# Parelli VS: Clinton Anderson



## cloudkisser

Ok so I purchased Parelli discs levels 1-4 and I really like it so far. My colt and I are working on level 2. But now I'm confused. My sister just took her dream job on a ranch in Arizona. We've been talking a lot and the ranch owner is heavy into Clinton Anderson. He claims that he does not like Parelli's round pin work. He claims that your chasing your horse around with a stick to much and that all the horses he has worked with in his life that have a lot of parelli training are a lot less confident than a horse trained with Clinton Anderson tech. I can't really give an opinion on this because I have not yet started round pin work with my foal. Truthfully I don't have a round pin yet. I have lunged him a little but mostly we're working on leading and getting his feet to move. If your familiar with Parelli I have a left brain introvert so getting him to move his feet is a chore!  Does anyone have an opinion? Would love to here from someone who is familiar with both trainers...Also I have already purchased the Parelli Savvy stick, string ropes, and halter. Is the Clinton Anderson halter any better? I noticed it has knots where the pressure points are. Does this really make a difference?


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## lacyloo

I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


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## Poseidon

I haven't used Parelli or Clinton Anderson anything because I haven't done any real training, but I do know that the halters are all the same. You can get a rope halter at a tack shop for probably less than $10 that is the same. They are essentially the same design, but they all serve the same purpose and get the job done.


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## franknbeans

lacyloo said:


> I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


Agree totally. There are also many others out there. Noone has all the answers, IMO. The more you learn, the more "tools" you have when your guy gets "sticky" feet. I have one of those also, and as long as we have been doing it-he STILL stops and acts like I am asking something totally foreign. :? One minute he is doing flying changes on the 20' line-the next he won't even walk a circle.....

As far as the halters-the $10 ones are usually as flexible as you need to be really effective, IMO. AS long as it is not stiff, I have not found a real difference between them in using them.


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## Alwaysbehind

Poseidon said:


> but I do know that the halters are all the same.


Not supporting one trainer over another or even saying any of them are what you should be following. Just pointing out that the CA halters do have extra knots in them on the nose. So they are not the same as the PP halters or the halters you buy at the tractor supply. I have no opinion on the knots being better or worse, just stating there is a difference.



lacyloo said:


> I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


Totally agree, Lacyloo!


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## Nine

I went to a clinic last April, that the clinician asked for plain flat nylon halters. I was able to drop my horse's head and back him with one finger and thumb after less than 5 minutes. So I don't know if the halter type actually makes a difference. It was a desinsitising clinic and it was pressure and release, just like CA. I've watched both CA and PP on TV (_love_ RFD Tv). It seems PP has some gimmicks that are kind of hokey and didn't work with my gelding when I was starting under saddle. The whole "walk with your body and your horse will walk" thing was a wash, as well as "trot w/ your body" and "canter w/ your body". My Teddy thought I was wacky, sitting up there rocking. He thought I had ADD.


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## Scoutrider

lacyloo said:


> I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


THIS!!!! Well said!! 



Nine said:


> It seems PP has some gimmicks that are kind of hokey and didn't work with my gelding when I was starting under saddle. *The whole "walk with your body and your horse will walk" thing was a wash, as well as "trot w/ your body" and "canter w/ your body".* My Teddy thought I was wacky, sitting up there rocking. He thought I had ADD.


That whole exercise is a really simplistic version of something that does work when done correctly. The thing is, for a horse who is not used to seat aids, you actually might need to back up the cue with something that he is more familiar with, i.e., leg or whip. Over time, the horse becomes sensitized to seat aids, and you can get really light and subtle in your transitions. This is one of my major issues with Parelli - he makes simple things much harder than they need to be (The whole zone system fries my brain, lol :lol, and some more advanced ideas, such as seat aids, get reduced to "move the way you want your horse to move" with very little explanation how, why, and what to do if that fails. 

If someone had me at gunpoint and was forcing me to choose, I would have to say CA over Parelli any day. I do have one of Parelli's older books, and there are some interesting and valuable insights to be had there. As far as roundpenning, I've mostly only done lunging, akin to CA's style, mainly because I don't have a round pen. I see nothing wrong with roundpenning done right. If your horse's feet are "sticky" and he has a hard time moving forward, the comparative freedom of the round pen might be more motivating to him than lunging in the beginning. 

