Difficult Mare

[Equkelly]

@DinkyDonk

Have you ever TRIED any of his methods?

Yes actually. I grew up practicing his methods, went to many of his clinics and watched every episode of his show on Rfdtv. The trainer I grew up with idolized him so naturally I did too. I used to think he was the best horse person in the world.

Then I got older, left for college, and started riding with other trainers and learning that there are better ways to do things. Just because Clinton’s methods “work” doesn’t mean they’re right. I don’t agree with his philosophy. It’s funny when you criticize him, the NH crowd just thinks you don’t know what you’re talking about. Haha. Wrong. I spent my entire childhood practicing NH and following Clinton’s methods. And now I think it’s wrong. I think people that like him usually just have an ego problem and they need to assert dominance over their horse and I don’t agree with that mindset. I think the crowd he’s appealing to is mostly beginners or wannabe trainers with ego problems.

There are much better horsemanship trainers out there. Clinton Anderson is a joke and I’m sorry if you haven’t figured that out yet. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to wise up but thank god I eventually did.

[angelssix]

@Equkelly

Yes actually. I grew up practicing his methods, went to many of his clinics and watched every episode of his show on Rfdtv. The trainer I grew up with idolized him so naturally I did too. I used to think he was the best horse person in the world.

Then I got older, left for college, and started riding with other trainers and learning that there are better ways to do things. Just because Clinton’s methods “work” doesn’t mean they’re right. I don’t agree with his philosophy. It’s funny when you criticize him, the NH crowd just thinks you don’t know what you’re talking about. Haha. Wrong. I spent my entire childhood practicing NH and following Clinton’s methods. And now I think it’s wrong. I think people that like him usually just have an ego problem and they need to assert dominance over their horse and I don’t agree with that mindset. I think the crowd he’s appealing to is mostly beginners or wannabe trainers with ego problems.

There are much better horsemanship trainers out there. Clinton Anderson is a joke and I’m sorry if you haven’t figured that out yet. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to wise up but thank god I eventually did.

Not criticizing, but as a learning point, is there someone you WOULD recommend?

[Equkelly]

@angelssix

Not criticizing, but as a learning point, is there someone you WOULD recommend?

Mark Rashid and Warwick Schiller. Mark’s books are great and sum up my feelings perfectly on why I don’t believe in Natural Horsemanship anymore.

[angelssix]

@Equkelly

Mark Rashid and Warwick Schiller. Mark’s books are great and sum up my feelings perfectly on why I don’t believe in Natural Horsemanship anymore.

Thank you!

[PaddockWood]

Mark Rashid left such a mark on me with his Journey to Softness. And then I had to buy.every.single.one.of.his.books (and there are something like 20!) and read them each and every one. There’s a guy that leaves you with empathy for the horse and trying to get along with them. And then they want to get along with you.

Journey to Softness led me on an exploration on finding out just how soft can you be and it turns out horses really return that gesture.

I also have learned so much from Warwick and Tristan Tucker and now lately Mustang Maddy is blowing my mind with her rehabbing three strike mustangs and rehab cases. Her exploration of positive reinforcement to get a horse to WANT to work with you. Pretty remarkable.

I also spent a week with Frederic Pignon (Cavalia) and their book Gallop to Freedom is a real mind opener.

Aside from getting a really good dentist to rule out dental pain, saddle fitting, and bodywork. All that is very important.

A horse like this either takes you on a journey of great educational learning process and paradigm shifts OR
you get hurt.

P.S. I’ll never forget Warwick telling me to just go sit in the pasture and expect nothing of my rehab project. Just sit. Meditate. Admire. No expectations. It was the beginning of a transformation in our relationship together.

[Equkelly]

@PaddockWood

Mark Rashid left such a mark on me with his Journey to Softness. And then I had to buy.every.single.one.of.his.books (and there are something like 20!) and read them each and every one. There’s a guy that leaves you with empathy for the horse and trying to get along with them. And then they want to get along with you.

Journey to Softness led me on an exploration on finding out just how soft can you be and it turns out horses really return that gesture.

I’m reading journey to softness now! I started with horses never lie, then considering the horse, the a good horse is never a bad color and now I’m on journey to softness. I love his ideas. It’s basic concepts that you pretty much already know, but I hear his writing in my head any time I’m dealing with a training challenge.

[PaddockWood]

@Equkelly

I’m reading journey to softness now! I started with horses never lie, then considering the horse, the a good horse is never a bad color and now I’m on journey to softness. I love his ideas. It’s basic concepts that you pretty much already know, but I hear his writing in my head any time I’m dealing with a training challenge.

You inspire me to get that book back out. Just this morning I was watching another Maddy video and she was talking about the goal of increasing your horse’s “discretionary” effort - the difference between “having” to do something and WANTING to do it for you. WOW. Isn’t that the truth. You get a horse to first WANT to be with you and then WANT to work for you. Now you’re cookin.

These are the principles of great horse training.

[willowoodstables]

@angelssix

Not criticizing, but as a learning point, is there someone you WOULD recommend?

The OP getting a trainer

[beau159]

@DinkyDonk

Clinton Anderson DVDs…Start with the very first one on ground training. If it helps, continue on. His methods have worked for both of mine, one a greenie, the other one a pushy in your face Appendix.

I think CA has his place, as his trailer loading DVD helped me and my horses tremendously. However, I think he can be much too aggressive. I like how he explains things (what he is doing, why, when, where, etc) so I think he does a good job of that. But I also think he is pushier than he needs to be, and of course has an agenda to sell his products (you don’t need his products to do his “method”).

As with any of the trainers or training methods out there, if you don’t do something correctly, it’s going to have bad results. Based on the information the OP has given us so far, personally, I think it would be a disaster for the OP to try CA methods. IMO. I feel you need to at least have a bit of experience under your belt, and a non-problem horse to start with. If you are starting where the OP is starting (horse already has major problems and OP doesn’t have experience), I don’t think that is a very good fit for CA.

Again, I think best case scenario for OP is to find an in-person trainer to help with said horse.