Before Ceasar Milan came onto the scene, people thought that fixing bad behavior in dogs had little to do with the dog owner, and even less to do with the relationship he/she had with the dog. Well, we now know that the way a dog acts is often a telling reflection of the way the owner handles him/her. And what Ceasar has done for dog owners, Buck Brannaman has done for horse owners. The newly released movie “Buck” tells the story.
Weaving easily between poignant moments at several of Buck’s four day colt starting workshops and glimpses into his home life and horrific past, the movie sheds light into horse and human relationships in a way not seen before. As the inspirational force for the movie, “The Horse Whisperer” with Robert Redford, Buck has taken the teachings of the late Ray Hunt, and embarked on a non-stop journey to encourage people to re-think the nature of the horse and the way he is trained.
In one of his well-attended seminars Brannaman describes riding the horse as asking a prey animal to “allow a predator (human) to crawl on his back,” then adds that he’d also like to “strap some pieces of dead animal (saddle) on the horse’s back too.” The movie then intersperses interviews with several of Buck’s friends, followers, and clients that have seen miracles occur with their mounts, and in the process, given cause to reconsider not just how they approach their horse, but their life as well.
Continue reading Equine Therapy: “BUCK” the Movie, by Claire Dorotik