Halters - I do see a slight difference in Scout's "handling" with a rope vs a web halter, but not enough to matter. I'll save my money and have 2 halters, one rope, one web, for a tiny fraction of the price of either Parelli's or CA's. Pressure is pressure, and any kind of halter is serviceable to the end of exerting it.


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## Spirithorse

Parelli does NOT chase the horse around in the round pen. I'm a Level 3/4 student with my second Levels horse so I've been with the program for quite some time and we do not teach this. I've actually seen Clinton chase horses around and around, makes me sick.

My horse now is a left brained introvert and unless you use psychology and truly understand what makes them tick, yes it will be difficult to get them to move lol. These kinds of horses really make or break a person, either you know what it takes to get this horse to WANT to do things and to OFFER things or you don't and you'll always end up working harder than the horse.


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## chvyluvgrl

Okay well to start with let me say I had this same issue for years. I was like well I love the things that the Parelli horses do, but clinton andersons methods seemed a little quicker and easier to understand. I purchased bothe Parelli and Andeson dvd sets.

I trained with a mixture. Until...I went to WEG (the World Equestrian Games). Both Parelli and Anderson were there along with a ton of other trainers. I lost any respect I had for Parelli at this great event. he does great things with horses I will give you that but I will never spend my money supporting such an arrogant jerk agian. He was rude to the people that worked for him, he was rude to the public, and he was in general a walking informercial for himself. It was disgusting. I don't know if you have seen the Horseman's Apprentice on RFDTV but in the series they showed a little of his true colors when be began yelling at his students. I don't see why anyone would support him. he doesn't need it he supports himself. 
I gave away all my Parelli stuff to a pony club.

Clinton Anderson was nice, the people in his booth were nice, he was humble, and he was not pushy. He answered questions people had instead of telling them to buy the Parelli program. 

I have went to clinics with a person who does mostly Anderson like methods and my advancements have went far. My horse lays down, bows, collects, changes leads, isn't spooky, and so on. 

I will say based on what other people stated that they are right you can't stick with just one but my suggestion would to be Anderson and someone else lol. 
Pat Parelli said at WEG that you can't mix training methods you must just stick with his methods or you won't find success. WHO SAYS THAT?!! 

I believe this year if we watch the Road to the Horse we will see who reigns supreme sonsidering they are competeing agianst one another. I kinda want Chris Cox to win lol.

All in all both methods are the same worded differently. Pat Parelli makes it seem like a game and uses that word to help people think it is the natural way. Clinton Anderson doesn't sugar coat it. I have seen Linda Parelli yank on a horses face just as agressively as Clinton Anderson on RFDTV because the horse needed it.

If you were really smart you would give up on the big box trainers and look into a smaller clinician such as Steve Rother (my favorite), or Julie Goodnight.


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## OneFastHorse

I use methods from many different trainers, but I prefer Clinton. 

Don't even get me started on parelli.:roll: have you seen the Catwalk video? Parelli is a JOKE!




 
And here's a video of Linda. I dont even have a clue what she wanted from the horse, how is the horse supposed to know!?




 


This about sums it up for me about Parelli:



OTTBRider said:


> Here's what I think about Parelli---it can be useful for beginners, but considering the program as a whole, its a gimmick....yes, being able to have my horse trot in time with me would be awesome, but thats trick training---playing with a ball while I'm on horseback, trick training. The videos I've seen of Parelli riders are just bodies flopping in the wind, no real skill, they're just using at least 500 dollars of equipment between the headstalls and bits and carrot sticks. I think Pat is a good horseman, but has gotten caught up in his own marketing scheme....I won't even talk about his wife....again from the videos I've seen, their horses are _not _happy to be performing, their ears are always pinned, tails swishing, I've seen a couple of marketing videos where it looks like they cut the clip right before one of them turns to snap at Linda/Pat.....their general way of training is to annoy the horse into doing what you want, instead of having the confidence to tell the horse "this is what I want you to do, so do it". The cues can be very easily clouded and misconstrued because its all "do it yourself" for the most part. Their attention to how a horse communicates is something to take notice of, but rather than incorporating human practices into that philosophy, they try to turn a person into a horse, which just cannot happen. Aldo, I've noticed that a lot of Parelli followers don't like to be told that their horses are rude or not very well trained--which they usually are. They also seem very preachy and cult-ish, always trying to convert everyone to follow Parelli and Parelli is the only way to train....





farmeress said:


> Parelli stated this is one of the top 10 toughest problem horses he has ever handled...I nearly broke my ribs laughing....heck...if that is a "problem" horse...I own the Devils own demons and the "problem" horses I do get in must belong to the four horsemen of the Apocolypse...lol.
> 
> Sorry.....but to me Parelli is the punch line to every Natural Horsemanship joke.


