# 2014 Buck Brannaman Clinic



## Oldhorselady

I am going to ride this year in a Buck Brannaman Clinic. I am wondering if anyone call tell me their experiences and what I can expect? I will be in H1 class, which is 3 hours per day.

Also, I am wondering if you have to use a snaffle in this clinic?


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## Rideordie112

I have never been to one, but I'm riding in the H1 class at a clinic in April, i do know the bit you use depends on the level of your horse, so if he's still a little green, a snaffle. If he's a full bridle horse, than a curb or bit like that. Somewhere In the middle, a bosal. At least that's how buck trains. (My trainer is best friends with him)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oldhorselady

Rideordie112 said:


> I have never been to one, but I'm riding in the H1 class at a clinic in April, i do know the bit you use depends on the level of your horse, so if he's still a little green, a snaffle. If he's a full bridle horse, than a curb or bit like that. Somewhere In the middle, a bosal. At least that's how buck trains. (My trainer is best friends with him)
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Which clinic will you be riding? I'll be in Del Mar.


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## Rideordie112

Red Bluff, California.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Fort fireman

I'm hoping to go watch when he is in nc in October. The past 2 years it has fallen through. I won't be riding at 700 bucks however.


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## jaydee

I can't help but if you don't do lots of videos and feedback on here I'll be soooooo angry with you!!!!


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

I just found out he's here in March so I can go audit. I'll be tickled to go watch at least the morning sessions.


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## CaliforniaDreaming

I've audited 3 clinics (Ojai '11, Pasadena '12, and Carp/SB '13) auditing again at Pasadena this year with the hopes of riding in a clinic in 2015 if I can.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MangoRoX87

@DreamCatcher_arabians Where/when is he going to be in OK?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

MangoRoX87 said:


> @DreamCatcher_arabians Where/when is he going to be in OK?


He's going to be right here in Stillwater at the Lazy J Arena March 7-10. $30/day to audit and he's doing Horsemanship 1 in the mornings and Ranch Roping in the afternoons.


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## tinyliny

personally, I think you can learn more from auditing his clinics than riding in them. the one I saw was SO big, I cannot imagine riding there and getting all that much out of it. he can only help a very small number of the participants, so you do a lot of work on your own, and he spends a LOT of time talking, so being an auditter, you get the info anyway. I appreciated being able to just watch folks trying the things he asked them to do and the corrections he did make. it was very crowded and not everyone could control their horses, so it got a bit chaotic at times. 
He has a lot of "groupies" that come with all the right garb and equipment to look like him, but many of them can ride not better than the person dressed in levis and a Tshirt.

I did, however, get a LOT out of watching the clinic for just one day. fortunately, my own teacher has already taught me many of the concepts he is talking about. if it were 100% new to you, I imagine you'd be very confused. a lont time back, I posted some notes that I wrote from my one day observing. let me see if I can find them (runs off into the dark recesses of my computer . . . . )


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## tinyliny

*the "notes" from my auditting Buck clinic , ,OR, the longest post I have ever made*

The participants started with their horses saddled on the ground on rope halters with leads, many persons with flags. He talked about how many people say their horse is so good at home, then not when they go away. That’s because their calmness at home is reliant on their surroundings, which are known and comfortable. When they leave those, they have nothing to rely on. They need to take their comfort from the rider. How to do that? By, “me causing you to move your feet.” (a direct quote from Buck). So, that was part of him explaining the value of groundwork.

He mentioned that he doesn’t like to see people lunging a horse round and round and round trying to wear down the horse ‘cause “it’ll get fit faster than you will”. That lunging should be
“Accurate and calculated movement”.
He talked about not liking to see people swinging the tail of their rope a lot and hitting the horse a lot. He said he rarely hits a horse. And he said that applying any kind of corrective measure, like hitting the horse, when it is looking away from you focused out ward is likely to result in it kicking outward. Get the horse to look at you if you must apply any corrective pressure.

He firmly reminded people when he works on the ground that the horse must stay out of his space. He says , ‘I don’t have any backward steps in me” . He walks always toward the horse when lunging, well, not straight toward it, but kind of walking on a circle with it, never just standing still in the middle. And never backing away. If the horse comes in on you, he said be sure to use your flag or whip or rope to move the shoulder away from you before it got so close in on you that you have to choke way up on the flag and are unable to extend it and protect your space. He said draw an imaginary line around you and say “Do not cross this line.”

Then he worked on a bit of desensitizing with the flag and using it to move the horse. First to be sure that the horse is not afraid of the flag. So, he would hold the rope in his leading hand, in a “neutral” position. Neither leading the horse forward, nor stopping it from walking forward on the circle if it needed to. Then he would start putting the flag on the horse. He said to be sure to start behind the driveline (or balance point , as he put it) because if the horse is scared and needs to move, you want it to move forward, not backward. Always forward, forward, forward. So you start putting the flag on the horse and if the horse moves forward, you continue following it with the flag neither taking it off nor upping the energy. If the horse tries to flee you , you “corner him”, meaning bump the rope back toward his hind end such that he moves his head around and his hind disengages. Then you start again. Eventually, the horse will choose to stop. Do this until the horse can stand with the flag all over it. THEN, using a feel in you leading hand, you ask the horse to move forward with the flag on it. Can the horse tolerate the flag while he is moving and standing? Eventually the horse will understand the difference between you moving the flag just to move it on him, and you moving the flag to ask him to go forward, and in neither case will he be fleeing the flag in fear. He suggested people do this with ropes too, and showed ways to move the rope around the horse’s body , lift up feet, make them move, rope around belly and others.

