Road To The Horse Camaraderie, Competition and Fun
With Craig Cameron and Pat Parelli [VIDEOS]

Renowned natural horsemen Craig Cameron and Pat Parelli team up in preparation for the Road to the Horse colt starting event March 9-11, 2012 in Murfreesboro, TN. Witness education, competition, camaraderie, and plenty of fun in this three-part video that was filmed for an RFD-TV special.

Parelli, from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and Cameron, of Bluff Dale, Texas, will compete for Team USA at the colt starting event that includes colt selection, four round pen challenges, and a final obstacle course with the newly-trained colts.

According to event promoters, Road To The Horse is a unique colt starting experience. The three-day sold out event matches six of the world’s best horse clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras. The event will be available for live viewing via webcast. Find out more about Road to the Horse by visiting: www.roadtothehorse.com.

---

About Parelli

The Parelli method combines in-depth equine psychology and common sense communication techniques in a proven recipe for horse and rider success. It allows horse owners at all levels of experience (from trail rider to Olympic level Dressage rider) to achieve success without force, partnership without dominance and harmony without coercion. The wider goal is to help create a better world for horses and the people who love them through the non-profit Parelli Foundation. Join the Parelli movement at www.parelli.com

Live Webcast Available for Sold Out
2012 Road to the Horse International

If your favorite chair happens to be a recliner, than consider yourself the owner of the best seat in the house when you subscribe to the Road to the Horse International web cast.

Fans unable to make the trip to Murfreesboro, Tenn., can still relish the excitement and nail-biting suspense of the event by tuning into the Internet webcast of the event. Brought to you by HorseCity.com, the live Road to the Horse webcast will feature clinics put on by U.S. team members Pat Parelli and Craig Cameron, Australians Guy McLean and Dan James as well as Canadian Glenn Stewart and Jonathan Fields as they battle it out for the 2012 International Championship title March 9-11, 2012.

Priced at $29.99 for all three days, the webcast will include live coverage of the entire event from opening ceremonies to the nitty gritty in the round pens, allowing natural horsemanship fans from around the globe the opportunity to watch the world’s best compete for the exclusive title of Road to the Horse International Team Champion, with commentary from host Rick Lamb and Richard Winters.

Don’t miss out on the biggest, most awe-inspiring Road to the Horse yet! To order and view your live webcast, visit www.roadtothehorse.com  and follow the provided webcast link to order now!

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse, the World Championship of Colt-Starting is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. The three-day sold out event matches six of the world’s best horse clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras.  By combining education, edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainment and the love of the horse, Road to the Horse has been responsible for solidifying the position of today’s horsemanship heroes and launching the careers of tomorrow’s hottest new stars. In the process, the event itself has become a catalyst for the advancement of naturalhorsemanship.  Spectators are guaranteed not only to have a good time, but also to walk away with training knowledge that will improve their relationship with horses.

---

About Parelli

The Parelli method combines in-depth equine psychology and common sense communication techniques in a proven recipe for horse and rider success. It allows horse owners at all levels of experience (from trail rider to Olympic level Dressage rider) to achieve success without force, partnership without dominance and harmony without coercion. The wider goal is to help create a better world for horses and the people who love them through the non-profit Parelli Foundation. Join the Parelli movement at www.parelli.com

Skilled Volunteers Wanted for Parelli Horsemanship Fund

Do you ever dream of building a better world for horses and humans? Do you have some spare time and business savvy? If so, the Parelli Horsemanship Fund wants you!

The Fund is seeking volunteers to walk in on the ground floor and help grow the innovative non-profit and help craft its next chapter. Under the leadership of Lori Northrup, the Fund seeks highly skilled and dedicated volunteers who are aligned with the Parelli Natural Horsemanship mission to educate the horsemen of tomorrow and affect positive change on the treatment, care and training of horses worldwide.

Accountants, tour stop volunteers, fund-raisers, marketing assistants, web masters, writers and directors for the Fund’s missions like Horse Welfare, Therapeutic Horsemanship and Youth Initiatives are needed right away.

Volunteers must be available to work 5-10 hours per week from home and be able to communicate with team leads via email and phone. For descriptions of volunteer opportunities visit: http://www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/parelli-horsemanship-fund-volunteer-positions or just Google "Parelli Fund Volunteers."

The Parelli Horsemanship Fund supports natural horsemanship education for kids, adults, and the equine educators of tomorrow. Through financing education, the Parelli Horsemanship Fund can empower people to make a difference for themselves and for horses and humans all over the world.

