tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81479314947967239662024-03-05T01:59:05.207-05:00Your Journey to Savvy<br><br><br>
The horse sound in mind and body, naturally!
Welcome to my blog <br>
Le cheval sain de corps et d'esprit, naturellement! Bienvenue sur mon blogue! <br><br>
<i><b>Raising the level of horsemanship worldwide</b></i>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-41291017963346280912016-10-09T22:09:00.000-04:002016-10-09T22:12:34.929-04:00Competition and horse welfare - Can they be compatible?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0UH-djwOoQ/TvU9MvZGouI/AAAAAAAAAMo/uSGGQ4MoM7MPSzCmDnjHRpahgptlPhVSACPcB/s1600/m8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0UH-djwOoQ/TvU9MvZGouI/AAAAAAAAAMo/uSGGQ4MoM7MPSzCmDnjHRpahgptlPhVSACPcB/s320/m8.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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One of my non horsey friends once asked me if my horses actually enjoyed being ridden, and whether given the choice, they would ever want a rider on their backs.<br />
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With the last Olympic and Paralympic Games behind us, we heard and read growing concerns about the welfare of horses at these high levels of competition, and some groups are even saying that equestrian events should be excluded from the big games (although this also has a lot to do with economics and the cost of hosting equestrian events).<br />
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Is it fair to ask a horse to travel such long distances and endure very unnatural living and training conditions for the sake of competition, a strictly human endeavor? Is it humane to endanger horse and rider by requiring them to jump enormous fixed fences at extreme levels of difficulty, as seen in eventing? <a href="http://www.horsecollaborative.com/rollkur-valid-debate/" target="_blank">How about those horses who have to submit to questionable training methods that are deemed cruel, harsh and even abusive</a>? Every sport has them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14202673_10209597390027953_2627530841226303222_n.jpg?oh=1babc5769e72e277ae73551b8450bab1&oe=58481CAB" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14202673_10209597390027953_2627530841226303222_n.jpg?oh=1babc5769e72e277ae73551b8450bab1&oe=58481CAB" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cottesmore Leap (Burghley Horse Trials)!</td></tr>
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Difficult questions are being asked. I do believe most riders out there truly love their horses... I always loved mine deeply, even when I competed and rode very traditionally in the hunter-jumper world. Even when I had to force my horse into a trailer for a show, or put a chain over her nose to clip her ears. I just did not know what I did not know, and I did what I was taught to do by well regarded coaches. Did I ever question my technique - yes, often. Did I know there was another way, no, not then (this was over 35 years ago). I had not yet been exposed to other systems or methods, and I was being directed and maintained on a competitive track. Let's be realistic: this is how a large number of coaches are able to earn a living... it is a fact that riders that compete generally spend more money than recreational horse people - on lessons, horses, coaching and entry fees, etc.<br />
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Nowadays, with the advent of the Internet, social media and the growth of natural horsemanship and horse welfare movements, it is harder to remain unaware and it has become impossible to forget, if not ignore, that the world is watching how riders and competitors are achieving their results. The issues arise when the love of the sport and the need for recognition start overtaking the love of the horse... in other words, when the goal becomes more important than the relationship.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D9tSrG0x9H3vZCCyMg_98e0TCaHpRfIQJ1axCQF37937fgHzIeyF94aemLkBBOFBnXejgwi00jadR7LTugVVV-wRz5ToUXUYcQMhtzxX97fSQBaSpMe85Ta5BaUTISmBSF31zWq0Fzg/s1600/Gen083-600pix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D9tSrG0x9H3vZCCyMg_98e0TCaHpRfIQJ1axCQF37937fgHzIeyF94aemLkBBOFBnXejgwi00jadR7LTugVVV-wRz5ToUXUYcQMhtzxX97fSQBaSpMe85Ta5BaUTISmBSF31zWq0Fzg/s320/Gen083-600pix.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jolie, my former competition horse and the reason I found a different way (Coco 2003)</td></tr>
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Back to the first question: do my horses enjoy being ridden? I truly believe they do, because they have been given the opportunity of a kind, solid start (or restart) and foundation training, one that values their dignity, their confidence and allows them to understand the process. One that allows them to learn the fundamental skills they need to operate confidently in our environment and prepares them for a specialized endeavor. They find purpose in the riding, because I try very hard to give it meaning and provide variety. I believe it enriches their otherwise very monotonous lives in always too small pastures where everything is provided and they don't even have to flee from predators. I am convinced that just like us, horses need to have a sense of purpose and a reason for being in their lives. In the wild, they have to find food, water, protect the herd, reproduce and care for their offspring and herd mates. In our human and unnatural world, if left to themselves, they become pasture ornaments or barnyard pets with limited stimulation and very few opportunities to think, make decisions and learn. Horses do love to learn!<br />
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I see it as my duty and responsibility as a horse owner to provide meaningful enrichment to their lives by setting them up to learn something new every day, to become calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic. Idle hooves are the devil's workshop and horses, not unlike dogs and children, do need regular activity and mental stimulation to stay in balance, mentally, emotionally and physically.<br />
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Competition can offer such a purpose and meaning, and it can also be done WITH the horse rather than TO the horse, as long as we uphold the principles of good horsemanship and allow the horse to set the timeline. Questionable training methods are often used for the sake of saving time, taking a shortcut to the desired result, often at the expense of the horse's mental, emotional and even physical well being. The result is a large number of horses that break down young, can no longer take the pressure, sustain training injuries or even die on the job. I believe competition done with the horse first in mind can be enjoyed by both horse and rider. I also believe that not all horses are suited for competition, just like some people just don't have the personality to enjoy competing. Putting the relationship first may mean finding a different career avenue for a horse that is not able to cope well with the crowds, the pressure, the constant changes and the travel involved in a competitive career.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12802978_978710732196841_2824584374294337603_n.jpg?oh=6d66941992a1091d914253b2fc2a8698&oe=583AC89C" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12802978_978710732196841_2824584374294337603_n.jpg?oh=6d66941992a1091d914253b2fc2a8698&oe=583AC89C" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luca Moneta, international show jumping using natural horsemanship</td></tr>
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Is it possible to find freedom within the harness of a rider development and competition system that rewards horses that are trained too fast and must compete at young ages? That rewards the use of artificial aids, quick fix techniques and often unnatural movement and exercises? That is designed to teach riders to compete above all, and barely addresses essential horsemanship skills and knowledge? A select few have been able to do it; it takes dedication, a strong resolve and a very open mind. Choosing the path less traveled requires grit, passion, hard work, motivation, determination, core values, and a healthy dose of talent. Thankfully we are seeing more and more examples out there, riders who choose to put the horse's dignity, confidence and well being above all else and still manage to succeed at very high levels. They are not the norm, but they exist and they give me hope that things are slowly changing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8a/49/03/8a490330906e49b0b47a427cb6bcd490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8a/49/03/8a490330906e49b0b47a427cb6bcd490.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.laurenbarwick.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Barwick</a>, Canadian Paralympian, Silver and Gold Medallist, and 4 Star Parelli Instructor</td></tr>
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What if we all considered achieving the following three things with our horses: <b>Bonding, Obedience and Exuberance</b>. Many people are able to achieve bonding with the horse through kindness, food, etc., but without obedience, these large reactive animals can quickly become dangerous. I spend a lot of my time helping well intended and kind people stay safe and teaching their out of control horses respect without fear.<br />
In the competition world, we see a lot of obedience. Unfortunately, many of these horses would rather be anywhere else than with their human. As horsemen, we are constantly learning and relearning how to obtain willing obedience without losing rapport with the horse, and it is a fine balance that can easily tip one way or the other.<br />
Exuberance is the horse's willingness to put effort into what we want. This is when we know we have won the horse's heart, when they choose to do our thing, their way. They are then able to express their own selves while contributing to the achievement of a common purpose or goal. After all, horses will run faster and jump higher out of heart and desire!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guevYOt26RU/V9HSkmcPyCI/AAAAAAAAVbw/8hK_mjBsYJ8O9SLKj_TIxLtfWV8M1LzIgCLcB/s1600/RunFasterJumpHigher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guevYOt26RU/V9HSkmcPyCI/AAAAAAAAVbw/8hK_mjBsYJ8O9SLKj_TIxLtfWV8M1LzIgCLcB/s320/RunFasterJumpHigher.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Moon, an ordinary horse learning to do extraordinary things through Bonding, Obedience and Exuberance</td></tr>
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Another great example is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ahorsiegirl" target="_blank">Amy Bowers, Licensed Parelli 4 Star Instructor</a>, who is moving up the eventing ranks and now riding at the Preliminary level. A very talented young rider and accomplished horsewoman, she is learning to master that delicate balance with her partner Piper and quickly getting noticed in the eventing world. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-tPYcpGvtU/V_r4C58xxjI/AAAAAAAAVlY/8Gvk5bS1svAsvQqspfLQGyk07xBcqUmOQCLcB/s1600/14516482_582937885223909_8882755240682085719_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-tPYcpGvtU/V_r4C58xxjI/AAAAAAAAVlY/8Gvk5bS1svAsvQqspfLQGyk07xBcqUmOQCLcB/s320/14516482_582937885223909_8882755240682085719_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Bowers and Piper</td></tr>
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What if every competitor has these three things in place, Bonding, Obedience and Exuberance, Would it help ease many of the concerns for the competing horse's welfare? Might we be able to see more examples of harmonious partnerships and happier horses, which in turn might fuel a growing interest in equestrian sports?<br />
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I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.<br />
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<br />Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-81472337365084117202016-09-07T18:17:00.002-04:002016-09-07T18:17:39.872-04:00Are you ready to go back to (horsemanship) school?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">It is that time of year, summer is coming to an end and we start to prepare for fall and winter... Yet some of the best riding months are still ahead of us, with cooler temperatures, bug free days and gorgeous colors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />My <a href="http://vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy/" style="color: #d24101;" target="_blank">J2S Your Journey to SavvyTM </a>distance coaching program has been extremely well received in the last 2 years. Students especially love the group interaction and support, as well as the guided learning with regular assignments, immediate feedback, timely answers to questions, and live coaching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />The distance format allows them to work at their own pace in their own environment, and on their own timeline, while staying accountable and remaining motivated by the group and the instructor.<br />The group coaching can be further enhanced with the addition of one-on-one video coaching options for those of you who want more specific support and coaching on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.<br />J2S combines video coaching, group interaction, support and guided learning with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Licensed Parelli Professiona</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">l</span>, all from the comfort of your own home and barn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />Get focused, make progress, meet new friends, have fun thanks to this innovative format! <br />Registrations are now open for the next class starting October 1st. <a href="http://vifargent.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Registration-Your-Journey-to-Savvy-ENG.pdf" style="color: #d24101;" target="_blank">Take a look at the different options</a> and make sure to sign up before <span style="font-weight: bold;">September 25th</span> to enjoy a fall season full of Learning, Experiencing, Sharing, Success and Celebration!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />I sincerely hope you will consider joining us and I look forward to helping you on your journey!<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Naturally yours,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>Geneviève Benoit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Licensed Parelli 3-Star Instructor</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010028; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">What's new in J2S?</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">J2S 2.0 was launched last March. Students still enjoyed the connection and group support, as well as the opportunity of receiving one-on-one coaching with the instructor. However, this improved version features a brand new curriculum, based on the new <span style="font-weight: bold;">Savvy Club’s 12 Touchstones of Horsemanship</span>, simplified assignments, and more fun tasks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This new class will be held for 3 months instead of 4 (ending in December).<br /><br />Here are a few of the great comments received from past classes:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">"J2S is already the best value I’ve seen in horsemanship – anywhere, anytime."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">"I really like your leadership and direction in the group. I have already progressed more with my horse in the first week than the previous six months (or longer). I thought the homework gave me a lot to think about … but then there was the hangout!"</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">"I LOVE this class! I have done more with my horse and learned more already than I have in a very long time (if ever). And what a treat to be with like-minded people! I already feel so much less isolated. I may never graduate"</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Regist</span>rations are now open for the October 2016 class.</span></h2>
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<a href="http://vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here for details and registration forms</span></a></h2>
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-83662510962309016252016-06-19T22:46:00.000-04:002016-06-20T21:43:08.415-04:00This week, the horsemanship world lost a great teacher and horseman and I lost a friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The news struck me fast and furious. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/markandhela/" target="_blank">Mark Russell</a> suffered a horse accident at a clinic a week ago and he was being flown to Boston, unconscious with serious neck injuries. A quick exchange with his wife Hela who was waiting to fly to meet him left little doubt... We had to prepare to say goodbye.<br />
