Photo courtesy of IFC Films.
Buck Brannaman, the honest-to-goodness horse whisperer who inspired the novel and film of the same name, is in Red Bluff this weekend and as usual he’s drawing a crowd.
Fans, of both the two-legged and four-legged variety, have filled every available slot for his four-day clinic at the Tehama District Fair grounds and plenty more are expected to attend a Saturday night screening of “Buck” at the State Theatre.
The film, which won the Audience Award for documentary at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, follows Brannaman’s rise from a tortured childhood to his status as one of the country’s leading advocates of natural horsemanship.
The 7 pm screening is a fundraiser for the Tehama County Arts Council. Brannaman will answer questions after the show. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids 17 and younger. Call 529-2787 or visit www.statetheatreredbluff.com.
Brannaman’s approach to handling horses, emphasizing communication and an understanding of how they think and communicate, is all the more remarkable considering his upbringing featured a distinct lack of communication, sensitivity and compassion.
Brannaman’s father used Brannaman, 6, and his older brother, Smokie, to form a trick roping performance duo that he would take to fairs, rodeos and even TV appearances. The family was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The two boys were given a choice: practice their rope tricks or undergo a whipping.
On most days, the beatings were delivered anyway. The assaults picked up in intensity after Brannaman’s mother died at an early age from diabetes complications.
The abuse continued for six years until Bannaman and his brother were placed with foster families. It was then, he said, that his love of horses and passion for the cowboy lifestyle took root. “I really got interested in working with young horses when I went to live with my foster parents. I was about 12 when that whole thing started,” Brannaman said.
“My foster dad was the first man I wanted to be like, and he was a cowboy so that’s when my interest really started. It’s interesting that I ended up doing what I do for living, considering my background and what I came from, but I guess that’s the very thing that gives me the empathy for the horses and the understanding of what people kind of deal with,” Brannaman said.
Photo courtesy of IFC Films.
After countless episodes of having been bit, kicked and bucked off of horses, Brannaman said he came to the realization that life would be much easier if he learned why horses act the way they do.
His painful childhood experiences help him relate to horses that were “broken” by conventional means that emphasize brute strength instead of patience and cooperation. Like kids who have been abused, these horses have learned not to trust humans and to expect the worst.
Brannaman is fond of saying that more often than not, he helps horses with their human problems. So-called “problem” horses are often a reflection of their owners, and the picture they show is not always a flattering one.
“He’s amazing. It really is interesting to watch him,” said Tina Cornish, a Tehama County horse trainer who set up the Brannaman clinic. “It sounds hokey to describe him communicating with a horse, but it really is interesting. He’s sensitive and caring, but he never varies. That makes it very easy to track. He doesn’t change whether it’s with his horse or yours.
“The horse always knows where it stands. That’s important to a horse. We don’t give horses enough time to answer the question we’re asking. He’s all about time. He sets it up so the horse can give the answer you want,” said Cornish, who operates Pine Creek Ranch with her husband, Dan Gunter.
Cornish, who has worked with Brannaman for 20 years, said she’s still amazed at his “sheer natural talent. He was just meant to be on a horse. If you watch him ride, he’s clearly a person who found what he should be doing and then does it.” Both Cornish and her husband are in the documentary.
Brannaman said he hopes “Buck,” which was directed by Cindy Meehl, sends a positive message regardless if the viewer owns or rides horses. “I thought it was an important opportunity to use that film to send a message to some people who are maybe struggling in their lives to realize that there are decisions they’re going to have the opportunity to make and if they make the right ones, it’s not preordained how your life’s going to turn out. You have a lot of say-so in it if you make the right decisions.”
Fans may have the opportunity to learn even more about Brannaman. He said he is talking to Larry McMurtry (author of the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for “Lonesome Dove”) about a screenplay inspired by Brannaman’s 2001 autobiography “The Faraway Horses.”
“I think there’s a pretty fair chance we’re going to make a deal with him so there should be a feature film. It won’t exactly follow my book, but the screenplay will be inspired by it, so that’s sort of my next project to work on in my spare time.”
When he isn’t conducting clinics, Brannaman prefers to spend time with his wife, Mary, and his three daughters. The Brannamans reside in Montana.
Jon Lewis is a freelance writer living in Redding. He has more than 30 years experience writing for newspapers and magazines. Contact him at jonpaullewis@gmail.com.