 

---

About Parelli

The Parelli method combines in-depth equine psychology and common sense communication techniques in a proven recipe for horse and rider success. It allows horse owners at all levels of experience (from trail rider to Olympic level Dressage rider) to achieve success without force, partnership without dominance and harmony without coercion. The wider goal is to help create a better world for horses and the people who love them through the non-profit Parelli Foundation. Join the Parelli movement at www.parelli.com

Pat Parelli to Participate at First-Ever
Horsemen’s Re-Union Colt Starting Event

This April, Pat Parelli will partner with twenty clinicians, professional horsemen and top ranch hands at The Horsemen’s Re-Union in Paso Robles, California.

Their mission is to start forty colts in six days and prepare them for auction at the first-ever Horsemen’s Re-Union ranch horse sale.

There are no bright lights, no judges and no big awards; just top hands from four different countries working together like cowboys have done forever. Some of them, like Parelli, are well known, and some are working ranch hands still flying under the radar. All of them are top horsemen and will donate their time and talent. Parelli is looking forward to it.

“I like the idea of it,” Parelli said. “It will be fun to be with these guys and focus on building relationships with the colts; helping them become partners.”

The Horsemen’s Re-Union, scheduled for April 2-7, 2012, is dedicated to the notion that colts need not be started in a few hours. Instead, the twenty horsemen have six days to transform the whole herd into riding horses ready to do ranch work. The audience will get to watch it happen, at their leisure, as though they are sitting on the fence of Pat Parelli’s arena.

“The intent for the event is to slow down the process of starting a young horse for the horseman, the audience and the colt,” says fellow clinician and one of the event’s organizers Chris Cox. He calls The Horsemen’s Re-Union a time for fun, fellowship and learning.

On the sixth day the brand-new working ranch horses will go up for auction along with several of the clinicians’ personal riding horses. The event will also host a chuckwagon, cowboy poetry, a trade show, wine tasting and live music.

“Life is all about relationships,” Parelli said. “This event seems to honor that.”

The event is scheduled for April 2-7, 2012. For more information or to purchase tickets online visit: www.horsemensreunion.com

 

---

About Parelli
Pat Parelli, coiner of the term “natural horsemanship”, founded his program based on a foundation of love, language and leadership. Parelli Natural Horsemanship allows horse owners at all levels of experience to achieve success with their at-home educational program. Together with his wife Linda, Pat has spread PNH across the globe with campuses in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Newly launched in 2011, parelliconnect.com provides an online social forum packed with training tools, step-by-step to do lists, video and more. Log on today for your FREE 30-day trial at ParelliConnect.com.

Become A Horse & Soul Tour Social Media Star!

At the Parelli 2012 Horse & Soul Tour, not only are we allowing you to take photos and videos at each tour stop, we’re encouraging it!

During the 2012 tour season, we’ll be holding contests for best photo and video from each tour stop, plus a grand prize Social Media Star winner for the 2012 Tour season!

Here’s how it works:

Everyone is encouraged to send photos from the tour stops to tumblr@parelli.com. We will post the photos on Tumblr, and select the best photos for a photo album on our Facebook page. We will pick the best photo from the bunch, and the individual who submitted it wins Colt Starting, Game of Contact, or Hit the Trail on DVD!

Our tour attendees are also encouraged to take videos of the tour stops, upload the videos to YouTube, and send the YouTube links to parellitube@parelli.com. We will post a few of the best videos on ParelliTube from each tour stop, and select the best video from each tour stop! The person who submits the best video also wins one of our three new DVD courses!

Finally, we’ll crown one lucky individual 2012 Horse & Soul Tour Social Media Star! This person will have combined quality and quantity of social media for the entire tour. This person got a high number of hits on YouTube and sent us the most and best quality photos, possibly from multiple tour stops. They also sent in something "special" – like a photo of all the people they brought to the tour stop, or a banner they created, etc. This individual WINS A COURSE at the Parelli campus!

So brush up on your social media, and get your cameras ready! We’ll see you on tour!

*Photos and videos must be submitted by 4 p.m. MST on the Friday following each tour stop.
Images and video links received after that date will not be considered for the contest.

Choose your best! Limit 10 photos and 2 videos per entry.
Additional photos and videos over the limit cannot be considered as an entry.

