Whisper Among Friends

Santa Barbara News-Press, Valley Living
Friday, August 25, 2006
By Nora K. Wallace

Pacing around a dirt-floored arena, Monty Roberts flicks a rope toward a horse, which follows him with wary apprehension.

On stands above the circular arena in Solvang, 40 or so people from all over the country watch the famed horse trainer with rapt attention. Many are documenting the experience with video cameras, taking down everything Mr. Roberts says about the techniques that earned him worldwide acclaim.

The 71-year old author of the 1996 best-seller "The Man Who Listens to Horses" promotes a training technique that seeks to "communicate with horses in their natural language." All of his training is taught with a deeply ingrained personal philosophy that promotes problem-solving -- for horses and humans -- without violence, punishment, or fear.

Although he travels worldwide more that 100 days each year, Mr. Roberts takes time annually to conduct training seminars at his popular Solvang ranch. The five-day "special training" at Flag Is Up Farms is designed to help horse owners work with their animals on leadership, crossing water or other obstacles, loading, head-shyness, mounting, bucking, kicking and biting, among other issues.

He tries to explain what it means for the horses to be trained under his system. Rather than being shackled or degraded, they have "choice, opportunity, acceptance, freedom. They have a life of choices."

The $1,500 course attracted students from China, Germany, England, Romania, Colorado and elsewhere, and is the only such course Mr. Roberts will teach this year locally.

Through his Join-Up International nonprofit organization, Mr. Roberts also promotes the use of his philosophy with non-equines. Join-Up is the term he uses to explain what happens when a horse is able to use his own way of communicating with movement and reactions. Eventually, the horse "joins up" with a person through trust, rather than fear or coercion.

"It's just magical to watch him," observes Allan Mooney, former Executive Director of Join-Up International.

Join-Up's goal is to teach a worldwide selection of certified instructors to use the techniques to train riders, horse owners and veterinarians, among others. On the educational side, corporations and organizations often send staff to his classes to work on team building and communication skills.

The devotion Mr. Roberts inspires in his followers is sometimes startling. Although he has his detractors -- those who question the veracity of his biographical information and credentials -- there are scores more who buy his books, videos and make sojourns to his local classes to learn from the source.

"The man is a saint," asserts Eileen Durham, a Bay Area resident who attended the August clinic. "I think it's absolutely incredible what he teaches. It's so different. It's not just horses. That's why I'm here. It's his whole worldview, the way he works with people. It's too bad Monty Roberts is not the president of the United States."

Ms. Durham says she believes Mr. Roberts could "change the world" if his techniques were used more often in human interaction. "They're all here because they want to know a better way for horses and people," says Ken Johnson, a Colorado resident and member of the Join-Up International board.

On the warm day of his seminar, Mr. Roberts is moving around the arena, just before he heads off to Iceland for another seminar. He's working with a skittish horse, called "head shy" by its owner. Because of an old wound to its tongue, it doesn't want anyone near its mouth--difficult to avoid when bits are needed with the reins.

Wearing a cowboy hat tilted back on his head, Mr. Roberts gently flicks a rope near the horse and paces along with it as it moves in the arena. He speaks slowly and quietly to the humans nearby, educating about different mouth bits.

"Don't be quick to ciriticize bits," he instructs. Be quick to criticize hands when they are harsh. The hands that hold it either make it hard or forgiving. The harsh facts of life where bits are concerned are in the hands, not in the bits.

As the horse moves closer to Mr. Roberts, the trainer says to it, "Can I put this bit in there? Let me ask you kindly."

As the horse moves its head, Mr. Roberts advises that he will "tolerate less and less" of the horse's behavior as it pulls its head away from the bit. Eventually, as he continues pacing along with the horse, the animal allows him to put a bit in its mouth without resistance.

"That's a very good boy," Mr. Roberts says.

In many cases the relationship between horse and human is one of "You will do what I am telling you to do because I am the human, or I'm going to hurt you," says Mr. Johnson, the Join-Up International board member. "Monty Roberts came up with what appears to be a better way. It applies to humans, too. It's called building a trusting relationship and then never violating that trust."

Mr. Roberts teaches a number of simple edicts that are applicable to horses and humans, Mr. Johnson notes. He speaks of respecting each other, giving one another the correct amount of space and doing what's best for each other.

"This clinic is showing the problems people have created with horses and how easy it is to build a trusting relationship and start that horse on a better path," says Mr. Johnson, who has been breeding horses for 35 years.

Wisconsin resident Connie Hegerfeld has read all of Mr. Roberts' books, watched his videos and attended a number of his seminars. She was there this month and will be back in November. As she sat eating lunch in the courtyard near the front door of Mr. Roberts' hilltop home, Ms. Hegerfeld says it helps her in working with her two young horses to watch the trainer in person.

"It gives you a better appreciation of the horse," she says of the workshops.

contact: nwallace@newspress.com