BUCK BRANNAMAN Colt Starting/Horsemanship Clinic - Denver

By Ed Rubenstein

Personal Note #1:

Although the first Clinic herein described took place in March, the nature and scope of the topic is still timely. Sorry for the delay. Suffice it to say, I was unable to provide the report sooner.

Personal Note #2:

After nearly two years preparation in building a knowledge base in Natural Horsemanship, I acquired a colt in November, 1998. In preparation for this acquisition, I have read extensively, articles and books detailing the nature and evolution of the horse, autobiographical books (Bill & Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Monty Roberts, Mark Rashid, John Lyons) describing a lifetime of gentling with horses, how to books (BB's Groundwork, Lyons On Horses, etc.) videos (Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, Monty Roberts, Peter Campbell, Dennis Reis, Pat Parelli, Bryan Neubert) describing their "unique" methods for starting horses and subsequent horsemanship training techniques. Almost everyone worked with or knew Ray Hunt. They all ascribe to the basic tenet that "you make the wrong response difficult, and the right response easy." But I am getting slightly ahead of myself.

My wife and I were teenage riders who phased out our love of horses for career and family. Fortunately, we both now share the same mid-life crisis. I took mine to a greater extreme, I purchased a Palomino colt (Norton). She, a beautiful and gentle eight year old Paint (Ralph). Together, our "Honeymooners" rump through the Pine Barrens of Long Island, New York from sunrise to sunset at one of the finest boarding horse farms on Lond Island: Hidden Pond Farm in Manorville.

The first thing I learned soon after Norton arrived was that all my book and video knowledge didn't mean a damn thing when the colt and I faced off in the roundpen.

Just prior to Norton's arrival in November, I attended BB's clinic in Memphis at Lee & Melanie Taylor's Farm. I arrived wide-eyed and in awe of all the friendly cowboy/girl types giving me a hearty "Howdy". After three days of colt starting and horsemanship ala Buck Brannaman, I knew I found my mentor. His approach to colt starting follows the mare/foal/herd relationship developed in nature. He uses few aides: rope, flag and halter. Mostly, he uses his deep understanding and respect for the horse.

Two weeks after Norton arrived from Ohio, I attended Buck's last clinic/demo for the 1998 season, held in Buffalo, New York. This well attended clinic represented the coming together of Buck Brannaman's style of natural horsemanship and the more formal English efforts of Rodney Jenkins and George Morris. Each presenter provided his own brand of horsemanship. Jenkins and Morris demonstrated their techniques by utilizing some of the horseworld's most accomplished current and former Olympic metal winners. Brannaman demonstrated his gentling techniques with a green stud colt and an abused horse. The people from the English side of the fence were in awe of Buck's techniques. By way of example, on Sunday afternoon, shortly before the three day event came to a close, Buck asked one of the Olympic demonstrators to saddle and ride the green stud colt. To the surprise of most of the audience, the young man saddled (English) and rode the colt out of the roundpen into the large indoor arena. Everyone was quite taken as they watched a green colt respond appropriately to the commands of a strange rider.

I attended my third Buck Brannaman Clinic at the Western Events Center in Denver, Colorado, March 19 - 21. Buck worked with three horses, a green colt/filly and a six year old former race horse. After lunch on Saturday and Sunday, thirty people participated in a Horsemanship Clinic.

The clinic took place in the Western Events Center that housed a large arena with stadium seating. The Western Events Center was well lighted, amplified, and heated. Although I didn't count heads, there were approximately two hundred plus people attending the Denver clinic. Buck is an excellent public speaker. In that regard, he is mindful that there is an audience watching his every move. After he introduced himself, he asked the spectators if they had any questions relating to technique, style, or problems that they especially wanted to see covered. While the spectators mulled the idea of being the first to ask a question, Buck looked around and after recognizing many faces in the audience, told us that most of the spectators were themselves horse trainers. I was surprised at that conclusion but after further thought, a Buck Brannaman clinic is like NH 201 to many would-be horse trainers. I was in good company. In fact, seated next to me for the three days were two genuine Colorado cowboys who got up at four o'clock in the morning to work their cattle so that they could attend the clinic. Assuming as I did that they were "born in the saddle", I asked, "What's a pair of honest-to-goodness cowboys doing in a place like this?" Their answer was the same one that Grant Walsh gave me when I queried the group about colt biting and BB's suggestion about closing the distance with the elbow when the colt came around to bit: he's [Buck Brannaman] one of the best! Having Buck Brannaman in the arena and these two gentleman next to me to fill in the gaps provided for a very worthwhile weekend.

