GET STARTED!

THE SEVEN KEYS TO SUCCESS

Right at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli starts the Level 1 theory by outlining the six keys to success.  Since that was published years ago, he has added a seventh key.  The achievement of any horsemanship goal  is a journey that requires commitment, perseverance, focus and discipline as well as a lot of effort over a long period of time.  Like any major project in life, these seven keys, if understood and applied, will help you succeed beyond your expectations.  Some may come more easily to you than others, but you need to keep your focus on all six to get the formula right.  Read on for more information on how to get started!

Key #1  ATTITUDE

Can you be natural, positive and progressive all at once, all the time?  Most people are either one or the other at any time, sometimes two of these things, but rarely can master all three together.  Some people are natural, and positive, but they get stuck doing the same thing over and over without ever getting better.  Others are very progressive, but can't be bothered to do it in a natural way, and they resort to force and artificial tools to reach their goals.  And there are people that will find wrong with anything and everything, including themselves, and as they try to achieve their goals, don't understand that they are standing in their own way.

Attitude is a choice that we make every day.  How you decide to perceive your life and life's events is really up to you!  This program teaches you to stay calm, cool and collected, which is exactly what you expect of your horse!  A good attitude will allow you to focus your energy on your goals, on the good that surrounds you everyday, on the little successes and on the treasures that lie on the path.  Trusting the process to get there, even though it may not look like the finished product yet, is another way to define the right attitude.

Key #2  KNOWLEDGE

Most people think expertise with horses, more than anything else, involves only riding.  But riding is less than half of what you really need to know to be good with horses.  There is so much more... how they think, how they learn, what's important to them, how to communicate with them, how to help them reach their own potential.

Knowledge can be obtained in a number of ways in the Parelli program.  One of the biggest advantages of the Parelli system is the multitude of structured educational material that is available to support our learning.  In addition to the tools that help us to be more effective and to learn feel and timing, Pat and Linda have produced many books and audio and video material to help their students acquire savvy. 

Get Started DVD - the ideal DVD for horse owners who are brand new to Parelli and just want to start solving the problems they are having with their horse, naturally.  For less than $20 US, it's a no brainer!   Communication problems are usually at the heart of frustration and misunderstandings between horses and humans.  All a horse knows to do when having trouble is to resist, and sometimes quite violently.  Every problem can be solved without force when you use love, language and leadership.  This is why Parelli has become the world's leading method for preventing and solving problems with horses.  It teaches you how to see things from their perspective and to use strategies that make sense to the horse.  Quick fixes don't work.  This is a true fix.  Pat Parelli will teach you how to solve problems naturally, the way a horseman would.

The New Levels Program - the all new step-by-step 2009 Levels Program featuring Pat Parelli.  One of the guiding principles of Parelli is to remain positive, progressive and natural, and when they say progressive, they mean it.  The first Levels program was launched in 1999, and it helped many people on their horsemanship journey.  But Parelli keeps looking for easier and better ways to teach people what they need to learn, and this has led to the re-launch of the Levels, new and improved and incorporating ten years of things learned about teaching Parelli.  It unveils Levels 1 to 4 for the first time and presents the very hub and essence of the Parelli program.  It's like a tree trunk or spine, every other product hangs off of it and complements it with more in depth information.  The 3 DVD sets  incorporate 17 hours of filming with Pat Parelli teaching the different levels and demonstrating with both seasoned and unexperienced horses.  Levels 1 and 2 are combined in one set, to encourage students to progress past Level 1 as quickly as possible, then Levels 3 and 4 come in separate sets.  Level 1 teaches you the basics of ground work for safety and communication (the Seven Games).  Level 2 allows you to start having more fun and how to build confidence on the ground, and introduces Freestyle riding (without contact) to help  horses become more responsible, self-controlled and relaxed.  Level 3 advances On-Line and Freestyle  communication and introduces Liberty.  In Level 4, all fours Savvys are covered, including the fascinating but very challenging Finesse, for the dedicated student who wants to learn the fundamentals of performance.

