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06/29/05: "An old-timer told me that horses of different skin color have different sensitivities and that the darker the skin (like true black), the more sensitive a horse will be. He told me that greys are the least sensitive and will take all kinds of kicking and/or spurring while a black horse will not tolerate it. And he said that sometimes the way a horse is being ridden if it happens to have sensitive skin will cause the horse to appear to be rank, or nervous, or unmanageable. For example, some horses might start bucking because a person is putting their heels into its side which shouldn't normally be a problem except the horse is just extra sensitive. What is your experience with this? I have found that it is even true with dogs."

Susan - near Raleigh, North Carolina

06/24/05: "My horses’ gait is rough. How can I appear to have a good seat in the show ring?"

06/17/05: "I’ve read that you are working with children using the same principles that you do with horses. How do you make the transition from horses to children?"

06/10/05: Mr. Roberts, I guess my question is, “Why you?” Why do you think you made these discoveries when human beings had 8,000 years to understand horses and suddenly you reverse the methods that preceded you?

06/03/05: “I am new to horses and my lovely mare Layla has produced her first foal now 9 weeks old. I haven't been able to find anything as to how you would start them off. So far I have been stroking her. I started with the top of the tail. Her little brush goes straight up in the air and her ears go into the relaxed position. Then I slowly traveled up her spine ending by scratching her wither. I have just begun stroking her flank while slowly going down her legs. She is a delightful little person and backs up to me now for her bum scratch. Am I doing this right? How do I start her to a head collar? What would you suggest? Your book is my bible.

Regards and thank you for caring about horses as you do.”

Di Allpike
Two Wells South Australia

Question: "An old-timer told me that horses of different skin color have different sensitivities and that the darker the skin (like true black), the more sensitive a horse will be. He told me that greys are the least sensitive and will take all kinds of kicking and/or spurring while a black horse will not tolerate it. And he said that sometimes the way a horse is being ridden if it happens to have sensitive skin will cause the horse to appear to be rank, or nervous, or unmanageable. For example, some horses might start bucking because a person is putting their heels into its side which shouldn't normally be a problem except the horse is just extra sensitive. What is your experience with this? I have found that it is even true with dogs."

Answer:

Without scientific proof of my theories, I will explain to you what experience has taught me over the past six decades.

It seems evident to me that many people concern themselves with hair color where sensitivity is concerned. I believe that it is far more important to look at the color of the skin as opposed to the color of the hair. If we accept these premises as gospel than the black horse with black horse with black skin sits on one end of the spectrum and the true albino sits on the other end.

I don’t believe that either of these assumptions is necessarily correct. I am also of the opinion that it is quite incorrect that black horses with black skin are the most sensitive because, I believe that in fact they tend to be the least sensitive.

If we can pull any actual scientific data into this discussion I believe that it is evidenced by companies that produce counterirritants used to increase circulation in joints requiring therapy. For the past 80 years or so, these companies have observed that chestnut horses with white legs which have light colored skin are far more sensitive to these substances. I have personally experienced significant edema with white legged chestnuts even when preparations were administered at half dose.

It is my opinion that light skinned horses have nerve ganglion closer to the surface and tend to be more sensitive than dark skinned horses. Perhaps we could locate studies done on this subject with today’s almighty internet. If any of you have information on the subject, please send it through to newsletter@montyroberts.com and we will respond appropriately.

-Monty

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Question: "My horses’ gait is rough. How can I appear to have a good seat in the show ring?"

Answer: "There are two major factors involved when it comes to presenting a pleasing appearance on a Western horse while sitting at the trot. The gait of the horse and the ability of the rider are those two factors. There is a minor facet and that would be the equipment used.

While the gait of the horse is in fact his inherent property, there are things we can do to modify it. When a Western horse trots in a rough, pounding fashion he is typically far worse the faster you trot. If one can concentrate on training your horse to trot very slowly, the roughness is reduced dramatically.

The rider can improve a look of the trot by carefully studying all of the factors involved in sitting smoothly while trotting. The rider’s ankles usually play a significant role in acting as shock absorbers at this gait. The knees, thigh muscles and certainly waist and upper body can all be trained to provide a judge with a more aesthetically pleasing picture.

