Buck Brannaman
Dan M. "Buck" Brannaman is a horse trainer and a leading practitioner within the field of Natural horsemanship, which is a philosophy of working with horses based on the idea of working with the horse's nature, using an understanding of how horses think and communicate to train the horse to accept humans and work confidently and responsively with them. One of Brannaman's stated goals is to make the animal feel safe and secure around humans so that the horse and rider can achieve a true union. Raised in Montana and Idaho, for many years a disciple of Ray Hunt, one of the founders of the Natural Horsemanship movement, and also inspired by Tom and Bill Dorrance, Brannaman now teaches clinics worldwide. "the goal for clinics really is to just try to get the human being to understand as much about their horse as I can help them to understand." Though many aspects of the book are fictional, Brannaman was one the primary individuals who inspired the character of Tom Booker in the Nicholas Evans novel, The Horse Whisperer and was the lead equine consultant for the film of the same name. Evans himself said, "Others have falsely claimed to be the inspiration for Tom Booker in The Horse Whisperer. The one who truly inspired me was Buck Brannaman. His skill, understanding and his gentle, loving heart have parted the clouds for countless troubled creatures. Buck is the Zen master of the horse world.
