(this is going to be long, sorry)
Clinton Anderson is a teacher --of horses, of people --but bottom line he has a method or lesson he has faith in, and tries to educate other people in what has worked for him.
Keeping that in mind, remember that all teachers and their methods are not acceptable nor do they work for all students. Further, every teacher has good and bad days, good and bad lessons, and again, what works for one student will not work for another. What is acceptable “discipline” to one parent is “abusive” to another.
I find both CA and John Lyons videos helpful. I’m a teacher (high school Lit and psychology). I like how CA (and JL) “write their lesson plans” in a logical method where each step builds on the other. And me PERSONALLY, I like the kind of horse that is the result of me using their methods. I like that CA’s lesson plans are about 30 min long (my attention span) and suggest working with the horse about an hour at a time (daily) --maybe a couple of times a day, but minimum hour a day with 20 min review, 20 min new stuff, and 20 min doing something the horse does well. He makes it clear that the once a week rider will not find success as quickly as someone who works with a horse daily --just like school, he said. I like that. And I like that the DVDs show common problems one will run into, and mistakes the handler/rider makes, and mistakes the horse will possibly make.
I like that CA never calls a horse bad or says the horse has a bad attitude. He makes sense to me.
I have never seen him in person, and base ALL my knowledge of him on a few DVDs that I followed along with, and then went down and practices on what he calls “a fat lazy gelding.” I don’t know how his methods would work on an OTTB, although I did train two of them ground manners using his methods quite successfully (desensitizing, staying out of my personal space, loading, backing in hand, that sort of thing --and that went well).
As I said, no teacher or trainer is beyond reproach as there are too many people who simply hold different opinions on how a lesson should be taught. I teach high school seniors. I expect hands to be raised before they speak in class. Other teachers use a more “open forum” insisting that raising hands is demeaning and indicates that the teacher is the superior (wisdom) in the classroom where ideas are all equal in value. Do my students learn less? I see it as respect where other teachers see it as forced submission.
Same with horses. I foxhunt --that can be rather violent at times with mad gallops over hills, through woods, jumping things never meant to be jumped (like hounds). Then we stop. And wait. MY HORSE stands absolutely still. He never touches the bit --as a matter of fact, I HUNT on a loose rein in a snaffle bit. My horse moves off leg and seat and pretty much has his head free. To others in the hunt -this is a sign my horse is poorly trained and I am a poor rider. I’ve been told that I should keep my horse on the bit and count my strides between fences and let him know when to jump --can’t do it, I don’t know that stuff myself. He jumps when he thinks it’s the right moment to do so and I stay out of his way. One rider asked if I didn’t mind that I couldn’t feel my horse’s mouth and have a conversation with him through my hands --um, no. She asked how I keep him from running into the horse ahead since I don’t use my reins -well, he slows when I post slower, or drop my weight into my stirrups. All of this is from CA videos. And at most checks or when I feel he’s not focused, we do the bending and releasing. It’s subtle, but we do it. Keeps him limber, light in the bridle, and remembering that I’m riding.
And to those who prefer hot horses yanking at the bits and prancing and dancing during checks --and doing some rearing and bucking now and then --I admire their ability to stay on. He did act like that when I started him, but training cured it–I don’t think my horse fears me --I do think he respects me. And before you decide I don’t ride well --I’m usually asked to ride in the Master’s pocket (right beside him) and when people need a lead over a tricky fence, it’s often my horse and me who are asked to do so -
Different people want differently trained horses. I want a quiet mount who thinks for himself. I trained my horse to do that. People who want a horse on the bit, a handful of energy, should steer clear of CA --that’s not what he’s trying to do.
Oh, and there is a fine line between fear and respect. A horse that is afraid can’t learn (neither can a student who is afraid of a teacher). But without respect, a teacher can’t teach. That CA expects (demands?) his horses respect to me is a basic element of the teaching (training) process.
Foxglove