One of the spectators tried to engage Buck in naming names of good and bad clinicians. He felt that it was not his place to criticize other clinicians and tactfully ended the point with "some clinicians couldn't ride a swinging gate in a windstorm". I'll let that settle in all by itself fellow horseman listers!

Buck asked the owners of the three horses to introduce themselves and provide us with a brief history of their horse. The two year old black mare was spoiled and had her way with the owner. When she didn't get what she wanted or refused to do what was asked, she bucked with the intent to kick the human. The two year old paint was from a local ranch that offered trail rides. The young horse usually tagged along on trail rides, riding free with the other saddle horses. He learned to disappear behind the other bigger and older horses. The six year old was off the racetrack. The owner described him as a very nice horse that had one problem - - he wouldn't think twice about running you over at the gate, in the paddock, leading off the halter etc. To no ones surprise, Buck started with this fellow.

It's at these times that in retrospect, you think about the value of a before and after video. Needless to say, by Sunday afternoon, this former racehorse was transformed into a well-mannered, very respectful horse. The transition from "run-you-over" to "willing partner" was the result of first teaching the horse to go around (disengaging the hindquarters off the rope first and then the halter lead) the human and then defining for the horse, the human's personal space. Taking advantage of the fact that this horse only went forward (over you), Buck demonstrated the three methods of backing a horse. Just prior to beginning the backing, he dispelled for the audience, the myth of looking head-on at a horse. "Been there, done that". Stare all you want, not with a menacing physical stance or expression, but with a gentle understanding look about you. Back to the backing.

He stood three feet in front of and facing the horse, shaking the halter lead at eye level, and directed the horse to back. As he increased the pressure (advance-pause-advance), the horse responded with the slightest backward body movement. Actually, it was more of a minute shifting of weight. Mindful of our presence, he alerted us moments before the horse responded to watch the horse closely. A moment or two later, we saw the first slightest response. Patience and rub/rewards and the horse was backing by the slight movement of the raised lead in Buck's hand. Buck then stood next to the horse facing forward and taught the horse to back utilizing pressure-pause-pressure. He then taught the horse to back using the traditional method of the human facing the rear. With the horse hooked on, responding and respecting the human's personal space to each side, in front and behind, he moved on to re-starting the horse.

At this point, Buck emphasized that it is important how a horse moves out. This horse ran "The Kentucky Derby" each time he moved. He was impulsive, no doubt the result of his racetrack training (or lack of training).

Question: Is there a limit to how long you should maintain the pressure to get the horse to respond? Maintain the pressure until the horse yields. There should be no counter-pressure by the horse. The purpose of working with rope and/or halter lead is to get to the feet. Your hands on the rope/rein must control the feet. Every time you bring the head around, the feet should move.

Within the hour, the horse was saddled and Buck took his first ride. Since this was a previously ridden horse, this part of the training went very quick. As Buck stated on Sunday, the two young horses were miles ahead of the racehorse on Friday but now this horse, as a result of his experience redirected, was miles ahead of the two young horses.

Question: Why do horses paw the ground? A horse paws the ground when he is uneasy. Learn what causes him to become uneasy. When you can get him to paw with the other foot, you can control it and cause him to stop. The point that Buck wanted us to walk away with and remember was that you can't teach a tense horse. Instead, the horse must be relaxed and mellow. Otherwise, learning will not take place.

BB WARNING: Young horses can pick up cribbing from associating with older horses.

The black mare was next. Once the horse understood who was really in charge, she began to respond. Buck emphasized that just about every exercise with a horse should involve controlling the feet. Safety requires that the human be in complete control of the feet. It's his prime directive. Control the feet and work in the direction of the horse's energy, not opposed to it. The mare was very braced when backing. If the feet are stuck when backing, move the head left/right with the halter rope until the horse responds. During groundwork, develop a fast walk off the halter lead. This will keep life in the horse. As he develops the soft feel, the horse will be easier to handle because he will be alert to your cues.