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## chvyluvgrl

OneFastHorse said:


> I use methods from many different trainers, but I prefer Clinton.
> 
> Don't even get me started on parelli.:roll: have you seen the Catwalk video? Parelli is a JOKE!
> YouTube - Pat Parelli Abuses Horse "Catwalk" at Natural Horsemanship Demonstration
> 
> And here's a video of Linda. I dont even have a clue what she wanted from the horse, how is the horse supposed to know!?
> YouTube - NOT ME. Failed attempt to teach a horse to back
> 
> 
> 
> This about sums it up for me about Parelli:


 
This was totally the video of Linda I was talking about with her yanking on the horses head agressively. I can't stand Parelli and what a jerk he is in person and on the video you showed. I have never seen or heard of Clinton twitching a horse. In fact I have never seen him loose his temper and that makes a good horseman.


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## OneFastHorse

chvyluvgrl said:


> This was totally the video of Linda I was talking about with her yanking on the horses head agressively. I can't stand Parelli and what a jerk he is in person and on the video you showed. I have never seen or heard of Clinton twitching a horse. In fact I have never seen him loose his temper and that makes a good horseman.


 
I dont think Clinton ever gets mad.....I need to take lessons from him on that, b/c I do get mad sometimes and I just have to quit.


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## lahorsewhisperer

Clinton Anderson hands down. I also religiously watch RFD TV and I cant stand to watch Parelli much less take training tips or lessons from him! I love Clintons easy to understand and carry out training techniques. I am also a huge fan of Chris Cox. Those are really the only two trainers that I like, the other ones seem like they are just putting on and are trying to sell something more that they are trying to give a clinic. I would rather have a clinician/trainer who does try and sell you his product but can back it up and you actually learn something from!


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## Five Furlongs

How do you go about learning techniques from different natural horsemanship trainers? I would really like to start learning more about it. Do you buy books and DVDs from the different trainers? Also, how do you get RFD TV because I would absolutely love to watch that but I do not believe I have it!


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## OneFastHorse

Five Furlongs said:


> How do you go about learning techniques from different natural horsemanship trainers? I would really like to start learning more about it. Do you buy books and DVDs from the different trainers? Also, how do you get RFD TV because I would absolutely love to watch that but I do not believe I have it!


 
Buy DVDs, books, go to clinics, etc. 

I have Direct tv and RFD is channel 345 for me. You would have to call your tv provider and see if they carry it. it really is an awesome channel


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## Five Furlongs

cool! I have Comcast xfinity, does anyone get RFD TV with this provider? I will definitely call, thanks!


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## Juniper

I don't know if this is hijacking the thread but Wow! chvyluvgirl, you went to WEG.
Just curious, how exactly was Parelli rude? It seems if you were at WEG you would be on your absolutely best behavior.I have seen PP lose his temper a bit on various of his broadcasts over the years. It is not necessarily super obvious but there nonetheless. I can't imagine Chris Cox losing his temper at a horse. I think he would just try something different. I have heard CA has a terrible temper, but more at people and mud and stuff but not horses.


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## myhorsesonador

Juniper said:


> I don't know if this is hijacking the thread but Wow! chvyluvgirl, you went to WEG.
> Just curious, how exactly was Parelli rude? It seems if you were at WEG you would be on your absolutely best behavior.I have seen PP lose his temper a bit on various of his broadcasts over the years. It is not necessarily super obvious but there nonetheless. I can't imagine Chris Cox losing his temper at a horse. I think he would just try something different. I have heard CA has a terrible temper, but more at people and mud and stuff but not horses.


CA has one of the worst tempers I've ever seen! On RFDTV I saw his curse and yell and smack several horses.

I don't like Parelli either. I've seen a lot of horses ruind on some of thoughs silly games. I have friends that worship the ground he walks on but it seems like he is brainwashing every one.:lol: 

I do like:
Chris Cox
Chris Cox Horsemanship Co. : Clinician, Two-Time Road to the Horse Champion, TV Host, Equine Educator

Craig Cameron
Craig Cameron Complete Horsemanship From Beginning to Winning

Denis Reis
Reis Ranch - Natural Horsemanship

Julie Goodnight
Julie Goodnight Natural Horsemanship / Horse Master TV Show


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## OneFastHorse

I have been to quite a few CA clinics and I have never seen him loose his temper. 

