I originally wrote this for our riding club newsletter… here it is for the blogosphere…
Clinic Report
Buck Brannaman in Dayton, July 2011. By Heather Farrell
Part One of Four…
My first clinic riding with Buck was eventful in all the right ways. I didn’t get bucked off, I didn’t fall off, I didn’t cause Buck to need to get “firm” with me. I asked for help when I needed it and made huge strides in confidence for both my horse and I. I also spent time with good friends from near and far and added new friends to those we hope to see again down the road. I’ve also signed up to ride again in Buck’s clinic in High River Alberta in November this year.
The evening before the clinic we had the opportunity to view a screening of the documentary, “Buck” by Cyndi Meehl. Buck was present at the screening and answered questions afterwards. “Buck” is a beautifully shot movie about a great horseman and human being. I’ve already ordered my copy of the DVD that is scheduled to be released October 4th. A viewing party will be held – anyone have a big TV and lots of room to host one?
We rode in the morning Horsemanship One class – of about 25 riders plus Buck in the arena. He’s been teaching clinics for almost 30 years and is a master at knowing what is going on all around him, helping people when they need it, encouraging when they need it and letting them work on it when they need to work on it. It’s a thing of beauty to watch one of his clinics develop over the four days – from sometimes barely managed chaos the first day, to feeling like there is a lot more room in the arena by the fourth day, with the same number of horses. Much more controlled and relaxed, with horses and people really getting some good changes in themselves.
Day One of H1. Bailey and I began by not warming up anywhere near early enough to be ready in time for class. I don’t know that what I knew before day one could have gotten us ready. We were one of the first ones in the arena, but as more and more horses and people arrived, Bailey got tighter instead of more relaxed. When I borrowed Fawn’s flag, thinking to myself, “She’s tight, I’d better get that out.” She felt like she had to buck around me in circles and I realized I didn’t know how to help her when things got bigger and busier than our usual riding area in the cul-de-sac at the bottom of our dead end road! I had already spoken to Buck when he arrived in the arena and asked him to watch out for us because I knew I might have a bit more than I could handle and I wasn’t confident that I could handle it – once he saw how things were shaping up with Bailey and I (not well) he had one of his more experienced hands help Bailey. It took about an hour for her to be calm, relaxed, accepting, responsive and willing in all of the groundwork that Robert was asking her to do. During this time Buck was talking and answering questions so I had my ears on him and my eyes glued to what was going on with Bailey. I learned a TON from watching Robert work her – and even more from watching Buck as we had the privilege to see him with three green horses on the road. Usually, he brings near “finished” bridle horses and you can’t see his cues even though he tells you what they are and when he’s making them. We got to watch him work through things with his horses in groundwork each day before they were perfect at it, to see his corrections and more importantly his releases. We also got to watch him take two students’ horses and make big changes on the ground with them to help keep their riders safe. These horses were terrified, braced up and didn’t understand what was being asked. In 20 minutes he had them understanding what they needed to do – and all the whinnying and carrying on that one buddy sour horse had been doing diminished incredibly. He kept her mind off of her buddy and on him – keeping her busy thinking about him instead by getting to her feet. Having the hindquarters truly disengage with lightness and the front quarters truly reach and move lightly, responsively but RELAXED was one big key that I got out of this clinic.
Someone got bucked off during their warm up before class because they didn’t get on the horse properly and cranked the saddle over to one side, pinching the horse’s withers. Buck gave us lectures on properly preparing with groundwork AND on getting on one properly… not to mention about checking the cinch properly, wearing safe boots, having stirrups that are easy to pick up and won’t turn on your foot if the horse fell… many, many safety lessons.
Bailey and I finished day one by mounting up part way through class. We worked on the lateral bending exercises at a standstill – on the way to getting her ears level, poll slightly above the withers and chin tucking towards her shoulder – all of which affects the horse’s balance greatly. We then worked on stopping with one rein and began Bucks “short serpentine” exercise. These serpentines are tight enough that you could weave around sagebrush or cowboy hats on the ground with the horse’s feet staying really close to them all the way around. One of the goals of this exercise, done properly, is to get the horse travelling on all four quarters evenly. In balance. This removes a lot of the brace that horses have when we ask them to move and they are not properly prepared in balance. The others in the class had moved on to moving the hindquarters and moving the forequarters, but Bailey and I needed to stay with the serpentines. I needed to get better in my timing (and still do!) to enable her to really reach with her inside foreleg when we changed the bend each time. I’ve gotten better, but we’ve a ways to go, yet. I now THINK I know what the feel is that I’m looking for – when all four quarters reach evenly around the circle and the horse is truly balanced and ready to go in whatever direction you are asking with lightness. It’s amazing the things that will get better when this exercise alone is done with quality.
If someone asked me what a Buck clinic was like, Buck was right when he said I’d tell them… “Well, first, he’ll teach you about properly halter breaking your horse.” Some might find that offensive, “I know how to lead my horse! Who does he think he is?” But, it’s absolutely the key to staying safe. Having a horse lead properly, LIGHTLY, respectfully. Responding with respect and not fear – it’s huge. So many horses are broke to drag, not broke to lead. I was witness to many in the clinic that week and I have a much better understanding of what it is to be properly halter broke from watching Buck and from getting changes in my own horse.
That first day I got a few realizations about lightness… but these would grow over the next few days – and will likely continue to grow every time I am with my horses, if I can remain aware of them. That’s the hard part.
Working the short serpentine in Dayton.
To be continued…