 

---

About Parelli
Pat Parelli, coiner of the term “natural horsemanship”, founded his program based on a foundation of love, language and leadership. Parelli Natural Horsemanship allows horse owners at all levels of experience to achieve success with their at-home educational program. Together with his wife Linda, Pat has spread PNH across the globe with campuses in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Newly launched in 2011, parelliconnect.com provides an online social forum packed with training tools, step-by-step to do lists, video and more. Log on today for your FREE 30-day trial at ParelliConnect.com.

Linda Parelli Mentor, Inspiration for Horsenality,
Launches New Website

by Linda Parelli

Dear Friends,
“Horsenality” has forever altered the way we look at and understand horse behavior, and many of you know that I credit the inspiration for this work to my philosophy, health and life mentor, Glynn Braddy.

I studied with Glynn in the mid 1980s in Sydney and in short, what he shared with me forever changed my life.  At the time I had a number of health problems and his approach to the body and how it does everything possible to stay alive was astonishing. Not only did I regain my health, I was empowered to care for my horses and dogs through the same knowledge.

Not long after, Glynn ran a course called “The Four Seasons”, during which he featured “The Elements of Man.”  I was completely fascinated by this description of seasons in time and throughout life, and even how countries and the evolution of civilizations can be clearly understood.  But what really struck me was the Elements and in particular the information concerning communication and core beliefs.  It literally rocked me back on my heels as I began to understand others and myself around me because I learned to see in a whole new way.  I became calmer, more open and understanding of others, a better communicator, I could focus more on my strengths and stopped seeing my “weaknesses” as faults.  Some ±28 years later—and after a ‘3-year refresher’ that Pat and I organized in America in 2002-04—I saw a way to interpret Glynn’s work into a deeper understanding of the behavior of horses. That was how I discovered specific animal traits, and Horsenality was born.

Many of you have asked me how to get in touch with Glynn Braddy, and up until recently he has been quite invisible.  But now here’s the great news: Glynn is launching a website and I’ve had a sneaky peek at it!  In the first unveiling I cannot believe the amount of information he is making available, including incredible revelations around biorhythms, so much of it I remember well from the years when I began studying with him.  And here’s something even more exciting… Glynn has continued his research and made more unique additions to his perceptions based on the paradigm of The Four Seasons.

I hope you are as excited as I am that this information will now be accessible, we’ve waited a long time for this!  Log in and take a look!  www.dimension33.com

Yours naturally,
Linda

---

About Parelli
Pat Parelli, coiner of the term “natural horsemanship”, founded his program based on a foundation of love, language and leadership. Parelli Natural Horsemanship allows horse owners at all levels of experience to achieve success with their at-home educational program. Together with his wife Linda, Pat has spread PNH across the globe with campuses in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Newly launched in 2011, parelliconnect.com provides an online social forum packed with training tools, step-by-step to do lists, video and more. Log on today for your FREE 30-day trial at ParelliConnect.com.

Game #7: Focus on the Squeeze Game

by Pat Parelli

This is the seventh in a horse training series examining the Parelli Seven Games and their role in establishing leadership as well as building a language between you and a horse – any horse.

What do horse trailers, jumps, starting gates, bridges, starting boxes, wash racks, water obstacles, stall doors and narrow passes on a trail all have in common? Getting your horse in them, through them, over them or out of them are all Squeeze Games!

Horses, by nature, are claustrophobic. They are instinctively afraid of small or tight spaces because these areas usually spell disaster for prey animals. How long would a horse survive in the wild if he wasn’t guided by Mother Nature to steer clear of caves that house mountain lions and bears? What do you think happens to horses that don’t worry about narrow canyons or rock outcroppings where predators might attack from above?

A horse’s main source of survival is his ability to flee and out-run predators. Once he is confined, cornered or squeezed into a narrow area, he loses his main form of defense. If he continues to feel threatened, he will be forced into fighting as a last resort. Because he feels trapped and afraid, he may start rearing, striking, biting, kicking, pulling and any other maneuvers he can think of to save his life.

Saving his life is exactly what is on a horse’s mind when he’s not convinced that the trailer, four-foot jump, wash rack, or tight area is safe. When a horse’s sense of self preservation is activated, he isn’t worried he is going to be hurt—he’s afraid he is going to be killed! That’s why the Friendly Game (the first of the Parelli Seven Games) is so critical. Before you ask your horse to do something he fears, you must have his trust. Then, after gaining his confidence with the Friendly Game, the other six of the Seven Games build the language that helps your horse see you as his leader, his alpha. He knows he will be safe with you. Remember, the Seven Games are progressive and you need to have the other six in place before being able to successfully play the Squeeze Game.

