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Getting Rich With Horses? Not Unless Your Name is Parelli.
Deanna Castro over at Professional Horse Blogazine wrote an interesting post today questioning if it’s possible to get rich with horses as your profession.
My initial thought was, nope, definitely not.
Then it occured to me, not unless your name is Parelli.
And that got me thinking, why is it that so many horse people complain about the money the Parellis make off their program?
What you think about their training system aside (that’s another discussion for another day), you have to give them credit for being able to turn such a major profit training horses and teaching people to train their horses. Sure, you may think (not saying I don’t agree) their DVDs, rope halters, and carrot sticks are way overpriced. You may think that it’s too commercial. You may think that it’s more about marketing and less about the horses.
But the thing is, the Parelli system does work for many many people and horses. And there are tons of people willing to pay for it. Think about it honestly; would that many people really shell out so much money for something that’s all glitz and glam and doesn’t actually do something for them? And then keep shelling it out for Parelli saddles and Parelli bridles and Parelli clinics and Parelli conventions and Parelli level 2 and 3 DVDs?
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I need to give the Parellis some major props for being able to make themselves so wealthy working with horses.
They aren’t just horse savvy, they’re people savvy. They know how to market to us, they know how to draw us in, and they know how to keep us hooked.
Time and time again I’ve heard people say that if the Parellis really cared about helping people and horses, they wouldn’t charge so much for their stuff. But just because they care about horses doesn’t mean they can’t care about making a buck, too. The two aren’t always mutually exclusive.
I still say that most people who work with horses for a living earn enough to live and that’s about it. They can feed themselves, feed their horses, get to shows, and that’s about it. Even the top international competitors are supported by sponsors. It’s a hard to industry to work in. You do it because you love it. Not because you want to get rich.
And that’s why I won’t begrudge the Parellis their monetary success; they’ve done something very very few can.
Now this is something that you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on. One of my most popular post of all time is this post…
http://onthebit.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/parelli/
which is my thoughts on Parelli. I think that they give the false impression that every horse can be “saved”. Considering my own horse was a rescue that sent 3 people to the hospital for broken bones you would think I would be a bit more soft on that but I am not. My horse could be rehabbed into a safe horse, but not all horses can. That is my personal belief and hearing lots of stories of injuries and death because people thought they could “save” this horse or that has strengthened my resolve on this.
And you know I love you Jackie but I also think you are wrong on another point…” would that many people really shell out so much money for something that’s all glitz and glam and doesn’t actually do something for them?” umm…yeah. Ever heard of the diet industry? The people who started Atkins, South Beach, Mega Green Tea, etc are very rich people right now. And while their products or ideas work for SOME they do not work for everyone, yet nearly everyone is willing to shell out cash for them.
I am not saying that parelli is crap. While I don’t practice or believe in it I do think it can be very helpful to lots of people as a training method. When people train horses they often are not consistent, and that can be a very bad thing for horses. Parelli gives people a way to train their horses that sets up expectations and that rewards consistent behavior. There are lots of training methods that do that also though that just haven’t seem to catch on. I think having a pretty “dressage riding” Aussie sell you helps out a lot. Notice that part is in quotations because at least in the level 1 dvd set that I watched while I was house sitting for a devote she did not seem to have the horse through the back and connected. Not that I am little miss dressage perfect myself, but you don’t see me going around claiming I am someone to be emulated either.
And as for the money thing that part really does bug me. Not that they themselves want to charge a ton, but the fact that they insist over and over again throughout the level 1 DVDs that other, similar products are no good. You HAVE to buy their stuff if you want their method to work.
I also don’t like the fact that some people watch these DVD’s and become “experts”. I watch Kung Fu all the time and you don’t see me out there claiming to be a ninja. I think that you have to be supervised to make sure you really do know what you are doing…and I would bet money that less than 10% of all people who practice parelli have ever seen pat live. And I don’t blame the other 90% for not doing it because it is expensive to go and see them live.
I think the whole parelli craze (and this is just my opinion) comes from the fact that people are not working with good instructors at home. From all the testimonials that are out there it seems that most of the people who follow parelli feel that they are missing something from the horse/human relationship. I think parelli’s emphasis on starting on the ground and building a relationship from there is just common sense to me, but doesn’t appear to be common sense to a lot of people. Many people just go to the barn to ride and then get frustrated when their horses don’t respond 100% positively to them. If they need to spend thousands of dollars to learn that you need to start from square 1 in order to build something so be it. It is their money they are spending, not mine.
