The only time I’ve ever ridden a horse was about 20 years ago. We were headed to Scout camp in Colorado and had a free afternoon before activities started.
I thought it would be a good idea to go on Rocky Mountain National Park’s guided horseback ride.
I told the cowboy I wanted the oldest, slowest horse he had because I was scared of getting on the back of a 2,000-pound animal.
He assured me the horse I was riding was just what I wanted. She was until the end of the ride and spotted the stable. All of a sudden, my horse started galloping, and I hung on for my life.
That incident replayed in my brain as I was driving to Dallas early Saturday morning to be a spectator at a Buck Brannaman horse training clinic.
Even though I don’t know a thing about horses, I know a little about horse trainer Buck Brannaman.
Buck was a child roping star whose mother passed away when he was young. He and his brother were left with an abusive father who beat them on a regular basis.
A coach saw whelps on Buck’s back, and the boys were removed from the home. They went to live with foster parents Forrest and Betsy Shirley who embraced the brothers and gave them and 17 other boys a safe and loving home.
From the Shirleys and other legendary horse trainers, Buck learned how to teach horses in a gentle yet firm way, and over the past 20 years of holding clinics, his devotees grew.
He was inspiration for the novel “The Horse Whisperer” and a major contributor to the movie starring Robert Redford.
In 2011, director Cindy Meehl filmed a documentary about Buck that won Best Documentary at the Sundance Festival.
My sister-in-law recommended the film, and sitting in the movie theater, I realized what Buck was saying about horses could be applied to teaching, and his advice served me well over my career.
Over the years, I’ve been watching Buck’s schedule to see if I could ever attend one of his clinics as a spectator. Most were out West or overseas, but when I saw one was within driving distance, I marked it on my calendar.
Although this city girl felt a little foolish going to a horse clinic, I wanted to see and hear the genuine Horse Whisperer in person.
I got to the arena during the lunch break and happened to see Buck near his truck. I hadn’t waited almost 10 years to let the opportunity to speak to him pass me by, so I walked up to him, heart pounding, and thanked him.
I told him that his documentary positively influenced the way I handled teaching. He taught me when a student is having a bad day or is labeled as troublesome, there’s a reason why and it’s not fair to hold that reason against the child.
Every student can be successful if the teacher finds out the students’ strengths, encourages good behavior and discourages unproductive behavior.
He smiled when I told him of my long-time admiration, and I walked away knowing that five-hour drive was worth it. He was gracious, unassuming and nice, as genuine as he was on the DVD I’ve watched at least a dozen times.
That afternoon, I saw first-hand what simple yet effective teaching is all about. Buck started the session on horseback in the middle of the arena, surrounded by people of all ages on their horses.
Three songs played over the loudspeaker as Buck demonstrated what he wanted the riders to do – use soft hands, lead the horse, stay calm and, most importantly, enjoy the ride.
Buck says he doesn’t help people with horse problems. He helps horses with people problems.
This quiet cowboy makes everyone believe they can be more than they thought they could be if they trust their horse and the good people who come into our lives, whether they’re a friend, foster parent, teacher or horse whisperer.
Thank you, Buck. Thank you for making me want to be a better person and showing me the way to reach that goal.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.