Natural Tools
for Level 2/3, the most important tools to add to your kit are:
- a second Carrot Stick
- 22′ line
- Natural Hackamore
- Bareback Pad
- Snaffle bit
- Horseman’s Reins & Rein Leathers
(You should already have the Halter & 12′ Line, Carrot Stick & 6′ Horseman’s String, and you might even have the Natural Hackamore and Bareback Pad already).
The 22′ Line
This is going to come more and more into play with your On Line Savvy in playing the 7 Games. Once you have built respect at 12 feet, the challenge needs to extend to 22 feet. Horses are great judges of distance and they know you might have control at a certain distance, but anything beyond that and you can kiss it goodbye!
At first, you might go only to 15 feet by not letting out all the rope and then build up to the full 22 feet length as you are more able to keep control and be effective in your communication.
The Carrot Stick and String are also going to become more and more useful when working with a horse at greater distances from you. The second Carrot Stick is for riding.
The Natural Hackamore
Until the horse and you are through the major opposition reflex stages we recommend that you stay out of the horse’s mouth and ride your horse with a Natural Hackamore. We also recommend a transition to the hackamore from riding in the Halter and 12″ Line because when you start to do more riding, especially at the canter, the snap swings and bumps and is uncomfortable to the horse. Also, the reins are a much more practical length on the Hackamore.
In talking about hackamore, it would be important for you to know the different kinds of hackamores that exist and which ones are natural and which are not:
- Hackamore – basically means “bit-less bridle”. It comprises both the nose piece (bosal) and the headstall.
- bosal – means nose piece. A natural bosal is constructed of rope, leather or rawhide and has absolutely no metal in its core. The core should be rope or leather in itself. There are different sizes of bosal from the thin bosalito used for teaching lateral flexion to the heavier models that are used to teach vertical flexion. We introduce the vertical flexion model in Level 4 to work more on this aspect of the horse’s development.
- mechanical Hackamore – one with shanks for leverage and a chain or leather curb strap behind the chin. This Hackamore was designed to be able to use force on a horse and is not recommended by Parelli Natural Horsemanship. It is not a natural tool for communication to a horse. Apart from its leveraged design, it is useless for lateral flexion and promotes pulling on two reins.
In spite of owning several high quality bosals, Pat much prefers to use the Natural Hackamore at this level because of its effectiveness and great versatility, not to mention durability and ease of care. The Natural Hackamore is made of the same soft rope as our halters with the Horseman’s Reins tied into it so you still have a 12′ line that you can use for preparatory ground skills. The nose piece is actually a lot larger than in the halter in other to accommodate the knot of the reins.
If you recall the information on hinges and counter balances in the Partnership Study Guide, a hinge is highly beneficial for delivering a good quality of feel to the horse as you take up the reins, and the weight of the knot at the base of the Hackamore is the counter balance that enhances quick release.
You will use the Natural Hackamore in stages 1 and 2 of the Harmony Program and may even return to it here and there through stages 3 and 4. You can always choose to use it for cause trail rides. for example, forever.
The Bareback Pad
Pat Parelli designed this bareback pad as most of the one available are flimsy and cannot be cinched up properly and are therefore dangerous to ride on.
The Bareback Pad will prove invaluable to you as Level 2/3 demands a great deal of bareback riding to build your independent seat. Although riding without the pad is where you are aiming, you’ll do better and get there more confidently without going cold turkey… especially if its been many years since you rode without a saddle or you have not ever ridden bareback before.
With a medical felt under pad and roughout leather surface, the Bareback Pad is comfortable for you and protects the horse’s back from your seat bones. It has a sturdy leather handle and cinch D rings with Latinos so you can securely cinch up to prevent slip. It can even accommodate a great collar if necessary.
The Snaffle Bit
As you and your horse start to enjoy more positive reflexes together, you and he will want to be able to communicate with more refinement. This is when the snaffle becomes valuable, when you no longer need a bit for control but can choose it for better, more sensitive communication.
We recommend a loose ring, sweet iron snaffle bit. Pat help delight the perfect snaffle with Jeremiah Watt (premier bit and spur maker in America). The thickness of the mouth piece is just right for offering wearing comfort and is not too thick that it invites a horse to lean on or push against it. It has small ball bearings where it connects to the rings to prevent pinching the lips by pushing them away from the ring itself.
The reason Pat recommends sweet iron is because horses like to lick rust. A bit that rusts is more palatable to a horse than a piece of inert iron.
Natural fit: forget the one, two and three wrinkle theory! The bit should fit like your underwear.. loose and comfortable. Lower the bit in your horse’s mouth until it does not affect his lips whatsoever. It is better to have it hung low so the horse has to pick it up and suck on it with his tongue. He learns to hold it in the position that is just right for him.
The Horseman’s Reins & Rein Leathers
Horseman’s Reins are 22′ in length. They comprise a 10 foot loop and a 12′ lead rope in one unit. Based on the vaquero “mecate” rein, which means horse hair rein, the Horseman’s Reins are versatile and practical, and they are an excellent teaching tool. Better yet, they are made of the same yachting braid as the 12′ and 22′ lines so they are smooth on your hands, offer great feel and have life and weight to them to facilitate release.
Being adjustable, the reins can be extended into a 22′ line and also into long reins for driving exercises. In addition, there is technique you can use to make a collar with the reins and tie your horse up safely without danger of him hurting his mouth with the bit.
The rein leathers are devised to attach the rope reins to the bit, and even more than that they form a very valuable hinge. The weight of theses lined leathers causes them to hang down so the horse feels the contact coming well before the bit is affected. It also significantly speeds release by taking the reins from your hands when you open them.
The right tools enhance communication and feel
Parelli Natural Horsemanship Tools are designed to enhance feel, help hands close slowly and open quickly, offer slip and drift as well as grip when necessary. While they are no replacement for savvy, the right tools will aid your techniques and help you to be an effective communicator with your horse through the learning stages of Levels 1 2 3 and 4.
Summary
You will need to add a few tools to your kit for Level 2/3.
The 22′ line is for On Line skills at a greater distance.
When you start with it, you may not want to let the whole rope out at first, work up to the full 22′ length.
Carrot Stick and String will help you with the longer distance too.
The Hackamore is still going to be your main riding tool for at least the first half or three quarters of this level. It’s important not to be in the horse’s mouth when learning at this level.
Get to know what kinds of hackamores are natural and those that aren’t. Rope, leather and rawhide are the only materials that constitute natural.
The stiffer the hackamore/bosal, the more it is intended for vertical flexion. You do not need to until Level 4.
There is no place for the mechanical Hackamore and it isn’t in the natural horseman’s tack room!
Our hackamore is made of rope and it uses hinges and canter balances to maximum effect when operated from on top of zone 3.
You will always go back to the Hackamore at some stage. It’s a valuable tool to keep around.
The bareback pad is like velcro on you horse!
Bareback riding will become a major part of your program now and this helps you gain confidence, is more comfortable for the horse and keeps you clean!
The snaffle is ideal for more refined and subtle communication.
It needs to be not too thick, not too thin, just right.
A loose ring snaffle swings and adjusts and ball bearings prevent pinching at the corners.
Sweet iron is palatable to horses, stainless steel is not.
Fit the bit like your underwear, no wrinkles and looser rather than tighter.
Horseman’s reins are “mecate” style. The combine a loop and a lead rope.
We use yachting braid so they are smooth and offer great feel.
They are easily adjustable and versatile and can be used to tie a horse without affecting his mouth.
Rein leathers are important hinges and counter balances.
The tools help you to develop hands that close slowly and open quickly.
