Clinton Anderson - Clinton Anderson Philosophy

First published in 2013 by

Trafalgar Square Books

North Pomfret, Vermont 05053

Printed in China

Copyright 2013 Downunder Horsemanship

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer quoting brief excerpts for a review in a magazine, newspaper, or website.

Disclaimer of Liability

The authors and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. While the book is as accurate as the authors can make it, there may be errors, omissions, and inaccuracies.

Trafalgar Square Books encourages the use of approved safety helmets in all equestrian sports and activities.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012950743

ISBN: 978 1 57076 623 7

Writers: Clinton Anderson and Rachelle Wilhelm

Interior and Front Cover Design: Stewart and Associates, Inc.

Jacket Design: RM Didier

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The defining goal of Downunder Horsemanship is to inspire the dreams of horsemen. Whether youre a weekend trail rider and want a horse that can take you safely down the trail, or if you go to horse shows on the weekend and have aspirations to be a top-end competitor, my goal is to help you accomplish those dreams.

Thats really what it is all aboutits about me helping you achieve your dreams with your horse. Its not about how well I can train a horse, its about what I can help you achieve with your horse thats really important to you and me.

The Downunder Horsemanship Method is broken up into four levels of instruction: Fundamentals, Intermediate, Advanced and Professional. My job is to help you to understand my Method, which in turn will help you better understand your horse. Your job is to become the best horseman you can be. To do that you must understand the fundamentals of horse training, which starts with learning the basics and earning your horses respect. When you understand the fundamentals, your job as a horseman will become a lot easier and youll be ready to advance through the Downunder Horsemanship Method.

We all have revelations in our horsemanship journey and through Downunder Horsemanship I will share mine with you so you dont have to make all the same mistakes that I did. If you follow the Downunder Horsemanship Method, I can guarantee that you will improve your feel and timing, and learn to enjoy the experience of owning a horse.

My lifelong passion for horses started as a young boy growing up in Australia.

If you dont get it, your horse wont get it, and then nobody gets it.

My grandparents lived on a farm in northern Queensland, and I have early memories of my grandmother putting me on her Thoroughbred mares back and leading me and my sister around the paddock. Both of my grandparents were instrumental in my love for horses and the career path I chose.

Growing up, I read all the horse magazines and books I could get my hands on and watched any and all equestrian events. As a teenager, I got caught up in the game of polocrosse (a combination of polo and lacrosse played on horseback) and qualified for an Australian national junior team. The more involved I got with horses, the more I dreamed of owning a well-trained horse. I would read magazines and watch videos of trainers sliding their horses to a stop, doing lightening fast spins and controlling their horses off a feather-light touch with the reins. I wanted nothing more than to be able to do that with my horses. In fact, at a very early age, I set out on a personal mission to figure out how to go about getting the type of horse I desired.

Unfortunately for me, there wasnt a whole lot of information available to horse owners back then in Australia. There was nowhere near the amount of training videos, magazine articles or how-to books like there are today. So I ended up taking English riding lessons from a nearby stable, but for the most part, I was left with more questions at the end of the lesson than I had at the beginning. Everything seemed so technical to me, and it was hard for me to follow and understand my instructor.

One lesson in particular shaped my understanding of horses and changed the way I work around them. I was ten years old at the time, and during the lesson, my instructor told me to pick up on the inside rein and when the third vertebrae of the horses neck reached the vertical of his hock, I was to release the rein. I didnt have the faintest idea of what she was talking about. At ten years of age, I wasnt even sure what a vertebrae was or much less what the vertical was.

So I looked at her and said, Let me see if I understandyou want me to pick up on the left rein and bend the horses nose to the left. When his nose comes down toward my left toe, you want me to drop the rein?

She looked at me kind of funny and said, Yeah, thats exactly what I want you to do.