Serious information on Clinton Anderson

[Eventer55]

Has anyone out there watched a CA tape. or read his books and applied anything to their own horse and had good results. I'm looking for experienced riders that actually found useful information that was differnt from what they already knew.

Have you ever been to his clinic(s)? What was different and why did it work. I'm curious and no I don't need a trainer.

Thanks

[HenryisBlaisin']

He's coming to do a free demo near here in October. I'm thinking of going just so I can form an unbiased opinion of his work.

I will say I know a couple of his followers, and they have wonderful horses-whether they got that way because of or in spite of, IDK...hence wanting to see it for myself

[RedTahoe]

I guess you could say his clinics are "real," and I've used some of his training methods on making horses' feet move, teaching respect, etc. He's easy to follow, doesn't use any gimmicks, etc.

[Eventer55]

Where is near here? I can't find it on his web. I would like to go too for the same reason.

[RedTahoe]

http://downunderhorsemanship.com/events.cfm

I'm thinking the other poster meant Clemson (?)

[Susan P]

I met him in Timmonium, MD a few years ago and he's very friendly and cute and his wife is adorable too. She checked my purchases out at the register. Nice couple.

I used to watch him on RFD-TV on Horse-TV, fun to watch and I did try some of his ideas. He's very active in his training, he likes a very forward horse.

I wish I had the time to watch his demonstration at the expo but we only had a short time there.

[nadasy]

http://downunderhorsemanship.com/events/schedule.cfm

[HenryisBlaisin']

It's in Concord, NC on OCtober 14...Not a full clinic, just demos from what I gather. It's part of another charity event.

[katarine]

I like his Blocker Tie Ring video for teaching peeps how to use one, and how to teach the horse to tie if they've got issues

I like his follow the scary thing videos/exercises- such dragging a piece of tarp ahead of you, tied to a stick or lunge whip, like you were carrying a fishing pole, so the horse is 'chasing' the scary thing as you lead them. Or having another rider drag the scary thing- noisy sack of cans, for example- let your goofy horse 'chase it' at a safe distance, asking them to close the gap incrementally as you go. Neat, safe, confidence building trick for babies and big horses, too.

I don't like his flexion stuff or much of the rest of his ground work. He completely fried a sweet baby at Road to the Horse in 07, I think it was? Awful, his ego ruined that little baby. Didn't have to happen and I wish it hadn't.

With that said he has a few tricks I like, but I can't buy into the total package. Overall I'd say he's of the teach them to stay slightly sucked back, ready to whoa-where I'd rather them be neutral and ideally asking for a bit more can we go, more life. He wants 'em BROKE, I like a leetle more life in them. YMMV.

[Ridinwyoming]

I will come ouf of the closet and admit I'm a CA follower. I feel better now.:lol:

I own his book and most of his CDs. I also volunteered at one of his demos.

I don't consider myself an "experienced" rider. But I'll offer my two cents worth. I used CA's ground work methods on a disrepectful gelding I used to own. This horse was mouthy and constantly in your space. IMO his methods really helped me to get this horse respectful. His methods give me confidence in working with horses, knowing steps that get results and at the same time I feel are humane. I've got an older mare now and I occassionally use some of his methods with her. But I don't plan on taking her through his entire program.

[KFC1177]

I've used his trouble free trailer loading dvd and it worked wonders.
My gelding didn't want to load and i had tons of trouble with him.
Of course everyone has their ideas and their own methods, but nothing was working.
I bought the dvd and went and practiced . . . within no time my horse was self loading.
He now self loads all the time and i never have a problem.
It was great!
I've seen him at the equine affaire (2, maybe 3 yrs ago) and loved watching his demonstrations.

[Bluey]

He came by here two years ago and some of us went to watch.
He was giving a demonstration, worked with three horses and one of his own he had trained very well.

He seemed just like any one trainer given a horse with some problems, made them work right and got it done and explained well what he was doing.