Question: Why do you use a rope instead of a lunge line? A horse soft to a rope around his neck will become a better horse to handle on a halter because there is no pressure with a rope on the neck. If you can get him to lead off the rope, he is leading without pressure. Similarly, if you let a horse become dull, he'll get lost. Keep his exercises varied and interesting on the ground just as you would on the trial by varying the activities (around trees, bushes and lots of serpentines).

The paint colt was as described, not an alpha. He kept himself nearly invisible as he circled the roundpen, hiding behind the other two horses. Using his rope coils, Buck singled him out and gave new meaning to the term of being put-on-the-spot. The two other horses stayed on the far end of the roundpen. This young fellow was on his own. As before, he worked to disengage the hindquarters. Buck was very careful to point out that as the horse disengages the hindquarters, he should move the left hind in front of the right while turning the rump counter-clockwise and moving the right hind in front of the left while turning the rump clockwise. Then he directed the horse to move the frontquarters around. By securing each leg with a rope, he lifted and handled each foot until the horse was soft to having his feet worked.

Buck mounted his saddlehorse and roped the colt around his neck, mid-section, rump and up and under the tail. He worked each area until the horse stopped bucking and became comfortable. His goal was as before, to gain control of the feet. As he put it, the rope was an extension of his hand. Until the horse was soft to the pressure of the rope, he was not ready to interact directly with the human. The overall goal is to get the horse to want to be with you.

Many of the techniques demonstrated at the clinic were not new. I've read about them in TLT articles, magazines and books about Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt, Bill and Tom Dorrance, Brian Neubert, Peter Campbell,Tom Curtin, Leslie Desmond, etc. However, watching a HORSEMAN like Buck demonstrate each of these techniques, makes it real and worthwhile as no book or video can. To be able to ask a question and see the result of your question demonstrated by a Buck Brannaman, provided me with a leap in learning the relationship between horse and human and the better understanding into the nature of the horse.

The second day was much like the first except that the sequence of steps to the saddle moved at a quicker pace. With all three horses saddled, Buck introduced the flag. He described the flag simply as an extension of his hand. With it, no horse can raise their head above the human's reach. From his saddlehorse, he drove the horses to the right and then to the left, careful to control their direction without exception. A horse should never do anything on his own. Rather, he should always act as a result of your cue. Buck explained that the purpose was not to tire the horses as he drove them around the pen, but rather, to develop in each horse, the ability to respond to a cue (give them a job to do) with roundness and the head turned toward the human.

Question: When did my horse develop bad habits? My lessons were designed to strengthen his leading, backing etc. Buck responded with the following scenario: The typical horse-owner arrives at the barn, works with and around the horse in an effort to get him ready. The horse is lead from the stall to the crossties, or to the paddock, or placed under saddle. At this point, the horse is now ready for the lesson. What the human has failed to recognize, according to Buck, is that the lesson began as soon as the human and horse first interacted at the stall. Learning for the horse is ongoing. Every interaction with the human is a learning experience for the horse. Gentling a horse takes years of constant and consistent work. Every interaction is a learning situation. By way of example, Buck stated that a horse taught to be good at leading, backing, turning, etc. on a halter, will be easier to work in the snaffle. Success at one level, leads to the potential of success at the next level. Before moving on to the horsemanship phase of the clinic, Buck reminded us that: A HORSE IS A MIRROR OF THE HUMAN. Your positive and confident attitude and demure will be picked up and reflected in your horse. The converse: your stress, negative attitude and lack of demure is also picked up and reflected in your horse. Provide the right role model.

There were thirty horses enrolled in the horsemanship clinic. Buck divided the participants into four groups. Once again, as with the colt starting clinic, he asked each rider to list their goals for the clinic. As each rider recited intended goals, Buck helped each participant refine the goal(s). The three horsemanship afternoons proved to be opportunities for the participants to better their riding relationship with their horse. At the same time, the audience had an opportunity to see firsthand the wrong way and why it was wrong and then the right way and how the horse then responded to the training correction.

Buck Brannaman Colt Starting Demonstration

September 1, 1999 - - Bridgehamtom, Long Island, New York.

This was the first clinic I did not need an airline ticket to attend. Rather, I leisurely drove to the East End of Long Island, parked my car and spent a most worthwhile afternoon and evening. Can't do that too often with all these "western guys".