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A day later, Hela posted the sad inevitable news. Mark was gone. He died doing what he loved, pursuing his life's work - riding a young horse and teaching. The horsemanship world and I have been mourning since.<br />
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You see, there has been a huge outpouring of love and sadness at this news. Mark was widely appreciated and loved by his students and all who spent time with him. How could they not love him? He was wise, patient, incredibly giving, highly intelligent, generous and so knowledgeable. He was an advocate of the horse. He smiled and shared his wisdom and understanding with generosity and passion for the horse and the people who love them.<br />
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I could go on and on about his career, but they are many people in much better positions than I to do him justice. I want to speak of the man, the friend that Mark was to me.<br />
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He started by being my farrier. My young Lusitano Menina was quite particular about her front feet, and since my trimming skills were only budding, and no other professional was having much success with her, I happened upon Mark. He showed up in his truck and trimmed her right in the parking lot without fuss or dust. I instantly knew he was different. She loved him. She did not love everyone, especially when it came to holding her precious feet. Little did I know that Mark and I would share as much as we did. I did not know Hela then, they were not married and he had kept her to himself. Every time he showed up at the Rhode Island farm where I worked, we would talk horses, especially young horses, as I learned to educate my spirited young filly. He told me to '<i>get a deep seat and a far away look</i>' as he tickled her right on the loins and she cabrioled on the spot! I knew I had my hands full with this one. He knew what she was apt to do, and how great she could become, I accepted the lesson and the challenge. <br />
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Mark had not yet published his first book, <i>Lessons in Lightness</i><span style="background-color: white;">:<i> The Art of Educating the Horse</i>.</span> That was going to come soon after. Only a small select group of people had seem him ride, and he was not yet doing much in the way of clinics. He was self-effacing and never put himself forward, he was easy to miss. Unless you had an eye for horses and how they respond to humans.<br />
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Then suddenly, he was married to Hela and they moved to Tennessee! I am not sure how that happened, it just happened. I was getting out of Rhode Island and preparing to enter Parelli University hoping to become a Licensed Parelli Instructor. My only riding horse was diagnosed with DSLD and had to be retired a few months before my move to Florida. Menina was just a baby. So Mark offered a horse - <b>Easter </b>- who is featured in his first book! He said I could have her for however long I needed her to go through my training with the Parellis. She had some baggage from a previous owner, and he only had a few hours on her, but, as he told me, '<i>she is tough as nails, very well bred and she is a good horse. Take care of her and she will take care of you</i>'. He had liked how I handled and ridden the horses at the farm and thought we would be good together. What a gift!<br />
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I drove to Tennessee with baby Menina in the trailer to pick up Easter, and spent a few days on the new farm. This is when I got to know Hela. Mark and I talked horses, Hela was adjusting to life on a farm. Mark gave me his book, signed it and wrote something about 'lightness'. We talked some more, I helped with chores and I cooked for them. The farm has an old plank barn on it, there was barbed wire everywhere, and the house was not even heated! The only riding enclosure was a round pen, which I believe was Mark's playground for several years until he build an arena. This is where we introduced Easter to Menina, and left them overnight to bond before I headed South. They have been pair bonded to this day. Easter adopted Menina as a mother adopts a baby and they have been best friends ever since.<br />
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Several months later I returned to Tennessee with both horses and left them in Mark and Hela's care for a few weeks while I went home to visit family and sort out my life before returning to the Parelli campus, this time in Colorado for the summer months. Once again, we shared stories, sat on the porch and I cooked for them. Hela was adjusting, learning, still doubting, but faithfully doing her best. She loved Mark and she was going to embrace the lifestyle. I gathered my horses and I left for Colorado. Throughout those first months with Parelli, I was learning to get to know Easter. She had huge confidence issues, especially with riding, at least my riding! It took me a while to recognize it and I had to learn to earn her trust. But what she did have, and I take no credit for it, was a deep understanding of contact and flexion, and a lightness to the bridle I had never felt before in my life. She taught me what light could be, and I have since been able to take that feel to my other horses. She taught me only because Mark taught her! Her flexion started from way in the hind and carried on through to the hand and rider. I was left with a big responsibility, and that was to preserve it! That horse was going to return to Mark, and I kept thinking, what if I 'break' her? I remember a session riding with Karen Rohlf and Karen was explaining connection with the reins. She took a feel of Easter's bridle on the ground, and with surprise, said '<i>Wow, that is light</i>'. It is all Mark's doing, I replied, I am just trying to keep it that way.<br />
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At the end of my year at Parelli, I returned Easter to Mark, hugely grateful for this wonderful mare and a fabulous gift of learning. By then, we were doing most of the higher level tasks in the Parelli program, and Finesse was definitely our best savvy. Mark liked what I did with her, he saw the bond we had developed, and he told me we had done well together and she had to be my horse... he would keep her until I could come back to give her a home. Six months later, we met in Connecticut and I took her home for good. Now 21, Easter is retired from riding due to old scarring in her legs from the damage done to her earlier in life and resulting arthritis, but I still play with her on the ground. She is a wonderful friend and partner, the lead mare in my small herd and a reminder of all I have accomplished in my journey. Today she takes on a new aura as she carries Mark's memory and the full meaning of the gifts he left me before moving on. Did I ever really thank him?<br />
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My last visit with Mark was at a clinic in Florida in 2014. I still remember his smile and warm hug as we finally reconnected, and I spent the weekend watching him teach and ride. We joked and reminisced about past days and mishaps, and I intently watched and listened as he shared his extensive knowledge. I told him I thought I had finally learned enough to begin understanding what he was teaching! He laughed at that.<br />
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At one point, he was riding a student's horse and no one was paying any attention to him or to what he was doing, least of all the owner. The horse carried many physical and emotional scars from years of poor riding and handling, and Mark was softly and patiently working through the tensions to help him relax, find a better posture, soften, while explaining what he felt. He did that so well, he knew how to restore a horse to health and comfort.<br />
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Later in the day, I asked him if it bothered him at all that everyone seemed so uninterested and disrespectful. He smiled and said '<i>I am here and this is what I do. Not everyone is here to learn. But you are here to learn. So it is all good.</i>' What a lesson! As a coach and teacher myself, how could I find that grounding and forgiveness in myself, and be able to be genuinely humble and loving in the presence of less than stellar students? Knowing that we all have our own journey and that it is not be measured by who is doing what at the time. Another gift. I promised I would find a way to see him again. Then life happened and I could not keep my promise. Now he is gone.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; line-height: 16.08px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark will remembered fondly and his beautiful spirit lives on. I will cherish Easter girl until she is ready to leave this world as one of the greatest gift I got from Mark. Without him and her I would not be where I am, I would not be the horsewoman I have become. They taught me a lot. I will cherish all my memories of times spent with Mark and Hela, in New England, in Tennessee, in Florida. Farewell Mark, we love you, we hope to make you proud as you watch from the heavens.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hela is left with a farm full of animals and horses, medical bills, and the grief of losing a husband unexpectedly. <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Mark Russell passionately, progressively and uncompromisingly worked to become a remarkable horseman. He was a teacher whose communication skills transcended the horse and made him a respected, sought after clinician worldwide. His work inspired horses and horse lovers, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">The impact of his immediate loss to the horse world is profound, as is the hardship for his family that will be felt far into the future. We are coming together to show our support for a man who has changed the lives of so many of us forever. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">Because of all the generous donations, Hela and her friends will be able to keep producing more of Mark's work. That is a blessing. Thank you for everyone that has contributed so generously, and if you would like to contribute, but have not had a chance to do so, that would be wonderful!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/naturaldressage" target="_blank">If you would like to donate to this fund, click here.</a></h3>
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-75454411451229053562016-02-03T19:58:00.003-05:002016-02-03T20:01:26.869-05:00What does YOUR journey to savvy look like? The power of doing simple things with excellence and having support<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #20124d;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Earlier this year, I launched a brand new distance group coaching format which has drawn attention from students around the world. Ever since I started teaching Parelli 10 years ago, I have always wanted to be able to follow students on their journey for more than a couple of days at a time. Clinics are certainly fun and I love to see the changes in people and horses that can be achieved on only a couple of days; they also foster new friendships and a sense of community. However, once everyone goes home, the instructor might not see or hear from those students again for months if not years, and we can only hope that they have felt inspired enought to continue seeking more knowledge. I always felt a bit disheartened to see the same people come back year after year and look exactly the same as the year before. Why were they not progressing? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking in the mirror at my own horsemanship, I reflected on those times where I was not making progress and at the obstacles I had to face to keep advancing my skills and my horses. Like most students, I don't have my own facility and I have to contend with the constraints of boarding. In order to be allowed to be different, I have in the last few years resorted to boarding my horses at small, privately owned facilities which are open to a Parelli mindset. That freedom to do the kind of horsemanship I want to do often comes with lack of training facilities, no indoor arena, small spaces to ride and having to contend with weather conditions - challenges that most of my students also face daily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Isolation is another factor we all experience unless we can be lucky enough to be surrounded by like minded professionals or friends. Keeping the motivation alive and managing pitfalls can be challenging without support, even in the best of times. Compounded with factors involving weather, time, timing, availability and just plain lack of focus or goals, this can be a steep hill to climb even for the most dedicated rider, especially when it means finding time away from work or familly, having to get in the car and commute to the barn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So with that in mind, I created a group distance coaching format which is designed to address these issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Students have joined from all walks of life, ages and stages. From beginner to Level 4 students, some as far as the UK and Australia, it has been a diverse yet incredibly fun group of aspiring horsewomen (and now even a gentleman!) sharing and supporting each other while being guided and instructed through various horsemanship concepts and assignments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The key to <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy" target="_blank">J2S Your Journey to SavvyTM</a> is that everyone is on their own journey and while guided, is allowed to progress at their own speed and level. The primary rule is a good attitude, natural, positive and progressive, and we also try to have fun as we learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We celebrate our accomplishments and breakthroughts, and help those who are in the Learning Pit see what is on the other side of the wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It has been absolutely wonderful for me as an instructor to see students actually gaining depth and scope into the program, improving their relationships with their horses and getting more and more savvy each month!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a couple fun pics and videos of current J2S members and what they have to say about their journey.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"><b>Melody </b>(Brandon, Manitoba) started out in the middle of a harsh Canadian winter in the Prairies. She was still recovering from a major horseback riding accident which left her physically impaired and scared to ride. But mostly, she had to come to terms with the fact that she did not understand why her horses did not act like partners. This is her third J2S class and to quote: "<i>I have attended many clinics and ridden in many places -- BC, SK, MB, ND, CA -- but I learned to learn in J2S and it has completely changed my horsemanship.</i>" </span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #20124d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">She has started to ride again, with savvy, and after almost getting out of horses altogether, is now having a great time with her four equines. Here is fun movie she made of her Haltering with Savvy assignment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Karen </b>(Nova Scotia)<b> </b>has been a long time Parelli student, but her new partner Java, a young LBE, caused her to seek more regular support. His playful and dominant nature constrasted sharply with her RBI Humanality. Through distance coaching and a dedication to studying the program, Karen has made huge strides with her young horse and they are now having a lot of fun together. Check out her dragging an object project video after I challenged her to teach Java something purposeful and interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"><i>"<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8;">For me, this J2S class has all been about inspiration. I am able to put
all the other key words together when I am inspired by watching each of us
learn and grow with our equine partners, share BFO's that hit us in the middle
of the night,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8;">post triumphs, a
few set backs and then more triumphs, and all under the excellent guidance of
Geneviève who allows us to take this journey exactly as each of us needs to.
