Peter Fuller, owner and operator of Willow Brook Farms Natural Horsemanship Center in Catasauqua, PA, is a 2-Star Parelli Certified Instructor and has achieved Level 4 in Parelli Natural Horsemanship. He has studied with over fifteen of the best horsemen in the world, such as Pat Parelli, Buck Brannaman, Joe Wolter, Bryan Neubert and Martin Black. Through years of tutelage and years of listening to horses, Peter has learned to be patient and empathetic toward these animals, especially “problem” horses. His methods are those of horsemanship from “The Horse’s Point of View”. Peter performs demonstrations and clinics at Willow Brook Farms as well as in parts of the United States and US Virgin Islands.
“Horse Whisperer” is a demeaning term to use in the world of horses, as it assumes these wonderful wild creatures can understand the human language to have someone supposedly tame them. Peter Fuller is not an advocate of this term but would rather call it horse listening, understanding and relationship building, better known as horsemanship (horse-man-relationship) or harmonious horsemanship.
His methods are those of “Natural Horsemanship”, not using force to accomplish his goals with the horse, but encouraging the thing he wants and discouraging the thing he doesn’t. Problems of bucking, shying, kicking are all self-preservation reactions that horses use to protect themselves from perceived danger. It is the horse’s nature and his herd instinct, which Peter uses to his advantage, in converting a horse to becoming calmer and more manageable through leadership.
As a youth he grew up around horses at the world famous Quarter Horse breeding and reining horse farm, Willow Brook Farms in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, where he learned “normal” horse training, instead of what he does now, known as “natural”.
After years of rodeo team roping, and watching different horse disciplines abuse, force, bribe and hurt horses as a means to an end, he met Pat Parelli, the one who coined the term “Natural Horsemanship”, which started Peter on his path to understanding horses.
He has performed demonstrations and clinics in the United States and at the Pony Clubs and Ag Fair of St. Croix. He has worked individually with owners and their problem horses of all types, including Thoroughbred racehorses, before and after going to the track. Loading horses resistant to being trailered and gentling young horses never started under saddle are examples of some of the things he does.
Using a round pen, or lead line, he starts by getting the horse’s respect and response from the ground and eventually works toward riding the horse and trying to achieve harmony with the horse. This involves giving clear directions and building trust. It is horsemanship from “The Horse’s Point of View.”
Below is an interview done with Peter Fuller.
Q: How did you discover your gift of understanding horses?
A: I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Pat Parelli (www.parelli.com) in 1992 through my sister who is a great horsewoman. After Team Roping for over 20 years and using the horse like a tool or a motorcycle, and while not abusing my horses, I was unaware of their ability to think, to feel and of their spiritual essence. Thanks to Pat Parelli he imparted the necessary information to begin my transformation. As I developed an understanding of techniques of Natural Horsemanship and after studying with over 15 different mentors, including Joe Wolter, Buck Brannaman, Bryan Neubert, Martin Black and many other Parelli instructors, including Neil Pye and Dave Ellis, I realized that it’s not about the techniques, but it’s about reading and understanding what is in each horse’s mind and matching their horsenality and their needs with what was appropriate to teach them. In summary, the journey has taught me to listen to horses, to be patient. Because of the horse it has helped me become a better person. Most of all, because of Pat Parelli. He has taught me to put the relationship first, before any goal or purpose.
Q: What is the first piece of the horse language that you discovered?
A: The first piece of horse language I discovered was actually taught to me by Pat Parelli and it was how important body language is. The first thing that I understood through body language was how afraid a horse could really be because of the human’s direct line approach to horses with no consideration for the horse’s perspective regarding his nature and our own nature, which is predatory. Through building trust, with leadership from the human and providing direction and security, through the use of this body language, it has given me a wonderful ability to communicate with my equine partners because of understanding this first bit of knowledge I acquired.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My horses inspire me first through clear communication in both directions, from me to them and from them to me, creating some wonderful learning experiences in which they respond in the appropriate manner which I may have requested. And finally the person who I regard as my main mentor, Pat Parelli, inspires me the most . While I have learned a tremendous amount from all my other teachers, Pat’s creativity, progression, imagination and devotion continue to inspire me on my journey.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment from gentling horses?
A: While I have worked and played with thousands of difficult and challenging horses and have started or re-started hundreds of colts and horses, helping them through trust and relationship-building to accept and understand the human, my greatest challenge has been with my own personal horse, Smart Royal Chic, out of Smart Chicolena. He is a right brain extrovert, and has been afraid of everything through most of his life. Pat says horses like him only change 20% in their whole lifetime; I have gotten 20% or more. Besides cutting, reined cow horse, roping and starting colts with him, I achieved my Level 4 and obtained my black string in all four Savvys (On Line, Liberty, Freestyle and Finesse) with this horse. He can do most of the dressage moves with soft collection and yet he continues to be a challenge because of his emotional issues and insecurities. The approach to him must be a fine balance between providing proper leadership to create security versus forcing him through thresholds when he is fearful. It has been a privilege to develop a partnership with Chicky.
As a footnote, one of the most challenging experiences I ever had was working with an untouched feral stallion in a 30 acre pasture on the island of St Croix in which I had to catch the horse, gentle him and trailer load him, which I accomplished inside of two hours. Because he was untouched and not harmed by humans, it made it easier to work with this (clean slate) in some ways and to watch this unwilling and distrustful horse come through to become a trusting partner. It was magnificent!
Peter Fuller provides individual or group instruction in Parelli Natural Horsemanship as well as instruction in cow working for any type of horse and can be reached at 610-264-3006 (Office) or 610-360-7346 (Cell), at willowbrook@rcn.com. Please see the Willow Brook Natural Horsemanship Center’s website – www.willowbrookdev.com.
Peter Fuller
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