The occasion was the annual Hampton Classic Horse Event. It's the English horse event of the season on Long Island. As part of the week-long equestrian festivities, Harbinger Manor Farms was able to arrange an afternoon colt starting demonstration by Buck Brannaman. It was billed as a fund raising event for local therapeutic riding programs. Each spectator was a sponsor.

The demonstration was billed as a Part II culminating event wherein Part I was ascribed to the November, 1998 Buffalo, New York Clinic that represented the coming together of the English and Western world through Buck Brannaman, Rodney Jenkins, and George Morris. [A side note: a 3-set video of the Buffalo event will be published within a few weeks. Since I attended, I can tell you that it will be a worthwhile purchase. The proceeds from the video will also be directed to therapeutic riding programs. Contact Alexis Mierzswa at The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center Inc. 950 Amherst Street Buffalo, New York 14216 716-877-4001. Cost for entire set @ $150.00.]

Buck introduced himself to the two hundred plus spectators in attendance. At the same time, he asked the owner of the two year old Filly that was used for the demonstration to summarize the horse's present level of training.

She sounded like Rodney Dangerfield's sister. She got no respect from the horse. It constantly tried to run her over at every opportunity. She wouldn't back and therefore would not trailer load. She constantly invaded the human's space. She would not give to pressure but rather, pressured the human in any human/horse relationship. Clearly, this horse was the dominant member of the horse/human team. As a side note, Buck pointed out that herd horses are not dominant by nature. Rather, they are conditioned by the mares to give to pressure. Obviously, somewhere along the way, this Filly was taught to lead [the human].

The horse arrived in the roundpen accompanied by a buddy horse. Otherwise, we were told, she would not enter the gate. When the buddy horse was removed, all hell broke out. When she found out she was the main attraction, this horse was not a happy camper. She was extremely agitated, squawking and charging the circumference of the roundpen. Buck remained along the roundpen fenceline. As he observed the Filly stomp about the roundpen, he explained why she had such little regard for the human. To emphasize the point, each time she charged over to where Buck was standing, she attempted to run over him. Since the demonstrating had not actually started, he simply raised his hands at her approach and she squealed, snorted and diverted. It was obvious that the horse disrespected the human. The halter and rope were only attempts to unsuccessfully restrain her. Under halter, she decided where she wanted to go. That was a good starting point for Buck. This horse was easy to catch and halter because once haltered, it controlled the horse/human relationship - - until today.

Those of you who are familiar with Buck's groundwork methods might be wondering why he did not start with his rope driving/catching the horse. Quite simply, Buck felt that this horse would begin her jumping career early and leap over and out of the roundpen. Instead, he started with the halter and developed a more respectful horse/human relationship.

The first sequence required the horse to disengage first the hindquarters and then the frontquarters. With his left hand, he held the halter rope up and in front of the horse while his right hand drove the horse with the end of the halter rope. He offered the soft feel and gradually increased the pressure of the halter rope until he got a response. The horse's initial response was to drop the shoulder and charge over Buck. As she initiated "The Charge Of The Light Brigade", Buck snapped the halter rope forward and away from him. When she attempted to raise here head above him and charge him from above, he bumped her away with the heels from both his hands. After repeating the above sequence about eight or nine times, the horse's expression and posture changed dramatically. The horse knew she was in trouble. Her aggressive responses were now tempered with caution. She was searching for a way to respond to Buck. Over the course of the first hour, the horse learned the meaning of the halter in the hand of the human. As Buck pointed out, these first encounters would set a lifelong pattern for the horse. [This is what Ray Hunt meant when he said, "You have to be there for the horse".] It was here and now that the horse would be made to understand that the human is the herd leader.

During the second hour, the horse was leading, backing, disengaging the hindquarters, and turning on the frontquarters. The horse was able to walk, stop, and stand at a respectful distance without violating the human's space. No longer was her head up in the clouds. Instead, she stood content next to Buck, head lowered as he talked to the audience.

One of the major concerns of the horse's owner was trailer loading. With this in mind, Buck concentrated part of his limited time on conditioning the horse to back. His colt starting clinics usually run three days. There was only so much you could accomplish in one 3-hour session without overwhelming the horse.

