Monday, March 5, 2012



The term "Natural Horsemanship" has become so popular in recent years. Especially amongst horse lovers. But is this form of riding and training horses truly an new found system? Truly it is not. Natural horsemanship has really been around for many years. The Native Indians used the sensible and loving way of natural body language to communicate with their horses. The Arabian, Bedouins also used this natural horsemanship for centuries before we first heard of it nation wide, thanks to Mr. Pat Parelli.


As a matter of fact Parelli himself quotes the oldest horse book in existence today, that of Xenophon 430-400B.C. Parelli admits that Natural Horsemanship is a very old form of training and riding horses.

As we know, throughout humanity there are, and always have been individuals who are born with the gift of being able to naturally and harmoniously communicate with horses in a gentle and subtle way. Some of these gifted individuals often referred to as horse whispers and other times referred to as centaurs. In recent years with technology and the media, many horse whisperer have emerged to claim they have invented something or that they have perfected something in horse training.

Others, claim to take a horse and transform it in a matter of minutes. But, is this even possible? Sure, there have been cases when a horse who was excessively nervous, was calmed down and transformed in his way of going or acting in a matter of thirty minutes to an hour. Is this typical? NO.

Dennis Magner was know to take dangerous horses, and turn them into very docile mounts in a short time. The controversial Fracois Baucher too, would train horses to high school in a matter of only a few months. Other masters have been know to quickly transform a horse in a matter of a short time. However, the horses had to continue in training for a long time, to ensure that they understood the new behaviour.

So what is really natural horsemanship? The easiest way to describe it is:
The ability to train a horse, naturally, without force, without excessive punishment, and with a correct understanding of the physical and mental abilities of every horse. The ability to train the horse in a natural way, so that the horse is not forced into something which he is or has not yet been prepared for.

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