OTB – haha … your comment was so long that WordPress actually made me approve it. That’s a first.
I’m cool with agreeing to disagree, except that I don’t really disagree with most of what you’ve said. A few things I want to add …
1. You got into all that Parelli stuff I haven’t been educated enough discuss just yet. My experience with their program is still limited and I don’t know enough to either argue or agree with you.
2. I’m not a Parelli-ite. I’m definitely not anti-Parelli like you are, but I’m not an evangelist either. I’ve never actually watched the DVDs (yet. it’s on my list of to-dos). I haven’t been to any clinics. My whole experience has been working with a trainer who knows Parelli and has been very successful. He’s taught me the techniques. And they work for me because I already know how to work with horses. The Parelli techniques I’ve learned have been hugely helpful in starting Ace.
3. Nothing replaces having a good trainer and a safe horse who is at your level. Nothing.
4. You make an excellent point about people buying all the latest diet fads. The difference is, I don’t think most people stick with those. Parelli is working for enough people that they do stick with it and keep buying the stuff. I’m not referring to the first timers, I’m looking more at those who stick with it long term.
5. Parelli isn’t the end-all-be-all of horse training. It is, however, a good system for many people when used correctly and safely. Correctly and safely are points I think we can agree on.
Thanks for bringing your soapbox over here. I think it’s important for any newbies to horses and/or Parelli to have a healthy perspective from both sides.
I started typing this and then went away from the computer for a bit, so some of what I say might overlap OTB’s comment.
My main reason for loathing the Parellis (aside from having met Pat and seen him and several of his certifiable, er, certified trainers in action) is the WAY they go about selling things to people. Take the saddle website. “Parelli saddles aren’t for everyone… just those that LOVE THEIR HORSES.” Because if you DON’T plunk down $4000 on a special magical saddle you obviously do not love your horse enough. It’s like telling kids that if their parents don’t buy them an XBOX 360, they don’t love them and want them to be happy. Gimmicky. But yes, effective, for those that can be bought.
(Personally the pic of a sloppy Linda riding a ticked-looking horse in the $4000 saddle would be enough to deter me, if I weren’t already an anti-fan. Of all the pictures, THAT’S the one you use to sell your saddles?)
I’ve had to fix so many “Parellied” horses that I call it the P-word, and cringe when I see a horse for sale that “does natural horsemanship.” Good horsemanship is good horsemanship, it doesn’t rely on a special magical brand of tack and it most certainly doesn’t come from a DVD… I think that’s my biggest beef with them; they make people think that ANYONE can be trainers, and honestly, not everyone can. The same way not everyone can be a painter, a musician, or an accountant. Certainly there are some things they teach that can be translated into any other discipline, but like OTB, I would call those things common sense — but they make sense to me because I’ve spent a lot of years working with horses, watching and learning and experimenting. And yeah, screwing up from time to time.
I do believe anyone can learn to work better with their horses, and I’m all about that. I just feel like the Parellis ARE in it for the money. When you convince people that they need to keep advancing — and buying — to improve, of course you’ll get people coming back. “Well, we’re doing okay at Level 2 but there are still some things we need to work on. Maybe if I buy the Level 3 set we’ll get there.” I have seen owners go through this thought process, and I’ve seen the frustration many go through when they finally realise they spent so much money, and ended up with a horse they [still] can’t ride and a set of equipment they can’t give away.
And since I HAVE seen the methods fail and/or backfire on so many horses? I am a little bit jaded. I think the games work very well on particular types of horses, and those are the types you always see handpicked for the big clinics and demos. When we took our drill horses to expos, we were lucky enough to have a variety of different trainers work with them, and it was interesting to see some of them come up way short, because our horses had completely different minds, pasts, and reactions than what they were used to.
I MIGHT almost be convinced they were in it for the love of horses if I saw them give something back to the horse industry. Pick a charity to donate to, sponsor a vaccination/gelding/euthanasia clinic, or fund some equine research. Maybe do a free clinic for a rescue/rehab center. Not that having money automatically means you have to give it away, but they ARE obviously making money off of their brand, and they do put so much stock into “loving” and “kindness” that I would think it fantastic if they actually showed it.
Just to try to keep things a little more on topic … this isn’t about how great or how terrible the Parellis are. There are a ton of other discussion boards out there already hotly debating this topic. Many people have very strong opinions on this. And I’m totally OK with that.
