Meet Andrea Wady – Costa Rican Parelli Natural Horsemanship Practitioner

It is with great excitement that I write my first blog for Parelli Central from the tiny country of Costa Rica.

Nestled in between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rican culture holds horses in high esteem, with horse parades featuring in every ‘Pueblo’s yearly fiestas. Horses have been a huge part of Costa Rica’s culture since the Spanish came here and set up a colony in 1560. Unfortunately most of the horse training methods have changed little since then; submission, domination and achieving results through force are all too common here. However plugging away in the background are a small community of us “Parelli nuts” leading by example and showing people that there is another way! We now have our own 2-Star Parelli Instructor Alejandra Gonzalez and we are very proud of her.

Coming from the UK where my horse was more pampered than my husband, the training methods here left me with a heavy heart, I wanted to show people another way, but didn’t know how. I guess I had always practiced Parelli Natural Horsemanship but without structure. I am a great believer in fate, and shortly afterwards, I stumbled across a David Lichman clinic that was being held here. I had heard of Parelli but knew little about it! Being starved of horse clinics and like minded people I signed up. WELL, what can I say, it blew my mind. The Seven games, Savvy and dancing with David set me on my current path of all things Parelli. Nothing had ever felt so right in my life before.

Buying horses locally they all tend come with scars both physically and mentally from their previous lives. The seven games has helped them over come their fears, learn to trust and participate in mutual relationships with humans. When we are looking for a new horse for our business (we own a horse back riding outfit, taking tours into the rain forest,) we always try to visit places where we know the horses need to get out of! We buy them, rest them, retrain them and love them. This is how I found Archie, who has taken my Parelli journey to places I never knew I could go, he is my Allure!

We arrived at the ranch and were shown a tall rangy horse who looked like he would be ideal for our more leggy clients. I walked over to him and his eyes were wide and un-trusting. I could see he had been roughed up, but i didn’t realise to what extent. Had I have known I would never have got on his back! Once in the saddle I rode towards the corral. This was when he started shaking, Cowboys lined the fence (never a good sign!). As soon as I asked him to do anything, even just a walk he went up in the air on back legs. Common sense told me to walk away now with my bones intact; my heart was telling me something else. I turned him away from the corral and out into the field behind and told everyone to leave us alone. I jumped off and with a little pressure on his nose asked him to back up. He wouldn’t move, I moved up a phase very slowly and he stepped back. I stopped and rubbed him. He let out a huge sigh and licked and chewed. Standing there playing the friendly game I noticed the rope marks around both back legs, I started crying. I had to get this horse out of here. As I lead him back to the corral, I was met by my husband Chris, he had a very skeptical look in his eye! ” I want him” I said with a lift in my chin, being of Celtic blood I have be know to have a little stubbornness in my horseanality. “Great ” he said “But is going to be suitable for our novice clients? Because remember that IS what we are looking for.” As I marched past to start negotiating with the cowboys  I said” Oh absolutely, he is quiet as a mouse!” my fingers were crossed in front of me. Archie came home with me the following day and I had found my “challenging” LBI equine partner in life.

Andrea Wady

www.horseridecostarica.com

Costa Rica Parelli Natural Horsemanship

Andrea Wady - Parelli Natural Horsemanship - Costa Rica

Tagged as: Andrea Wady, Costa Rica, David Lichman, Parelli, Parelli Natural Horsemanship