Customer Reviews

The Faraway Horses: The Adventures and Wisdom of One of America's Most Renowned Horsemen

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is about one phenominal human being who truly lives his life for the betterment of horses everywhere. Drawing from his early life experiences, he has figured a way to show horses that he is a partner and not a dominance in their lives.
Having spent four days at one of his clinics, I can attest that the man is honest to the core when it comes to his passion, the horse!

I only know Buck Brannaman through his videos. He is indeed the "real deal" as a horseman and after reading his book he is the "real deal" as a human being. If anybody ever had a reason or an excuse to be a bitter, resentful, and hostile person it is Buck Brannaman. While he freely gives credit to those that helped shape him both as a person and as a horseman Buck is the one who ultimately decided to use his childhood experiences as motivation
for peace instead of violence. An inspirational book for anyone who has ever blamed their past for their stagnation.

Distance is everything to Buck Brannaman.

Time and space have made all the difference. Whether it's the 30 years since his harrowing childhood, or the nearly imperceptible space that constitutes trust between a horse and its rider, it's all been important to the horse-whisperer whose life and work helped breathe vitality into a gentle method of training animals. Now he's telling his own story in "The Faraway Horses."

Brannaman recounts his sometimes horrifying, occasionally funny adventures. He describes his training technique, built on trust and respect, not force. He writes about horses he's learned from, including Bif, the rank outlaw who became one of Buck's most trusted mounts. And he tells of owners he's taught, including the trainer who abused her show Arabians to make them look "spirited."

But the roots of his special connection with troubled and wild horses lie in his own childhood.

"I want people to be entertained, but there are some real stark realities out there," Brannaman says. "I hope it just doesn't go away after they close the book and put it on their shelf, but that the book's with them, maybe for the rest of their lives."

What a WONDERFUL book. For those of us who know Buck and have ridden with him, this books gives us some of the answers about why he does things the way he does with horses. For those folks who have seen Buck don't know him very well, this book will give you an in depth look into the boy who grew up to be one of the finest horsemen in the world today. The book will compell you to seek out one of his clinics and meet him in person! For folks who have no idea why many people go back to ride with Buck again and again, it will help them to understand their friends' and relatives' compulsion to be in his presence.

If you aren't in to horses or horsemanship at all, you will be impressed with his drive an determination to help the horses and truly help the people who want to understand their horses better.

It's just a plain great read, in Buck's own words and his voice, too!

I love autobiographies. It is always intriguing how other people live, what shaped their lives and how they think. This book is about Buck Brannaman, an exceptional horseman and kind, insightful person. I saw and loved the movie about him(Sundance film Festival 2011 - Winner US Documentary Audience Award). Then I ordered the book. I found the book was easy to read and wide openly honest about the good and bad times in Buck's life. What I enjoyed the most are Buck's nuggets of wisdom that apply not only to horses, but to humans. There are insightful parallels to horse training and child rearing. This book is terrific for anyone that has horses, anyone that loves autobiographies, cowboys or just wants an interesting, non-fiction book to read about a good guy that loves horses.

Having seen the movie, some of Buck's biography was familiar to me before reading this. I enjoyed his storytelling voice and evident honesty in disclosing some of his difficult years. I liked every bit of horse wisdom he shared and wished only that there might have been even more of that.

What a great book, I couldn't put it down. Potential buyers should note that this is mostly Buck's life story...with some horse lessons in the mix. If you're looking to learn Buck's techniques I suggest one of his other books or videos. But if you want to know the man, understand his background and philosophy toward animals and life--then this is the book. There are some very touching stories. Some will make you happy, some will make you cry. This book should be required reading for anyone who owns a horse or is even thinking about it! I can't wait for his next book.

I feel like I understand horses more now. What I got out of this book is:
A horse that is considered bad because of something a human did to them gets the bad rap...They are treated like they are at fault and then they get pushed asside or abused all because of humans. If there is someone who comes along and can get the horse over their fear--usually caused by a human error. These are true horseman and woman. Buck Brannaman is just that. He has helped many horses become good horses and therefore have a better life. What could be more important?

I was very fortunate to go to a clinic put on by Buck Brannaman and it was amazing. I read "The Horse Whisperer" which is based on Buck's training methods and when I saw on TV that he wrote another book I bought it immediately. I never knew the hardships that Buck faced when he was growing up. With animals and humans, Buck shows us that we don't need brutal force to get what we want. I really hope he comes back to my area for another clinic.

Buck is such a great teacher and in his book he shares his life's lessons. You'll laugh and you'll cry, you may even want to go see one of his clinics. What Buck teaches us about the horse is more than just horsemanship....it's life. I hope everyone who enjoys horses and life reads this book. I was sorry when I got to the last page...I didn't want it end. It was that good. ENJOY!