The Man Who Listens to Horses\” Book Review

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 has a story to tell; not only of himself, but of the horses he loves so much. Monty grew up in an abusive household, and his father was abusive not only to him, but to his horses as well. As Monty grew older he started to formulate a different viewpoint. There must be a better way to communicate with the horses that he loves so much, and he was determined to find out what it was.

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 gradually turn the ear that is closest to the handler towards him/her.

The horse will begin a process of chewing and licking.

The head of the horse will move closer to the ground as he runs around the pen.

At this point the handler will turn his back on the horse and move away. The horse will then usually come closer to the handler, and allow the handler to touch him/her. At this point, the handler is well on his way to the process of: saddling, bridling, mounting, and riding.

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:

-The author\’s successful childhood riding career

-His encounters with his father

-The development of his Thoroughbred racehorse facility

-His meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of England

-How the \”join-up\” technique was used on wild deer

-Mustang horses and the author\’s experiences with them

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

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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