The issue of equipment, while relatively minor, can come into play in an effort to cause the trot to look smoother. A very low cantle will generally accentuate the bouncing motion of the rider’s posterior. A saddle that is slightly more elevated front and rear will help a rider to appear more comfortably nestled at the trot. Loose clothing with fringy projections would tend to accentuate the trot. Even the hairdo will sometimes accentuate the roughness of the horses’ gait or cause it to seem smoother.

- Monty

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Question: "I’ve read that you are working with children using the same principles that you do with horses. How do you make the transition from horses to children?"

Answer: "There is practically no transition necessary at all. It is far closer to the same than it is what academics would term a metaphor. Obviously you don’t put children in a round pen and ask them to run circles, but in fact it’s quite close to that.

The key principles involved with children are philosophically aligned quite closely to those I use with young horses. First, eliminate all violence and force! Next, create contracts where positive actions always receive positive consequences and negative actions always receive negative consequences.

The use of this method puts the parent or adult out of the business of punishing. One simply sets up the contracts, which are designed so that there is always a positive and a negative for each of the behaviors involved. Should the child choose to be negative, the discipline is already agreed upon and they automatically know the disciplinary measures. Conversely when the child is positive then the parent or adult must stand ready to perform the positive consequences contracted.

These principles are clearly outlined in my third book entitled Horse Sense For People.

- Monty

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Question: Mr. Roberts, I guess my question is, “Why you?” Why do you think you made these discoveries when human beings had 8,000 years to understand horses and suddenly you reverse the methods that preceded you?

Answer: Well, I guess my answer would be, “I don’t know”. Explore for a moment the possibility that you would visit a class of children learning to swim. Let’s say they were taking their 3rd lesson. Imagine that you spoke with a child that seemed to be swimming very well. Suppose that you asked this youngster “Why is it you’re swimming so well and the others don’t seem to have caught on?” I suggest that this child would say, “I don’t know, it seems easy to me.”

One should remember that I began showing horses in competition before the age of reason. I suppose it’s possible to surmise that it is easier for me to think in the world of horses than the world of people.

I am the worst person on earth to try to answer this question. I have often thought that someone must have understood these concepts long before me. I suppose it is quite possible that there were horsemen who experienced these equine principles long before there were means to communicate them. Quite possibly these things happened before airplanes, telephones and video tapes. It’s possible that someone worked in similar ways in the wilderness during a time when he or she may not have even realized that there was a difference between this way and what was to become traditional.

One thing for certain is that no one chronicled these concepts as I have outlined them. It is true that Xenophon wrote about working with horses in a slightly similar fashion. His writings date to about 360 B.C. and probably more closely approximate my work than anything written since.

I find it amazing that in 1996 when I launched my first book, most horsemen took the position that I was dreaming when I suggested that there was a discernable language that I dubbed the language of Equus. About four years later, traditional horsemen began to write that I wasn’t the first one to discover it saying they knew of people that talked about the language long before my time. Now in 2005 I will often hear “Well, of course there’s a language. We’ve known it all along.” It seems that this is an often traveled past for concepts considered new and original. This doesn’t bother me so long as the horses ultimately benefit from the discoveries I’ve made.

-Monty

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Question: “I am new to horses and my lovely mare Layla has produced her first foal now 9 weeks old. I haven't been able to find anything as to how you would start them off. So far I have been stroking her. I started with the top of the tail. Her little brush goes straight up in the air and her ears go into the relaxed position. Then I slowly traveled up her spine ending by scratching her wither. I have just begun stroking her flank while slowly going down her legs. She is a delightful little (horse) and backs up to me now for her bum scratch. Am I doing this right? How do I start her to a head collar? What would you suggest? Your book is my bible.

Regards and thank you for caring about horses as you do.”

Di Allpike
Two Wells South Australia

Answer: One must be careful about playing games with foals. It may seem fun when they are tiny, and without the size to cause great bodily harm to you. These little characters grow up very fast, and they take their habits right along with them. If you are not careful you may create a yearling that will back up to you and if not satisfied with the scratch it receives, it just might kick you. Backing up to you is not a good habit to encourage.

My book "From My Hands to Yours" has extensive information on the rearing and early training of young horses. It is the only book that I have written which deals with the 'how to' and 'hands-on' elements of my concepts. You will find that I recommend a Dually halter for the early training of horses. You will discover that I use the particular piece of equipment called the Foal Handler. There are many aspects to properly rearing a young horse which are covered in depth in "From My Hands To Yours".

- Monty

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