![Buck Brannaman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Buck_Brannaman.jpg)
Dan M. "Buck" Brannaman (born January 29, 1962)
is an American
horse trainer
A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...
and a leading clinician with a philosophy of handling horses based on classical concepts from the
vaquero tradition; working with the horse's nature, using an understanding of how horses think and communicate to train the horse to accept humans and work confidently and responsively with them.
In 2022 he launched an online learning platform where he can connect with and teach students via educational videos
TheBuckChannel.com
One of Brannaman's stated goals is to make the animal feel safe and secure around humans so that the horse and rider can achieve a true union.
[Brannaman, Buck. ''The Faraway Horses.'' Lyons Press, 2001. .]
Early life and career
Brannaman was born in 1962 in
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan () is a city in and the county seat of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populatio ...
, and raised in
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
and
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
. Brannaman was for many years a disciple of
Ray Hunt, one of the founders of the
natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship is a collective term for a variety of horse training techniques which have seen rapid growth in popularity since the 1980s. The techniques vary in their precise tenets but generally share principles of "a kinder and gentler ...
movement, and also inspired by
Tom and Bill Dorrance Brothers and horsemen William "Bill" Dorrance (January 19, 1906 – July 20, 1999) and Tom Dorrance (May 11, 1910 – June 11, 2003) are considered among the founders of the modern natural horsemanship movement. Born and raised on an Oregon cattle r ...
. Brannaman now teaches clinics worldwide. About the clinics, he has noted, "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."
Brannaman had a difficult childhood, characterized by considerable
child abuse at the hands of his father, to the extent that he and his brother spent a number of years in
foster care
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...
placement.
He took solace in horses, and learned from his own experiences, to look at a situation from the point of view of the horse. Brannaman has written:
: "I've started horses since I was 12 years old and have been bit, kicked, bucked off and run over. I've tried every physical means to contain my horse in an effort to keep from getting myself killed. I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does."
He later used these experiences in his career as a horse trainer, recognizing in difficult animals the same fear and hostile reactions he remembered from his own childhood:
: "Abused horses are like abused children. They trust no one and expect the worst. But patience, leadership, compassion and firmness can help them overcome their pasts."
[Farrell, Allison "Whispering wisdom" ''Helena Independent Record,''](_blank)
April 30, 2004
In recent years, he has become a
motivational speaker for groups outside of the horse world,
frequently describing the connection between
animal abuse
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suf ...
and abuse of children and other human beings.
"For me, these principles are really about life," says Brannaman, "about living your life so that you're not making war with the horse, or with other people."
Brannaman is also a skilled
trick roper, having performed rope tricks in television commercials since he was six years old.
[Franke, Linda Boston. Review of ''The Faraway Horses,'' ''Ranch and Country Magazine,''](_blank)
accessed online December 18, 2007 For his roping abilities, Brannaman also holds two spots in the
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
.
[Buck Brannaman, The Horse Whisperer](_blank)
/ref> Though Brannaman has said, "my dad gave us the choice of practicing roping tricks or getting whipped," he still takes pride in his skill, offers roping and cattle working clinics, and retains a close connection to the historic vaquero cowboy tradition of the western United States.
Recent life and career
Brannaman was one of the primary individuals who inspired the character of "Tom Booker" in the Nicholas Evans
Nicholas Benbow Evans (26 July 1950 – 9 August 2022) was a British journalist, screenwriter, television and film producer and novelist.
Biography
Nicholas Benbow Evans was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, son of Anthony Evans, director of ...
novel '' The Horse Whisperer'', and was the lead equine consultant for the film of the same name. Though the book itself was a work of fiction, Evans himself said:
: "Others have falsely claimed to be the inspiration for Tom Booker in The Horse Whisperer. The one who truly inspired me was Buck Brannaman. His skill, understanding and his gentle, loving heart have parted the clouds for countless troubled creatures. Buck is the Zen master of the horse
The publicity from the book and movie, along with Brannaman's approach to treating troubled horses and troubled humans with equal doses of compassion, has helped promote other fields such as therapeutic horseback riding
Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) encompasses a range of treatments that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health. The use of EAT has roots in antiquity, and EAT applies to physical health issues in ...
. In that context, Brannaman has noted, "Horses are incredibly forgiving. They fill in places we're not capable of filling ourselves. They've given people a new hope, a new lease on life. A horse really wants to please you, to get along."
Brannaman lives with his wife, Mary, in Sheridan, Wyoming
Sheridan is a town in the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Sheridan County. The town is located halfway between Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore by U.S. Route 14 and 16. It is the principal town of the Sheridan, Wyoming, Micropol ...
. He has three daughters.
A documentary about Brannaman called ''Buck
Buck may refer to:
Common meanings
* A colloquialism for a dollar or similar currency
* An adult male in some animal species - see List of animal names
* Derby shoes, nicknamed "bucks" for the common use of buckskin in their making
People
*Buck ...
'', directed by Cindy Meehl
Cindy Meehl is an American documentary filmmaker. Her first film, ''Buck (film), Buck'', was released on June 17, 2011, after a successful set of showings at U.S. film festivals including the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Biography
Early life
Ci ...
, won the U.S. Documentary Competition Audience Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. It was purchased by IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its S ...
under their Sundance Selections label. HR950
Further to the documentary "Buck" a series of DVDs has been produced entitled "7 Clinics" which together with his earlier DVD series creates a comprehensive library of his horsemanship.
Published works
*Brannaman, Buck. ''Groundwork: The First Impression''. Rancho Deluxe Design, 1997. .
*Mangum, A.J. ''Ranch Roping with Buck Brannaman : A practical guide to traditional roping''. Western Horseman Books, 2002. , .
*Brannaman, Buck (with William Reynolds). ''The Faraway Horses.'' Lyons Press, 2001. .
*Brannaman, Buck and William Reynolds. ''Believe: A Horseman's Journey''. Lyons Press, 2006. , .
References
Sources
* Miller, Robert and Richard Lamb. ''Revolution in Horsemanship.'' Lyons Press, 2005. .
External links
*
Buck Brannaman's Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brannaman, Buck
Living people
American horse trainers
Natural horsemanship
Western horse trainers
1962 births
Trick roping