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Monty Roberts Equus Online University
Horse Training Video Instruction Program

Learn all about Equus • Dually Halter • Shy Boy Mustang • Jumping Horses
• Story of a Horse Whisperer • Riding Horsemanship • Dressage Horses • Willing Partners
• Horse Training • Round Pen Lessons • Performance Horses • Join-Up

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My Join-Up® Experience

When should I try the first join-up?

By:
Laura Lachhein, Puyehue, Chile
Date:
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed
We got two horses one week ago, both 2 years to 2,5 years old. Both geldings. Our first horses, never had a horse before in my life. One is very shy, it is not possible to get closer to it more than 3 meters, the other one allows being at it's side and be touched as it has had contact with humans. But it starts to bite sometimes, which scares us a little bit. At the moment we are building the round-pen and a barn for them. They had been outside since they were born. As we live in South Chile there is no instructor who could help us with the first join-up.
Questions:  How can I get in an untrained "wild" horse into a round pen?
Is it dangerous for me to try a join-up for the first time without help from a professional?
I am new at the Equus-university and have planned to continue learning the theory, but I don't know if I ever will be prepared to handle a horse in real life. Is there anyone who learned without a real instructor at her/his side?
Kind regards,
Laura from Osorno, Chile, South America

JoHewittVINTA
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Hi Laura & welcome to the Uni. Your young geldings are a very worthwhile pair. There is no great rush - let them enjoy life. Where are you building your round pen? Hopefully, it's in a secure area in which case you simply habituated them to want to be in the round pen leave it open, put some tasty food in there & let the horses wander in & explore. They will very soon cotton on that the round pen is a good place. Do not close them in it until you are satisfied that they are totally comfortable in that space. In the meantime you need to learn Equus. Study Join up, practice in a mirror & compare your performance with Monty's. Learn to control your breathing & become aware that horses read people all the time so you need to be consistent & calm around them. Spend time with your horses - just being there, not doing anything other than maybe giving a nice scratch or a rub. We look forward to hearing how you get on. Cheers, Jo.
Laura Lachhein, Puyehue, Chile
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed
Hello,
Thank you very much for your excellent answer. I will try it like you recommended: Giving them the time to explore and feel safe in the round pen.
Kind regards,
Laura
Laura Lachhein, Puyehue, Chile
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed
Hello ahain,

The round pen will be at their place where they have a lot of space to run and eat. Both barn and round pen will be finished in about 2 months. Regarding the footing I read the recommendations in Monty's book "From my hands to yours" and following as good as I understand.
Kind regards from the Puyehue lake, Osorno, Chile
Laura
Debbie Roberts Loucks, USA
Hello! 2014 Cyberhunt winner 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Dear Laura, you might like to use this forum to journal your story with them. It would be very interesting to hear how you see their different personalities reveal themselves through interactions with you, even from the fence. Do they have names yet? Would you attach a photo for us please?
Laura Lachhein, Puyehue, Chile
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed
Hello Debbie,

Yes, absolutely. Their names are Monty (the very shy one) and Robby (he is a little bit more confident). The names to honour Monty Roberts, because we never had horses before and we will follow every step written and explained by Monty Roberts. He is our only reference :).
Kind regards,
Laura
PD: I don't know how to attach a foto in the forum, but my profilfoto shows them.
Debbie Roberts Loucks, USA
Hello! 2014 Cyberhunt winner 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Hi Laura, maybe you can use the link feature to your Facebook page or a YouTube video, if you would like to :)
Royalcamelot
Please upload your photo
Hey All!

I am along with Laura!  I JUST completed my round pen.  We live in Thailand.  

I didn’t realize I should give them access to the round pen so I will do that.  I will open the gate and let them wander in and around.  Thanks for that suggestion!

I have been studying online with this university for a month.  So, the minute my round pen was complete, I wanted to try Join Up!  We took on caring for someone else’s horses, who are stuck in America.  There are 5, one pony and 4 Burmese mountain horses (think small to carry weight up and down mountains).  These horses are used to violence to get them moving.  Their owners, while American, have a mentality of “horses are used for people”, not that they are pets or friends.  

I have spent 6 weeks around them and 4 weeks studying from Mr. Roberts. I did Join Up with 3 of the horses yesterday.  Shasta, a SWEET boy who rears whenever someone tries to ride him, did Join Up perfectly and perfect follow up.  Sundance, a fast runner who seemed to have a wonderful time running the round pen (kicking and playing), joined up but refused followed up.  Lastly, Basha, a sweet horse but lazy, who WOULD NOT move.  I brought him all (all are boys) and no matter what I did, he just stared at me.  He wandered around the round pen, thought about things, etc.  He wouldn’t run.  I don’t get it.  What do you do when the horse just hangs out?
JoHewittVINTA
Please upload your photo 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed 500 lessons completed 550 lessons completed 600 lessons completed 650 lessons completed
Hi. Plastic bag/s on a long stick. There are lessons on the Uni where Monty demonstrates this. However, if even this fails to move them - like my Humphrey then a plastic feed sack works. If you've ever hung out washing, or watched this being done, the larger items are flicked sharply to remove folds & wrinkles before hanging on the line. Use this same movement with the plastic sack. It mimics the sound of a whip - but of course there is no contact or pain. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jo.
Royalcamelot
Please upload your photo
Great idea.  Thanks!
Royalcamelot
Please upload your photo
Hi all!  I have tried the plastic bags and feed bags and nothing.  He just stands there.  Any other thoughts to getting him to move?

Next, I am working with 3 of the other horses.  One does Join Up beautifully and today, his third time, got bored halfway through follow through and just wandered away as I was walking around the round pen (he headed for the gate).  The second and third love to run and go through the whole process wonderfully but won’t Join Up.  All three will not do licking and chewing.  Today, I ran them in my 14 meter round pen 6 times one way, 6 times the next and then turned them.  They lower the head, give me an ear, do smaller circles and no licking and chewing.  At some point they are tend to stop and turn in toward me, at which point I drop my shoulder and turn away to see if they will come.  They never do.

I kept one of them walking today to see how long he would walk until he did licking and chewing.  10 minutes into walking (after all the running both directions, of course), nothing.  He never licked and chewed.  I finally quit and the minute I turned from him (just to see if he would Join Up), he licked and chewed.  

I will video myself and watch my Join Up and look for holes but am confused on missing this signal.  Any thoughts?
Laura Lachhein, Puyehue, Chile
Hello! 100 lessons completed 150 lessons completed 200 lessons completed 250 lessons completed 300 lessons completed 350 lessons completed 400 lessons completed 450 lessons completed
Hello,

Very interesting to hear your first experiences with join-up. Great that your round-pen is finished. Our has to wait until october due to the rain. We chose ecoraster under the coarse sand, but have to wait.  So I will then publish my experiences when the first join-up is done...

Tell us more how it works for you.

Cheers from Laura

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