If the horse , when doing the desensitizing work, backs up away from you, he said don’t pull back , but go with him. You continue using the flag to drive the hind, asking continually for forward, and you might bump the line “forward” but you don’t’ try to anchor the horse by pulling back equal to him. You continue asking for forward. If he tries to turn, you bump him the other direction with the line. Eventually, he will choose to go forward rather than backward, and you give a slight release.

He said to be careful about bringing the flag up from the ground toward a horse’s chest, because that is their blind spot and they might strike at you.. He held his flag more up, he said, “like a tennis racquet.”

Now he went into the” full circle exercise” which is basically lunging ., but not like on a long line. The horse is very close to you. You use your body, or flag or lead line to ask the horse forward. Wait, I forgot some important parts!
The first thing you do is to move the horse’s front quarters away from you onto the circle. So, if you are going to circle the horse to your right, the very first thing you do is ~YOU MOVE YOURSELF TO THE RIGHT. So, you put your right hand out to the right and you step to the right (on your circle) and the horse should step away from you , kind of mirroring you, and this brings his balance point to your access, so you can put some pressure on to create forward movement, on around the circle. 
You want the horse to follow the feel of the rope to go forward; you do not want to pull the horse forward. You put the forward feel in the rope (by extending your hand in the direction you want him to go., keeping a drape in the rope). If the horse doesn’t follow, you drive him forward. 
You want the horse to ,maintain this “float” in the rope. The horse does this my keeping his nose tipped to the inside, and stepping under himself with his inside hind as he goes around. This is the “accurate, calculated movement” But, you don’t pull the horse into the bend (my mistake much of the time. I do this too much!). You ask the horse to keep that position with his body and his mind. If he goes too straight and tries to “leave” you, then “corner” him with a bump back toward his hind quarters. If he falls in on you, point at his shoulders and drive him out on the circle. This way he keeps the bend himself.

Buck mentioned that if the horse has little life in him, that he uses the flag more than cornering to bring up the life. If the horse has more life, he uses more “cornering”
Having the horse go forward, with a bend in his body, and eventually the next step was to ask the horse to untrack his hind (disengage the hindquarters), but to do that the horse must be moving forward. He said you “cannot get a horse to “turn loose” to you unless you have forward first”

So then he had the participants circle the horses each direction having them disengage the hindquarters by walking around toward the hind and driving the hind if necessary, bumping the head back if the horse tried to just flee straight away.

Then, he had the folks do the “half circle exercise”. They were to walk forward with the horse walking around them from one side to the other , changing direction when they were on the side of the walker, so a kind of figure eight on each side, while the rider /walker is moving forward. This causes the horse to really have to reach under itself with its inside leg as it’s walking around you. You have the horse in a continual bend, going first one way then the other, never straightening out at all. This was difficult and after he demonstrated it on his gray filly, he said, “usually when I watch folks do this for the first time at these clinics it makes me want to throw up in my mouth a bit.” That got big laughs.
And, it was a bit of a circus. But, nobody got kicked and everything went ok. He said one trick was to start the change of direction when the horse’s flank passed right in front of you, you have to change your hands on the rope and start the disengagement, so it ends up happening on the side of you, never behind you. This is hard to explain in words, but seeing it makes sense. I look forward to trying this myself.

As he was watching the participants work on this he kept up a steady stream of advice that was sometimes hard to figure out to whom it applied. But he said “humans don’t learn as fast as horses do, and that’s weird” when talking about how hard it is to teach people how to do some of this stuff. 
He repeatedly said to not pull the horse into the bend but to have the horse maintain the float in the line , thus the bend in the body, he said the horse’s mind has to be in the bend. Regarding using gadgets for bending: “if you make the body conform to a certain shape without the mind – you are in danger~!”

So, that was pretty much what they did in the morning. The afternoon session was mounted. I did not take notes this part, so working form my memory is harder.
He talked about flexing the horse’s head and the importance of doing it correctly. The three parts of flexing were: Elevation, poll must be above the withers, though it needn’t be a lot.
Head must be vertical, meaning the ears do not tilt, but are both level to the ground, nor does the chin of the horse turn more around than the rest of the face
And lastly, the nose is vertical in the other plane; such that if you hung a plumb line from the horse’s forelock, it would hang straight down the middle of the horse’s nose, and hang straight off of the nose, no angle, no bend.

Of all of them start with elevation . Then keeping the ears level (no tilt), then lastly vertical on the face (chin not behind the vertical nor in front of it). Bringing the head around with a tilt to the face puts the horse off balance and does not stretch the muscles that you need to stretch. He wants the flexing process to be done without causing the even weighting of the legs to change. If the horse tilts its’ head in order to reach around, then it will weight the front more than before the flexing. If you ask the horse to flex and he does tilt his head, you ask for a little less bend and you don’t release the rein until the horse changes something in it’s position that moves it more toward that vertical position, then you reward. You are “showing” the way to a correct flexion, but you may have to go back to smaller flexions that are more correct to start with. 
He said you cannot do too many of these. The object would be eventually for your horse to get so good at this, at following the feel of your rein, that it “gives” you it’s head. 
He talked about “the one rein stop” and said he doesn’t want to see the horse stop still leaning on the rein. You should ask the hind end to step totally under and over (disengagement) and the front end comes to a total stop. Then you give a loose rein. If the horse walks off, do the whole thing again, but you never allow the horse to stop with it’s head cocked over leaning on the rein. Follow through with the disengagement and give the rein. “See if he will honor the stop”. If he walks right off again, go into the hind again.

