>>> Huge difference in the expression of this horse compared to the other. >>> Most training aids are only as effective as the hands of the rider >>> using them.
One measure I use of a clinician's insight and knowledge is how much they depend on any piece(s) of tack. In this case, it doesn't matter one whit when I practice the lessons in Jane's books and videos without a noseband. I can do them with no bit, bareback or in a western saddle if I choose. It's the underlying principle that's important, and her style of teaching is effective for the way I learn. The choice of tack is incidental. I know that the Parelli's (master capitalists that they are) would like for everyone to buy their rope halters and leads, but honestly, I can play the seven games in any old rope halter... and further, with any plain old nylon halter, and sometimes, with no tack at all. I don't blame them for trying to make money on their merchandise, but it's up to me to decide which (if any) of their stuff I need. Their methods stand on their own, without their products. Another thing I learned from Parelli's Seven Games that's not just related to horses: a method or idea is valid, I should be able to aim towards using the principle with the least pressure/force imaginable, with total "lightness" as my ultimate goal. Jane Savoie and Pat Parelli seem diametrically opposite, but I see a lot I can learn from both, and I can use both to find my own kind of "lightness" as I'm ready. I see so many of these traditional Icelandic trainers using so much "muscle" with these horses, with such harsh tack...that when I strip away the brute force and the harsh tack, there's simply nothing left for me to use. It's like a house of cards - when I take away the stuff that offends me, everything falls apart. Karen Thomas, NC