*shrugs* All well, happens to the best of us


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## chvyluvgrl

Juniper:

If you are in the north west you should check out Steve Rother he is the best EVER!!! 

I did get to go for WEG and I stayed for the duration it was great. It was the most amazing experience ever. I would think that PP would be on his best behavior there too but all he wanted was peoples money and to sell himself. He literally said that the only way that you would get your horse to stand up on a pedastal was to use his methods. He was a jerk, his booth had drawing for names and if you didn't put your email he threw your paper in the trash. One lady said what if I don't have a computer and he said then you don't get to be in the drawing. I thought that was really rude. Then there were some people that wanted to take pictures with him and he was rude agian. He said if you are going to take a picture you have to have your camera on and ready you only have five seconds. All he was was a walking infomercial. He never talked to the public unless or went out and about. He also schooled the crap out of his horse in the prep arena because it reared and spooked when Guy McLean started cracking whips in another arena. I would think that his parelli trained horse would be calm and safe not freak because a whip was popped 100 yards from him. And he treated his staff like crap. He scolded them infront of the crowd in a mean way. His mic didn't work and he freaked it like he was a huge DIVA!

You know who was acutally the nicest and most approachable trainer there that was Mr. John Lyons. He was sweet he did great things, he walked out among the crowd, he visited with people, he helped other exhibitors with their horses. He was a true gentleman and a really nice guy. I bought one of his dvd's simply because he was so nice. When I was a kid I had his vhs tapes and I would watch them and never really got his methods but who cares cause he is sooo great.


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## Juniper

thanks for the well written answer! Did you get to see Guy McLean perform? Seems like he has a lot of charisma for performing. Would be so fun to watch! I can see John Lyons being a very decent person. I never could get his method to work for me either. 
I have looked at the Steve Rother clinics. He is actually a fairly long drive from me and on lots of freeways. I have not reached that comfort level with pulling a horse trailer. He is pretty expensive too. But since I have now heard a "personal" recommendation from someone, you , if he ever has a clinic closer to me I will go if I can get the time off.


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## GeminiJumper

While I do agree that you can learn from everyone and should see everyone's practices, I most definitely prefer Clinton Anderson over Linda and Pat Parelli. To me, it seems like the Parelli method spends a lot of time just messing around. While I understand you should play games and what not with your horses, it seems like that's all they do. Clinton spends a lot of time on ground work and really establishing respect. I've used his methods and they work great. I watch his tv show on RFD-TV and love it! His simple methods are easy enough for anyone to follow.


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## Hidalgo13

I felt so sorry for that horse in the video! That woman is clearly retarded! Like I never saw such a clueless horse in my life. She would just keep snapping the rope into his face and he would just move away confused and frightened. 
1. If I was the owner (and was present) I would have taken my horse out of there before you could say BOO.
2. I greatly admire the horse because I would totally have lost my temper and decided to rear and trample her or something.


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## bsms

I had never seen that video of Linda Parelli...couldn't stand to watch it to the end. If she tried something like that on my horses, I'd knock her on her butt. It would be 50:50 if my mare would respond by running or fighting, but she would never ever be a willing partner for someone like that. 

Doesn't mean it is all snuggles and kisses - the other day, she started to walk off while I mounted, and I backed her 100' while asking who she thought she was. But she KNEW what she was doing wrong, so she viewed it as fair discipline. She doesn't object to discipline, as long as she understands why she is in trouble.

Our gelding would freak. He's been badly spurred on a ranch, and it has taken a couple years for him to relax. One session like that, and we would have lost 2 years of progress (BTW, my daughter took a lesson on him today, and he was calm and willing and focused the entire time ).

That wasn't discipline, and it wasn't training - just flailing! She can't control the horse if she can't control herself.


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## mom2pride

Poseidon said:


> I haven't used Parelli or Clinton Anderson anything because I haven't done any real training, but I do know that the halters are all the same. You can get a rope halter at a tack shop for probably less than $10 that is the same. They are essentially the same design, but they all serve the same purpose and get the job done.


Actually there IS a difference in rope halters; halters from fleet supply stores, and the like often are alot 'softer' with less 'feel' to them, so it takes alot more work to get the horse to feel what you are trying to get across. 