What I’m most interested though are your thoughts on making money in the horse business. Parellis are outside of the mold because they make bookoo bucks as horse trainers. I give them credit for being able to do that. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything and am a blind follower just because I can appreciate good marketing when I see it. They have managed to do something that very very few have done.
They say you have to buy their stuff if you love your horse? That’s not horse training. It’s marketing. Does that mean it’s true? Of course not. Does it get their products sold? You betcha. Parellis may have begun as horse trainers. But ultimately they are popular (and rich) because they are phenomenal marketers.
What would it take for someone else with a different program or approach to make that kind of money? Any ideas?
haha…you had to approve my comment! hahaha…you know me Jackie…I am straight to the point. Not wordy at all! And not only have I watched all of level, the 1st cd of level 2, the horseanilty cd and 2 of their special “join our program and we will send you follow up dvd’s” dvd. I was at the womans house for 2 weeks that summer with the only AC being in the house being by the TV! Had I not been going to class and working I would have watched all the way up to level 5 if I could.
As for the money thing…there have been lots of people making money and getting rich. Rember when Horse Whispering was all the rage? You can’t tell me Monty Roberts is not living the good life out there somewhere. And once the Parelli method starts to come down something new will come up. In the dressage world there are several schools of thought, and for each one you have someone getting rich off of them. Just not AS rich as the parelli’s. The way to get rich in the horse business is sales. You can make a good living being a trainer if you have enough of the right kind of client (those with their own horses so you have minimal expenses). And this is just in my area. I know lots of trainers who make well over $40,000 a year with only a handful or 2 of loyal clients. You might not be getting rich on that, but you are doing okay. The problem with being a trainer is that you have to pay for benefits in most cases, and save for emergencies because they happen a lot and if they happen you can’t work.
I think someone with a different approach will rocket up the money ladder in another 5 years.
And I think that I should start my own training method and get rich off od suckers willing to pay me to fix the problems that they create
Haha, I actually rewrote my response a few times because I was afraid it would be too ranty. Sorry.
Like OTB said, the only way to really get rich is sales. Most people in the horse industry sell a service — boarding, training, showing, etc. — and even the most expensive facilities still essentially have the same product, which means they can really only charge so much for it in the end. (ie, If you’re living in an area where basic board with an indoor averages $600, good luck trying to get $2000 unless you really have facilities that make it worthwhile.) Of course if people can be convinced to buy $1500 helmets, I guess there’s hope for anyone with the right advertising.
Horses are expensive, but they are also high maintenance. A $16 million colt might very well colic or have a heart attack, never mind the slightly more avoidable issues like training injuries. There’s never a guarantee when you “invest” in a horse.
And for all the advances in technology, there really haven’t been many NEW inventions in the horse business in recent history. (For the sake of argument I’ll exclude vet science, because I do think that’s a slightly different area.) People have been riding, racing, breeding, training, and trading horses for centuries, and still use saddles, bridles, leg protection, etc., still feed what is essentially grass and grains, and still, basically, use the same sort of training methods. Horses are, basically, still horses. So I guess the only way to get people in is to sell something new and unusual — or at least convince them it is. The human race as a whole is very easily distracted by shiny things.
I think it is possible to make a little money in the horse business…but you usually have to have money first. For example, look at the race horse industry and how much a “good” yearling prospect sells for….or look at the TWH industy. Not only do you have to have money to afford training, promoting, etc…but you USUALLY have to participate in cruel training methods including soring and stewarding. The price to pay is high either way. For the normal folks, I agree with the above posters in that you usually can make enough to support you and your business but not make much of a profit otherwise. As for the Parelli’s, I agree with nowthatsatrot. They definitely know how to SELL their product, and I give them kudos for that.
Not to get off subject too much, I just wanted to comment on Parelli in general. Parelli has its pros and cons. A con being some people believe everything that comes out of Pat or Linda’s mouth and worship their every move and thought…..A PRO being that the Parelli “system,” especially the ground work, is a valuable tool in teaching inexperienced horse owners how their horse works. It teaches them about pressure, how the horse should respond to it, how to reward that response, etc. Of course, you can teach this to students without using Parelli….but it does help to have it in a formal package where students can learn how to handle their horses by learning the concepts on their own with the help of parelli in addition to traditional instruction.
Colby
http://colstestables.blogspot.com
Hey Jackie, I love the way you ran with this topic, awesome post. There sure is a lot of Parelli loathing going on that’s for sure! I definitely agree with you, the Parelli’s are really savvy business people.
