Safe and Fun on the
Ground and in the Saddle
Your time with your horse should always be safe and fun. If it isn’t, the five “F”s can creep into your horsemanship:
- Fear of falling off or getting hurt
- Frustration from not knowing how to deal with a horse’s bad behavior
- Feeling like a Failure because of not winning at competitions
- The Fun is gone so interest wanes because it really isn’t exciting anymore
- The Funds are harder to justify because you start spending on other things that are more fun.
We can help with education and instruction for you and your horse so you don’t succumb to the five “F”s.
What starts out as fun and recreation and a love for horses sometimes turns into boredom simply because there’s not enough to do. If you compete with your horses, you develop a purpose and some goals. This causes you to ride more regularly, try new things and continually improve on your performance. Challenges and goals can put the interest and fun back into horses very quickly, even if you are a recreational rider.
In the process of teaching people how to develop natural horsemanship skills, I discovered a very important side effect. My students started riding their horses more often. They started ‘playing’ with them as often as they could. There was this spark of renewed interest, which developed into something much greater. Their enthusiasm returned! They were having a great time and learning by leaps and bounds.
It doesn’t matter if your preference is English, Western, Endurance, Polo, Racing or bareback on the trails. It doesn’t matter if you want to compete or not, if you are professional or not. My program is not about costumes and rules. It’s about getting really good with horses.
-Pat Parelli
Everyone needs goals. It doesn’t matter how big or how small. We need to be heading somewhere, to have some kind of a purpose, or we get lost and bored. It doesn’t really matter if you even reach that goal or not; the journey towards it is where the fun is.
Like many, I’d dreamed of owning my own horse since I was a kid. When I finally got one at 27, years of riding lessons had taught me how to tack up and go riding, but something was missing. Developing a relationship with my horse, having fun with her, having her want to be with me and do things with me and for me…Todd and Maureen Owens gave me that. My OTTB was and still can be high-headed, bracy and reactive, but she’s getting better every day. Parelli has given me the tools to have better feel and to be able to read my horse’s feedback. I’m thankful to be a Parelli student and proud to say I’m working towards my Level 3.
-Parelli student
Schedule your free 30-minute assessment on how to feel safe and have more fun with your horse.
The pathway for successfully feeling safe and having fun with your horse is to learn the principles and techniques in Level 1 (the Safety-First Level) and Level 2 (develop FUN in the Partnership Level) of the Parelli Program. This can be accomplished through a membership with the Parelli Savvy Club and lessons with a Parelli Instructor for continued support and feedback.