October 2005 E-Newsletter
Contents:
• A letter from Monty: Why I start a horse in 30 minutes during live demonstrations
• One horse owner's experience with Monty's demonstration and Join-Up
• NEW review of Horses In My Life?
• Catch Monty on tour in the UK, Holland and Belgium. Click here!
• Results of last week’s survey defining Natural Horsemanship
• Upcoming Issues
A Letter From Monty: Starting Horses in 30 Minutes
Dear Friends
I am writing this from my tour of nine cities in the UK. I am invigorated by the horses here and I hope to share some highlights in future communications. Our crew is filming the results and we are planning some educational materials as well as some streaming website video so you can experience the joy that we have in seeing these horses become confident and comfortable with their human companions. We have witnessed fear in some of these horses turn to willing cooperation and partnership in a matter of one session. I can only imagine how that will positively grow exponentially with those owners that continue to study my concepts and apply what they learn. In fact, I hope to address in some future newsletter my opinion that doing Join-Up® with a horse and then not continuing the conversation in Equus can prove to be more irritating to a horse than never doing it at all.
This month I will endeavor to explain how the moment of Join-Up® with a horse will lead to a radically changed future for both of you. I will start by explaining what happens in the first 30 minutes that I work with an unstarted horse and then I want to share a follow-up story of Moira, the horse I started in Holland that, before we met, was destined for a very unhappy life; or worse!
Since the publication of my books, our office receives approximately 100 questions a week from horse people worldwide. I am often asked “Why is it important to start a horse in 30 minutes?” I attempt to address this question in every demonstration that I do, but apparently I fail to make myself clear enough to the audience. In this column I will attempt to put this question to rest once and for all.
It is not important to start a horse in 30 minutes. I start a horse in 30 minutes in my demonstrations because I believe that it will allow the audience to see the full process without having to wait hours and hours to complete it. I often say that if the process is effective enough to complete in 30 minutes, then it is a good demonstration for public audiences. I tell the people that if they choose to take a week to do what I do in 30 minutes, that’s fine. I go on to say that I much prefer to start the horse after a few days of preliminary preparation.
In the course of starting horses at home, I go through the mouthing and long lining process that I describe in my From My Hands To Yours book for a week or so before we actually put a rider on. It is an easier transition for the horse and safer for the people as well.
When I do a demonstration, the only way I could duplicate this process is to ask the owners to execute these procedures at home before bringing their horse. As you might imagine, this would be impossible. I wouldn’t know if they did it at all, let alone whether it was done properly. Furthermore, I have no contact with the owners before the demonstration, and I believe that’s the way it should be done. I certainly could not send people around to do these procedures, as this would create an immense amount of criticism that the horse was already trained.
As it is now, people will say it looks too easy. Some critics will state that the horse was already trained, even when we work hard to maintain a separation between my organization and the owners. If I somehow could complete these early procedures before each of the demonstrations, most of the people would hold the opinion that the horse had been ridden before. It is my hope that horsemen will read From My Hands To Yours and complete mouthing and long lining before they start their horse. If they learn and use Join-Up® properly, they too will come to know how easy it can be.
There are some individuals who think that it is a trick and so they investigate this work in a negative way. Some will even say that I use medications to help in the starting process. This is absolutely untrue and every owner knows that this doesn’t happen. Anyone who understands horses will quickly realize that no medication is used. I am strongly opposed to the use of medications in attempting to train horses in any field. I do not believe that it is effective and, if I did this without revealing it, it would be totally dishonest.
It is my hope that the information here more clearly defines the time required to start horses and that people everywhere will be able to learn more about the techniques of working with horses in the absence of violence and force. I believe they will have more fun with their horses if they accomplish this, and the horses will be happier and more successful.
- Monty
One horse owner's experience with Monty's demonstration and Join-Up Mathilde Bos-Dietzmann’s Story of Moira:
A few years ago we bought Moira, a 2.5 year old white Arab mare. She was very beautiful, but with a rather dominant attitude. I started to work with her and it went fine, but she was more than a handful… Being more of a difficult character than I was used to, I chose to take her to a training stable for Western discipline.
From that moment everything went wrong. After three professional trainers tried to train her, I had a horse you couldn’t brush, pick up the feet, etc. Everything was a reason for her to be very frightened. You needed three people to saddle her and to get on her back. And if you got on her, she threw you off immediately. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I tried everything; different vets, trainers, even a psychic! My vet told me to kill her. She was too dangerous.
Then I read about Monty Roberts. I learned that he was coming to the Netherlands for a demonstration. I felt this was the last resort for me and my horse to be happy. I sent an email with Moira’s story and fortunately they invited me to come to the horse selection.
Monty picked Moira to work with her in the show and I saw dramatic changes in her behaviour, even in such a short period. Bit by bit you saw her realising that she could trust Monty and it was a good idea to work with him. Monty told me more about my horse in that half hour than all the other people I had met before. Dan Wilson, the English rider, was able to ride her successfully that evening, for the first time in her life. After the show Moira went to Annemarie van der Toorn’s stables in the Netherlands. She is one of Monty’s students.
Annemarie invited me to watch everything she did with my horse and she encouraged me to work with my Moira myself. A lot of groundwork and double lunging helped gain Moira’s trust again. She really started to like her work again and she learned very, very quickly. Then they started Moira to the saddle again and that went very fast! This is where I saw the power of trust. She responded perfectly to Karel Bauer’s training at Annemarie’s stables. When it was my turn to mount and ride her again, I was very nervous. But Moira reacted very, very well. After two months of training at Annemarie’s, I can say that I have a completely different horse. I was involved in the training process and I am very grateful for that.
Now Moira is home again and I have a feeling that the future for me and Moira will be very bright. Because of Monty and his training, I know so much more about my horse and how my interaction has to be with Moira. I thank Monty again for giving us this huge chance for a better life. You saved the life of me and my horse!
Mathilde Bos-Dietzmann
Rotterdam, Nederland
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New Review of The Horses In My Life!
These 52 horses were Monty's teachers and friends. Learn why horses can teach us the value of choice, communication and trust. This makes a beautiful gift for any lover of animals and those interested in what makes Monty a passionate advocate for non-violence in both the horse and human world. While they last, get a signed copy from Monty!
Have you already read The Horses In My Life? We would love to share your review. Please write to newsletter@montyroberts.com to share your reading experience. Those chosen to be published in these emails will receive a complimentary Join-Up® logo cap with Monty’s message of Gentleness, Trust and Communication.
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Survey Results: How would you define Natural Horsemanship?
A. It is what clinicians use as an alternative to traditional horsemanship.
B. It is training in the absence of any force or pain.
C. It is training using the horses’ natural language to communicate with the horse.
D. It is a way to enhance the relationship with your horse.
E. Pat Parelli’s horse training methods.
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Look for these upcoming issues!
• Appearance on At Home – Live! On FamilyNet TV, Dallas, Texas
• Next Week! Photos from Melbourne, Australia
• Monty’s notes from behind the Scenes at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• Book tour appearances for The Horses In My Life – the only way to get a personalized copy! Click here!
• Read Monty's answer next week to the question: “Why does my horse shake her head up and down while we are out riding?”
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