Since I began my horsemanship journey, I’ve been very fortunate to learn from some talented horsemen. Listening to the right people is one of those best practices for life in general. It is especially true in our journey to better horsemanship. Following, is a list of 5 horsemen from which I have learned a lot. The first in the list, Mike Branch, is the only one I know personally. The rest, I’ve either seen in clinics, bought their books or DVD’s, or learned from their online content. I’ve chosen these individuals not only because they put out quality reliable content, but also because they have a humble spirit and a quiet confidence. This is important because as you get better in your horsemanship, you’ll grow as a person and you want to have good role models.
1. Mike Branch – Flying B Horsemanship
Mr. Branch is based in East Tennessee only a few miles from where I live. He has travelled the US doing clinics as well as the UK. He does lots of work with mustangs and in the past travelled with the Bureau of Land Management gentling mustangs at adoption sites and often riding them in an hour. He has several books and DVD’s on horsemanship and also has a presence on Facebook where he shares some insights on horsemanship. He also gives lessons to individuals. He also gives leadership seminars and his new book “Leadership; Through the Eyes of a Horseman” speaks of how partnership with horses teaches us how a person ought to lead in business and other organizations. His motto is: Leadership through Trust, Partnership through Leadership, Trust, Partnership, and Leadership through Love, Understanding, and Communication. Find him at www.mikebranchhorsemanship.com .
2. Warwick Schiller – Warwick Schiller Performance Horsemanship
Mr. Schiller is from Australia but is currently based in California. He’s earned multiple titles in the reining world and represented Australia in the 2010 and 2018 World Equestrian Games. He has a ton of free content on YouTube and has an online membership group. He also has a great Facebook group that is probably my favorite group on Facebook. I’ve written about Mr. Schiller before and what I love about him is his willingness to talk about changing his horsemanship as he’s grown. He teaches a desensitizing technique he calls Polyvagal Theory of Desensitizing that has really helped me to get my horses to relax in their work. Check him out at www.warwickschiller.com or search him on YouTube.
3. Buck Brannaman
Mr. Brannaman is based out of Sheridan, WY and travels 11 months out of the year teaching in clinics. He learned his horsemanship from one of the great horsemen, Ray Hunt. Mr. Hunt deserves his own article but to say the least his contribution to getting good horsemanship to the everyday horse owner is unsurpassed. Mr. Brannaman teaches what could be referred to as the vaquero bridle horse tradition. This tradition is about getting a very light, soft horse through quality horsemanship and involves the use of the traditional bosal progressing to the spade bit. There’s a 2011 documentary called “Buck” which shows Mr. Brannaman working with horses and their owners as well as telling the story of his life. It’s a great film. Find him at www.brannaman.com or look for his film on your favorite streaming service.
4. Guy McLean – Guy McLean Horsemanship
Mr. McLean is another talented Aussie horseman. He has travelled the world sharing his horsemanship at events and expos where he rides his beautiful Australian Stock Horses. He is also a two time winner of the colt starting competition “Road to the Horse”. He has several DVD’s in which he explains his methods. He is sort of unique in that he is self-taught. One would think this would make him arrogant, but he seems to be one of the most humble horsemen out there. More than anything, he inspires you with what he is able to accomplish with his horses. He rides one around the arena while controlling 4 others at liberty. He’ll lay one down and sidepass the other 4 horses over top of them. It’s amazing. Check him out on YouTube, Facebook, or his website www.guymcleanusa.com .
5. Chris Cox
When you listen to Mr. Cox you are tempted to think he is an Australian. This is because while he was born in Florida and now lives in Texas he grew up in Australia. He travels the US Doing horsemanship clinics and demonstrations and is the winner of several prestigious awards including a two time winner of the colt starting competition “Road to the Horse“. One of the things I like about Chris Cox is that he is one of the best at teaching someone who has little to no knowledge of horses and advancing them to be able to communicate effectively with their horse. He was one of the first people I began following when I began my journey of horsemanship. I have his Leg Yielding DVD set and I continue to follow him and learn from him today. Find him at http://www.chris-cox.com
Apprentice of the Horse 