China, a 17-year-old Quarter Horse mare that has been associated with Downunder Horsemanship for most of her life, is starting a new career as a therapeutic lesson horse. The bay mare starred in the original Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground and Riding with Confidence DVD series and returned to filming in 2007 as the lesson horse in the DVD series Horsemanship 101. Since her filming career ended, China has been turned out in a pasture on the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch and occasionally made appearances in clinics as a lease horse for participants coming from overseas.

When Clinton learned that Stable Hands, a PATH International Premier Accredited Center located in Yreka, California, was looking for a lesson horse for its students, he knew China would be the perfect horse for their program. Finding ways to help therapeutic riding centers isn't new to the clinician. From the start of his career, Clinton has been donating money, equipment and training tools as well as his time to centers all across the country. He became familiar with Stable Hands when Professional Clinician Brittany Huff began her apprenticeship at Downunder Horsemanship. Brittany's sister Kori takes lessons from Stable Hands and Brittany volunteered at the center for nearly 10 years before relocating to Texas to pursue a career as a Professional Clinician. Clinton got to meet the Stable Hands team personally at the Fresno Walkabout Tour in 2012 when the group ran the Ritchie Charity Ball Toss. 

When Brittany mentioned to Clinton that Stable Hands was looking for a lesson horse, Clinton immediately thought of China. "She loves being around people and having a job to do. She is a well-trained, easygoing mare that is going to be a perfect fit for Stable Hands. She'll take care of the riders, build their confidence and teach them as well," Clinton shares.

Members of the Stable Hands team attended a celebration Clinton held for his Professional and Certified Clinicians last week in which Brittany was recognized. After congratulating Brittany on her achievement of becoming a Professional Clinician, they took China to her new home in California where she will give students the gift of learning horsemanship. Everyone at Downunder Horsemanship wishes China the best of luck in her new career.

You've seen Clinton use the Method to reform a problem horse or help a rider gain confidence, but do you know the man behind the Method? In our "Who is Clinton Anderson?" video, you'll learn more about Clinton's rise from a little-known horse trainer in Australia to the internationally recognized clinician he is today. It's a behind-the-scenes look into what Clinton believes in and what his method of horsemanship is capable of helping horse owners accomplish. See for yourself how the innovation, inspiration and instruction Clinton has brought to the horse world is truly awe inspiring.

Clinton Anderson explains that moving your horse's feet is the key

Horses challenge their own pecking order daily, and they will do the same to you. It's nothing personal - it's just business. Horses are natural followers, but they want a leader they can respect and trust. Every day, your horse will test you to see if you deserve to lead him. Just like the dominant horse in a herd, you have to be worthy of the leadership role. You have to prove to him that you can move his feet forwards, backwards, left and right and are always willing to reward the slightest try.

The number one horse in the herd doesn't have to be the biggest horse or the strongest horse; he just has to be the bravest and smartest. He has to be the most effective leader. When he tells the other horses to move, they better move or he's going to back it up with action. He'll kick, bite, strike or do whatever it takes to get the other horses to move their feet.

The more you can move your horse's feet, the more control you have. The less you can move your horse's feet, the less control you have and the more disrespectful he will be.

Clinton covers groundwork and riding exercises in his Fundamentals Series that are geared toward earning respect, building trust and getting softness throughout the horse's whole body.

Some horsemen sign up for Fundamentals clinics because they're at a loss with their horse and don't have the knowledge. Others participate because they've been studying the Method at home and want hands-on help to ensure they're doing the exercises correctly. And others attend Fundamentals clinics to refine their skills and challenge themselves. No matter the reasons the participants are arriving with to Professional Clinician Shana Terry's 10-day Fundamentals clinic, they will all leave with more knowledge, have more confidence in their ability and will have developed a safer and more enjoyable partnership with their horses. Shana will welcome the participants to the clinic on the 15th and take them through the 27 groundwork and riding exercises that make up the Fundamentals level of the Method. The participants will be encouraged and challenged each day and will learn to up their expectations of themselves and their horses. Learn more about Downunder Horsemanship clinics on our website.

