Brent Graef's Concept

ShannonE · Brent Graef's Concept

A number of you have been to clinics with Brent recently and have put up some notes for us to read. For that I thank you however, could anyone explain a little more about Brent and his ideas about natural horsemanship. I've read through his website and like what I read, but I'd really like to know more.

He's obviously different than Parelli but I'd like specifics and why. Hopefully this won't turn into a Parelli bashing thread as that is not my intent.

Shannon

cynthia peterson

I went to a Brent Clinic this summer with two Parelli friends. well, truefully one EX parelli friend and one Parelli friend. So we pretty well grilled him over on what is the difference. Brent was very much a Parelli student in his earlier years. In fact Pat thought enough of him to have Ronnie Willis help him. Some where along the way he seen Ray and Buck that changed his life. Of all the Clinicians, Brent is the most open to questions. His wife was also very into Parelli when he meant her. She is very helpful and travels with him helping students also. I might add, this clinic was the first time I had ever seen him.

From what I took away from the Clinic is Brent is not a basher. He will tell you what he has learned as the difference. He just tells you what would maybe work better. Like how sloppy the Parelli halter fits, he uses the Buck Brannaman halter. He hates the Parelli snap, not a fan of the carrot stick, feels you should move on from the rope hackamore (really doesn't care for it, and neither did Ray and Buck). But, here is the really big difference. He has a big deal on getting the feel and timing, like moving your energy out with the horse, on the ground and saddle. It's more of your mind into it then just flinging the carrot stick at them. His eye to that is fantastic, but he thinks everybody could get it.

His riding sessions were very much like Buck Brannman's, like getting to the feet. And this is the really biggy, you ask him and he will go over the details. He won't just say, "keep trying and you'll get it". He'll break it down to where you will get it. Some of the auditors were well advanced and I was impressed he could talk as well to (and I know he knew what he was talking about) them as well as beginners. There were at least half of the students who were Parelli students still, and he guided them through it with kindness, not trying to chase them off of Parelli, but get what they could and keep Parelli if they wanted to.

Brent and his wife are the most open clinicians. We all went out to dinner at night. Brent and his wife answered questions all night. In fact he asked questions before and after the clinic everyday. He is never "off the job".

IMO he is a perfect step up from Parelli. There is no way you can not like this guy. A gentle, kind, tall, good looking cowboy. Both students and horses loved him.

whisperingwindfarms

I totally agree with Cynthia. There are two things that I treasure about Brent. The first is that his main goal (other than being there for the horse so to speak) is to empower the human. He is a wonderful mentor in that respect - he wants you to believe in you and your horse as much as he believes in you and your horse.

The second is that if you ask Brent a question, he's going to do his darnedest to give you a complete answer so you can integrate it into your horsemanship.

I will never forget the last words he said to me when our clinic was finished AND I will never forget the look on Lucky Bucky's face when Brent flat handed him across the side of the muzzle when Bucky tried to shoulder past him in the stall that Sunday morning. Each alone was worth the price of the weekend for me.

My feelings about Brent are not at all similar to what I felt for Pat during my kool-aid drinking years. Brent is the real deal. Pat was an ideal that sooner or later had to crumble.

bit

That's true, he doesn't bash. I liked him a lot, and learned more from him in three days than many years of Parelli.
He said something like this, "why go through three levels, have to throw it out the window and THEN do finesse? Why not START with finesse?" He also said that he wasn't out to sell us anything, which is why he didn't push any particular equipment, and had no dvd's. I wish he would do a dvd of a clinic!
Thanks to Brent, I don't drill my horse, my horse isn't bored, and I am learning a lot about feel. I get why Tom had such a tough time putting that one into words, but if you go to a clinic with Brent, you'll start to get the idea.
He's the real deal, and there isn't one drop of ugly ego with this guy. He's out to help the horse and human, and loves what he does. I know, I asked. He's not rough, he treats everyone the same, he answers questions, takes the time to help every individual in a way that suits the way they learn, and is passionate about his mission. When I win my zillions, his place down in Texas is the first place the horses and I are heading. Oh, and Eclipse liked him...she doesn't particularly like anyone. Even horses.

ShannonE

This is awesome! Thank you all so much. Hopefully you can continue to answer questions for me while I try to work this all out.

Cynthia, is Jonathan Field similar to Brent? I know Jonathan studied with Ronnie as well. I have Jonathan's Liberty Series and it is full of gold nuggets including biomechanics.