The how and why - Whether you are brand new to the Parelli program, or already well on your way, you may want to take a look at the Parelli Success Series DVDs.  Linda and Pat Parelli share their revolutionary keys to success with horses in this extraordinary new 10 DVD collection.  Each beautifully filmed DVD presents a concentrated version of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Program concepts.  Both the novice rider and advanced equestrian will discover new and surprising insights into the horse-human relationship.  Watch as Linda and Pat Parelli ride and work with their own amazing horses, to deliver precise techniques, strategies, and principles using equine psychology to achieve incredible results and produce braver, smarter and more athletic horses.  This will give you a conceptual view of the program and is a great source of inspiration.  Start with the Horsenality^TM and Seven Games DVDs.  These are a must see an any level, and will help anyone reveal their horse and kick start into Level 1 Ground skills.  Level 1 Riding skills are covered in the Safe Ride and Natural Rider DVDs.  Level 2 Ground skills - watch Natural Attraction and Beyond the Round Pen.  Calm Ride and Ride Out are the topics for Level 2 Riding.  Level 3 concepts, including brand new Level 3 information only taught at the Centers, are addressed in the Natural Collection and Natural Lead Changes DVDs.  Reveal your horse, discover your potential and live your dream!

What to do - If you don’t already own your Parelli Patterns packs, I strongly advise that you acquire them.  They cover the hands-on exercises and theory for all four savvies at levels 1 through 4.  These are meant as a home study program and are structured to help students learn and progress in a systematic way.  By using patterns that horses can learn, you can develop your own and your horse's responsibilities without turning him into a mindless puppet.  They are must-have tools for your journey.  The packs contain the theory, the concepts and the programs for each savvy -- on line, liberty, freestyle and finesse -- at the level you are pursuing.  In addition, Pat and Linda demonstrate the exercises on DVD with their horses, and they use this footage to explain what you need to be doing to advance.  The pocket guides keep you on track at the barn, and the maps provide a system to track your progress.  The Parelli Patterns theory books and DVDs are translated in four languages.  If you are a good student, you will study the packs over and over again; each layer of information will unfold as you advance your horsemanship and are ready for a new depth of understanding.  To gauge your progress through the levels, you can submit an assessment based on a list of tasks which define what you need to accomplish to officially pass that level and move on to the next step.  The list of tasks is available on the Savvy Club web site (restricted to members).  Assessments are a way to gauge if you are as good as you think you are - you don't have to submit an assessment, unless you intend to eventually apply to become a Parelli professional. 

The Liberty and Horse Behavior pack was released in 2006 and it is unique in the industry.  It supports every thing you want to accomplish with your horse.  It is a complete video of Pat and Linda teaching this two-week long course at the Parelli Center, and it also includes additional tools such as a Parelli puzzles booklet.  It will give you in-depth knowledge on how horses think and feel, and teach you to read the horse in order to determine what you need to be doing to address the horse that shows up.  You will learn to be creative and to use your imagination to make your play sessions provocative and fun.  You will use this pack at all levels in your journey.   It is the key to understanding your horse's point of view and to finding the right strategy to build a strong and effective relationship!

Knowledge is also available from Licensed Parelli Instructors.  We are here to help you and to complement the home study program.  Taking lessons and attending clinics will not only keep you on track, but it will allow you accelerate your progress, as you won't have to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.  They are like a shot of savvy!

Licensed Parelli Instructors have all been personally and officially approved by Pat Parelli.  No one else is.  Pat chooses his professionals very carefully and sets a very high standard for his instructors to ensure that his program is being taught as it should.   The training to become a Parelli professional is long and intensive, and it allows Pat and Linda to ensure that those that teach the method have the calibre, the savvy and the human qualities to teach it correctly, fairly, without deviation, safely, and to allow their students and the horses to learn effectively.  Level 3 is not enough to become a Parelli instructor – Level 3 is only a prerequisite to apply to become a professional.  It’s not a guarantee!  Levels 1 to 3 are designed to teach the humans.  It’s after Level 3 that we learn to teach horses, and it is very different.  There are also other requirements to be admitted into the professional training program, such as experience, horsemanship, the ability to work in teams, interpersonal skills, teaching ability, emotional fitness, work ethic, personal habits, etc.  Only Pat’s licensed instructors are allowed to teach Parelli.  We are trained to teach the method, because it’s one thing to be able to do it with your horse, and another to communicate the knowledge to students.  In addition, we are required to return to the Parelli ranch on a regular basis to stay up to day and to be re-evaluated.  You are therefore assured that your instructors are always competent and that they are up to date with the latest developments in the program.

Please check the Parelli Web Shop for the latest releases of educational material.  For more details on any of the Parelli educational product, you can contact us or visit www.parelli.com

Key #3  TOOLS

Keep it simple, kind and effective.  Pat recommends the use of only a few tools, but he is very particular about their quality and function.  They were designed because no one else was making equipment for communication.  When you have savvy you need very few tools to be effective with horses, and you become more and more particular about the tools you use.  The Parelli tools are made only from a certain gauge of smooth, soft yet strong yachting braid; natural leathers and sweet iron metal.  They work for people and for horses to improve the quality, effectiveness and sensitivity of communication.

