Buck Brannaman is a legend in the horse world for some. After auditing a clinic I must say, on horseback he is "poetry-in-motion". He makes everything appear elegant and simple... which of course, when I went to apply what I learned back at my "home" arena with my horse, it wasn't easy at all. It takes a lot of patience and practice.
HERE is a great article that sums up Buck fairly well.
The four day clinic I attended was held at Sullivan Farm Hanoverians , a top notch private farm that has been hosting Buck every other fall for many years. I think there were about 15 - 20 riders in the Horsemanship 1 class.
So much information is at hand at a clinic like this, so I had a notebook handy and wrote down bits and pieces of what registered with me. My next few posts will be about things that made me pause and think. My first "pause & think" moment is below.
Buck is a patient man, but there is no room for "non-listeners". That goes for his students AND his horses. He said:
"My horse needs to be quiet enough not to draw my attention". He expects accurate movement, no milling around. If one is tuned out by their horse, he said to change subjects.
"You want your horse always aware of you. Be aware of your horse! Fidgeting? Direct that! Think of it as a gift. Do something with that energy; redirect it or it will be a negative."
"Don't let your horse check out. A horse wants peace. Trade movement for peace."
My trainer friend Alex is always telling me that too. She says when Lilly is full of energy, take advantage of it and work on something that is physically taxing... like lead changes.
ReplyDeleteI hope I'll be able to attend a Buck clinic some day!
This horse I have now is great for 'shutting down' particularly to the left. So we work in short lines and arcs to the left. Seems some days he is better than others! Thanks for sharing-
ReplyDeleteMany dressage riders should be envious of his riding posture- I know I am.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you enjoyed the clinic and picked up some good pointers.
ReplyDeleteKinda like with kids- redirect their energy instead of scolding them.
ReplyDeleteI was auditing that clinic too! Buck was amazing and I am will find a way to ride with him! I experienced that same thing -- getting home and not having his perfect timing, his perfect perception. Still, I learned so much to practice applying. And I'm pretty sure the various horses are appreciating it!
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