I didn't really believe that either, until I started purchasing rope halters from people who had made them out of higher quality ropes...my husband also purchased a CA halter and lead for me last fall, and all I literally have to do is twitch my hand a bit, and the horse feels it, and starts looking for what I am asking for; backing, foward, etc. The difference in higher quality halters/leads for ground work training is definite...in my book anyway, from personal experience. 

OP, as far as the differences, and which you should stick with in regard to trainers; over the years, I have acquired alot of my horse training 'ideas' and techniques from personal experience, and LOTS of different trainers, not just one. If Parelli is working for your horse, then go with it...if you are finding you need a little more "oomph" to your training, look at someone else's methods and see what you take from that. About the only thing about Parelli that I can deduce that I don't really agree with, is the humanization he puts into his program (the whole RBI, LBI, etc) A horse is a horse...they are not human; some horses are smarter, dumber, less respectful, more respectful, or more stubborn than others, period. Don't put your horse's attitude and behaviors in regards to "work ethic" into a box...If you want him to move his feet, then get him to move his feet...don't let his 'brain type' interfere with gaining his respect; you determine how fast, and how long he moves his feet, not the horse...period, end of story.


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## chvyluvgrl

Juniper said:


> thanks for the well written answer! Did you get to see Guy McLean perform? Seems like he has a lot of charisma for performing. Would be so fun to watch! I can see John Lyons being a very decent person. I never could get his method to work for me either.
> I have looked at the Steve Rother clinics. He is actually a fairly long drive from me and on lots of freeways. I have not reached that comfort level with pulling a horse trailer. He is pretty expensive too. But since I have now heard a "personal" recommendation from someone, you , if he ever has a clinic closer to me I will go if I can get the time off.


I say Guy McLean perform like ten times and I talked to him. He is great. Very humble and genuine. I saw him lay one horse down and side pass three others over the laying horse. It was AMAZING. Steve Rother is along way from me too, I live in Alaska, however, he travels up here twice a year. He is expensive but not as expensive as any of the people we were talking about on here and I would say he was more worth the money that CA or PP. I mean he is the best. He always pushes me and my horse just past where I think we are and I learn a ton. I have been to like 7 clinics of his or so. I have always had a blast and my horse has come so far as have I. 

John Lyons was so funny. I didn't expect him to be so down to earth and funny. He is truely a horse master. He was so fun. One day he was working with his horses at liberty and he kept shocking them becaue of the static electricity in the air. Soon the didn't want to approach him. He laughed and worked them through it. He was just so great.


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## natisha

Hidalgo13 said:


> I felt so sorry for that horse in the video! That woman is clearly retarded! Like I never saw such a clueless horse in my life. She would just keep snapping the rope into his face and he would just move away confused and frightened.
> 1. If I was the owner (and was present) I would have taken my horse out of there before you could say BOO.
> 2. I greatly admire the horse because I would totally have lost my temper and decided to rear and trample her or something.


I understand the horse in the video is blind in one eye & couldn't give her 'two eyes' like she wanted. The owner was standing near the tree.


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## Alwaysbehind

Off topic - Natisha, love your avatar. Is that woolly creature yours?


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## myhorsesonador

Alwaysbehind said:


> Off topic - Natisha, love your avatar. Is that woolly creature yours?


Yeah! I want to know to. It looks like a baby doll sheep but bigger.


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## natisha

myhorsesonador said:


> Yeah! I want to know to. It looks like a baby doll sheep but bigger.


& Alwaysbehind- Yes, that is Lambo. He's not a baby doll but he's a doll. He follows me around like a big dog. He's never fenced in & doesn't go anywhere. I saw him at a County Fair last summer & couldn't let him go on 'the truck'. He's a joy.
Thanks for asking


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## chvyluvgrl

natisha said:


> I understand the horse in the video is blind in one eye & couldn't give her 'two eyes' like she wanted. The owner was standing near the tree.


 
Not that it is my intention to defend Lina Parelli because I really can't stand Parelli, but I have a horse that is blind in one eye and she still given me "two eyes". By this I mean she pays attenion and looks straight on at me. Of course this might have to do with the fact that she didn't loose vision until she was already well advanced in her training.


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## natisha

chvyluvgrl said:


> Not that it is my intention to defend Lina Parelli because I really can't stand Parelli, but I have a horse that is blind in one eye and she still given me "two eyes". By this I mean she pays attenion and looks straight on at me. Of course this might have to do with the fact that she didn't loose vision until she was already well advanced in her training.