That's Inspiration!!"</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sandra and Mariya</b> (Melbourne, Ontario) are a mother and daughter team and Sandra has been a Parelli student for many years. She had however never really taken instruction from a Licensed Parelli Instructor, and was having trouble keeping Mariya interested in riding and playing with her pony Ginger. I visited their farm a couple of times in 2015 and Mariya's interest started rising. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Mariya's words: "<i>When Geneviève came to Ontario last year, I hardly ever played with my pony. I was unmotivated and going backwards. After my first lesson, things changed. I started playing with Ginger at least once a week. After my second and third lessons, I became motivated and confident about riding again.</i>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Both then joined my distance coaching programs, and are now enjoying a lot of great horse time together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mariya has started riding again and passed her Level 1 with flying colors last fall (L1++). She is just about ready to submit Level 2 On Line. This video of Sandra and Mariya made the Parelli social media pages and was their take on an assignement which instructed them to do something fun and imaginative with their horses!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lisa </b>(Rodney, Ontario)<b> </b>has always dreamed of having a great connection with her mare Derby. Her little Appaloosa is 21 years old and has been there and done that, and she is a great, safe, steady riding horse. However, for years, she showed no interest in her human partner and would leave when Lisa showed up. Through lessons and distance coaching, Lisa learned how to motivate Derby to find her and catch her, and then to connect and want to stay. For Lisa, this is a dream come through. Derby will now seek her and catch her from way back in the pasture, leave the herd and the hay to be with her human partner. As a bonus, she is now exhibiting a lot more expressive behavior during their play sessions and offering lots, rather than just being submissive and obedient.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Says Lisa: "<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><i>Went out to the pasture this afternoon to bring Derby in for our foot picking project and all the horses were down at the bottom of the pasture . I called Derby and she lifted her head and started walking towards me. Then she started trotting and she trotted the whole way up the pasture to me ... at the front of the whole herd!!!! Trotting !!!! TO ME !!!! Derby !!!! How extremely awesome is that???</i>"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our next instalment of <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy" target="_blank">J2S Your Journey to SavvyTM</a> will be revamped this spring and be centered on the <b>12 Touchstones of horsemanship</b>. For me as an instructor, it has been so much fun watching these students grow and learn throughout the year, even during the winter months where we focus on small but important tasks that to keep improving their feel, timing and balance, and their overall relationships with their horses. By having them study with me consistently for several months, I am able to get to know them, coach and support them through highs and lows, and really see them blossom. There is nothing more rewarding that that for a coach!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy" target="_blank">Your Journey to Savvy<span style="font-size: x-small;">TM</span></a></b> is a group distance coaching program spanning four months and run by <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" target="_blank">Geneviève Benoit, Licensed Parelli 3-Star Instructor</a>. Students from all over the world gather to share their journey, celebrate their achievements and support each other. Check out the student video from the first class in 2015!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Find out more information at <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy" style="color: #1155cc;">www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy</a> or on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/yourjourneytosavvy" style="color: #1155cc;">www.facebook.com/yourjourneytosavvy</a></span></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-39300008527309231952016-01-03T01:00:00.000-05:002016-04-02T14:35:21.366-04:00My 101 Guide to Parelli Natural Horsemanship!<i><span style="color: #0c343d;">This is an article I wrote at the invitation of my goddaughter Verena. Verena is passionate about dog training and has recently graduated from </span></i><i><span style="color: #0c343d;">the Karen Pryor Academy. She wanted to understand more about my approach to horse training, so I had to come up with a simple way to explain Parelli Natural Horsemanship to someone who is not familiar with horses.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been a student of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship since 1999, and became a Licensed Instructor in 2005. Just about everyone I come across asks me what I do with my horses, and my answer usually prompts some kind of statement or opinion from my auditors. There are many, many horse people who totally adore the Parelli program, and probably just as many who seem to despise it for one reason or another... but in truth, most of you out there probably don't really know what it is, unless you have or are actively studying the program. So here is my <b>101 Guide to Parelli</b>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to the <a href="http://www.parelli.com/" target="_blank">Parelli Web site</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The Parelli Program is a people-training program focused on the study of horse behavior and horsemanship skills. The program spans Four Savvys, or areas of development, through four distinct levels of skill improvement. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The cornerstones of the program are a dedication to never-ending self-improvement and an acknowledgement that the improvement of horsemanship is a lifelong pursuit for those passionate about the horse. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The program encourages students to develop creative problem-solving skills and think in a lateral manner, while taking the non-verbal feedback and expression of the horse into consideration. </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">As you can see, the Parelli family has a pretty big mission. This big bold mission requires passion, hard work and dedication, and this has been Pat Parelli's life's work since 1981. Surprised? Yes, this stuff has been around for more than 30 years, in fact, it has existed in some form or another since ancient times. <a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Xenophon" target="_blank">Xenophon </a>might have been the first natural horseman on record, and he wrote a fabulous book titled <i>On Horsemanship </i>where he dictated an approach to horse training based on understanding and patience! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Back to 1981 which marks the year Pat Parelli went on the road and started teaching what he had learned from his mentors. He is responsible for actually coining the term '<i>Natural Horsemanship</i>', effectively naming something he had been witnessing and learning with some of the greatest horsemen of the 21st century, a different way to be with horses that treated them with respect and kindness, and got great results without fear, force or intimidation. In those days, people who knew about this way called it 'IT'. IT was what the likes of Tom and Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Troy Henry, Ronnie Willis and a few others were sharing to a select few who chose to listen, and IT was different. IT treated horses like friends and partners, like intelligent beings that could be taught to do things with their human friends and enjoy them. IT was a way that was gentler and kinder; it caused horses to actually want to do what their humans asked them to do. So after trying his hand at the normal way of horse training, Pat came across IT and became a student. He got pretty good at IT and when he started teaching IT, he decided to give IT a name. Especially since he was travelling America living out of a motor home and needed something that made sense painted on the trailer to identify his trade! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Fast forward to now and it has become quite fashionable in horse circles, at least in the recreational world, to hail from the Natural Horsemanship movement, and as a result, many trainers and teachers profess to be doing some kind of Natural Horsemanship or another. There are more flavours of IT then Ben and Jerry's ice cream could ever come up with! Let's just say, not all natural horsemanship programs have been created equal, but the fact remains that being kind to your horse has become a popular and well accepted way, and we can only hope more equestrians will get on board with actually walking the talk.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Let's move on to Paragraph 2 - Parelli is a <b>people training program. </b>You mean we are </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">not</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">really training horses? Any good horseman knows that most horses have people problems, not the reverse. So Parelli is really about teaching horse owners the skills, communication and leadership qualities they need to develop strong partnerships with their horses. And yes, the horse learns too along the way. Here is the kicker: horses learn 7-10 times faster than we do! WE ARE THE SLOW ONES. Which means as instructors, we spend a great deal of time teaching people, and eventually, once they get it, the horse already knows what to do. That is because it is a NATURAL horsemanship program, meaning that the emphasis is on valuing the horse's nature and that it is designed to make perfect sense in the horse world! That being said, since horses are natural preys, and we are natural predators, our ways of thinking, doing and responding are innately completely opposite... so we, the slow humans, need to learn to feel, act and play like a horse to be understood. Hence the people training bit... We are training horsemen and horsewomen. This goes way beyond training people to ride, defined as the mere act of not falling off! </span><b style="line-height: 18px;">In short, Parelli teaches horsemanship skills, or more specifically, the habits and skills humans and horses need to become partners.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">Our
biggest obstacle to overcome is our own predatory nature which innately guides
our instincts, reactions and body language.
Horses can learn to feel safe around us and trust our leadership if we
learn to stop acting like predators… which is easier said then done!</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">The
relationship we are striving for approximates that of a mare and her foal. Through a non verbal language, she guides,
teaches, sets boundaries and even disciplines, all in the hopes that her baby
will survive and learn to operate in its natural environment. There is not doubt they share a very strong
love bond, even when she has to be firm to be understood, because she is doing
it FOR the foal, not TO him. The foal
will naturally follow his dam’s lead, yet remain independent and free to run
and play. That is what we mean by Love,
language and leadership in equal doses.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">What about the <b>Four Savvys</b>? These are the four areas of development that make up a well rounded horse and a well rounded horseman. It starts on the ground, first On Line, then at Liberty. Horses learn much better when they don't have to carry a live weight on their backs which can cause them to lose their balance, get distracted or confused by conflicting aids. As it turns out, humans learn way better on the ground too, without having to worry about a 1200 pound live and emotional animal underneath their seat, being bounced around and generally having their brain mostly occupied with balance and safety above all else. So we teach people focus, feel, and timing on the ground, which helps them develop balance, before they ever get on their horse's back. In case you are wondering, Parelli students do RIDE their horses, at least, most of them do. In fact, everything we do on the ground is designed to prepare us and our horse for a successful riding experience. In the lower levels of the program, ground work is predominent, and riding is more rudimentary. However, as the students progress through the program, the riding part becomes very prevalent. First in Freestyle, on a loose rein, eventually without a bridle at all, once the prior and proper preparation has been done. This helps us develop an independent seat and balanced impulsion. The horse learns to carry themselves and become emotionally fit, as do the riders. Finally, in the upper levels, we introduce Finesse, or precision riding, the most difficult savvy because it requires a solid foundation to be graceful and harmonious without creating brace and tension in the horses. As we progress our riding, we also keep advancing those ground skills to refine our communication skills at longer distances, achieving more complex tasks and some rather spectacular movements On Line and at Liberty. Just watch someone who has completed Level 4, and you will be amazed at what they can do with their horse! It's like watching an Olympic skier fly down a mogul hill smoothly and seemingly effortlessly. It looks easy, yet keep in mind that nobody starts off that good; many hours of hard work and study have been invested in building that kind of skill and harmony. The Four Savvys are like the four legs of a stool, they give horsemanship strength, durability, stability and purpose.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Parelli students also embrace the fact that horsemanship is <b>a lifelong pursuit</b> and that the learning never ends. While not every student has aspirations of attaining the highest level, all are committed to their horses and to becoming the best human they can be for them. For many, all they really want is to be safe and have fun on the trail, and that can be achieved in Levels 2 and 3. On the other end of the scale, some of us strive for excellence and want to have a taste of true unity in its highest form, we want to master the art of horsemanship. Some of the program's top students and instructors are now winning in top level competition and wowing the crowds with incredible displays of horsemanship. There is really nothing you cannot do when the horse becomes a part of you - and Parelli offers anyone who wants to know how a pathway, a framework, tools and support to learn and advance to the highest level they want to achieve. All they need is a commitment to <b>putting the relationship with the horse first</b>, and the dedication required to learn the program as it is laid out.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>This is what Parelli Natural Horsemanship IS:</b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A lifelong program to train horsemen and horsewoman who want to build a strong partnership with horses and achieve excellence based on Love, Language and Leadership in equal doses.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A foundational program designed to give horses and riders all the basic skills they need to achieve their potential, the set of fundamentals that can eventually lead to excellent performance, in harmony. Think of it as elementary school and high school education which may someday lead to a specialized college diploma. Would you send your child straight to university? Same with horses and riders - before they can do dressage, jumping, eventing, cutting, gymkhana, driving or any other sport well, they need to master the fundamentals.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A natural approach to horses that uses communication, understanding and psychology rather than force, fear, intimidation and mechanical or chemical means.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A way of being with horses, a philosophy, that permeates every interaction, from mundane to sophisticated, on the ground and in the saddle.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A program for everyone and anyone - kids, disabled, adults, young and old, novices and seasoned riders, looking for a relationship based approach.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A comprehensive and extensive learning system that takes you step-by-step through the skills and concepts you need to become a horseman or woman.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">An approach that values the relationship and communication with the horse, using the horse's own language and behaviour.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A people training program, first and foremost.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>This is what Parelli IS NOT:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Circus tricks or training. The obstacles are used to help humans and horses develop puzzle solving skills and engage in compelling conversations; we are not teaching them tricks or automated responses. We want the horse to keep asking us questions, because in the questions lives the conversation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A method to produced push-button horses or 'robots'. We certainly never want our horses to behave mindlessly or tune out of the dialogue... that is not natural, that is not a relationship.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A quick fix to eradicate problems. Most horse behavior issues are a result of a poor understanding or relationship with the human. Horses are generally quite fine in the pasture until we show up! So taking care of the language, communication and relationship is key - and it takes patience and time to build, rebuild and keep alive, just like any relationship. Confidence and trust are hard to earn, easy to lose. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A 'soft'
approach where only positive reinforcement is used. The leadership
component matters a great deal when dealing with such a large and
powerful animal. Horses in a herd can often get quite firm with each
other when they establish or reconfirm their own hierarchy or pecking
order. We need to be fair and benevolent leaders, as such it is
sometimes necessary to get firm to be understood - providing we always
give the horse a choice and he can see it coming. Being firm without
being mean or mad can be quite appropriate - as long as the emotions are
kept out of the picture. The horse knows the difference between a
firm phase applied to help them learn and one applied out of frustration
or anger. Negative reinforcement is not 'bad' per say - it just
means the stimulus goes away when the horse responds appropriately.
