This month marks the 35th anniversary of Pat Parelli’s first seminar. H&H talks to the trainer himself and finds out what others make of his methods

A worldwide phenomenon, Parelli has become synonymous with the term ‘natural horsemanship’. American husband and wife Pat and Linda Parelli have developed their method over 35 years, with thousands in the UK using the programme to develop their horsemanship skills.

This month (March 2017), marks the 35th anniversary of Pat Parelli’s first seminar.

As with all training methods that differ from the traditional way most horse owners were taught as children, Parelli can divide opinion. H&H talks to Pat himself and finds out what other trainers make of his methods.

What is Parelli?

Parelli Natural Horsemanship’s goal is to help raise the level of horsemanship worldwide for the benefit of horses and the people who love them.

“My wife Linda and I have created a programme which has a central philosophy of communication, understanding and psychology, that can help everyone with their horses in a safe, ethical and effective way,” Pat tells H&H. “We do things with the horse and for the horse, whereas other people [often] end up doing things to the horse.”

The Parelli programme is a people-training program focused on the study of horse behaviour and horsemanship skills. The programme spans Four Savvys, or areas of development, through four distinct levels of skill improvement.

What does Pat think are the biggest misconceptions people have with Parelli? “I don’t think people [always] understand how horses feel, act and play,” he says.

“We’ve all been taught that the proper way to do things is the way that the military has taught us — which side to get on, how to adjust the bridle, how to use the reins and all that sort of thing.

“So what we now call the traditional thought of horse handling or riding is very far from how it would be done if the horse designed it. I guess the biggest thing is that people who think like people have a lot of trouble understanding real horsemen who think like horses,” he says. “In the future I think natural will become the new normal.”

Opinions on Parelli

On the plus side…

Intelligent Horsemanship’s Kelly Marks says many riders unhappy with the negative aspects of traditional horsemanship first find their way into natural horsemanship via Parelli.

“Parelli is a multi-million dollar business and has superlative marketing, so has raised the profile of natural horsemanship hugely. People trying their methods for the first time quickly discover the benefits of ensuring you can move your horse forwards, backwards and sideways from the ground in terms of its behaviour.”

Jason Webb, of Your Horsemanship, agrees Parelli is unrivalled for its ability to combine horsemanship and business acumen.

“I think [Pat] Parelli is a very good horseman who has been extremely successful in opening people’s minds to a different way of training their horses. He is an excellent businessman who understands his target audience and has built a brand that is recognised worldwide.”

International dressage rider Laura Milner says she had a go at Parelli when she was first starting to ride as a 12 year old.

“There were lots of aspects to it I enjoyed. It’s a fun way to start out building a relationship with your pony,” says Laura.

Gary Witheford, a natural horsemanship trainer who works predominantly within the racing industry, agrees the system works well for leisure horse owners looking to build a strong one-to-one relationship with their horse.

“While it doesn’t suit commercial operations looking to achieve results quickly, I’ve seen it work well for owners who buy a young horse and focus on developing a long-term partnership.”

Eventer-turned-trainer Tracey Dillon says there are many elements of Parelli which are useful.

“Like many natural horsemanship methods, it brings together aspects of basic good horsemanship.”

Kath Pinington, another eventer-turned-trainer, agrees that Parelli has been very successful in packaging together natural horsmenship into a step-by-step programme.

“While I’m happy to pick and choose the elements of natural horsemanship I use, other people prefer a formal program and this is where Parelli comes in,” says Kath.

On the negative side…

Kath’s concern, however, is that this approach can lead some people to become reluctant to crossover into other training methods.

“For me, one system can’t suit every animal; each horse has its own route. I think some people using Parelli are less adaptable or open to other ways of training,” says Kath.

Tracey Dillon also has concerns that Parelli, like any method when taken to extremes, means people become reliant on the system instead of using their own common sense.

“I believe it is never safe to have a horse behind you where you cannot see the minute nuances of emotion as they occur, for example,” says Tracey.

