Questionnaire - if you've a couple of minutes to spare, please!

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Kate F.

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Mar 24, 2004
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www.thinkinghorse.org
I’m doing some market research to explore attitudes to natural horsemanship, and to try to find out what brings people to it, (or indeed, what doesn’t!) why they choose the approaches they do, and what they get out of it.

So, whether you're an avid NHer, a total anti-NHer or somewhere in between, I’d be very grateful for any responses answering any or all of the following questions. I’m not looking for a critique of any person or method – just your personal feelings and the factors that led you to the decisions you made. I’ve given a few suggestions for answers you may have – but these are just to give you an idea of the sort of information I’m looking for - please use your own words and your own experiences. You an also PM me if you prefer. Whatever you say will be treated in confidence, and is purely for my own purposes in assessing the market and popular perceptions of NH.

Many thanks in anticipation!

1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

eg Yes (go to point 2),
No - but I think it's an interesting idea - and plan to try it when I get the chance,
No - I don't need it, but I think it's OK for some people / types of problem,
No - I think it's just a gimmick and I'm not interested,
No - I was put off by……………..

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
(eg - had a particular problem, friends were doing it, information from TV/Magazines, recommendation from RI, general curiosity ….)

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
(eg was impressed by a demo, recommendation from friends/other riders, liked the description in the advertising/Internet, "shopped around" and liked this one best…..)

4) How did you try it? (eg following exercises from a book/video, lessons with an instructor, a course or series of courses….)

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
(eg Wanted more depth of understanding, liked the principles but found the first approach didn't work for me, wanted to compare different ideas, tried it- didn't like it- and stopped, was put of by………)

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
(eg. Advantages could be… Better relationship with my horse, better understanding of my horse, being able to spot potential problems before they get out of hand, better performance in what I was doing anyway, new horizons - eg, riding bitless, bridleless etc. etc. Problems could be… difficulty in learning from books/videos etc., being ridiculed by non-NH people, lack of local instructors….)

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? (Novice – up to BHS Stage 1 or equivalent, Intermediate – around BHS Stage 2 or equivalent, Advanced - BHS Stage 3 or equivalent or above) Did your experience of NH support what you had learned before and take you further, did it take you in another direction completely? Did it complement or contradict what you had done before?

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.

Thanks a million!
 
I can really only answer the first question, but it should help you out, as you say you're looking for people's perceptions of NH.

1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

No. Not that I wouldn't in the future, but I just haven't needed it until now. I have a trainer I work with, and actually, her methods are fairly similar to what I see in NH trainers. She's learned from Chris Irwin, and has adapted some of his methods for herself, and I've picked these up.

I do think that NH is gimmicky to an extent. I get the vibe from many of these trainers that they believe their methods will work with any and every horse, and that's simply not true. People learn differently, and horses learn differently, and what worked with Horse A will not necessarily work with Horse B. A good horseman/woman should know how to alter their technique to help the horse.

As for barefoot/treeless/bitless, etc... Once again, fine for some people, not going to work for others. Why should I put my horse in a bitless bridle when she goes beautifully in her snaffle bit? If it's not broken, don't fix it.

That said, I think the competition world needs to be more flexible about treeless saddles and bitless bridles. If someone riding their horse in a bitless bridle and treeless saddle can match a rider with a bit and tree, then they should be able to use a bitless bridle, provided that they maintain the traditional look. I would consider the Dr Cook Bitless Bridle to fall under that category. A rope halter wouldn't. If I had money, I'd try a treeless saddle just to see what it was like, but there seem to be few that maintain the traditional look. To put it simply, they're funny looking. :)

Sorry for the essay. Hope this helps.
 
Kate F. said:
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH

- Never bought any books or videos, but I guess my way of handling has always been along the lines of NH without my really meaning to, and after joining NR and reading more about different techniques etc I have come to realise how much I actually do use it.

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?

- My first contact with proper NR was a lecture in Finland of round pen training. I went to listen just out of curiosity. The woman giving the lesson was following Monty Roberts, if I remember correctly.

- I don't think anything "attracted" me to NH, the way I do things I was taught to do, no one ever claimed it to go under any titles such NH.

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?

