>>>> From what I've been reading in Clicker--it doesn't sound 'conditioned'....the horse recognizes the sound and will respond, but the fact that they think and look for ways to get a click--is that conditioning? ... When I think conditioning I think robotic. ... The games in PNH, with phases, etc., they seem to be just as much 'conditioning' in its own way.
Yes, I think so. It's up to the owner/trainer/rider to keep ANY program from being rote and making the horse robotic in his responses. Do you remember that I told you that I see some differences in the "new" Level 1 compared to the one I first owned? It's not major maybe, but it was noticeable to me. I think that's because it's Linda doing the new DVD's. In a way, I like her riding and I like a lot of what she does. But, I wasn't quite as comfortable with some of her explanations and reasoning as I was with what I've heard from Pat. I think that's probably a difference in their personalities. He seems pretty laid back in a lot of ways, like he's just really, really comfortable with the horses, so much that what he does is simply instinctive. I think Linda was a marketing person, or was in some high-energy career before she met Pat. She was into competitive dressage, liked hot horses, etc. I honestly wonder if Linda would know what to do with most of my Icelandic's. I don't mean that in a negative way, but she seems so impacted by her past "crazy" and hot horses that I don't know that she would cope well with a very, very stoic and quiet horse - maybe I'm wrong. I like that she stresses safety so much in the DVD's. I like that she emphasizes that each person needs to be comfortable with what they are doing. I DO think Icelandic's are horses first and foremost - I'm not saying otherwise. I just miss some of the joy that I saw Pat put into the earlier DVD's. I don't hear her using the comforting (to me anyway) phrases like "put your heart in your hand" or "horses don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." The Parelli program didn't strike me as "rote" one bit the first times I saw Pat on DVD or at the weekend seminars I went to. But, I guess in her move to make the system as fool-proof as possible, she missed some of the joy that attracted me to the program initially. I still like the DVD's. I'd still recommend them. I'd just like to hear a little more about the fun and partnership, and a little less about winning... I miss that. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
