The Horse Should take more responsibility
Clinton Anderson from Downunder Horsemanship has a tried and true method for training horses. It’s training the owners that poses a real problem. Join him as he tackles some of the most challenging situations with problem horses and with problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton shows us more of the advanced stages of changing leads.
Clinton works with Pluto in this episode, a three-year-old horse that’s commonly used in Clinton’s demonstrations. Pluto has been a great horse and only needs a few more months of training before Clinton’s gotten him completely broken in and trained. To do this, Clinton will work with him at least once a week, probably twice, to change leads 30 to 40 times during the training and ingrain the exercise into his mind.
To warm Pluto up, Clinton rides him one-handed in a bridle and works on shaping his body at the trot. He’s looking for Pluto to stay soft in his hands and double-checking that he understands how to move his body in order to pick up the correct lead. Then Clinton works on a guiding exercise, loping Pluto all over the arena, checking the gelding’s responsiveness to his cues.
When Pluto is loping with rhythm and tuned in to Clinton, Clinton begins asking him to change leads. Since Pluto is more advanced in his training and already understands the basics of changing leads, Clinton focuses on turning more responsibility over to the gelding. The goal is to keep Pluto on a loose rein and have him change leads off minimal cues all while staying in frame.
To get Pluto well trained in these types of exercises, or any other horse, it’s important to remember that repetition and regular training are essential. You won’t be able to progress your horse’s training unless you consistently work with them to get better. It takes time for horses to understand what their horsemen need from them and the only way to achieve this type of relationship is through consistent training. These things take time, so just be patient and stick to the Clinton Anderson training method.
Clinton Anderson has developed a method to help train any horses, regardless of their problem. Unfortunately, up until now it was nearly impossible to access the Method when you’re on the go or at the barn. That’s why we’ve created three new ways to get the content you need at the price you want. Our Downunder Horsemanship app gives you access to your digital training kits and allows you to download videos and training content directly to your mobile device or view them on your computer. The Downunder Horsemanship app also offers over 100 hours of free, in-depth training content. You can also access all of the training material through three different levels by joining our No Worries Club.
To learn more about the Clinton Anderson training method, become a member of the No Worries Club, or to 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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