Anyone Else Using Clinton Anderson's DVDs?

***Read more about how Max and I came to use Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship methods, click back to the first few posts and see how we've progressed...


ANYONE ELSE USING CLINTON ANDERSON'S DVDS?



               Before I tell about our training experience today, I would like to ask anyone reading who is using Clinton Anderson’s training DVDs to feel free to tell us what you’re working on and how it’s going for you in the comment section.

Also, I read some good information on the http://www.horseforum.com
 website.  It really helped me to know more about what to look for while Max is lungeing at the canter.

I was glad to read that many who were commenting encourage cantering on the ground first to get the horse used to it and to teach correct leads.  Yea!  I’m doing something right. 

I originally went to the website to see if I could find out anything about horse chiropractors.  I was beginning to think maybe something was wrong with Max’s right shoulder since when I’m in the saddle doing the very little cantering that we do, 99%  of the time he takes off on the left lead. 

Does anyone know if horse chiropractors really help?  I mean really help?

When I canter him on the ground he’s not nearly as smooth on his right lead either.  On horseforum.com folks were saying that getting horses cantering on the ground helps get them used to using this gait.  Some also said that cantering on the ground is helpful in teaching correct leads.  More than one suggested cantering on the “bad” side more than on the “good” side.  Clinton Anderson also suggests that whenever there is one side that’s not as “good” as the other (this goes for any skill) to work that side two or three times as much as the other side.

Makes sense…  So we did that today, and I know that small improvement was made. 

I went back out this evening when it cooled off.  We lunged a little and Max is doing better all the time on that right lead.  I’m doing it twice as much on the right as on the left.  He still doesn’t look real smooth on the right.  I’m letting him go in big circles as someone suggested on horseforum.com. 

We also did sending.  He’s getting it, pretty well.  He trots through with lots of encouragement.  He still goes a too far around behind me when going to the left.  But I wiggle the rope to back him out and he gets back in position to come through to the right. 

Max is still yielding forequarters correctly to the right, and he really did better moving to the left.  Not yet pivoting on the left hind foot, but crossing his right foot over better and more consistently.

Run up and rub was fine.  Slap and tap was fine.

Anyone else working on any of these exercises?         Anyone…anyone…?

Have a good ride

Greenhorn

Gaining Respect and Control - 2!!!

(I posted this out of order.  It happened before the previous post…Progress on the Ground)

We officially started Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground-Series 2!  We’re still working on yielding forequarters and Sending on Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground-1, but we’re moving on to Series 2. 

We worked on the first couple of exercises, Changing Directions and Run Up and Rub.  Max is already doing these pretty well.  I really only did changing directions in the barn.  We’ll do it in the arena tomorrow.  He knew what I wanted him to do though.

We worked on Run Up and Rub in the arena for several minutes.  I probably “ran up and rubbed” about 8 times.  He was standing still by the 6^th time.  He didn’t really get too upset about it and only moved back a step or two right from the beginning. 

So, Yea!  We’ll review tomorrow.

Next Day:

Today we did about 30 minutes of groundwork.  We worked on yielding forequarters, lungeing, sending and run up and rub.  I didn’t have my list with me, so I forgot to work on touch and rub. 

Note to self:  Leave list at barn…

In the saddle we worked on yielding hindquarters at the standstill and I could see that a little work on touch and rub on the ground would have helped.  But Max must have remembered a previous lesson because he didn’t do too badly.

I drew his head around, put my foot back.  When he didn’t move, all I had to use was my hand, so I tapped his hip and he took a couple of steps.  I released my foot, then released his head when he “gave”.  We did this several times on each side.

When I draw his head around and he starts to move his hindquarters before I put my foot back, I just wait until he stops moving, then put my foot on.  And proceed with the above.

Okay, I’m really getting more relaxed while riding.  I cantered a few times today! Yea!

Two Days Later:

I did some barn chores today.  I got out there rather late.  We only did Yielding Forequarters, and he had improved.  We’re at 360 degrees with consistent crossover steps to the right 99% of the time.  He’s pivoting on his right hind foot.  Way to go, Max!

I rode just a bit today.  It was too hot to do much.  I’ll have to get out earlier tomorrow morning.

Late Evening, Same Day:

I went back out to work with Max.  We lunged for just a few minutes.  He’s doing pretty well! 

