Four Areas of Savvy
If you were to ask a horse what kind of handler or rider he would like, what do you think he would want? What skills? What understanding? What balance? What knowledge? What feel and timing?
What kind of human does a horse deserve?
Riding is only half of what we need to be good at with horses.
The Parelli Program is devoted to developing better ways to help people reach personal excellence with horses. In pursuing excellence, riding is less than half of what we need to become skilled with horses. The other half doesn’t involve riding at all.
In total there are four areas to savvy.
- On the ground: On Line & Liberty.
- Riding: FreeStyle & Finesse.
On Line develops the skills to work horses at Liberty, with no strings attached. On Line and Liberty develop the skills for riding horses FreeStyle, on a loose rein and even bridle-less. Then On Line, Liberty and FreeStyle prepare horse and rider for Finesse. This approach works on respect, impulsion and flexion in the horse in that order. It progressively builds skills and prepares the horse and the human for more advanced and refined manoeuvres. In a safe and logical manner.
On Line.
7 Games. Teach the horse everything he’ll need to know on the ground first.
Working with a rope is like using a safety net while you are preparing to use no rope at all.
On Line
This means handling horses with the help of a line or rope. We use various lengths of rope according to different levels of skills and stages of the horse’s development. Using the line we can communicate forwards, backwards, right, left, up and down, eliciting all kinds of manoeuvres until they are willing and fluid. Where most people just lead and lunge, Pat Parelli has developed a whole science and creativity for working with horses on the ground. Through the 7 Games it teaches and bonds the horse to you like never before. When using these ropes you learn to act as though you don’t have one. This is what prepares you for teaching horses at liberty, its like working with a safety net! (Levels 1,2 & 3 explore On Line skills at 12 ft, 22 ft, and 45 ft, respectively)
Liberty.
No Strings attached.
Start in a round yard and progress to wide open spaces!
Build a connection stronger than any lead rope.
Liberty
Teach your horse to come to you, follow you, have purity of gait, make graceful transitions, do flying lead changes, spins, slide stops and develop self collection using the round yard. You’ll graduate to bigger areas and finally to wide open spaces! this is what liberty is all about. Orchestrating and teaching horses at liberty is fun and can appear almost magical as the cues get more and more subtle. Horses really enjoy it too. It teaches you how to communicate with no strings attached and to build a mental connection stronger than any lead rope. (Levels 2 & 3 explore the liberty savvy. Level 1 and the 7 Games prepare you for success).
FreeStyle.
Independent Seat.
Self Carriage for the horse. 80% of your riding time should be FreeStyle.
This is where bridle-less riding becomes possible.
FreeStyle
On Line and Liberty are the preparation for FreeStyle. In simple terms this means riding with loose reins to naturally develop your independent seat and teach the horse self carriage. 80% of riding time should be FreeStyle or your riding skills and your horse’s mouth and sensitivity will suffer. Everything from straight lines to circles, lead changes, stops and jumps should be taught on loose reins to fully develop the horse’s self carriage and responsibilities, like not changing gaits and directions unless you ask. Can you imagine how it would feel to have a horse act like a responsible partner? One that is light, responsive and doesn’t make assumptions nor take over? FreeStyle riding taken to its fullest extent is being able to do anything you want with your horse…bridle-less. (FreeStyle skills are built progressively through Levels 1,2 & 3).
Finesse.
Soft feel. Vertical flexion.
Mental, emotional and physical collection.
Finesse
Ultimate refinement, riding close to your horse, concentrated reins, the soft feel, vertical flexion. Here is the “finished” horse and rider. Finesse cannot be forced on a horse, it has to be developed naturally using the formula: respect, impulsion & flexion, and it involves a great deal of savvy. All too often it is rushed on the horse by people wanting the look of the finished horse but without the preparation. Riding with Finesse mean that cues are virtually invisible, nothing takes more than 4 ounces, and in time weighs nothing more than a thought as the horse becomes an extension of you. It should be light, beautiful, like a dance, no force. Dressage, being , jumping, cutting….all require ultimate concentration, finesse and performance from both horse and rider. They also require collection, which is much more than a “head set”. It is the sum total of mental, emotional and physical collection.
The Parelli Levels Program teaches you to be savvy in all four areas.
That’s how you become a horseman. By Level 3 the 4 Savvys are complete.
A horseman is savvy in all four areas. This is a goal of the Parelli Levels Program. By Level 3(now level4) the foundations of these savvy are completely in place. Now you can do anything with your horse. ANYTHING.
How the savvys are developed through the levels. Each level explores each savvy at a different intensity. This is determined by preparation and timing. Completion and balance is achieved at Level 3.