Your mare's training probably has made all the difference, she knows what you want. The video horse wasn't sure.


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## Horsel02

natisha said:


> & Alwaysbehind- Yes, that is Lambo. He's not a baby doll but he's a doll. He follows me around like a big dog. He's never fenced in & doesn't go anywhere. I saw him at a County Fair last summer & couldn't let him go on 'the truck'. He's a joy.
> Thanks for asking
> 
> YouTube - Lambo's walk


i love your sheep. That was a cute video.


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## natisha

Horsel02 said:


> i love your sheep. That was a cute video.


Thanks


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## MyBrandy

lahorsewhisperer said:


> Clinton Anderson hands down. I also religiously watch RFD TV and I cant stand to watch Parelli much less take training tips or lessons from him! I love Clintons easy to understand and carry out training techniques. I am also a huge fan of Chris Cox. Those are really the only two trainers that I like, the other ones seem like they are just putting on and are trying to sell something more that they are trying to give a clinic. I would rather have a clinician/trainer who does try and sell you his product but can back it up and you actually learn something from!



AMEN! Love Clinton - we went to his Walkabout tour when he was in Madison, WI this past Fall.. and not only he is a good horseman, but also good people person.. he is genuine and FUNNY as hell.. his tour was not only educational but very entertaining.. had not laughed this hard in a looong time.
I also like Chris Cox..


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## ButtInTheDirt

Parelli has worked really well for my horse, but I haven't bought any of the videos of the Parelli program. It's more of my trainer's interpretation of Parelli's work that has been working very well. It really depends on how you interpret it I guess. I have two left brained horses. One is an extrovert, he has gone really well with Parelli with pretty much minimal former training. Then the other is an introvert who has been trained in a completely different program, then I've been trying to correct her a bit with Parelli and it hasn't been working a bit. She's really stubborn anyway, and isn't farmilliar with the program.

I don't really have much of an opinion on either of them, but I've worked with a Parelli-type program.


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## usandpets

OneFastHorse said:


> I dont think Clinton ever gets mad.....I need to take lessons from him on that, b/c I do get mad sometimes and I just have to quit.


 The reason that Clinton Anderson doesn't get mad: "Frustration begins where knowledge ends." - I believe that was by Clinton himself.

I'm not too familiar with Parelli, but what I have seen is confusing compared to Clinton. Clinton makes it simple to understand and use. I like to use things from Clinton. Like others have said about using info from several trainers, just remember that the way you train your horse may work on several horses but not always. You need to be able to adapt when it doesn't work, which something from another trainer would.

Someone posted earlier that they saw Clinton make the horse go round and round. Maybe while he was explaining something to the crowd, but his training is to only go around a few times or the horse loses focus on you. Yes, I have seen him have his horse Mindy (she is so awesome!) go around him several times during a clinic. This was not to train her but to show her off to the crowd with what his training can do. She was going around him without him cueing her or any halter or lead rope.

As for the issue with rope halters vs nylon halters, rope halters will get a better response from the horse. Some people say that a rope halter will give the horse rope burn across the pole and/or nose. With a nylon halter, the pressure on the horse is disspursed over a greater area, so they really could pull all day without bothering them. If you use a rope halter, the thinner the rope, the more response you will get. Also, tie the halter RIGHT! To tie a rope halter, tie the knot BELOW the loop. If you tie it above and the horse pulls back, you will have a hard time getting the knot undone. If you tie it below, all you have to do is move the loop up and the knot becomes loose.


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## Five Furlongs

Which books (or even DVDs) would you guys suggest to buy by these different trainers to learn more about them and their training techniques?


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## cloudkisser

Not to scare you but if Lambo goes missing I had nothing to do with it


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## OneFastHorse

Five Furlongs said:


> Which books (or even DVDs) would you guys suggest to buy by these different trainers to learn more about them and their training techniques?


Start with series one and work your way up =) I prefer cliontons training dvds. Be prepared for sticker shock tho,,,, they are ALL expensive


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## Hidalgo13

And regretfully library's don't have them!  Even my city's gigantic library doesn't have any. Just a few books from Monty Roberts and hundreds of regular horse: breed, management, health and riding books. I like Monty a lot too, but I wish I could get some CA training videos somewhere for free.  If you cannot spend much, Ebay is an option (there usually is a steady flow of CA training videos for a great price and in good condition too).