All learning requires some form of pressure, and horses respond very
well to the release of a cue at the right moment - it causes them to learn
very quickly. Let’s remember that horses are prey animals who value
<b>safety, comfort and play </b>above all else, even food. This is why a scared horse will not eat
or drink. If the human can become that icon of safety and comfort, then provide the right kind of play, horses become very motivated to follow our lead. Providing instant comfort at
the right moment with the right timing is much more effective than treats
and rewards, although the latter can be used strategically to teach horses
to put in additional effort for doing a difficult task. After all,
riding involves various kinds of pressure (the aids - leg, seat, reins) used to
communicate to your horse. Applying this pressure very gradually and slowly, followed by an instant release as soon as the
horse responds is how our cues can get lighter over time; in fact, if this is done well and consistently, there will
come a time when all the horse will need to respond is a thought. Horses are consistently exposed to
pressure in a human environment – fences, tight spaces, noises, changes,
new settings, tack, human contact, etc., and our responsibility as owners and leaders involves teaching them to respond appropriately to different types
of pressure. For example, if my
horse’s leg were to get caught on a wire, his natural instinct would
dictate that he pulls until he can free himself and run, even if that
means leaving the leg behind.
Teaching him to yield to pressure will help him stay safe and
healthy in our world. A horse that
has learned to overcome his natural prey instinct and can wait and remain
still when he feels a tug on his leg until we can untangle him might have a brighter future in
humansville.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">A program aimed only at recreational riders or people who don't ride! Indeed it does appeal to many recreational riders, but we also have Olympians and international level athletes using it to develop their horses. Parelli gives every horse and rider a solid foundation to build on once they choose a sport or specialization. You also now know that we do ride, and we ride a lot, at least, most of us :-) And if you are wondering how good you can get on the ground, check out Silke Vallentin, Licensed Parelli 4 Star Instructor, on YouTube. She may not be able to walk, but she is a great teacher and horsewoman. Or Lauren Barwick, Paralympian and 4 Star Parelli Instructor, who is paralyzed from the waist down who not only rides, but wins medals at the top of her sport.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>What sets Parelli apart:</b></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">extensive step by step learning and
support system</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> that has been developed over the years and is available
worldwide.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">Highly effective yet gentle tools</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: inherit;"> that
have been developed to enhance the communication between horse and human
without causing harm - halters that teach horses to yield to pressure,
ropes that provide feel, timing and precision, the famous carrot stick
which acts as an extension of your arm, and top of the line saddles and
bridles designed with the horse's well being in mind as well as the
optimization of the rider's balance and seat.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">An approach that is tailored to each individual horse</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: inherit;">.
No two horses are alike, and they all have their own personality, or
HorsenalityTM. We teach riders to understand their horse's
Horsenality and unique needs, to read their horse in the moment, and to
adjust their training strategies accordingly.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">We put the emphasis on the mental and emotional first, then and
only then, we address the physical aspects of horse training</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: inherit;">. Many traditional approaches start and
sometimes end with the physical, and the horse’s state of mind tends to be
an after thought or secondary concern.
So for example, we may not worry at first whether the horse is
ridden or moves in a proper frame or flexion. We focus on ensuring he can learn to
move independently and in self-carriage, in control of his own emotions
and impulsion without having to be constantly held back or pushed forward,
without fear or tension – which in time will cause him to adopt the
desired flexion, posture and frame.
The posture or frame is never forced on the horse, it is an outcome
that develops naturally through the levels and can then be refined as long
as the horse is calm, connected and responsive.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">It is an approach driven by principles, not techniques</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: inherit;">.
The techniques can and will vary extensively based on the
rider-horse combination, the situation, the level of training. The
principles however remain steadfast and consistent, and help provide
direction, focus and a clear picture of the outcome. Keeping it natural,
not making or teaching assumptions, two way communication, mutual
responsibilities, the attitude of justice, using body language,
teaching humans first, and remembering that we need principles, purpose
and time - those guiding principles underlie everything we teach and
learn.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">I invite you to enjoy a look at Parelli through the years. You will see some of Parelli's top students with their horses, starting with Linda Parelli, Pat's most dedicated student, as well as others that have now become famous in their own right.</span><br />
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About the author</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Geneviève Benoit, founder of <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" target="_blank">VifArgent Horsemanship</a>, is a Licensed Parelli 3 Star Instructor, Level 4 Graduate of the Parelli program, <a href="http://www.equinecanada.ca/" target="_blank">Equine Canada</a> Certified Coach and Certified with the <a href="http://riderbiomechanics.net/" target="_blank">International Society of Rider Biomechanics</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She has been a rider and equestrian for over 40 years and has been teaching Parelli since 2005.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Geneviève has spent over 95 weeks training at both Parelli campuses since 2003, 38 of which directly under Pat Parelli. She has also been mentored by Linda Parelli. She is a graduate of the Mastery Program and returns to the campus on a regular basis to upgrade her horsemanship and teaching skills.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a full biography, go to </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://vifargent.com/meet-genevieve-benoit/">http://vifargent.com/meet-genevieve-benoit/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For her introduction video, click below </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-33649916190693953682015-12-20T01:00:00.000-05:002015-12-20T01:00:01.343-05:00Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year! Voeux pour le Temps des Fêtes!<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wishing all of you a fabulous Holiday season with friends and loved ones, and all the best for the New Year. May it bring you joy, heath and success, however you may define it. Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey this year, it was an honor to walk with you! See you in 2016!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep it natural! Naturally yours,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Geneviève Benoit</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.vifargent.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.vifargent.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.lechevalaunaturel.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.lechevalaunaturel.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Je vous souhaite un merveilleux Temps des Fêtes remplie de belles rencontres et de joyeux moments en bonne compagnie. Que 2016 vous apporte joie, santé et prospérité, ainsi que la réalisation de vos rêves les plus fous! Merci à tous ceux qui ont fait partie de mon année, ce fut un plaisir de cheminer avec vous!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Que le cheval soit avec vous! Naturellement vôtre,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Geneviève Benoit</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.vifargent.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.vifargent.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.lechevalaunaturel.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.lechevalaunaturel.com</span></a></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-57921124353856727622015-10-09T21:30:00.002-04:002015-10-09T21:30:45.415-04:00Announcing the third edition of J2S - Your Journey to Savvy Group Distance Coaching Program!<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Announcing the third edition of the very popular J2S Your Journey to Savvy Group Distance Coaching Program! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay motivated and progressive through the winter months, with support from a Licensed Parelli 3 Star Instructor and a community of like-minded students.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Registrations are now open, four different packages to choose from. Class starts <b>November 1st</b>! Check out the details in on </span><b><a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy">www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy</a></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImlOM4yELaE/VhhqGGVGFDI/AAAAAAAADqg/a1yDZ89bgHk/s1600/Your%2BJourney%2Bto%2BSavvy%2BFlier2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImlOM4yELaE/VhhqGGVGFDI/AAAAAAAADqg/a1yDZ89bgHk/s320/Your%2BJourney%2Bto%2BSavvy%2BFlier2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15.2015px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WHY</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This guided distance coaching program was designed to answer many of my students’ and my own challenges with learning the Parelli program at home. Many of us feel the need to break through the feeling of isolation, have fun, stay progressive, keep the motivation alive and find ways to continue advancing despite weather, facility or time constraints. The program will provide accountability and consistency, which are key to reaching your horsemanship objectives. It is built to help you stay focused, stay on track, spark your imagination and inspire new ideas through regular homework, consistent help and support from a <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 15.2015px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Licensed Parelli Professional</strong>, as well as opportunities to connect, share and celebrate your achievements with other members of the group.</span></div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 15.2015px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WHAT</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.2015px; line-height: 25.8426px;">This is a unique group coaching and support program which does not require you to leave home and allows you to learn under the guidance of a Licensed Parelli Professional; it also provides access to a community of like-minded aspiring natural horsemen and women. Through homework, weekly group meetings and coaching, you will be able to keep advancing your skills, stay inspired and motivated and share your experience and successes with other students in the program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your questions will be answered and you will no longer find yourself ‘stuck’ with no idea on how to start moving forward again. The homework and challenges will spark your imagination, help you develop your leadership and deepen your relationship with your horse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It can be done anywhere, anytime and only requires a commitment to learn and the desire to participate (… and an Internet connection).</span></div>
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<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15.2015px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If your horse is recreation for you, can you be recreation for your horse?</span></i></div>
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You are not alone! Join us to stay motivated and get support on your journey to excellence!</h2>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/yourjourneytosavvy" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #010028; font-size: 18.2418px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Join our Facebook Page for announcements and more student testimonials</a></h4>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-53725741018505861092015-07-15T11:26:00.001-04:002015-07-15T11:27:45.200-04:00Cactus, Cattle and Cowboys Fair Spotlight with Blue Moon and Menina<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Here is the video of my spotlight at the fair last weekend with Blue Moon and Menina. There was a lot of noise and commotion, we were competing with tractors, generators, draft teams, the horse show in the adjoining ring and a live band on stage! I had to redub the music because the audio track was so bad... Both mares were superstars, I am so proud of them! </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/parelli?source=feed_text&story_id=10154094095524778" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">#</span><span class="_58cm">Parelli</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"></span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/horsemanship?source=feed_text&story_id=10154094095524778" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">#</span><span class="_58cm">Horsemanship</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/instructor?source=feed_text&story_id=10154094095524778" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">#</span><span class="_58cm">Instructor</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/horsesliberty?source=feed_text&story_id=10154094095524778" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">#</span><span class="_58cm">HorsesLiberty</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/079VS5AkwYk" width="480"></iframe>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-32892551274984984222015-06-11T21:42:00.000-04:002015-06-11T21:42:01.904-04:00June news and new 2015 clinic schedule - Nouvelles de juin et nouveau calendrier des formations 2015<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">Clinic schedule in Ontario for 2015 and an update on the Weekend with Pat Parelli in Quebec.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">To read the whole newsletter, click here </span></span><a href="http://conta.cc/1GpOQL1" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #012d7c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://conta.cc/1GpOQL1</a></span><br />
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Calendrier des formations 2015 en Ontario et nouvelles du Weekend avec Pat Parelli au Québec.<br />
Pour lire toute l'infolettre, cliquez ici <a href="http://conta.cc/1GpOQL1" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #012d7c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://conta.cc/1GpOQL1</a><br />
