Advancing Level I/Level 2 Introduction Clinic
Bowlus, MN May 22-26, 2008
By: Sue E.
After buying the Level 1 & 2 home courses and leaving them in my closet for several years without doing anything, I finally decided that I had enough money invested in Parelli Natural Horsemanship that I should actually do something with it. My niece and I arranged to attend the 5 day course at Nita Jo’s place in May. I went there with a great deal of anxiety, wondering if I had made the right decision to go. After all, I hadn’t done much with it since I bought the material. My anxieties were relieved as soon as I arrived. Sally met us right away and assured us we were in the right place for us and our horses. My horse is a 19 year old gelding and I wasn’t sure how much we could accomplish with a horse that old that was set in his ways. Boy was I surprised! I thought I had a pretty good relationship with my horse, but I discovered there was a lot of room for improvement. Nita Jo was very patient with all of us as we tried to use the “tools” that at first seemed so foreign to us, and her “hands on” approach for us individually was a huge help. I’m a “visual learner”, so it is much easier for me to catch on to things if I can see them demonstrated to me than me just trying to figure it out by reading a manual. After the first few days, I wasn’t tripping myself with the rope anymore and I actually felt comfortable handling the carrot stick. The clinic was great for both me and my horse, and as an added bonus, I got to make new friends. I am excited to continue with “natural horsemanship” and become even less of a predator to my horse. I would recommend attending a clinic to anyone who really wants to have a better relationship with their horse – one based on love and trust instead of fear and force. I’m already looking at attending a Level 2 course in the near future so Gambler and I can continue our adventure together.
Thank you so much for putting on these clinics to help those of us who want to be partners with our horses. Keeping it Savvy!!