The Man Who Listens to Horses: The Story of a Real-Life Horse Whisperer [Paperback]

Monty Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Monty Roberts is a real-life horse whisperer–an American original whose gentle Join-Up® training method reveals the depth of communication possible between man and animal. He can take a wild, high-strung horse who has never before been handled and persuade that horse to accept a bridle, saddle, and rider in thirty minutes. His powers may seem like magic, but his amazing “horse sense” is based on a lifetime of experience. In The Man Who Listens to Horses, Roberts reveals his unforgettable personal story and his exceptional insight into nonverbal communication, an understanding that applies to human relationships as well. He shows that between parent and child, employee and employer, abuser and abused, there are forms of communication far stronger than the spoken word that are accessible to all who will learn to listen. This new edition features engaging photographs, a chapter that traces Roberts’s amazing experience gentling with a mustang in the wild, and an Afterword about the remarkable impact this book has had on the world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Monty Roberts is, as they say, the real horse whisperer--even if he does revile the last third of Nicholas Evans's romance. Yet Roberts also makes clear from the start that listening and close attention have more to do with gentling an animal than soi-disant whispering. As far as he's concerned, silent communication can "effectively cross over the boundary between human (the ultimate fight animal) and horse (the flight animal). Using their language, their system of communication, I could create a strong bond of trust. I would achieve cross-species communication." And achieve it he does. After one short session, he has even the wildest stallion nickering with ungulate abandon.

Roberts's descriptions of "joining up," as he calls it with horses--as well as with the deer who cavort on his California farm like so many hyperintelligent Bambis--are inspirational in the best sense of the word. Surprisingly, though, it took him long years to persuade most of the humans in his life that pain and punishment are not the way to go. Indeed, the author expends many a page on past mistakes and disasters, familial and professional. Yet The Man Who Listens to Horses remains a powerfully positive document--and not just for Mr. Ed. Best of all, when it comes to his life's work, Roberts is far more practical than mystical. Instead of portraying himself as Equus's messiah, he'd rather share his hard-won knowledge. Having overcome years of rejection and ridicule, the author is certainly not short in the self-esteem department, as some passages in this book demonstrate. No matter. He always checks his ego before entering the corral. --Kerry Fried --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

The surprisingly complex and lively memoir of a successful and influential horse trainer who helped pioneer nonviolent methods of breaking horses in. Some of the book's vigor and pace may have to do with the fact that Lucy Grealy (Autobiography of a Face, 1994) is the coauthor. The narrative begins in 1948 when Roberts, then 13, spent time studying wild horses in the Nevada desert. He applied what he learned there to radically new ideas about how wild horses could be trained and came to be an important figure in horse racing circles. His portrait of the business of breeding and training horses is frank and fascinating, but the book's most memorable passages cover the rodeos and horse business in the west as it was in the author's youth, and include a haunting portrait of his violent, racist father and of some of the other remarkable figures Roberts knew (including a young James Dean). Over and above everything, though, is Roberts's surpassing love for horses, captured here in his evocations of the horses he has trained over a career spanning four decades. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345510453
• ISBN-13: 978-0345510457
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (208 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Sports Psychology
  • #61 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Horses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful & Moving Book about Communication, April 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Who Listens to Horses (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me, it is a book about communication. I have no particular interest in horses, horsemanship, horse training, etc. That's not why I read this book, nor why I have since recommended it to many of my friends. No, the book's appeal to me is what it has to say about people. Monty tells a story that illustrates a simple yet profound truth: You can best communicate by imagining yourself in the other's place. For Monty, the most obvious "other" is a horse. Monty was able to communicate exceptionally well with horses because he could imagine himself in their place. Unfortunately, Monty could empathize with horses that his father "broke" because his father treated Monty in the same harsh way. Monty sought an alternative way to train horses that was based on understanding and on compassion, and he found it.

The story's appeal is largely emotional. Since reading it, I have found it difficult to explain to other people what it meant to me, and yet I have found its message useful in my business consulting practice. I think that fact reflects the richness of Monty's story and helps to explain the breadth of its appeal to many readers. You needn't read too much between the lines to see that this book is about listening, about empathy, and about human warmth in all areas of human endeavor. It is much more than a biography, or a story about horses.

Apparently, there has been some debate about the accuracy and the balance of this biography. Did all the events that Monty Roberts describes really occur? Did he originate all the innovations in horse training that he claims? Well, if you read what his critics have to say then I'd suggest you be sure also to read his reponses, which can be found on his web site. It's beyond me to know where the truth lies. But if you are wondering in view of all the controversy whether you should still read the book, if you are concerened it may contain false claims, then let me say that I would recommend the book to you anyway. If you like, think of the whole thing as a work of fiction. Even then it would still be worth reading.

The book is highly readable. To be sure, it's not an outstanding work in terms of style. The story construction is a bit mechanical. And, occasionally, I wondered whether a given passage was in the book only for the self-aggrandizement of the author. But eventually the mechanics of the story worked themselves out. Questionable passages were generally redeemed as they later turned out to be important in the story's development. And, in spite of the shortcomings, the author's use of language is artful and most of the writing flows very nicely.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great trainer, a great technique, and a great book!, March 5, 2004

By 

Monika "equestrienne_23" (Davis, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Listens to Horses (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating autobiography of one of the most sought-after horse trainers in the world. Monty Roberts takes us from his childhood, growing up on a ranch in California, all the way up through the years right before the book was first published in 1996. He learned to ride at a very young age and was quite successful on the rodeo circuit and in reined cow horse competitions. But what really gave him his ambition to develop a method of communicating with horses was the abuse with which he saw his father treat horses, and the the abuse he himself received from his father. Convinced that there must be a better way to train horses, he observed the behavior of mustangs, and ultimately came up with a technique he calls 'join-up'.

