A Reluctant Star

Working with a Problem Horse

Over the past 20 years, Clinton Anderson has worked to develop a method to train horses that actually works. Using his unique training method, Clinton has helped thousands of horse owners strengthen their partnership and get their horse’s respect. Join us as for Clinton’s weekly endeavors as he tackles some of the most challenging situations with problem horses, and problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton works with Star, an 8-year-old registered Tennessee Walker who’s best described as a bit of a basket case.

Clinton starts his training by telling Melissa, Star’s owner, that the first thing that needs to be done is gain Star’s respect. Star needs to eliminate her fear, anxiety, and temperamental attitude when Melissa needs her to do something, which is where respect comes in. When you gain a horse’s respect, you automatically accomplish trust. To gain Star’s respect, Clinton starts working with her on the ground, moving her feet forwards, backwards, left and right and always rewarding the slightest try. Clinton shows Star that she’s not allowed in his personal space unless he wants to let her in it.

Next, Clinton moves on to controlling Star’s feet around the trailer. He sends her between himself and the trailer and she runs towards him. To combat this behavior, Clinton uses the stick to reinforce positive behavior and create an aversion to negative habits. He continues to work at this and Star moves her feet forwards, backwards, left, and right until she starts to respond to what Clinton wants her to do. He then throws Star a curve ball and has her approach the trailer. When she hesitates, he lets her investigate to know that she’s not in harm’s way. She needs to be able to relax in the trailer, or she’s going to get hurt.

Star does great, and then pitches a fit. She fluctuates between doing well with her training and going out of control, which is okay considering horses are creatures of habit. The goal is to change her habits to those of a well-trained horse that respects her owner. Clinton has Melissa try this a few times to get the hang of the training. They work together at this for a while and Melissa comes to understand the importance of the fundamentals. It’s going to take work, but if she sticks to the training plan, Star will transform into a well-trained, respectful horse.

Clinton Anderson has developed a method to help train any horse, regardless of their problem. Unfortunately, up until now it was nearly impossible to access the Method when you were 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.

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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!