Q&A With Clinton Anderson: Will Groundwork Exercise Make My Pleasure Horse Go Too Fast?

For the past 20 years, Clinton Anderson from Downunder Horsemanship has devoted his life to creating the best training tools and videos to help bring his method to you. Join him on his weekly endeavors of tackling some of the most challenging situations with problem horses and problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton answers a viewer’s question: Will groundwork exercises make my pleasure horse go too fast?

The video starts off with the viewer raising some concerns she has. She mentions that many of the exercises used in the Downunder Horsemanship Method seem to be very high-energy and all about making the horse go forward, especially the roundpenning and groundwork exercises. She understands that when you need to correct a horse and their problem behavior, making them hustle and move their feet in all directions is the correct thing to do. However, she’s skeptical about whether this should always be the answer.

She mentions that sometimes it seems that even when the horses are loping just fine, Clinton asks the horses for more energy. This viewer breeds and shows Western pleasure and hunt seat horses, so she’s concerned about that this approach may make her horses go too fast. Specifically, she asks if these types of exercises are going to make horses move forward when she needs to train them to go slow.

Clinton answers straightforwardly and says no, groundwork will not make a horse move too fast under saddle. Any of the groundwork that you do with your horse is only going to make him more respectful and more obedient to you. Basic groundwork exercises from the Fundamentals Series are not going to make your horse go faster when you ride them. Now, if you were to ride your horse and do a lot of galloping, yes, that would teach your horse to go fast.

The bottom line is that all horses benefit from groundwork exercises as it teaches them to be respectful, safe partners. Clinton mentions that many people who show their horses in Western pleasure utilize the Downunder Horsemanship Method, specifically the groundwork exercises. Once they have a solid foundation on their horses, then they focus on training them for Western pleasure. With the Fundamentals as the foundation, they’re set up for success.

Clinton Anderson has spent the past 20 years devoting his time to creating the best training tools and videos available to horsemen worldwide. 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 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 Horsemanship 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 lets you 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 access to Clinton’s ever-growing training library and many members-only features and information. 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 anywhere.

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!