Hi. Welcome to the Uni. Join up is a conversation. It requires the human to learn the technique, the language. It is possible to transfer the trust that successful Join up brings to other people - Join up, first saddle, different person as first rider for example. But, it is vital that all the humans fully understand 'Equus' - the horses language, the body language, the control of your emotions, your breathing. It is also vital that all the humans understand that the conversation is continuous - it doesn't just take place in the round pen. Equus is a way of life for equines & to keep the trust it needs to be a consistent way of life the human uses ALWAYS. Effectively, it's like living in a different country. To gain the trust, cooperation & friendship of the locals you need to be fluent & consistent in their language. Yes, you will not be perfect but the fact that you make a significant, prolonged, consistent effort will, eventually, cause your partner ( the horse ) to regard you as trustworthy, a worthy leader. Like all relationships in life, some are easier to establish & maintain than others. I have worked hard to be the partner my four guys deserve. No, life with them is not always easy or straightforward BUT our relationship makes dealing with the 'bumps of life' much easier or, indeed possible. We had a textbook life threatening situation some while ago - Kirk put his front leg right through the bars of the gate. I was only a few feet away when he did it. He was trapped. He didn't panic, I didn't panic. He literally looked at me as if to say " I've got a situation here. Can you help me please "? He stayed calm & allowed me to manipulate his leg free of the gate. Our mutual trust made it possible for us to resolve the situation without injury to either of us. So, yes, you will need to work hard, change many things in your life, alter your attitude even but yes, it is most definitely worth it. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jo.

Thank you for your message Jo, that is very inspirational. But it doesn't answer my question. 

Hi. OK, let me try & be a little clearer. When Monty starts a horse ( first saddle & rider for example ) he does Join up but the trust also extends to the rider. The rider, using body language & keeping their adrenaline low & breathing slow, just like Monty, shows the horse that they too are no threat. If your horse has come to accept you as a partner then when you introduce another person, so long as they use Equus too, they will also be accepted. It isn't necessary for each person to go through Join up as that is the first step to using Equus. Monty recommends 4 to 6 successful sessions using Join up. Too many & the horse gets bored/uncommunicative. In short, forming a bond with a horse requires the people to make the effort. The trainer represents humans. If other humans also act in an acceptable way then they too will be accepted by the horse. However, the communication is two way so not only do you need to be fluent in Equus but you also need to learn to read your horse. They send information to their partner & failure to understand those signals will cause the relationship to be damaged. Hope you find this a fuller response to your question. Have fun & good luck. Cheers, Jo.

Hi, again. This weeks lesson shows exactly what I'm referring to - perfect example. Cheers, Jo.

Thanks so much Jo! I appreciate your responses! Have a wonderful, safe & healthy day!