He went from there into having the participants walk forward, disengage the hind, and then step the front over in a 360 degree turn. He would say, “Give me the hind, now give me the front”.
He said think of it like a dance, “hind two three four, front two three four”. In counting the rhythm of it. When you get the hind quarters to step under, your hand comes out from your hip toward the inside, asking the front legs to step across, but your hand does not go in front of your leg for this maneuver, just straight out from your hip. And in disengaging the hind, your hand should never go behind your bottom, or up to your chest or shoulder.

When asking the hind to step under for the disengagement, if you time your asking with the inside hind stepping under, the horse will comply better and be better balanced, and when stepping the forequarter over, try to “catch the inside front and lift it up and put it down with your inside hand” (but of course, never in front of your leg!) If the horse hurries that inside hind over in bringing the fore quarters across, then it was not in good balance to begin with and that is usually due to not having the hind quarters properly set up.
He really broke down this movement into Hind/fore. He’d say “move the hind to your right, fore to your left”, which was confusing to me.

After doing this 360 degree turning, he’d have them do it going forward, so walk forward, hind over, front over (360 degree turn) go forward, do it again. Then turn to the inside, and go other direction. 
Then he went to the center and called everybody to come in around him again. When they went too slow, he said “hurry up, don’t be so slow!” and they all trotted in.
The worked on backing and getting a soft feel on the rein. The horse should flex to the rein, you lift it at about a 45 degree angle from the bit (so the rein forms a 45 degree angle to the ground) and look for the horse to elevate his head and to give at the poll. You don’t want it to just flex at the poll and he talked about some horses that just kind of “jerk” their face back and dive down. This is an evasion, not a follow of the soft feel. The feeling you want is the horse following your hand UP. You want to feel a lift in the wither area, as the horse lifts up its rib cage and the base of its neck through its shoulder blades. The horse will perhaps even rock back a bit.
So the participants were to practice this, and he said “if you see me looking at you like this (showing a kind of scowl and intense focus) then it means I am lookin’ at you wondering why you aren’t doing something? Why are you just sitting on your lazy *** doing nothing”. He made fun of it, but he was trying to get this rather passive group to get busy trying these things.

Which reminds me of another thing he said at the beginning of the clinic and that was that to get things good with your horse you have to WORK at it, a lot. Repeat them a lot. People don’t realize how much work he does with his horses to get them where they are, but it’s a lot of work so don’t be surprised at how much work it takes. And to do a lot of it.
But he also said, don’t overdo things. Don’t drill the horse. If you do something, and you get it good, move on to something else.

Ok, backing up the horse. He said you ask them to flex, both hands lifting the rein, and then kind of take your legs off the side of the horse to give him an “open door “ to move into. When do you quit? “ When the horse feels free” in its movement. Keep the elevation (poll no lower than withers)
He said if your horse cannot back straight this will tell you something about their ability to canter on a certain lead. So, say your horse backs on an arc to the left, he will have trouble cantering on a right lead. 

You know, there was more after this, but I kind of lost the train of thought, and shortly after this we left for home, too cold and wet to stand it any longer.

I am sorry this is in such a disjointed format. Not only was it a lot to absorb, but I am really tired now. I wrote this now for fear that I would not remember tomorrow, but my brain is pretty fried right now. Thank you for making the best out of this garbled mess.


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## Oldhorselady

Wow, thanks Tiny!!! That was awesome. While I have heard from someone else as well, about the riding being too chaotic and observing was more beneficial.....I feel that I have always audited and really want to be in the middle of it instead, especially since it is Buck.

I am not new to the concept and feel that I have a good base with my horse already. I feel that I am one of those that do 'get it' and am not one that you have to tell over and over again a certain concept. So, I would like to build on that base, hopefully, and being there where I am actually practicing while it is being said, works better for me than the taking actual notes for later. Did I say how freaking excited I am!!!!!!!

Jaydee...no video allowed....but I hope there will be lots of pics! I hope to have some of my friends at our ranch there as auditors and hopefully they will snap a few shots!

.....Did I say how freeeeeeaaaaaaaking excited I am????????!!!!!! lol


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## 6gun Kid

Fort fireman said:


> . I won't be riding at 700 bucks however.


beats 1295 for Craig Cameron, 1200 for Chris Cox, 2000 for Clinton Anderson ( with a 20 page application, no less), and God forbid 3,200 for Pat Parelli.


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## tinyliny

expecting detailed reports!!


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## Shropshirerosie

6gun Kid said:


> beats 1295 for Craig Cameron, 1200 for Chris Cox, 2000 for Clinton Anderson ( with a 20 page application, no less), and God forbid 3,200 for Pat Parelli.


What???!!!!! :shock:


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## 6gun Kid

Shropshirerosie said:


> What???!!!!! :shock:


 yup lifted directly form each trainers websites.


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## Chevaux

Subbing for written report and supporting photos.

Good luck and remember to enjoy yourself, oldhorselady.


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## Chevaux

6gun Kid said:


> ...2000 for Clinton Anderson ( with a 20 page application, no less...


I think matching halters and carrot sticks are included in that price. Do you suppose lunch would be included as well?


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## 6gun Kid

Chevaux said:


> I think matching halters and carrot sticks are included in that price. Do you suppose lunch would be included as well?


 Nope, according to the CA website, page 8 of the application states that stick/string, halter and lead rope are required equipment to attend the clinic.


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## franknbeans

For those prices they should include a horse!