It’s true that a lot of people are able to get a horse into a trailer, over a jump or across a mud puddle without first having the horse’s trust and respect. Many of us have witnessed a group of strong men muscling a horse into a trailer or people whipping or pulling a horse in the mouth to get him across water. That’s not my style. People who don’t have good relationships with their horses are the ones using sheer force along with whips, butt ropes, chains over the nose, and scare tactics to get the job done.

Because using force, intimidation and mechanics are especially common when trailer loading, transporting a horse is usually considered to be highly stressful, often resulting in colic or a mess of injuries. This entirely-avoidable drama is tragically repeated over and over in a horse’s life at the wash rack, starting gate, narrow bridge and any other place that the horse would rather avoid.

Think like a horse

Look at things from the horse’s perspective. How do you think your horse feels about getting into a metal cave on wheels? How does he feel about putting his safety in your hands? Have you proven that you are calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic by outmaneuvering him at the other six of the Seven Games? That is how an alpha horse proves himself in order to win the respect of his herd, and is what your horse is looking for before he can place his safety in your hands.

Horses are not only natural-born claustrophobics, they are also natural-born cowards and panic-aholics. This means they are skeptical of most new things; their natural tendency is to panic and run first then think later. When you think of your horse as a 1200 pound prey animal (like a deer, elk or very large chicken), it may help you have more patience with his insecurities and “unreasonable” fears.

I like to say that where savvy ends, force begins. Many people tend to get more forceful and slightly aggressive when things don’t go just right with a horse. Frustration and anger flare up quickly and are felt by the horse through tight hands, a frown, yelling, or increased force. These aggressive actions only prove to the horse that you are not to be trusted; his level of fear and resistance will increase, causing his behavior to become worse and worse.

Responsibilities in a Relationship

Long ago I identified the Eight Responsibilities for the horse-human relationship. These Eight Responsibilities have kept me on track during times when things weren’t going too well. They were a constant reminder of what needed to be in place in my horse and in myself to get the job done naturally and with kindness.

There are four responsibilities for the horse and four for the human.

For the horse:
1) Don’t act like a prey animal. (Learn to be calmer, smarter and braver.)
2) Maintain gait. (Don’t shift gears unless I ask.)
3) Maintain direction. (Stay on course even if I’m not steering.)
4) Watch where you are going. (Be responsible for your self-carriage.)

For the human:
1) Don’t act like a predator. (I won’t use force or lose my temper no matter what.)
2) Have an independent seat. (I never grip with my hands or below my knees for balance.)
3) Think like a horse-man. (I consider the horse’s perspective.)
4) Use the natural power of Focus. (I concentrate on what I want, not on what the horse may be doing.)

How does the Squeeze Game help your horse?

The Squeeze Game teaches your horse to become calmer, smarter and braver, and to squeeze through narrow spots without concern. By playing the Squeeze Game you allow your horse the opportunity to work through his innate fears in a safe environment. Starting the game slowly, without much pressure, helps your horse enormously with his naturally claustrophobic tendencies, allowing him to become more confident, calm and willing to try new things.

Since horses are instinctively afraid of containment because their survival is based on the ability to escape in an instant, they can be radically opposed to many of the common tasks necessary in today’s world. So much of what a horse has to adapt to in the humanized environment involves small spaces, enclosed areas and restriction… and then we wonder why horses are often so much trouble!

Teaching your horse the Squeeze Game

Before starting the Squeeze Game, go back to the Circling Game (Game #5) and make sure all three parts of the Circling Game—the Send, the Allow and the Bring Back—can be done with ease. The Squeeze Game requires the same three techniques, but instead of playing the game on a circle, you will now be playing it on a straight line.

Start the Squeeze Game by standing with your horse about six to eight feet away from a fence. This should give your horse plenty of space, but if he shows some fear, then just widen the space or send him between you and a barrel in an open area. As your horse gains confidence, you will be able to go back to the fence and make the space smaller and smaller until it is just three feet wide, like the stall of a horse trailer.

Send your horse through the narrow space by leading his nose and driving him forward from his hindquarters with the lead rope or Parelli Carrot Stick. Once your horse is moving into the space, just Allow him to go through. Turn with him and once he is on the other side, ask for the Bring Back by bringing your hand to your belly button to lead his nose and pushing his hindquarter away (refer back to the Circling Game, Game #5, if you have trouble).

