Clinton Anderson quotes

Just thought I'd share some quotes from Clinton Anderson's book, "Lessons Well Learned." I think that a lot things that horse trainers do can be used with sheepdog training.

"Frustration ends where knowledge begins. The key to ending frustration and building knowledge, confidence, and ability with horses is a matter of keeping simple and breaking your goals into specific steps."

"Do what you have to do to get the job done. Building better communication with your horse really comes about by making the right things easy and the wrong things difficult---and always rewarding the slightest try."


"Take everything step-by-step. Frustration, obstacles, and challenges in horse training ---and in life---are best overcome by staying focused, finding balance, and taking things one step at a time."

"To change your horse, you must first change yourself. Being willing to open your mind, increase your knowledge, gain experience, and make a commitment to consistent effort will first transform you---and then your horse."

"To be effective, you have to be understood. Black-and-white communication with horses creates the understanding that helps solve problems and paves the way for achieving your highest goals."

"There's no substitute for hands-on experience."

"Horses are creatures of habit. Horses don't understand "right" or "wrong," they just know what they've been allowed to do."

"You have to allow a horse to make a mistake---and then correct it. Correcting a mistake after it occurs accelerates a horse's learning, while preventing a mistake just guarantees he will keep making it."

"Consistency is your greatest ally---and inconsistency your greatest enemy. Consistent practice in even small increments of time will build stronger mental and physical habits with your horses---and yield big-time results."

"It takes time, knowledge, experience---and desire---to get a well-trained horse. Evaluating your abilities, choosing the right kind of horse, and having specific goals will make your horse experience the best it can be."

"Success is just around the corner---the trouble is, most people quit before they reach the corner! Achieving success in horse training often comes down to patience, persistence, and consistency---even when it seems like the horse is never going to understand."