THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO HORSES
by Monty Roberts
Book Review by Taryl
Elliot
Horse breaker, bronco buster - these are terms from the Old West... and the
not so old East, West, and South... for the people who start horses under
saddle using violent and brutal methods. However, any being taught through
fear is often afraid of what is has been taught, not just of the person doing
the teaching. So how can fear training produce a horse that is trustworthy
and a true partner with his rider?
As a child Monty Roberts felt that the brutal methods used by his father,
a respected horse trainer, were wrong, and he was impelled to look for a better
way.
THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO HORSES is his autobiography. It chronicles his success
in many sports from rodeo to racing, and also relates his discovery of what
he terms equus language, the body language by which horses communicate with
each other. By simulating this language with his own body positions and movements,
he was able to get almost instant understanding from horses, followed by cooperation
and trust. With the basic tools of comunication established, Monty developed
a method by which he starts a horse under saddle, usually taking 30 minutes
or less. He calls this process "join up." The horse has been called
a dumb animal because it takes him so long to learn our language and understand
what we want from him. (How long has it taken for humanity to learn horse
language?) Yet, by addressing the horse in his own language, he understands
almost instantly what is requested, and he complies. Thity minutes seems astonishing;
but think how much less time it takes to teach us something new in our own
languagethan it would in a completely foreign tongue. The horse is a prey
animal whose natural reaction to anything fearful is fight, flight or freeze.
But it also is a herd animal. Thus when it is isolated, as in a round pen,
it usually is eager for safety's sake to join up with the person in the pen
who is "talking" in a familiar language, and "talking"
as the dominant member of the herd, who is expecting - getting - obedience
from a fellow herd member. Monty details the specific steps of join-up at
the end of the book. The autobiographical part (most of the book) is filled
with anecdotes of people and horses he has known, including Queen Elizabeth
II and horses from royal stables. In April 1989, Monty was invited by the
Queen to spend a week at Windsor Castle and give her a demonstration. During
that week, he started 22 horses, some of which belonged to the Queen Mother
and to other members of the royal family and their friends. All horses in
the royal stables are now started under saddle using Monty's join-up method.
After more than 50 years of quietly working with horses, using Equus language
and gentle methods, Monty became an overnight success. At the Queen's suggestion,
he wrote a book, which was first published in the U.K. in September 1996.
It quickly became a best-seller on the London Times list. In August 1997,
a slightly revised edition was published in the U.S. and is available through
most bookstores.
A companion video is available titled "Join-Up." The actor John
Forsythe (Dynasty, etc.) provides commentary. Monty had worked successfully
with Forsythe's apparently incorrigible thoroughbred race horse, Gospel Hill.
The video includes demonstrations of join-up, first saddling, first bridling,
long lines and driving, and first riding - all five steps accomplished within
30 minutes. Because Monty is using Equus, the language the horse understands,
starting a horse under saddle does not ned the weeks that fear training often
takes.
Join-up video - 58 mintes. $60.00 $5.00 S & H.
FLAG IS UP FARMS
P.O. Box 86
Solvang, CA 93464
805- 688- 4382
805- 688- 9709 (fax)