Clinton's first clinic of the year starts next Tuesday. Thirty participants, 12 of whom are applying for the Academy, will spend 10 days under Clinton's tutelage, soaking up the Fundamentals level of the Method. While Clinton's Aussie-wit and personality ensure clinics are fun, instruction and improvement of horse and rider are the main focus of the clinic. In fact, past participants call clinics with Clinton the hardest fun you'll ever have with your horse. Throughout the course of the clinic, participants will learn 30 exercises, working in the arena and then testing their skills on the trail. By the second week of instruction, Clinton will have participants doing groundwork with their horses over the obstacle course on the ranch. Discover more about Downunder Horsemanship clinics on our website.

When a group of reining breeders created the National Reining Breeders Classic in 1997, they had big hopes for the stallion incentive program. Fifteen years after the first show, the NRBC has become the largest added money reining in history. Clinton is headed to the event at the end of the week to watch the best 4, 5 and 6 year old reining horses compete for more than $1 million dollars. Although he won't be competing himself, Clinton will cheer on Performance Horse owners David and Gina McGee as they campaign several horses they bought from Clinton that were bred and started on the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch.

There's no better way to learn the Method than by having expert, one-on-one help. Clinton's top hand, Professional Clinician Shana Terry, is holding a five-day Fundamentals Clinic at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch May 6th - 10th and has as few spots open for participants. Shana has been studying with Clinton for the past 15 years and earned her professional certification in 2009. The talented horsewoman is dedicated to the Method and helping riders learn how to build a more successful partnership with their horses. 

In her five-day Fundamentals clinics, Shana teaches participants how to start the Fundamentals level of the Method in the roundpen and advances them through riding exercises. Along with basic horsemanship philosophy, Shana covers exercises such as Backing Up, Yielding the Forequarters, Lunging for Respect, the Cruising Lesson, Bending Transitions and Vertical Flexion at the Standstill. To learn more about Shana's clinic and how to apply, visit the Downunder Horsemanship website.

Here's a look at some of the instruction and inspiration Fundamentals clinics at the ranch are known for.

After serving as one of the judges at this year's Road to the Horse, Ian Francis jumped on a plane headed to Texas to spend a week at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch. Clinton invites his mentor to the States a couple times a year to take lessons from him. Ian will help Clinton with his three performance horses - Marshall, Lyle and Jackson. Marshall and Lyle are in reining training, while Jackson is being prepped for working cow horse competitions. Ian is well versed in each discipline - he's a five-time Australian NRHA Champion and three-time NCHA Futurity Champion. Clinton often films the training session with Ian so that when his mentor returns to Australia, he can review the tapes as often as he'd like. No matter how many times he rides with Ian or watches his lessons, Clinton says that he always picks up a new nugget of information that improves his horsemanship and his horses' performances.

Learn more about Ian in his biography Living the Legend - The Ian Francis Story available at DownunderHorsemanship.com.

Clinton's started a blog on the No Worries Club site to share with members the training progress of his performance horses. (To read the blog, click here http://www.noworriesclub.com/blog.php?u=26.) In each installment of the blog, Clinton chronicles the ups and downs of training his 3-year-old horses - Marshall, Lyle and Jackson. While he's prepping Marshall and Lyle for reining competition, he's training Jackson in working cow horse. The blog offers insight into what Clinton expects from his horses and a behind-the-scenes peek at the challenges and successes he experiences with his personal horses. While we can't promise how often he'll get a chance to sit down and share his thoughts as he juggles a busy schedule, we guarantee each post will be filled with Clintonisms and inspiration you can put to use in your own horse life.

Next month, we'll be releasing Clinton's newest book - a collector's edition that covers his horsemanship philosophy and provides the foundation of the Method. With over 20 years of experience working with horses and helping people safely train them, Clinton has become an expert at bringing out the best in both. In this highly illustrated book, he shares his philosophy, knowledge and wisdom, detailing what he feels every person should know about horses before working with them.

Breaking down the crucial elements of his method of horsemanship, Clinton explains how to become an effective leader that your horses will look to for guidance and how to successfully start a mutually enjoyable partnership. Readers will learn what motivates horses, the basics of respect and why it must be established, and the role pressure and body language play in communicating. Clinton prescribes a tried-and-true formula to train a well broke horse and discusses the three elements that go into becoming an all-around great horseman.

Filled with commonsense explanations and personal anecdotes from Clinton's life, the lessons in Philosophy provide the instruction and inspiration needed to help you achieve your horsemanship dreams. The 152-page hardcover book is presented in a slipcase, includes beautiful color photography and a pullout poster.