Chuck McDonald
I'm a little different than most horsemen. I wasn't born into horses, and I grew up in the suburbs of San Jose, CA. Even though I wouldn't have a chance to work with them until many years later, I've always had a fascination with horses. There was a small paddock on the walk to school when I was a kid, and I remember making myself late several times standing at the fence feeding those horses handfuls of grass I'd pick from just beyond where they could reach. When I turned 18, I moved to the Florida thoroughbred country and spent several years working in all different kinds of barns from a miniature horse farm to big-money training and breeding barns. Around 2004 I began training horses professionally, starting with halter-breaking young foals and weanlings (a skill I had picked up working in breeding barns). As I gained more experience with different types of horse personalities, I realized that to be an effective trainer meant continually studying and striving to become better. I was attracted to the "natural" methods of working with horses, which led me to study the works of top trainers such as Clinton Anderson, Craig Cameron, and Richard Winters. I continually “borrow” techniques and ideas from both famous and unknown trainers, but horses themselves are my biggest teachers. They've shown me what works, what doesn't, and the places where I could improve. Horses have, and continue to teach me to cut right to the heart of every training technique and philosophy I've learned. In 2006 I moved back to California and began training here, as well as adopting three mustangs. Knowing them has been kind of like a graduate study, and has shown me depths of the horse's natural instincts that have both impressed me with their power and amazed me with their sensitivity. As 2009 drew to a close, I finally had the realization that becoming a top horseman and clinician is what I really want to do with my life. I have a passion for teaching horses and people to get along better, and since the day I decided to get serious about it I've been having more fun than anyone should be allowed to!
I'm also an Outrider and a member of the Outrider Safety Committee for the Western States Draft and Driving Association.
I offer 30-day Colt Starting and Problem Solving, 90-day Foundation Training, and Horsemanship Clinics. Included in the price of training are two weekly sessions with you and your horse where I’ll provide direct guidance and feedback, helping you to develop and maximize your partnership with your horse.
For more information see my site, http://prohorseman.net