Something is happening with Parelli students all over the world that is a bit concerning, and it compelled me to write this blog. I need to clearly explain the difference between longeing (or “lunging”) and playing with your horse – because I’m seeing the Circling Game turning into longeing!
At the very first clinic I attended with Pat Parelli in 1989, he said, “I am a one-man coalition against longeing. I think it is one of the worst things you can do to a horse. Longeing exercises the body while the mind goes to pot.”
Wow. That hit me hard at that time; I was longeing my horse for at least 30 minutes to get him safe to ride. But of course he didn’t get safer, just fitter.
Recently I’ve been able to watch a large number of students, in different parts of the world, warming their horses up for riding and I’ve seen a pattern developing that would make steam come out of Pat’s ears!
- People walking in circles watching their horses intently as they trot around them.
- Horses being asked to carry their heads low as they trot.
Yikes – this is just like longeing! The horses are going in mindless circles, and their heads might as well be tied down because it is not by choice that they are carrying their heads that low.
I don’t know where this is coming from, but it’s spreading and I need to say something about it before people start to think this is how it should be done!
Warming a horse up on the ground means that you allow him to express himself; you give him what he needs and then he’ll want to do what you want. This is what Pat means when he says, “Cause your idea to become your horse’s idea, but understand your horse’s idea first.” Circling is often the first thing people do on the ground, but it is not necessarily what the horse needs. Yes, you should be able to do the Circling Game, but don’t make it your automatic go-to first thing.
How not to longe your horse: Keep your feet still, encourage the horse to use his brain (he has to think and take responsibility to maintain gait and direction without micromanagement), and allow him to put his head anywhere he wants because that’s going to tell you about his mental and emotional state and help you think about what you need to do.
- If his head is up, he’s on adrenaline: You’re going to need to get him calmer by getting him to go a little faster and run off the adrenaline (see my previous blog about asking the horse faster for a lap and waiting for three to see the effect, repeat as needed); if it’s a left-brain horse, do something else to get him more connected, such as a Touch It Pattern at walk then trot, or going exploring with him.
- If he is looking out of the circle, he’s wishing he was somewhere else! You probably need to back off the pressure, stop micromanaging or bring him in more often to find comfort with you and maybe even get some scratches or treats.
- If he lowers and stretches his neck, with nose leading (not over-flexed) and above his knees, he is relaxed and swinging through his body. This is what you are aiming for, and when you use the right approaches for your horse’s Horsenality™, this is what you will get. And once you’ve got it, your horse is probably ready to ride.
I hope this helps you to think more about how to do what your horse needs and to focus on making sure you are using psychology rather than mechanics as you play with your horse and develop your skills. Your horses will thank you, and we’ll keep that smile on Pat’s face… not to mention keep making the world a better place for horses and the people who love them.
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I love the circling game – it doesn’t have to be boring and you can spice it up by doing travelling circles and patterns such as figure of 8 falling leaf. I agree with a lot of what has been said that it is a great diagnostic tool to see where your ‘at’ in that play session with your horse no matter what level. I have just started parelli with my little yearling and I feel the circling game also builds confidence in the relationship … the ‘light bulb’ moments that Pat talks about for the horse. (Not really sure yet what she is LBI cusp LBE perhaps) But with my OL L3 horse I would be torturing him if I alway circled him first being RBE/LEB cusp it really has its advantages and disadvantages depending on which way he got out of bed!!! We all need to be more provocative and realise that we need to challenge ourselves not just our horses to take the responsibility! GREAT BLOG! Challenge yourself to stand in a hoop on a block sit on a ball etc etc close your eyes and don’t look at your horse!! I have to say I forgot how ‘challenging’ it is to start a horse with parelli, but how rewarding when you teach them somthing one day and the next day they give you a little try to do it again! Bliss!
First, Thank you Linda….second, If you feel threatened by this blog, maybe your inner-voice is feeling guilty. Playing on-line or at liberty is just that PLAYING. The whole idea of checking in on how your horse is feeling. Your horse is your judge! Read it and take note…don’t get emotional….Isn’t that why we are all studying NH.
Hi, Linda,
I agree with what you are saying and have noticed similar things. Keep up the reminders . . . maybe you should have folks look at this again as we get closer to the spring ativities!!
Thank you!
Hmmmm… Interesting… It is important to remember that Pat often says “Depends”
Horsemanship is an artform. Remember we are striving to be extream middle of the roadists. At some point we have to trust ourselves. Good reminder Linda to keep our predetor instincts in check.
