Frustration Solves Nothing
Frustration is a part of life. If you own a horse, face it, you are going to get frustrated. Whether it’s in your relationship, job, or even traffic, you are going to get frustrated. Horses are no exception. Unlike traffic, however, you can break through many of your frustrations with horses.
My wife owned a horse, Vandy, for the first 25 years we were married and I didn’t do much more than pick up manure and haul hay. It’s not that I didn’t like Vandy, I simply did not understand him. After Vandy died and my wife got another horse, I thought it would be the same old stuff. Then, RFD-TV came along and with it the many horse TV progams they provided.
Those shows told me there was another way of relating to horses and I began to investigate the different techniques.
Downunder Horsemanship
While I listened and learned from all the clinicians of that time, circa 2005, I was drawn to the simplicity and straightforwardness of Downunder Horsemanship. Clinton has a saying, “Frustration ends where knowledge begins.”
There were many on RFD at that time, Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, John Lyons, Lynn Palm, Richard Shrake, and Pat Parelli just to name a few. I knew I needed help and information, but where to get it? Well, I sampled it. There was never a better time in history to learn. The University of YouTube is available to anyone who is reading this. I sampled bits from all the different horsemen and women and felt that Clinton had the style that fit MY learning process the best.
Find a Program
It’s good to have a local trainer, but it’s also good to have a program, something that gives you a foundation to build on. Find one. I remember Chris Cox saying, “If you are new to horsemanship, you need to have a program to follow. You need to learn the basic steps. If may not be my program, but please find one that works for you.” This was great advice for me.
Yes, they require a certain amount of cash up front. My investment with Clinton for his Gaining Respect on the Ground and Riding with Confidence series was $120 plus shipping times six (each series had three parts). That totals $720. But when you think about it, even the least expensive trainer is going to charge you $400/ month, so it’s not really that much.
And, when frustration does come a knockin’, and you know it will, you have something to go back into and look for what you may be doing wrong.
Start at the Beginning
One last thing, if you decide to get a program, swallow your pride and start from the beginning. Most programs have basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Nothing will add more to your level of frustration than skipping the basic and going straight to the intermediate or advanced levels.
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