We have been doing a little bit of Parelli with Rupert for a while now and he is really getting the hang of it. However we had not started with Pablo as he is very scared of sticks and wouldn't even let us near him carrying one. However we decided that we would give it a go as he needs to get desensitized to them sometime anyway. We expected fireworks or at least some of his shaking and shivering he puts on when sticks are about. But he was brilliant! He was not happy about the stick but he trusted Stephen sufficiently to allow him to rub it all over him in the friendly game without moving a muscle or even shivering. He cow-kicked once when it was under his belly so we went back to the less sensitive areas for today (we'll gradually try introducing it onto his belly in his next lessons). We were absolutely amazed - he stood with a loose rope (and didn't stop breathing which he often does if he is scared).
You can see he is not happy about the stick but he is trusting that Stephen won't let it hurt him.
You can see he is not happy about the stick but he is trusting that Stephen won't let it hurt him.