I definitely would like to study the Parelli Business model. What Pat Parelli has done that most other trainers have not is basically we only get paid when we work. Parelli gets paid while he sleeps. He duplicates himself with Parelli certified instructors, DVD’s, etc. I only get paid when I’m out in the arena usually either freezing or sweating my butt off! Does that make him a better instructor/trainer than I am? No, but he sure is a much better business person. I enjoy almost every second of my work, but it will never make me rich. The Parelli’s can jet off anywhere in the world while their business keeps running and making money even in their absence. Cha ching all day and all night long.
Anyone can say what they want about the Parelli’s, but as business people, they are SMART.
OnTheBit – Oh boy, you had to bring up “Horse Whispering.” That’s just the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard. And I even read the book “The Horse Whisperer” (which was admittedly pretty good, even if the movie stunk). At least “natural horsemanship” as the new buzz word doesn’t have quite the same cheese factor.
NowThatsATrot – are you thinking there’s a distinction between selling a product and selling a service? I would think of selling a service as training or boarding, and that there’s never going to be much money in that. Selling a product? High-priced colts, helmets, even training DVDs and equipment. That’s probably where the money can be made.
Colby – Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I’m with you on what you said for the Pros and Cons of the Parelli program. It does give some people false confidence. At the same time, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a valuable tool when used properly. Like you said, the Parelli program isn’t a necessity for leaning these tools. But it is a good way to do so.
Deanna – Thanks for spurring on the thought process and an interesting discussion. I think you bring up a really good point … most trainers only get paid when they are out in the ring. That is a big difference between the average trainers and the Parellis and Monty Roberts of the world who are selling equipment and videos and books and who knows what else. I hadn’t thought of it in that light.
Jackie, thank you, I think that is what I was TRYING to say, although I blame my virus for making me fuzzy-headed this entire past week. There will only ever be so much you can charge for a service; even Olympians can’t make a fortune doing lessons and clinics (although some of them certainly try; I think Phillip Dutton charges his working students $2100 a month?) However, there will always be people willing to shell out money for the latest miracle, whether it’s a carbon fiber helmet or a well-bred colt, or a DVD-and-tack set. So, yeah, that’s where the money is to be made — accessories!
I’m late to this discussion, but all you guys who are trainers and blog already have a potential audience to sell economical text or video products to customers, like Deanna describes.
Y’all already have an audience. The programs to automate distribution are out there. All you need is a website and a product — and it doesn’t have to be slick DVDs like the Parellis et al do, or even a Carrot Stick. You could have “how I did this” texts, videos or even offer forums. Anything the web can do, you can offer a service through. And make income without standing outside and yelling at some kid to keep her heels down.
Just a thought.
I’m not sure how *anyone* makes money in the horse world, but you mentioned the Parelli’s “turn such a major profit”… and I’m not sure that’s true either. Everyone seems to assume the Parelli’s are a rich money machine, and while they definitely have a massive *income* — I’m not sure they’re profitable AT ALL. I interviewed Pat once upon a time, for a marketing publication (not yet published) and it wasn’t clear that the business even HAD “turned a profit”, or at least not much of one.
(And example: while their ranch in Colorado is awesome, their own *home* there was quite tiny–what most of us would consider the size of the “grandmother/caretaker unit”. Of course now they also have a big place in Florida)
They employ a lot of people, and move a lot of money in the horse business, but again–I’ve yet to see evidence they are particularly profitable, and have heard rumours they are not. (of course, neither was Amazon for many many years).
As for their business model, it has just recently changed–quite drastically. While most of us think of them as making money on equipment sales and their “levels” home study programs, this has changed. Equipment sales no longer seems to play as big a role, and they have recently discontinued sales of their levels program COMPLETELY. Today, the emphasis seems to be their club membership program, focusing on ongoing support rather than stand-alone training kits. Not sure how I feel about that personally, although I do believe they are well aware of the problems people have with so-called “Parelli-trained” horses that came from home-study students who–no matter how detailed the home study courses–weren’t up to the task.
One thing I will say — they are taking a great deal of heat right now from their most loyal fans, for making these big changes. Whether people (fans and non-fans) consider these changes to be “evolution” or a step back is up in the air, but they’ve certainly pissed a lot of people off. They’ve backed off on some of the things they fought most strongly for, and have moved toward things that at first glance appear to contradict some of their earlier philosophy. For any company to “mess with success” takes some guts.