Expense, however, is the issue raised by most trainers. The Parelli Home Study Four Savvys Levels (packs 1-4) DVD box set course costs around £520 for non-members, for example, with the Parelli Horsemanship Essentials Western Riding Kit costing £404.53 for non-members.

“Ideally you would always want to see any system of training be readily accessible to owners and riders, without cost becoming an issue,” says Intelligent Horsemanship’s Kelly Marks.

Gary Witheford agrees, saying it is “a very expensive system if you progress through it as recommended”.

However Pat tells H&H: “Our corporate mantra is to provide this programme no matter where you live or what you can afford. Everything we do is money back guaranteed.

“And because of the digital age that we live in, everyone can have access [to the training methods] for a lot less [than if they were being trained directly by Pat].

“The alternatives are, number one: take your horse to a trainer and then add those bills up, or number two: live with your nightmare and do nothing about it,”he says.

“There’s a huge disparity between people being horse owners, good riders and horsemen. We save people decades because all of a sudden somebody says ‘Ah, why didn’t I learn that when I was a teenager or child.’”

Gary adds: “I also think many owners who have a specific problem — say loading — just want a quick, effective fix for the issue, rather than being told they need to work through all the modules.”

Laura Milner says this approach inevitably means Parelli is a time-consuming method. “Not everyone wants to train that way, particularly if you are more results focused.”

Like this? You may also enjoy reading these articles…

Natural horsemanship: ‘just good, common sense horsemanship’ or something else?

Monty Roberts: ‘There’s no such thing as natural horsemanship’

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Horses are helping prisoners stop reoffending — so says recent research from a charity.

The first results from TheHorseCourse — a charity that uses horses to rehabilitate violent prisoners — shows its methods are reducing reoffending.

The data showed a 27% point reduction against the predicated rate of reoffending of 63% among high-risk young offenders.

Since it was founded in 2010 by Harriet Laurie in Dorset, TheHorseCourse has worked with 70 prisoners.

“We’re using the principals of Parelli to train humans to be calmer, more capable and confident,” she said.

The latest research is based on the first batch of 25 former inmates released for a year or more.

“We were genuinely surprised at the results and hope they will hold as we role out the course around the country,” said Harriet.

The 48-page evidence review of the charity’s work was published by CLINKS and New Philanthropy Capital (NPC).

“The people we work with are those for whom nothing else is working,” said Harriet.

The horses live in the prisons for the duration of the courses. “We can only work in prisons with turnout but most have dead space between the two perimeter fences,” Harriet told H&H.

The course was piloted at Portland prison and has taken place inside HMP Portland, HMP Verne, HMP Oakwood and HMP Eastwood Park, a women’s prison.

Harriet has trained eight other licenced Parelli instructors and a student. She has six horses in Dorset with and the other instructors have at least two horses each.

“The prisoners do mainly groundwork, getting to Level 1 under the Parelli system within five days,” she said.

Pilots courses have been run with young people referred by schools, pupil referral units, children services, CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health services) with evaluation results expected later this year.

A parent and child pilot is about to start funded by Dorset County Council under the troubled families strategy.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

More than 500 people turned out to pay their respects at the Wiltshire funeral of Parelli trainer and farrier James Roberts, who was killed in a car crash last month at the age of 34.

James helped many riders with difficult horses, including Robert Whitaker, Kitty Boggis, Georgie Spence and Jane Gregory, at his yard near Devizes.

He died after his car collided with another vehicle near Manningford Abbots, Wilts, on 18 November.

Eventer Georgie Spence said James had bridged the gap between the competition world and Parelli and had been “an incredible horseman”.

His fiancée Vicky Craig said she hoped to continue his work.

She asked that the funeral (pictured) was a celebration of James’s life, not a sombre affair, so the theme was ‘cowboy’.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (20 December 2012)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Feeling the chill? Why not curl up on the sofa in a Parelli Horsenality Eco Blanket to keep yourself cosy and warm, and project your, or your horse’s, innate character!

The new Horsenality Eco Blankets are made from 100% recycled polyester with a contrasting whip stitch and come in four colours.

