Buck Brannaman

Buck Brannaman is a horseman with a true ranch background, who spends most of the year traveling throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to teach horsemanship clinics. He notes: "The goal for clinics really is to just try to get the human being to understand as much about their horse as I can help them to understand." When not on the road, he lives with his wife Mary, his three daughters, and their horses in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Gentle Horse Training with Wisdom

Buck Brannaman was born in Wisconsin in 1962. He himself experienced violence, pain, and fear as a child at the hands of his father until he came to live with a foster family at the age of 12. He began working with difficult horses that had experienced cruelty just like he had. The horses gave him a new view on life: “I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does. This method works well for me because of the kinship that develops between horse and rider.” As a student of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, who were instrumental in creating the modern Natural Horsemanship movement, he developed his own horsemanship. Borrowing from classical concepts of the California Vaquero tradition, he works with the horse's nature in the training process, thereby allowing the horse to accept humans and work confidently and cooperatively with them. One of Buck Brannaman's stated goals is to make the animal feel safe and secure around humans so that the horse and rider can achieve true harmony.

Buck Brannaman aka The Horse Whisperer

Buck Brannaman wants to train supple horses that are easy to control and can be ridden with a "soft feel" in all situations. He categorically rejects the heavy use of spurs, sharp bits, and force. Riders have to be able to set the agenda, but they need knowledge. Whether from the ground or from the saddle, riders move and place the horse's feet as needed. Inspired by Buck's story, Author Nicholas Evans wrote "The Horse Whisperer," a best-selling book that was later made into a classic movie starring Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson. Years later, dressage rider and film producer Cindy Meehl met Buck Brannaman and filmed the award-winning documentary “Buck” in 2011. This project resulted in the “7 Clinics”, which are an extensive library of his equine knowledge. You can watch them here on wehorse.