The owner of VifArgent, Geneviève Benoit, has been active in horses for over 30 years.  She officially worked at the 1976 Summer Olympics supporting the Pentathlon equestrian teams.  Certified as a Coach (Classical Riding) by the Canadian Equestrian Federation since 1996, she was in 2003 the first Quebec rider to achieve her Level 3 in Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and is currently the only licensed Parelli  instructor in Quebec.  She spent over a year in training at the Parelli ranches in Florida and Colorado to obtain her instructor's degree.  She returns to the ranch on a yearly basis to upgrade her horsemanship and teaching skills.  During her stay at the Parelli ranches, Geneviève was able to audit clinics by Craig Johnson (Reining World Champion), Luis Lucio (Olympic medallist in dressage) and Walter Zettl (dressage master).  She has also been a student of Jack Brainard, a personal friend of late Tom Dorrance, mentor to D. Wayne Lucas and a legendary horseman in the Western performance world.  Geneviève is now a Licensed Parelli 2-Star Instructor and travels to barns across the country to teach Parelli to horse lovers.  Here is her story:

I have been passionate about horses since I was a child.  Growing up in the city and in a family that had absolutely no horse sense, I had to wait until I could earn a bit of money before I could start to learn to ride at the age of 12.  Before that, I seized every possible opportunity to be near a horse and to learn about them.  In 1976, I had the opportunity to work with horses at the Montreal Olympic Games, and my trainer won a Silver medal in show jumping.  Show jumping and some dressage is what I did for close to 30 years, as a rider, competitor, groom, breeder, trainer, and certified coach.  During most of that time, in order to earn a living, I pursued a successful career in business and technology, which lasted 20 years.

On the cross-country course in Bromont, Quebec (photo by P. Leroux)

I got involved in Parelli Natural Horse.Man.Ship in 1999, essentially because I was looking for a way to 'fix' my show horse, who had an extreme trailer loading issue.  At the time, I had no idea there could be a natural vs. a normal way with horses!  It was the start of a life changing journey that has touched every aspect of my existence.  In the following years, I attended a number of clinics and Parelli events in Canada and in the USA.  In 2001, I made a huge change in my life and decided to leave my business career to fully devote myself to the study and subsequently to the teaching of Parelli.  In 2003, I attended my first intensive 10-week training program at the Parelli Center in Florida.  It was my first opportunity to study directly with Pat Parelli and he awarded me my green string.  I was the first Quebec rider to officially achieve Level 3!  It is a day I will never forget.  I went back to the Parelli ranch in October 2004 to pursue my study of Level 4 with Pat and Linda and after 9 months of intensive study in Florida and Colorado, I earned my first star and became the first Parelli instructor in Quebec.  I also earned a star in Foundation training.  Since then, I have returned annually to the ranch to upgrade my skills and to keep up with the evolution of the program.  Along with instructing, I am pursuing a specialization in the natural training of foals and young horses.  

Graduation ceremony with Pat Parelli, fall 2003

My first Parelli equine partner to Level 3 was my wonderful Thoroughbred mare Jolie, first bred and trained as a race horse, who, after I bought her, went on to have a successful jumping career before I got involved in Parelli.  Jolie is 20 years old and is now retired.  My new equine partners are Easter, 12 year old Appendix QH mare, direct line to Three Bars, a mare that I have been riding since late 2004 and who is now my new Level 3 saddle horse; and Menina, my 4 year old Half-Lusitano.   Menina is Jolie's daughter, I have her since birth and she has been entirely raised using Parelli methods.  I started her under saddle naturally during the summer of 2005 at the Parelli ranch in Colorado and she is demonstrating enormous talent and great tractability.  Menina is already Level 3 on the ground and is rapidly growing to Level 3 under  the saddle.

Parelli is a unique program because it addresses all four 'savvys' for Natural Horsemanship: on-line, liberty, freestyle riding and finesse riding.  Its principles and teachings work for all horses, and for life in general.  As I grow, I am realizing that all successful life endeavours share most of the Parelli principles and the seven keys to success.  It is a program that requires you to work on yourself as much as on the horse, to become a better human for your horse, and as a result, for others around you as well.  It teaches natural leadership, self-discipline, the power of focus, emotional control for you and the horse, as well as promoting safe handling and riding practices.  

Parelli is not about fixing problems.  It is about becoming a true horseman or horsewoman, in a way that achieves results through psychology, communication and understanding, rather than by using mechanical tools, intimidation and force.  It has raised my level of harmony with my horses to new levels, but more importantly, it has helped me in my journey to becoming a better human.  

See you on the trail!  

Geneviève Benoit

 

With Jolie at the Parelli ranch in Ocala, 2003

Easter et Menina