Downunder News
Sort
Start Date Start Date
End Date End Date
Category All Categories
Reset
Search Search News

Training Tips

Training Tips
August 18, 2016

Training Tip: The Independent Seat

The ultimate goal of riding is to have an independent seat. An independent seat means that you’re balanced in the saddle – you don’t grip the horse’s sides or the saddle with your legs and you don’t hold onto the reins to stay on the horse’s back. You should be able to go where the […]

Read More
Training Tips
August 16, 2016

Your Horse Testing Your Leadership Comes Naturally

It’s very natural for horses to establish a pecking order. More often than not, the top horse in a herd is usually an old broodmare. How’d she get control of the group?

Read More
Training Tips
August 2, 2016

Training Tip: Drop Your Rescued Horse’s Baggage

Don’t treat a rescued horse any differently than a regular horse. Making excuses and special allowances for an abused horse’s bad behavior will only limit him, while treating him the same as any other horse will actually accelerate his progress. All horses are looking for a leader that will keep them safe, but while horses […]

Read More
Training Tips
July 26, 2016

Training Tip: Don’t Force Your Horse to Accept a Spooky Object

When a horse is frightened of an object, the worst thing you can do is force him to approach it. The more you say, “You WILL accept the clippers,” the more nervous the horse gets and thinks that there is a reason to be scared of it. If you want your horse to use the […]

Read More
Training Tips
July 19, 2016

Training Tip: Turnout Makes for Healthier Horses

Horses are a herd animal and their bodies are designed to be on the move. I try to keep my horses on turnout as much as I possibly can. It’s the best thing for them because they don’t develop bad habits and they’re just happier in general. The more you put a horse in a […]

Read More
Training Tips
July 12, 2016

Training Tip: Making Progress With Limited Time

People ask me all the time, “Clinton, what if I have a 9-to-5 job and don’t have time to work with my horse every day? Can I still get better and gain more experience?” The answer is yes! It doesn’t matter what job you have — you can still get real, hands-on experience.

Read More
Training Tips
July 5, 2016

Training Tip: Buddy-Sour Horses

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 focus his attention on you. When you’re dealing with a buddy-sour horse, you have to use a little reverse psychology on him. Instead of […]

Read More
Training Tips
June 28, 2016

Training Tip: Train Both Sides of the Horse

Horses have two sides to their brains: the left brain and the right brain. Each side of your horse’s brain is like a completely separate horse. You’ve got Lefty and you’ve got Righty.

Read More
Training Tips
June 21, 2016

Training Tip: Bridle-Shy Horses

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 hit their teeth. Taking the bridle off is something most people do without thinking and oftentimes rush through the process because they’ve finished their […]

Read More
Training Tips
June 14, 2016

Training Tip: Use Treats as a Reward

Never give a horse a treat to bribe him to do something; only give a treat to reward a job well done. There’s a very big difference. Let’s take the example of asking the horse to load in the trailer. We’ve all seen the owner who asked their horse to get on the trailer by […]

Read More