Once you have both of his eyes focused on you, Send him back through the other way. Continue to ask your horse to go back and forth through the narrow area, with a short rest on either end to give him incentive, until he can walk through without a care in the world.

It is pretty common at first for your horse to turn and run around you instead of going through the space. The last place he wants to go is into a narrow space, so make it wider and have some patience. Keep asking while you walk backwards, making the space dramatically bigger as you go.

Once your horse becomes confident with that size space, take a big step toward the fence to make the space narrower. Allow your horse to get comfortable with the new width, then make it narrower again until you have worked your way down to about a three-foot distance between you and the fence. This process may take a day, or it may take several weeks, depending on your horse and your skill level. Just remember to end each session on a good note so you can pick up where you left off the next time you play together.

You can use the skills learned in the Squeeze Game to teach your horse to jump, go into trailers, wash bays, racing barriers, roping boxes, chutes and crossing obstacles. All you need to do is Send your horse over, into, through or under the Squeeze obstacle. Allow him to try, using lots of approach and retreat, until he becomes confident with the obstacle. Once he goes over, into, through or under, ask for the Bring Back to stop, give him a rest and prepare to start again.

Play all of the Seven Games with your horse

The Squeeze Game is Game #7 in the Seven Games because you must have all the fundamentals in place to play it. You need the Friendly Game so your horse trusts you and doesn’t panic. The Porcupine Game taught your horse to yield to steady pressure so he can follow the feel of the lead rope. The Driving Game helped build your horse’s response to rhythmic pressure so you can move him forward without moving your feet. The Yo-Yo Game taught him to back up and allow you some personal space so you don’t get run over. The Circling Game gave meaning to the Send, the Allow and the Bring Back for you and your horse and the Sideways Game taught you how to help your horse stay in a thinking, left brain mode. The Squeeze Game puts all these pieces together to help your horse learn how to listen to you instead of Mother Nature in a “tight” situation.

The Seven Games are the basis of true communication with horses. Everything you ask your horse to do—in or out of the saddle, is one of, or a combination of, these Seven Games. After learning the basic techniques of each game independently, use some imagination to expand them with a variety of obstacles to have more fun. The better you get at the Seven Games the better your results will be with everything else, and the safer you will be because your horse is now your partner.

Warning!

Don’t become a master of just one or two of the Seven Games and allow the others to be mediocre. This will create holes in your foundation that may surface in a bad situation that requires the polished skills of all Seven Games.

Get all Seven Games equally good by playing them before every ride. You will be amazed at how much smoother your rides are because you built a solid foundation from the ground first. You horse’s respect for you will build appreciably.

As you progress, you can start using the games more creatively, but at first it’s important to play all Seven Games in the right order to make sure they are improving in quality. The consistency will be a huge help in your horse’s learning curve.

After a while, you can use them just as a pre-ride check (like the pre-flight check that pilots do) or you can turn the games into challenges, helping your horse become even calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic. Challenges could be things such as backing your horse up and down hills, through gates and stall doors, asking your horse to jump over a barrel or circle you while you sit in a chair. Could you go sideways down a trail? Could you go backwards down a trail? By using the Seven Games as your foundation, there is no limit to teaching your horse all those things you wish he would do well.

---

About Parelli
Pat Parelli, coiner of the term “natural horsemanship”, founded his program based on a foundation of love, language and leadership. Parelli Natural Horsemanship allows horse owners at all levels of experience to achieve success with their at-home educational program. Together with his wife Linda, Pat has spread PNH across the globe with campuses in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Newly launched in 2011, parelliconnect.com provides an online social forum packed with training tools, step-by-step to do lists, video and more. Log on today for your FREE 30-day trial at ParelliConnect.com.

Game About Farm Life Has Link to Pagosa Springs,
Home of Parelli Corporate Office

The Rohrbacher family farm, a game invention, a live theater in Pagosa Springs and Parelli Natural Horsemanship. What’s the common thread? A humble game created in the 1970′s – the Farming Game.

According to an article in the Edmonton Journal written by Mairi MacLean in 1999, George Rohrbacher was sitting on his tractor, baling hay one fine July morning in 1979, when he got the idea that changed his life and saved his farm. “We’d just about lost it all…we were going broke,” he recalls, talking about the years of drought that hit his Washington cattle spread in the late 1970s.