We did some Sending.  I gave him a bigger gap and I kept the pressure on.  He oomphed! it up into a little trot for a few steps.  He yielded hindquarters on the other side of the gap.  He was more reluctant to trot back the other way (away from the gate).  We tried it a few more times each way and he was trotting pretty consistently through the gap each way. 

I should have stopped then.  Clinton Anderson says to stop when they’re being successful.  But I decided to let him do it the right way a couple more times. 

Mistake.  He refused to go through in the direction away from the gate.  I kept bump, bumping the lead rope and putting pressure with the stick, and he stayed stuck.

I resorted to just backing him up and trying the Sending again. 

Didn’t work.  He was finished.  I don’t blame him.  He had done it right.  And I had pushed it.  It was a bad call on my part.  It was getting dark. 

I backed him one more time so we wouldn’t end with him getting his way and we lunged a couple of circles to the left, then right, then quit. 

Far away from the gate…

We’ll try again tomorrow.  It’ll be interesting to see how he handles the Sending tomorrow…

(So…Progress on the Ground…the post below…happened next.  Then, I’ll be back in order…)

Have a good ride,

Greenhorn

Progress On the Ground...

Max was great today.  He lunged at the canter more smoothly.  His canter seems a little less clumsy.  He knows to accelerate from a trot to a canter when I lift my hand and point.  I love that.  He takes the correct lead when he takes off 99% of the time.  Good Boy!

We worked on Sending.  I pointed, clucked and waved the stick with energy near his head and neck.  He didn’t move. 

So, I rotated the stick and string as if to start lungeing.  And whattayaknow?  He moved.  He trotted across and yielded.  Yea!  I guess he didn’t remember our struggle last night, or else he doesn’t hold a grudge! LOL –

What I discovered is this.  In the segment of the Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground-1 dvd about Sending, Clinton Anderson says with most horses you don’t need to move the stick in that big rotating motion to get them to move across in the Sending exercise.  He says usually, unless they’re really lazy and hard to get going, you’ll only need to create some energy with the stick near the head and neck.

Well…that’s us…lazy and hard to get going. 

I happened to remember this part of the instructions out in the pen when I realized Max needed more pressure to get moving.  And he did it. 

I also have to wiggle the rope for him to back up when he goes too far around me or gets too close.  I’m very proud that he moved his feet at the trot during the Sending.  It was great to know I was trained well enough to get him to do it!   

We worked a little on yielding forequarters, of course.  I don’t think there is ever a day that we don’t.  But I heard something interesting about Max.  The friend who guided me to Max in the first place mentioned that no one had really been able to get him to cross his feet over.  Wow!  That made me feel better.  No wonder it was taking so long.  But now… he’s pivoting on his right hind leg and crossing over his front foot to the right. 

To the left…still not so much…but it’s getting a little better each week.  I think he knows I’m not going to let it slide.

I continued to work on Clinton Anderson's "Run Up and Rub," and I did a little “Slap and Tap”.  These are both on the Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground – 2.  Neither of these exercises bothered Max at all.  He just stood there.  Good Boy.

Too hot (100+degrees-again) to ride today by the time we got through with groundwork exercises.

We continue to make progress on the ground…

Have a good ride,

Greenhorn

No More Excuses...

              
             With lots of help, I moved the arena (Still a verrrry loose use of the term, arena.)  Now I have no excuses for failing to progress from cruising at the trot to stick to the fence at the trot and on up to cruising and stick-to-the-fence at the canter, all riding exercises on Clinton Anderson's Riding with Confidence-1. The ground is a bit unlevel in some spots so we’ll walk it several times to get used to it.

Next Day:

Max and I took our first ride in the new “arena” location this morning.  It’s not quite as level as the other arena was, but Max seemed more relaxed.  (Therefore, so was I.)  We walked the perimeter first and then trotted it.  We rested in the only scary place left and he didn’t bat an eye.  So I can’t do anymore whining about the “spook” element of the arena.  Maybe I’ll be able to make some progress in the saddle at last…

Next Day:

Max is pivoting on his right hind foot when we yield forequarters to the right!  Woo-hoo!  We’ve worked on it just a few minutes, most days for a couple of months, and he can finally do it to the right!  Good Boy!

To the left…not so much…  We’ll keep working on the left.