'Join-up' involves working with a horse in a round pen, first encouraging the horse to flee around the perimeter by making steady eye contact and assuming an imposing stance. The handler then watches for three tell-tale signs that the horse wishes to communicate - first the horse will lock his inside ear on the handler, then begin licking and chewing, and finally lower his head near the ground as he travels around the pen. Once the horse has given these signals, the handler takes his/her eyes off the horse and shifts away from from the animal. At this point the horse will usually come up behind the handler and stand very close, allowing the handler to touch him. Then the horse can be saddled, bridled, and at last, mounted and ridden. (This is a very truncated explanation - the book goes into much more detail.)

Of course Roberts was not the first to use methods like these. Some other reviewers here have complained about this fact, accusing him of taking undue credit. But Roberts himself admits this in his book. He points out that there were trainers in previous centuries that tried (and had success with) similar methods, but that for whatever reason these methods did not take a firm hold on the general equestrian population. So yes, Roberts does do a lot of self-promotion here (another thing some have complained about), but this is because he's attempting to spread the word about his method of training. He is using the book first and foremost to sell his technique, but this is because he wishes to make the training experience a better one for horses.

This book takes us through Roberts' journey of learning, and all the trials and triumphs that led him to where he is today. He tells us of his experience with mustangs, his successful childhood riding career, the encounters with his father that helped shape his own way of thinking, the development (and narrowly-avoided disaster) of his Thoroughbred racehorse facility Flag Is Up Farms, various success stories of his 'join-up' method, his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of England, his many tours to demonstrate his techniques, and even his succes in using 'join-up' with wild deer. He also introduces us to the horses that have shaped his life and carved a place for themselves in his heart - Brownie, his childhood mount; Johnny Tivio, his all-time favorite; and Dually, his most recent mount.

Toward the end of the book there is a 'How To' appendix describing in detail the 'join-up' technique. Roberts lists all the necessary equipment (nothing fancy is needed - everything is standard equipment that any horse owner should already have; the only thing you may have to 'borrow' is the round pen itself if you do not have one), and takes us through the procedure in a clear step-by-step fashion. He explains the purpose of each aspect of 'join-up' and how the horse will perceive the handler's actions. He also explains the meaning of the horse's responses to these actions. The appendix is very easy to follow and the technique is simple enough that it is easy to remember afterward, without having to lug the book to the arena with you.

The book concludes with an afterword by Lawrence Scanlan, the author of 'Riding High' and co-author (with Ian Millar) of 'Big Ben'. Scanlan describes his experience observing the 'mustang project' that Roberts embarked upon in 1997. This takes us briefly into the story of Shy Boy, a small mustang stallion Roberts attempts to gentle (in the wild, not in a pen) with his 'join-up' technique. The afterword is very short. Roberts went on to write about his experience with Shy Boy in his next book 'Shy Boy: The Horse that Came in from the Wild'. I have not read that one yet, but plan to soon, as I was very impressed with 'The Man Who Listens to Horses'. I would highly recommend it to anyone involved with horses.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars reveals important traits of human nature that few put in use, January 29, 2003

By 

Crystal C. Loh (London, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man Who Listens to Horses (Mass Market Paperback)

I first saw Monty Roberts' book The Man Who Listens to Horses when I was in my local bookstore browsing for reprints of James Herriot's beloved books. I didn't buy it then, because I had never heard of him and didn't know what to expect. I later was reintroduced to him through a video in my ethology (study of animal behaviour) laboratory class and after watching one of his demonstrations and discussing his unique quality to differentiate light movement (due to his color blindness; as similar feature has been noticed in predatory animals such as dogs and wolves), was motivated to go and buy his book.

I have to say that I was sufficiently impressed with Monty's book. I hadn't become aware of the controversy and legal issues surrounding him until today through other people's reviews on Amazon.com, and investigated these claims to get further depth on him.

What I have found has led me to believe that yes, maybe there are untruths. Maybe there aren't. One cannot clearly say, particularly the public, simply because we were not there when the events transpired and all we have to rely on is what people say, and whatever we decide, people will believe what they want to believe. Human memory isn't perfect.

All I know is that the book that I read was a beautiful, compassionate autobiography illustrating a few of the human qualities that we rarely see expressed in our chaotic society today. The world may never know the truth of Monty's stories, but he has still managed to touch and inspire so many people of all ages (must significantly our generation, the younger generation) through his writing, stressing on the values of compassion, love, gentleness, respect, and understanding that are so seldom preached in the mass media today. A projected story such as this that touches hearts and instils the desire to further find links with the animals who share our planet carries with it a solid base and genuine effort that should not go unrecognized.

We should look past quibbles about the truth and understand the message of his book. There is so much drivel out there that carries repugnant and destructive information that we so readily eat up in our everyday lives without realizing it, and an inspirational book like this highlights the fact that it is so easy nowadays for us to forget the softer side of our innate human qualities.

While the stories of James Herriot remain first and foremost my favourite, Monty's book "The Man Who Listens to Horses" nevertheless touched me deeply, and for his courageous and passionate message I salute him.