Clinton Anderson from Downunder Horsemanship has developed a way to train horses regardless of their past problems or traumas. It all begins with training the owners so they can gain their horse’s respect and understand how to properly control them. Join Clinton on his weekly endeavors to tackle some of the most challenging situations with problem horses and problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton tells us all about the philosophy behind the Downunder Horsemanship Method and its 8 Steps to Success.
Clinton starts the episode by telling us that if you follow his method, you’ll notice that each exercise lists eight distinct steps to success. He claims that these steps are the true reason the Method works so well. Each step is essential for horse and human and shouldn’t be skipped over.
The first part of the steps to success that Clinton uses is the goal. The goal is essentially what you’re trying to achieve with the horse. It’s what you’re aiming for and ultimately looking for.
The second step is the why. Let’s say your goal is to back the horse up. So, ask yourself a few questions. Why are you backing the horse up? What’s the point of backing him up? For one, backing a horse up teaches him to be respectful. It teaches him to start using the thinking side of his brain rather than the reactive side. This can stop a horse from being dominant, pushy, aggressive, and even from biting you. Clinton truly believes that in order to be an effective horseman you must understand why you’re teaching your horse something and why you’re doing it the way you are. If you don’t know the “why,” it’s a waste of time.
The next step is the teaching stage. In all the videos and books of the Downunder Horsemanship Method, Clinton shows you this stage using a horse that doesn’t know how to do the exercise. However, when defining the goal in the first step, Clinton uses a finished trained horse that doesn’t make any mistakes to show you what the end result is supposed to look like. This provides you with a good visual of what you’re aiming for. However, in the teaching stage, Clinton uses a horse that doesn’t know what to do and will probably make mistakes. This way, you can see how Clinton and his team correct mistakes so you can do the same with your horse.
The next stage is about going over handler and rider mistakes. Clinton will clearly show you what mistakes you’re likely to make so that you can avoid them. If you happen to make them, he’ll go into detail about how to correct them.
The following stage is all about covering horse-related problems. In this section, Clinton goes over problems you’re likely to encounter when teaching your horse the exercise. How should you react if your horse rears or spins left? What about if he spins right? What do you need to do if your horse just ignores you and refuses to move? Clinton will run through all the common horse problems, how to avoid them, and what to do if they occur.
Next is the troubleshooting segment. It’s for when you’ve tried everything Clinton has already suggested, and nothing seems to be working.
The next stage is all about success tips. Clinton gives a few pieces of advice to make the training easier. For example, if you’re working on backing your horse up, try backing up when he’s nice and fresh rather than at the end of a training session. Backing can be tiring, and you may not get a good response at the end of a training session.
The very last stage covers practical purposes. Here, Clinton shares ways to incorporate the lesson into everyday life with your horse. For example, you can back your horse into a stall, into the wash rack, or even out of the trailer to continue working on his respect and responsiveness.
Clinton reminds us that every single lesson in the Method, on the ground and under saddle, will include these eight steps. It’s about repeating behaviors and building a comprehensive understanding of your horse, their behaviors, and how they react to your behaviors.
To learn more about the Downunder Horsemanship training method, become a member of the No Worries Club, or get information on any of the products seen on our show, head over to our homepage and download the Downunder Horsemanship app today!
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