Parelli Natural HorseManShip Cake Recipe
01. Oct, 2009 
13 Comments
I have never posted a recipe or a photograph of food here on EHTT before. I just love blogs where people post colorful photos of their beautifully-prepared meals and recipes to go along. On the rare occasion when I have time I read them with with delight. So I thought I’d make an effort today to join in the fun with this recipe and photo. It’s important to note that this is not intended to be snarky or mean. My daughter, who loves that kind of blog, found this recipe for a Jonestown Kool-Aid Cake at and forwarded it to me, where I saw the potential, and (if you ignore the sadness, which is hard to do but play along with me) decided to share it with you. What inspired this departure from my usual format?
Responses to the Parelli Parade of Preposterousness!
Unlike certification in Parelli NH or a trip to the ER for a cracked skull, it only costs about $3 to bake this cake. photo courtesy apocalypsecakes.wordpress.com
I think it needs a little crash helmet ornament on top.
The most thoughtful response to the Parelli Parade of Preposterousness! was by Kerry of Hoofbeats, who said,
In martial arts the one thing I did learn is that you take what is good and useful for yourself from every disipline. One should never ever ever stop thinking for oneself. Does it make sense to you? Does it work for you? If it does, use it. If it doesn’t, discard it. You are just as smart as everyone else. You are just as smart as Linda or Pat.
Sometimes we get “in the thrall” of trainers, especially those who are really good at promoting themselves. This is one situation where cherrypicking is a great idea. Before you take a bite of that cake, think for yourself.
© 2009 enlightened horsemanship through touch and Kim Cox Carneal
If you like what you have been reading, please subscribe to the RSS Feed, and visit Bloggers Choice Awards to vote for Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch.
blogposts
Hey there!
What I am thinking is the role of the horse in these kinds of conversations. It seems to me from my own work, that the role of the horse — somehow — the relationship we have with our horses — somehow — the psychological and sometimes psychic atmosphere that surrounds us when we are in the presence of the horse — somehow — empowers someone like Parelli to become a guru-like cult figure. It’s the same with my trainer — I watch her work and she is working “in a zone” that is so amazing, that I have several times labelled her as my guru. EXCEPT she is such an old fashioned, hard working cowpoke, that that kind of projection doesn’t stick….
What is fascinating is how people can manipulate this tendency to associate horses with spirtuality on some level (natural horsemanship is a kind of romance of nature mysticism) for such self-promotion, that it elicits love and loyalty on the one side, and obsessive derision on the other.
Parelli people are always wondering “Why do they hate us so much?” On the flip side, we can’t understand their devotion. That is classic sign of cult-like relationship.
In my other persona (Integral Theorist) we have the same problem. The field is dominated by a beheamoth of a man, Ken Wilber. He and his followers deomnstrate cult-like relationship. Not surprising, integral theory is a spiritual-liberation theory, at best as a system-view understanding, at worst as an ideology….
The reference to martial arts is appropos. I was the President of the National Qigong Association in the early 2000′s. ALthough our mission is to de-mystify Qigong, there was a constant and affixiating feeling of “devotional” relationship back and forth — when I was on stage, and being “on” — I solicited (voluntarily or involuntarily) so much devotional projection, that it interested me, and I could understand how teachers in certain realms can get way-too attracted to this kind of thing.
Of course, it happens to sports and movie and music stars all the time.
To me, it felt like GUM IN MY HAIR (if you know what I mean).
When I give my horse workshops, I let the students interact with the horses as teachers, with as little intervention as possible. They often develop deep intuitive “devotional” relationships with one or another of my horses. It is pleasant and delightful to see the resonance. It is better because I am not the target, and the horses don’t seem to mind/ care about what comes their way. I think they play with that kind of energy in a kind of magical (read magician, trickster) way.
LOGIC??? When it comes to horses, its over rated.
in one of his books, Klaus (Hempfling) — another guru-devotional-type persona — says “Horses as chaos machines!” Whatever YOU are susceptible to, the horse will find, pick on it, play wiht it, and nurture it all at the same time. Either side of the coin. The horse doesn’t seem to care.
Bonnie
Bonnitta
It took me days to figure out how best to respond to this! I’ve been reading up on Integral Theory and the associated movement, which I should know more about given that I loved no more than twenty minutes from an Integral Yoga place–Yogaville–in Virginia.
Dealing with the body, mind, heart and soul–yes, that sounds like horses.
You are right, of course, as is Hempfling. They are perceptive and acute mirrors, and trickster mirrors at that.
If only people (read trainers and their devotés) were as honest and playful with themselves and others as horses are! We attribute far too much import and gravitas to what they do. I am guilty of this myself.
