Program
Parelli Natural Horsemanship is a program that uses an approach to communicating with horses based on natural equine behaviors, to achieve trust and respect in the horse/human relationship. PNH methods are similar to the ways that horses act with one another within a herd.
PNH allows for thresholds, boundaries and fears for both horse and human, and encourages issues to be worked through, using mutual communication, leadership and love. Key components in this are attitude, knowledge, tools, techniques, time and imagination. In the program, it is recognized that both the horse and human have responsibilities in the partnership.
One aim of the program is to preserve the dignity of the horse by continuously watching for subtle cues in the horses posture, movements and facial expressions. Building on the idea of horse personalities, it encourages riders to take the horse's individual characteristics into account. The program teaches people to interact with horses through communication consisting of the seven types of interactions that horses have with one another. These are referred to as the "7 games".
Pat and Linda Parelli developed a home-study program composed of progressive levels of knowledge and skill. The program defines four areas of skills: on the ground On Line, at Liberty, freestyle riding with little or no contact to the horse's head or mouth, and riding with close head/mouth contact. Though there is very little focus paid to actual rider skill.
Several noted members of the mainstream equine industry, such as Craig Johnson (reining), Leon Harrel (cutting), Walter Zettl (dressage), Louis Lucio (dressage), Luca Moneta (Jumping), and Karen and David O'Connor (eventing, dressage), have utilized similar methods in their own horsemanship and voiced support for Parelli's methods. Dr. Robert M. Miller, a veterinarian, speaker and author, has been a supporter of Pat Parelli for decades.
The program uses a concept, marketed as Horsenality to assist students in "reading" their horses during working sessions. A trait identification system (both positive and negative traits or behaviors) and index provides a picture of the characteristics of the horse and provides related strategies for managing behaviors and strategies for achieving success.
The system borrows from parallel concepts in human psychology derived from Analytical psychology, Personality psychology, the concepts of Four Temperaments, and the more modern Keirsey Temperament Sorter. No studies verify or disprove this theory as applied to horses.
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