This page is designed to answer some of the common questions that Marc gets every week.
If you do not see your question here, please feel free to send an email.

How do I find out about hosting a clinic?
As a host, you are a representative of Marc Rea and Parelli Natural Horsemanship.  You are the person who makes it all happen, sharing the excitement and fun of spreading the word about Parelli.  If you’re interested, we’ll send you a handout outlining what’s involved in hosting.  If you decide it’s something you’d like to do, we’ll send you a booking agreement and other tips on how to successfully host a clinic.  We’ll provide sample fliers if you want them.  You won’t need to re-invent the wheel—we’ll assist in any way we can.

What if we’d rather have several small group lessons?
That’s also possible.  Contact Marc to make arrangements.

I’d like to put my child in a clinic.  Is that possible?
To participate in a clinic, young riders must be able to saddle, bridle and mount their horses by themselves.  They must wear a helmet.  Young riders can be accommodated if they are mature for their age, able to concentrate for three hours, and feel comfortable in an adult situation.  Students 14 and under must have an adult in the arena with them.  The adult does not pay, and is there to provide support when attention lags, provide emotional support, and to assist the child in the adult environment.  The adult does not teach the child.  That’s Marc’s job.

In our experience, children younger than about 10 or 11 do not do well in an adult clinic.  The most critical factor for success in a clinic is the child’s desire.  Often parents want the clinic for the child, but the youngster isn’t really interested or feels she’s being forced into the clinic for her own good.  To be successful at a clinic, the young person must have a strong desire to participate.     

What is an audition?  How is it different from an assessment?
Pat and Linda have come up with a new way to gauge your progress if you want something “official” that will lead to a colored string and certificate of completion.  This is called an audition.  Auditions demonstrate only one savvy at a time.  For example, Level 2 on-line is a separate audition from Level 2 freestyle.  Each audition can be no longer than 10 minutes long.  You are no longer required to submit a long video showing all the tasks at a level, which makes things a lot easier.

And you no longer have to wait till you have all the tasks at a level completed to submit a video.  For example, if you and your horse are ready to audition for Level 3 on-line you can do so, even if you are still are working on Level 2 Freestyle.

An audition includes a short list of compulsory tasks and leaves you time to have fun and show off what you and your horse can do.

Complete details are at the Savvy Club website.

Got any hints on how to film an audition?
Since you only have 10 minutes and your audition has to be submitted without any editing, practice to get it down before the camera person arrives.   You’ll find 10 minutes goes pretty fast, and you’ll need to work through the order you show things to be as efficient as possible with your time.  Since there is no set sequence in an audition, you can experiment to find what works best for you and your horse.