# Buck Brannaman



## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

I don't know that much about him, let us know how you like the clinic!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Buck has been around for many,many years. The movie The Horse Whisperer was loosely based on him. There is a documentary about him that just came out this year called "Buck" as well

He is one of those trainers that has had his style used by PP, CA, and others. I've seen a few clinicians in person but would love to see him especially.


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## Ian McDonald (Aug 24, 2011)

Twice I've driven over 500 miles to watch Buck Brannaman give a clinic, and both times were well worth it. The man has so much knowledge and such an ability to inspire. The only caveat is, he has a very straightforward and sometimes blunt style of speaking and teaching. He is very honest and says what he thinks, and it can get uncomfortable for some people. If you can handle that, though, you can come away with a wealth of new knowledge and ideas. 

There are some good clips of Buck on Mike Thomas' youtube channel

MikeThomasHorsemen's Channel - YouTube


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

He's very good. Down to the earth and no fuss. I have couple of his videos.


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## Beling (Nov 3, 2009)

Ian McDonald said:


> ...sometimes blunt style of speaking and teaching.


It's more like he likes to talk rude and crude. I couldn't stand his personality, but his horsemanship was fantastic -- not "nice" you understand, but not heavy-handed. He did JUST what was necessary for an effect, and of course to the horse, he was totally understandable, no conflicting signals. What I liked was, even though he was pretty rough with this particular big, spoiled TB, at the end of the half-hour, the horse wasn't the least bit afraid of him--well, maybe the very LEAST bit-- or physically tired, just very attentive. The question is whether he could train the horse's owner to continue in the same way.


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## Tabbi Kat (Nov 30, 2010)

I will be riding in one of his clinics next year. I love that his style of training bridle horses takes years to master just like the vaqueros but that he fused in natural horsemanship to perfect the training and mold the horse into a willing partner not out of fear.


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## Ian McDonald (Aug 24, 2011)

Beling said:


> It's more like he likes to talk rude and crude. I couldn't stand his personality, but his horsemanship was fantastic -- not "nice" you understand, but not heavy-handed. He did JUST what was necessary for an effect, and of course to the horse, he was totally understandable, no conflicting signals. What I liked was, even though he was pretty rough with this particular big, spoiled TB, at the end of the half-hour, the horse wasn't the least bit afraid of him--well, maybe the very LEAST bit-- or physically tired, just very attentive. The question is whether he could train the horse's owner to continue in the same way.


I confess to being a fan, but I'll try to describe him a little more objectively. Basically, when you go to Buck Brannaman he'll tell you that you're responsible for the behavior of your horse good or bad. He pulls no punches, and while that appeals personally to me I will freely admit that it's not for everyone. As for the question of whether a person can be taught to work with horses like he does, I would say that it depends on a person's desire. I think that the type of person who will get the most out of studying with a teacher like Buck is the one for whom horses and horsemanship are a lifestyle. Speaking from my own experience, I can say that it is very hard to learn to be good with horses in general (as opposed to just a few of one's own horses) and to do so requires an uncommon level of dedication. For me it's easy to have that dedication as becoming a good horseman is the most important thing in my life. So I'm able to easily overlook Buck's teaching style, because I'm too busy trying to figure out how to get better to be offended by him. 

For the person who prefers a teacher with a more pleasant and feel-good style, though, Buck Brannaman probably isn't the best choice.


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## Lakotababii (Nov 28, 2010)

My trainer loosely follows the techniques of Buck, he says Buck was his biggest inspiration. 

I use the techniques my trainer taught me on my horses. Not sure how similar they are to Buck's (I'm guessing they are close), but I can testify that if he's anything like my trainer, he is WELL worth the price and time, especially on horses that respond well to NH. The basics can be applied to almost any horse, and my trainer tries to cover how to do it yourself, so that he is not needed anymore.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Buck is unique in the fact that he is one of the very few clinicians that has actually USED a horse to get work done. He was a cowboy on several big Montana outfits and now has a ranch of his own. I like him because he will talk about life outside the arena or roundpen. He will show an exercise and then relate how you can do it on the ranch or going down the trail. I've never seen him try to sell anything either. He is much like Ray Hunt in that you will get the unabashed, no B.S. truth rather you want it or not. I don't find him rude and have never heard him be mean to anyone that was honestly trying to understand what he was saying.


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

I would rather be told something blunt and to my face than to sugar coat it.


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## Fancy14 (Sep 6, 2011)

draftrider said:


> I would rather be told something blunt and to my face than to sugar coat it.


As Buck said in a clinic of his I attended today (just as a spectator): "I'm not trying to be critical, I'm trying to be real." :wink:

I had been torn about whether I was going to attend his clinic this weekend, but I saw the movie this week, which solidified my decision. And WOW am I ever glad I went! I learned more from that man in 8 hours than I have from most other horse(wo)men in my entire life. The reports that he's straightforward/blunt/direct are accurate. I wouldn't say he's "rude and crude"--I think our society has just forgotten what it's like to have people tell it like it is. Nobody can take criticism of any kind anymore, even when it's constructive.