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-48348687362106598992015-02-03T14:53:00.000-05:002015-02-03T14:54:47.631-05:00February News and Updates - Nouvelles et mises à jour de février<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In the news for this month:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic now a 3 part series, a Pat Parelli clinic, and more learning opportunities! Check out our updated event schedule.</span><br />
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<a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fconta.cc%2F1EBFiwc&h=BAQFqMtcG&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Click here to read February's newsletter</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rSbBRDyD15Q/Sfyhj4Va-dI/AAAAAAAAABg/WcOIyh97CrA/s1600/DSCN0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rSbBRDyD15Q/Sfyhj4Va-dI/AAAAAAAAABg/WcOIyh97CrA/s1600/DSCN0206.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Les nouvelles de février:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Le Stage Intensif est maintenant une série de trois formations, un stage avec Pat Parelli et de nouveaux évènements! Voyez notre cendrier des évènements à venir.</span><br />
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<a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fconta.cc%2F1EBFiwc&h=BAQFqMtcG&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Cliquez ici pour lire l'info-lettre de février</a>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-21673896475439414482015-01-11T14:35:00.001-05:002015-01-11T14:35:39.664-05:00For the first time, a weekend with Pat Parelli in Carignan, QuebecFor the first time, Pat Parelli will be coming to Quebec and presenting a 2 day clinic!<br />
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A weekend with Pat Parelli May 30th-31st in Carignan, Québec.</h3>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's official! Pat #Parelli will be in Quebec May 30th-31st for the first time EVER! Pat will be presenting the Parelli program and coaching riders on their problems with horses. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: normal;">Come as a spectator or apply to take your very own lesson with Pat Parelli. A few lucky riders and their horse will have the opportunity to have a 3 hour private lesson with Pat to expose and solve common behavior problems.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, 10 tickets will be auctionned for a private dinner with Pat hosted Saturday night, with all profits going to the <a href="http://www.parelliinstitute.org/" target="_blank">Parelli Education Institute</a>. This is HUGE! </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tickets on sale now, <b>best price and rider applications before March 13th</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have personally dreamed of this for the last 15 years. Click below for info and to get your tickets.</span></span></div>
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<b>Information, tickets and rider applications here </b><br />
<a href="http://www.lesencansdechevauxcarignan.com/horse-clinics.html"><b>http://www.lesencansdechevauxcarignan.com/horse-clinics.html</b></a>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-80835651960063844062014-12-21T01:00:00.000-05:002014-12-21T01:00:00.374-05:00Key to Success No. 7 SUPPORT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">Right at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli introduces his Level 1 theory by outlining the six keys to success. They are: </span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination</b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">. Since the original publication of the book years ago, a seventh key has been added: </span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">Support</b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">In my earlier posts, we focused on the first six keys: </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-seven-keys-to-success-attitude.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Attitude</a></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">, </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-seven-keys-to-success-key-no-2.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Knowledge</a>, <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-3-tools.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tools</a>, </b><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-4.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Techniques</a><span style="color: #222222;">, </span><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-5-time.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Time</a><span style="color: #222222;"> and </span><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-6.html" target="_blank">Imagination</a></span><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"> In this post, I will introduce the last key to success, </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"><span style="color: #660000;">SUPPORT</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> This one is truly
one of the most important one of all!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Key 7: SUPPORT</span></h3>
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As in any long term project that requires motivation, commitment, thoughtful planning and perspiration, the support of like-minded people who are on a similar journey becomes critical in allowing horsemanship students to continue advancing, keep on track, and as needed, to find encouragement and inspiration.<br /><br />When I started on my natural horsemanship journey in 1999, it was definitely the path less traveled. In fact, only a very small handful of people in my part of the world had heard of this new approach to horses and for the most part, we were ridiculed, shunned and basically considered too different to be part of the ‘in’ crowd. It was a lonely journey and I found myself connecting to other like-minded students mostly through various Internet groups and communities around the world. With no instructors nearby and no access to the technology resources we have today, it was a journey of trial and error and it was often very frustrating. It took grit to stay on track and keep going despite the criticism, the failures and the obstacles. This was a time when showing up at an English barn with a rope halter was a big No-No, and no one really understood why we ever wanted to play with a horse on the ground.<br /><br />Thankfully, things have evolved in the last ten years and there is a growing interest for natural horsemanship methods and the importance of building a sound partnership with the horse. Natural horsemanship students are still a minority, but we are a growing minority, and with an increasing number of prominent members who are succeeding in competitive circles, the likelihood of being dismissed as ‘only good for people who don’t ride’ is subsiding.<br /><br />Athletes such as Canadian <a href="http://www.laurenbarwick.com/">Lauren Barwick</a>, 4-Star Parelli Senior Instructor and Paralympian, who has been to 3 Paralympic Games, 4 World Championships and a great number of other international competitions; Lauren most recently claimed Silver and Bronze at WEG in Normandy and gives inspiring demonstrations with her dressage horses all over the world.<br /><br />Click here for a short video of Lauren demonstrating horsemanship savvy with her Paralympic mare Off to Paris.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.luislucio.com/english/index.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Luis Lucio</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is head of the Spanish dressage team and has recently been appointed to the FEI. He has been a long time friend of Linda and Pat Parelli and integrates natural horsemanship methods into his training program; in fact, Luis lists Parelli Natural Horsemanship right at the top of his home page. Click below to watch a video of Luis Lucio riding Grand Prix movements with nothing on his horse’s head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kt-JuqJtZA&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kt-JuqJtZA&feature=youtu.be</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Luca-Moneta-Horsemanship/391806984220555">Luca Maria Moneta</a> is an international show jumper from Italy and a long time student of the Parelli approach who is making his mark worldwide as a successful competitor. Luca has been dubbed the ‘carrot man’ after he explained in an interview how he won a puissance class at the European Championships by rewarding his horse’s try with a carrot after each successful jump.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_x_Y_SKv8nE/VIt0zSPoasI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/DrGnQq__WbY/s1600/LucaMonetaDoha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_x_Y_SKv8nE/VIt0zSPoasI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/DrGnQq__WbY/s1600/LucaMonetaDoha.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />In the Western world, one of Pat Parelli’s top students, Elli Pospsichil, just finished in the Top 15 at NCHA Cutting World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jTI38BiHTRw/VIt0zWLPd0I/AAAAAAAAB_U/h0JbBzPgIfA/s1600/ElliPospichilNCHACutting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jTI38BiHTRw/VIt0zWLPd0I/AAAAAAAAB_U/h0JbBzPgIfA/s1600/ElliPospichilNCHACutting.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />So what does this have to do with support? Well, these very inspirational people all have something in common: they did not achieve their results alone. They have sought and enlisted a lot of support and when they need help to resolve an issue or find a better way, they don’t hesitate to go to someone who is more masterful than they are to get help. Linda Parelli regularly teaches Luis and Luca, Elli studies full-time with Pat Parelli and Lauren has spent many days and hours with the Parelli’s to hone her skills and figure out her complex horses. They think up, not sideways, in everything they do, including when the time comes to find a mentor.<br /><br />Nowadays, there is no reason to feel alone in your backyard or at your barn trying to learn. There are <a href="http://professionals.parelli.com/">Licensed Parelli Professionals</a> available worldwide who have dedicated their lives to helping students reach their goals; most of them offer many different teaching formats, in person or through distance coaching. They can help point you in the right direction, find the resources you need, get unstuck and support you through your journey. <br /><br />In addition, the Parelli Program is underpinned by a robust subscription based training support system. If you want to achieve measurable and sustained improvement in your horsemanship skills, consider a Parelli Membership Plan a pre-requisite to that progress. The <a href="http://www.parelliconnect.com/">Parelli members club</a> is gathering a vast community of horse lovers and giving them access to a huge Learning Library available on line to support students on their pathway. <br /><br />Finally, there are play groups and natural horsemanship communities popping up everywhere, even in far away places like Africa and Indonesia. If you reach out, you may find there several more like-minded horsemanship students near you just waiting to find a buddy and have play dates! Or start you own support group, organize a few simple activities and you might be surprised who shows up! We even have communities of students who are spread out in different countries and meet through Skype and video to challenge and support each other. A great example of key no. 6, Imagination, at work.<br /><br />What are you going to do in 2015 to find or build your support network and reach for your horsemanship goals?<br /><br />Wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday Season and lots of great horse days in 2015! As always, keep it natural!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-17411191755111082932014-12-20T15:44:00.001-05:002014-12-20T15:47:28.565-05:00Your Journey To Savvy - A Guided Group Learning Program at Home to Advance Your Parelli Journey<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Announcing Your Journey To Savvy<span style="font-size: xx-small;">TM</span> - A Guided Group Learning Program at Home to Advance Your Parelli Journey.</b></div>
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Learn * Experience * Share * Achieve * Celebrate</h3>
This program was designed to answer many of my students’ and my own challenges with learning the Parelli program at home. Many of us feel the need to break through the feeling of isolation, have fun, stay progressive, keep the motivation alive and find ways to continue advancing despite weather, facility or time constraints. The program will provide accountability and consistency, which are key to reaching your horsemanship objectives. It is built to help you stay focused, stay on track, spark your imagination and inspire new ideas through regular homework, consistent help and support from a Licensed Parelli Professional, as well as opportunities to connect, share and celebrate your achievements with other members of the group.<br />
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<b>Starts January 1st, 2015</b><br />
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For more information or to sign up, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy">www.vifargent.com/yourjourneytosavvy</a>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-90510090212328707582014-12-07T17:39:00.000-05:002014-12-07T17:40:29.275-05:00Décembre 2014 - Voeux des Fêtes, idées de cadeaux, évènements à venir, rabais sur les forfaits de leçons d'hiver, et encore plus!<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">2014 se termine, réaliser vos objectifs, idées de cadeaux et un nouveau départ en 2015!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://conta.cc/1CKzekY" target="_blank">Cliquez ici pour lire l'info-lettre</a></span></h3>
<b><a href="http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4e4445324d5449334d6a413d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_instructions_directurl_makeyourown" target="_blank">Cliquez ici pour voir le diaporama de ma revue de l'année 2014</a></b><br />
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Au plaisir de vous revoir en 2015!Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-65380974474742092002014-12-07T17:29:00.001-05:002014-12-07T17:33:53.468-05:00December News - Wrapping up 2014, achieving your goals, gift ideas and looking ahead to 2015!<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Holiday Greetings, Gift Ideas, Upcoming Events, Winter Lesson Special and more! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://conta.cc/1CKzekY" target="_blank">Click here to read the newsletter</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SXXsuvUWi3dz-FHFYToKW-NwzfDr1gpMDtVb4yX5NpF_D8aXH2kzWJp8i4TshiSl8UY79NFdKap3VbQ135OnCNSeSj2ux9dDS1vzfPiM-xQ_lQfzZFoCyFjpF-D4H6r4isP9d7dRCwRwTUp7dFaC6iaqD3pniVK_MzGZogGCPzpzgbWz8b4egZ75qxKIJ5K6APXSAZxwP6_fxkbqOQGQp7ivQDrB74sT&c=wmX-wdBxOMEMyaEAuAB9qyu2u6dmZVMJQv-WXdqnyAipwabBxxUALQ==&ch=BOv51L558NVcvfsU0s5BPsfJmdin827JeRt8BZHBfmM-VS3xXGfUTA==" target="_blank">Click here to see a slideshow of my year in review</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;">See you in 2015!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #7b2d36; color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-81947775927581333572014-11-16T15:16:00.001-05:002014-11-16T15:16:21.382-05:00November News - Winter lesson specials and Early Bird rates for the Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic (and more!)<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">November newsletter - Winter specials and EB rates for the 2015 #Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic (and more!) </b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In this month's news:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Horseless Workshops</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Winter lesson package specials</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Registration opens for the 2015 Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic - Early Bird rates</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Rider Biomechanics training</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In the press...</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Savvy Tip of the Month</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Quote of the Month</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Items for sale</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">About Covey Hill Farm</span></li>