Love the new location of the arena.  We had a relaxed ride today.  We mainly trotted. 

We also did yielding hindquarters at the standstill.  He’s a little sticky, but with a reminder (a tap on the hip) right at the beginning he gets it.  I seem to be getting more coordinated with the teaching of this skill, and the timing of it, the more we practice. 

At first, I had to really slow down and think about each individual step.  I had to think through each step as I did it:  draw his head around, correctly place my foot, release my foot when he moved correctly, wait for him to “give” and release immediately.  It’s becoming a smoother movement now.  The smoother I get with it, the smoother he seems to move.  We’ll keep working on it.

And get this.  I cantered about three times today.  One was a really long time!  I was so impressed with myself for letting him go with it that I forgot to count how many strides I hung in there for.  I was really trying to get the feel of it.  I’m trying to build up to a few strides more each day.  I didn’t have much control, but I was so wrapped up with the fact that I was cantering, I didn’t think a lot about it.  Max stopped anyway.  Good Boy!  LOL!

His canter is still a little too fast for me to be totally relaxed with it.  But I think we’re making strides (no pun intended) with that, too, on the ground.

I’m going to have to re-watch the cruising and stick-to-the-fence episodes on the Riding with Confidence-1 Series.  Not really to learn the method of teaching it so much as to use the episodes to build up my confidence. 

It helps me to review the lesson and remember things that Clinton Anderson says in the lesson like, “Any time you get uncomfortable, do a one rein stop.”  I really need to get that embedded in my head for when I can finally take on cruising at the canter. 

And we’ve worked more on the ground lately than we have in the saddle, so I may have to relax, slow down and just review trotting with Max in the “new” arena, then work up to the canter. 

Uh-oh, was that just an excuse???

Have a good ride,

Greenhorn

Speaking of Slow...

                By the way…for those of you just joining us, I like to watch the horse trainers on RFD TV.  I think they’re all pretty darn good.  I’m a “beginner all over again”, and right now, I’m using Clinton Anderson’s methods on my first horse ever.  I’m hoping he can train me on how to handle Max.  Take a look at a couple of my first entries to see how Max and I got to this point.

Back to speaking of slow…

I began working on the Sending exercise a few days ago.  I don’t know if it’s my signals or what but he’s about to go to sleep walking in front of me.  Also, he doesn’t go all the way across the gap between the fence and me.  He goes about half-way and turns and yields his hindquarters.  Help!

I’ll be studying that segment of the dvd tomorrow morning before I go out.

He’s trying though.  He’s looking at me and really paying attention.  My actions must not be clear.

Next Day:

I watched Yielding Forequarters again.  There’s something I’m not doing right for it to take so long for Max to go all the way around.  And I got it. 

I’m not being forceful enough driving him back when he goes forward instead of stepping across.  I’ve only been backing him a couple of steps, gently.  I’m not aggressively driving him back so he’ll remember the mistake.  Clinton Anderson says it’ll take forever if you do it like I’ve been doing it. 

He’s right.  Now I get it. 

Sometimes I have to re-watch the segment.  After I get the basic idea down of how to teach it, I have to re-watch so I can pick up all the “little” things that I don’t do at the beginning.  I watch the segment a couple of times.  I go out and introduce the skill to Max.   

Then, I come back and re-watch the segment, sometimes a few times, looking for answers to the questions I had while I was out doing the introductory lesson with Max.  So far, I’ve always found the answers right there in Clinton Anderson’s lesson.  Then, I go out to teach the skill to Max again, fully armed with the knowledge I need for Max to be successful. 

It’s normal.  It’s difficult to absorb everything after watching a lesson segment one or two times. 

And it helps to go out and do it, then come back in with particular answers to look for while re-watching.

Also, at the end of the segment he says don’t worry if it’s not perfect right now. The rest of the exercises will help this along.

Get across the main idea of crossing that front foot over the other one for at least one good step.

I’m also going to re-watch the Sending exercise segment.

Next Day:

            I re-watched Sending.  There must be something I’m missing.  I kept the pressure on as he crossed through the gap, and when he sped up I released it.  He was starting to trot, but was not really at a trot.  I want him to take off with some energy at a trot and continue to trot through the gap till I signal him to yield his hindquarters.