Rohrbacher was in the process of writing a historical novel about farm life in the 1970s when the idea for a game about farm life hit him. “It struck me like a ton of bricks. This would be a better game than a book …and 90 percent of what’s in the (game) box, I invented that day,” says Rohrbacher. “Then it took a week to convince my wife I wasn’t ready for the looney bin.”

The Farming Game deals with the very real risks and chances associated with farming. Players start the game with a 20-acre farm, no cash and a job in town. The object of the Farming Game is to build a self-sufficient farm large enough to support a family. One trip around the game board represents a calendar roll. Players roll dice for harvest and draw "farmer’s fate cards" which can bring fate such as drought, a grain embargo, or a market crash.

“It’s like the family farm economy at ground zero,” says Rohrbacher. He describes the game as a great subject for a business game that all ages of family members can understand and have fun with. Because of the element of chance for the farms, each game is different than the previous one.

In addition to the need for something to change economically for the Rohrbacher family when their own farm was in dire straits, the game was also a way to explain to non-farmers what the world’s most essential industry is about, and it was a way for farmers to laugh at the difficult situations farming brings. "If you lose your sense of humor in this business, you’re ready for a straitjacket," shares Rohrbacher.

Rohrbacher played his own game of chance when bringing the Farming Game to market, but it was a risk that paid off. The first production run totaled 10,000, and 7,000 games were sold in the first six weeks. By 1999, game sales totaled 400,000.

Fast forward to 2010. George Rohrbacher’s daughter Laura Moore and her husband Tim Moore relocated to Pagosa Springs, Colorado and brought with them their love of live theater and stage productions. The couple converted an empty building that was formerly a paint and outdoor store into a beautiful art center with a live theater space. A large part of the funding for the project was due to the Rohrbacher family and proceeds from the Farming Game.

When George Rohrbacher was in Pagosa Springs in the fall of 2011, he attended a business conference where he met Mark Weiler, CEO of Parelli Natural Horsemanship. In addition to his work at the Parelli corporate headquarters in Pagosa Springs, Weiler is very involved in the local community and was intrigued with Rohrbacher’s story about the Farming Game that was still going strong after over thirty years in production. Rohrbacher shared stories of families who send letters about playing the Farming Game as kids and now play it with their own children. Other stories involve having worn out three copies of the game, or expressing thanks that the game saved their children from a life of delinquency after it became a staple game that brought the family together and enticed the kids to stick around to play it. One extended family has celebrated Thanksgiving for the past decade with a Farming Game tournament.

Feeling the family game was in alignment with company values, Parelli Natural Horsemanship now carries the Farming Game and another Rohrbacher invention, the Hay Is For Horses card game, in their online webstore.

“It’s been a marvelous, interesting adventure,” says Rohrbacher. The game helped put three of his children through college and continues to support live theater in the small town of Pagosa Springs.

---

About Parelli

The Parelli Natural Horse Training Method is now the most widely used horsemanship system in the world, with 200,000 users. The advances in social media at www.parelliconnect.com help those members stay in touch with one another and keep up with Pat and Linda’s latest developments, like The Game of Contact.

The Parelli method combines in-depth equine psychology and common sense communication techniques into the ultimate recipe for horse and rider success. It allows horse owners at all levels of experience (from trail rider to Olympic level Dressage rider) to achieve success without force, partnership without dominance and harmony without coercion. Our wider goal is to help create a better world for horses and the people who love them through the non-profit Parelli Horsemanship Fund.

Game #6: Focus on the Sideways Game

by Pat Parelli

This is the sixth in a horse training series examining the Parelli Seven Games and their role in establishing leadership as well as building a language between you and a horse – any horse.

I often tell people that the better a horse goes backward and sideways, the better he does everything else. Or, you could think of it as, the worse he goes backward and sideways, the worse he does everything else.

Why do you think this is? Why on earth would smooth backward and sideways make your horse better at anything else? What do they even have to do with everything else?

Backward and sideways have everything to do with your horse’s impulsion and emotional fitness—which influences almost everything else your horse does. If you have a sticky, slow backup or a sideways with your horse bent like a banana (if he goes sideways at all), then chances are you have a horse that is impulsive (more go than whoa) or dull (more whoa than go). Either one is an impulsion problem. I would bet that if you put pressure on your horse to go backward or straighten his sideways, he would become pretty upset, even to the point of exploding with a rear, buck or champing his mouth.