Some of what he did was standard training, some a little more out there, like keeping the horses scooting away and, as effective as he was, he was a little bit rough around the edges, didn't seem to have much finesse, the horses overreacted more than just learned and worked.

You may see much jerking away and high heads, not just a moment, but continuously, as if that is what he wants of the horses.

Other than that, he is good, but agree that he overbends his horses way too much and expects them to work like that. It is not just a flexion exercise, but the way he has them moving all the time.

I would go watch him, but then, I would go watch anyone, because we can always learn from all, what to do, where we may have doubts ourselves and how we may do different where our experience tells us he is not hitting it right.

I would say that he is sure better than many, if not most, for those kinds of demonstrations.

I don't know about his books or videos, just never got around getting any.

[Ponypoor]

Had a friend who was selected for demo with her problem loading mare. Long short of it, took him three hours to load the mare, condensed it to 10 minutes on DVD. Nice guy, cute, helpful, moral of the story, she went to load the mare and she wouldn't load. She was helped out by one of his helpers and a long alley way. An hour later with horse and complimentry DVD she was on her way home. The mare was still a problem loader after the clinic.

[cutemudhorse]

CA's clear directions helped me learn a lot to gain respect from my OTTB. But as Katerine stated, there are some things that he does that are overkill, to say the least. But his groundwork exercises are very good.

I saw him at RTTH in '07 because I was there to see Chris Cox, who IMO is a true horseman. Chris is more in tune with the horse, and Clinton seems more about Clinton's methods. He was really annoying at RTTH. He doesn't let the horse 'soak' and think like Chris does. The horse finally charged at him! Soaking time is extrememly valuable.

While watching a Chris clinic in MD several years ago, one h/j participant stated that she had been at a Clinton clinic and two people loaded up their horses and left after the first day. She told Chris she got more out of his clinic.

Once I got the idea of what I was looking for/supposed to see in the horse from Clinton, I was able to learn waay more from Chris. It was harder to follow him at first as he didn't explain things as clearly, but you could watch him and learn volumes. And he doesn't use a stick and string, just the tail of a long lead rope and body language. Highly reccomend.

Chris Cox rocks!

[janedoe726]

It's in Concord, NC on OCtober 14...Not a full clinic, just demos from what I gather. It's part of another charity event.

Hey Henry, if you have any more details (like where in Concord- I assume the Cabarras Co Event Center??), please let me know. I know some people who would be very interested, and we're in Charlotte. Thanks!!!

[JSwan]

For the record - I don't drink anyone's Kool-Aid.

But I used his video on teaching a horse to self load. I had just run out of ideas and someone recommended it (think it was my vet but don't remember)

Anyway - horse self loads now.

However, knowing how different horses are from one another I'd not say that video was The Way to teach a horse to self load. It just gave me some ideas to work with and they worked on that one horse.

[Aimee Thanatogenus]

A Parelli wannabe, basically.

With a mean streak.

Stick w/Brannaman, the Dorrances, etc :yes:

[rabicon]

A mean streak :lol: Thats funny

Anyways I have watched his shows on RFD-TV and what I've used from him is bending my horse on his back (his neck, nose to toe) and with pony I use a long lead rope and toss it all over him. He had some issues with things around his back legs and this cured him.

[glitterless]

I bought his book, "Downunder Horsemanship" and did a lot of the groundwork exercises with my gelding. I'd been slacking with his training and needed a schedule to follow. I'd liked what I'd seen in CA's Horse & Rider articles, and I found the book to be just as helpful.

It probably took 2 or 3 sessions before my gelding began to catch on to what I was asking. I'd honestly never really done that sort of groundwork and he had some bad habits that we had to break, but it worked.

With all that said, I've never followed another trainer's methods quite like that. I've always done my own thing which is what I've learned from other people, my own instructors, and other articles and videos. I wouldn't take CA's book and apply it to all of my training because I don't think it would be practical for myself and my horse, but it laid a good foundation and it gave me some ideas that really worked for us.