If you imagine that your horse is wearing a saddle, the drive line would roughly be where the girth would lie, right behind the withers. Whenever you apply pressure or even stand behind the drive line, you will cause the horse to move forward or yield his hindquarters. Whenever you apply pressure or step in front of the drive line, you will encourage the horse to stop, slow down or change directions. To make it even simpler, think of the horse like a car: Behind the drive line is the gas pedal and clutch, in front of the drive line is the steering wheel and brake. So if you want the horse to move forward around the roundpen, make sure that you stay behind the drive line. Be conscious of where you are standing at all times so that you don’t give the horse mixed cues. Remember, the more black and white you can be, the easier he will learn.

What could be better than having a horse trained using the Method? How about having the horse trained at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch under Clinton’s supervision by his Academy students? Whether you have a colt that needs started, a problem horse that needs reformed or just don’t have time to put the right foundation on your horse, the six-week Academy Training Horse Program is the perfect solution.

Select spots are now available for the next two training sessions that will start in mid-August and mid-October. Horses will be trained at one of the best equine facilities in the country by Clinton's Academy students, and directly supervised by Clinton and Professional Clinician Shana Terry. By the end of his training, your horse will be able to complete all of the Fundamentals exercises (roundpenning, groundwork and riding). He'll be ridden in the arena, on the trail, with other horses, and over a challenging obstacle course. Before you take your horse home, you'll receive a private full-day's lesson with the clinician who worked with your horse to ensure you know exactly how to cue him and get the most out of his training.

The six-week Academy Training Horse Program costs $4,214 - $3,500 for training, plus $17/day for board (a total of $714 for six weeks). A $500 nonrefundable deposit is required at the time of sign up and will be applied to the training fee. Your horse will learn to excel at the Fundamentals and you'll receive one-on-one instruction. A deal like that doesn't come around every day, but spots are limited and the sessions will fill up soon, so act quickly. Contact Ash Rowen at ash@downunderhorsemanship.com for registration information.

Clinton’s first ever Confidence Clinic started Monday at the ranch with all 30 participants eager to jumpstart their horsemanship. During the five-day clinic, Clinton and his Certified Clinicians are working with each participant to give them the knowledge and tools they need to become confident leaders for their horses. Of course, the first day of the clinic centered on groundwork exercises to ensure each participant had their horse’s attention and respect on the ground before they start riding. Clinton often says that the secret to being a confident horseman is knowledge. "The more knowledgeable you are, the better able you are to handle any situation that comes up. If you have the confidence of knowing you can control any situation, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your horse rather than concentrating on fear," he explains. We’ll keep you updated on the participants’ inspiring stories as they find total confidence and strengthen their passion for horses.

We’re thinking ahead to our next Walkabout Tour stop in Des Moines, Iowa, June 16-17th. The two-day event will be held in the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairground and will serve as our Midwest stop of the year. Tickets are still available by calling 888-287-7432. No Worries Club members, don’t forget to take advantage of your five free tour tickets!

We’ll welcome Quakerdale to the tour as our Ritchie Ball Charity Toss organization. At each tour Clinton and feature sponsor Ritchie Industries team up to help a local nonprofit organization raise money for their cause through the Ritchie Ball Charity Toss, so be sure to visit them and purchase a tennis ball or two for your chance to win incredible prizes, including a complete collection of Clinton’s DVDs, a mecate set and more! To find out about the programs Quakerdale offers go to www.quakerdale.org.

Like always, our sponsors will be on hand to answer questions about their products and services and offering great giveaways. Head over to the Tour webpage for a complete schedule of the weekend’s events. We hope to see you there!

We were blessed with a safe and healthy crop of 2012 foals. The eight youngsters are busy learning the Fundamentals of the Method and are handled daily by the ranch staff. All of their barn names were taken from Disney characters - we had fun picking them out and think several of them are even living up to their namesakes! Clinton is excited for their bright futures as they are all bred for reining and working cow horse greatness.

Here’s a complete list of the newest editions to Downunder Horsemanship:

• Wimpys Lil Valenpine (Tina) x Cromed Out Mercedes (Curly) - Ariel.
• Princess in Diamonds x Smart Spook - Jasmine.
• Eyed Be A Smart Chic (Kaluha) x Gunnatrashya - Tinker Bell.
• Princess in Diamonds x Gunnatrashya -Duchess.
• Chicquita Bonita (Bonita) x Smart Like Juice -Huey.
• Remi x Cromed Out Mercedes (Curly) -Pluto.
• Shine on Retsina (Sparkles) x Gunnatrashya -Daisy.
• Shiny Hot Pants (Punky) x Boom Shernic. -Belle.

