BRISTER’S BRIEF
The real deal horse whisperer CHARLIE BRISTER attends a clinic with Buck Brannaman and finds that timing is everything.
Legendary horseman Buck Brannaman. Image courtesy of Buck Brannaman.
T
here are not many horse
an effort to improve the kindness and
he can be such a consistent training
trainers running a clinic in
effectiveness of working together with
partner for the horse. Lesson One for me
Tamworth, in New South
your horse instead of imposing control
as a trainer: Stay quiet and think.
Wales, who would draw riders from Darwin, Hobart, Adelaide, Canada and
and losing battles.
“What happened before what happened
Buck has also been coming to Australia
happened?” It turned out this was a
for the past 20 years, but only became
classic Buck phrase, repeated often
Then again, Buck Brannaman is not
really well known here after the 2011
during the clinic, usually when something
most horse trainers. He is the real deal
documentary, simply called Buck. He
had gone wrong.
‘horse whisperer’ (please don’t tell him
seems to have come across and fixed
What he wanted us to understand was
I said that). But it is true, and in 1998
every problem one could have with
that something had happened before
he inspired the Robert Redford movie
a horse. The way he deals with the
the issue to indicate the problem or its
based on the original novel, The Horse
horses (and people) is inspirational for
cause. His focus was on the handler’s
Whisperer, by Nicholas Evans.
professionals and amateurs.
lack of preparation or holes in the
But when word spread of his talent with
Somehow while teaching 60 riders a
training, not what the horse might have
horses, instead of moving to Hollywood,
day he manages to remain calm despite
Buck kept on the road, driving across
some horses and riders behaving less
It brought up the difference between
America with his gooseneck full of
than perfectly. Buck’s ability to control
a problem and a symptom. When
horses and his training program, all in
his emotions is one of the main reasons
something goes wrong with their horse,
everywhere in between.
10 | H O R S E V I B E S M A R / A P R 2 0 2 0
been perceived as doing wrong.
