My Opinion regarding Normal VS. Natural

Question (from fellow enthusiast)-
Just out of interest, what would be an example of the things you teach in a lesson? How do you determine what is Parelli and what is not? Where are your lines drawn?
K*

Parelli is not a way to train, it is a way of life. Once you go through this program there is no other way to be with a horse. I teach how to tack a horse, brush, and lead horse; the basics. But not in a normal way, for example: Give the horse time to except the girth, it doesn't matter what side you mount the horse on (as long as they're safe, you shouldn't be riding in the first place if the horse is not safe), let the horse get familiar with tack before you put it on their back. When riding I tell them not to just kick horse, go through different steps such as squeeze then kiss. Be soft in the mouth and ask nicely. It is all fairly natural stuff, I can't teach anything else.

I actually don't really like the term natural, It should be referred to as 'Common Sense Horsemanship'. It all makes so much sense, you are in true harmony when you learn this information. It IS the horse, you become one of them. There's not necessarily a definition between natural and normal. Normal isn't at all necessarily wrong either, it is usually a lack of knowledge of the inner horse. You CAN get results through traditional ways of training and being with a horse, but it did not give me the results I wanted. What do I want? I want to be just like the horse, communicate the way they do, have my horses want to be with me, do what is possibly the best for them (tack, not constricting movement). I want my horses to WANT to be with me. I want to truly understand them and want them to truly understand me. Before finding Parelli, I was just doing what I knew and what everyone else did. I didn't know what I was doing was not bringing out the best I could in my horse, there was something more. There is something more! This is that something that a lot of horse owners are looking for. Most people don't know that a relationship like that exists and that you can actually accomplish that success without force, the partnership without dominance, the willingness we want without intimidation, and harmony we long for without coercion.

Mariah Helms