- Hard to say what I would have tried first as what I do I have been doing my whole life, but I guess the closest guess would be training handling skills on the ground and making sure the horse is prepared that way towards the actual riding.

4) How did you try it?

- I was told what I was supposed to do/achieve by old horsemen, instructors etc and after that it was pretty much trial and error to see what worked with what horse. Sorry if this is a bit too much on the general level..

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?

- I think my methods have stayed pretty much the same over the years, small adjustments with each horse, as what works with one might not necessarily work as well with the next, but the basics are still the same.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.

- Doing things on the horses terms, makes it more pleasant experience for both the person and the horse.

- Biggest problem I guess would be that there is no quick fix for anything, but not sure I would like it that way anyway. Quick fixes don't work in a long run, they just hide the problems and they come back at some point even worse.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?

- Been riding since before I could walk, and been following the same guidelines ever since, so kind of impossible to answer. The way I do things feels good, I get good results and as far as I know, both me and my horse are happy doing things this way.

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.

- Many people have wrong attitudes towards NH treating it as nonsense, and there are a lot of people who do give NH a bad name with doing things when they actually don't know what they are doing and trying to convince people that their way of doing things is the only right way. As a whole it can be a very good system, especially for those who don't have much experience of horse behaviour previously. I am not too sure I like the way some are encouraging people to follow the step-by-step guides to the t, without any room for adjustments, but might work for some. If I ever come acrooss a problem I can't solve on my own, NH would be my first choice for looking for an answer. I think as a whole it looks very well after the best interests of the horse.

Thanks a million!
Click to expand...

Hope that helps, I might not be the best example.. ;)

Nina x
 
I'll give it a go...

1) yes - i do alot of join-up and monty roberts methods, been to a demo and done alot of research
2)had been researching Monty Roberts for projects etc then started to incoperate his methods with my equine buddies.
3)Monty Roberts Join-up
4)alot of research than trial and error on a very forgiving pony.
5)n/a
6)taught me how to read the horses body language and act appropiatly and quickly. When i moved onto my abused horse i had built up enough experience to work with her and see past her problems. i ride her bitless and have trust and confidence in her i doubt i would have if not having previous behaviour experience (hope that made sense!).
7)novice not even near stage 1
8)i dont follow Monty Roberts exactly as i dont find everything is successful for me and some of it i just dont agree with but it is definitley is a big part of how i work. I havn't tried any other methodssuch as Parrelli as yet but will look into them later on i feel.

hope it helps.
 
Thanks Keket! Actually, Chris Irwin is on my list of NHers - though he isn't so high profile and upfront about it as some, so in a way you are using it, but under another name!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!
 
Oh, and thought I'd add that I don't consider riding bitless, treeless, going barefoot & rugless necessary part of NH anyway. I think that is just down to what people want to do and what they consider working best with their horse.

Nina x
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.) Yes

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place? I don't like forcing my horses to do anything and as i have owned several rescues I was looking for a less forcefull and less confrontational way of asking them to do things I also wanted to find ways of gaining their trust


3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
I worked at an NH yard at 15 so first started off doing join-up etc because it was part of my job

4) How did you try it? by watching my boss and then trying for myself

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I also tried parelli as wanted to try as many as I could

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
Building up better relationships with my horses and being able to achieve things without forcing my horses. Getting my horses to trust me and have complete trust in me. The problem I find is that everyone you come across thinks you're a nutcase and I spend my whole time trying to explain myself

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? (Novice – up to BHS Stage 1 or equivalent, Intermediate – around BHS Stage 2 or equivalent, Advanced - BHS Stage 3 or equivalent or above) Did your experience of NH support what you had learned before and take you further, did it take you in another direction completely? Did it complement or contradict what you had done before? I was a novice rider but had owned horses all my life. I found that instructors would be telling me to do everything the BHS way but I disagreed with kicking and whipping so ended up going without lessons until this year when my mum (who also does NH) started giving me lessons

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

No - but I think it's an interesting idea - and plan to try it when I get the chance.

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
I am always interested in taking a natural approach, my horse has reiki healing and I would like to try some natural horsemanship with him as I think it would be nice for us to bond on his level.

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
I just like to take little bits from here and there, they all 'seem' to be based around general pricipals, although I am not to keen on following a 'set' course (reminds me of Scientology!)

