Sofie and Panter’s Parelli Journey.

My name is Sofie and I´m a Parelli student from Sweden. Animals have always been my passion and I have had horses in my life since I was young.

I got Panter in 2007 and we started our life-changing journey with Parelli Natural Horsemanship. Panter is a 12 year old Standardbred, ex-racehorse and competed in harness racing from age 2 until 9. People thought he looked like “a million dollars” when he was running, but during those seven years of competing Panter only won one race, he then got a leg injury for the second time on the same leg and wasn’t able to race again for a year.

Panter during his racing days

Panter is a Right Brain Extrovert and always the leader in the pasture, he is sensitive and has a lot of spirit, but when it came to human’s he was unconfident. Thanks to Parelli I can now start to see him for who he is and he is quite humorous.
I didn’t start with Parelli because I had a problem with my horse, I  just heard about it from a friend and purchased level 1 right away. I could not believe that in my 20 years with horses I had never heard of this before. I loved everything about it but at the same time I realized how scattered Panter was, how much baggage he had, and how much people had just pushed him around.

Nervous Panter

I started level 1 and didn’t ride him for 3 months. When I first met him in March 2007, I was going to help my friend to train him. I soon realized how stressed he was as he wasn’t able to go for a trail ride at a walk, he just wanted to run and was so nervous. He had also traveled all over Sweden and Denmark during his racing years, but when I started trailer loading him, he didn’t even put his nose in the trailer given the choice. I got him in August shortly after his leg injury and  I would just take him for walks in the forest, the first few times were not easy but it became better. We eventually progressed and assessed level 1 in 2008 and level 2 in 2009.

We have been to 2 clinics with Austrian instructor Martin Wimmer and it has been a really good experience. The first thing he said was “we must have a special plan for him”. I had to convince Panter that he could do things even if he freaked out. We have learned a lot and our relationship is getting stronger every day. We have now passed level 3 online and liberty and we are progressing on the ground. He is not that herd bound any more, he is more confident around humans, and I’ve come to realize that treats motivate him. I can now play with him on the ground and he keeps his confidence and if he knows that there is something in it for him he really puts effort in and tries.

Martin Wimmer and Panter

Sofie and Panter

We have also started to move outside our comfort zone when it comes to speed. I am able to keep him on the circle when he goes on adrenalin and he calms down and starts to think. Before I used to always interrupted that pattern, but now I feel that he is more ready to take control over his emotions and he is doing great. In freestyle we are focusing on him being confident, some day’s it´s better than others. Martin Wimmer gave me the advice to guide him more with shorter reins and I am starting to feel a difference. We both need to be more emotionally fit when it comes to riding, he needs more confidence and I need more patience, but we are getting there.

Sofie and Panter

Through Parelli and having a horse like Panter, I have learned to be more understanding, not to get upset, and to take the time it takes. To stop and think and to never judge anyone, not humans and especially not horses or animals as they only do what is logical to them. They do what they need to do to survive and it really breaks my heart to see how evil people can be sometimes.

I do keep a personal blog if you would like to read more about Panter and myself: http://sofie-sofiespantersparelliliv.blogspot.com/

Tagged as: Panter, Parelli Media, Sofie Svensson, Sweden