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## Oldhorselady

Is there any equipment I should have, or useful if I did have with me for the clinic? Snaffle, macate reins, flag?


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## aharlov

My husband wanted to surprise me for Christmas to do the clinic in Maine in September 2014.. and it was ALREADY FULL! Almost a year in advance!


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## Fort fireman

6gun Kid said:


> beats 1295 for Craig Cameron, 1200 for Chris Cox, 2000 for Clinton Anderson ( with a 20 page application, no less), and God forbid 3,200 for Pat Parelli.


Of those you listed I think Chris cox is the only one that would interest me. However at those prices that isn't going to happen either. :shock:


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## smrobs

I would love to go to one of his clinics, but I'd rather pay the money to sit in my saddle rather than sit my bony butt on a bench for 3 hours LOL.

Maybe someday when he'll be within driving distance from me.

I wonder what a person has to do to sponsor a clinic for him :think:.


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## Rideordie112

smrobs said:


> I would love to go to one of his clinics, but I'd rather pay the money to sit in my saddle rather than sit my bony butt on a bench for 3 hours LOL.
> 
> Maybe someday when he'll be within driving distance from me.
> 
> I wonder what a person has to do to sponsor a clinic for him :think:.


My trainer sponsors his clinics, I can ask and find out!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs

I appreciate that, but I found what I was looking for by browsing around on his site. Apparently, I'd have to go and participate at a clinic and meet Buck first before he'd talk to me about sponsoring one.

Of course, this would be something that would likely happen a couple of years down the road as I'd also have to rent an arena for the event and all that jazz LOL.

Sure would be nice to have one within driving distance of me though so I could take a horse and have some fun and learn some new stuff...or refresh some old stuff .


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## QHDragon

jaydee said:


> I can't help but if you don't do lots of videos and feedback on here I'll be soooooo angry with you!!!!


Two of my friends went to his clinic here in MI last year and they said he doesn't allow any pictures taking or videoing of the clinic. I was really hoping they would video it for me, but no such luck.


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## Merlot

I'm on day 2 of auditing and (photographing) a Buck Clinic here in NZ.
It's not really my bag but I know most of the participants worship at the alter of Buck. 
Like most trainers, some things he says are great and a lot of things are so long winded I get lost in the middle of it and find myself wondering why sheep don't shrink in the warm rain.
Here's a couple of priceless photographs you might enjoy from yesterday's clinic. I get the feeling the horse is trying to interpret Buck-speak for all the horses in the clinic... ;-)


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## Oldhorselady

Merlot said:


> I'm on day 2 of auditing and (photographing) a Buck Clinic here in NZ.
> It's not really my bag but I know most of the participants worship at the alter of Buck.
> Like most trainers, some things he says are great and a lot of things are so long winded I get lost in the middle of it and find myself wondering why sheep don't shrink in the warm rain.
> Here's a couple of priceless photographs you might enjoy from yesterday's clinic. I get the feeling the horse is trying to interpret Buck-speak for all the horses in the clinic... ;-)
> 
> View attachment 354993
> 
> 
> View attachment 355001


Very cool and funny Merlot. Thank you.

I am not a 'worshiper', but I definitely respect him a lot. I can relate with him on so many levels and say I get it....not just with horses. I am a little scared that I will be disappointed in person, but I will never know if I don't get in there and try.

You were allowed to take pictures then?


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## Merlot

You're welcome Oldhorselady ;-)
Yes, the woman I work for runs the clinics here.


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## Chevaux

Oldhorselady said:


> Is there any equipment I should have, or useful if I did have with me for the clinic? Snaffle, macate reins, flag?


I have not attended his clinic but I should think you need to set yourself up just the way you would if you went to a show. So, you would want grooming equipment to start with, feed/water, maybe a light sheet to keep dust off once your horse is cleaned up), rope halter with lead (I suspect the 11' one would do; have a 15' along as well just in case), protective boots (if you use them), some sort of carrot stick/buggy whip just in case (from the little bit I've seen of him he tends to use his lead line more than his stick), a plastic bag and duck tape just in case, saddle blanket/small tarp in case there is any sacking out to do, your usual riding equipment (if you use a curb bit bring a snaffle). Don't forget yourself - appropriate footwear, layered clothing to adjust to the weather of the day, helmet, gloves.


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## smrobs

Supposedly, from what I read on his website, all participants are supposed to have a snaffle with mecate rein set and some sort of flag stick as well.

I'm not sure I agree with that, but I suppose I can understand why he wants everyone to have the same equipment so he doesn't have to take the time to specialize his instructions for anyone riding in a curb or a bitless.

Copied directly from his website:



> *What to take to a clinic:* As a class participant, you will need the following: A 3/8 or 5/8 width egg-butt snaffle bit, mecate-style reins set-up, a training flag and a rope halter with a 12 foot lead. If you are new to the mecate-style reins and have the equipment, Buck's assistant can usually help you set it up before the class.
> 
> As a spectator: Check with the seating at each clinic venue to see what is provided. Many spectators prefer to bring their own folding chairs for the best viewing location. Bring food, water, hat, sunscreen, coat or anything that will keep you comfortable in the outdoors for a full day.


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## Oldhorselady

smrobs said:


> Supposedly, from what I read on his website, all participants are supposed to have a snaffle with mecate rein set and some sort of flag stick as well.
> 
> I'm not sure I agree with that, but I suppose I can understand why he wants everyone to have the same equipment so he doesn't have to take the time to specialize his instructions for anyone riding in a curb or a bitless.
> 
> Copied directly from his website:


Yeah, I can understand too about having the same equipment since it is a certain 'type' of training. I guess that would be like me using mecate reins and a curb bit to go to a clinic where they trained in a dressage style. I'm guessing that other disciplines kept their usual bridle etc. since it was so different from what they usually use. Idk.

