Page 47 - ST November 2013

Dudley and I checking out the helicopter.

wonder he couldn’t cope with the serenity and the We walked on the road next to the parking lot
open space of the high desert. Wow! What a major and were about 35-40 feet from the end of the he-

breakthrough! Now that I understood his fears, I licopter blades. Dudley couldn’t take his eyes of the

could start the process of getting Dudley acclimated helicopter. He stopped and froze in place. He took
to our new location. I started going for walks and that “fright, light” position. I was scared. What had I

taking Dudley with me. We walked almost every day. done? I had subjected my horse to a very dangerous

He became calmer and was actually starting to be situation. I could visualize Dudley getting away from
curious about his surroundings.
me and getting hit by a passing car. I just stood there,

Recently, during one of our walks, I could hear the next to him, not knowing what to do. We probably

noise from a helicopter that was lying towards us and looked like 2 statues standing side by side. Then it
the noise was getting louder and louder. It lew very suddenly came to me like a lash: I am supposed to

low to the ground and was within a half block of the be the leader.

road where we were walking. The helicopter scared I composed my thoughts and collected my con-
Dudley. His head went up and he started to prance idence. I drew from every Parelli word that I had

and was getting right-brained. He calmed down studied. Pat Parelli said that we all have butterlies

when the helicopter circled and lew in the opposite at one time or another. But the diference between
direction. It appeared as though it had landed at the his butterlies and our butterlies is that his butter-

elementary school a couple of blocks away.
lies “ly in formation.” I looked at Dudley, and then I

I decided to walk to the school. When we got to the looked down the road and started walking as though
school, we stood across the street from the parking the helicopter wasn’t there. To my surprise, Dudley

lot where the helicopter had landed. I looked at the lowered his head, blew his nostrils and walked with

lashing lights of the ambulance and the ire truck me. I was ecstatic!! Who would ever have thought
that were parked next to the helicopter. The helicop- that my Right-Brain Extrovert would have that much

ter engine was running, and the noise was deafen- conidence?!
ing. The blades were making a whirring sound as We have made remarkable progress throughout

they rotated. I hesitated for a couple of minutes, not our Parelli journey. We are great partners, and we

knowing if I should cross the street. I thought that have achieved an oicial Level 3. I am now a Level 4
this may be a bigger challenge than we were ready student and a 1-Star Instructor Trainee. The helicop-

to tackle. I looked at Dudley, took a deep breath, and ter experience just really goes to show what a solid

crossed the street.
foundation can mean for a horse. ST

www.parelli.com | 45