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## lildonkey8

clinton! clinton! clinton! i understand his method, it's easy, and he is a character (you can see his method on RFD-TV)


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## MyBrandy

I absolutely love Clinton's way of training.. I first started Parelli by watching RFDTV and bumped into Clinton's TV sessions there.. and got hooked ever since...yes his videos are very expensive and so it his equipment. But they also have NoWorries club - I only pay $20/m membership and there are MANY different videos that will give you a lot of information and how-to and you may watch them any time. I don't work for Clinton and I am not associated with him by any ways or means to promote for profit or whatever.. but this has really worked for me so far..


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## chvyluvgrl

Five Furlongs said:


> Which books (or even DVDs) would you guys suggest to buy by these different trainers to learn more about them and their training techniques?


 
If you can't afford all the DVD's you can rent them from giddyupflix.com or horseflix.com they are both like netflix for horse dvds. You will find almost all Clinton Anderson DVDs and many others to learn from. Its a great investment that I would suggest anyone invest in. It gives you the opprotunty to try out many different trainers.


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## OneFastHorse

chvyluvgrl said:


> If you can't afford all the DVD's you can rent them from giddyupflix.com or horseflix.com they are both like netflix for horse dvds. You will find almost all Clinton Anderson DVDs and many others to learn from. Its a great investment that I would suggest anyone invest in. It gives you the opprotunty to try out many different trainers.


sweet!! I didnt know that!

Horseflix does not rent DVDs anymore. They sold them all =(


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## chvyluvgrl

OneFastHorse said:


> sweet!! I didnt know that!
> 
> Horseflix does not rent DVDs anymore. They sold them all =(


 
That stinks. Well giddyupflix was always better anyway lol.


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## SissyGoBob

as for the video what the hell is Linda trying to do? As for the techniques, I like to use a lot of Clinton Anderson and the games from Parelli


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## gypsygirl

i think the games from parelli are very good. they make it a lot easier for the person to understand and work with the horse. other than that i really dont like parelli all that much.

i taught my mare to lunge/round pen using CA and it worked great. she lunges better than any horse i know and shes so good on the ground.


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## Macslady

My vote is for Chris Cox. I know one year at his Madison, WI stop someone there was using force with their animal and he stepped right in and stopped it. Would've loved to have him see Linda in that video, I'm sure he would have corrected her right off.

Also, after watching all their shows Chris is the only trainer actually to show how to do a one rein stop by disengaging the hindquarters. He tells it right out that you can turn and flex your horses head all you want, but a horse can and often does continue in a straight line run. He showed the method to not only turn their head but also how to disengage the hind quarter to make the stop safe.

But to get back to the original question all trainers put their methods out there, it is up to you who knows your individual animal and how they respond to you. Use what works best for you and your horse. The best training is consistent training so they know when they are responding correctly to your cues.


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## Ladytrails

I have a horse trained by an old-school Parelli instructor and the horse is amazing and the trainer was amazing. I give a lot of credit to the trainer, who was a true horseman. Interestingly, he had dropped his official Parelli instructor license or brand or whatever because the Parellis make their 'licensed' instructors use ONLY Parelli techniques or else they can't carry the Parelli brand. Surprised, anyone? 

I think Clinton Anderson has been so successful because has people skills. He can actually teach. He tells you what he's doing, shows you what he's doing, gets the crowd to recognize what's he's doing and say it back to him, and as adults that how we learn best. We can see "the moment" when we should be releasing pressure. Not so much the Parelli's. John Lyons is a great horseman, and a really nice guy from what I have seen, but his methods are hard for me to see "the moment." He uses a lot of rein work and not so much leg aids (because his knees were shot and he couldn't use his legs without intense pain). I do use his desensitizing methods, and I love his teaching that your horse doesn't have to stop and stare at the scary thing, he has to walk on as if it isn't there. That's the goal. 

I also like Julie Goodnight. For those of you who are English and dressage disciplines, she started as an English rider, working with racehorses; has done work on dressage horses, and of course also does Western. She is a good teacher - and a great horsewoman. Lately she has been pushing Myler bits and that turned me off at first (I don't like the idea that you have to have certain brands of equipment). However, her goal was to show WHY the bit change was helpful and I used that lesson, changed my gelding's bit and (knock wood) think I am on the way to successfully turning a sour gelding into a happy gelding with that result. She is really big on pre-signals - and I think the idea of pre-signals has changed the way I deal with my horses. BTW, the Ray Hunt/Dorrance horsemen used pre-signals, too, so this has roots in the original natural horsemanship methods. 

