Ocala, FL (April 6, 2011) – Pat and Linda Parelli, founders of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, are in the midst of a European tour that is drawing the attention of dressage stars, sell-out crowds and die-hard Parelli enthusiasts from around the world. The Parellis recently wrapped up several days at Equitana in Germany and will now head to the Parelli Celebration at the LG Arena in Birmingham, U.K., April 9-10.
“During Equitana I had the chance to meet with Olympic Gold Medalist Klaus Balkenhol and his daughter Anabel,” Linda Parelli said. “It was exciting to share our natural horsemanship training methods that utilize equine psychology, or what we coin Horsenality, with Klaus, who along with being an Olympic Gold Medalist in dressage was also the very successful former coach of the German and U.S. dressage teams. Not surprisingly the common sense communication techniques that help the horses and riders achieve success are universal at all levels.” Linda is scheduling the last few days of the April tour in Germany with the Balkenhols to share some behavior balancing natural horsemanship techniques with Anabel Balkenhol.
Linda added that the Balkenhols are not the only world-class dressage riders who have taken an interest in the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program and incorporated the system into their training. “After the Parelli Celebration in the U.K., I will head to France and then to Spain where I will again have the opportunity to train and exchange ideas with dressage great Luis Lucio,” she said. “I really appreciate the talent and dedication of competitive dressage riders and have seen so many dressage riders overcome behavior issues that impeded their success by being open minded and incorporating natural horse training into their training program. This trip I am looking forward to riding with Luis on his dressage horses and working on my dressage skills, too.”
A key focus of the U.K. Parelli Celebration will be Horsenality, a system Pat and Linda developed which helps horse owners understand the basic personality types of horses. “People have personalities and horses have horsenalities,” Linda said. “We have had many dressage riders advance quickly with their horses through our Horsenality program because they have identified their horse’s innate character and the best way to train a horse with that personality type.”
The Parelli Celebration will also spotlight riders of all disciplines who have discovered their potential with horses and they will be featured in Savvy Spotlight sessions. The Celebration will also include action-packed educational programs and Pat’s horse, Magic, who will give her final performance in the U.K. before heading back to the U.S. to be bred. “The Parelli Celebration is for riders of all disciplines and will feature everything from trailer loading to hacking to jumping and dressage, and we know everyone will learn from each demonstration,” Linda said. “I am excited that the focus during the event will be Horsenality, because this is a program that has truly been embraced by riders everywhere and has made a huge difference in the lives of horses and riders.” Linda added that the Horsenality program has taken the mystery out of why some horses are lazy, crazy, naughty or unpredictable. “If you understand your horse you can bring out the best in them,” she explains.
In July of this year, Linda Parelli will return to the United Kingdom to teach a 3-day course on the elements of what Linda calls “The Game of Contact,” which is an in depth system to help horses reach for or take the contact with the bit. It is especially valuable in the sport of dressage where contact is such an important part of the discipline. Linda Parelli developed the Game of Contact to communicate the knowledge she has developed from her dressage training sessions with Classical Dressage Master Walter Zettl.
Zettl, who has spent his life on the forefront of the dressage world, from coaching Olympic riders to producing DVDs and books, often teaches clinics at the Parelli’s Ocala facility. “After our European tour, we will return to our Ocala facility and Walter will be teaching another clinic,” Linda said, adding that each rider who takes part in Zettl’s clinics learns how important relaxation and harmony are in dressage. “Walter has been working with us for several years and is very natural in his approach. Natural horsemanship techniques really help the dressage rider work on relaxation, as well as increasing harmony and connection with their horse to create a more positive relationship. This can translate into a natural foundation for performance.”
For more information on Parelli Natural Horsemanship, visit the website www.parelli.com.