# The Parelli Snap: Reason(s) for



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Beyond their convenience for removing the leadline when needed, I see NO advantage to them and agree with the disadvantages you've listed.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

So, what does one use as a phase 4 alternative?


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Phase 4? If you are talking about hitting your horse under the chin with heavy a snap - I personally wouldn't. I know of someone who cracked teeth being hit with one of these snaps - I'd hate to do that to my horse if it accidentally hit wrong. There are plenty of other ways to train a horse without smacking them with a metal snap. 

Now I do have a cotton rope tied directly to my rope halter for the lead line. This rope creates a fairly decent size knot when tied and I've bumped that under their chin before to get their attention when one of them was being an absolute snot and ignoring me. Never needed anything more in the name of training a horse.


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## HorseyyGal (Jun 20, 2011)

Personally, I LOVE the snaps! Although I fully respect your opinions, I would like to voice my own too 

1 - Snaps will only bang on the horses chin if the person handling the rope isn't using it properly
2 - I find the parelli snaps are no heavier than any other snaps I've used
3 - The parelli snap helps communication imo, the swivel avoids the rope tangling around & tightening.
4 - All snaps can break 

I think all the disadvantages listed here can apply to all snaps & buckles, but personally I've found my parelli one to be the bee's knees


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

I personally don't like it when I see people smash a huge chunk of metal into a horses face...

I have a Stacy Westfall rope halter and lead, I LOVE it!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

most tools can be abusive, and most tools can be used to communicate effectively without abuse. Use what suits you.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

the point about the swivel turning to avoid the rope twisting tighter is one I never thought about. The snap swivels are convenient.

For me, I think I might like the finesse to give a good energetic toss down the rope without actually causeing the hrose to grow fearful of it eventually. But I know folks with finesse don't have any trouble.


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## BigGreyHorse (Sep 28, 2009)

I was watching a leg restraint video by an Australian trainer last week and he used the Parelli type lead rope. His reason wasn't for cueing but safety. He went on to state that the majority of buckles & snaps are made from recycled metals and have a high incidence of stress failure. That made me start thinking and I have had several leads with varying type snaps fail over the years. However, they were medium in size and not the really large ones. The one thing I really liked about the leads he recommended was that the rope pulled through the snap ring and back braided into the lead.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

I've continued to research, & one poster on another board explained that the Parelli halter has such a long nosepiece in order to prevent the snap from making contact with the chin at phase 4! It does have a longer nosepiece than other rope halters, so perhaps this is indeed the reason for it. It's something that didn't come across in L1-2 dvd's, because I'm sure it wasn't mentioned; all that was done was the teaching to send life down the rope to cause the snap to hit the fence! So, it's easy to assume the horse'll be hit with your phase 4 when halter's on him. Now that I'm corrected on that assumption, I'll no doubt have to ask Linda herself if the intention is to make contact or not.

Another poster mentioned that the weight of the brass snap helps the horse to feel the release, like the idea of slobber straps giving clarity with light reins. I can see the sense of that, too.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When one looks at where the halter knots touch the horse's face there is very little flesh covering the bone. By adding a heavy snap, the knots add more pressure. I've wondered if this eventually deadens the nerves.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

There's also the possibility of the horse bolting from handler for some reason & the all-rope halter & lead getting caught on something, never to snap, with dire results to the horse.


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## PeoplesKey (Dec 26, 2011)

I, personally, find it more useful for communicating when there is more weight on the rope, it seems to clarify what i'm asking for, as apposed to how some ropes just kinda flop around. By "Clarify," i do not mean whacking them in the face, and i agree that any tool can hurt a horse if you use it incorrectly. I'm all about education before use.
:]


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## HorseyyGal (Jun 20, 2011)

The snaps will break under good pressure, has happened to me twice :lol:

Also, the snap doesn't have to be used as a phase 4, my Parelli Instructor taught me another method  I'll use the Yoyo game (4) as an example!
Phase 1, waggling the finger - Phase 2, waggling the rope (side to side motion) - Phase 3, waggle a little harder on the rope - Phase 4, keep the same pressure on the rope BUT add a driving motion towards the horse with the carrot stick - Phase 5, add a harder motion with the stick & keeping the same phase 3 pressure on the rope


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## christopher (Feb 11, 2011)

Northern said:


> So, what does one use as a phase 4 alternative?


isn't that what the old carrot stick is for?

parelli professional friend of mine believes the snaps weight helps keep the horse soft on the halter. try it yourself, hold the halter in your hand by the noseband, with the snap and lead attatched, and move it around a bit then go still again. you will feel the momentum of the weight of the snap quite a lot. so it can give more 'warning' therefore more of an opportunity to be responsive.

so in that sense maybe there's something to it. 

but IMO it's nothing more than an easy way of attatching a rope to a halter, and the swiveling part is very very good if you plan on tying a horse up.