4) How did you try it?
I try little bits here and there, I have read bits on NR or in magazines that give me good ideas to work with.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
As I said I mix and match!

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
I think it can help to build relationships and understanding with your horse on his level, but I do think it can give people the wrong impression that it is a cure all approach, it can make people predujiced (sp!!) against conventional horsemanship ways, and so can have the reverse effect of making them more narrow minded. I like to be open minded and pick and choose as I see fit.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?
Not sure really, never did NH when I was younger with my ponies (under 16) stopped riding for a few years and have been trying odds and ends for a few months, would say despite riding for 18 years I am a novice??

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.

Don't close your mind to any method.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.) Yes.

eg Yes (go to point 2),
No - but I think it's an interesting idea - and plan to try it when I get the chance,
No - I don't need it, but I think it's OK for some people / types of problem,
No - I think it's just a gimmick and I'm not interested,
No - I was put off by……………..

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
It presented an opportunity to see things from the horses point of view. More of a two way conversation rather than a dictatorship. I wanted a better understanding of why horses do what they do.

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
I shopped around...did lots of reading and research. I like the methods of John Lyons and Bob Jeffries because they explained the reasons behind why they do what they do and it worked for me and the horses I worked with. I still read and research a lot and still have much to learn.

4) How did you try it? I attended training sessions and studied books and videos.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I never gave up on the basics I learned but have found that not every approach works for every horse. Thing is...many trainers can't be brutally honest when they write their books or make a D.V.D. If they were to be brutally honest with us..then a lot of us would get scared and would give up handling horses. I think that most of us want to think that we will always be in control when we ride horses...but even the best trained horse will have his moments because he is a living, feeling creature.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
The biggest advantage to NH is that it encourages us to listen to what the horse is telling us. We become more aware of what is going on and why. This way? we can adjust our communication in order to help our horse .This, in my opinion helps us to build a relationship with him. I beleive that every being runs from pain but will embrace acceptance and understanding. Humans and horses are alike in this respect and I beleive that N.H. helps people to help horses thus the horse helps us too. Win Win situation.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? (Novice – up to BHS Stage 1 or equivalent, Intermediate – around BHS Stage 2 or equivalent, Advanced - BHS Stage 3 or equivalent or above) My previous experience was totally different. N.H. led me to re evaluate most of what I thought to be true.

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.


Thanks a million![/QUOTE]
 
1)Have you ever tried any form of NH?
Yes

2)What attracted you to NH in the first place?
I attended a Clinton Anderson seminar and was interested in how I could use ground work to get a better relationship with my horse.

3)Which approach/method did you first try and why?
Cinton Anderson because he was the first one I saw.

4)How did you try it?
I bought his Ground Work 1 and Riding with Confidence 1 videos.

5)If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I tried to get information about as many different NH trainers as I could including Parelli, John Lyons, Ray Hunt, Pat Hooks, Chris Irwin … I went to seminars, read books, watched videos, and eventually got RFD TV which has a lot of NH TV shows. Now I combine techniques from a lot of NH trainers.

6)What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem?
The biggest advantage is I am a lot safer than I used to be because I can read horses better. I have a much better relationship with my horse with more respect. The biggest problem I see is that some people can be NH snobs. I’ve met a lot of people that latch onto one NH trainer and follow them like a religion. They think that there is one and only one way to train a horse and if you are not a total believer than you are less of a horseman.

7)What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?
I had been riding horses for 4 years and started with English Lessons. I must have had the wrong instructor because as a beginner, I learned how to sit and ride a horse that was already well trained and nothing else. NH took me in a completely different direction. As I was building a relationship with my horse, it gave me confidence. As I gained confidence I became a better, more relaxed rider. Originally I was stiff and always worried about the precise position of my legs, hands, … Now I think more about how I can communicate with my horse to control all the parts of my horse’s body with as light a cue as possible. Another big difference is that when I am teaching my horse something new, it usually starts on the ground.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)
Yes, I have been to a Kelly Marks/Monty Robert Demo and have a Kelly Marks book. I am open to all ideas whether NH or not. I tend to take bits from here and bits from there.