I VERY much enjoyed the article by Kristi in the Feb 2012 Savvy Times. Educational, Positive, and wanted me to get out there and PLAY with my LBE
I usually have found Linda, that you are a very good writer, but found this blog more of a rant that was very critical, non-educational, and uninspiring. It actually “put me off” for lack of better description. I actually find there is a purpose for “stretching long and low”, or being in “active neutral”, or the DG on a circle. Definitely, one has to understand the focus/intent/purpose of what they are doing, so it does not become a torture (mindless lunging) – but to group it all into one opinionated blog, does nothing for me. I suppose I am one of those guilty ones who you mention in your blog. BUT! I can say my horse IS mentally connected and is NOT mindlessly lunging and I can transfer the “connection” from on line to Liberty, without the use of or constraints of a Round Pen.
ANY game can be turned into a Torture if you do not understand the intent/focus/purpose behind what you are doing. How about the OVERUSE of the Friendly Game? where a fearful horse is overly desensitized to the point where it is now Fearful and Desensitized to external stimuli? Many games can go wrong, if you the human is a mindless robot following standard practice that they don’t understand. I have witnessed many mindless horses in the round pen – circled “until further notice” by the neutral, mindless human.
IF I want to read more about the CG, I will return to Kristi’s article that was educational and had actually…
I thought I was taught that standing still and allowing the horse to exercise his responsibilities was circling game, but that there was also something called “driving game on the circle” that taught us we could move with the horse on the circle in order to synchronize and harmonize and help with smooth transitions based on body language. There’s also the possibility of playing “stick to me” online, and starting out with big flowing movements before moving into the sharper more angular (and thus easier to lose the horse) movements. I find this blog really confusing with respect to these other options/strategies that have been taught in the Parelli program, and which are useful for establishing rapport, respect, impulsion and flexion, and allowing the human and the horse to experiment together in motion. I agree that the circling game has an explicit look and purpose, even the traveling circling game has a specific look and purpose, but I have also learned to move with my horse for other purposes than longeing by practicing driving on a circle, and have been taught in the Parelli program to understand the horse’s idea first, which, if he chooses to move at a trot with head down, he should be allowed to do in order for me to first “understand his idea”.
Yes, I feel the same. I don’t care for mindless lunging, or forcing a horse into an outline, no matter whether the methods used are mechanical or supposedly natural. However, we are also told that it is detrimental to the horse physically if they are lazy and strung out on a long term basis. Like others, I have found driving on the circle to be useful in working on this. Perhaps it has become a little too fashionable recently, and now people are doing it without knowing why, or without taking the horses feelings into account – I don’t know.
I have felt a great deal of frustration, however, as I come to the end of L3 (which was a process of over a decade from the time I began my Parelli journey, despite attending many many clinics) that my horses are on the forehand, and not well engaged behind, and Parelli is not offering me much information (as far as I’m aware) as to how to remedy this with groundwork. I came into this program with little knowledge about outlines, collection or engagement. My horse, also, had no training in any “finesse”. So, totally ignoring Principle Number 7, it seems we are supposed to jump into Level 4 and produce this. I think it is a big ask. My horse deserves better than my bumbling efforts at this, and I would benefit from some “horses teach riders” training, within the Parelli program. It is no wonder a great many L3 and L4 students are looking outside the program for help. PNH hasn’t set its instructors up, to set us up for success.
Hi Linda, You can’t say enough about this…..My rescues that were over longed are big skeptics of circles and ropes…Takes me a lot of “Put your nose on it” or a LITTLE falling leaf pattern to get rid of the anxious, panicy, what are you going to do to me fear of Longeing will do …My Friesian hates constant Longeing…Play any other of the 7 games she’s fine.. I just started training 2 other rescues both RBE.. one 11 yrs old the other 3 yrs old ….This Horsenality will “Clearly” show you what a sceptic, panicaholic, hate longeing forever horse is like…The 11 yr old quarter horse out of “Doc Grey Bar” was ruined… He hated people, ropes and was going to be sent to a kill pen….No one could ride him! I rode him after months of using Pat and your training …Lil Bit is a big beautiful muscled boy…Thanks for all that you two do! Anita
Hi Linda, I’m new to your blog and the Parelli training. I have become a member of the Parelli Connect and I am very happy to start this adventure with my horse that I just purchased at the end of December. I have not had a horse for over 20 years so this is a wonderful time to learn how to do things RIGHT. I’m looking forward to watching the video’s and catching up on what I’ve missed this month and most especially to REALLY getting to know my horse. I look forward to following your blog. Have a great weekend.
