Linda Parelli demonstrated effective horsemanship skills along with her horse Jazz at the recent Linda Parelli Master Class in Salt lake City, Utah (Photo courtesy Premier Equestrian)
Sandy, UT (July 28, 2017) — It was a full house at the Linda Parelli Master Class this month, brought to the Salt Lake City, Utah area by leading footing and arena company Premier Equestrian. The much-anticipated clinic had lots of interest after Premier Equestrian announced it’s upcoming Utah dates, and the eager audience was certainly not disappointed. People who had never before experienced Parelli Natural Horsemanship were quick to sign up, alongside those who had been studying the Parelli methods for years.
For Premier Equestrian, a company dedicated to improving the welfare of horses through top quality footing and arena equipment, the Linda Parelli Master Class was the perfect event to bring to the company’s local Utah area. Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian, said, “Bringing Linda to the area meant a lot for myself and others. I’m really interested in being a great horseman and rider. Linda’s approach to building a strong foundation and bond with horses is phenomenal. I’ve received so many letters, texts, and Facebook posts from people thanking Premier Equestrian for bringing Linda in. They really enjoyed it.”
Though clinic participants agreed that the skills and confidence they gained through the Master Class was invaluable, it was after the day’s activities came to a close that one attendee, Nancy Sommers, got the learning experience of a lifetime.
“I’ve been doing Parelli Natural Horsemanship since 2008, and an opportunity to take a lesson from one of the founders was just awesome,” explained Sommers. “I live about 22 miles away from where they held the clinic, so I signed up right away.” When the big weekend arrived, though, things didn’t go quite as planned for Sommers and her Friesian horse.
“I’ve trailered my horse quite a few times before, but always with another horse with him, so I didn’t realize I had a problem until I was heading to the clinic. I had a lot of difficulty loading him onto the trailer- I could tell he was nervous and didn’t want to be in there. After the clinic ended, he was very afraid, very claustrophobic, and not wanting to go in the trailer at all.
Luckily, before heading home, Linda Parelli – never one to leave a horse in distress – dropped everything to help Sommers and her horse through the challenging situation.
“Linda’s ability to read the horse was amazing; I couldn‘t believe it,” observed Sommers. “I was just impressed with her taking the time to get the horse’s confidence and build it up. We went from 6:00 at night until 1:30 in the morning, and she did not give up. She was very attentive to his needs and very compassionate. I was just shocked that she would be willing to do that, not only for the horse, but also for me.”
While watching the situation unfold, Zorn observed Parelli’s patient take on the issue. “This horse’s anxiety was through the roof,” Zorn recalled. “He was so petrified and claustrophobic and just panicked. Linda said, ‘I cannot leave this horse this way. He needs to learn that we are not going to hurt him.’ They got the horse in the trailer several times, but he was mentally not okay – panic-stricken, and really damaging the trailer. Sure, Linda could have given him a sedative, gotten him in the trailer, and slammed the door shut, but it wasn’t about that. It was about this horse needing to feel safe.”
Sommers added, “Linda’s compassion and the time that she took to help was very impressive to me. I would recommend anyone to take a clinic from her or Pat, because they’re amazing people. I want to be the best human I can be for my horses – they don’t always understand me and I don’t always understand them, but I want that gap to come together so we can have that partnership. I’ve realized that Parelli Natural Horsemanship is the way to go.”
With Parelli’s help, Sommers and her horse were able to achieve a major breakthrough in their relationship, and are now able to load on and off the trailer without issue.
Parelli explained her perspective on the situation by saying, “In the end, it’s not about the trailer – it’s about the horse not trusting us humans. You can make the horse do it, but if instead you help the horse boost his confidence, it strengthens everything in your partnership.”
Premier Equestrian is an Official Partner of the US Equestrian and the U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF). The company offers innovative, world-class arena footing and dressage arenas, arena accessories, barn and stable equipment, gifts, books and DVDs. To learn more about Premier Equestrian and its extensive line of popular equestrian products, visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109.