Still thinking about this… but thanks so much for your thoughtful posts.
There will always be people around horses and horsepeople that manage tu persuade them that the religion they’re practicing is the one and only and they’ll cash in on some good money until the next religious view on horses comes up and make good money. These things thar are more likely trends never seem to last for eternity.
Kathy Sierra said “I interviewed Pat once upon a time, for a marketing publication (not yet published) and it wasn’t clear that the business even HAD “turned a profit”, or at least not much of one. (And example: while their ranch in Colorado is awesome, their own *home* there was quite tiny–what most of us would consider the size of the “grandmother/caretaker unit”. Of course now they also have a big place in Florida)”
I think you just answered your own musing. They have to have turned a good profit if they have a big place in FL now and are able to pay their employees, their vendors, their marketing dept, etc. I doubt very seriously they are hurting for money and have plenty to burn.
I haven’t read all the posts, but I think the point that a lot of trainers and owners like myself are trying to make is that the Parellis are banking on the lack of knowledge of first-time horse owners. It’s not that their marketing strategy isn’t good, because it is. It’s that they seem to have no ethics and prey on the weak-minded. Let’s note that John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, and Monty Roberts have all also made lots of money giving out their training information. But they aren’t advertising or using manipulative words to make it sound like their way is the only way, and they’re not degrading others to get there.
Honestly, I have tried very hard to understand Parelli. I watch their show on RFD-TV, and I have to say I can’t stand the drama and the fluff. I find myself thinking, “COME ON, get to the point!” It drives me nuts. They tear at the very soul of the horse owner to force them to think that if they don’t play games or ride bridleless and bareback with their horses then they are a terrible horse owner. While the method is working, I don’t think it’s ethical.
I think anyone with a good marketing strategy can get their information out there and make money, no matter what the item is they’re trying to sell. Heck, we all remember the tumbleweed guy who was going out in the desert and picking up tumbleweeds to sell to folks back east as decorative pieces of their homes. He found a niche and filled it, and that’s great. It’s just recognizing if your information and item(s) can last. The Parellis are smart in that they keep changing things and rearranging, making DVDs hard to find or not releasing them anymore. It appears to be the same strategy as Disney’s. So in that sense, they are definitely doing something right. There will always be middle-aged new horse owners that are too overweight and lazy to learn how to ride correctly and want to “play” with their horses, and the Parellis have filled that niche nicely.
I just think that horse ownership is not a game, and the Parellis make it out to be just that. They make those of us who work just as hard but treat a horse like a horse rather than a family member look bad. And that reflects back badly on them.
i love this post and the comments especially. i have to agree that if ever there was marketing genius in the horse industry, the parelli’s have the secret recipe (take ordinary training methods, modify slightly, add magical implements and rebrand for maximum effect.) having said that, i do think it is based largely on deception and manipulation (as is all marketing) and so i do find it kind of vile. i was going to say that i am very anti-parelli, but then i realized i’ve never actually read any of their books or watched their dvd’s. i think i’m responding negatively to the parelli people i’ve met – they do seem like a cult of disciples, almost as if they’ve been brainwashed by that clever marketing and self-promotion to believe they are part of an exclusive club. that’s a little scary to me…
but then i think, hey, george morris-types do the same thing in the english world that the parellis do in NH, and why isn’t anyone (except me) ranting about it? because their mindless ‘disciples’ are happy with whatever it is they are getting from their chosen messiahs. and the ones receiving all of the profit have their reasons too, be it ego or money or fame or whatever. the one thing i think we can be sure of, though, is that their primary reason is NOT the horses or training truly good horsemen. in that respect, i agree with you also – it is impossible to get rich if you’re just in it for the horses and quality, correct horsemanship, because there is no way to market that – you can’t sell people something that ultimately makes them feel bad, and good horsemanship is hard work that not everyone can do well. if you want to get rich, you have to sell people the dream. that’s what the parellis sell: ‘you too can be a horse trainer!’ and that’s what all those trainers sell when their clients buy expensive made horses that go around on auto-pilot: ‘why work hard and get dirty learning to ride if you can just buy a fancy horse?’ they can win at the shows even though they can’t ride… as was said, people will pay lots for diets, plastic surgery or designer clothes to make themselves feel good – to feel better than the average guy – so why not pay for a trainer who will tell them they’re great – in fact, they’re better than everyone else because they’re part of the special club… which is probably why i never made any money as a trainer – i just can’t bring myself to manipulate people like that :-\
sorry, didn’t mean to get ranting like that
Why does Parelli polarise people? After all nobody is forced to buy any thing from Parelli. And if some people are willing to pay for it, well great, then Parelli has a market. And if they manage to become rich in such a tough business, hey that’s brilliant! At least here horse owners have a choice. If you don’t like it, you are totally free to deal with your horse however you think is right. So instead begrudging Parelli their success, I prefer to admire them for their achievement.