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
Curiosity was a part of it. As someone who has not been around horses all their life I tend to look/read/experiance everything I can!

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
Join up is the first NH I purposely set out to try - to see if I could get my horse to follow at my shoulder. Afer that I did develop an interest in Kelly Mark's methods - I thought they were softer (not sure if that is the right word) than Monty Roberts. I started with them as it was their demo I went to.

But I have tried NH methods without realising it, by using common sense I followed NH principles - but I would also say that they have always been used (at least by successful/reputable horsemen/women) through time, but without the 'NH' tag, e.g. body language, soft eyes turning away not using direct eye contact..

4) How did you try it? Talking about the join up I had seen it on tv, at a demo and also had it explained step by step in a book. I chose a day when nobody was around so there were no distractions!

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I take bits from all types of NH as and when common sense/instinct/necesscity dictates.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
Communication with the horse and being able to use that ability to help avoid misunderstanding and conflict.
The biggest problem I believe is if you stick religiously to one form of NH and believe that that way is the be all and end all. Also, I am distrustful of having to pay rather large sums of money to get kits in order to partake in a particular form of NH

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? I would say as a rider I was probably an advanced beginner when I started looking around at it. (When I got my first horse). And since then (I would class myself as an intermediate) I would say it has certainly opened my eyes to different approaches, and also by my interest in it (and success!) it has also interested people on the yard who are traditional!

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.
 
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1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

Yes. Bought books, been to a demo and have used an IH RA a few times.


2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?

Had a horse that reared .... a lot! She was also super dominant so it was a good way of working with her.


3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?

Intelligent Horsemanship. I'd looked at and into PNH and decided it wasn't for me. At that point I hadn't discovered the likes of Mark Rashid, Michael Peace, Richard Maxwell etc.


4) How did you try it? (eg following exercises from a book/video, lessons with an instructor, a course or series of courses….)

Got an IH RA out to see my horse, initially for her rearing but then for ground work and long reining. Then got the Perfect Manners/Perfect Partners books. Went to a Monty Roberts demo.


5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?

I still use IH (prefer the Kelly Marks approach to the Monty approach) but supplemented it with other stuff as my knowledge increased. I don't believe that there is any one system that is perfect for every horse so you should mix and match according to you and your horse's needs.


6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.

Learning more about how horses 'tick'. A better relationship and understanding. A horse that doesn't rear!

I haven't found a particular problem I think because I've branched out and doing IH initially has given me the confidence to follow my own path to a certain extent. Overall I think that there is a problem when people get fixated on one method and it becomes almost cult like for them to the point where they cannot see any good in other methods and refuse point blank to acknowledge that there may be flaws in the method that they use. Everything is evolving and nothing is perfect, it's only by questioning even the things that we agree with that we can move on.


7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?

Crikey! Hard one. Flatwork wise I was a lot more advanced than jumping. Jumping wise I could probably have tackled BHS Stage 2 given some training. Flatwork wise I was doing lateral work, flying changes etc.

Discovering NH took me in a completely different direction. I had been brought up the BHS route so it was a completely different way of looking at things. I was already interested in EE and classical riding but I think that NH took me that much further into it so I've gone from a Dressage Queen to being not quite so competitive.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

Yes :) .

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?

Mostly curiosity after hearing about it (friends talking, and articles in magazines). Also didn't think it would do challenging horse any harm :p .

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?

Parelli was the first form of natural training I looked into (because it was the first article I read on Natural Horsemanship).
I dare say I've dabbled in most of the others since then :) .

4) How did you try it?

Read a book on Parelli first and then started reading on other techniques. As my interest grew I went to some demos, and did some classes.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?

Didn't give up, but resolved to continue my interest and learning, while combining elements of what I had learnt with more traditional methods.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.

Advantage. Bonding with neddy :) .

Disadvantage. Met some really puritanical types which put me off ('bits are evil, no room for discussion' and other like-minded gospels :cool: ).
Big shame because if those types are the first link newcomers had to natural methods, they'd be really turned off learning what it has to offer.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)
Yes

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
I emigrated, and it is what's on TV here.

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?

Clinton Anderson (is he really NH ?) and John Lyons (is he ?)mostly. They were both on TV a lot, both seemed to have great results, both seemed easy to understand.