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 for the horse to move his feet, raise his head or get nervous when you first approach him with a scary object. Don’t lose your temper when he resists you. Take your time and work through the situation. When horses are first approached with a new object, it’s normal for them to resist for two or three minutes because they know that in most cases, their owners will give up first. Now, two or three minutes might not sound like a long time right now, but when you’re out with your horse and he’s dragging you around trying to get away from the object, two or three minutes can seem like an eternity.

The majority of people quit desensitizing far too early. Instead of remaining patient and working through resistance, they give up. Getting aggressive with the horse or losing your temper isn’t the answer either. There’s no place for emotion while training.

As soon as the horse starts to try, by standing still and showing a sign of relaxing, retreat and reward him. With repetition and consistency, he’ll learn to relax as soon as you approach him with the object. He’ll realize that the longer he resists you and uses the reactive side of his brain, the longer you’re going to keep approaching him. The quicker he tries to do what you want, the quicker you’ll reward him.

It is with mixed emotions we share that Beans is no longer at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch. Keeping Bean's best interests in mind, Clinton has asked a good friend to look after his favorite dog. If you've been to the ranch for a clinic, lesson or filming session, you've probably met the curious Dachshund. Besides being a great greeter and the ranch's official guard dog, Beans would often "share" meals with visitors on the ranch and snoop around trailers. After accidentally getting locked in the tack room of a trailer, Clinton realized the ranch with all its traffic wasn't the ideal home for his smallest buddy. Rather than keeping the ever-energetic Beans confined for the rest of her life, Clinton decided it was in her best interest to be at a place where she is free to roam and chase squirrels to her heart's content. She's missed, but we're all happy she's safe and receiving the best of care.

Two of our team members, Jim Burkhead and Mark Tarver, represented Downunder Horsemanship last Monday at "Wish Upon a Par" a golf tournament held in Fort Worth. The event was presented by Pinnacle Bank to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas. Jim and Mark not only enjoyed a day of golf, but were treated to a lunch and after-play wine and cheese party. All in all, they both agreed it was a fun day away from the ranch. Downunder Horsemanship partnered with the North Texas foundation at the beginning of the year to help make wishes come true for terminally ill kids in the area. After spending a day with a Make-A-Wish horse-crazy teenager last fall, Clinton decided to make the organization Downunder Horsemanship’s charity of choice for the year and beyond. For more information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit ntx.wish.org/about-us.

Imagine spending five days on the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch with nothing to do but focus on your relationship with your horse. That’s exactly what Professional Clinician Shana Terry is offering this fall in her October 1-5 Fundamentals Clinic. If you’d like to learn the Fundamentals level of the Method hands on in 2012 at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch, this is your last chance as all other clinics are full. The five-day course is the perfect start for someone new to the Method or for those wanting to brush up their Fundamentals skills. Shana will begin the clinic by introducing roundpenning exercises and then move on to gaining respect on the ground before having participants saddle up. In all, more than 25 essential exercises to creating a safe and enjoyable partnership with your horse will be covered. Participants will learn the importance of moving a horses’ feet forwards, backwards, left and right and will get in depth instruction on suppling a horses’ five body parts. Not only will Shana work with participants in the arena, but she’ll also have them test their skills on the obstacle course and on the trail. Learn how Shana can help you and your horse reach the next level in your partnership by visiting the Downunder Horsemanship website.

The best way to handle a horse that gets mouthy is to never let the problem develop in the first place. Horses that get mouthy are often bored and looking for attention. The more you work with your horse, moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right, the more he’ll use the thinking side of his brain and the more respectful he’ll get. A horse that respects your space doesn’t lip on you; he stays out of your personal hula hoop space unless you invite him in. You also need to be careful that you’re not encouraging the horse to be mouthy. People often make this mistake with young horses like foals and weanlings. Because they’re small, they allow the foal to nuzzle them, play with their shirt, etc. Then when the foal grows up to be a 1,200-pound pushy, disrespectful horse, they wonder where they went wrong.

Don’t wait until the horse gets mouthy to do the groundwork; start earning his respect and attention before a problem shows up. I personally never lead my horses to where I’m going. Instead, I back them up, practice sidepassing, do the C-Pattern, etc., moving their feet forwards, backwards, left and right. I never waste an opportunity to teach my horses something. The busier you keep a horse’s feet and the more you keep him mentally stimulated, the less mouthy he will be. Remember, horses that are mouthy are searching for interaction, so give them your attention by moving their feet.