Some horsemen sign up for Fundamentals clinics because they're at a loss with their horse and don't have the knowledge. Others participate because they've been studying the Method at home and want hands-on help to ensure they're doing the exercises correctly. And others attend Fundamentals clinics to refine their skills and challenge themselves. No matter the reasons the participants are arriving with to Professional Clinician Shana Terry's 10-day Fundamentals clinic, they will all leave with more knowledge, have more confidence in their ability and will have developed a safer and more enjoyable partnership with their horses. Shana will welcome the participants to the clinic on the 15th and take them through the 27 groundwork and riding exercises that make up the Fundamentals level of the Method. The participants will be encouraged and challenged each day and will learn to up their expectations of themselves and their horses. Learn more about Downunder Horsemanship clinics on our website.

Clinton's first clinic of the year starts next Tuesday. Thirty participants, 12 of whom are applying for the Academy, will spend 10 days under Clinton's tutelage, soaking up the Fundamentals level of the Method. While Clinton's Aussie-wit and personality ensure clinics are fun, instruction and improvement of horse and rider are the main focus of the clinic. In fact, past participants call clinics with Clinton the hardest fun you'll ever have with your horse. Throughout the course of the clinic, participants will learn 30 exercises, working in the arena and then testing their skills on the trail. By the second week of instruction, Clinton will have participants doing groundwork with their horses over the obstacle course on the ranch. Discover more about Downunder Horsemanship clinics on our website.

When a group of reining breeders created the National Reining Breeders Classic in 1997, they had big hopes for the stallion incentive program. Fifteen years after the first show, the NRBC has become the largest added money reining in history. Clinton is headed to the event at the end of the week to watch the best 4, 5 and 6 year old reining horses compete for more than $1 million dollars. Although he won't be competing himself, Clinton will cheer on Performance Horse owners David and Gina McGee as they campaign several horses they bought from Clinton that were bred and started on the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch.

There's no better way to learn the Method than by having expert, one-on-one help. Clinton's top hand, Professional Clinician Shana Terry, is holding a five-day Fundamentals Clinic at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch May 6th - 10th and has as few spots open for participants. Shana has been studying with Clinton for the past 15 years and earned her professional certification in 2009. The talented horsewoman is dedicated to the Method and helping riders learn how to build a more successful partnership with their horses. 

In her five-day Fundamentals clinics, Shana teaches participants how to start the Fundamentals level of the Method in the roundpen and advances them through riding exercises. Along with basic horsemanship philosophy, Shana covers exercises such as Backing Up, Yielding the Forequarters, Lunging for Respect, the Cruising Lesson, Bending Transitions and Vertical Flexion at the Standstill. To learn more about Shana's clinic and how to apply, visit the Downunder Horsemanship website.

Here's a look at some of the instruction and inspiration Fundamentals clinics at the ranch are known for.

After serving as one of the judges at this year's Road to the Horse, Ian Francis jumped on a plane headed to Texas to spend a week at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch. Clinton invites his mentor to the States a couple times a year to take lessons from him. Ian will help Clinton with his three performance horses - Marshall, Lyle and Jackson. Marshall and Lyle are in reining training, while Jackson is being prepped for working cow horse competitions. Ian is well versed in each discipline - he's a five-time Australian NRHA Champion and three-time NCHA Futurity Champion. Clinton often films the training session with Ian so that when his mentor returns to Australia, he can review the tapes as often as he'd like. No matter how many times he rides with Ian or watches his lessons, Clinton says that he always picks up a new nugget of information that improves his horsemanship and his horses' performances.

Learn more about Ian in his biography Living the Legend - The Ian Francis Story available at DownunderHorsemanship.com.

Clinton's started a blog on the No Worries Club site to share with members the training progress of his performance horses. (To read the blog, click here http://www.noworriesclub.com/blog.php?u=26.) In each installment of the blog, Clinton chronicles the ups and downs of training his 3-year-old horses - Marshall, Lyle and Jackson. While he's prepping Marshall and Lyle for reining competition, he's training Jackson in working cow horse. The blog offers insight into what Clinton expects from his horses and a behind-the-scenes peek at the challenges and successes he experiences with his personal horses. While we can't promise how often he'll get a chance to sit down and share his thoughts as he juggles a busy schedule, we guarantee each post will be filled with Clintonisms and inspiration you can put to use in your own horse life.

