The main thing to understand when dealing with a problem horse is that if you want your horse's behavior to change, you have to be willing to change the way you interact with him. And, you also have to be willing to put in the time necessary to work with him. People ask me all the time if I've ever met a horse I couldn't train. The answer is no. Every horse is trainable, but not every person is trainable because they don't want to learn new ideas. Horsemanship can be easy if you're willing to put in the effort. But you have to be willing to work at it and have a burning desire to be the best horseman you can be.

Clinton knows his Downunder Horsemanship television show that airs on RFD-TV is only as good as the satisfaction of our customers. That's why we're asking you for your feedback. What makes you tune into Downunder Horsemanship? How does the instruction Clinton offers in each episode help your horsemanship? What do you love about Clinton's personality? As a horseman, what do you appreciate about RFD-TV? Tell us what you think by going to www.downunderhorsemanship.com/feedbackcontest.

When you finish filling out the comment box and your information, click "submit." Your feedback will then be entered into a monthly drawing for a Professional or Method kit of the winner's choice. That means if you send us your thoughts, you could have a Colt Starting, Foal Training, Fundamentals, Intermediate or Advanced kit to further your horsemanship! But it gets better. At the end of the year, one submission out of all the entries we've collected throughout the year will be drawn to win a Clinton Anderson Saddle. You may submit as many feedback entries as you'd like, so long as each entry is unique, in order to increase your chance of winning.

Submissions for the monthly drawing will close on the last day of the month. The winner's name will be announced in the first newsletter of the following month and at the Feedback Contest website. Yearly winner will be announced in the first newsletter of the new year.

The gates to the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch are opening to the general public during two of Clinton's three-day Fundamentals clinics held October 25th - 27th and November 15th - 17th. With 30 horses and riders enrolled in the clinic, it's sure to be a great learning opportunity with insights on how to refine your technique of the Method with a variety of horses.

Spectators can purchase a three-day pass to watch the entire clinic for $60. Single-day tickets are not available. The ranch is located just outside of Stephenville, Texas and has many hotels and restaurants for spectators coming out of town. Tickets can be purchased online. 

A note to spectators: Be sure to bring lawn chairs and sunscreen as there is no covered seating or bleachers. You will however get to experience the full effect of the clinic facility, including its state-of-the-art classroom, 350-foot round arena, 300' by 150'covered arena and breathtaking obstacle course.

The Downunder Horsemanship office will be closed on Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day. We hope you take time to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to grant us the freedom we enjoy today and get to spend the weekend with family, friends and horses! If you find yourself needing a shot of Clinton and Downunder Horsemanship inspiration this weekend, log on to the No Worries Club website and view shows 267 "A Little Therapy" and 276 "Old Guard. New Method." In each of these episodes of Clinton's highly acclaimed TV series, the clinician works with American veterans and active duty soldiers to improve their horsemanship.

The team at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch will be weaning this year's foals in the next several weeks. While weaning can be stressful for the young horses and their mothers, because team members work with the foals on a daily basis, teaching them the Fundamentals level of the Method, the youngsters are fairly independent by the time they're taken away from their dams, which makes weaning almost a nonevent at the ranch. If you'll be weaning a foal this year, check out Clinton's success tips. (You can view a full article on weaning in the Summer 2010 No Worries Journal).  

Teach your foal the Fundamentals groundwork exercises.
The more time you spend working with your foal teaching him how to move his feet and not fear you, the more independent he will become. The more confident he is in being away from his mother and looking to you for guidance, the easier the weaning process will be. Refer to the Foal Training Series for explanations and demonstrations of each exercise.

Plan ahead.
Start making plans for weaning a month or two in advance. Things to keep in mind are how you plan on weaning the foal and where you'll keep both the mare and the foal when you start the process. If your property isn't big enough to completely separate the mare and foal, you'll have to find a boarding facility to board the mare. Think about what you're going to do before you actually do it. The more prepared you are, the smoother the process will be.

