Clinton Anderson's "Tools"

Another nod for Half Circle Ranch. Their stuff is great and their prices are too. Everything I have gotten from them is top notch and a fraction of the price of the clinician's. However, I did get a CA handy stick for Christmas and I love it. It is RED. Seriously it is a nice tool but not any more effective than the 5 others I have built.

Merry Christmas!
Les

What type of material did you build your stick out of? I've made a couple myself, just wondering what you used.

I do have CA leads, haters, stick n strings and lunge line and I LOVE them...at first I think I only bought the halter and it has 4 knots on top not 2 and it makes a huge difference...honestly my horse is a lot different with the hep alter on and I leave it on when riding, but not doing much of that lately,....the I bought the stick and string a kids and adult..the kids is easier for me to handle sometimes, depending on the exercise...I LOVE the lead lines..I have 3...he just had a huge sale where all rope,products,were 35 percent off NWC member prices and the kits were $267 each and all other DVDs were 50 percent off all NWC prices....

I honestly love everything of his....he can be somewhat arrogant and very pushy to people he trains but...his method does work!,,, I also like Chris cox he is good at teaching how to ride where Clinton doesn't do much of that...some of us simply have not learned HOW to ride right.....

I would,save your money for it..I have purchased a lot of,the other stuff and wasted my money....the rope halter is not expensive and it is really good...well everything is.....I know he obviously makes money on everything but a lot of,thought went into the proper making of everything and it is made in house....

I like CAs handy stick for sending exercises. I hate hate hate using whips because I am just so uncoordinated. Chance respects the handy stick when I take the whip part off and he does very well with it.

But for trying to get any kind of snap out of it when lunging, I'm a failure, haha. For that I use regular lungewhips. Lighter and they have a cracker on the end. I find them more useful for that stuff.

I have made 4 of the now and the best material I have found is fiberglass electric fencing posts. I cut them down to the length I want (about 4 feet) and I wrap one end in leather or buy the same material they wrap tennis racquets handles with. You could also use a golf club grip but I don't have anyplace close to me to get those so I haven't tried it. Should work good though. In the end I drilled a hole for a loop of parachute chord and use that to loop my string on and off with. Above that (closer to the end) I made a leather tab so when I rub it on their body it is rubbing with the leather and not the end of the stick. Al told depending on what I use for the handle, the cost runs around $8.00.

That all being said, I got one of CA's sticks for Christmas and it is a WAY better tool than mine. Mine work and I will continue to use them and it is nice to have several, but the commercial stick is a much better tool.

Cheers!
Les

As much as I LOVE Clinton Anderson you don't need his stuff to do what he does.

I do suggest a rope halter and a stick like his.

I've found a stick exactly like his (but a lot lighter!) for only $12, and a rope halter for $10. $22 compared to $60 sounds like a deal to me!

A lot of NH horse trainers are over-priced.

Meh. A lot of celebrity-signature brand anythings are overpriced, not just tack.

One thing he uses a lot is a mecate rein, which he sells for $85 unless you're a club member. I really like and prefer the mecate rein for a lot of reasons, and I like many of his techniques — one thing that I've noticed (y'all may have, too) is that he's really good at training horse owners, which is an undervalued skill — but I'm not paying $85. The aforementioned Half Circle Ranch has 'em in the US$28 to US$24 range, with the tassel an extra US$2 (looks like if you get the store brand at 30 bucks you get the best color choice, too).

Is his any lighter then the ones you made?

NO, actually if anything it is heavier...particularly near the tip. His is kind of weight forward where the ones I have made are pretty well balanced. I do really like the rubber grip handle on his and if I make any more I am definitely going to go with a rubber golf grip. That will add a little to the cost but as of now, since I use them so much (and my daughter tends to forget them in the RP where they get wet) I end replacing the leather wraps about 2-3 times a year so it will probably even out.

Half Circle Ranch has a stick and string combo for $14 that probably would negate the need to build one unless you like the process of making it yourself...something kind of satisfying in that. Training Stick with String - Sticks

Everything I have bought from them has been top notch so I would expect their stick to be as well. I get my lead rope material from them in bulk as well as their halter material and make my own lead ropes and halters too. WAY cheaper and more fun than buying them. Makes great 4H kids projects too.

Cheers!
Les

I don't know how I manage with a thin branch from the nearest willow, leaves removed and a length of sisal rope and a cheap rope halter. With the willow I can touch the horse like a fly or motivate him to move by making the tip sing. It weighs next to nothing and there's an inexhaustable supply when each gets too dry.