I'm going to use what it says to be compliant. I did find one of my old sweet iron single jointed eggbutt snaffles. I have the rope halter and the 12' tied lead rope. I got rid of my mecate reins, so I'll buy so inexpensive ones. My reins have the thick slobber straps, they are just not mecate..they are the John Lyons reins...that I love btw. The flag I have doesn't only attach at the corner like his....


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## redrose1

I'm going to audit the one in April in Red Bluff. Can't wait. It's a 2 hour drive for me so not bad. I'm just not sure how many days I want to go and watch. Is one day enough?? My trainer uses his techniques. I have a 15 year old horse who has some respect issues and I've been ground working him now. When she ground works him, she makes it look SO EASY and he is good about most of the stuff. He's getting better with me but she tells me, "I can't do all the work for you because YOU are the one that needs that relationship with him. He HAS to respond with you working him." But she shows me what to do and how to do it. I'm still kind of clumsy tho. 
He's good with moving his hindquarters but shoulders... he's still pretty sticky.


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## Rideordie112

redrose1 said:


> I'm going to audit the one in April in Red Bluff. Can't wait. It's a 2 hour drive for me so not bad.


I'm going to be riding at the clinic in Red Bluff, and it's about a 45 minute drive for me though 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rideordie112

redrose1 said:


> I'm going to audit the one in April in Red Bluff. Can't wait. It's a 2 hour drive for me so not bad.


I'm going to be riding at the clinic in Red Bluff, and it's about a 45 minute drive for me though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Zexious

^That'll be exciting!

Y'all will definitely have to post pics!


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## smrobs

You know, I guess I don't understand the fad with the yacht rope mecate rein sets that are so popular with all the trainers these days. Those reins are so darn heavy and on the rare occasion I used one, I could feel a marked difference in the balance of the bit just with my hands...so I _know _the horse could feel it in his mouth. The near side that had the lead coming out of it always felt _so_ much heavier than the off side and I hated that feeling.

The tradition of horsehair mecate ropes makes sense because those are incredibly light so there is hardly a difference in the balance at all.

BUT, I don't like horsehair reins (my hands are weenies and I won't wear gloves), so that's why I always stick with leather split reins. They seem much handier and more practical to me. However, I don't really follow the traditional vaquero bridle horse training methods either LOL.


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## redrose1

I don't like using slobber straps. They just felt heavy and in the way. I had one trainer that used them and had me ride with them and I just didn't like it.


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## Oldhorselady

My favorite reins of all time, before I decided to use my leather split reins so I could pop my mare in the hiney at times, are my John Lyons reins. They have the heavy yacht rope and slobber straps. I loooooove them. I feel like the weight allows me to just use half halts a lot. They feel great in my hands too.

I was told that the slobber strap weight helps the horse to feel that something is being asked without you having to go directly to their mouth. I was also told that this concept works better with the single jointed snaffle and not the double jointed, because you don't want to weigh down the double jointed since those bits drape over the tongue already. We will see. I do know that when I use the reins with the lighter weight leather straps on the ends or the clips, that it doesn't give that same feel for sure. I do like them weighted all the way around.

Redrose....any auditing would be nice to see. However, if you attend multiple, you can see any progression or lack there of...lol.


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## Merlot

Thought you guys might enjoy this image I shot today at Buck's cw roping workshop during a lunch break. The guy in the background is the child's father ;-)


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## Rideordie112

Zexious said:


> ^That'll be exciting!
> 
> Y'all will definitely have to post pics!


I will!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Zexious

Merlot--That little boy is having the time of his life xD Any price is worth that.


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## Left Hand Percherons

Are you taking Belle? Can she canter? If she can't I would be spending lots of time working on that. Buck doesn't take kindly to riders and horses who can't WTC. ( it was an aged Percheron gelding and I'll leave it at that).


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## Oldhorselady

Left Hand Percherons said:


> Are you taking Belle? Can she canter? If she can't I would be spending lots of time working on that. Buck doesn't take kindly to riders and horses who can't WTC. ( it was an aged Percheron gelding and I'll leave it at that).


No, I'm taking Snickers....but I'm glad you told me! I had considered Belle thinking how cute that would be!! That makes me sad though....if the horse, or rider is limited....they should still have a nice experience. It makes me nervous with Snickers and her issues, but we are working on it....and some of the issues, I'm starting to understand are her being a four year old and me not have had experience with a four year old before...lol.


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## danph

I plan on spectating the one in stillwater OK in march!


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## TurkishVan

I posted a review about the Buck Brannaman clinic we went to this last summer. You'll have to look it up to get the full experience. 
I like his training methods, but the clinic I participated in was worthless. I don't know if we just happened to get a bad clinic or what, but it was completely worthless. I can't think of any other word, honestly.
We spent 3 hours each day having our horses do small circles or figure eights. Helpful for a short period of time, yes. But, and I kid you NOT! It lasted 3 hours, each day. Some people left a day early, they got so fed up. 
At first my mare, who has a slightly arthritic hock, was not happy about the exercises, but it helped loosen her up. She eventually got very soft, and turned on any end very willingly. But we just kept repeating the exercises, with no intervention from Buck. In fact, he was sitting in the middle of the arena chatting to a buddy the majority of the time. My horse got very sour, and started bracing against me. That's when I started to work on my own thing with her. Buck went to all this trouble in the beginning to say that once a horse gets something right, you give them a break. After 20-30 minutes, almost every horse in that arena was doing it correctly. But we weren't given any instructions for anything else, so we either rode around in a big circle, or repeated the exercise again and again. It was pointless. I learned absolutely nothing at that clinic. I went in really liking Buck and his methods. While I still like his methods, I think this clinic was a total sham.