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<b><a href="http://conta.cc/1v7ti29" target="_blank">Click here to read the newsletter</a></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Info-lettre de novembre - Leçons à petit prix pour la période hivernale et tarifs Early Bird pour le Stage Intensif Parelli 2015 (et plus!)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dans les nouvelles ce mois-ci:</span><br />
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<li>Ateliers sans chevaux </li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forfait de leçons d'hiver à petit prix</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Les inscriptions sont ouvertes pour le Stage Intensif Parelli 2015 - tarifs Early Bird</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cours de biomécanique du cavalier</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Le conseil Savvy du mois</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">La citation du mois</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Articles à vendre</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">La Ferme Covey Hill</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="http://conta.cc/1v7ti29" target="_blank"><b>Cliquez ici pour lire l'info-lettre</b></a>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-78057777804589859482014-11-15T01:00:00.000-05:002014-11-15T01:00:01.181-05:00Join us for the 2015 Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Join us for
the 2015 Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic in </span></b><st1:place><st1:city><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Havelock</span></b></st1:city><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, </span></b><st1:state><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Quebec</span></b></st1:state></st1:place><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">7 Games, 4 Levels, 4 Savvys! Are you ready?</span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #141823; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">Announcing the <b>2015</b> <strong>Parelli Intensive Foundation Clinic with </strong></span><st1:personname><strong><span lang="EN-CA">Geneviève</span></strong></st1:personname><strong><span lang="EN-CA">
</span></strong><st1:personname><strong><span lang="EN-CA">Ben</span></strong></st1:personname><strong><span lang="EN-CA">oit, 3 Star Instructor</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-CA">, and assistant junior instructors (TBA)</span></b><span lang="EN-CA">. Dates: <strong>June 28<sup>th</sup> to </strong></span><st1:date day="2" month="7" year="2015"><strong><span lang="EN-CA">July 2<sup>nd</sup>, 2015</span></strong></st1:date><span lang="EN-CA">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA">5
days of intensive Parelli led by a top notch instructor and graduate of Pat
Parelli’s Mastery program - this is THE event for dedicated students who are
aiming for excellence!</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Are you a dedicated
Parelli student ready to move forward? Are you looking for an opportunity to
participate in a week of intense learning with an experienced instructor,
without having to travel across the continent?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">This event is an
opportunity to get in-depth coaching and immerse yourself in the Four Savvys
with an aim to reach for Levels 3 and 4.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The format of this
clinic has been completely revisited with the primary objective being to ensure
the participants receive much more individual attention. Attendance is limited
to 10 riders. <br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">The first afternoon will consist in theory, and
each of the next four days will begin with a remuda - a get together for
discussion and Q&A. You will then spend the rest of the day in group
learning sessions with your horse! You will also be assigned homework every
day: watching a </span></span><st1:stockticker><span class="textexposedshow"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white;">DVD</span></span></st1:stockticker><span class="textexposedshow"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white;">, reading an
article or any other assignment to help reinforce your learning.</span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">The last afternoon will be dedicated to focused
lessons, which will be observed and commented by all the participants.</span><br />
<br />
</span><strong><i><span lang="EN-CA">Minimum requirements for participants with a
horse are Level 2 completed (blue string) and able to ride your horse in a
group. </span></i></strong><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #141823;"><br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Gallery students are an integral part of all theory
and simulation sessions, and get to observe and comment all riding sessions. There are no prerequisites for Gallery
students.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><b>EARLY BIRD
RATES IN EFFECT UNTIL JANUARY 31ST FOR RIDERS </b></span></span><st1:stockticker><span class="textexposedshow"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #141823;">AND</span></b></span></st1:stockticker><span class="textexposedshow"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #141823;"> GALLERY STUDENTS</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rider spots will be
awarded on a first come, first serve basis! A 50% non
refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Covey Hill Farm</span></b><span lang="EN-CA">
is a beautiful private facility in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Southern
Quebec</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">, set on 250+ acres of
sloping terrain at the foothills of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Adirondack
Mountains</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">. The property features a gorgeous indoor arena
with professional footing, a state-of-the-art barn featuring large airy stalls,
hot and cold water wash bay, large pastures and lots of space to play! We are also building an outdoor playground. The private lake is a short walk away for a
refreshing swim on a hot day. Covey Hill
is adjacent to the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">US</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-CA"> border and Upstate New York, an easy trip from Plattsburg and </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Burlington</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-CA">. It is 45 minutes south of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Montreal</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-CA">,
Vaudreuil and St-Lazare, and a short drive from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Ottawa</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-CA">, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA">Cornwall</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-CA">
and Bromont/Knowlton.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here for
pictures of the facility <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153356160404778.1073741842.207591719777&type=3" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153356160404778.1073741842.207591719777&type=3</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a full
service campground nearby as well as several other lodging options and we have a
few RV spots available on the property.
The area has lots to offer for after hours dining or touring and to
entertain your non horsy partner!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We look forward to
seeing you there! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">For
more information about Geneviève, visit <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/proprietaire/Mes%20documents/Dropbox/Parelli%20Intensive%20Foundation%20Clinic%202015/visit%20http:/vifargent.com/meet-genevieve-benoit/" target="_blank">http://vifargent.com/meet-genevieve-benoit/</a></span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">For more information, program,
registration forms and documents, visit <a href="http://vifargent.com/parelli-intensive-foundation-camp/" target="_blank">http://vifargent.com/parelli-intensive-foundation-camp/</a></span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Event
page on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/749683901771686/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/749683901771686/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or contact<br />
<strong>Geneviève
Benoit, Licensed Parelli 3-Star Instructor</strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/proprietaire/Mes%20documents/Dropbox/Parelli%20Intensive%20Foundation%20Clinic%202015/www.vifargent.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: normal;">www.vifargent.com</span></a></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA"><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: maroon;">THE HORSE
SOUND IN </span></i></span></strong><st1:stockticker><strong><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon;">MIND</span></i></strong></st1:stockticker><strong><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon;"> </span></i></strong><st1:stockticker><strong><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon;">AND</span></i></strong></st1:stockticker><strong><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: maroon;"> BODY,
NATURALLY!</span></i></strong></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-17349307537053655172014-11-08T20:07:00.000-05:002014-11-08T20:07:59.780-05:00The 7 Keys to Success - Key no. 6 IMAGINATION<div style="background: white; line-height: 19.4pt; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 25.8666667938232px;">Right at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli introduces his Level 1 theory by outlining the six keys to success. They are: <b>Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination</b>. Since the original publication of the book years ago, a seventh key has been added: <b>Support</b>. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;">In my earlier posts, we focused on the first five keys: </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-seven-keys-to-success-attitude.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Attitude</a></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;">, </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-seven-keys-to-success-key-no-2.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Knowledge</a>, <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-3-tools.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tools</a>, </b><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-4.html" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Techniques</a> and <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-5-time.html" target="_blank">Time</a>.</b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;"> In this post, I will introduce the sixth key to success, </span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;">IMAGINATION</b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 19.4pt;">.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Key no. 6 IMAGINATION</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLeLrdZONNY/VFrBKjoiYJI/AAAAAAAAB4M/mTzuNsK4yxc/s1600/DSCF6179LOGO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLeLrdZONNY/VFrBKjoiYJI/AAAAAAAAB4M/mTzuNsK4yxc/s1600/DSCF6179LOGO.JPG" height="327" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It’s not about doing circus tricks. The obstacles and
toys help us build a conversation and engage our horse’s mind to solve a
puzzle.</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.4pt;">Did you know horses learn 7 to 10 times faster than humans? We are the slow ones! We need to learn to become more imaginative, more
sensitive and more creative when we play with our horses. Horses get so easily
bored and frustrated by people when it is just the same thing every time, over
and over. They need to be positively stimulated at three levels: mental,
emotional and physical. They need to play and have fun when they learn.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the span of the first four levels in the Parelli Natural
Horsemanship program, there are a multitude of tasks laid out to help us take a
more imaginative approach to the development of ourselves and our horse. These steps not only keep us progressive and
advancing, but help keep the horse interested in learning and spending time
with us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pat Parelli’s rule of thumb is 80% consistency, 20% variety. Consistency builds confidence, reliability, and
trust and solidifies the learning.
Variety is the spice of life! It
keeps things engaging, interesting and fun. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 19.4pt; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Being imaginative also means you may have to change your approach and
tailor your session to the horse that shows up that day or in that moment. Only fools keep doing the same thing
expecting a different result! If your
technique is not producing the results you are looking for, you may have to
come up with a different way of asking the question or helping your horse find
the answer. This is where adding more
savvy arrows to your quiver by diligently keeping up your studies of
horsemanship will be helpful. If all you
have are one or two ways of doing each exercise, you will soon find yourself
out of arrows if those one or two are not working! Great horsemen know there are many ways to
get to an outcome and are able to quickly read the situation and adjust
accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagination will stop your horse from getting bored or burned out by you
or the way you train. The Parelli Levels
program will help you get started and build an awesome set of skills on the
ground and riding. It will shape you as
a leader for your horse, teach you to plan your sessions, show you patterns to
use as exercises and give you some creative goals to aim for, for example,
leading your horse by the tail, or teaching him to put all four feet on a
pedestal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.4pt;">You don’t always have to do unusual things. Just advancing your horsemanship abilities
improves your leadership and keeps things appealing for your horse.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.4pt;">Imagination can make all the difference.
Your horse will thank you for it!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The round pen needs
to be a playground, not a torture pit! How many things can you think of doing in a
round pen?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We would
love to hear your comments or questions.