Hmmmm interesting. I have an LBI mare.. she tells me what she wants to do on the circle.. If she gets bored she’ll start a bulls eye pattern.. I’ve even seen her trying to do a sort of falling leaf pattern while staying on the circle.. she sort of squiggles it… and she’ll go back to a normal circle for a bit.. As long as I don’t fuss her (read: micromanage) she’s very happy to trot around.. Canter is more of an issue as that requires more effort.. and she IS LBI after all.. but sometimes she’ll even offer me some canter.
Where I keep my horse they lunge young Lusitano stallions from a very young age. Heads tied down to a lunging girth, and constantly “chased” around in circles to get them to “learn” to collect and carry themselves. I hate it. I look at it and think how the people woul feel if we tied their bodies up into the “correct” position and made them go do exercise. Can you imagine it? How much must your body ache after it’s been forced into a position you don’t or even can’t manage to maintain by yourself.. yeuugh..
Needless to say people think I’m crazy.. standing in the middels passing the rope behind me.. doing nothing much.. But they can’t get their horses to keep going unless they’ve got their beady eyes on them.. Lunging is just wrong.. it doesn’t do anything except drive your horse bonkers in the end..
Linda,
I have an LBI. My Parelli instructor stressed maintain gait, maintain direction in the circling game. Go for more laps, Be particular. She said Pat had said how many laps around the circling game on a 22 would equal a mile. My LBI got sour, and charged me. Scary. Now he had learned something dangerous because of the circling game. I would suggest all your instructors and all of us really think about this blog. Maintain gait, maintain direction? At what cost? I would wonder if some of those people you saw had similiar experiences learning the circling game. Glad you put it all out there Linda.
Hi Ann,
Maybe this strategy might work for you.
I have a LBI as well, a gentle, but lazy gelding. He would break gait all the time in the circling game. I asked for less and less, like trotting quarter a circle and then stop. Canter three steps and then stop. I had him come to me and pause for ages. Now he offers to canter and is willing to go over obstacles because he knows that he finally gets what he wants: relaxation and a good scratch in the middle with me. He bonds strongly now and I can show off how eager this “lazy” horse is to move all of a sudden
Bye Nadja
Thank you Nadja! Been working on this with my LBI mare and really appreciate the additional strategies!!! Looking forward to possibly incorporating them today!!
Dear Linda,
thank You for this blog! Actually I was thinking the last days what a lovely tool the Circling is to check out in which mental shape my horse is today and then also a nice tool to help him become more balanced. In the movement I can see weather he needs, play, comfort, safety or motivation. And then I adjust to that with turning the Cirlcing into a bullseye, or combining it with million transitions, or giving more speed or change of direction and then chasing, or just standing in neutral, or some shoulders in, or some waiting and doing nothing etc etc.
Maybe it depends on how creative You use the circling game?
In the last days I also noticed (but I could have read it wrong) that my gelding, who was in the covered arena getting RE (away from his ladies), was actually relaxing more, when I was getting more particular, about it that he should stay with his nose to the inside, instead of looking to the outside, to the direction of the mares. Every time he started to look outside, I gently pulled for a tiny second on the rope. A couple of these and he would go with his nose to the ground and swing with his back. (Of course I also did some approach and retreat from the arena and giving food there etc)
Or I might be wrong of course.
I’m surrounded by non-parelli horse owners in neighbouring paddocks. And how do I know this? Watching them lunge their horses. They fixate on their horses trotting around while they walk in circles themselves, constantly tapping and waving their whips. The horse appears mentally to be just running away. I find it hard to watch because the horse is trapped. Then they finally rear up in protest at the owner. Sadly the owner applies more pressure to teach the horse whose boss. I feel so disappointed at the owners complete disconnection from the horse and what the horse is desperately trying to communicate. But even owners who know parelli don’t understand the significance of circling over lunging. Or even how to do circling. They just slip back into lunging because its nice to watch the horse in motion and the ego associated with making it move. Having power over this animal. They don’t trust the horses intelligence, or maybe they just don’t want to know about it. It can be threatening to realise, as one does while doing Parelli, just how smart your horse is. They are just waiting for humans to catch up with them. And with many humans, they are sadly living lives of unrealised potential.
Just received my new copies of “Hit the Trail” and “Colt Starting”. One of my goals for 2012 is to be well prepared to start Trail riding. Since our circle game is still our most challenging area of “play” (My horse is LBI) we have been incorporating lots of obstacles to make it provocative and successful. I love the DVD #3 which covers ground skills, as Hot Jazz is moving on the circle at the walk at first, but so interested to continue forward over the obstacles. It was interesting to see how his reluctance through the gulley in the initial DVD’s pointed out some need for confidence. As always, Linda, you did just the right thing to help him get that confidence.