4) How did you try it?
I bought a book and followed the exercises.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I dropped John Lyons when I realised how fond he was of obfuscation. I figured out that his TV shows made it all look so easy, because he never in fact showed the learning process, only the finished product. I've also Parellied a bit through friends, books, DVDs, I have books and DVDs from everyone I can think of ... I get to see lots of others on TV Dennis Reis, Chris Cox ... I don't know where actually NH ends and regular western training begins. I've never ridden 'western' but I don't find that a problem.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
It's advantage (to me) is the idea of the 'whole horse'. The horse as someone who is communicating, teaching, learning, all through his life rather than as a 'thing' that can be produced and thereafter expected to behave as he has been trained to do.... but actually, that might be more to do with having been exposed to so many different trainers, rather than a feature of NH itself.

Problem ... the marketing. People are swayed into thinking that if only they attend this one clinic, ride with this one rider, buy this one DVD set, that all their problems will be solved. They probably will be, but not in anything like the sort of timescale they imagine.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?
I don't know ! I can ride a bit but I'm not very good.
 
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1) My pony was broken in by a guy who practices natural horsemanship.
2) I jsut read about it and it seemed a much kinder, more sympathetic way of doing things with horses.
3) I watched teh way Jason rode him and had a couple of lessons with him.
4) I tried it when I started to ride the pony.
5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I try to use natural horsemanship as much as I can with the pony.
6) There's no real problem at the moment. The pony is going fine and I'm quite happy with that.
7) I'm an experienced rider but I dont think I particularly ride to any particular level. I've never really thought about it.
http://www.xanga.com/katefarmer
 
Hi Kate,

Am enjoying reading all of the replies - good thread!

Kate F. said:
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)
Yes

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
Started learning NH handling methods while on a ranch in TX where my sister worked which bred and trained horses in an NH way. Vaguely Parelli, but mostly just a common sense mixture of techniques. Began to read around ie Buck Brannaman, John Lyons, Parelli, Monty Roberts, Tom Dorrance then got invited back out there to ride in a clinic with Mark Rashid (who I'd never heard of at the time!), read his books, did the clinic and got very hooked :p (although he wouldn't exactly call himself an NH trainer:) )

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
Bit of all sorts, but Mark's methods suited my horse the best. I bought him in Sept 2000, and first rode with Mark (not on my horse) in Feb 2001. My boy was extremely explosive and virtually unhandled when I got him, and I felt Mark's non-confrontational practical approach would work.

4) How did you try it? (eg following exercises from a book/video, lessons with an instructor, a course or series of courses….)
Clinics - in TX on a borrowed horse, then groundwork on my then 3 yr old, moving to ridden clinics in the UK with Mark, plus various step by step books in the meantime - Kelly Marks, Michael Peace.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?

Haven't changed my basic ideas, just refined as I go, picking up bits from various trainers. Anything which makes sense to me gets stored in the toolbox:p

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
Biggest advantage - patience:D It gives me pause for thought to stop and consider why the horse is reacting the way it does. I look for ways to 'blend' with my horse instead of make him do things like I would have tried to do in the past. Biggest disadvantage - perception of other people, lack of a support group around me, although the more clinics I do, the more great people I meet.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?
Reasonably experienced - I'd been riding (english) since the age of 4, nothing too competitive, but had a lot of experience with backing youngsters and riding away on various showing/jumping yards. Switched to NH (& Western riding!) at the age of 21.

Did your experience of NH support what you had learned before and take you further, did it take you in another direction completely? Did it complement or contradict what you had done before?

Mostly contradicted to be honest. I'd never stopped to think things through before, just did what everyone else did without questioning why:eek: Although it helped me to understand why the things I had done successfully in the past had been successful!
Click to expand...
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

yes, albeit briefly.

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
I'd seen some people doing join up, and had heard lots of good things about Parelli.

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
I tried join up first. When I first got my pony he had major dominance issues - if you had him at liberty and tried to move him he would turn his bum and kick out at you. So I did a bit of join up, and it did work well. Haven't done it for a loooong time though, and when I did it was inexpertly.:eek:
I also tried Parelli for a while (because my friend had the level 1 kit and couldn't 'get' it with her mare, so out of curiosity I thought I'd have a look, and if it worked we could do it together.

