Lessons Learned From Meeting Ian Francis

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 of tackling some of the most challenging situations with problem horses, and problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton tells us about a few of his lessons learned from meeting Ian Francis.

Clinton still remembers when he first saw Ian Francis in person back in 1990. He had always seen him in the magazines in Australia, in the “Rocky Quarter Horse Sale” book, and had heard about him in the community. But Clinton didn’t get to meet Ian until he was about 16 years old. He would go to different horse shows with his then-mentor Gordon McKinlay and watch Ian. Even though Clinton couldn’t really tell what Ian was doing, he knew he was doing things differently from everyone else. Clinton could see how Ian’s horses rode different from everybody else’s and he knew he had won lots of the things he competed in. That was the moment that Clinton realized he wanted to learn the way Ian trained horses.

At that time, Gordon didn’t really do a lot of showing. During the time Clinton knew him, Gordon became more of a clinician, but Ian kept competing. So, Clinton used the skill set that Gordon showed him on building a foundation, basic horsemanship, colt starting, and problem solving. Then, he took components of Ian’s training that was geared towards competition and showing and more advanced horsemanship. Clinton truly believes that without the lessons he learned from Gordon or the lessons he learned from Ian, he’d have a big hole in the Downunder Horsemanship program. It’s the two of them together that makes it so unique.

One of the greatest lessons Clinton learned from Ian when he was working with him occurred one day when Clinton was struggling with getting a colt he was riding soft. In that moment, Ian walked over and said, “A horse will never get any lighter than the first amount of pressure you put on him.” To that, Clinton responded, “What do you mean?” Ian said, “If you pick up with five ounces of pressure, it’ll always take five ounces of pressure to get him to give. Try picking up with one ounce or half an ounce of pressure. Then, if you need to add 10 pounds of pressure or 20 pounds of pressure, do it. But start with the lightest amount of pressure, and then increase that pressure if needed. Release that pressure when he does what you want.” That got Clinton thinking, how light can he be? So, now, Clinton reminds you to always be careful about your first initial ask, because that’s as good as it’s going to get. Hopefully, that’ll help you think about your horsemanship as well.

Clinton Anderson has spent the past 20 years of his life devoting his time to creating the best training tools and videos available to horsemen all over the world. Unfortunately, you can’t bring your TV into the arena to watch videos. That’s why Clinton and his team have been hard at work developing a new platform to deliver the training in a whole new way, a way that brings 20 years of horsemanship and puts it in the palm of your hand. Now, you can access the mobile method and get everything at the touch of a finger.

Always have access to the Downunder method, even when you’re on the go or at the barn. The 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. No Worries Club members will have full access to Clinton’s ever-growing training library and a massive number of members only features and information. And the best part is that you can view and interact with each lesson on your mobile device or computer, giving you ultimate access to the Method anytime and anyplace.

To learn more about the Downunder Horsemanship 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!