I highly recommend the “Hit the Trail” series. It presents so many new safety
tips, techniques and information we fledgling as well as seasoned trail riders need to know before we go, as well as reiterating the principles we all live by. It comes at a great time when winter can be challenging and we get stuck in a rut doing the same things we have done in our comfort zones….Can’t wait to finish watching this series as well as “Colt Starting”, “Master Class 1&2 and also receiving “The game of Contact” in the near future!!!! What a great way to start the New Year!!!! I have been studying Parelli for over a decade now but still want to stay green and growing!!!! (Consider the alternative…ripe and rotten!)
Thank you Linda and Pat for always keeping things fresh, motivating and attainable!
Dear Linda,
I tryed to look for Pat´s blog to comment on the dvd I just bought.
Road to the Horse 2011. I believe it is in the making, so; I will write it on yours and hope the two of you can share my thought on it.
I saw the dvd with my husband and we made the same comments.
We thoroughly enjoyed the dvd. I loved watching Pat taming this young horse.
He is so calm and makes it look so easy. A true master. We really hope that Pat will present himself next year for that same competition. It looks as if the people and the judges need to see him more than once in order to realy understand what a true horseman is. We were shocked on many occasions by Clinton Anderson´s way of treating this young horse. Talk about intimidation, forcefulness, total lack of respect towards that pore horse. What a sad dirst experience that young colt has of humans. It will take a huge dose of Parelli´s program for that little horse to get to trust a human again.
We also thought that Chris Cox had a rather dominant way of starting that young horse. This is why we hope that Pat will present himself back next year and just by doing what he does best; show once again to the world what a true natural horseman achieves with love, language and leadership in a harmnious and peaceful way. We are all so fortunate to get to learn from the 2 best people in the world. Thank you both.
Naturally Yours
Ellen Violet
Thank you so much for reminding us of these things Linda.
I’ve found myself looking around and saying ‘but…. surely that’s lungeing’, then I’ve caught myself turning with my horse who is looking elsewhere, switched off and …. oh no, where do we go from here ?!
I learnt something really important about my LBI/LBE which started at the last celebration in the UK when you worked with an extreme LBI, a very powerful demonstration. This continued in various clinics during the Summer. Back off ! Give him tons of time to process. Let him come to you. That’s a big ask from a personality who is used to just getting on and doing !
The other angle to this is that I thought that my horse was giving out these signals: ‘Yeah, done that, got the t-shirt, think of something more interesting to stimulate me !’ Ok, I say to myself, I will, I’ll do this…. oh, that didn’t quite go the way I wanted, alright……. let’s do THIS ! Again it doesn’t seem to have the desired effect, in fact it just spirals into the more I do the less he does. I feel like an absolute novice, get very upset, frustrated, and dare I say it, angry, at which point I down tools and go have a cup of coffee.
Why does this keep happening ? Especially as when I play with my RBI/E, I feel MUCH more effective.
Your article has reminded me about the pressure I might inadvertently be applying to him. It can start with the tiniest of things; when I’m haltering up, I’ve noticed that he looks the other way which causes a resistance on the halter. So, remembering about…
I am a Level 3 student (stuck in Finesse purgatory) who has been a committed and loyal follower of PNH for over ten years, and a Savvy Club member since its inception. I have read and watched all of your educational materials from the early videos of Pat through every permutation of the home study kits and Savvy Club materials. I have also attended many clinics and private lessons with numerous PNH instructors.
Since my horse plays stick-to-me and circling with her head lowered below her knees, I am guessing you would judge me to be “longeing” in a negative manner.
Asking the horse to lower its head is taught early in the PNH program for haltering, and later bridling from the knees, and also to release endorphins to help the horse relax (come off adrenaline). The release of applied pressure teaches the horse to lower its head.
I apply the same release of pressure principle when my horse lowers her head while walking and trotting during stick-to-me and circling, which supports her efforts to relax. My horse offers this posture naturally as she relaxes, blowing as she does, which PNH students have been taught is a positive sign. While riding, using a “fluid” rein and release, encourages similar posture and relaxation.
As this relaxed state has been achieved naturally following PNH principles, your judgment dismays and confuses me. I do not understand why you consider lowering of the head below the knees a bad thing?
Brilliant Blog Linda, I still am lacking in imagination I still worry about asking him to much (carrot person) or of boring him, I am very aware of knowing what I don’t know. I have really moved on though this year as I have attended a lot of clinics and the Horse Behaviour and You camp. My horse still gets excitable or just wants to come in behind my back in the circling game, so I’m mindful that i don’t apply to much pressure as we lose our bond. One of my favourite games is the “do as little as possible” he has me in stitches sometimes. Horses are so clever.
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