Al Dunning's

New Website

2010-12-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

We wanted to let folks know that we have launched an upgrade to our website www.teamadinternational.com which has enhanced social media capability

In a few days we will take this blog offline. Please visit our new website. We will resume our contests, etc.

Train Your Horse Without Cattle

2010-11-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

As the availability of cattle declines some are finding innovative ways stay in business. It is great exercise for the kids and they consume a lot less hay than cows. With the high demand for daycare it is easy to build up a sizeable herd. Kids and horses are a natural fit.

October Contest Winner

2010-11-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

This months contest winner is Speedy! Please reply to support@teamadinternational.com to claim your prize. This months prize is a set of double stitched reins from AD Tack.

Congratulations Speedy! We'll be posting another contest here in the next couple of days so check back.

2010-10-05T08:51:00.001-07:00

video platform video management video solutions video player

October 2010 Test Your Knowledge Contest

2010-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Test Your Knowledge Contest October, 2010

The horse in this video needs to become more collected. What advice would you give this rider to increase his horse's collection and self carriage?

This month we are giving away a set of Shutz Bros. Double Ply, Stitched Reins.

2010-09-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Test Your Knowledge Winner for August

Congratulations to Rod Miller! Rod will receive a German Martingale from AD Tack for his winning response!

Al’s Response:
I would suggest that this rider goes back to the basics. Teach the horse the word “whoa” from both the walk and the trot before moving to the lope. The horse should give properly to the bit and stay round and collected while galloping to the stop. This allows you to be in a good position, timing the stop on the down stride of the front feet. Then, make sure the horse is on a straight line before asking for the stop. When you do ask for the stop, use this order of commands:
Sit down, melting into the saddle, or “quit riding”, as I like to say. Which is simply lowering your center of gravity, being still, releasing your legs with your heels down.
Say the word “whoa”.
Pick up the reins and pull only as much as needed. The pull should be an offset pull lifting your hand and stopping off the other or alternating hands in the pull, rocking the bit across the horses mouth. Remember, it is a pull, never a jerk.
I like to train my horses to be lighter and more responsive in the mouth and to my leg cues by going forward, sitting down, and saying whoa and then backing or turning around in circles, teaching the horse to respond properly. Always think soft and supple, slow, and when in doubt focus on repetition of the basics.

Rod can claim his prize by visiting www.teamadinternational.com and responding to the email address on the contact page.

August Test Your Knowledge Contest

2010-08-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

What helpful advice would you give this rider to help his horse stop better? Post your answer below. This month we are giving away a German Martingale from http://aldunningsadtack.com

Contest Winner - "Test Your Knowledge"

2010-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

BLOG CONTEST RESPONSE-JUNE
This month’s contest winner is Tara Johnson. Congratulations, Tara! She will receive a big ring running martingale from AD Tack for her great response. Most of the answers we received had good content. Flexing at the poll, having the horse supple, sitting deep and centered, having an inside arch, controlling the shoulders and hips, doing half passes, lightening the mouth and sides, feeling the horse’s alignment, riding from back to front, and obtaining proper collection are all necessary for an excellent lead departure.
I try to keep directions fairly simple to accomplish most chores. So here is my answer, which is easy since I rode this particular horse to demonstrate and explain to the rider my technique.
Spend a few minutes bending for control of the forward motion and shoulders. Once they soften, I work on the right side of the horse, moving his hips to the left off my right leg. When I feel control and collection is achieved, I progress to the maneuver. I hold both reins to the right and add my left leg to help create an arch on the left side of the horse. In the correct arch, the horse’s head should be slightly left, his shoulder up and to the right, and his hip to the left. I will then remove my left leg and add right leg, encouraging the left hind leg to initiate the lope. Keeping my hands slightly to the right will maintain the form and not allow the head to go right and the shoulder to lean left. If necessary, add stronger right leg and cluck. When I followed these steps with this young buckskin stud, he loped off correctly.

Thanks for Playing

~Al Dunning
Tara can claim her prize by visiting http://teamadinternational.com and responding via the website contact information.

Learn About The German Martingale

2010-06-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

The German Martingale is a handy piece of equipment that can benefit both horse and rider. The draw action of the reins can soften the pull and give your horse added security and confidence while helping you to more effectively use your other driving aids. By consistently helping your horse attain a quiet head carriage he will be become more collected and better prepared to perform advanced maneuvers. Used properly the German Martingale will help teach hindquarter engagement, collection, self carriage and confidence. To learn more, visit the AD Tack link to the right of this page.

~Team AD

video platform video management video solutions video player

Versatility Ranch Horse Series-Improve Ranch Riding

2010-05-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is the first of a series we are doing on the popular Versatility Ranch Horse classes(VRH). The horse in the video is not a ranch horse per se, but with the exception of the tail extensions all other principles apply. The placings in the Ranch Riding class are often a mystery to unseasoned competitors and spectators. In this video the horse is being critiqued not only for his willingness and training but also for the details of his movement and conformation. Details such as shoeing, position of hocks, horses frame, the riders equitation and smoothness of transitions are all things that matter and will contribute to the horses placing. Attending to the details of this class and achieving a higher placing will go a long way toward improving your overall placing. The non cattle classes in the VRH are a key to success because you are not subject to the workability and luck of the cattle.

