Arrowhead Ranch: Clinton Anderson

Although my hubby and I have life-time flying privileges due to our years spent working for the airlines, we rarely take full advantage of them, mostly due to the fact that we have a little ranch full of critters that expect to be fed at least twice a day. But flying isn’t what it used to be, especially after 9/11 and all the security restrictions and hassles, and the economy. I remember when I’d fly years ago and not only receive a full meal, but get to eat that meal with real silverware, china and glassware. And in First Class, I’d receive a full bottle of wine and delicious gourmet food during my flight.

(The view from my seat on the airplane, in Phoenix, AZ, at sunset.)

Now, most airlines don’t even include a snack, and if they do, they charge $5-$7 for it. Heck, they even charge for baggage, unless you’re savvy enough to get-by with only your carry-on bag for any trip except one that lasts more than a week. (Tip: Roll your clothing. You can pack much more into that one bag than if you try to fold them.)

But I digress.

(The Phoenix Airport’s Traffic Control Tower at sunset)

This past weekend, I managed to take advantage of our flight privileges and fly up to Reno, Nevada to visit with my blogging pal, Nuzzling Muzzles and attend the Clinton Anderson Horsemanship Clinic with her.

It required quite a bit of planning because of Ranchman John~aka~Trucker John’s crazy schedule, which only permits us to see him maybe once a month. But he was able to take the weekend off so I could travel to Nevada and visit my friend. He flew in from Charlotte, NC where he had just dropped off his last load. He literally arrived on the same airplane that I was to board for my flight to Nevada, so we enjoyed a brief visit together before my flight boarded.

(Poor guy looked exhausted)

I love the artwork in the Albuquerque Sunport.

On the way into the Reno Airport I was reminded of another reason I don’t fly very often…….it scares me. The turbulence we hit right before landing was so terrifying, I began to pray. I was thankful for my seatbelt because otherwise, I’m sure my head would have smashed into the overhead above me. I hate turbulence. bah!

(The city of Reno, NV, from my airplane window, just before landing)

I’ve never been to the Reno airport, so I was surprised to see that gambling was available all over the airport, much like the Las Vegas Airport.

But I found it strangely odd to discover this little nature nook beside the slot machines, complete with stuffed bear, several fake Christmas trees, Adirondack rocking chairs and a fire-ring table filled with pine-cones. It didn’t beckon me to sit and relax, though.

I was very relieved to be on the ground and to finally meet Nuzzling Muzzles, but it was late at night, and we had an hour drive until we arrived at her home, so I wouldn’t be able to meet her three beautiful Arabian horses until the next morning.

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Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of either Gabbrielle, Lostine or Bombay because their lovely heads were buried deep within their hay feeders, though I did get to give them pets and a treat and shovel a couple forkfuls of manure to help NuzMuz. And then we had to be on our way back up to Reno to attend the Horsemanship Clinic at the Reno Livestock Events Center.

(That’s NuzMuz standing there on the steps)

Nuzzling Muzzles took some awesome notes during the clinic and she wrote a lot more detail about the clinic, so be sure to check her out if you want to know more about the instructional parts. I'll share some of my own thoughts, photos and experiences of what I took home from attending.

One thing that kept our attention focused on Clinton Anderson, but was also frustrating when trying to take photos, is how animated he is.

(An amateur video I made myself.)

A few lessons I did take away from the clinic were, 1) that you should always treat each side of your horse as a new horse. Meaning that, if you show your horse something on one side of it’s body, you should follow through on the opposite side of it’s body, and 2)don’t baby, or protect your horse from new experiences, especially loud noises and strange activities (hire a bunch of kids to ‘entertain and desensitize’ your horse), and 3)that round pen work isn’t just running your horse until it’s tired, it’s teaching your horse to respect you. (This was a good lesson, because even my previous instructor told me to lunge my horse to get our her ‘spit and vinegar’ and ‘bucks and farts’ and I had no idea that groundwork entailed connecting with your horse on a deeper level, making them totally focus on you while you keep them always thinking.)

I am looking forward to trying out some of the things I learned at the clinic on my own horse soon.

(One of the things he did often and encouraged everyone to do the same was to have your horse flex his neck at every opportunity to keep him soft, supple and flexible)

The only negatives that I came away with from his clinic is that it was more of a show and not as much as a clinic as I would have liked. While there were horses he was asked to work with, there were only two, and he only addressed one or two issues with each one. Much of his 8 hour time allotment was spent endorsing and advertising products, including his own. Before every break, Clinton Anderson would spend 30 minutes advertising products, under the guise of give-a-ways. He’d have several items to give away, but spend 10 minutes or more discussing the item, before choosing someone to answer a question about something covered in his clinic, after which he’d give them the item.

(Like this soap and sprayer combo)

(There were so many things to purchase there, like this saddle that I think I drooled on, just a little. It fit me perfectly. It was also the first saddle I’ve sat on since I fell off my mare last Christmas)

(Yes, I know I look goofy, but I was even able to talk NuzMuz into climbing up on this comfy saddle, too. hah!)

Oh, it’s only $1,800. A girl can dream, right?

NuzMuz and I had no trouble keeping our wallets shut tightly, especially with the expensive prices on everything (yes, I know Clinton Anderson’s instructional videos are 6 hours long, but are they really worth $100-$200.00 each? Who can afford THAT?)

And unless you were young, blonde and cute, or a child, you really had no chance at winning anything, so you were better off at running to the restroom or standing in line to buy a snack during the sales pitches.

Speaking of lines, there were lines everywhere! From the lines at the computer to fill out personal information forms to have an opportunity to win a prize on Sunday (the next day), to the lines to buy the $5 programs to have a chance to win a doorprize, to the lines to purchase any of Clinton Anderson’s products (which were always much longer after one of his 30 minute give-a-way spiels), or to the lines to have your picture taken with him, or with him and his horse, Diaz.

So, while there were many pros, there were a few cons, too. .

I wish so much emphasis wasn’t placed on buying all the products. Between the $25 tickets that 1000+ attendees had to buy (at each of the 10+ tour events each year), the $5 programs, the over-priced drinks and food, and all of the expensive ‘must-have’ products to purchase, Clinton Anderson is not just a talented horseman, but a very successful corporation as well. And with his showmanship talents and people skills he has found his niche.

Overall, I enjoyed his clinic and came away with some great ideas on how to work with my horse in better ways that make a lot of sense. But I really need to figure out how to keep track of his shows on RFDTV because every time I turn it on, I end up with specials on Sheep Herding or the Best Way to Castrate a Goat.

Most of all, I had a great time doing some letterboxing and visiting with a wonderful blogger friend and meeting her family. We went out to dinner at Chili’s afterwards, my treat to thank NuzMuz’s generous hospitality and kindness, and I ate fajitas and drank a mango margarita. Yummy!

Between the good food and the even better company and conversation, it was the perfect way to spend my last night in Nevada during my brief visit. Because the next morning called for leaving NuzMuz’s house at 4am to catch a 6am flight. gah!