Maybe what rubs some folks the wrong way is listening (as I just did) to Pat talk about his followers as “the initiated” (vs the “uninitiated”) and claim he has the “ultimate horse training program.” For those of us who’ve been in the horse world for 30 years or so, this just doesn’t go down too well.
spent time with the parelli’s(2 years). self-centered, egotistical people. when they hooked up with Mark Weiler they changed. he is the money behind the machine. and it is all about keeping the mrs in the money. after all that is what she left aussie for and Parelli. treat people like dirt. there are always people out there to be suckerd. if you don’t believe what they believe, your out and the next batch is in. don’t get taken, it will ruin your life until you wise up.
check out http://www.shareparelli.com for info from real people who have real success.
p.s. saddles are only around $2500-3000 with all the gear if you’re a savvy club member. they offer huge discounts for savvy club members.
I do have to agree that they charge a lot for their products, but think about it.. if you were them wouldn’t you charge that. im sure there are a lot of people who would even charge more.
[...] Jackie at Regarding Horses mentioned that only the Parellis seem to have gotten rich from [...]
I own a successful business (not horse related) and commend the Parelli organization for their business model, their BRANDING and systemization of a process to reach a broader audience. I know I make six figures running my business and no one seems to down me for it. The same should be said about the Parelli organization – whether you agree with the messaging or not. BUT, most people that are complaining do have money – jealousy is the emotion humans have and it is natural for us to put others down who are successful. As for the price of their product – their audience dictates that and obviously finds value or the product would not sell or it wouldnt sell for the price asked – business sense 101. I am sure if sales went down, they would reevaluate their cost structure.
As a horse owner, I am on a life long journey of self improvement that has included studying from the best horseman in history Ray Hunt, reading and watching videos from Tom and Bill Dorrance (and then ACTUALLY implementing what I learned on live horses which is key), and also the Parelli system. I know my skill set is more advanced due to studying various horseman and I have seen changes in horses with Parelli. Where you dont see changes is due to the lack of skill by the HUMAN – nature gave the horse all he needs to know already. It is 99.9% of the time a human problem (whether from what was done to a horse by a human, how a horse is kept unnaturally or by lack of skill in communicating in a way a prey animal understands). Use what works in fact (ie science and understanding of the prey animal, keep your eye on self improvement and less being critical to others.
i’ve studied the parelli program extensively along with others such as clinton anderson, ray hunt, buck branaman, brian neubert and martin black. most of these men studied with ray hunt and tom and bill dorrance. these people all use similar training techniques and philosophies. they’ve all done well for themselves financially, but the parelli’s have made the most. they have a good product and great marketing. If the skills that these men teach are so “common” then why is it that the mass of horse trainers cannot teach them to their clientel.
I know for a fact that these men are not happy with the treatment of horses or people in the horse industry. money means the power to change the horse industry.
It is very evident by the remarks I have read, the only people bashing the Parellis are people who have been around horses all of their lives. I was 47 when I bought my horse. Everyone at the ranch had words of wisdom. I watched them with their horses and opted to leave the ranch for my lessons. I studied various techniques (John Lyons, Chris Irwin, Monte Roberts and the list goes on.) In the end it was the simple way that the Parellis showed me by example what to do. I was green and my horse was 11 and had been standing around for about 6 years because he was so hot no one could do anything with him. I knew absolutely nothing. (I must add that I had 9 years of Kung Fu which I believed served me well-I was able to get out of the way if I needed and on a few occasions, I did) Well I’m proud to say that though I have not be tested in the Parelli levels, my horse and I lead other people’s horses through water, on the trail and ponying as well. The Parellis are not perfect and they will be the first to tell you. Their program changes because they are getting better. Get your good better and your better best. BTW, they don’t know the horses they use in their demos. That was a long time ago when they did that. As for the money. Kudos to them. It means that it is possible to become rich and be with horses. Money is power and that will be the way that the world will be changed for the better for horses.
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