The Keys to Natural Horsemanship

The basis of Parelli Natural Horsemanship is Pat Parelli's 6 keys - Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination. Here is my interpretation of these six keys.

Attitude is basically our acceptance of the principles and philosophies of Natural Horsemanship - or more specifically our desire or commitment to continue developing ourselves as a Natural Horseman. Our attitude needs to be positive, progressive and persistent. Most importantly we need to learn to be assertive while being as gentle as possible, but as firm as necessary to get the desired response. This was very hard for me for the first couple of days, as I "loved" my horse and couldn't go up the phases when it was necessary, until it was pointed out to me that my horse would respect me more when I became his leader. We have to be gentle without being a wimp, and be firm without getting mean or mad.

Knowledge includes understanding of the prey/predator relationship; understanding positive (comfort) and negative (discomfort) reinforcement as opposed to the traditional system of punishment and reward; understanding the application of progressive phases of discomfort so that the lightest suggestion or touch results in the desired response; and knowing what it takes to be accepted by our horse as his leader. To excel as a Natural Horseman we need to understand and apply the following Parelli techniques: the Seven Games, Four Savvys, Four Phases and Zone-Ology.

• The Seven Games:
  80% of what we need to know to get good with horses is done on the ground and the Seven Games are a systematic way of acheiving excellence in ground skills. They are the basic building blocks of everything we do with our horses in Natural Horsemanship. The first three games are crucial 'principle' games and the final 4 games are purpose games which allow us to accomplish practical manoevers such as loading into a trailer or entering a narrow space, moving sideways to open gates, jumping bravely, backing straightly, not changing gaits etc.

• The Four Savvys:
  To be really good with horses you need to have understanding, confidence and skills in four main areas - on line (groundwork), liberty (the horse is free of physical restraint), freestlye (riding without contact - either a loose rein, or the ultimate, bridle-less and bareback) and finesse (riding with contact, refinement and precision).

•   Four Phases:
  Using four phases of communication allows us to ask gently and politely and escalate the request in a fair but progressively assertive manner until we elicit the desired response. The four phases are designed to subdue people who start off with agressive demands, and also for very soft, timid or frightened people who may not otherwise assert themselves (so that their horses win the games!).

• Zone-Ology:
  The horse's body and his immediate environment is divided into 5 Zones (plus the delicate Zone) which assists in applying the techniques in the right position to acheive the desired results.

For a more complete description of The Seven Games, 4 Savvy's, 4 Phases and Zone-ology please refer to the PNH Glossary which has been reproduced wth the permission of Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

 Tools are used by Natural Horsemen as light, non-invasive, horse friendly aids for communication. The basic tools for Level 1 are a 12' line, a Horseman's rope halter, a Carrot Stick (used as an extension of your arm) and a Horseman's string. As students progress through the Levels, additional lengths of lines are required for further development, as are bridles with gentle bits (eg a snaffle). A bareback pad has been developed by Pat so that students can develop an independent seat with security and comfort! The bare back pad is a great idea but optional. Basically the tools work very effectively and are invaluable, if not essential, to achieving sensational results, naturally. As the student progresses through the Levels no tools other than what the rider was born with, are required. This is true freestyle riding - bareback and bridleless.

Pat says you can tell a Natural Horseman by the tools he doesn't use, such as twitches, severe bits and tie downs such as martingales and nosebands to strap a horses mouth shut.

Techniques used by Natural Horsemen are synergistic with the horse's dynamics of movement. Traditionally we are taught to kick to go, steer with the reins, and pull the reins to stop. In Natural riding we go by raising our own energy level, we steer by focussing in the desired direction, and we halt by reducing our energy and focus. The horse understands and feels changes in energy, focus and shifts of weight - he doesn't need to be taught! As a beginner PNH student I was astounded that I could do perfect 360 degree turns (Direct and Indirect Reins) on the first attempt.

In traditional riding, we are constantly nagged to keep the horse on the bit at the same time as we are attempting to find our balance, keep our heels down, our elbows in, our backs straight etc. In Natural riding our backs are naturally straight because we are riding with life in our bodies and we are focussing ahead. As we also initially learn to ride with a loose rein, we can gain our balance and develop an independent seat without the unbalancing effect of the horse leaning on the bit, or worse - with our hands hanging onto the horse's mouth for support.

In handling our horses on the ground, we also achieve the desired response through body language, focus and energy. In seeking comfort the horse will become soft, quick and willing to yield to our touch or suggestion.

Time is a multi-faceted factor for the Natural Horseman. We need to persist for whatever length of time it takes to get the correct response, which enhances our horse's respect for us as his leader. It may be 2 seconds and it may be two hours - but Pat's popular quote of "never seen it take longer than two days" puts time in perspective and alleviates any feelings of frustration that may evolve after the first 10 minutes or so!

Time is also relevant in the long term development of the horse from foal imprinting to colt starting to refinement and competition. Results will be mediocre if the stages of development are rushed. If we want to be a true Natural Horseman, we will take the time to achieve the first three Levels before we rush into a specific discipline such as dressage, reining or cutting.

Our own sense of timing is also important as we need to play and ride in rhythm. We need to go up the phases of discomfort slowly and rhythmically, and offer comfort immediately. If our timing is off and we are slow to offer comfort, we may impair our horse's ability to find the right response to our request.

Imagination is crucial in our continuing development as a Natural Horseman - without imagination we cannot challenge our mental, emotional and athletic ability - nor those of our horse. There are many creative ways to play the games and challenge our riding skills. Without challenge and continuing development, we and our horses will become bored and stagnate. While a traditional horseman may school the same movements in the same arena day after day, the Natural Horseman will continually create new ways to play with his horse so that their time together is fun and stimulating.