           

I’ll re-watch the segment.  I think I’ll also widen the gap.  Maybe he needs a little more space right now. 

He’s still trying…

Have good ride,

Greenhorn

Small Improvements...

***Go to http://www.tvhorsetalk.blogspot.com/ to read more about how Max and I came to use Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship methods...



So, for the last couple of weeks we’ve lunged at the canter (We do a lot of resting!) and I swear I’m seeing small improvements each day.  In this short time he seems to be more “athletic” about it.  Smoother, maybe…a little slower… And I saw him correct his lead real quickly today.  Max needed to get his feet moving.  His feet had not moved quickly in a long time.   

We worked a bit on yielding forequarters, backing, lungeing and we did some Sending.  Max did pretty well.  We’ll try Sending again tomorrow. 

It was very windy today and while riding Max spooked big once on the side by the woods, and he spooked a little at the end of the arena near the woods.  As I’ve mentioned ad nauseam, I think this is why I’m stuck at the trot.  I get afraid cruising and get tense and nervous, too afraid to let him trot anywhere he wants (and that’s exactly what “cruising” is…) because he gets spooky when he gets near the woods and I’m afraid he’s going to spook and I’m going to fly off. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  He doesn’t spook like crazy, bolting and running away.  He just kind of jumps.  A couple of times he’s spun around as if to bolt. 

Hopefully, the things I’m doing are what’s stopping him.  Also, hopefully, a little bit of it is him stopping on his own when he sees there’s no threat. 

A trainer told me he “spooks” in a “good” way, really, because he just kind of jumps or starts, then stops.  (It’s a good thing for me!) 

All I know is that it makes me a wreck.

I’ll keep resting him in the “scary” places on the ground and in the saddle, but I’m having a hard time getting over this hump.

Next Training Day:

I’ve been gone for a week.

So, I went out early today.  I had my list of exercises from Clinton Anderson's Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground - I and Riding with Confidence - I in my back pocket for reference, if needed.  We worked on yielding forequarters and backing.

Yielding forequarters is coming along slowly, but steadily.  I did not allow any kind of step but a step across.  When Max tried to step forward or his foot wasn’t all the way across the other front foot I grabbed the clip under his chin and had him back that step so we could do that step again across .  Also, I think that I stop too soon working on this skill. 

Today when I wanted to quit, I took it as a sign to work a while longer. 

Backing up went well.  It was kind of like he just needed a refresher in all four methods.  He does wiggle, wave, walk and whack best and with energy.  I think he does “marching” next best.  “Tap the air” he seems confused about whether to go back or sideways.  “Yielding hindquarters then backing” improved a bit today.  My signals were clearer.  I did not work on any of these for very long, and as I sit here and think back, I probably should have practiced each a few more times.

But did I mention that it’s HOT out here???

I’m learning that any problem not corrected immediately only ensures that that problem will persist.

You know, with regard to our very slow progress with yielding forequarters, the thought has crossed my mind that maybe Max is just not one of those really “athletic” horses that the clinicians talk about.  Will he ever be able to pivot on his hind foot while he crosses his front foot over until he goes a full circle? 

He seems athletic enough to me.  But then, I am a greenhorn.

I do think Max and I can yield forequarters better than what we’re doing now.  I’m committed to working on this each day.  I think I need to approach this with more energy, too.  No more Mrs. Nice and Slow Guy!

Have a good ride
Greenhorn

A Bright Idea...?

               I watched the Lungeing for Respect-Stage I segment of the Clinton Anderson's Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground - 1 dvd again to brush up on the teaching part so as to help Max “get it” better.  He knows what I want now.  I’m sending clear messages with my body language and he’s not confused.  So, when I point, cluck and twirl my stick and he stands there looking at me like, “What?” I need to run straight toward him after that third twirl of the stick pointing, clucking and twirling until he moves.    

I rewrote my list of exercises to work on a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been making slow, but steady progress.

Yielding forequarters is coming along.  And I’m getting better at using the equipment, changing hands and timing on the touch and rub exercise.  He’s getting it, so I guess I’m doing okay.

We haven't really started working on Sending, but I just kind of got near the fence to see if he would go through when I pointed.  Max hasn't seemed to be afraid to go through any space I want him to go through, but he walked extreeeeemely slowly through the gap.  I do feel like my cues need to be clearer.  So I needed a refresher. 