Buck defined trailer loading as leading and backing a horse on a halter. There were murmurs in the audience because it sounded downright too simple. In fact, to many present, it probably sounded ridiculous. Buck asked rhetorically, why do people have trouble trailer loading their horses? The answer: "The horse is not halter broke"! Loading and unloading a horse from a trailer is simply leading and backing. He continued to work with the Filly and promised to load her at the conclusion of the demonstration.

At about the two hour mark, satisfied that the horse would respond to the halter (to his satisfaction), he continued the process of saddling the Filly. I say continue because soon after she accepted his control and direction with the halter, he began touching and patting the horse from head to tail, especially in the cinch and stirrup areas. At first, he used his hand, than switched to his rope coils and finally the flag. As the horse accepted the sound and feel of his hands rubbing and lightly slapping, he added the slapping and rubbing rope coils and eventually the flapping and slapping flag. He followed this exacting procedure on the horse's side and the human side. In NH circles, this is commonly referred to as "sacking out".

Satisfied, he introduced the saddle blanket. He placed and replaced blanket all the while dragging it over each side of the horse. He was now ready to saddle her. He doesn't like to sneak up on a horse with a saddle. Instead, he provides the horse with a full view of his actions. With the saddle in place and the horse statuesque and frozen to the ground, Buck reminded us of the temperament of the horse about an hour ago. He rightly predicted that she would momentarily revert to her former self.

Because of her earlier agitated state, the Filly was still haltered. Even at this juncture, Buck felt the need to control the horse's energy with the halter. She was not perdurable enough to have free access to the roundpen.

He brought up the life in her with the end of the halter rope. As the stirrups began slapping her sides, she bucked and reared. Buck maintained his hold on the halter rope and maneuvered her until moments later she calmed. Immediately, he began working her off the halter, reminding her of her conditioning by leading, backing, disengaging the hindquarters, and turning on the frontquarters. Minutes later, she accepted the saddle. She was beginning to trust Buck. She looked to him for strength, courage and calmness and once again settled. To help her get used to the feel of the saddle, he took her through groundwork exercises. At appropriate junctures, he slapped the stirrups against her sides and/or moved the saddle from side to side by the horn. At this point, he felt confident that the horse could drive in the roundpen without jumping out. He removed the halter and worked her in both directions with and without his rope coils. Many of us were very "tuned in" at this point and could feel the releases that he offered the horse. Each time he offered, she responded. His timing is fantastic. He knows just when to offer the release. Missed opportunities to advance a horse's training are far and few between for Buck Brannaman. All the better for the horse!

Two hours and twenty minutes after the horse tried to run him over, he replaced the halter and half mounted the horse, rubbing her neck, side and rump. He stepped down and repeated the process. Seconds later, he was in the saddle. As he expected, she remained calm. He gently slapped the stirrups against her sides in an effort to get her moving. Her direction didn't matter, only that she moved out. As soon as she responded, be began rubbing forward and back. She bucked, but quickly calmed as Buck kept rubbing and reassuring her. After several starts and stops, he added one rein stops, leg assisted turns, and backing. Her gaits from walk, trot and lope were picked up on the right lead. This was as far as he would take the horse. He dismounted and removed the saddle and stood for questions while the owner moved her horse trailer to the side of the arena.

We gathered in a wide semicircle around the horse trailer as Buck brought the horse down from the roundpen. After giving her a few moments to calm with all of us around her, he walked her to the horse trailer, lead her up the ramp and she calmly walked three quarters the way into the trailer. Buck backed her out and away from the trailer. He brought her back and this time she calmly walked fully into the trailer. He repeated the loading about six times and turned the horse over to the owner.

Personal Note #3:

I have attended colt starting/horsemanship clinics as a spectator for the past two years. On September 10th - 12th, Buck Brannaman will start my colt at Dick McCoy's Willow Brook Farm in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. To get to this point, I have spent countless hours building a knowledge base of experiences attending colt starting clinics, reading articles, posts and books on the nature of the horse, about the natural horsemanship training of the horse and the fun and pleasure of being partners with a horse. I'm looking forward to moving to the next step - horse and rider.

I have spent a great deal of time preparing the above reports. I know how difficult it is to get across the country and attend the clinics. I have cherished each of the clinic reports that were posted. They have provided me with great insight into the relationship between the horse and the human. Thank you.

Happy Trails,

Ed Rubenstein