Impulsion means controlled energy. Yes, this refers to physical energy, but it also refers to mental and emotional energy. If a horse’s speed is controlled physically with a bit or various gadgets, but he is straining at the bit, champing his mouth, heavy on the forehand, constantly wanting to stop or barely being held back from bolting, then he doesn’t really have impulsion. Impulsion means that your horse’s go equals his whoa—with or without a bit in his mouth. It means that pressing with one leg on your horse’s side doesn’t mean go forward or go faster to him.

In the Yo-Yo Game (Game 4 of the Parelli Seven Games) you learned how to teach your horse to back up, then balanced his forward and backward movements until they were equal. You probably noticed a big difference in his attitude, emotions and how much attention he gave you. In the Circling Game (Game 5) you taught your horse how to maintain gait and maintain direction. Now in the Sideways Game (Game 6) you will learn how to straighten your horse and have him yield laterally with softness and respect.

All three of these games help develop your horse’s impulsion. Remember that you need the first five of the Seven Games under your belt before doing this sixth one because each game is built on the one before it. And, whenever you do run into problems, go back and review the earlier games until you get better results.

Why does the Sideways Game calm your horse’s emotions?

Sideways is a movement not readily used by horses. It is natural for them but is not as important to their survival as moving forward. This is mainly because to move sideways the horse has to cross his legs over each other—not a great escape technique! In the wild a horse will cross his legs over only when turning around after fleeing danger to see if he is still being pursued; this is called “crossing the flight line.” After running flat-out for a little more than 440 yards, a horse will disengage his hindquarters and briefly turn around. When he turns and crosses his hind legs, crossing the flight line, he goes from a flight (right brain) mode to a thinking (left brain) mode just for a few seconds so he can assess the situation and quickly decide if he needs to keep running.

When specifically asking your horse to disengage his hindquarters and cross his legs over as you do in the Porcupine, Driving and Sideways Games, you are causing him to switch into his thinking mode and use the left side of his brain. When you ask your horse to go sideways for some distance, you are helping him stay in his left brain, thinking mode.

Disengaging the hindquarters is especially helpful in calming a flighty or upset horse. If your horse is in his right brain, afraid and not listening to you, doing a long stretch of the Sideways Game will help him switch into his left brain and tune back into you. This is true whether you are in the saddle or on the ground. It could take 200 yards for him to make the switch, but the Sideways Game will help him start thinking!

How important is it to teach your horse the Sideways Game?

Please notice that I call this the Sideways Game, not the “sidepass” game. This game is about teaching the horse to athletically go sideways both to the right and the left with ease and a soft willingness. A sidepass, on the other hand, is a specific maneuver with a very definite body position mostly used in higher levels of dressage and reining.

By developing the simple maneuvers learned in the Sideways Game, you are building the foundation for teaching your horse to sidepass. It is also the foundation skill used to develop more suspension, flying lead changes, spins, pirouettes, half passes, counter arcs, cow work and cutting. All of these advanced maneuvers require that your horse goes sideways—easily! If your horse doesn’t have a great sideways, you will probably have a lot of trouble getting him to do any one of these movements, especially without a fair amount of resistance.

On the more practical side, a great Sideways Game builds the foundation for teaching your horse how to get close enough to a gate to open and close it or come close to a rock or stump so you can mount, very useful when you are riding bareback. This game also helps you and your horse get close to the mailbox, get under a tree branch that needs trimming or make it easy to hand a water bottle to a friend while on the trail. Working cowboys know just how handy a great sideways maneuver can be when they need to get close to livestock or when traveling over dangerous trails.

Developing a great sideways

The first step of the Sideways Game is to go back to the Driving Game and make sure you can yield the horse’s hindquarters and then the forehand independently of each other.

Once you have control over each end of the horse and from both sides, you are ready to ask him to go sideways. Start “slow and right!” With just the halter and lead rope on your horse, ask him to stand with his nose on a fence or rail to prevent him from going forward. Position yourself facing his mid-section, and ask your horse to move one end or the other for just a step or two at a time. Start with the Driving Game to first move the forehand a little, then the hindquarter a little, then the forehand again, then the hindquarter. If you are using a Parelli Carrot Stick, move it like a windshield wiper, slowly going back and forth, driving the forehand then the hindquarter until they are moving together and your horse is going sideways.