Here again, he thinks he’s supposed to yield forequarters while walking through. 

              He’s doing that because as he’s coming through I tapped him on the shoulder in an effort to get him up to a trot, and he thought I meant to yield his forequarters.  I’ve got to point up high, bump, bump him in the correct direction while I’m creating energy with the stick near his neck and shoulder.  This worked a few times to get him to speed up.  He’s doing the Sending exercise, he’s just doing it at a snail’s pace!  (I don’t think we’d rate a B on this!)

Next Day:

I may have had a mental breakthrough today.  A bright idea…? 

Clinton Anderson says to do your groundwork first and things will go much more smoothly in the saddle.  As you know, I am really stuck riding at the trot.  I’m getting better at riding the trot but the canter still eludes me.  I just haven’t been able to grab my seat back at the canter and it makes me way too uncomfortable (afraid) to keep cantering as long as I need to in order for improvement to happen.

Max’s canter is not some fancy-schmancy Western Pleasure horse canter.  He’s got a yahoo-wallopin’-giddyup canter!  He seems a little clumsy, too, probably because he doesn’t get a chance to canter.  Therefore, he also doesn’t get a chance to make improvements in his gait and to slow it down. 

CA says, “Everybody wants their horse to have a nice slow canter but they never canter their horse.  In order to get a nice, slow canter you have to canter.”

Makes sense.
But since I’m too wary about cantering around, (TA-DAH!  Here comes the bright idea part!)  I decided to put the two ideas together and first canter him on the ground.  He needs it anyway.

I started to do this about a week ago to get some energy in his Lungeing for Respect-Stage I and it worked.  He’s lungeing with energy. 

Then, it came to me as I saw him start off a little clumsily, do some tripping, taking the wrong lead, going so fast, that I thought, “Hey, he needs to practice this, too!” 

If I could ask CA a question it would be, “Does this makes sense?  Will it work?”

Next Day:

Is it my imagination or when we did our little “canter on the ground” practice today was it a little slower right from the beginning?  I won’t say for sure. 

Today I felt like I was riding Max, not like he was taking me for a ride.

Next Day:

I just went out today with the intention of just working on the “canter on the ground” exercise.  It is so hot, I can’t stay out too long… 

Max is getting better, smoother.  He’s paying more attention.  He’s doesn’t really arc his body while lungeing.  I do bump his nose in when he looks out.  I figure by this time he needs to being paying attention to me.  And he is getting better at it.  But not enough to get an arc at the canter. 

Next Day:

We’re making good progress on the ground.  I think we’re doing the Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground – Series I exercises fairly well except for Sending.

 We’ve only worked on it a couple of times.  And I mean, a couple of times.  I need to get serious about it and work on Sending each day.  It’s on the list, but we just don’t seem to get to it.  The small amount of time we worked on it, Max did walk through the gap between the fence and me.  I’m hoping that by working on the take-off and energy in lungeing that we can transfer it to smooth sending. 

Also, I’ve worked on flexing and haven’t really talked about it here because Max did it well right away.  However, that said, I have probably not worked on it consistently enough. 

Note to self – Review flexing.  Work on Sending.

Riding is not going quite as quickly.  But I ride everyday and I’m getting better balance and feel more in control. 

And...I am still stuck at cruising at the trot on Riding With Confidence-I!

Have a nice ride -

Greenhorn

Way Off the Subject...

This is way off the subject.  As a matter of fact, it’s a completely different subject.  I saw an episode of Craig Cameron’s Ride Smart the other day on RFD TV.  He gave a really good explanation of starting to work on the basic pieces of rollbacks. 

It was actually one of the best explanations I’ve heard him give.  He was talking first about feeling each movement of the horse.  Which foot the horse is moving, etc.  (Now, I know I’m not ready to be doing rollbacks and other fancy stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with being aware of the movements of your horse’s body no matter what your level.) 

So I decided that when I rode that day I was going to make it a point to be aware of each of Max’s footfalls.  I was pleasantly surprised that I could tell quite easily where Max’s weight was and which foot was about to come up and go down. 

Craig Cameron next demonstrated walking parallel with the fence, stopping, backing, and while backing, turn the horse toward the fence to get the horse to move his outside front foot around 180 degrees.  Then repeat in the other direction. 