Hint: there IS no guru.
Kim,
I’m sitting here catching up on reading since it’s snowing (yes, snowing) out again today, and scrolling down through your posts, saw this one. I need to dig deeper and read all the links and connections to fully get it, but I did quickly want to add a comment while I had a moment.
Having many a Parelli “cult members” located just below this mountain, I have seen and tried to understand some of what Bonnitta is describing. And I agree with you: there is no guru. We can search for our mentors, but the answers have to come from within. It is easier to be told black from white, but it doesn’t help us learn to see.
And I would like to second what Kerry stated, something I work on every day as I read one horse master after another telling you it has to be THIS way: you can learn from everyone, every encounter, every passing moment. Just take from the experience what works for you, and from that only can we learn and grow, not just increase our knowledge of someone else’s experience. Take what works for you, leave the rest behind. And there’s good stuff to be found everywhere, in every one.
Have a good one and enjoy that sunshine for me,
Gin
Hi Gin
I can’t believe it’s snowing where you are! Though my intellectual mind understands the likelihood, I’m sitting here in 80 degree sunshine with birds singing and holding my feelings about snow at bay!
Your comments are appreciated. the answers must come from within. My only worry about this is that when people are new to the horse world, they must look to someone else for answers, until their own intuition has enough power to kick in. In that time, they are most vulnerable.
Therein lies a big problem. How do we learn, gain knowledge and confidence, so that we can figure out what is right for each of us? I still don’t have that answer. One thing, perhaps, we all can do for those we meet starting out and coming into the wide world of horses is to stress the importance of learning a little from everyone, everything, every horse, and every experience, but not thinking there is just one right way, and buying into one route. Getting the word out there… which is what you’re doing with your blog, to keep an open mind. Thank you.
And yes, it’s STILL snowing. But you know, it will just be mud tomorrow.
gg
when you first start out, you are told to stick with one trainer. for at least a year. moving from one to another, even after a year was frowned upon back when I started. how then to find the courage and intuition to look elsewhere? some people just don’t have the confidence. to those who do, congrats. to those who are able to pick things up from everyone they encounter without its getting overly filtered through the lens of their current trainer (I wasn’t for a long time), more congrats.
yes, it is hard, but necessary.
OPEN MINDS AND HEARTS!
Kim,
One more thought: I’m sure I’ve taken up enough of your time, but this one is so deep and dear. You are right. Confidence isn’t there at first. I wonder if ever. 15 years have been working on this, and I still falter regularly. I don’t know when it will come. I spent years of seeking a teacher, a mentor, someone who could not only teach, but help and care. I found the lack of care hurt more than anything. But I still seek answers elsewhere before within. I am afraid that may be part of our human nature. Who among us (besides perhaps Mr. Parelli himself) has the confidence to believe we can not benefit from learning from another, and who among us feel we already know it all?
When put that way, I believe I will never be there, and perhaps, never want to.
And yet, just a little further wouldn’t hurt.
So let us remember too not only to be the best students we can be, with open minds and open hearts, but also the best teachers – helping others starting out, helping to build a foundation of confidence.
Occassionally I teach workshops in Conscious Evolution for the Graduate Institute. The first thing I start with is that all the answers lie WITHIN your own experience and awareness — and those are unique to each person. In relationship with others (human and non humans) — we can tease out our authentic pieces of wisdom (= experience + awareness) — that is why the tag line for the Horses at Alderlore is “To know the horse is to recognize your Self.”
Funny tho – reading your post. I am the opposite of what you describe. It is always difficult for me to be anyone’s student. I am a born maverick (it has many drawbacks) and I have only recently begun to choose a couple of mentors– remembering that they are supporting my own effort to manifest my own path.
Bests,
Bonnie
Gin
You could never take up enough of my time. I find your comments to be really thought-provoking and so elegantly written as sometimes to make me completely re-think my position. Such is the power of words. In this case, however we agree completely.
About faltering, I understand. And the search: humans are a needy bunch, aren’t we? The lack of care seems to me to be grounded in just the thing we deride Mr. Parelli for: the flip side of confidence, pride. How then to interpret pride of knowledge and skill in a way that will be beneficial? For the knowledgeable on as well as for the seeker?
For the seeker, I think you have put it so well. The foundation of confidence and learning is what we can hope to achieve. After that, we are on our own. Accepting this is the hard part.
Bonnie
Some people, the lucky ones, come into this world with more capacity for the recognition of self and other as one, and the confidence to act on it in their given field of endeavor. That’s just the way it is.
That’s why we HAVE teachers! I suppose most of them are mavericks like you.
Huh?
dear dazed
is it possible that you have imbibed too much of your own concoctions to comprehend the joke?