Next month, we'll be releasing Clinton's newest book - a collector's edition that covers his horsemanship philosophy and provides the foundation of the Method. With over 20 years of experience working with horses and helping people safely train them, Clinton has become an expert at bringing out the best in both. In this highly illustrated book, he shares his philosophy, knowledge and wisdom, detailing what he feels every person should know about horses before working with them.

Breaking down the crucial elements of his method of horsemanship, Clinton explains how to become an effective leader that your horses will look to for guidance and how to successfully start a mutually enjoyable partnership. Readers will learn what motivates horses, the basics of respect and why it must be established, and the role pressure and body language play in communicating. Clinton prescribes a tried-and-true formula to train a well broke horse and discusses the three elements that go into becoming an all-around great horseman.

Filled with commonsense explanations and personal anecdotes from Clinton's life, the lessons in Philosophy provide the instruction and inspiration needed to help you achieve your horsemanship dreams. The 152-page hardcover book is presented in a slipcase, includes beautiful color photography and a pullout poster.

At the end of the week, Clinton will be attending Road to the Horse in Lexington, Kentucky. The three-day event begins on Friday with the winner of the "world championship of colt starting" being announced Sunday afternoon. Clinton will be recognized as a past champion of the event. He won the colt starting competition in 2003 and 2005, becoming the first competitor to do so. On Saturday evening, he'll be taking part in the event's 10th Anniversary Celebration Party. During the party, a celebrity auction will be held to raise funds for charities. Personal items from each of the event's past champions will be up for grabs. Clinton donated two autographed shirts he wore in the 2011 competition, a pair of autographed Cinch jeans and a kangaroo hide he used to desensitize his colt in the first competition. The celebrity with the highest selling item will be given the money to donate to the charity of their choice. Clinton's charity is Make-A-Wish North Texas. All other funds earned throughout the auction will go to Road to the Horse's designated charity, Equine Services for Heroes a program that's part of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope. For more information about Road to the Horse and a schedule of events, visit the event's website.

When Clinton won his first Road to the Horse Championship, he was 28 and just establishing a name for himself in the States. As RTTH celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, he'll return to the colt starting competition as one of the world's most recognized clinicians to make a guest appearance as a two-time winner of the event. In fact, all of the past RTTH champions will be present for autograph opportunities and an anniversary party held Saturday evening following the day's activities. Not only will Clinton be among past winners, but he'll also reunite with his mentor, Ian Francis. The standout Australian horseman was invited to judge the contest that will pit four clinicians against each other. The three-day world championship of colt starting will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park's Alltech Arena in Lexington on March 15th - 17th. Visit RTTH's website to learn more.

We’re looking for nonprofit equine organizations that would like help raising funds for their cause. For the fourth year in a row, our Walkabout Tour feature sponsor Ritchie Industries is teaming up with us to put on the Ritchie Charity Ball Toss. At each tour stop, a local organization with equine connections is selected to run the ball toss that has become a crowd favorite. Throughout the two-day event, spectators purchase tennis balls from the nonprofit organization for $5, and on Sunday afternoon toss them into the arena trying to be the closest to a pre-determined marker. Those closest to the marker receive Clinton's instructional DVDs and Downunder Horsemanship training tools. All money raised goes straight to the nonprofit organization.

Clinton sees the ball toss as a way to give back to the communities he visits. “The ball toss is something I love partnering with Ritchie to bring to the crowd. It's a great way to help local organizations raise funds they need to continue to make a difference in their communities,” Clinton says.

Organizations chosen to head up the Ritchie Charity Ball Toss in the past have included equine rescues, therapeutic riding centers for children, adults and military personnel, and 4-H groups. Thanks to tour spectators’ generosity and Ritchie’s willingness to support the event, the ball toss has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations around the country.

Organizations interested in running a Ritchie Charity Ball Toss at a Walkabout Tour need to fill out an application on the Downunder Horsemanship website for consideration.