I took a few photos, and a ton of notes, but the main thing I took away from his teaching *style* is that you will get out of his clinic what you give back. If you aren't succeeding at what he's teaching you, but are TRYING, he is exceptionally supportive. If you are clearly fighting against what he's trying to offer, he'll essentially just leave you to your own devices and spend his time helping the people who want to learn and are willing to try new things.

I was also completely amazed at his ability to watch so many people at once. The morning class had 30 participants and the afternoon had 20. Buck was stationed on his mount at the center of the arena, and even when it seemed like he was more focused on talking to the audience or working with his horse, he somehow still had one eye and ear on each student.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, do. And if you ever get a chance to go to a clinic of his, go!


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## Lauren Woodard (Jul 7, 2010)

Sadly, many people are interested in hearing how great they are instead of how to become great. Buck isn't interested in that and neither am I. I've had people who wanted to take lessons from me tell me that I needed to tell them how pretty their horse was before I said what I wanted to correct so that I was saying something nice first. Really?
I told them that they were confusing their needs with mine.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Please forgive me if I get offensive, I have been couped up in the house for most the day and another thread on here has me fired up.....

Anyhow, I think Buck Bananabread has some good things to offer and he is unlike most clinicians that are out there. However a few years ago I found his bridle horse series on VHS, yeppers VHS-I even had the device to play them- at a yard sale cheap. I took them home popped and them into my time machine(VHS player). I promptly fell asleep...I had problems sleeping and I am not joking every night I tried to watch them I fell asleep. Since I grew up learning the "Vaquero Style" horsemanship, and I use that term loosely, I found them boring. I really didn't want to see Buck trotting circles in an indoor arena with a hackamore hanging on his horse. I wanted to see him using a hackamore on a horse outside doing something! I think a guy who can ride a horse witha hackamore running down a steer and roping him without making him hard in the face is a hand. Perhaps he did and I was sleeping...not really sure, but I sold the videos on Ebay for a small fortune which happened to be enough to try the Ranch Roping series on DVD, yes DVD-I had a machine that played both. Better, but again bored, I fell asleep while he was roping steers in a round pen...yawn....

Not to say for someone who has never been in a ranch style situation there might be plenty to learn. And I do like the fact as mentioned before he isn't trying to sell you a snaffle bit set-up for 3 times it's worth.

He is definitely better than most out of the bunch...


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i saw the movie Buck and i loved it. i would love to see him at a clinic one day, im so jealous you get to go to one !


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

I would love to go to one of his clinics!!! I have watched the movie about him that came out this year, read up on him on the internet and just recently purchased his book Faraway Horses (it should get here tomorrow!!!) In short I love the guy. Lol 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sillyhorses (Sep 2, 2011)

I watched "Buck" and hadn't ever really heard anything about him other than that he helped with "The Horse Whisperer". I loved the movie... it definitely was a different, more "cowboy" approach to training than what I've learned. Loved it though... I think there is a lot to learn from many successful trainers, whether you agree with _every_ method they use or not!


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

Cowchick77 is right; you'll want to take care that your chosen mentor doesn't put you to sleep, & it has nothing to do with whether he's a hand! It's just personalities!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I'm sure the early videos of many of our clinicians were also rough around the edges until they found their speed and style - and had the help of good PR firms.


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

I'd rather hear an honest opinion from a clinician about what I'm doing wrong, than to hear a lot of fluffy feel-good stuff and whatever creative words and phrases they've invented to sell their gadgets and videos as if theirs is the "One True Way" to work with a horse.

Not sure if anyone else saw it, but Buck was on ABC Nightline just recently and made a little jab at the concept of "natural horsemanship" right at the start of the interview.:lol:


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

I was hearing/ reading that he is going to do a clinic at the hoosier horse fair this year.. I may have to go there and see it.. I havent gone to the hhf in like 5 years


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I have posted before in this thread and kinda bashed his early videos...I guess I expected more of a ranch experience from them, but that is not the majority of his fan base...so I get it now.

I did watch the movie "Buck" and I actually did enjoy it. I love how he tells people that it isn't the horses fault, that's their doins'. Not much of a coddler. Some people don't want to hear that...they would rather believe that their horse is just "spirited"...gag...

I literally wanted to choke that lady with the yellow colt!!! I had to give him credit, for restraining himself...I wouldn't of been so kind to her.

And I think I noted this before about watching him at the Californios...
Everyone would cheer and clap when he made a mediocre roping shot, then when so guy that isn't famous made a spectacular one it was like crickets....that irritated me, so either they were cheering because they heard of him or don't know good ropin! lol


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

I hope that lady with all those horse has done something to get them a better home and take Bucks advice- I thought he did a great job with his horses


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## Lauren Woodard (Jul 7, 2010)

My take on the 'natural horsemanship' dig (there's a new Buck ABC interview floating around) is that people are misunderstanding the application of natural. It's not that Parelli or anyone is saying that it's natural to ride horses, it's a natural way of responding/moving/approaching/ such as the resistance to pressure and learning to give to pressure, understanding how they operate/mind works and how it might work better for the person if they _____.


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