What snap on the rope does Brent like or does he prefer snapless? I'd venture a guess that he doesn't like the carrot stick due to it's overuse. Instead of using feel/intent/mind, everyone I know just goes straight for the stick.

Erin, you're the one that got my interest going in Brent from a thread somewhere. Thank you for that!

Bit, besides a number of other things about Parelli, one of my big complaints is we are not taught proper biomechanics. If Brent teaches finesse early does he do the same with biomechanics?

My next question is about the circling game. I stopped standing still a while ago as both my colts just zone out if I stand still, but are very engaged and willing to move if I do even a very small circle with them. What is Brent's take on this.

Thank you again for your input.

Shannon

Hertha

whisperingwindfarms

Every other instructor I have ever been with other than PNH instructors has you move with your horse. Karen Rohlf even suggests you move your body in the way you want your horse to move i.e. if the horse is stiff in the ribs then you bend your ribs out the way you want the horse to bend.

Brent most definitely believes in moving with the horse. It's part of moving WITH your horse in leading and everything else. It's part of "let's go together and do this".

cynthia peterson

Jonathan Field is similar to Brent. I have only seen JF's DVDs, not in person. I have seen Brent in person and he has no DVDs. I would say, JF follows Parelli a wee bit more. But, JF has it ALL, in his DVDs, not dribbling you along like Parelli. He also has that "Ronnis Willis" factor (that Brent has too) that is way closer to the best source Pat ever had to Ray and Tom. As I said before, Pat has said Ronnie explained Tom to him because Pat didn't always "get" Tom. I like that "one removed" closer source to the real thing. JF's DVDs are well worth the money. They are pricey (b/c there is so many hours on them) but far better value then Parelli. Well, Parelli at this time, I think Parelli.com has learned their lesson on that.

Brent has this sending energy down the rope, having the horse following your feel, sending a thought to the horse where to go (sorta' along the line of Deb Bennett/Harry Whitney of the Birdie theory) And I seen it all work in Brent's Clinic. And I'm telling you, it sure is wonderful to see. Not just feel on the rope, but sending energy UP the rope. He can transfor all of this into the reins. His riding sessions seem to have some of the Buck Brannaman/Ray Hunt patterns, like getting to the feet. He can do as well with beginners as he can more advanced moves. Someone mentioned Karen Rohlf. When I seen her DVDs I loved what she was doing. She moves the horse's shoulder over in the circling game with a energy with her slightly advancing toward it (to straighten the horse) That is the type of thing I am talking about with Brent, but somehow his gentle cowboy way made it seem simple and easier to get. That just opens up the window to "get" Karen, Ray, Buck, whoever you love who is GOOD. I also loved how Brent loved answering questions. He gently gets it reworded if you didn't get it, doesn't bash if you don't agree (like someone asking about a Clinician they didn't like and he did) When we got into some really high finesse questions, he could answer them too. Now, what more could you ask for?

bit

Brent uses a tree line, snapless rope and a lBuck halter. I just ordered a set of treeline reins. I didn't realize how little feel my reins had until I tried Kelsey's reins, which are the Parelli reins. Equipment really does make a difference.

cynthia peterson

Bit, yes Brent uses the treeline rope with no snap and the Buck Brannaman halter. Brent actually pointed out to the Parelli students how different the feel was. The snapless made the feel in "real time" and the feel with the snap comes from the snap, not the rope. So the timing would have to be different. He also pointed out how the Parelli Halter hit the cheek all wrong. The way the BB Halter fits is right up under the throatlatch. Some say the BB is stiffer, so harsher. But they have that wrong. The stiffer halter HOLDS the feel. It is not limp and wimpy. You can see if Brent is talking about sending the feel UP the rope too, then wimpy is not going to cut it. Brent (and Buck's) idea of bending is way nothing Pat has. Karen Rohlf has it. But Karen had it before Parelli (the concept) So the circling game Pat does is not productive to what Brent is looking for. Well, actually Pat stands alone on the circling game. Of course, Pat says the horse has the responsibility of circling without you "micro manging it." IMO that could be a separate game AFTER you learn how to have the horses focus on you 100%, and after you have your horse tracking in a bend both ways. There's a BIG difference in the way Brent and Pat does things. And Brent will credit Ray/Buck with that. Pat's circling game is uniquely his own.

The treeline rope has MORE feel to it too.