Monty Roberts Equus Online University | Monty's Horse Training Post: Getting a good bond before Join up

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

Watch Monty's horse training videos to learn how he demonstrates communication through horse training techniques that the amateur and professional alike consider to be the trainable skills of a horse whisperer yet Monty calls it horse gentling.
Monty's horse training techniques are non violent with intelligent natural horsemanship. In addition to video instructions, Monty has written many books related to natural horsemanship. Monty trains safe horses for nervous riders called Willing Partners. Monty trains world class race horses for sale.
“I am very proud to be a part of Her Majesty’s horse training and her passion for their welfare. I believe she is the leading monarch for the advocacy of horses in the world. She is a thought leader in this field. Her Majesty's horses are trained using the Dually Halter, making a difference in the training of sensitive animals by giving the horse the choice to partner in the training.” ~ Monty
“I communicate with a horse in what I call the Language of Equus; a silent language of gestures that is discernible, predictable and effective. Now you can learn from my videos, audio and notes to help you understand the horse as I do. This language is really quite simple, but simplicity becomes its greatest strength.” ~ Monty
Monty Roberts is a renowned horse trainer known as the man who listens to horses and the original horse whisperer. Monty's horse training instructions are accepted worldwide.
Monty has helped thousands of people globally through his Monty Roberts Online Videos to learn how to Join-Up with horses, training young horses, spooky horses, horses that bite. His mustang , Shy Boy , is his most famous horse.
Join-Up methods help horse and trainer to establish a bond of communication and trust. “You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.” ~ Monty
Monty says, “We hear that ‘actions speak louder than words,’ but generally we do not live by it too successfully.” Now Monty has taught thousands of people worldwide how to build trust in animals through our actions and body language.
Monty’s principles really amount to common sense and immense patience. He believes that children and horses have the same behavioral patterns. They are both naturally “flight” animals. "If you frighten them and resort to confrontation, you’ll lose their trust." ~ Monty
"Simple one-on-one reassurances and praise reap long term dividends that can all be undone with the quick slamming of a book on a desk or shouting back." ~ Monty Roberts
"No one of us was born with the right to say 'You must or I'll hurt you' to any other living thing, animal or human". ~ Monty Roberts
"My life's goal is to leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses and for people too". ~ Monty Roberts

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Horse Behavior and Training

Getting a good bond before Join up

By:

sigourneybix

Date:

2013-Mar-05 at 07:40AM

Hi everyone, I have recently brought a new horse who is a little green but friendly and loves attention. At the moment I am bringing him in from his paddock and grooming him for around 20 mins everyday then taking him back out and walking with him. How else can I help him to trust me before Join up? As I want the best relationship with him from the beginning. :) Thanks guys in advance.

vicci - UK (North Wales) 2013-Mar-06 at 12:05AM

Hi, it is really really important that you go back and revisit the concept of join Up. Join Up is not a task to be accomplished with your horse, it is a way of establishing trust and leadership between you using the horses language. HOWEVER if you have a horse that is behaving beautifully, happy to be groomed, happy to be caught, happy to be lead, happy to have attention what is it that you are looking for? You have "Join Up"! You are already doing the right things, you are spending quality time with him, treating him well, I presume you are making sure he is respectful of your space. Keep doing what you are doing. Join Up is not just about being in a round pen and doing what Monty does - that is step one in the relationship. You are already (it seems from your description) at step 4. Enjoy it! If you want to progress his work further, start doing some more complex leading exercises around cones, pole work etc. start to desensitise him to the lines all over him ready for longling work, start to expose him to different environments and sounds so he always knows that you are the safe place to be. You have a great start - keep going :-)

MaggieF, Melbourne - Australia 2013-Mar-06 at 03:06AM

Totally agree with Vicci. Just keep on doing as you are as it sounds that you are doing great. Build that special relationship based on trust and then later you can take it further when it is time to start training in ernest. I gather he is a young horse. Once you have built up his trust and he is responsive to the dually halter etc. then you may attempt Monty's join up exercise with him - preferably in a round yard or small area. Monty's join up exercise should improve your relationship based on trust and add that little bit of respect as well but some horses don't need it. Good luck with it.