>>>> I tried one on the fence. It snapped and was very sharp. Covering with >>>> duct tape >>>> might work. The vets bill wouldn't be worth it. It's not as if the cstick >>>> is >>>> expensive. I can practice twirling it too.:+D Sue
That's just it, Sue. I am a hopeless "rigger". It's in my blood and I simply enjoy making stuff and seeing it work. So is my husband. I can't tell you the number of things we've rigged together over the years, horsey stuff and otherwise. We're engineers, and a good many times we hit good combinations, things that really work well - we probably hit winning combinations more than an average couple would. Sometimes we don't though. We learned years ago that some things are just not worth the time and wasted materials to make ourselves. I don't even think about the money we've "saved" on the projects that didn't work - and sometimes some of the stuff we came up with could have hurt us or an animal, and those things get trashed quickly. I will join in the crowd who complains about the pricey clothing that the Parelli sells as much as anyone...but then, I don't buy designer clothing from ANY source, so I don't blame them for making and selling all the cute stuff that people would buy. That doesn't mean that I have to have every Parelli logo t-shirt, or every Parelli-logo fleece jacket, but hey, if people enjoy that stuff, have at it. Buy away and enjoy yourself. It's the great American way! The Parelli stick IS different from a normal whip, and it's not OVERLY dangerous. (I'm sure there's a way for someone or some animal to get hurt with one...there is with everything I think.) But, my goodness, how much R&D time and money would it cost me to make an alternative, and could I make one cheaper? Not by much. It's just not THAT expensive, and I only needed ONE. That said, I do have some 4-foot stock whips ($8 at Tractor Supply) scattered around the farm - in the arena, in the obstacle area, in the barn) because many times I can use one instead of a carrot stick, and I don't want to go looking for the carrot stick every time I might kinda/sorta/maybe need one. I keep the "real" carrot stick in the oval pen, or take it with me when I'm starting a new horse, because it DOES work better for the initial training of a young horse. I can find plenty of things to question the Parelli's about, but the carrot stick just isn't one of them! If someone is really opposed to buying their stuff for whatever reason, there was someone on ebay selling rip-off carrot sticks. They are white, not orange, and you can pick the color of the handgrip and the color of your "savvy string." They are a FEW dollars less than a "real" carrot stick, but not much... :) Karen Thomas, NC
