantage of horses and their owners for their own ego and the huge amounts of money they make off their victims.<br /><br />Our horse Donnie had lots of problems when we first got him and touching his face, ears, bridling, haltering and grooming took a lot of time and patience. We have earned his trust by working slowly with him taking it one step at a time. And now as disgusting as it may sound he loves nothing better than to have you put your fingers in his ears and scratch them all day long if you would. <br /><br />I do wish people would take the time to know their horses and work with them employing kindness and patience. You'd be amazed at the achievable results when some understanding and sympathy is used to help with a problem.Grey Horse Mattershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05837575441967937196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-72532466996034718402010-07-14T18:33:59.466-05:002010-07-14T18:33:59.466-05:00Someone's gotten too big for their britches - ...Someone's gotten too big for their britches - his wife too. <br /><br />Did you get to see the video of Linda Parelli abusing that poor half blind mare that was circulating a while back? <br /><br />I feel the same way about horse training gurus as I do about organized religions: there is something to be gained from every ideology, but beware when the leaders start to believe the hype... that their way is the only way... or that they have the right to trademark and charge for something that is common knowledge or common sense.<br /><br />It sounds like (from the <a href="http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=383006" rel="nofollow">Horse and Hound site</a> that there is an outcry - I sincerely hope so!Valentinohttp://transitiontoharmony.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-44287265090960268472010-07-14T15:34:21.322-05:002010-07-14T15:34:21.322-05:00hadn't got round to watching the video yet, bu...hadn't got round to watching the video yet, but gathered it was something of that sort...<br /><br />so does he say the camera is lying, then? pah.Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02888698683201580237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-90338404624397266472010-07-14T14:20:02.638-05:002010-07-14T14:20:02.638-05:00All I have to say is YUCK! I've never liked P...All I have to say is YUCK! I've never liked Parelli from the first moment I saw him years ago at an exhibition - it was all flash and show and tricks and all the horses had dead eyes. Nuff said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-45984848623893148282010-07-14T14:11:59.129-05:002010-07-14T14:11:59.129-05:00There's a huge discussion of these videos goin...There's a huge discussion of these videos going on at COTH and I think the most frequent response to the bridling issue is DUH - how about using a mint, or some other treat when offering the bit? Why try to force a horse who is clearly stressed by being touched on the face and ears to accept it in a weekend in front of a crowd when the rider could do exactly what you did with your horse!<br /><br />That's the illogical part that drives me batty. It becomes a battle that the human feels compelled to "win," and guess what? When you set it up that way, the horse is the loser, and the possibility of a relationship has failed.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187141867284800597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31257856.post-4117398166448349042010-07-14T13:14:56.825-05:002010-07-14T13:14:56.825-05:00A lot of selective editing going on there! I think...A lot of selective editing going on there! I think in Session 1 of Sat a.m., Catwalk looks like a little horse exhibiting fearful submission - not something I'd ever want in mine.<br /><br />My 1st ex-racehorse had had his right ear twitched as a youngster in Ireland & wouldn't let me anywhere near it. <br /><br />I just ignored that hairy grubby right ear; kept on grooming & trimming everywhere else to perfection,unbuckling his bridle to tack him up & thinking "one day, maybe...."<br /><br />After almost 18 months, he leaned his head against my chest while I was grooming his face & just stood there. I waited for a bit, then dropped the brush & attempted to stroke his ear. Success, Polo mints & turned out for the night. After a week of this ritual, he let me groom his ear properly; right down to trimming the hair!<br /><br />Right up to the day he died, Allie wouldn't let anyone else near his ear; but trusted me not to do anything horrible. I wouldn't have given that trust up for anything & it was worth every moment of perseverence. How sad that "winning" can take over to the extent shown in the unedited video.Dougie Donkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01581014133834593015noreply@blogger.com