In Memory of Tom Dorrance

What really sets Tom Dorrance apart from the many other trainers I have known and read about is his humility. While I am thankful that his protégé and colleague Ray Hunt, and later Buck Brannaman, shared his teachings and made his techniques popular with horse trainers, to Dorrance, it was all about the horse. He didn't want to be famous; he wasn't in it for the money. He turned down invitations to the premiere and a private screening of the movie. It was all about the horse, and it was a deep, personal thing. In his 1987 book, "True Unity: Willing Communication Between Horse and Human" he doesn't try to sell one technique, trick or method to work on all horses, and he doesn't promise that everyone can be successful. Instead he tries to give a horse's view of the world so we can better understand their behavior and reactions to our demands.

Dorrance was always fine tuning his techniques and learning from the horses. Many good horsemen following in his traditions continue to respect, and be humbled by the horses they work with. They understand the basic principle when working with a horse -- to have patience, try something, listen to the horse and either proceed or try something else. Many well marketed horse trainers are very patient and kind, but they seem to have lost this ability to adapt to and learn from each individual horse. To do so one must do more than admit to the fact, one must embrace the fact that they do not have all the answers all the time for every horse. Tom Dorrance had that humility along with the skills to then listen to that horse in order to learn the answers.

When Tom Dorrance left this world on June 11, 2003 at the age of 93, he left it a better place for horses. He left us a gift. The relationship that we can know with our horses through patience, respect, and understanding is one of the most beautiful gifts we could ever receive. Thank you, Tom Dorrance. You will be missed.

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