Edit: Found my original review post: 
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-talk/disappointed-buck-brannaman-clinic-270881/


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## Merlot

Funny you should say this Turkish because that was exactly my feeling too. Not only that he sat on the horse like she was a couch for hours at a time which in my book is a huge no no. He also spent most of the time pontificating about how great he is. Sorry guys but I couldn't stand him.


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## TurkishVan

I'm glad I'm not the only one! 
Buck seems a bit burnt out, really. If he doesn't enjoy clinics anymore, he shouldn't be DOING them. I really meant my last sentence in that original thread I posted about my clinic experience. We left wondering, "Are we going to be the next clinic's entertainment?" 

Clinics aren't going to be the "holy grail" of horse knowledge. You're not going to come out a master after one clinic. But you should at least have some pieces of information to fill in some gaps. I am NOT an advanced rider by ANY means, and I didn't receive any new info. That wouldn't have upset me so much if Buck had really been trying to give us something. But at the clinic I was in, he wasn't even trying.


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## Merlot

I thought he was condescending in the extreme and felt really sorry for the riders who were new to this. I left feeling bloody thankful I had not had to pay (My boss paid for me to be there photographing).
Have to admit, when he said something about man having 'dominion over the horse' he lost me completely. I nearly walked out then and there...then I remembered I was there to do a job.


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## Oldhorselady

Ohhhhhh, I am so sorry for your bad experiences. I am really hoping it was a bad day, venue, year....whatever and not the norm. I know that doesn't help your experiences though. I really don't want to be disappointed in someone I look up to. I'm surprised that if he acts this way, why word hasn't gotten around and people stop attending??? Only time will tell. My clinic is in April and I have another friend doing one in June.


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## Merlot

Amazingly enough, plenty of people there still really enjoyed themselves, maybe the more western riders who already knew him were more forgiving or didn't notice, I don't know.


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## tinyliny

the man does a ton of clinics. this cannot not be but very taxing. why people should expect him to be without blemish surprises me . 
remember , " look to the mote in your own eye before you point out the stick in another's eye". he is still a human being, subject to all the faults we know well. let's not be too unrealistic in our expectations.


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## TurkishVan

tinyliny said:


> the man does a ton of clinics. this cannot not be but very taxing. why people should expect him to be without blemish surprises me .
> remember , " look to the mote in your own eye before you point out the stick in another's eye". he is still a human being, subject to all the faults we know well. let's not be too unrealistic in our expectations.


True. But when I pay $700 for a clinic, I expect to get my money's worth, without the clinician needlessly insulting past (or present!) clinic participants.
You don't crap on your source of income. That's bad business, pure and simple.

Merlot- surprisingly there were quite a few riders at our location that were very forgiving as well. (And some, as I noted earlier, that weren't.) We asked several other participants what their views on some of his comments were, and they pretty much all said the same thing: "Oh, he doesn't mean it like that!" And made some excuse about his past, and blamed it on that. I'm not sure how else we could have taken some of those comments. He was just unneccessarily nasty for the first two days. Not sure what was bugging him.


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## Left Hand Percherons

tinyliny said:


> the man does a ton of clinics. this cannot not be but very taxing. why people should expect him to be without blemish surprises me .
> remember , " look to the mote in your own eye before you point out the stick in another's eye". he is still a human being, subject to all the faults we know well. let's not be too unrealistic in our expectations.


and when one does a ton of clinics and gets burned out, one needs to step back and regroup. More damage is done and more people are turned off to the message when you ride or spectate a poor clinic. If you pay for a clinic no matter who it is and how much it was, you should walk away and feel like you got your money's worth. I embrace the crossover of natural horsemanship to more traditional methods of riding and driving but you must be able to present the information that makes people get it and recognize the value it would have in their chosen discipline. Most all of the big name clinicians are burned out IMO and the clinics reflect that.


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## Merlot

There seems to be a 'cult' following for this man that just do not understand. It makes one wary of saying what they really think which is why I said nothing until you bravely stepped up Turkishvan.
I stand by what I said. I agree that he is a superb rider - no doubt about that, but a great rider A. does not necessarily make a great teacher and B. should have no need to talk himself up.


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## tinyliny

I didn't hear Buck really insult anyone , but then I only was present for ONE day at ONE clinic. he was a bit impatient, but only becuase the participants were becoming a bit sheeplike, and he was asking them to hurry up and come to the middle, and they were all lollygagging. this is also a reflection of the way that most riders ride/handle their horse; they accept a lollygaggin' response as "good enough". he tries to impress on people to raise their expectations of the horse, and keep them up , and the horse will come up to meet them.

I agree that one should not do clinics if they are burned out. I bet it's hard for him to limit the clinics. not just becuase of the money, but becuase he probably gets many more requests for clinics than he can do.


