Downunder horsemanship clinic teaches owners, horses
Berl Tiskus
Barb Reber works with her mare, Jam, under Justin Freter’s watchful eye. Freter gave a three-day clinic on Finley Point for a group of horse enthusiasts who want to form a horse club.
Berl Tiskus
Clinic participants Erlene Robinson, left, Robert Robinson, Mark Scott and Scott Branson watch as Barb Reber works with her horse.
Berl Tiskus
Justin Freter, clinician for Clinton Anderson’s Outback Horsemanship Method, speaks to his audience.
Berl Tiskus
Marissa Reber works with her mother’s horse, flipping a soft cotton rope over the mare’s back and around her legs.
Berl Tiskus
Vanity of Karat, who belongs to Erlene and Robert Robinson, enters the round pen for her turn.
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
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FINLEY POINT — The paint mare faced Justin Freter’s back, her sides heaving as she caught her breath. Freter said he turned his back so she didn’t feel like a prey animal.
Freter, a clinician for Clinton Anderson’s Downunder Horsemanship, was conducting a private clinic for a group of six horse owners.
One of only three people to graduate from the Clinton Anderson Academy in 2013, Freter spent 70 weeks on Anderson’s ranch in Stephensville, Texas, working with horses and perfecting his knowledge of Anderson’s Method.
Anderson is dedicated, according to the Clinton Anderson website at www.downunderhorsemanship.com, to be the best horseman he can be and to help people have better relationships with their horses.
Each horse and owner worked with Freter on groundwork in the round pen, meaning the owner kept the animal’s attention and cued it to go at a lope, turn and reverse direction.
Barb Reber’s Arabian paint cross mare didn’t like to lope around the pen, and Robert Robinson’s rose grey Arabian filly liked to run.
Freter schooled the group in how to use “the stick and string,” a whip that makes noise as it’s popped to get their horse to work, whether it was to go faster or to gather itself for a smooth turn.
When horse and owner performed satisfactorily, Freter had them halter their horse and flip the soft cotton halter rope to accustom them to the rope touching their offside, belly and feet.
Freter’s clinic is just one way the informal group connects, and they’re looking for more members. They want to form a horse club for adults who have horses, whatever the breed.
“One of our biggest goals is to teach you to work with your horse safely,” Robinson said.
The club members want to enjoy their horses, promote better horsemanship, go on outings, and “enjoy ourselves.”
Their regular meeting is the first Thursday of each month.
For more information, contact Robert Robinson at (406) 887-2259, Scott Branson, (406) 407-6078 or Barb Reber, Columbia Falls, (406) 892-5955.