~Team AD
video platform video management video solutions video player

Test Your Knowledge

2010-05-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

We are starting a monthly contest for fun and a chance for you to win prizes. Offer your advice and we'll select what we think is the best answer and pick a winner. Team AD will announce the results prior to the following months contest. This months contest is a rider having a hard time getting his horse to pick up the correct lead. What encouraging advice would you give him to help him and his horse improve? Let's see what you come up with and test your knowledge against those in the know. Post your answer in the comments box below.

video platform video management video solutions video player

Master's Clinic Sideline Hobbles

2010-05-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Master's Clinic wrapped up last weekend. While we're waiting for the video production folks to get us their work done we're slipping in some odds and ends. Al did an excellent presentation on his tack room. Al Dunning has been either training or showing horses for nearly 50 years. In that time he's seen, tried, used and helped innovate a lot of equipment. This kind of information is hard to come by. We didn't get a professional shot of this part of the clinic so we're going to reshoot it because it was so awesome! The audio on this is not great but think if it as a sneak preview of things to come for Team AD.

-Team AD

video platform video management video solutions video player

2010-05-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Al Dunning's Masters Clinic has sold out. For Team AD members not lucky enough to attend the Master's Clinic we've made plans to capture the whole thing on video and then begin adding this new content to our Team AD International website. In addition we'll be adding entries to this blog daily during the clinic. Make sure to comment and we may be able to cover some of your questions during the clinic. It's also an opportunity for our members to guide us in capturing some of the video they'd like to see. Stay tuned to take part in the fun!

Al Dunning Master’s Clinic - May 11th - 15th, 2010 Scottsdale, Arizona (Almosta Ranch) SOLD OUT
Come join us for a five day, in-depth clinic located at my ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. Interested participants will be sent a questionnaire to help determine subjects of focus and interest. This is a clinic designed by YOU!
We will provide each clinic attendee with the following:
• Two stalls and bedding
• Breakfast and lunch on-site
• Fresh cattle
• Reining, cutting, and working cowhorse sessions
• Evaluations, education, motivation, encouragement, and inspiration
• Campfire discussions
• Discounts on AD Tack
Instructors will include Al Dunning, Brad Barkemeyer, Dell Bell, Shadd Parkinson, and others.

2010-05-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our members have been getting some great videos to us for critique. So far there is a common theme underlying the issues we're seeing in the videos and that is a need to improve their horses collection. In very basic terms a horse moving in a collected frame will be driving from his hindquarters with his weight shifted to the rear and generally have a rounded topline. The video shown here was taken at Almosta Ranch from Al's phone as a response to a question of "how do I improve my horse's lope departure?" Even though it is specific to the departure it shows a helpful drill for teaching a horse to drive from behind and become more athletic. Doing drills like this to improve your horses athleticism will help improve all of his maneuvers. Try this drill and let us know how it works for you.

-Team AD

video platform video management video solutions video player

To Improve Cow Work Learn To Use Your Reins Properly To Set Your Horse On His Hocks

2010-04-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

This is another video clip taken by an audience member at the Northwest Horse Expo-March 2010. For those of you interested in improving your horses performance on cows you need to learn how to get your horse on his hocks in order to complete the turn cleanly. If your horse turns on his front end, not only is the turn slower but it results in a movement toward the cow which adds to the problem by encouraging the cow to speed up.

A horse that stops all forward motion and then comes through the turn cleanly will be easier to ride and have better control of the cow.

Pulling to your hip when turning your horse is worth practicing and once mastered is sure to improve your performance in the herd! Experiment with this and send us a video so we can see how its working and help correct any problems. Member's can post their comments and questions below.

video platform video management video solutions video player

2010-04-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Use Al's Short Loping Exercise To Improve Your Lead Changes

The video below was taken by an audience member at the NW Horse Expo in Albany, Oregon-March 2010. We've been getting a lot of positive feedback on the Western Dressage video and thought this clip fit in well with the Western Dressage concept.

The basic concept Al is teaching in this video is to shorten and lengthen the stride of his horse to promote collection and hindquarter engagement. You will notice that Al shortens the length of his horse by driving the hip to the inside of the arc of the circle. He emphasizes having rhythm in your body to help the horse maintain cadence and increase the horses movement in the vertical axis.

To lengthen the horses stride Al simply relaxes and allows the horse to exchange vertical energy for moving out with more forward energy. This is a great exercise for increasing the horses strength and agility. Done properly it is also an excellent teacher for the rider in learning to feel the difference between shorter collected strides and longer freer movement.

This is a helpful foundation movement for improving your horses body control and ability to perform flying lead changes.

This would be a good exercise for a member video as problems performing this drill can bring out areas of foundation training that need improvement. It also improves the riders posture and ability to properly influence your horses stride and alignment.

Team AD

video platform video management video solutions video player