I recently had the opportunity to ask Linda Parelli some questions about herself. She and her husband Pat run the successful, world-renowned program called Parelli Natural Horsemanship (www.parelli.com) - Editor
What is your background with horses?
I was born obsessed with horses, which was strange because my parents were not at all horsey! But they finally gave in to my pleas for riding lessons when I was age nine and we were living in Singapore, where I was born. And then they bought me my first horse when I was 12, once we moved to Sydney, Australia.
I was an avid pony clubber, went to a lot of competitions, and retired my ponies when I was 20. I got my next horse when I was 27 and this was the horse that led me to Pat Parelli.
What draws you to horses and why do you think you’ve stayed so passionate about them for so long?
That’s really hard to describe because it was an internal thing; that passion was there from the beginning and it never left me. But my passion has grown as a result of meeting Pat Parelli because I learned how to be more intimate with horses, to truly have them want to be with me. And I literally found the pathway to living my dream with horses because I learned how to do all the things I only dreamed about: riding like the wind without a bridle, bareback, carefree and joyous; playing with horses on the ground at liberty like I used to see in the movies as a kid; and not to mention dancing with them in beautiful and powerful collection. Every day it just gets better.
What is your philosophy about horses?
To keep it natural, to put the relationship first, and that horses are way more than riding. I want to be excellent and do incredible things with horses but not at the expense of their dignity. I want them to want it, too. I’ve had the opposite, where I used nosebands and martingales and had control issues, and yet I still was winning ribbons. All that tension and horse wrestling was not how I dreamed it would be.
So when I talk about “natural” I think about the horse’s nature and what’s in it for them as individuals. I always wanted to put the relationship with my horse first, but now I know how to do it. And to realize that horses are for way more than riding. They teach you so much about yourself and help you transform into a better person in every way and every day you are with them.
What do you like most about teaching?
I love empowering others. I love transforming people’s relationships with their horses and giving them the tools to go on and beyond. I’m an avid researcher, and I’m constantly asking questions and testing theories and practice, so being progressive is part of what I really enjoy. There is always a better way to do something.
What are your plans for the future?
To change the world! We’re already doing that, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Life can be so much more fulfilling with horses when we understand the secrets of horses: their individual “Horsenality,” how to play instead of work them, how to have them love the journey too.
For myself, I continue to develop my own skills at every level. I’ve come a long way but I still have a long way to go. I love waking up every day knowing that I’m going to learn something new.
I love your Fluidity program for riding. I’ve personally started using Fluidity concepts while I ride, and I find myself feeling far more comfortable, and, most notably, I’m much more in-tuned to what my horse is doing, while at the same time my horse seems more in-tuned to what I’m doing. Would you be interested in writing some articles on Fluidity for future issues of Ride! Magazine?
Kathleen, there is nothing that compares to having true harmony when riding, and a lot of people don’t know how to do that. Fluidity is the science of that. It starts at a very fundamental level that can build to greatly-advanced levels. But most people don’t have the beginning right and most teachers don’t teach what you really need to know. As you know, Fluidity is about way more than riding position! I’m glad you’re experiencing results with our approach and I’d love to do some articles. Thanks for your great questions.
