All of my training sessions with my performance horses are about 30 to 40 minutes in length and follow a general outline: Warm-up Training Friendly time Training Friendly time and cool-down When I say, “friendly
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Tag: clinton Anderson
Forward Motion is Established on the Ground
Although it may seem odd, your horse’s responsiveness when you ask him to move forward under saddle (his gas pedal) is established on the ground, beginning with the roundpen exercises. At Fundamentals Clinics, we begin
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Pinny-Eared Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship When we see horses being worked and their ears are pinned back, we often assume the horse is cranky or upset. While that can certainly be the case, it’s not always
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Horses That Ignore the One Rein Stop
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship Here’s a scenario that’s common for a lot of riders: They’re riding their horse on the trail and the horse spooks and takes off. When they do a One Rein Stop
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Buddy-Sour Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship Whether your horse doesn’t want to leave his buddies on the trail or overreacts when you take him away from his buddies at shows, use these tips to regain control and
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Bridle-Shy Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship Many horses become wary of the bit and find ways to avoid being bridled because they’ve had their mouths hurt from the bridle being taken off incorrectly, allowing the bit to
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Training Tip: Avoid Losing Your Temper When Desensitizing Your Horse
By Clinton Anderson Training isn’t about emotions or feelings, it’s all business. It’s about how much the horse tries. Resistance is normal, especially when you’re introducing a new object to your horse. It’s very common
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An Exercise to Slow Down a Speed Demon
By Clinton Anderson If you know your horse has a tendency to turn a leisurely trail ride into an all-out race, set the situation up at home so that you can safely correct him before
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Your Imagination is Your Greatest Tool
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship When it comes to training your horse, your imagination is your greatest tool. The more creative you can be in your lessons, the more interested your horse will be in his
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: One Step at a Time
Written by Clinton Anderson When you begin to teach the horse to load onto the trailer, the first rule is to completely forget about the trailer. Act like loading the horse onto the trailer is
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Mouthy Horses
Written by Clinton Anderson When a horse gets mouthy — he nips or nibbles shirt sleeves, jackets or the lead rope — the behavior is often brushed aside. This is especially true with young horses,
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Kicking in the Trailer
Written by Clinton Anderson Because horses are prey animals, when they are made to go in tight, narrow spaces – such as a trailer – it’s natural for them to feel trapped and claustrophobic. When
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Introduce Scary Objects to Your Horse
Written by Clinton Anderson Trying to protect a horse from objects he’s scared of only makes the situation worse. I’m sure you’ve experienced this yourself. Your horse is afraid of fly spray, so you slowly
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Light Hands = Light Mouth
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Light hands, light mouth.” I disagree with that. I say, “Light hands that pick up softly and= hands that release quickly make a horse’s mouth light.” For example, you could
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Horses That Gape Their Mouths
Written by Clinton Anderson A horse that constantly gapes his mouth or chomps on the bit has one of a few things going on. He might have a dental issue and the bit could be
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