Training Tip of the Week: Gaining experience when time is limited

People ask me all the time, “Clinton, what if I have a 9 to 5 job and don’t have time to work with my horse every day? Can I still get better and gain more experience?” The answer is yes! It doesn’t matter what job you have – you can still get real, hands-on experience. Even if you have just 30 minutes a day to work with your horse, it’s still better than doing nothing. My best advice is to make every second with your horse count. Don’t just lead him from the pasture to the saddling bay – practice the C-Pattern on the way to the barn, back him up, sidepass him, etc. Use every chance you have to fine-tune your application of the Method and to increase your horse’s respect.

Now, would everybody do better if they could spend 8 hours a day riding their horse? Sure – and I’d be one of them! It’s important to realize you can gain experience when your time is limited; you just have to have enough desire to really want to do it. You know the old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way?” That’s dead-set true. If you have the will and the desire to gain experience working with your horses, you’ll find a way.