TRAINER’S CORNER

“Nothing gives me more joy than helping people communicate effectively with their horses, seeing them start to work together, and become partners as they follow the Method.”

~ Hailey Trainer

METHODICAL FRAMEWORK

Hailey Trainer is an Alberta equestrian and the only Downunder Horsemanship clinician in the province, as well as one of only a few in the entire country of Canada.

BY LAUREEN JAMES

Hailey Trainer grew up as a farm kid in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Her first memory of loving a horse occurred when she was five years old, when her grandfather bought her a 30-year-old Paint gelding named “Booger.”

“I could do anything with that horse, he really built my confidence and ignited my love of horses,” Trainer reminisces.

Eventually Booger passed away and Trainer moved on to riding some of her grandfather’s ranch horses.

“My grandpa was not a horse trainer and his geldings had some behavioral issues and bad habits that I found especially hard to deal with, as a small girl. I wanted to learn how to communicate with the horses and develop a partnership where I felt safe – and the horse and I were not always in a fight,” she admits. “I desperately wanted to fix the undesirable behaviors that I was struggling to overcome. I never had the opportunity to take formal riding lessons growing up, but I devoured anything and everything that I could get my hands on regarding horses, their behaviour, and how to train them.”

When Trainer was 12, she attended a Downunder Horsemanship tour conducted by professional trainer Clinton Anderson, that she insists was life altering.

“It seriously changed my life and the life of my horses. I frantically tried to scribble down every word that Clinton said in a notebook. I did not have the money to purchase his DVDs but I felt so empowered by the knowledge Clinton had shared, especially his horsemanship philosophy. A year later, I got my hands on the DVDs and took my two-year-old filly through all three levels. It was a fantastic experience, and got me hooked on progressing horses through the Method!” Trainer states.

Clinton Anderson’s “Method” is federally registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. What separates it from other training programs is Anderson’s unique approach to teaching horse owners how to effectively communicate with their horses. Taking her filly through the levels of the Downunder Horsemanship program was Trainer’s first time working with a horse where she felt as though the horse was her partner.

“We made progress each ride.”

As the years went by, Trainer’s passion for horses never faded. She became a veterinary technician, got married, and moved to a ranch in Alberta. She says she has always been fortunate enough to live on a ranch throughout her life and have horses constantly play a significant role. Then, when an opportunity to attend the Academy at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch in Stephenville, Texas, came up, she headed south.

“As an ambassador, I am committed to helping people overcome feeling frustrated and at a loss with their horsemanship. I know what it feels like to be at your wit’s end, when you are in a losing battle, or you don’t even want to try because you have no idea how to solve the problem. I am passionate about sharing the Method as it empowers you to safely gain control and confidence when working with horses. I am committed to creating respectful, responsive, and relaxed horses,” she says.

“When you understand how to work with your horse and gain confidence, it’s out of this world. You’re unstoppable.” AB