Benefits of Joining
- Monthly Meetings We meet on the second Thursday of each month except December. At the meetings, we read our mission statement, welcome new members, share recent clinic experiences, share savvy stories, borrow and return items from the lending library, and plan future play days. Our meetings usually include guest speakers on topics of interest to the membership. New members are encouraged to team up with a mentor. New members may request someone they know in the group or they can introduce themselves to mentors during social time before or after the meeting.
- Monthly Play Days We meet with our horses once a month for a play day, often on the third Sunday of each month except December. Generally, our play days are held at a local facility and include two organized ground challenges and two organized mounted challenges. Play Day organizers present challenges suitable for Levels 1, 2, and 3. Everyone brings something to share at our potluck lunch, then after the organized challenges, the afternoon is free for social time. Occasionally, we have play days "outside the arena," such as at the beach, out on trail at a park, or at an organized trail trial. We have a lot of fun together at our play days. There are always people to help us move ahead, offer another point of view, and recognize our achievements, big and small. Our play days offer the opportunity to challenge yourself and your equine partner in a safe, fun and supportive environment.
For safety reasons we have the following Play Day requirements:
- You are a member in good standing (membership dues have been paid) and you have signed a BASP Liability Release/Participation Agreement form. The facility where the Play Day is held may also require you to sign a release form.
- You have attended a Study Group Meeting or have audited a Play Day (attended without your horse to observe only).
- You are one or more of the following:
- Certified Level I graduate
- Successfully skilled in playing the Seven Games on the ground with your horse
- Recommended by a current member
- Requesting a mentor for the day.
What to Expect at a Play Day: Our play day challenges are created by volunteer organizers. There may be ten to twenty horses in the arena at once. There may also be toys, such as tarps, balls, flags, hula hoops, etc. in the arena with the horses. You may also encounter loose horses in the arena, as some members play with their horses at liberty. Please review our liberty guidelines and trail etiquette by clicking on the links to the left. It is everyone's responsibility to keep things safe for ourselves and our horses. If you or your horse is getting worried and you need someone to do something or stop doing something, speak up!
Fees and Forms: Everyone must sign a BASP release form prior to participating in or auditing a Play Day. When a fee is charged by the facility for people trailering in, everyone participating in the Play Day with a horse pays the fee. Participants who do not owe the fee to the facility, for example because they board at the facility, pay the fee to BASP. This helps offset the cost of Play Day materials and other BASP expenses.
A Final Note on Safety: A board member and/or the Play Day organizer reserves the right to ask anyone to leave a Play Day if his or her participation threatens the safety of other participants or horses.
- Access to Lending Library The BASP lending library has a large collection of Parelli books, magazines, CD’s, audio cassettes, VHS tapes and DVDs. The Librarian communicates the inventory of the library to the full membership monthly by e-mail. Members may check out material for one month. The Librarian, or other members, may recommend the purchase of new educational materials at the monthly meeting.
- Overnight Horse Camps Every year we have a summer camp and an autumn camp. At our summer camp, Parelli instructors teach classes appropriate for Levels 1 - 4. From the camping area, campers have access to arenas, round pens and trails. At our autumn camp, held in Clayton, we have organized play day challenges in the arena and on the cross country course. From the Clayton facility, campers can access trails in Mount Diablo state park.
Who Can Join? We invite anybody interested in Parelli Natural Horsemanship (PNH) to join us. Members have fun and receive support as they move ahead in their PNH journey. Whether you have a horse or not, as long as you are following the PNH path, you are welcome to join us.
How Can You Join? Come to a meeting! Our membership fee is $20 per year for an individual membership, $25 per year for a family membership (2 adults in same household). For membership information or the date, time and location of the next meeting, contact Margaret Dolan.