Gold Creek Training Facility Gold Creek, Arizona

Gold Creek Training Facility, Gold Creek, Arizona

Gold Creek, Arizona

British Columbia Adventure Rides

(05/28/2014) Hello to all of my friends in the saddle!We have set dates for the summer trip to British Columbia. As in our previous rides we will start in Banff where we will all assemble at the Resort on Lake Louise. The destination will be in the Jasper region just north up the Yellow Knife highway. The lupine will be blooming at their peak, the smell of Spruce trees and the snow capped Rockies will make for a spectacular ride.This will be advanced riders only as in our previous mountain rides. Accommodations will start in luxury and shift to our mule train provisioned tents and grub. Though Escobar will bring his amazing back country kitchen. We will return to the Inn in Banff a couple days before departure.Contact my office on the private line if interested.

Horsenality Isn’t Exactly Common Knowledge!

(04/10/2014) Parelli student Melissa Kellams sent us this great blog about a recent vet visit and the conversation about Horsenality that resulted from it. Take it away, Melissa!Probably like many of you, Horsenality is one of my favorite subjects to study. Through this study, we find that one of the key components of horsemanship is learning not to judge or to make excuses for a horse’s individual Horsenality. Likewise, as Parelli students, we are taught to not make assumptions, including assumptions about how a horse might “normally” respond to certain stimuli. Instead, we learn to be savvy enough to understand what outcome the horse is seeking at the time (safety, comfort, play, or food) and use that as a natural motivator. There is a well-known phrase that knowledge is power. Recently, I experienced what happens when assumptions of what’s “normal” collide with the knowledge of Horsenality.A few weeks ago, I called a local vet out to examine my 16-year-old Egyptian Arabian, Rydel. She had been having some lameness issues in her hind legs, and I wanted to get a professional opinion. Having recently moved to the area, the vet had never met my horse or me before and I was excited to get a fresh opinion on her condition. The vet entered the scene to find an un-tied Rydel being groomed as the rope dangled casually on the ground. The vet made some initial queries regarding my horse’s health and then instructed us into the arena to evaluate her movement. Rydel and I both walked into the arena in our normal moseying fashion, after which Rydel lined up next to me and waited for further leadership. The vet did another once-over of my horse and then promptly exclaimed, “Is she always this calm? She just looks miserable!” She then went on to explain that all the Arabians she has ever seen are so much more “lively” and it seems so unusual that Rydel would have such a “solemn” disposition and therefore must be in a lot of pain.Hearing this, I was a little taken aback but matter-of-factly explained that Rydel is an extreme introvert (and a Right-Brain Introvert at that!) and has been this way her whole life. The vet continued to examine Rydel by flexing and running her hands along her legs. The vet then began to verbalize her theories regarding the source of the lameness. She had a very intense and inquisitive look on her face as she bent over slightly and moved in toward Rydel’s hindquarters to get a closer look. Noting the pressure, Rydel obediently yielded her hindquarters away from the vet, leaving her frustrated and me chuckling to myself. Later, the vet had me circle my horse at the trot and asked, “Does she always trot this slowly?” At this, I said yes and made a feeble attempt to explain why that my introvert generally doesn’t feel the need to move her feet that quickly. Throughout the exam, we continued to discuss the nuances of Rydel’s unique Horsenality traits and what is commonly expected of her breed. Finally, I thanked the vet for her insight and treatment plan and we went our separate ways.Looking back on the experience, I realize how much I had been taking my knowledge of Horsenality for granted. Reading and analyzing my horse has become such an ingrained thought process that it took me a while to comprehend how my horse’s Horsenality might not be as transparent to someone who lacks that knowledge. This is not to say that I get it right all the time. I’ll be a student of Horsenality my entire life, and I am perfectly okay with that, because when it comes to understanding and building a relationship with my horse, I know that this knowledge is more than powerful – it is everything

Amazing Grace: The Star of the 2013 Parelli...

(04/10/2014) The 2013 Parelli Summit took place September 6-8 at the Parelli campus in Pagosa Springs, and suffice it to say, it was a memorable three days. Pat and Linda Parelli, Nate Bowers, Colleen Kelly, Parelli Professionals, a surprise guest turn from world-class cutting horse rider Doug Jordan… it had it all. But arguably the star of the entire weekend was a little horse named Grace.Grace and her owner, Tamara Tate, took part in Pat’s three-day Problem Horse Makeover sessions, and the progress she made between Friday morning and Sunday evening was, to put it mildly, stunning. As the Summit came to a close, Pat announced that he would like Grace to return to the Parelli campus next year to spend time with him and his students!Here’s Tamara herself, with Grace’s story:“Grace was born in 2005. Before she was a year old, she and three other fillies from the same Quarter Horse farm ended up at a feedlot to be sold for slaughter. Hytyme Equine Rescue of Eagle Creek Oregon heard about the fillies and had to pay to rescue them. Before they came to the rescue, they all came down with severe cases of strangles. They spent a month or so in quarantine at the feedlot then another month in quarantine at the rescue. For the next three years or so, Grace was at the rescue, but no one worked with her. In 2009 I started volunteering at the rescue and she was assigned to me the first day. I quickly realized she had some trust issues. Eventually she came to my house and has never left.The first two years I worked a lot with Grace, and believe it or not, she made a lot of positive changes. I got to a point with her where we could do a lot of things together as long as we both remained calm. The next step was to start riding, and although my husband has ridden her bareback at a walk, we both knew it was not safe since the slightest thing could potentially cause her to blow. I was at the end of my skill level and still had not gotten her past her deeply rooted fear of people. So for the last two years I have just loved and taken care of her.The opportunity to bring Grace to the Summit was like a dream come true. I knew Grace was an amazing horse, because she would slip up and let me see it sometimes. So, to me, she was worth the long trip from Oregon. I learned that I had made one of the best decisions of my life while I watched Pat work with her. I could have never gotten her to that first big release. I know now that although I did quite often take her out of her comfort zone, I did not do enough or for long enough. I was constantly questioning what I was doing.The offer to bring Grace back to Pat for the summer was more than I could have ever hoped for her. She is finally going to learn how to be the calm, smart, amazing mare that has been locked up inside for all these years. I cannot wait to make the long trip back to Pagosa in the spring, because Grace deserves this!”As you can see from the photo below, Grace (who was quickly dubbed “Amazing Grace” by Pat) is a beautiful horse. We look forward to sharing her journey with you for the next year.To keep up with Grace’s progress, keep an eye on Pat Parelli’s Facebook Fan Page as well as the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Facebook Page. Grace’s partnership with Tamara is an inspiration to anyone with a difficult or distrustful horse; with the right support system, the impossible is truly possible.