So Max and I positioned ourselves about 8 – 10 feet from the pasture fence walking parallel.  We stopped, backed and when I could feel his outside front foot get ready to come up, I cued him to turn toward the fence and I’ll be darned if he didn’t step that foot toward the fence and cross the right one over and repeat until we were 180 degrees. 
I guess all that yielding forequarters practice came in handy!  It wasn't perfect.  It wasn't as good as Craig Cameron did it.  We did it just a few time with some good rubs and enthusiastic, “Good Boys!” 

Thanks, Craig… I just wanted to do something totally different today.


Have a good ride

Greenhorn

Stuck in the Saddle

              
               I really need forward movement with my riding.  I’m stuck on cruising at the trot.  I work on cantering.  But it’s really just me trying to stay balanced and not be afraid to keep going at the canter. 

Now I know Clinton Anderson says, “If you want to learn how to stay on at the canter, you have to canter.”  I repeat.  I know that.  I want to canter more.  And I would canter more if I didn’t feel like Max was going to spook every time we got down to the end of the arena and on the north side of the arena.  (That’s using the term “arena” loosely.)

I feel sure he would also say I need to tackle the spook problem I have “straight away.”  I am tackling it, but from the ground right now.  (I have really gained tons of confidence with control on the ground since following CA’s exercises.)  And I realize that I won’t be able to solve all spook problems from the ground.  I won’t even be able to solve all spook problems period.  But I’ll get more confident in handling them when they happen. 

Here are some things I’m doing right now to de-sensitize him to the woodsy area. Clinton Anderson says, “Rest ‘em in a place they don’t like.”  So when Max and I are doing groundwork and it’s time to rest, we rest in the places where he’s most likely to spook. 

And I think we’ve made progress.  But slooooow progress.  When I first started doing this he had a hard time relaxing in those places.  Sometimes it would take a few minutes.  Now, most of the time, he relaxes within several seconds.  I also rest Max up and down those “scary” sides of the arena and in those “scary” corners while I’m riding. 

  And in Max’s defense, he’s not just spooking for no reason.  Thar’s wahld animals in them thar woods!  He does hear things and see things that I just don’t see.

I just want to be able to ride the whole arena without being ready for a bolt 50% of the time I’m riding.  Now I know a horse can spook or bolt at anything, anytime.  And I know that you’re thinking that maybe if I rode him in those spooky areas everyday to de-sensitize him and deal with the problem right now in a direct manner that it would get solved. 

I agree.  That would be ideal. 

But I’m a greenhorn, remember?  I don’t ride that well.  I’m just learning all this stuff.  And I would like to spend the biggest amount of riding time right now learning to stay on while the horse is walking, trotting and cantering around in a non-threatening environment.  I need to keep building confidence. 

How I have the pen situated now seems to bring on some “horse anxiety” in those places close to the woods.  And my body language adds to that.  I get so worried that he’s going to spook that I can’t relax.

Bottom Line:  I want to ride around a little more relaxed for a while.  I need us both to concentrate elsewhere.  I want to work on other control issues right now.  I feel like I need to control the gas pedal and the steering wheel better.  Can’t I come back to that when I can stay on a little better?

That said, I was actually more confident today with the riding part.  I rode him on those two scary sides at a trot.  Rested him on those sides.  Walked up and down those sides.  Then, I took him out in the pasture and trotted him and backed him.  I think I’m okay (confidence-wise) at a walk and trot. 

Max has a fast canter, and that’s where I’m stumped.  And I know, to get a slow canter, you have to canter.  I know.

Sooooo………I think I’m going to move the arena fence.  I don’t know if that sounds like giving up or giving in or what, but that’s what I’m going to do.  If I move the fence (It’s just several 10’ Priefert panels.) then we’ll be at least 50’ feet away from the woods on the north side.  On the east end I’ll have to deal with the woods.  But that’s only 25% of the arena that’ll worry me instead of 50%.  I know I should deal with the spooking issue, but I do deal with it when he does spook. 

I do a one rein stop when he turns to run away from the woods, then I keep him turning or backing or walking around the area.

Now, if he still acts spooky when we’re that far away from the woods, and I can’t get him to get over it, then I’ve got a way bigger problem than I thought. 

With me…

Have a nice ride,

Greenhorn