4) How did you try it? I tried join up having read Monty Roberts' and Kelly Marks' books, and having seen a friend do it.
With the Parelli, I read the Level 1 pack from cover to cover, then started from the beginning.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
The join up I stopped because it had accomplished its purpose - pony no longer tried to kick me in the field, and I didn't know enough to be taking it a step further.
The Parelli...I never really clicked with. I would start the games, but Max would always be trying to pull away to get to the grass, or we'd do so much then lose everything. To be honest, at heart I'm truly a traditionalist. The way I'm most comfortable with is considerate "bhs" style, but with tiny bits that I've picked up from NH (we do quite a mean hindquarter yield at time, in the middle of our schooling sessions:) )

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
To be honest, the biggest problem I found with the Parelli that I tried was that there was only a very small section of it devoted to "troubleshooting" - i.e...it's not working when I think I'm doing what he told me...my pony is responding completely differently...why? I could probably search further, try different NH people to find answers about how I should respond but really, it wasn't my thing.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? Novice/intermediate. I didn't stay with it long enough for it to be able to affect my riding.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH
Yes

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
Horse phobic of clippers, me at my wits' end, friend suggested I try it

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
Parelli - recommended by friend

4) How did you try it?
Got the Parelli man out!

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I got as far as I needed to with the Parelli in terms of securing my horse's co-operation with clippers. I wasn't 100% happy with some of the work the guy was doing though, he seemed to want my horse to be 100% co-operative whereas I was just pleased to be able to do a clip! Sometimes he got a bit rough I would say.

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.
Biggest advantage - it's given me a much better understanding of the way the horse thinks & I think I am a lot more open minded about how I deal with horses now (it all used to be as per the BHS Manual of Horsemanship!). Biggest drawback - dogma & loss of open mindedness because of slavish adherence to a particular 'school' of NH.

7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH? Well I got my BHS stage II 20 years ago but went to Uni instead of doing my AI! Yes it's made me question the way I had been taught to deal with horses all those years ago, and I'm not sure that old style BHS & NH really complement each other at all. I'd say it's affected my handling of horses more than my riding though.
 
1) Have you ever tried any form of NH (ie bought a book/video and tried it out, been to a course etc.)

yes, a little

2) What attracted you to NH in the first place?
sounded like something else interesting to have a go at

3) Which approach/method did you first try and why?
Parelli orginally (bought level one off ebay cheaply but got as far as th firendly game. Now it's the Pink's Lady' School of Common HorseSense;) with a bit of clicker training.

4) How did you try it?
Bought parelli level 1 off ebay and the 'how to train your horse to do anything' book too.

5) If you then changed to another approach, or if you gave up, why?
I found parelli a bit too commercial and intense - if you don't do it his way, you're doing it all wrong and shouldn't be trusted with a horse;)

6) What do you think the biggest advantage to learning NH is, and what is the biggest problem.

Advantages - gives to you a better empathy and understanding of you horse, often meaning you don't 'need' NH anymore as problems just 'melt away'.
Disadvantages - it relies heavily on the handler having good horse sense and timing to do it well, which many people nowadays (lots of novices leaping in to buy a horse etc) don't have. Many of the types are very blinkered and cult-like.


7) What level were you riding at when you first tried NH?

eh..proabably about advanced (BHS stage 3). It probably reduced my riding ability as I spent more time on the ground.

8) Any other information you think might be helpful.
I tend to do my own thing, using what I see as common horse sense, using the way I know horses think. If I have a 'problem' I identify it and think up a good method of solving it - i.e Kalli didn't like to stand still when stressed ad wanted to move her feet, so I made her move, but as I wanted, until she deciced standing still was easier. Hey presto, rooted horse;) She wasn't too keen on jumping so I used clicker training to encourage her. Brodie didn't like being touched so I used version of the friendly game (along with bribary;)) to work through it.
 
"I dropped John Lyons when I realised how fond he was of obfuscation. I figured out that his TV shows made it all look so easy, because he never in fact showed the learning process, only the finished product."
Code:

Kate.....you need to stop watching John on RFDTV.:p :p :p :p
 
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