Pat Parelli Analyzes His First Ride with a New Horse | Why Groundwork Comes First

In this training session filmed in Florida, world-renowned natural horsemanship trainer Pat Parelli works with a horse he had never ridden before. The horse was sent for development with the goal of becoming competitive in ranch horse versatility competitions. Parelli begins with groundwork training, testing the horse’s rhythm, relaxation, and understanding. Exercises like backing straight, maintaining direction, and staying connected on the circle reveal how the horse thinks and learns. Using his well-known “jump rope technique”, Parelli asks the horse for smooth downward transitions without losing focus. Throughout the session, he uses trail obstacles, bridges, and logs to improve the horse’s confidence, connection, and athletic ability—key skills for ranch riding, ranch versatility, and real-world horsemanship. Parelli shares how these methods were influenced by his apprenticeship with master horseman Troy Henry in the 1970s. Parelli also explains the concept of Horsenality, his system for understanding horse behavior. This horse shows traits of a Left Brain Extrovert—a playful, curious horse that loves to move its feet and needs engaging training rather than repetition. By combining natural horsemanship principles, groundwork exercises, and obstacle training, Parelli builds a calm, confident, and responsive horse. After 2–3 months of training, this horse went on to become successful in ranch horse competitions and ranch versatility events. 🐎 Watch how the right foundation can transform a horse’s mindset and performance. Join the Parelli Levels Program and Try our FREE Discover Parelli Level - your introduction to the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Levels Program: gain instant access. community.parelli.com #NaturalHorsemanship #PatParelli #HorseTraining #GroundworkForHorses #RanchVersatility #RanchHorse #Horsemanship #HorseTrainer #HorseTrainingTips #Parelli #HorseBehavior #Horsenality #HorseRiding #EquestrianLife #HorseEducation #EquestrianTraining #CowboySkills #WesternRiding #HorseObstacleTraining VIDEO CHAPTERS 0:00 Pat Parelli Analyzes His First Ride with a New Horse | Why Groundwork Comes First 0:54 Starting with groundwork 7:20 Horsenality explained 11:23 It's not about the trailer 13:25 Mounting