A Legendary Horseman

"Tom Dorrance, 93, of Salinas, died Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at Hospice House in Monterey after a lengthy illness. He was born May 11, 1910, in Enterprise, Ore., and lived in Salinas for 30 years. He was a rancher in Oregon and California before his retirement and a former resident of La Grange, Merced, Gustine and Hollister. He helped people with their horses and conducted horse clinics. He was the author of "True Unity, Willing Communication Between Horse and Human" and invented the tilt-up automatic gate. He was recognized for his horsemanship in publications, including People and the New York Times.

In 1954, he was a 4-H leader in Oregon, and in 1956, he was president of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers in Oregon. In 1985, he received the Merced College Agriculture Division Award, received the NRCHA Vaquero Award in California in 1994, received the Cowboy Hall of Fame's Chester A. Reynold Memorial in 1995 and American Association of the Equine Practitioners Lavin Cup in 1999." --- From CalifornianOnline.com

I feel so sad and privileged at the same time. Sad because the world has lost a great horseman and privileged because I got to see him in action.

In October of 1997, Tom did a clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. I was an auditor at that clinic and it has been one of my most treasured memories. I made new friends, I watched people learn to think and I saw horses overcome fears because their people started thinking. I saw an old man using 2 canes hobble to a flat bed truck and get lifted up into his easy chair. I saw some very amazing things at that clinic, but the most amazing one was that sparkle in his eye. I got to talk to him during a break (for everyone but him - he said he didn't need a break). I got a glimpse of that beautiful soul sparkling there in his eyes as I told him how I had taught my old mare that she could come to me out in the pasture without fear. I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience and I treasure every memory I can from that clinic.

That clinic was the start of so many good things for my horses and myself. I went home and used what I had learned to the best of my ability. My old Arab, Sally, was a basket case. After this clinic, I made more headway in calming her and myself down in 1 week than I had made in the prior 4 months. She started trusting me more and we were able to start trail riding in January. What I was able to take home and use successfully from that clinic was more than the average.

I've heard it said that if you can bring home 2 things from a clinic that you can use, you got your moneys worth. I feel like I brought home a lot more than 2 items. After six years, I still have flashbacks every time I see a horse that bucks when you ask it to canter. I flashback when I see someone riding crooked in the saddle. I flashback when I see a horse afraid of audience sounds. I flashback when I see a horse in tie downs. I flashback when I see a horse afraid of a farrier. I flashback when I see a horse afraid of a blue tarp. I flashback every time I see someone trying to teach a horse to ground tie. I flashback every time I see someone trying to teach a horse to turn on the forehand.

I think I could fill up the whole column with all the things I remember and still use after 6 years. Tom has definitely made a huge impact on my life with horses and I thank God that he was allowed to reach so many people and their horses.

Happy trails,
Trail Riding Sweetheart

"When I observe people and horses, it often seems to me that when the horse is trying to avoid something, or maybe is not doing what the rider asks of him, it is because the horse's sense of self-preservation is immediately taking effect. This may seem as though the horse does not want to cooperate. But the rider needs to recognize the whole horse: the horse has a basic need for self-preservation." - Tom Dorrance