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Understanding the Language of Horses
PAT PARELLI
Before you ever get on a horse’s back, get to know him. The old myth about
just saddle up and get on is why so many people get into trouble. Don’t just get
on the horse!
First establish a relationship. You need connection, understanding, and
acceptance from your horse. You need a language through which you can communicate
and be understood. It is your responsibility to become your horse’s leader and
teach him to become calmer, smarter, braver, more athletic, to trust your
judgment, try whatever you ask him without resistance, yield to and from pressure,
negotiate obstacles, go sideways, and back up with ease.
The Parelli Natural Horsemanship Seven Games will help you do this, and it
will also serve as a diagnostic system to help you find holes in your horse’s
development, to know why they are there and how to fix them. These games are one
of the most exciting developments in horse-human education and communication
that the horse world has ever seen. It is a systematic approach to developing
a language and communication system with a horse, based on the same games
that horses use to establish friendship, communication and leadership with each
other. The horse that “wins” all Seven Games becomes the alpha of the herd.
Our task is to become that alpha for our horse.
Every single thing you do with your horse is one or a combination of the
Seven Games. If you can become skilled at all seven – so good that even your
horse is impressed – there will be no limit to what you can do or learn to do with
a horse given the time, the attitude, and the program. I've given each game a number because it's important that you play them in
order while you're learning them and teaching them to your horse.
Learning to Play the Games That Horses Play
All horses are masters of these games – your horse probably already plays
them with you. Once you can play them to the point that you are better at all the
Games than your horse, you will prove to him that you are smarter, more
athletic, and faster. That’s when your horse will start to consider you his alpha.
This is what respect is all about. A respectful horse is not afraid, not
dull, not over-excitable, not scared, not resistant, not aggressive, and not resentful. He is just the opposite!
Horses look to their alpha for direction, confidence, and safety. They trust
the alpha's judgment and follow suggestions without hesitation. Horses are
natural followers when they find a natural leader. Learning the horse's language
through the Seven Games teaches you how to be your horse's natural leader. In
addition, the Seven Games are a great way to exercise your horse...mentally,
emotionally and physically – naturally!
The Seven Games
This is just a brief explanation of what these games are about. My entire
system is based upon these games and developing them to a greater extent on the
ground (and in the saddle) at each Level in my program. The first three Games are “principle” Games. They are like the alphabet
upon which you will build words and sentences.
Game #1 - The Friendly Game
This game proves to your horse you will not act like a predator, that you are
friendly and can be trusted. You need to gain his confidence and be able to
touch him with a friendly “feel” everywhere on his body. Any area where he is
defensive tells you of his skepticism about you. By using approach and
retreat, you’ll get to where you gain permission to touch every place on his body
without forcing him to accept it. You can then advance to tossing ropes, plastic
bags, coats, anything you can think of to make him braver, more confident,
and less skeptical. Be sure the horse is on a slack rope, not being held tight
or tied up. Keys to the Friendly Game: smile, relax, rhythm, approach and
retreat, desensitization.
Game #2 - The Porcupine Game
This game is called “porcupine” as a reminder that the horse should not lean
against a point of pressure but learn to move away from it. Learning this
prepares him to understand how to respond to the rein, bit, or leg. It is
applied with a steady feel, not intermittent poking. The steady pressure starts
softly and slowly increases until the horse responds. When the horse moves away,
the steady pressure is instantly released.
This pressure is applied in four phases: press the hair, then the skin, then
the muscle, then the bone! Each phase gets stronger, and there is no release
until the horse responds with at least a try. In this way, it’s the release
that teaches the horse he made the right move. If he responds at phase 1, then
go no further. If it takes up to phase 4, be prepared to persist until the
horse tries to find comfort by moving away from the feel. Reward the slightest
try with instant release, rubbing, and a smile (back to Friendly Game). The
Porcupine Game needs to be taught in all different places on the horse – the nose,
chest, neck, forequarters, hindquarters and any place you can touch. Keys to
Porcupine Game: concentrated look, steady pressure, use four phases.
Game # 3 - The Driving Game
This Game teaches the horse to respond to implied pressure, where you suggest
to the horse to move and he moves without you touching him. In the beginning
you may need to be at close range. Through the Levels you will be able to
affect him from greater and greater distances. As this game is developed it looks
like invisible communication between the horse and human.
Again, four phases are important – phase 1 is tapping the air, phase 2 is
light tapping with fingertips on the horse, phase 3 is medium and insistent
tapping with the fingers, and phase 4 is slapping with flat hands. All the while
the rhythm does not falter, does not change. As soon as the horse responds with
even a try, relax your arms, smile, and rub him. It does not take long for the
horse to learn how to move away at phase 1. Learn to drive your horse in
different directions – backwards, move the front end, move the hindquarter (hold
the neck bent towards you for this). Keys to Driving Game: Concentrated look,
rhythm, four phases.
The next four games are “purpose” games. Once you have created an alphabet
with the first three games, you can form sentences and a language to ask for
more complex maneuvers.
Game #4 - The Yo-Yo Game
Send the horse backwards, away from you, and bring him forwards to you in a
straight line using your lead rope. The object is to get backwards and forwards
equal and light.