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## Oldhorselady

tinyliny said:


> I didn't hear Buck really insult anyone , but then I only was present for ONE day at ONE clinic. he was a bit impatient, but only becuase the participants were becoming a bit sheeplike, and he was asking them to hurry up and come to the middle, and they were all lollygagging. this is also a reflection of the way that most riders ride/handle their horse; they accept a lollygaggin' response as "good enough". he tries to impress on people to raise their expectations of the horse, and keep them up , and the horse will come up to meet them.
> 
> I agree that one should not do clinics if they are burned out. I bet it's hard for him to limit the clinics. not just becuase of the money, but becuase he probably gets many more requests for clinics than he can do.


I can totally understand his attitude with 'lollygaggers'. It frustrates me as well. I plan on being a well in-tuned student, doing my homework prior and respecting his time and efforts while I am his student. I will work hard, practice afterwards and gain as much as I can out of this clinic. I will let you know how it goes!


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## Zexious

Merlot--I think that's true with many of the big name Natural Horsemanship trainers. I hope OP still has a great time either way!


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## Saddlebag

A man who feels the need to negate others is not a man in my books. Regardless of his upbringing we have fine professionals to help him with that. He is doing as his father. The pain of insult can be greater than physical pain.


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## JessFarrington

I will be riding my 3yr old in the foundation horsemanship class in Red Bluff next month! I am so excited (and nervous) for this experience for both myself and my horse! It is my first time riding in a Buck clinic and I know that we will both be walking away with a boat load of new experiences and knowledge to build on!


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## Oldhorselady

Day 1 of the Buck clinic was pretty incredible. I was so nervous, but actually relaxed pretty quickly because I was concentrating so hard. I've learned how much I haven't done with Snickers and how much work we have. I also realized how much time I have not taken consistently in order to accomplish certain basic riding elements. It's a whole different ball game when you are forced to work on something, that is very necessary, for hours at a time...compared to trying to do it for ten minutes and thinking it's just something you will never learn. It's also a completely different ball game riding in the clinic than observing. I didn't even see the other riders or notice the audience. I could keep my focus on what Buck was saying along with what my horse and I were attempting to do, but that was about it.

It is also quite another experience going to a clinic where it's not a complete marketing show. Doing his clinic is very intimate. He made the comment about not allowing video and his reasons. He included the fact that this is our time together and personal, not everybody else's time.

Snickers was not quite as fond of Buck...lol. She showed me a few tantrums, reminding me how spoiled she is and how much I have not made her do. After I watched the cow clinic, I went to saddle her up again to practice and do our homework for the evening. In the arena, twice, she did lines of bronco bucking in protest. The good thing is, that she is very easy to ride through this!! We just continued on and kept working for a good hour. She chilled out and I could really see the difference in what we were starting to learn together. I'm so excited to continue on this journey over the next three days.


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## Rideordie112

Ahh! I'm so excited, the buck clinic will be in my area in less than two weeks! Keep us updated about your experience, because I too will be riding in it in redbluff.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oldhorselady

Rideordie112 said:


> Ahh! I'm so excited, the buck clinic will be in my area in less than two weeks! Keep us updated about your experience, because I too will be riding in it in redbluff.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I hope you have a great time!!! He will give to the riders in the clinic, what respect they give to him....just like with the horses. He is very honest about that. Each clinic is different, and he can read what each group of riders are about. If they are respectful and listen and try...he will give more. If they aren't really trying and ignoring him, he will give that in return. It is a great experience and I can't put into words how wonderful it is to ride with him and get that 'feel'.


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## squirrelfood

Left Hand Percherons said:


> and when one does a ton of clinics and gets burned out, one needs to step back and regroup. More damage is done and more people are turned off to the message when you ride or spectate a poor clinic. If you pay for a clinic no matter who it is and how much it was, you should walk away and feel like you got your money's worth. I embrace the crossover of natural horsemanship to more traditional methods of riding and driving but you must be able to present the information that makes people get it and recognize the value it would have in their chosen discipline. Most all of the big name clinicians are burned out IMO and the clinics reflect that.


And if he had cancelled the tour because he was burned out and needed a break, how much MORE nastiness would be directed his way for doing so? Guy can't win for losing with some people.


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## jaydee

Trying to visualize Snickers having a broncing fit!!!
That would have made a good video
I'm glad you're enjoying it and getting a lot of benefit too by the sound of things


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## Dehda01

Thank you for sharing. I am looking forward to read about day 2 and 3. What did you work on in particular, if you could nail one thought process down?


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## Oldhorselady

Dehda01 said:


> Thank you for sharing. I am looking forward to read about day 2 and 3. What did you work on in particular, if you could nail one thought process down?


Today was a lot of the same stuff. He pretty much judges what we are working on next with or sticking with by how we start off the day. Today we added one reins stopping and regular stopping to the serpentines and yielding of hindquarters and forequarters. Then you step it up and not only find where the feet are, but get them soft executing everything all together.


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## Oldhorselady

Buck clinic Day 2:

Buck clinic Day 2......Completed exhausted. I hope I can finish this post before going to bed! Exhausted, but such a great day. Some really BIG stars came into alignment and feel very successful, even though it didn't happen until later in the day when I was practicing. 

After Snicker's little tantrums yesterday, she decided to start out the day with them today in the clinic. She was being the total mare stereotype. I felt less confident today with what was asked of us, because I was so worried about her behavior. I asked Buck what to do if my mare was pinning her ears at others. He told me to get her moving. That was the last thing I wanted to hear, because I was scared of what that may lead to between us running into other riders or me falling off if she moved forward too much. But, I had to suck it up and do it! So, I felt like I was kinda working on her attitude and not the work at hand during the clinic. Almost felt like we regressed. But towards the end of the clinic, after hearing Buck complain about 'dull' horses and making them go, I began working on roll backs and then pushing Snickers forward through the feel of my pelvis tilting, then the slight movement in my legs and, if she didn't go, kick her. Oh, well she got it veeeeeery quickly. Some of these things I hadn't heard for the first time, and even had tried to work through in the past.....but I really didn't get it until Buck kept on about it, over and over. Some of the other things started to make slight sense too, but not that total 'aha' moment.

