We Ride Sport and Trail Magazine October 2018 | Page 45

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Nancy Slater is a Parelli Professional who has dedicated her life to making the world a better place for horses and the people who love them. Her self-less passion for educating kids as well as demonstrating how a real partnership with your horse can lead to competitive success is what makes Nancy stand out. We could not be more proud to be represented by Nancy as she helps us to teach horse riders, trainers and owners to use love, language and leadership to reach their goals with horses. Thank you Nancy!

Pat and Linda Parelli

To support the Parelli Foundation’s ongoing work, please visit: www.parellifoundation.org/giving.

not pull on the reins. Your

elbows should be held firmly to

your sides. Horse should calmly

accept your touch without

pulling on the reins or avoiding

the contact. Slowly, with feel,

close your index fingers around

each rein at the same time.

Relaxed seat and legs. Your

horse should not back up yet.

Step 5) Slowly close your

middle fingers around each rein

along with the first. Relaxed seat

and legs. Your horse should not

back up yet.

Step 6) Slowly close your ring

fingers around the reins along

with the first and third. Relaxed

seat and legs. Your horse should

not back up yet.

Step 7) Slowly close your pinkie

fingers around the reins along

the the others, and wait until

your horse gives you a softness

in her jaw. Relaxed seat and legs.

Your horse should not back up

yet.

Ultimate Goal: horse gives a

soft feel in both your hands, not

pulling or hiding behind the bit.

The feeling between horse and

rider should feel good, like hand

holding- soft and together.

The backup cue:

Step 8) Tuck your pelvis a little,

grow tall, and pull your belly

button backwards. Keep the

soft feel of the horse in your

hands. Now your horse should

back up, because you are

backing up in your body!

Step 9) Bring your elbows back

and down towards the hocks.

Release the reins when you feel

life in her feet, stepping

backwards with no resistance.

Goal: The horse should give you

a soft feel when you lift the reins

slightly, and responsibly

backup when you back up with

your energy and seat (tuck).

With a little practice, all nine

steps flow together without

pausing.

Imagine how nice a 9 step

backup, or any other

request would feel to a horse,

when offered with sensitivity!

How far a horse can excel

depends on us. Smart, sensitive

horses with spirit have the

makings of Champions, yet they

are the ones that usually suffer

the most in insensitive hands.

We need to optimize the

potential of every horse.

Gem spent 2 weeks with me,

and in that time, she learned to

be calm, respond,

communicate, be soft, and act

like a partner. How? Just like a

properly executed 9 Step

backup, I offered her a soft feel

during our sessions; I exposed

the inner horse, a gem in the raw,

and the makings of an

discovered Champion.