And, in case the horse is really pulling away when lunged, the problem is to be addressed differently and broken down in smaller steps, finding the cause of behavior, NOT by just rooting into the ground and yanking the poor horses’ head around… I hope the horse got a chiro adjustment after this session, as it was painful to even imagine what’s going on in his poll area.
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I believe Warwick came up with a better term for what you are trying to say - disregardful, instead of disrespectful.
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Ahhh I like that! Yes - completely disregarding the idiot at the end of the lead rope 
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utterly befuddled. Just … what? I honestly could not figure out what they wanted to get that poor horse to do. Also the amount of times she let the line go so slack it could have gotten caught up in the horses legs - that woman had NO idea what she was doing. He can take is “power position” and cram it right up there with his carrot stick.
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Oh… The Boarder I was talking about hasn’t started that yet… 
But she makes her horse stops and change side by running him into the fence… maybe it’s a variant because she’s on her own?
Honestly, I can’t grasp the logig behind what The Mustachio is doing/aiming for.
What the …
What was that??
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That was horrifying.
Absolutely agree. I’ve had mine for 10 years now. He is a gem, everyone loves him. Not a mean bone in his body and excellent manners. But his manners are excellent because I know every little “push” to the boundaries that he tests. In the beginning, the tests were much bigger, but over time we have evolved to tiny tests and tiny corrections.
He is still likely to not cooperate smoothly with someone new to handling him unless they make it very clear they mean it. One example is leading to the paddock. With me and his groom, he plods along happily on a completely loose lead, gets turned out politely. A new person has to keep an eye on him. Because he can suddenly trot off and jerk free, and push right past them to go and find some green grass.
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I would like to point out that there are multiple definitions for the term “respect”. It can mean admiration for someone for their qualities, achievements, etc. It can also mean having a regard for the wishes and intentions of another. I think Equkelly is going by the first definition, which no, horses do not have the capability to admire someone. But they absolutely do have the capability to pay attention to the intentions and desires of their handler and respond by either complying or denying, depending on their regard for the handler. THAT is the actual respect/disrespect a horse can show. And the respect comes from the knowledge that if they comply, things will be easier for them (whether it’s easier because they will be left alone, or easier because they trust the handler and know they will be safer/rewarded if they comply). So in a way, you are all correct, but going by different definitions.
As far as a horse sometimes playing up on the lunge/longe…no, a single kick-out, head fling, buck, whatever at the beginning of a session is not necessarily a sign of something being wrong. If it was, horses wouldn’t buck and kick and bolt for fun in the field when they are happy. Now, if it happens consistently, absolutely you should investigate to see what they are trying to tell you. But being able to interpret the intentions behind the action based on the individual horse, the situation, the environment, etc is important. Not every action demands an instant stop to work and call to the vet to determine why Dobbin kicked out on the lunge once at the beginning of the session after a period of time off then never again.
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Wait a minute. Whatever are all those guys who brag about themselves being a “lone wolf” or “alpha male” or “pack leader” on their online dating profiles going to do now?
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That sounds like she might be attempting to “double”? I’ve never seen anyone attempt it with a horse on a longe line, but nothing surprises me anymore 
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I have never seen the Parelli’s in action but how can anyone accurately judge what they are doing when you show a short video clip and not the whole video?
Fair point! You don’t judge from just a moment and so on. Shame the Parelli share only these very short clips that are meant to advertise their method and bring in new customers/followers that would buy their online classes and DVDs. However, it does show something if all of their short videos are like this - so they must be thinking the videos fairly demonstrate their method and ability? - and the infamous video where Linda Parelli (now divorced) totally terrified the half-blind horse was also an official demonstration of how it should be done? And then there’s the Catwalk case, filmed by a spectator during a clinic…
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I’ve always been interested in the culture around “natural horsemanship” more than anything else. When I was younger everyone got sucked in but I’ve always felt very uncomfortable with a lot of the language around and treatment of women, especially by people like Parelli and Clinton Anderson. I watched a thing or two and basically felt like I was being told I had no business around horses because I might occasionally have a pink piece of tack. I guess I just can’t ever fathom why I see women following a lot of these techniques when I can’t stomach watching a clip and seeing how we’re talked down to lol.