After watching the second clinic I saddled up Snickers to practice. Once in the arena, I realized that Snickers learned to go more forward from those earlier exercises and Buck saying it over and over, making me do it, over and over. It's such a true statement when it is said that the rider often gives up just before success. You have to stick it out and hang in there....not just for ten minutes, once a week. While I have no problem executing those things with groundwork, it had been very hard under saddle for me. When I found that she was listening to my seat and leg to go forward, I was able to then focus on getting her soft/collecting/bridling her up. And once my hands had purpose and I was focused watching for the opportunities to offer release to her, I wasn't scared of her forward movement anymore. We were moving out, at the trot, way faster than she has ever given me before, and instead of focusing on how scared I was of the forward movement, and instead focusing on her so I could release to her, it all fell into place. And when that happend, Snickers got better and better, looking for that and the misbehaving went away. So hard to explain, but so freaking cool. There were all kinds of things going on in that arena and outside of the arena, and we were just both going on like it was our own little bubble. She was happy she was in her rectangle and I was happy in it too.


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## Oldhorselady

jaydee said:


> Trying to visualize Snickers having a broncing fit!!!
> That would have made a good video
> I'm glad you're enjoying it and getting a lot of benefit too by the sound of things


Yeah, it was quite hilarious actually. She tries so hard to not be all talk...but she really is a wimpy alpha mare....lol.


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## Oldhorselady

Buck clinic day 3:
Did I already say I was exhausted yesterday? lol. Today was a good day. Feeling the confidence developed from yesterday. Snickers argued a few times during the clinic, but not like yesterday and no bucking streaks. He had us trying to back circles today...and I and my horse are pretty lost with those right now, but we tried. Things are still shuffling around in my brain, but coming together nicely. It's so nice to not be scared and bracing for something to go wrong. Now I am using much more leg as an aid and not thinking of using my hands. Snickers being bridled up is helping her keep her body in her rectangle, which is her peace. I am constantly seeking when I can release to her and she is seeking it, so we are always working together as a team now. After practicing this evening, I even rode all around the ranch, by myself. I rode up and down the hills and went to see the cattle, and it was so relaxing.


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## equinesnfelines

happy to hear such a happy experience!!! snickers is beautiful...


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## jaydee

Thanks for posting


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## Zexious

Sounds like Day 3 was pretty good! I love the pics


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## Oldhorselady

The final day 4 of the Buck clinic:

We continued with the same exercises today, feeling better about everything each day. We added short serpentines, and I actually enjoyed doing these. Those actually made me get the understanding of picking up her inside front foot, and placing it with the rein on the ground. I get how those reins are attached to the feet, not only the mouth. I now understand feeling your horse between you, as if it is your actual legs. I understand riding your horse, though not easy, like you are an athlete, not just a passenger. I understand not letting your horse being a bump on a log and that my horse can be slow, without being dull. I felt the joy of having my horse engaged mentally with me as a team, both of us understanding we need to search for that 'release' and be in peace.

I have struggled over these past couple of years, as those who know Snickers, about her noodle legs, always wondering what her body is simply incapable of doing. I asked Buck about it today. He told me that she may not be able to do the things his horse can do, but she can do what she can do, and there is nothing in that clinic that she is incapable of. He said to just ride her. ))))

I have also struggled over the years, feeling like my two mares have had to always be in the shadow of my late mare, Cheyanne. RIP Cheyanne, this was Snicker's moment. She was a rockstar and we rode with Buck Brannaman for hours, for four days straight. We both were committed, and gave to each other each step of the way. She gave me her all. My fear has been replaced with joy, which she so much deserves to have from me. She is my very special, Snickerdoo.


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## Chevaux

I'm glad you had a good experience out of this and thanks for posting - I found it very informative (I think it's pretty safe to say I will never have a chance to attend one of BB's clinics given my location but it's nice to hear other people's take on them).


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## Oldhorselady

Wow, my friend caught that exact moment when I was asking Buck about Snicker's noodle legs.....what a special picture.


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## Rideordie112

Ahh I'm so excited! I'm pretty sure I'll get to talk to buck a lot because my trainer is personal friends with him and sponsors the clinic.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rideordie112

JessFarrington said:


> I will be riding my 3yr old in the foundation horsemanship class in Red Bluff next month! I am so excited (and nervous) for this experience for both myself and my horse! It is my first time riding in a Buck clinic and I know that we will both be walking away with a boat load of new experiences and knowledge to build on!



I'll be there too! Good luck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CaliforniaDreaming

Have fun y'all. I've audited clinics for a few years now and they've been wonderful learning experiences. 

Bummed I have to miss out this year. I planned to attend Pasadena's clinic put on by the Rose Bowl riders, but I lost my job at the beginning of March. Hay and trimming is this week so I don't have the funds for the trip (I live about 2.5 hours away).

But on the bright side, I'm very likely to be involved with a house move this weekend. And I've been looking forward to it for weeks. 

There's always next year which is so much closer. I plan to attend as a participant in 2015


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## cgwiley

We are looking at attending the one in Fort Collins, CO in May. Never been to one, but we want to start learning ground work using Buck's approaches before we purchase our first horse.


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