Clinton
Anderson

From the Australian Outback to the American Horse Industry

Clinton Anderson is an Australian-American horse trainer, clinician, television personality, and author best known for creating the Downunder Horsemanship training program. Anderson was born and raised in Australia, where he developed an interest in horses during childhood while spending weekends on his grandparents' farm, riding his grandmother's Thoroughbred mare. By age twelve, he had become involved in polocrosse — a horseback sport combining elements of polo and lacrosse — and was eventually selected to represent his state on a national team.

A major turning point came at age thirteen, when Anderson met Australian horseman Gordon McKinlay. After attending one of McKinlay's clinics — where he learned the groundwork and riding exercises that became the basis of his own system — he began a two-year apprenticeship with McKinlay, during which he started and trained more than 600 horses, many of them wild horses from the Australian Outback. He graduated McKinlay's program at seventeen and went to work for Australian horseman Ian Francis (a three-time NCHA Futurity Champion and five-time NRHA Futurity Champion), then opened his own training facility in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Al Dunning, Downunder Horsemanship, and "The Method"

In 1996, Anderson came to the United States for a brief apprenticeship with Al Dunning, a respected western performance horse trainer based in Arizona, before returning briefly to Australia. He permanently relocated to the United States in 1997, officially launching Downunder Horsemanship and beginning nationwide clinics focused on groundwork, colt starting, problem-solving, and riding fundamentals.

Anderson developed what became known as "The Method" — a step-by-step training system emphasizing groundwork exercises, control of the horse's feet, desensitization, responsiveness, and consistency. The program was designed to be accessible to recreational horse owners as well as competitive riders. Downunder Horsemanship materials describe the system as a structured approach to improving horse behavior and communication between horse and rider.

A Pioneer of Horse Training on Television

In addition to clinics, Anderson expanded his reach through television and media. In 2001, he launched a weekly horse training television program, becoming one of the first horse trainers to create a dedicated made-for-television horsemanship series. His television programming aired on RFD-TV and later expanded through online streaming and digital educational content.

Anderson also became known through colt-starting competitions. He won the Road to the Horse competition in 2003 and again in 2005, becoming the first person to win the event twice — back-to-back titles. Road to the Horse is a colt-starting event in which trainers demonstrate horsemanship and horse development skills using previously unstarted horses over several days. These victories increased Anderson's visibility within the horse industry and expanded the audience for Downunder Horsemanship.

• 2003 Road to the Horse Champion
• 2005 Road to the Horse Champion — first person to win the event twice (back-to-back)
• 2001 Pioneer of horse training television — weekly series on RFD-TV
• Downunder Horsemanship certification programs and clinician academies
• Author: Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship

A Full Training Ecosystem — Clinics, Books, Tack, and Online Education

Over time, Downunder Horsemanship grew into a large educational and commercial operation that included clinics, certification programs, instructional videos, books, tack and training equipment, subscription content, and clinician training academies. Anderson established ranch facilities in Texas before later relocating operations to Arkansas.

Anderson authored books and produced numerous training videos focused on horse behavior, groundwork, colt starting, trail riding, and problem-solving. Throughout his career, Anderson became one of the most prominent figures connected to the broader natural horsemanship movement — a training approach emphasizing communication, psychology, and observation of horse behavior that gained widespread popularity in the United States beginning in the late twentieth century.