Parelli Natural Horsemanship

Parelli Natural Horsemanship (also known as Parelli or PNH) is a program of natural horsemanship, founded in 1981 by Pat Parelli. The program is headquartered in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Parelli Natural Horsemanship states its core principle as "Horsemanship can be obtained naturally through communication, understanding and psychology, versus mechanics, fear and intimidation." Parelli's methods were first publicized by Robert M. Miller in a series of articles in Western Horseman magazine in 1983 and 1984. In 1993, Parelli published his first book, Natural Horse-Man-Ship, co-authored by Kathy Kadash Swan and with photography by Parelli's first wife, Karen. The Parelli program is now promoted as co-founded by Parelli and his second wife, Linda.

The Parelli program is offered via courses in Colorado, Florida, Australia and the erted Kingdom and includes a four-part training program of horsemanship referred to as "The Four Savvys". The exercises developed by Parelli that emulate these behaviors are referred to as the "7 Games". The "Parelli Natural Horsemanship University" was approved as a "private occupational school" by the Colorado Department of Higher Education in 2003. It is listed under the state's Division of Private Occupational Schools as a private, for-profit institution.

"The Four Savvys" are defined by the Parellis as types of play with horses. Two, Online and Liberty, involve the human on the ground and the horse typically is in a halter with an attached lead rope, but other methods of connection such a flank rope are also used. Liberty play involves a horse who is not physically connected to the human. Instead, the horse is asked to watch the body language of the human as its primary source of information about what they are supposed to be doing. The two riding categories are named Freestyle and Finesse. Freestyle consists of riding with infrequent or no contact with the horse's head or mouth. In finesse, the rider generally keeps close but gentle head/mouth contact and uses communication from body cues developed by practice with freestyle riding to give instructions to the horse about gross motor skill topics such as gait and direction while reserving the reins for discussions regarding refined elements such as bend in the body.

Within the four savvys, Parelli Natural Horsemanship teaches the use of the "7 Games" with horses. The Parellis state that these exercises emulate the behaviors that horses engage in with each other. The first three games are also known as the principal games, as the other four games, called the purpose games, consist of elements of these three games. The seven games are:

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