# Buck Brannaman



## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

I audited one of his clinics years ago (some saddle work, mostly cow work & roping). I would ride in one of his clinicis if I could (no time right now). And I have his ground work & ranch roping books. 

Buck is not a step-by-step guy. He is not like other clinicians that will feed you answers or have step-by-step DVDs. If you have any experience with Ray Hunt and/or the Dorrance Brothers, he is more on line with them - trying to get the human to think about things and work through it rather than being told what to do, since they will not always be there to give them an answer. Alot of people don't like them because of this style of teaching. They want to be fed the "right" answer. Which is fine, if that's what you want. I audited a Ray Hunt Clinic, too, not long before he passed. People were pretty frustrated but didn't recognize he wanted to them to make an effort to think through the problems and not many of them made any effort at all to think about the problem.

I do not have nor have I seen the 7 Clinics DVD. I imagine (since I think the movie was taken from video/film from which these DVDs are and having audited a clinic) that the 7 Clinics DVDs are similar to what is shown in the movie as far as clinics go, but is organized in categories such as "ground work", "snaffle work", "hackamore work", "bridel work" etc. Again, I would not imagine it would have any "step-by-step" instruction. It is pretty much how the clinic I audited went.

Depending on your learning style and what you want to learn, Buck may not be your guy. Personally, I love his style, love thinking through the problem(s) and came away from his (and Ray's) clinic with alot to think about and a knowledge that I _could_ think and work through problems. I have wanted to get the 7 Clinics DVD, but other things require my cash more at the moment.

If you want other similar books, get Ray Hunt's & Bill Dorrance/Leslie Desmond's books. Ray's is NOT a step-by-step instruction; more philosophy. Bill's is a little more (and has photos!), but still alot on thinking about what you are doing from the horse's POV.


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

I think KEWPALACE summed it up. 
The 7 clinics is left over footage from the “Buck” movie. There is lots that can be learned from it, but It’s not a step by step how to train horse video. 

I have audited his clinics and he is one of the few people I would pay to ride with if the opportunity arose. If you are new to horse he may not be the person to start with, but if you’re ready to move to the next level and your goal is to make fine riding horses he is someone to pay attention to IMO .


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I really liked the documentary Buck and went to audit one of his clinics when he was nearby. Honestly I was pretty disappointed. It was something like 25 riders per group and the 1 or 2 riders that were having the worst issues were getting all the attention. It was super expensive to ride in it- on the order of $700 for 3 four hour sessions over 3 days, plus stabling.

I was also a little weirded out by how everyone followed every bit of advice from him like it was the only way. I like his training methods and think a lot of what he says makes sense, but I'm not about to go out and buy horsehair reins just because that's Buck's preference. Even the handful of English riders had them! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

I've audited 3 clinics. I'd ride in one, was actually hoping to this year since it's local (2 weeks from now) but unfortunately funds are a bit tight. Still hoping to audit though.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you will learn more, overall, by auditting. you can watch the other riders,and listento what he's saying better than if you are trying to steer clear of the 50 riders (yes, sometimes there are 50! ).

he's interesting and entertaining, but I would not pay to ride inone of the clinics, even if the $ was easy to come by.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

I think he's a fantastic trainer/horseman, but I don't think he's a very good instructor. At least not for my tastes!


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I think auditing a clinic would be interesting. That said, I tried read his book "The far-away horses" which was interesting and I read Ray Hunts book which was really confusing. Ray Hunt talks a lot about a "feel" but if you haven't felt that matching of energy than the book is not that helpful in getting it. In addition, all paths seem to lead to "if you are working on a feel than everything is easy to attain" but it does not discuss how to attain that feel. Which is where auditing might help because you could see riders who are getting a the feel.


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## HidesertHorses (Jun 21, 2018)

*need to prepare before clinic...*

I've been able to ride in 5+ of Brannaman's clinics, audit 2, since 1995: in other words long Before "the movie" Horse Whisperer (and DVDs, etc.) and then After. The only reason I rode in a couple After Clinics was because I needed to tune up my horses...and WATCH HIM ride his horses. To any and all 
thinking about either auditing or riding in a clinic for the first time: Audit first. Riding: oi veh - the expense now is huge - and too many riders.
However, if you can get to a clinic with: small number of riders, at a location/barn HE likes - go for it (FYI: he hates Santa Fe...oh well). 

I think we are all at a disadvantage riding in any of his clinics since 2012. For me, the first clinics in the 1990's were amazingly good ---- IF a person (me included) could see past his cruel demeanor/words to everyone riding. (Most women spent some time crying...me included). However: everything I learned has stayed with me - and my horses - to this day. Am I an expert rider? No. Do my horses' behavior change from time to time? Yes. No big deal, because I can still go back to the basics of what I learned over the years at the clinics: groundwork, my movements, my timing around and on the horse, etc. - all of which feels like "the beginning". But, I manage to 'tune up" myself and my horses pretty quickly. Without exception, every time I've been on a trail ride with friends, if something startling or dangerous happens, my horse continues to trust what I ask him and remain calm, or will move out. This is not because my friends' or their horses are idiots. Its because they have never
learned to spend the hours on ground work, and the slow, seemingly endless time in the saddle just being aware of their horse. Those serpentines?Circles forwards and backwards? Even now my 28 yr old Thoroughbred and 22 yr old Morgan are supple. All because of the groundwork, and those circles... all basic skills which stay with us in saddle while riding. 

What has been, for me, the most valuable thing to have learned is to accept "what kind of rider I am": a 'simple trail rider' - no flash, no ribbons. My horses like to go out and about, are safe to be around, safe for me to ride, and a joy to handle. 
Thanks to all for the interesting posts about your experiences.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

If you're looking for someone to tell you, "here's how to get a soft and responsive horse. First you do .." Buck's videos and clinics won't do that. Just like when we ride we want our horses to seek out and reach for contact, that's the way Buck teaches. He wants you to seek your own answers with the peculiarities of your own horse.
I like the video series. It's entertaining and shows how he demonstrates something on his horse, then you can see snipits of how other people attempt to begin working towards the same task. 
He sprinkles in pearls of wisdom and his personal philosophies. But if you're an A,B,C learner you'll be disappointed. If you can watch a situation and apply it to your situation, you'll maybe find some new ways of thinking that will open some new doors for you.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

I had a high school math teacher who really understood math. Unfortunately, he couldn't explain it. A whole generation of students from that high school received sub-standard ACT and SAT math scores because he was a terrible teacher. To me, that's Buck Brannaman. He is a gifted trainer and a poor communicator.

This thread is three years old, so the OP is probably long gone, but for any beginner who wants a recommendation on DVDs, I think Clinton Anderson's are the best available. They are long, detailed, professionally produced with exceptional audio and video, and present a proven training method that is the most complete and easy to follow of anything out there.

I have learned a great deal from more than two dozen trainers, from their books, their videos, or seeing them in person. Some of them are nicer than Clinton Anderson, some of them are gentler and more patient than Clinton Anderson, and some of them might be better trainers than Clinton Anderson. None of them has anything like his Fundamentals or Colt Starting DVD series for clarity, quality, and comprehensiveness.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Buck is a phenomenal clinician but he's a no nonsense type of guy really not in it for the fame. His DVDs are great if you've been to one of his clinics. If it's your first time experiencing his training, it might be more difficult to fully grasp his concepts. He uses very gentle horse sense to train horses and is what I use for all my training on mine. I highly recommend going to one of his clinics if it's an option for you.


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