And each blanket features one of the four Parelli horsenalities:

• right brained introvert – “be gentle with me.”
• right brained extrovert – “focus me!”
• left brained extrovert – “play with me!”
• left brained introvert – “what’s in it for me?”The new Horsenality Eco Blankets are priced at £39.93.For more information visit www.parelli.com

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Rural TV’s programming has been taken down from Horse & Country TV (H&C TV) after seven months of partnership.

The two companies had a broadcast deal of four-hour programming blocks a day, which included Parelli’s Natural Horsemanship.

But H&C TV’s head of programming Jonathan Rippon said that the agreement came to an end on 1 January.

“Our schedule is constantly evolving,” he said. “I’m always looking for new and exclusive sources of programming.”

This will include the UK’s greatest ever polo coverage, a 10-hour series of the Argentine Open, the return of Parelli shows and a new hunting programme, Hounds and the Huntsman, following the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray huntsman.

But Mr Rippon did not rule out working with Rural TV in the future.

“We may work with them again, but for now we’ve got a fantastic slate of new stuff,” he said.

Rural TV’s director of international distribution Sarah Chase said that the channel is currently reorganising its business model.

It is off the air at the moment, although has secured a deal with a horse lifestyle network in The Netherlands.

“We are still in talks with H&C TV as well as other channels, and all our options are open,” she said. “In the meantime, we are still available online with 30-day complementary access.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A furore has broken out over Pat Parelli’s treatment of showjumper Robert Whitaker’s stallion Catwalk during a demonstration at the Royal Festival of the Horse (9-11 July).

The Parellis were trying to put a bridle on the reluctant horse using their natural horsemanship technique. But angry spectators branded their actions “abusive” after the stallion was twitched and hobbled in the two-hour session.

The demo has led to 1,150 people joining a Facebook group called “Parelli is neither ‘natural’ nor ‘horsemanship’”, damning Pat Parelli’s techniques, and there’s a 154-page debate on the H&H online forum.

Forum user Elsbells was there. “I’m as mad as a snake about it all,” she wrote and Chestnutty Mare added: “How can anyone say that the horse wasn’t distressed. Where was the dignity in all this?”

Another forum user noted: “We were unable to watch any more and had to walk out,” with another saying: “It was my first Parelli experience and it will be my last.”

There is also an online petition to urge equine welfare charities to look into the Parelli demonstration.

But Alice Bell, from the Royal Festival of the Horse, told H&H: “We immediately went to inspect the horse with the senior vet. He examined him and was completely satisfied the horse’s welfare had not been compromised.”

A spokesman for Parelli said: “We do feel that we made some mistakes and want to apologise for them.”

And Pat Parelli told H&H: “Although we at Parelli, the vet and the owners of Catwalk are all perfectly happy that the stallion is of fine health and suffered no duress, we are ready to accept that nothing we nor our community of Parelli practitioners say will change the mind of a few hundred people who are out to shout us down.”

Robert Whitaker said he felt the situation had perhaps been blown out of proportion.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (22 July, ’10)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Parelli, the American natural horsemanship specialist, has opened a new centre in the UK.

The new Parelli office is based at Stoneleigh Park, home to the governing bodies of the major equestrian disciplines.

Stables, paddocks and a training area are being built on-site from where natural horsemanship courses will be run from next year.

“We are very excited to be at the heart of equestrian activity in the UK. When we were looking for a base we recognised it had to be Stoneleigh,” said Pat Parelli, who will instruct the clinics himself.

The Parelli system is based on teaching people to communicate as naturally as possible with their horse, which often involves training the handler more than the horse.

Two Parelli staff are setting up the Warwickshire base, and a team from the US will follow later in the year.

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has welcomed the arrival of Parelli at Stoneleigh, with caution.

“Parelli’s move to Stoneleigh Park will bring a further dimension to the equestrian expertise already here,” said a spokesman. “We look forward to finding out more about their future aims and objectives.”

British Dressage said it was also looking forward to finding out more about the Parelli system, which “offers an additional option” for riders.

For more information visit www.parelli.com or call the Parelli UK office (tel: 0800 0234 813).

• What you think about Parelli? Join the debate in our forum >>

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now