Use a safe enclosure.
Be sure that the space you keep your foal in is a safe, small enclosure with solid walls. You don't want the foal running frantically around a 10-acre field or trying to climb over a short stall wall. Before putting the foal in the stall, do a quick safety check - make sure there isn't anything in the stall that will injure him.

Try to make the mare and foal as comfortable as you can.
When I wean my foals, it is summertime and usually hot, so I always make sure I have some fans set up for them and that I turn the mares out in a pasture with shade. It's important to make sure they all have access to water as well. Your main objective when weaning is to minimize stress as best as you can.

It's very natural for horses to establish a pecking order. More often than not, the top horse in a herd is usually an old broodmare. How'd she get control of the group? She proved to every horse in the pasture she could move their feet forwards, backwards, left and right. When the broodmare wanted another horse in the pasture to move out of her way, she'd approach him with a plan. First, she'd pin her ears back. If the horse ignored her, then she'd bare her teeth and act like she was going to bite him. Then she might actually try to bite him. If he still didn't move away from her, she'd back up to him, swish her tail and act like she was going to kick him. Then she might actually kick him. And she'd keep kicking until he moved. Whoever moves first, and backs down, loses the battle.

On a daily basis, horses in that broodmare's herd will test her ability as a leader and question her authority, and she'll have to prove to them that she's still capable of being the leader and moving their feet. The same is true in our relationship with our horses. Every day, we have to prove ourselves worthy of being the leader in the relationship.

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.

Riding season is just getting into full swing and Clinton wants to ensure you have the tools, knowledge and inspiration to chase down your horsemanship dreams. In that spirit, we're holding a mid-year blowout sale on our bestselling products that will rival our Black Friday Sale! Why? Because Clinton said so! Training tools and equipment like our Handy Sticks, leadropes and halters will be drastically marked down. Even our Professional and Method kits will be 33% off! Mark your calendar now - the sale starts May 28th at 8 am CST and will run through May 30th. Watch your inbox for email updates and reminders.

The best part of our No Worries Club is our members! We look forward to hearing your personal success stories, experience with the Method and looking at your pictures. And most of all, we love featuring you in the No Worries Journal and sharing your stories with other members. There are multiple ways in which you can be a part of Clinton's quarterly publication, here are just a couple:

Most Valuable Lesson Learned from Clinton - In each Journal, we feature the most valuable lessons you've learned from Clinton. In 800 words or less, tell us the single most important thing Clinton has taught you that has helped shape your horsemanship. Submit your stories to journal@noworriesclub.com.

Critique Me - Send in a short video of you practicing one exercise from the Fundamentals, Intermediate or Advanced level of the Method to get critiqued by Professional Clinician Shana Terry. Shana will grade you doing a groundwork or riding exercise from the Fundamentals, Intermediate or Advanced level of the Method and offer constructive feedback. To participate, visit the Casting Call webpage on the Downunder Horsemanship website and click on the "Critique Me" tab. Fill out the application form and include a link to a video clip of you practicing ONE exercise from the Method. Videos must be a minimum of 5 minutes but no longer than 10 minutes, and must be live footage - no photos or slideshows will be considered. Please note that not every submission will be selected nor will every submission receive a response.

We're always looking for story and article ideas! If you have a great idea or even some feedback about the No Worries Club, send it to us at journal@noworriesclub.com. Help us make the Journal a publication you enjoy reading!

What do 18 Quarter Horses, five Paints, two Mustangs, two Morgans, a Tennessee Walker and a Welsh/Thoroughbred cross have in common? They just completed a 10-day Fundamentals clinic with Clinton at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch. Check out the instruction the participants in the April 23rd - May 3rd clinic received and the fun that was had in our slideshow.  



Interested in attending a Downunder Horsemanship clinic with your horse? Learn more on our website http://www.downunderhorsemanship.com/events.aspx.