Debunking the myth of “saddle that horse up and just get on” is as much about safety as it is about setting you up for success. Please accept some second-hand gold from a cowboy who spent 14 years on the rodeo circuit as a professional bronc rider—and has spent 45 more teaching people a better way. This isn’t about being tough or brave or going with the flow of what everyone else is doing. This myth is antiquated, and it’s time to let it go.

Each day, before every ride, we should look to see how our horse is feeling. What side of the corral did he wake up on? Just like you have good days and bad days, so does your horse. Make no assumptions that because your horse felt fine and you had a good ride yesterday, all will be well today.

Let’s borrow an analogy from aviation. Every time before a pilot takes off in a plane, they conduct pre-flight checks. And we’re so grateful they do! Could you imagine being buckled into your commercial flight and having the pilot come over the loudspeaker:  “Sure seems like everything’s OK up here. The plane flew just fine yesterday, so let’s save some time and just hope this goes well.” Envision all the passengers now making a mad dash to the exit! No one would buy into that, and we shouldn’t believe the myth in our horsemanship, either.   

If you haven’t started this practice already, I encourage you to begin groundwork with your horse today. Here at Parelli Natural Horsemanship, we play with our horses on the ground prior to saddling, and then again after saddling, before we get on. Even a few minutes of groundwork can prevent dangerous surprises in the saddle. Your horse may feel fresh and just need to move. He could have tweaked his back and the saddle is just not comfortable. Or maybe there is something unsettling at the barn that keeps taking his attention away, leaving him distracted and tense. In each of these scenarios, asking your horse to move forward and back up, sending him up into a trot and back down to a halt, or adding in a little lateral maneuver will give you time to diagnose how safe and successful your ride is likely to be. Groundwork places you in the pilot seat equipped with knowledge rather than hanging on to blind hope as the unwitting passenger. 

As you realize the valuable communication and connection that builds naturally while playing bonding and yielding exercises (simple movements that build trust and respect) with your horse on the ground, this practice transitions into more than just a warmup. Your horse will want to be with you. He will start to look to you as a natural herd leader. He will begin asking questions about where to go next and when to stop. You will reap the benefits of leadership transferring into the saddle as partnership behavior unlocks the door to riding success like never before. And it all starts on the ground.

At Parelli, our goal is to teach you how to safely and effectively train your horse at home so that both you and your horse can have more fun and achieve excellence together, creating a true partnership based on trust and mutual understanding.

Learn more about our digital home-study curriculum, the Levels Program, at Parelli.com.

This article appeared in the May/June 2026 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horsemanship Myth 2: “Saddle them up and get on.” appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

This brings us to one of the most common myths in horsemanship: “Just catch your horse any way you can.” Did you know your session, and its probability for success, actually starts the moment your horse sees you?

By nature, humans are predators while horses are prey animals. All horses—even domesticated ones—are naturally perceptive to people, places, changes, and things.  Horses know the safe place is with the herd, and when startled or bothered, they will fly from fear.

Think about the example I mentioned above of a horse running to greet another horse. This is how I want my horse to respond when he sees me. To create this type of bond, a change needs to take place in us first. In my 50-plus years in the equine industry, I’ve never once met a horse who went out human shopping. We’re the ones who chose them, so the privilege and responsibility lies with us to alter our approach. If someone showed up at your door every day with chocolate, flowers, and genuine kindness—no agenda, no demands—you’d probably start looking forward to seeing them.

Please understand, though, this is not about bribing your horse. This is about walking for a minute in your horse’s horseshoes. It’s your idea to catch your horse to go do _________ (fill in the blank with your desired activity or discipline). But what was your horse doing before you showed up?  Most likely hanging with his friends or in a place he feels safe, like his stall or pasture. Horses are motivated by safety, comfort, and play (in that order). If they don’t feel safe, they aren’t comfortable. And if they don’t feel safe and comfortable, it’s challenging to play or perform well.

In this day and age, time is a precious commodity. We’re often multitasking, squeezing in riding sessions between errands and school pickups or after work. In spite of this, let’s practice the Parelli Principle of “Take the time it takes so it takes less time.” You most likely already realize the importance of pairing your riding sessions with a good physical warmup and cool-down. But, have you considered a mental and emotional warmup and cool-down with your horse?

Here at Parelli, we call this undemanding time, basically the time we do more of what our horses like to do, where they feel safe. Grazing time. Hang out time. Scratches and grooming time. Practice staying intentional, meaningful, and present with your horse.  Invest in what he likes and he will be more apt to offer more of what you like.

Our goal is to teach you how to safely and effectively train your horse at home, so that both you and your horse can have more fun and achieve excellence together—creating a true partnership based on trust and mutual understanding.

I could teach you dozens of ways to catch a horse. But I’d rather teach you how to cause your horse to want to catch you.

Learn more about our digital home-study curriculum, the Levels Program, at Parelli.com.

This article appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horsemanship Myth 1: “Catch your horse any way you can.” appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

For over 40 years, Parelli Natural Horsemanship has been teaching horse lovers worldwide that true horse-man-ship can be obtained naturally using communication, understanding, and psychology versus mechanics, fear, and intimidation. Our goal is to share an effective training program that makes sense to horses, naturally.

Yet several myths persist that hinder true partnership. Let’s debunk five common horsemanship myths and misconceptions.

Myth 1: “Catch your horse any way you can.”

Did you know your session starts the moment your horse sees you? How you approach your horse and even how you put the halter on means something to him.

Humans are instinctively predators; horses are prey animals. When we rush straight at them to “catch” them, we can trigger their flight response. As the leader in the relationship, we want to create a natural attraction, so our horses become willing participants. When done right, your horse will meet you at the gate!

Myth 2: “Saddle him up and get on.”

First, we need to find out how our horse is feeling today. What side of the corral did he wake up on? Just like you have good days and bad days, so does your horse.

Make no assumptions that because your horse felt fine and you had a good ride yesterday, all will be well today. Before a pilot takes off in a plane, they always conduct pre-flight checks. The same should apply to our horse-man-ship. A few minutes of groundwork can prevent dangerous surprises in the saddle.

Myth 3: “Kick him to go.”

Riding is simple, right? After all, there’s a pedal for each foot! While leg cues are important, simply “kicking” a horse to go is counterproductive and creates dullness.

Instead, create a language by teaching your horse to respond to phases of pressure—starting with your energy first, and building to a squeeze to create understanding and willing forward motion. The result? A responsive horse who listens to whisper-light cues.

Myth 4: “Pull on him to stop.”

Horses are masters at reading and understanding body language. If phases of energy can create forward motion, the absence of energy can also mean slow down and stop.

You wouldn’t drive a car with malfunctioning brakes, and you shouldn’t ride a horse who relies on the reins to stop. Teaching your horse to respond to your seat and energy creates true self-carriage and a soft, balanced stop.

Myth 5: “Use the reins to turn.”

Horses have long bodies and humans have tall bodies. Learning to use long-body-logic means involving our entire body and energy in our communication with horses.

We influence our horses to move—on the ground and in the saddle—by turning our eyes (focus) first and then proceeding through our phases. This creates fluid, harmonious turns that feel effortless.

Join Us on This Journey

Please join us as we take a deeper dive into each of these five myths in the upcoming 2026 issues of Horse Illustrated. Our goal is to teach you how to train your horse safely and effectively at home, so that both you and your horse can have more fun and achieve excellence together, creating a true partnership based on trust and mutual understanding.

Learn more about our digital home-study curriculum, the Levels Program, at Parelli.com.

This edition of “Parelli Perspectives” about horsemanship myths appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Debunking 5 Common Horsemanship Myths appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.