Agree that Chris Cox is good - he tells it like it is. I laughed my tush off when he was talking about women talking on trail rides and not "riding" their horses. Cannot understand Dennis Reis although he's effective, can't argue with that. His stuff is pricey so I haven't shelled out for the DVDs. 

Would add that Ken McNabb is also a solid horseman, from the John Lyons school originally, and he is a great teacher. I have been to several of his clinics and I really like his methods. Nothing fancy, he gets his ideas across. He has some DVDs on his web site too. 

Bottom line, I think it does not matter one whit what the clinicians can do by themselves. If they cannot TEACH in a way that YOU can use their techniques and have a happier, more productive horse, you haven't found the right combination yet. They have to be able to get their ideas across to you. 

And, I agree that you can pick up great tips and techniques from lots of different people. The best trainers and clkinicians will admit that they are always learning, always incorporating different ideas all the time...


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## natisha

cloudkisser said:


> Not to scare you but if Lambo goes missing I had nothing to do with it


He'll follow you anywhere for a cookie. But I would be very


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## Alwaysbehind

cloudkisser said:


> Not to scare you but if Lambo goes missing I had nothing to do with it


Me either..... Noper. Not here.


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## MIEventer

lacyloo said:


> I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


Exactly! They all speak horse - they just have different approaches to it. My old Coach used to always say "Speaking horse is speaking horse" 

They all have their own "paths" to reach the ultimate goal - you can learn good from all, and learn bad from all. 

Take the good from each indavidual, and stick with what works best for you and your horse.


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## keyejones

I have seen both CA and PP act like jerks. It happens with most folks at some point in time. Take the best from both but avoid drinking the cool aid from either. As a lot of folks have said, find someone local to work with you and your horse. It is really difficult only having DVD's and TV shows. We now have a PP trainer close enough to come to our barn. And by the way, she did not drink the cool aid either. If a trainer is good the trainer will understand you and your horse very quickly. The trainer can then tailor a program just for you. This is what makes a local trainer so valuable. My horse is a left brain introvert and my wifes horse is a right brain extrovert. When I heard about this horseanality thing I thought it was the biggest bunch of hog wash I had ever heard of. It has actually helped me more than anything else. Understanding your horse and what motivates it is invaluable. Even if you rather go the CA way I would suggest taking a look at figuring out your horses personality ( I refuse to use that other work again) and what motivates each type of horse. It has made a world of difference for us.

I think CA and PP want whats best for you and your horse so I really do not understand why there is such strong feelings on the subject. They have both sold themselves to the corporations and the big bucks. There is a lot of baggage that goes with doing so. 

One more thought, do not hesitate to change trainers if the one you find is not working out. There are really a lot of very good local trainers if you just look for them. The ones you see on TV are not the only ones.


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## Nine

I was appalled at Linda Parrelli hitting the horse in the face with her hand! I couldn't believe she would do something like that. That poor horse was so confuse and clueless. He had no idea what she was asking. _I_ had no idea what she was asking. I agree, that if I were the owner, I'd have flattened LP on her kiester. What was she thinking?


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## horsplay

lacyloo said:


> I would never just rely on one persons training techniques. Take a little bit of knowledge from all.


Lacyloo you hit the nail on the head! Both trainers can get the job done but in my opinion and experience you should not rely on just one trainer's techniques. You should learn something from every horse person you meat. Weather good or bad take in everything. You can ALWAYS Learn something new. What works for one horse won't always work for another and if you have a lot of tricks in your bag then you can always get the job done. Anouther thing you have to remember is that clinicans are always in it for the money. No matter what they say if you have to pay to get this special rope and that special halter they are getting your money in return. Perrelli's carrot sticks are just golf club handles cut down painted orange and a soft tip and rope attached to the end, you can make it at home yourself. I have nothing against either man and have limited knowledge in both men's tecnieques I just think it is best to get your training knowledge from all over and not to put all your eggs in one basket... especially ones that cost a bundle.


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## horsplay

I saw a video once where LP and PP where invited to ride with people on other disciplines like dressage in a clinic with a great European trainer who's point was, in this clinic, that it doesn't matter what discipline you ride in you ride the same. I was so disappointed in LP she was stiff, had horrible riding position, you could tell the horse was agitated with her and she refused to take instruction. You could tell that every time the clinician asked her to do something different she got more angry at being told to do something. I will openly admit to being annoyed by her.


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