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## Ian McDonald (Aug 24, 2011)

IMO the thing that Parelli students call phase 4 comes from the strength of your presence and will to move the horse rather than from the tools you use. 

I'm not necessarily against snaps, though I'm mindful of what Bill Dorrance said: it takes an artist to use more severe equipment with feel (paraphrased).


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

I haven't checked this in awhile; thanks, all, for contributions!

How interesting that a P Professional has adding the carrot stick as phase 4! I like that a lot, since it precludes banging the chin with snap!

Also, I realize that I erred in calling the "thunk" a phase 4: phase 4 is in fact swinging the rope horizontally back & forth with the whole arm, from the shoulder. That does cause the snap to move back & forth & perhaps hit the chin.

So the thunk is beyond phase 4, which there isn't in PNH, except that in this case there is: it's the downward snap of the arm after a half-circle of the rope for momentum, causing the snap to thunk the rail, as per video instruction.


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

I worked with a young lady that was trying to emulate a BNT at our place one day.
She was wiggling a lead line back a forth trying to get the horse to back up.

I asked her if I could show her something.

I attached the lead line to a scale that I had in the tack room and asked her to move the lead line like she was with her horse.

The pressure was peaking at about 18 pounds.

I asked her if I could hit her in the lower part of her jaw with a metal clip if I only used 18 pounds of force.

The answer was NO.


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## 7HL (Nov 27, 2008)

I haven't had "issues" with the Parelli snaps. I also like that they sell replacements. I have only had to replace 1 so far and that was on a lead rope that was 8-9 years old.


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## Mike Zimmerman (Oct 30, 2011)

Ian McDonald said:


> IMO the thing that Parelli students call phase 4 comes from the strength of your presence and will to move the horse rather than from the tools you use.
> 
> I'm not necessarily against snaps, though I'm mindful of what Bill Dorrance said: it takes an artist to use more severe equipment with feel (paraphrased).


Agree!!! 

I prefer to have my leads tied on so there is an uninterupted connection/communication between me and my horses. Like Ian said, it truly doesn't matter that much, snap or not, it's the quality of what I have to offer a horse not the quality of my tack that has meaning to the horse. My biggest problem with pop culture NH trainers is they seem to skip the concept of feel which is everything the founding fathers(Ray Hunt and the Dorrance Bros.) were teaching, you can't treat horsemanship like it's 4 simple steps to programming the alarm on your clock radio.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I've seen NH trainers (local included) doing that wiggling with the snap attached and never liked it. What is the point of it in 1st place? Wouldn't be easier just touch the chest with the stick to ask to back up from the distance?


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## savvygirl559 (Jan 3, 2012)

I think that your point do make sense, but these things will happen if the person isnt using it properly! at the bottom the the snap, there is a rotating thing so the rope doesnt get twisted, tighter or shorten! Without this, the horse would be in a LOT more discomfort.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

savvygirl559, my main concern is that the snap thunks the horse under the chin unnecessarily.

The swivel function of the PNH snap of course is a good thing.


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## EquestrianCowgirl4 (Jan 9, 2012)

i have the parelli halter and lead and i love it! The snap doesn't bang on the horses chin unless your perpously trying to ( which you shouldn't). They aren't that heavy, and it doesn't swing around to much. Also i love it beacuase it has the swivle snap part, so your halter never gets twisted or anything like that. 
i guess all i can say is i love it! and so does my horse!


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## SportHorseHeaven (Jan 11, 2012)

HorseyyGal said:


> The snaps will break under good pressure, has happened to me twice :lol:
> 
> Also, the snap doesn't have to be used as a phase 4, my Parelli Instructor taught me another method  I'll use the Yoyo game (4) as an example!
> Phase 1, waggling the finger - Phase 2, waggling the rope (side to side motion) - Phase 3, waggle a little harder on the rope - Phase 4, keep the same pressure on the rope BUT add a driving motion towards the horse with the carrot stick - Phase 5, add a harder motion with the stick & keeping the same phase 3 pressure on the rope


I like that method! Me and my horse are only at the driving game but that is a nice way....was worried about playing that game know wiggling the rope won't get him to move! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i want to get a new rope for my mare and i cant decide between the parelli snap or just a rope with no strap !


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