My Review of the Book "The Man Who Listens to Horses"

Have you ever seen the popular television show "The Dog Whisperer"? It highlights a man who loves dogs, and has a unique ability to communicate with them, and train them as well. The book "The Man Who Listens to Horses" offers a similar story, about a man who is able to train and communicate with horses. Written by Monty Roberts, it showcases the internal workings of a horse's mind. In this article I will be offering my humble opinion on this remarkable book, and offer what I think are some of the highlights that I think other readers might enjoy.

Monty Roberts is a remarkable man, with a story to tell. He grew up with an abusive father who not only abused him, but his horses as well. This formed a strong impression on the young Monty, and as he grew into a man he started to formulate thoughts on "there must be a better way" to communicate with these magnificent creatures.

This "better way" was to become a horse breaking and training technique which he calls "join-up". For starters, you need a round pen, and an unbroken horse. The handler stands in the middle of the pen, and the horse is encouraged to run away from him/her, circling the pen in attempts to get away. As the horse runs away, the handler forms steady eye contact, and assumes a very authoritative and imposing stance. As time goes by, the handler will look for three specific signs that the horse wishes to communicate with the handler. These signs are:

The horse will turn his closest ear to the handler towards him/her.

The horse will start to chew and lick.

The horse will lower his head near to the ground as he runs around the pen.

Once the handler has determined the horse wishes to communicate, he will turn his back on the horse and start to move away. At this point the horse will usually move closer to the handler, permitting the handler to touch him/her. The next step in the process is to saddle, bridle, mount, and ride…

The book takes us on a journey into Robert's life (in addition to the "join-up" technique). We learn of the various stages of his life and the events that have helped to shape his view of horses, and the techniques he has developed along the way. Some of the highlights are:

-His successful childhood riding career

-His encounters with his father

-The development of his Thoroughbred racehorse facility

-The time he met Queen Elizabeth II of England

-Using the join-up technique with wild deer

-The author's experiences with mustang horses

-Three of his favorite horses: Johnny Tivio, Brownie, and Dually

Anyone who loves horses and is looking for a humane way to communicate with them and train them should check out this book. Read it over and let the information wrap around your mind.

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