Foundation and Specialization

Dear Friends,

A solid, natural foundation is the cornerstone of the Parelli program. Once you have the foundation, you’ll be able to build upon it in any direction or discipline you want. Although Pat and his Mastery Students are expanding into competition to test themselves, the Mastery Program is more about learning Levels 5 and 6 from the perspective of developing horses naturally through the Four Savvys. Although Pat and I know quite a bit about performance, that’s not what we’re focused on. The biggest gap in the horse industry is in the foundation. When we are given performance horses to “fix” or help people at Olympic levels, the problem is ALWAYS in Level 1 or 2 and has to do with rapport, respect, confidence and/or communication.

Levels 5 and 6 are enormously varied subjects; the study of specialization can take so many forms, it would be impossible to teach it all in a home-study program. You can specialize in colt-starting, foundation training, difficult horses, etc. or any of the many competitive disciplines that are available: dressage, cutting, jumping, reining, endurance, eventing, roping, vaulting…this list is just a small sample of what’s out there! That’s why, once you have your foundation (Level 4 minimum is our suggestion), it’s up to you to pursue the specialization that you dream about achieving. For some people, that means coming to the Mastery Program to learn from Pat, but that’s not the only way.

There are many masterful trainers and competitors out there who really understand their specialties and what a horse needs to be able to do. Your responsibility is to keep the purity of the Parelli approach when it comes to maintaining the rapport and the confidence of your horse. Many people are intimidated by experts and end up going against what they know is “right” for the horse. This is why it’s so important to have a really strong foundation of understanding before you go in search of specialization: the more savvy you have, the less likely you’ll be to inadvertently sacrifice your principles under the influence of a trainer.

When you’re ready for specialization, seek a professional that can take you where you want to go. Do the savvy thing and check them out thoroughly before you take a lesson. Watch them in action: teaching others, training horses, riding and handling. Pay attention to how they talk about the horses, that will tell you if they truly respect them or if winning is the most important thing. Select a trainer that is aligned with our philosophy of putting the horse first, and then enjoy learning from their knowledge of your chosen pursuit.

Remember, though, to keep everything in balance. The higher you want to go, the stronger your foundation needs to be. Moving on to specialization doesn’t mean you’re not a student of Parelli anymore – it means that you’re learning to apply the principles of true horsemanship at an even deeper level so that you can EARN more from your horse instead of demanding it.

Yours Naturally,
Linda