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Natural horsemanship at the Parelli level appeals overwhelmingly to people who are nervous about riding because it gives you a long process complete with levels/badges and a goal where you never have to actually get on the horse. It also appeals to people who have no ground skills whatsoever. I’ve certainly seen people gravitate toward liberty work because they can’t longe or lead effectively, because they don’t have the proprioception.
Since recreational riding is predominantly women, the percentage of adult beginners or returning riders who are nervous about riding is also going to be predominantly women, and of these a certain proportion are going to find a comfort level in a clinician who acts with authority but actually dumbs things down a lot, and doesn’t really expect them to make progress. I’m sure mass marketing DVDs helps too.
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I have one a little like this. Leading to the paddock is fine, it’s the coming back in. With a couple of handlers, if he’s not allowed to go hand graze, he’d act up and has reared with them; I was never there when this happened so really couldn’t reprimand him. But he did with me once and I got in his face and let him know in no uncertain terms that this was totally unacceptable. His eyes got big and he knew he had crossed the line. Never reared on the line with anyone after that.
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I have seen more than one full-length PNH video.
It doesn’t get better.
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I recently was contacted by somebody who wanted me to work with her horses. She was not into Parelli, but another, Russian-based method, that was just blatantly trying to copy Parelli, to be honest. The woman, a middle aged beginner, was very proud how far her liberty work had taken her. Her very high-strung mare was doing canter and gallop circles around her at pure liberty!..sure, but in the roundpen. After she had to spend roughly an hour or more to actually catch the mare in the pastures. Riding the mare? Oh, no, no, the animal was just too sensitive and special to subdue her to such an atrocious deed. And, to effectively work with her horses, I’d had to learn that specific method from scratch and only act according to their rules.
I refused. Wonder why…
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I’ve encountered the opposite as well. Took care of a small barn on an on call basis. Mostly their own horses plus some retirement boarders, except for one AA in her 60’s who had a fairly high-octane horse she hacked out daily (mostly walking). She showed me in precise detail the process for leading said horse in from the pasture, which was at a distance & up a steep, somewhat rutted track, where the horse should be allowed to switch sides, etc or it would become upset. And sure enough, it did argue with her… When I went to bring the horse in by myself for the first time, I took the safest path that avoided the worst of the rutting. The horse quite cheerfully followed me. She just enjoyed the owner’s TLC & fussing over her Lol, they’re smart buggers!
Not addresses to anyone in particular: With nervous & young horses especially I like to narrate in a quiet voice what we’re doing & what we’ll do next.
It’s straight out of the human parenting play book for infants. (Supposedly helps with language acquisition) None of the horses have gone Mr. Ed, but they seem to find it soothing. Some of my horses find singing reassuring as well. I believe it works because it gives them something outside of their head to focus on, hopefully interrupting their mental awfulization loop before it gets too far.I usually sing a song in a language other than English. Some horses are good at picking out words & I want them to relax & not get wrapped up in trying to make sense of what I’m saying. Our farm has a cool little land bridge where the driveway splits a large pond in half. Pond = fish = trout in my mind & I alsways started singing Schubert’s ‘Die Forelle’ on the trip around & over the pond. The dressage horse loooooved it. The tempo is perfect for an energetic walk. I swear he’d make his shoes clink extra loud on the pavement in time to my voice.
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My younger horse reserves actual bucking as a defense against giant horse flies. He first freezes, concentrates really hard, and then explodes in a rodeo worthy display, head between his knees, back twisting butt over his ears. He’s never offered to buck in any of his work thank goodness cause I for sure couldn’t sit what he does in the paddock lol.
My oldie (being old) just rolls to dislodge the flies.
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