If you enjoyed this post, please don’t hesitate to share with your
friends.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You enjoyed this article? Let us know by submitting your comments and feel free to share with your friends!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-70335368193423086342014-10-25T18:12:00.000-04:002014-10-26T08:33:47.370-04:00Announcing a Horseless Workshop Series in Havelock, Quebec!<div style="background-color: white; color: #4c433c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">As promised, I am announcing the first series of horseless workshops to be held in my new home in Southern Quebec. As I celebrate my return to Quebec, I hope to see many of you there!</span><br />
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Come discover Parelli Natural Horsemanship and the language of the horse, and learn more about the HorsenalityTM model, a revolutionary concept developed by Linda Parelli to help you better understand your partner and build a stronger relationship. In our 4th workshop, we will present the principles of caring for horses in a natural way as well as alternatives so your horse can have the best care while remaining true to his nature.</div>
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You can sign up for one or more workshops, and we offering a great deal for those who book their spot for all four dates in the series.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;"><b>Come and learn without having to haul a horse!</b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Now being held in our new high end facility in Havelock, Quebec</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Horseless workshops are a fun and practical way to learn without having to worry about hauling a horse. You will attend a conference and take part in discussions and practical simulation exercises in an indoor facility, sheltered from the weather.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Workshops are generally comprised of a presentation, exercices and games and a Q&A session.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">We will hold a demo with a horse at the Havelock location.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Please note the date change for workshop 4, there was a typo in the initial post.</b></span></blockquote>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 November: Start a relationship, build a partnership (learn about Parelli)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">9 November: Discover your horse's HorsenalityTM (Part 1)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">23 November: Advanced HorsenalityTM (Part 2)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;">14 December</span><span style="color: #4c433c;">: Natural Horse Care and Management</span></span></strong></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Workshops are open to all. Please note that there may be prerequisites in some cases.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PLEASE REGISTER AHEAD OF TIME.</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Workshops will be held on Sundays from 1 to 4pm. Best deal if you book for all four dates.</span></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hurry, space is limited!</span></i></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">For more info and registration forms, visit </span><a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fvifargent.com%2Fhorseless-workshops%2F&h=fAQFkdIHk&enc=AZMQBitVU5LXUc_BJlcFkzUhAweOSosxXEtTUvYMA2InJ5LHPSGUHXAXul7JsXBY2qQ&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17.9200000762939px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://vifargent.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>horseless-workshops/</a></span></div>
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I look forward to seeing you there, and please share with your friends who love horses!Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-43456098874799811812014-10-24T17:59:00.000-04:002014-10-24T17:59:00.951-04:00Team Parelli succeeds at the Quarter Horse Congress!<img alt="Pat cutting Quarter Horse Congress" src="http://parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/pat1.jpg" /><br />
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following post was written and contributed by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pat-Parelli/178486055520738?ref=br_tf" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Pat Parelli</a>, and reprinted from the <a href="http://parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/news/team-parelli-succeeds-at-quarter-horse-congress/" target="_blank">Parelli blog</a>. To ensure that you’re always up to speed on the latest news from Pat and his team, be sure to “like” his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pat-Parelli/178486055520738" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, and keep an eye on his <a href="https://parelliconnect.com/?utm_source=Main%20Parelli%20Blog&utm_medium=Main%20Entry&utm_campaign=Main" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Parelli Connect</a> profile. Take it away, Pat!</em></div>
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It’s been about three decades since I was a professional competitive horseman. Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, I participated in reined cow horse and cutting competitions pretty regularly. Since then, my focus has been helping regular people achieve extraordinary results with their horses. For the most part, I’ve taught recreational riders, so it’s been a pleasant surprise to be invited to such events as the <a href="http://www.aqha.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">AQHA</a> World Championship, the <a href="http://www.apha.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">APHA</a>World Show, and the <a href="http://www.normandy2014.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">World Equestrian Games</a> over the past few years. Most recently, I was invited to present and compete at the <a href="http://www.oqha.com/aaqhc" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Quarter Horse Congress</a> in Columbus, OH.</div>
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It’s taken me years to realize that, when it comes to the Parelli Program, competitive horsemen and women are mostly looking for the 3 Rs: <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">reference, relevance</em>, and then<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">reverence</em>. When looking for what Parelli can offer them, most performance horse owners are searching for a reference, someone who has done well in competitions (English, Western, or other sports) while implementing the Parelli Program in their training.</div>
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Lately, there have been many Parelli students who fit this criteria! All over the world, from local competitions to the Olympic Games (see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RidingForGold" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Lauren Barwick</a> and <a href="http://www.lucamoneta.com/www/index.php" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Luca Moneta</a>), Parelli students are succeeding in the competition arena! And now, Team Parelli (myself, my son Caton, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellisuperstar?fref=ts" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Elli</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellisuperstar?fref=ts" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Pospischil</a>) is consistently taking part in cutting competitions. At this time, two of our horses are qualified in the Top 15 in the world, and will likely be competing in the<a href="http://www.nchacutting.com/ag/shows/world_finals_home.php" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">World Finals in Fort Worth, TX</a> this December. Additionally, Elli is going to compete in the $2000 Limited Rider division.</div>
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Combine this success with the invitations I’ve received to do demonstrations at these high-level events, and all of a sudden I’ve had the opportunity to present the relevance of the<a href="http://www.parelli.com/about.html?utm_source=Main%20Parelli%20Blog&utm_medium=Main%20Entry&utm_campaign=Main" style="border: 0px; color: #006538; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Parelli Program</a> to thousands of horsemen from the competitive world.</div>
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This recent trip to the Quarter Horse Congress was a first-time experience for me, and it was very exciting for all of us. Elli did a great job in her division and ended up with an 11<span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>place finish. Quite a good result, considering the group of roughly 50 very talented competitors in that class. Cutting, if you’re not familiar with it, is one of the most complex equestrian sports out there. While technically you’re competing against other riders, your real competition is the cow.</div>
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Meanwhile, Caton ended up receiving three standing ovations: two in the competition arena in the two classes he entered, and the third in a father/son demonstration that we performed in the Celeste Center on Friday evening as the openers for the PBR bull riding evening session. Check out the great action photos below for a few more shots of me, Caton, and Elli during the competition.</div>
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Both of the horses I brought, Sparkplug and Scout, did quite well in their divisions, and both wound up receiving medals. I entered Sparkplug in the bridleless cutting competition, and we marked a 226 in the finals and ended up in 3<span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span> place – the highest score either of us have ever marked in a three-judge competition.</div>
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What’s most exciting to me are the doors that are opening up for us. I think the students that are riding with me – Elli, Caton, and Carlos Osorio – have actually opened more doors than anything I’ve done, because people are seeing not only them and their horses doing quite well, but the tremendous growth they’ve achieved in a very short period of time.</div>
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People are starting to ask us questions, and it’s starting to make sense to them. Foundation before specialization. Put the relationship first. Never-ending self-improvement. So here we are, sharing an inspired vision to help make the world a better place for horses and humans, and modeling the way by putting that relationship first, not only with our horses, but with our fellow competitors as well. The future is bright; it’s in our hearts and our minds, and this experience has confirmed that ambition can be a great thing if it’s tempered by patience, principles, and sequence.</div>
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Remember, keep it natural!</div>
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– Pat Parelli</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You enjoyed this article? Let us know by submitting your comments and feel free to share with your friends!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-80850070551864511012014-10-10T21:09:00.000-04:002014-10-10T21:10:33.823-04:00Ateliers Parelli offerts en français cet automne au Québec!<div style="background-color: white; color: #4c433c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Comme promis, je vous annonce la première série d'ateliers sans chevaux qui se tiendront sur ma nouvelle terre d'accueil en Estrie. Pour fêter mon retour au Québec, j'organise ces formations et démonstrations en français, en espérant vous y voir nombreux afin de nous encourager à continuer!</span></div>
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Venez découvrir l'équitation naturelle Parelli et le langage du cheval, et en apprendre plus sur le concept des Horsenality<span style="font-size: 8pt;">TM</span>(personnalité du cheval); ce concept révolutionnaire élaboré par Linda Parelli vous permet de mieux comprendre votre partenaire et d'établir une meilleure relation avec lui. Dans notre 4e atelier, nous vous ferons découvrir des principes de régie et des alternatives pour offrir à votre cheval les meilleurs soins possibles tout en respectant sa nature propre.</div>
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Vous pouvez vous inscrire à un ou plusieurs ateliers, et j'offre un forfait à tarif avantageux pour ceux qui désirent réserver leurs places pour l'ensemble de la série.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Venez apprendre sans avoir à transporter votre cheval! </span>Maintenant dans de toutes nouvelles installations haut de gamme à Havelock, Québec, y compris un manège intérieur.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Les ateliers sans chevaux sont des formations amusantes et pratiques pour apprendre sans avoir à s'occuper de transporter un cheval. Vous assisterez à une conférence, prendrez part aux discussions et aux exercices pratiques en simulation en salle intérieure, quelles que soient les conditions climatiques.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">La formation comprend généralement un exposé, des exercices et des jeux, ainsi qu'une période de questions. Une démonstration avec cheval aura lieu aux ateliers qui se tiendront à Havelock cet automne.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Les ateliers sont ouverts à tous. Veuillez prendre note que des pré-requis peuvent s'appliquer selon les sujets présentés.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">VEUILLEZ VOUS INSCRIRE D'AVANCE.</span><br />
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">18 octobre: Tisser un lien, bâtir un partenariat (découverte de la méthode Parelli)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8 novembre: Découvrez la personnalité de votre cheval (1ère partie)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">22 novembre: Encore plus sur la personnalité du cheval (2e partie)</span></strong></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">13 décembre: La régie du cheval au naturel</span></strong></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Les ateliers auront lieu de 13:00 à 16:00 heures.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Forfait pour les inscriptions aux quatre formations.</span><em>Faites-vite, les places sont limitées!</em><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Cliquez ici pour de plus amples renseignements les ateliers et pour les formulaires d'inscription.<a href="http://vifargent.com/ateliers-sans-chevaux/" target="_blank">http://vifargent.com/ateliers-sans-chevaux/</a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Au plaisir de vous y rencontrer et de vous y revoir, et n'hésitez pas à partager ces informations avec vos amis amoureux de chevaux!</span><br />
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-47756183545734888582014-09-30T01:00:00.000-04:002014-09-30T01:00:01.856-04:00The 7 Keys to Success - Key no. 5: TIME<div style="line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;">Right at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli introduces his Level 1 theory by outlining the six keys to success. They are: <b>Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination</b>. Since the original publication of the book years ago, a seventh key has been added: <b>Support</b>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">In my earlier posts, we focused on the first three keys: </span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-seven-keys-to-success-attitude.html" target="_blank">Attitude</a></b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">, </span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-seven-keys-to-success-key-no-2.html" target="_blank">Knowledge</a>, <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-3-tools.html" target="_blank">Tools</a> </b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">and</span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"> <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-4.html" target="_blank">Techniques</a></b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">. In this post, I will introduce the fifth key to success, </span><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">TIME</b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">.</span></div>
<h2 style="background: white; margin: 10.8pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #531836;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Key 5: Time</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">When they are first learning about the Parelli program, some people might
comment that it seems to take a lot of time.
In our society of instant gratification, we tend to want to want to find
out what buttons to push to get an immediate result or ‘fix’ the horse. Unfortunately, this does not work with
relationships in general, and certainly not with equines. One of my favourite sayings is </span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 19.4pt;">‘</span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 19.4pt;">Take
the time it takes so it will take less time’</i></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">. How many people do you know won’t take the
time to do it right, but will continue doing the same thing over and over again
without improving their result?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">You have to invest time to improve yourself and your horse, IN THAT
ORDER.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Yes, you see, most often the
answers lie within us, and the horse is just a reflection of our level of
knowledge and horsemanship.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Looking in
the mirror can be challenging, but once we commit to becoming better partners
for our horses, they will often turn around very quickly.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 19.4pt;">Horses
learn 4 to 7 times faster than humans</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">; that is a built-in genetic feature
that has allowed them to survive through the ice ages.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">We are the slow ones!</span></h2>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgVYDeGPHo/VBhW5cFcFdI/AAAAAAAABpU/xpNQCeGjS-g/s1600/IMGP3993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fNgVYDeGPHo/VBhW5cFcFdI/AAAAAAAABpU/xpNQCeGjS-g/s1600/IMGP3993.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: FR-CA;">Learning is sometimes best
done without a horse! Simulations are a
great tool to improve human skills</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">The great news is that Parelli has a detailed and sequential program
that will help you learn what we learned much faster, because you won’t have to
spend time figuring out the lessons the hard way! Ask yourself, how much time
do you get to spend with your horse? Is it always enjoyable and stimulating?
Would you enjoy spending more time if it was more interesting and rewarding?
Would it help if the time really counted for something?</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Here is the other piece of good news.
With time well-spent </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">playing</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">
with your horse, even if you need to take a break in time, you and your partner
can pick up right where you left off – there will be no gap in learning. Why? Because
you are building a relationship… It would be like picking up a conversation
with an old friend you had not seen in a while. The foundation of love,
language and leadership in equal doses solidifies the relationship and it
sticks.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">You may also want to consider this question: are my horse’s basic needs being met when I
am away? Horses need more than food and
shelter to thrive mentally and physically.
They require constant movement, social interaction and play to avoid
stress, illness and mental disorders.
Keep in mind that even if you see you horse an hour a day, he has 23
more hours to think about things he could be doing either with you, without you
or to you… </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Most importantly, make that limited time you might have to spend with
him count, so that he starts looking forward to your visits! I love it when my horses head for the pasture
gate when they hear my truck in the driveway, and wait with anticipation as I
walk towards them with ears pricked forward and all eyes on me! Wouldn’t you?</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZC0WI_nJYo/VBhXcm0VJkI/AAAAAAAABpc/oL1SGcJ-9n4/s1600/P1030006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZC0WI_nJYo/VBhXcm0VJkI/AAAAAAAABpc/oL1SGcJ-9n4/s1600/P1030006.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 9pt;">If your horse is recreation for you, are you recreation for your horse?</span></i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We would
love to hear your comments or questions.
