The Parelli Foundation’s first Rehoming For Life Workshop
at Best Friends Animal Society’s Horse Haven in Kanab, Utah
March 18-23, 2014
This Rehoming For Life Workshop was held specifically for staff and volunteers of horse rescues who rehome horses. The goals and benefits included learning to be safer with unpredictable horses and increased skills in caring for challenging horses, creating happier horses and improving adoption rates of horses at rescues involved.
Everyone who attended the workshop gave rave reviews and expressed their appreciation during and after the event. We invited 5* Parelli Professional John Baar and 4* Parelli Professional Kathy Baar to be the instructors for this pilot workshop and they graciously accepted. They were amazing and are both excellent instructors. Having the event at Best Friends Animal Society’s Horse Haven was also a huge draw because many people know of this national animal welfare organization, and its sanctuary in Kanab, UT. Best Friends Animal Society is the nation’s largest no-kill facility for companion animals. Those who were not familiar with Best Friends quickly learned that this is a premier animal welfare organization. In Horse Haven they focus on Parelli principles and it is their goal to rehome to Parelli homes. The staff and all their volunteers continue to be progressive on their journey with Natural Horsemanship.
First Rehoming For Life Workshop
Parelli Education Institute/Best Friends Animal Society
Parelli Foundation/Best Friends Animal Society, March 2014
Thanks to a very generous donation by Parelli Natural Horsemanship, we were able to provide each participant at the workshop with the Level 1 (red box) and Celebration DVD’s. In addition, everyone received a Jump Start Kit with their choice of sizes and colors for their equipment.
Here’s what they walked into the first morning when they arrived!
BFAS_Jump_Start_Kits
John did a session on the equipment, talking about the ‘feel’ in the rope and illustrating it with a person who had their eyes closed, showing everyone how to tie their halters and playing games with the carrot stick and savvy string.
John_Baar_Rope_Feel John_Baar_Tie_HalterJohn_Baar_Equipment_Demo
John also did demo’s with these two horses and several others from Horse Haven.
John_Baar_Snoopy
and Kathy did a terrific session on Horsenality!
Kathy_Baar_Horsenality
Then she played with the cutest little LB pony who came to Best Friends Horse Haven as part of what was called “The Wild Bunch”. A rescue that failed in a nearby State had many, many horses. Most were gathered up and went to other rescues/sanctuaries, but there was this group of 10 horses who could not be caught and had never been handled – The Wild Bunch. This little guy was one of them, and the only pony in the bunch. Jen Reid, the Manager at Horse Haven, named him Hamilton and has been working with him for the past year, and he has come so far! Kathy had fun talking about his Horsenality and doing demo’s with him.
Kathy_Baar_BFAS_Hamilton Kathy_Baar_BFAS_Hamilton_Barrels
This was such an amazing experience! I cannot wait to organize and participate in more of these workshops. The Horse Welfare Team is currently making plans for three workshops in 2015. Details have yet to be finalized, but so far our research lends itself to one in the Southeast, one in the Midwest and one on the West Coast. Stay tuned to the Horse Welfare Program’s web page for emerging details.
Tammy Barth – Horse Welfare Programs Coordinator
Parelli Foundaton Volunteer