>>I do like natural horsemanship type methods (especially Pat Parelli). But I have found I used a lot of things myself (like body language or an indirect approach when catching a horse) before I had ever heard of natural horsemanship.<<
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Yep - I think many of us have used "natural horsemanship" for years, myself included. The term "Natural Horsemanship" has been coined to encompass the positive, gentle approach to training and caring for horses. Unfortunately, I think in the past few years, it has become a "cliché" ... but for lack of a better term for the process, it describes itself pretty well. Many people think "Natural Horsemanship" is only the Pat Parelli methods of training. His term, I believe, is actually "Natural Horse-Man-Ship" ... and he describes the meaning of the term in the beginning of his book entitled the same. I use the terms that others have come to understand only for lack of better terms! "Natural Horsemanship" is now pretty readily understood by most people, thanks to "The Horse Whisperer" (who is NOT Monty Roberts, btw!) ... and that's been a good thing cause it's brought about the awareness of how to work with horses in a more gentle and kind manner than force.
I also think that there are two types of people who work with horses (or any animals) - those who feel "oh, they're just dumb animals and they have to be trained" and those who feel that animals are much like people only in different bodies and can be "taught" our methods of communication. I don't know if I explained that very well - but for me, personally, I believe that animals *are* spiritual/emotional beings in different bodies than ours. (What's that word - anthropomorphism? *vbg*) ... One only has to watch an elephant weep at the sight of a best buddy who has died and see the mourning ritual in order to start thinking about WHY these animals mourn and weep? Or when a mare will put her own life in danger, against the strongest instinctual behavioral patterns, to protect her foal? Or "play" with a dolphin in the ocean and watch a school of dolphins interacting. Why would a female gorilla pick up a young boy who had fallen into the gorilla pit at a zoo to protect him from the other gorillas? Why would a horse gallop across a 5 acre field to protect a human who was being threatened and attacked by another horse? (My Bub's the best!!! *vbg*) These behaviors are not just
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