Ask your horse for just a few steps at first and then build up to where you can send him sideways for 20, 30 or even 50 feet at a time. See how little it takes to get your horse to go sideways. Do you have to touch him or can you just touch the air to get him to move? Is he responding with the lightest suggestion or do you have to move around a lot? Once your horse is responding well to the Sideways Game using the Driving Game technique, try asking him to go sideways using the Porcupine Game technique.

If your horse pulls backward while you are asking him to go sideways, it is usually due to fear and confusion. Make sure you play plenty of Friendly Game (Game 1) and continue to improve your Driving and Porcupine Games until your horse no longer feels threatened by them.

If, during the Sideways Game you can see more of your horse’s butt than his head, it means he is dragging his hindquarters. This actually means he is moving forward with his hind legs rather than crossing them over to go sideways. Don’t worry about it too much at first. As your horse gains confidence and relaxes, you can ask him to yield a bit more hindquarter each time. Build his straightness progressively until he is finally traveling perpendicularly along the fence line perfectly straight from nose to tail.

If your horse kicks out when you drive one end or the other, he is still showing a lot of Opposition Reflex. Go back and get all of the first five of the Seven Games better. Your horse is trying to stop you from moving that part of his body because he’s trying to dominate you, doesn’t respect you as his leader, or it’s a reaction based on self defense because he feels threatened, trapped or afraid. Stay calm, don’t get tense, and especially don’t get aggressive! Your horse could interpret aggressiveness, frustration or anger as predatory behavior and it will only make him worse. Be passively persistent in the proper position. And, use prior and proper preparation by getting better at the previous games.

How light is your horse?

The softer and lighter you can be on the ground, the softer and lighter you can be in the saddle. Your horse learns how to be light and responsive on the ground first or he doesn’t. Playing the Seven Games on the ground is the first step because how he responds to you from the ground is intrinsically connected to how he responds to you in the saddle. It’s all about developing feel, in your horse and yourself.

That’s why it makes so much sense to teach your horse how to move forward, backward, right, left, up and down from on the ground. It provides the opportunity to exaggerate while you are teaching and helps your horse understand the concepts of what you want. Once your horse understands the concept, you can refine your skills to almost imperceptible suggestions. One day it will look like your horse does what you ask by reading your mind.

You become infinitely more effective teaching things first on the ground because you are able to put your hand or Carrot Stick in exactly in the right place to get the response you are after. Once in the saddle, you become far more limited as to where you can touch your horse. For example, when first teaching your horse to move his hindquarters over in the Porcupine Game, you started by pressing your fingers directly into the side of your horse’s hip using the Four Phases. This is really difficult, if not impossible, to do while in the saddle. Once your horse understands the concept of moving his hindquarters away from the lightest pressure of your hand, you are able to move your hand a little further forward each time. After a short while your hand will be in the same location that your leg would be if you asked him to move his hindquarter over from the saddle. This is how you can progressively teach your horse to respond to lighter and lighter leg aids.

The other key to success is to always use Four Phases. By asking your horse to do something very slowly and releasing very quickly the moment he does it, your horse learns to respond to softer and softer suggestions. In my program, my students spend a lot of time perfecting the skill of having hands (and legs) that close slowly and open quickly. As natural born predators, this is not an instinctive ability in humans. Instead we are far more inclined to dig in quickly with our hands or legs and release slowly.

One last but very important reason to teach new skills or develop light responsiveness in your horse on the ground first, is that you take the rider’s balance, confidence, or skill level issues right out of the picture. The horse becomes free to develop his attitude, knowledge, and athletic ability without having to balance a rider on his back and in his mouth. He develops self-carriage and finds his natural way of moving. Then when you add a saddle and finally a rider, he has a strong foundation to draw from.

The Sideways Game is a perfect example. Most riders have all kinds of trouble teaching their horse to go sideways in the saddle or perfecting their half passes, side passes and counter arcs. So much so, that lateral movements are considered “difficult” and relegated to higher levels of training. It does not need to be this way. The Sideways Game is the simplest way I know of to teach a horse how to move laterally and with softness. From there, the high level maneuvers become simple matters.

---

About Parelli
Pat Parelli, coiner of the term “natural horsemanship”, founded his program based on a foundation of love, language and leadership. Parelli Natural Horsemanship allows horse owners at all levels of experience to achieve success with their at-home educational program. Together with his wife Linda, Pat has spread PNH across the globe with campuses in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Newly launched in 2011, parelliconnect.com provides an online social forum packed with training tools, step-by-step to do lists, video and more. Log on today for your FREE 30-day trial at ParelliConnect.com.