About Ted and Foundations and Beyond

Foundations and Beyond Horsemanship

Ted Nicholes teaching people and training horses.

My goal is to help you attain your horsemanship goals.



Ted at Downunder Horsemanship Ranch 2014

          As a husband and father I went looking for a better and especially a safer way to train and interact with horses when my children started becoming involved with horses. Like many people, I have always worked with and enjoyed horses but there was nothing particularly scientific about my training methods. Most of my horse experience was accumulated on the cattle ranches of eastern Oregon. I was fortunate enough, by fair instincts, to do okay at training horses but it was more by good fortune than by good methods or information. In those days we got the job done alright but we sure didn’t consistently produce safe, greenhorn or kid-ready mounts. Once I discovered Clinton Anderson’s Method and began applying what I learned, our family’s horses made amazing progress. It became clear to me how attainable a truly well behaved, safe, reliable and willing horse was. It wasn’t long before I discovered that I also have a passion and a talent for helping horse owners and their horses discover that they can also achieve safer more respectful partnerships with each other. My greatest satisfaction in working with horses is when I am able to help others regain or increase their confidence so that they can truly enjoy and train, or maintain the training,  on their own horses.  Horses learn from everything we do; therefore anytime we’re around horses we are training them whether it is good or bad. As horse owners I believe we should strive to learn how to make sure that our actions with and around our horses are having a positive effect on our horses’ behaviors. As horse owners we can learn to effectively evaluate and correct our horses’ behaviors. We can’t fix problems if we can’t identify the reason for them; in other words we need to learn both why our horses do what they do as well as how it pertains to what we need to do in order to train them. My goal is to spread modern and effective training techniques to the greatest number of horsemen I can. By raising the bar we all can benefit from a safer more vibrant equine industry.

          The core purpose of Downunder Horsemanship is ‘to inspire the dreams of horsemen'.  My horsemanship journey has been full of ups and downs, elation and frustration; but that journey has taught me what truly wonderful, unique creatures equines are and how enjoyable and fulfilling they can be. Through uncounted hours of study and application I have been inspired. I hope I can inspire your dreams as well.

LET’S RIDE!

Ted

Ted Nicholes and Foundations and Beyond Horsemanship are not representing, sanctioned by or in any way officially affiliated with  DUH or Clinton Anderson.