Use four phases and the “hinges” in your finger, wrist, elbow and shoulder.
Start phase 1 by just wiggling your index finger at the horse. Phase 2:
wiggle your wrist so it affects the rope only slightly. Phase 3: bend at the elbow
and shake the rope using your lower arm. Phase 4: straighten your elbow and
shake your whole arm and watch how much more the rope moves. Only escalate the
phases until you get a response. The instant your horse moves backwards, stop!
This will let him know he’s done the right thing.
It is also important to keep both your horse’s eyes on you. As soon as the
horse turns one eye away from you by turning his head, you will lose the back
up and the straightness! Pay attention to the details and make corrections
before it gets off course. You can play the Yo-Yo slowly at first, on flat
ground. As it gets better, get more provocative and play it on uneven ground, at a
faster pace, over a pole or log, or on a longer rope. This is how you teach
a horse to respect your space when leading, to develop suspension and self
carriage, improve his stop, develop a slide stop and to teach him to come to you.
Keys to Yo-Yo Game: straightness, responsiveness, imagination, four phases.
Game #5 - The Circling Game
Do not confuse this with mindless lunging! The Circling Game develops a
horse mentally, emotionally, and physically. It teaches him to stay connected to
you and get the tension out of the line between you while maintaining his gait
and direction.
There are three parts to the Circling Game: the send, the allow, and the
bring back. All of it needs to be done without moving your feet. To send the
horse, “lead” his nose in the direction you want. If the horse does not follow
the rope, lift the tail of your rope and swing it toward his neck. Once he is
traveling around you, smile and pass the rope behind your back, giving the
horse the opportunity to take responsibility for maintaining gait and direction on
the circle. This is the “allow” part. Do a minimum of two laps and a maximum
of four. If you have to continuously ask your horse to keep going, he is
winning the game. Trust the horse to do the right thing. If he stops, turn and
face him with a concentrated look, redirect his nose onto the circle and start
again. When he goes, smile! To bring your horse back to you, turn and face him
for Phase 1. Phase 2: start reeling the rope in until you have enough tail in
the rope to lift it. Phase 3: swing the rope towards his hindquarters. Phase
4: touch the hindquarters until he has swung them away and faced you. Again,
stop and smile at any moment the horse makes the right response. Bring the
horse all the way in to you and rub him (back to the Friendly Game). Disengagement
of the hindquarters (swinging them away from you) is very important. It is
how you teach a horse to be easily controlled – mentally, emotionally, and
physically. Keys to Circling Game: Three parts: Send, Allow and Bring Back; four
phases; allowing the horse to learn his responsibilities.
Game #6 - The Sideways Game
This is teaching the horse to go sideways equally right and left, with ease.
The two important areas on the horse for this are the neck to nose area, and
the hindquarters. We’ll call them zone 1 (the nose) and zone 4 (the
hindquarter). You need to play the Driving Game in zone 1 then zone 4, then 1, then 4,
etc. until the horse straightens out and moves laterally sideways. Allow a
loose rope and a little distance for the horse to get moving but not so much
distance that he could turn away and kick you.
Sideways is important for developing suspension, lead changes, spins, and to
balance out forwardaholics. Start slow and right, use a fence or rail to help
prevent forward movement while the horse is learning. Keys to Sideways Game:
loose rope, Driving Game in zone 1 and zone 4, four phases.
Game #7 - Squeeze Game
Horses by nature are claustrophobic. They are afraid of any small or tight
space. The Squeeze Game teaches your horse to become braver and calmer, to
squeeze through narrow spots without concern. Start with a large gap (it might have
to be very large), between you and a fence, wall, or even a barrel. Ask your
horse to go through the space while you stand still. In the beginning, it may
help if you walk backwards and parallel to the fence to help your horse
squeeze through. The reason walking backwards works well is because it helps draw
the horse toward you. For phase 1, direct your horse’s nose into the gap. In
Phase 2, lift the tail of the rope. Phase 3, swing the rope a few revolutions.
Phase 4, touch the horse behind the withers once. Then stop and begin again
until the horse tries to move forward into the gap. As soon as he does, release
the pressure, relax, and smile. Pretty soon your horse will make it all the
way through. Stand still and allow the rope to slide through your hand as he
passes by you so he feels total release. You want to avoid him feeling a jerk
backwards on the rope. As your horse gets more confident, make the space smaller
and smaller until it is three feet wide, like the stall of a horse trailer.
You can use the principle of the Squeeze Game to teach the horse to jump, go
into trailers, wash bays, starting gates, or roping boxes. Getting less
claustrophobic also helps a horse accept the cinch. Keys to Squeeze Game: walk
backwards; start with a large space and move in small increments to smaller
spaces, use four phases; play it with practical objects like trailers and jumps.
The next challenge is to get each of the Seven Games equally good!
Want to know more? We will focus on each of the Seven Games in upcoming
issues of Today’s Horse Trader.
If you can’t wait, call 1-800-642-3335 or visit www.parelli.com to learn more
about the Seven Games. Next month: Game One - The Friendly Game
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