If you enjoyed this post, please don’t hesitate to share with your
friends. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Until
next time, keep it natural!</span></div>
</div>
</h2>
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<div style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br />You enjoyed this article? Let us know by submitting your comments and feel free to share with your friends!</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-333223167005062622014-09-25T11:02:00.000-04:002014-09-25T11:02:09.043-04:00A new home for VifArgent, returning to Quebec! Retour au Québec pour VifArgent!<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">EN FRANÇAIS CI-DESSOUS</span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">September News! Announcing my relocation to the Eastern Townships.</span></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Retour-au-Qu-bec-et-un-nouveau-domicile-pour-VifArgent---VifArgent-is-returning-to-a-new-home-in-Quebec-.html?soid=1106091886256&aid=FGsKy29eeJY" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank">Click to read my September newsletter! </a></h3>
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" colspan="1" rowspan="1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This month...</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>News - VifArgent is relocating!</li>
<li>Student Successes</li>
<li>Rider Biomechanics</li>
<li>The 7 Keys to Success</li>
<li>Savvy Tip of the Month</li>
</ul>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" colspan="1" rowspan="1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nouvelles de septembre. J'annonce mon retour au Québec!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ce mois-ci....</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nouvelles - VifArgent revient au Québec</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Réussites d'élèves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Biomécanique du cavalier</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Les 7 Clés de la Réussite</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conseil Savvy du mois</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Retour-au-Qu-bec-et-un-nouveau-domicile-pour-VifArgent---VifArgent-is-returning-to-a-new-home-in-Quebec-.html?soid=1106091886256&aid=FGsKy29eeJY" target="_blank">Cliquez pour lire mon info-lettre de septembre! </a></span></h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You enjoyed this article? Let us know by submitting your comments and feel free to share with your friends!</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-80046313615661299392014-08-29T22:02:00.000-04:002014-08-29T22:02:20.895-04:00The 7 Keys to Success - Key no. 4 Techniques<div style="line-height: 19.4pt; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right
at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli introduces his Level
1 theory by outlining the six keys to success.
They are: <b>Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination</b>. Since
the original publication of the book years ago, a seventh key has been added: <b>Support</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.4pt; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In my
earlier posts, we focused on the first three keys: <b><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-seven-keys-to-success-attitude.html" target="_blank">Attitude</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-seven-keys-to-success-key-no-2.html" target="_blank">Knowledge</a>
and <a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-7-keys-to-success-key-no-3-tools.html" target="_blank">Tools</a></b>. In this
post, I will introduce the fourth key to success, <b>Techniques</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #531836;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Key 4: Techniques</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_4ty8FylrQQ/U_O1UGyM5LI/AAAAAAAABik/ZDrGQFcsOSo/s1600/DSCF6159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_4ty8FylrQQ/U_O1UGyM5LI/AAAAAAAABik/ZDrGQFcsOSo/s1600/DSCF6159.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstrating Freestyle riding technique with my young horse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">There are thousands of techniques that work to achieve
results with horses. As one of my
Dressage mentors likes to point out, ‘there is more than one way to get to </span><st1:city style="line-height: 19.4pt;"><st1:place><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">Toronto</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">!’. However, techniques
will readily become mechanical or forceful when they are used without an
understanding of the psychology behind them. Learning to think like a horse helps
us find the right way to communicate and to be effective without using force or
intimidation. Anyone can MAKE a horse do
something, but who do you have to become to cause a horse to WANT to do
something? </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">Regardless of the technique we choose to use, it must
first and foremost be used with the right attitude, with a mindset to help the
horse and not do it to the horse; it is our responsibility to ensure our communication
is clear and understandable for the horse. We all know that horse training can
be forceful and cruel. </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">But without
resorting to crude violence, making a horse do something without his enthusiastic
participation and when he is not mentally engaged in the game results in horses
that resist, shut down, get confused and scared and are generally unaccepting
of human leadership.</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">We like to teach techniques
that promote a mutual communication with horses. Therefore, every technique
must have the following ingredients: the right attitude, focus, feel, timing
and balance. They are not forceful. They allow the horse to think, seek the
answer and choose his response. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Quality of feel is almost imp</span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">ossible to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">learn through
traditional methods. However, a good program will cause this quality to evolve
in you naturally. That is what we strive to teach through the </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">Parelli 7 Games<sup>TM</sup></span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">, which are
modelled on the games horses naturally play with each other.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;">Some of the key techniques that we consider
at the foundation of the Parelli program are the use of rhythmic motion,
approach and retreat, steady and rhythmic pressure, comfort, discomfort, progressive
phases, and releasing at the right time to help the horse learn how to respond
appropriately to appropriately applied pressure, which in turn creates
lightness.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">In short, our students are learning to </span><i style="color: #222222; line-height: 19.4pt;">think, feel, act and play like a horse!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 19.4pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 19.4pt;">We would
love to hear your comments or questions.</span><span style="line-height: 19.4pt;">
</span><span style="line-height: 19.4pt;">If you enjoyed this post, please don’t hesitate to share with your
friends.</span><span style="line-height: 19.4pt;">Until
next time, keep it natural!</span></span></span></div>
</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHEM_gyTu6gBjTp7SGqMEMc134JhmiJZYbqnbQI0yFuVYjwZcJ7fqFicK5ZJvjc5kcG8fIAr1tP93b3ZwpVFYtx19O7fFn3gtn1HjbrntHaIB53awf5M5V0Y2EbT2SVXZu6bPSInuI1k/s1600/DSCF6066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHEM_gyTu6gBjTp7SGqMEMc134JhmiJZYbqnbQI0yFuVYjwZcJ7fqFicK5ZJvjc5kcG8fIAr1tP93b3ZwpVFYtx19O7fFn3gtn1HjbrntHaIB53awf5M5V0Y2EbT2SVXZu6bPSInuI1k/s1600/DSCF6066.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We want the horse to be mentally engaged and enthusiastic about the game!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8147931494796723966.post-1350343640749722702014-08-04T14:37:00.003-04:002014-08-19T16:51:57.999-04:00The 7 Keys to Success - Key no. 3: Tools<h3>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Right at the beginning of his Natural Horsemanship book, Pat Parelli introduces his Level 1 theory by outlining the six keys to success. They are: <b>Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time and Imagination</b>. Since the original publication of the book years ago, a seventh key has been added: <b>Support</b>.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In my earlier posts, we focused on the first two keys: <b><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-seven-keys-to-success-attitude.html" target="_blank">Attitude</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.savvyquebec.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-seven-keys-to-success-key-no-2.html" target="_blank">Knowledge</a></b>. In this post, I will introduce the third key to success, <b>Tools</b>.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unVFJBz20bg/U9_SBnsF9gI/AAAAAAAABdI/Gf8dmDU1CJw/s1600/ColorHackamore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unVFJBz20bg/U9_SBnsF9gI/AAAAAAAABdI/Gf8dmDU1CJw/s1600/ColorHackamore.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="color: #444444; line-height: 25.866666793823242px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Parelli natural hackamore with reins and lead rope attached. Soft, kind, comfortable and effective. My favourite tool for trail riding!</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I am not manually inclined… my gifts came in a
different form. However, as a
horsewoman, I had to develop a good level of manual dexterity in order to be
effective in my trade, and that came through motivation, hard work and lots of
practice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I discovered earlier on that having the right tool for
the job made a massive difference in my ability. I am not very good at driving nails into a
piece of wood, but I can get it done if I have a good hammer. I might be able to do it using something
else, like a screwdriver; however, it will probably take a very long time, I
will most likely injure myself in the process, I will waste quite a few nails
and when I do manage to put one in the piece of wood, the likelihood of having
a crooked and wobbly nail is pretty high.
Believe me when I say I speak from experience!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I have been trimming my own horses for over 10 years. When I first learned how to trim, after
spending good money on my training and knowledge, I initially resisted
investing the money into a quality set of tools. I got the cheapest rasps and knives I could
find. Well, that got old quick. Those cheap tools were cumbersome to use, I
ended up injuring myself with a blunt knife and the results on my horses’ feet
were less than stellar – as I cursed and sweated throughout the process, working
way too hard to get a good cut or rasp those hard feet. Having already committed to the first two <b>keys to success</b>, a good attitude
(willingness and desire to learn) and the knowledge (clinics, training,
reading, studying barefoot trimming and hoof anatomy), I finally bit the bullet
and decided to get proper tools to do it right.
I did some research and bought the best rasps, knives and nippers on the
market, and I never looked back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">When it comes to natural horsemanship, the same thing
applies. When I first decided to learn
Parelli, I was not quite ready to give up my traditional tools to purchase the
recommended equipment – after all, I had several trunks filled with all sorts
of halters, leads, lunge lines, saddlery, bits and other gadgets. I went with the minimum and bought lower quality
copies and makeshift items -- only to find out in the long run that I was
impeding my own learning and confusing my horses with unclear and muddled
communication. Once I finally got the
right tools for the job, I removed one of the key obstacles to my progress and actually
ended up giving up and selling many of my old traditional tools. As a matter of fact, I still own my very
first Parelli halter, 12 foot rope and carrot stick, purchased in 1999, and I
still use them every day! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is the guideline we use when it comes to
tools: keep it simple, kind and
effective. If you want to learn natural
horsemanship, you only really need a few good tools, but you have to be very
particular about their quality and function. This is why Pat Parelli ended up making his
own tools. They were designed because no
one else was making the type of equipment that helped establish a good communication
between horse and rider. When you have enough savvy, you only require few tools
to be effective with horses, but you become increasingly demanding about the
tools you use. I use professional grade tools that are built to last a very
long time. They work for people and for horses and vastly improve the quality,
effectiveness and sensitivity of the communication.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">You will find a list of tools needed at each level of
the Parelli Program here <a href="http://vifargent.com/tools/" target="_blank">http://vifargent.com/tools/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">By the way, don’t forget that your saddle is also an
essential part of your horse toolkit. A
bad saddle can greatly affect your horse’s movement, stride and attitude, and
in the long run, health, because horses that are ridden in tension, pain and
improper posture will develop all kinds of musculoskeletal issues. The wrong saddle will also compromise your
own balance, confidence and comfort.
There are simple and effective ways to test your saddle fit providing
you have enough knowledge and skill, and it does not require very sophisticated
equipment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This video really shows you how much the horse’s back
moves under the saddle and why you need to find a saddle that will not restrict
all that motion in different directions.
Click here to see it <a href="http://youtu.be/nA-n_BR98Nw" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/nA-n_BR98Nw</a>. You will also find many other educational
videos on saddle fit on this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ParelliSaddles" target="_blank">YouTube
channel</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 19.4pt; margin: 18pt 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">To find out more details about the effects of saddles
on horses and humans, check out my page here: <a href="http://www.lechevalaunaturel.blogspot.ca/p/selles-saddles.html" target="_blank">http://www.lechevalaunaturel.blogspot.ca/p/selles-saddles.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 19.4pt;">So, what are you using to nail that board? Are your tools facilitating or hindering your
horsemanship?</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qMH0eJEOmaP2NVf3cOZCOS_-hMndj8q98qzfxGzNYrLxgdeovgGt6eMihRrfpsFGiqkSsHXbzYpOz9X-KET8JrrgpD3D96nRAb_8mkF9Z-5KOY97j3cweuDguR5wAGK0W6QUfybwl3I/s1600/P2260011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qMH0eJEOmaP2NVf3cOZCOS_-hMndj8q98qzfxGzNYrLxgdeovgGt6eMihRrfpsFGiqkSsHXbzYpOz9X-KET8JrrgpD3D96nRAb_8mkF9Z-5KOY97j3cweuDguR5wAGK0W6QUfybwl3I/s1600/P2260011.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.866666793823242px;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 9pt;">Menina sporting a well fitted saddle and pad with correct placement on the back to free up the shoulder blades.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You enjoyed this article? Let us know by submitting your comments and feel free to share with your friends!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span style="color: #660000;">For more info on Parelli training, visit <a href="http://www.vifargent.com/" style="color: #5e124c; text-decoration: none;">www.vifargent.com</a></span></b></span></div>
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Vifargent Horsemanship - Le Cheval au Naturelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01577635757919208618noreply@blogger.com0