For Level 1, you will need:

The Parelli rope halter, the 12 foot line, a carrot stick and a 6 foot savvy string.

For Level 2, you will also need:

The Level 1 tools, plus the Parelli natural hackamore and the 22 foot line.  You may also want to purchase the Parelli snaffle bit bridle (optional).

For Level 3, you should have:

The tools for Levels 1 and 2, plus the Parelli snaffle bit bridle (several models are available), a bareback pad and the 45 foot line. 

You may also want to acquire the Confidence bit and Finesse reins (pictured below) once you are ready to start working on flexion and engagement.

For Level 4, you will need:

All the tools from the previous levels plus a second carrot stick.  You will want to change your bridle to the Cradle System, the tool of choice for Finesse riding.   This revolutionary bridle, designed jointly with the Myler brothers, has been developed to maximize confidence, comfort and communication with the horse under saddle.  The bit is selected according to your horse's personality.  For more information on the selection and usage of the Cradle bridle, please check the corresponding documentation in the Downloads section.

Key #4  TECHNIQUES

Techniques are nothing if you don't understand the psychology behind them.  Learning to think like a horse will help you find the right way to communicate and to be effective.  There are thousands of techniques that can be used to achieve a result, but what matters is whether it is used with the right attitude, and whether your communication is clear and understandable to the horse.  Horse training can be forceful and cruel.  You are going to learn techniques for communication.  Therefore, every technique used must have the following ingredients:  the right attitude, focus, feel, timing and balance.  They are not forceful.  They allow the horse to think and to choose his response.  Quality of feel is almost impossible to learn through traditional methods.  However, this program will cause this quality to evolve in you naturally.  You will learn when and how to use steady and rhythmic pressure, rhytmic motion, comfort, discomfort, phases, and release.

Key #5  TIME

You have to invest time to improve yourself and your horse.  With this program, what took Pat Parelli 20 years will take you just a few because you won't have to spend time learning lessons the hard way!  How much time do you get to spend with your horse?  Is it always enjoyable and stimulating?  Would you enjoy spending more time if it was more interesting and rewarding?  Would it help if the time really counted for something?

Even after a break in time, you and your horse can pick up where you left off - there will be no gap.  This is because you are creating a relationship...  It would be like picking up a conversation with an old friend you had not seen in a while.  The foundation of love, language and leadership in equal doses is the basis of this relationship.

Remember that even if you see you horse an hour a day, he has 23 more hours to think about things he could be doing either to you, or with you...

Key #6  IMAGINATION 

Horses learn 7 times faster than humans!  You need to learn to become more imaginative, more sensitive and more creative when you play with your horse.  Horses get so easily bored and frustrated by people when it is just the same thing every time, over and over.  They need to be positively stimulated at three levels:  mental, emotional and physical.  Horses need to play and have fun when they learn.  Over the span of the three levels in this program, there will be a multitude of tasks laid out to help you take a more imaginative approach to the development of yourself and your horse.

If your horse is recreation for you, can you be recreation for your horse?  Imagination will make all the difference.  Your horse will thank you for it!

Key #7  SUPPORT 

In 2007, Pat Parelli added the seventh key:  support.  Like any long term project that requires motivation, commitment, thought and perspiration, the support of like-minded people who are on a similar journey becomes critical to continue advancing, to keep on track, and as needed, to find encouragement and inspiration.

Don't get stuck on an issue.  Your Parelli instructor is a valuable contact point and can help direct you to the information you need, and if necessary, can help you by video or in person.  Don't hesitate to call or email!

The Savvy Club is your portal to the information, knowledge, other members of the Parelli program and all you need to learn natural horsemanship. In addition to substantial savings on all Parelli materials and equipment, the Savvy Club includes access to the members only site which contains all the info on the Levels Pathway and audition process, an extensive and searchable Q&A database, a members forum and a host of other tools to help you learn. You will receive each month a DVD or a magazine full of educational articles. For around $25 a month, less than one coffee per day, you cannot pass it up if you are serious about learning and progressing in the Parelli program. The Savvy Club DVDs are now subtitled in several languages too, including English!

For those of you who are REALLY serious and never have enough, the Silver and Gold levels give you even more: subject specific manuals, audio CDs from Pat, a hotline number for members, free auditions, and more. Visit the web site for more info!

Starting 2010, all Parelli students will need to be members of the Savvy Club in order to participate in clinics and lessons, and to be assessed for their levels.

To join the Parelli International Savvy Club, click here.