Monty Roberts
Encyclopedia
Marvin Earl "Monty" Roberts (born May 14, 1935) is a horse trainer
whose 1996-1997 autobiography, The Man Who Listens to Horses, became a best-seller. He later published other books about working with horses (see below: Publications).
Monty Roberts wrote that by personally observing horses in the wild, he learned to "listen" to their non-verbal "language"; that when horses understood that they can trust you, they will decide to be with you. Roberts registered as his term for "hooking on", the phrase "Join~Up", in which a trainer negotiates with an untamed horse to form a voluntary relationship with him.
. He began observing wild mustang
s in Nevada
at the age of thirteen. Roberts wrote that he was sent there to round up horses for the Salinas Rodeo Association’s Wild Horse Race and spent hours silently watching the feral
horses interact with each other. He wrote that he realized that they used a discernible, effective and predictable body language
to communicate, set boundaries, show fear and express annoyance, relaxation or affection. Roberts wrote that it was then that he understood that utilizing this silent language would allow training to commence in a much more effective and humane manner, encouraging true partnership between horses and humans. Equus is the term coined by Roberts to refer to this language.
An event that would change the direction of his life was a call was from the offices of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom
and an avid horsewoman. She had heard about Roberts' work and invited him to come to her country and show her staff his "Join~Up" method. After watching his demonstration, the Queen urged him to write a book about his nonviolent horse-training methods. That book became The Man Who Listens to Horses.
Today, Roberts travels around the world, demonstrating his method of nonviolent horse training. He volunteers his time speaking to incarcerated youth in juvenile detention facilities, gentles wild horses in front of live audiences, teaches his techniques to a growing number of students at his Equestrian Academy in Solvang, California, acts as a consultant at schools with disciplinary issues in the UK and the US, and advises executives at Fortune 500 companies.
Monty Roberts' father, Marvin, described his methods of horse training
in his own book written in 1957 and according to Monty Roberts:
Roberts claimed to have been beaten by his father, but other sources deny this. Roberts' brother, Larry Roberts, said that their father was a gentle and kind man known for his generosity. Roberts' aunt, Joyce Renebome, and cousin, Debra Ristau, in their book Horse Whispers & Lies, also deny claims of beatings and other abuse.
Monty Roberts: The Man Who Listens to Horses is a 1996 autobiography published in hard cover by Random House in 1997 and re-issued in paperback in 1998 by Ballantine Books (ISBN 0-345-42705-X). It spent 58 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list and has been translated into more than 15 languages. In 2007 it was re-released in an updated edition at its 10th year anniversary. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.
The thesis of this book is that it is possible to learn the nonverbal language of horses, and that such knowledge would enable a person to train a horse without resorting to physical force (see Natural horsemanship
and Horse training
).
The front flap says:
The book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 58 weeks.
Next was Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild. It appeared in 1999 and also joined the best-seller lists.
Other books by Roberts include Horse Sense for People (2001), From My Hands to Yours (2002), The Horses in My Life (2005) and Ask Monty (2007).
Three documentaries on Roberts have been released. The first was the 1997 documentary BBC
/PBS Monty Roberts: The Real Horse Whisperer. It showed Roberts as he set out to tame a wild mustang without enclosures, and his developing relationship with the horse later known as Shy Boy. Other documentaries include the 1999 film Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild and a 2005 documentary on Roberts' work with wild horses and another about his work with aboriginal youth on Palm Island
, Australia
. In 2006, a DVD series with 17 episodes, named A Backstage Pass! was completed and broadcast in the UK. The series has also been broadcast in the US on the HRTV cable channel.
in Switzerland
and in 2005 he gained an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of Parma
in Italy
. In 2004, the Girl Scouts of the USA
commissioned a special Join-Up badge and training program in honor of Roberts’ work, and in 2005, he became the first foreign-born and first American to receive the German Silbernes Pferd (Silver Horse) Award for outstanding contributions to promoting the love of horses. In the Dec. 2008 issue of Your Horse, a major British equestrian magazine, readers named Monty Roberts Personality of the Year 2008.
Between 1950 and 1969, Roberts won 11 National NIRA All-Around Championships, including National NIRA Champion Bulldogger, the NIRA National Team Roping Championship and the NIRA National All Around Championship. In 1966 he assisted in the founding of Flag Is Up Farms, of which he is now the full owner. From 1973 to 1986, he was a leading consignor to the Hollywood Park Two-Year-Old Thoroughbreds in Training Sale. In 2004, Roberts’ German-bred horse Sabiango won major races throughout the US.
In 1989, Queen Elizabeth II invited Roberts to Windsor Castle
to demonstrate his training methods to her and her staff, and in 2002 Roberts again visited Windsor Castle as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee
. Roberts was appointed Honorary Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
.
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
whose 1996-1997 autobiography, The Man Who Listens to Horses, became a best-seller. He later published other books about working with horses (see below: Publications).
Monty Roberts wrote that by personally observing horses in the wild, he learned to "listen" to their non-verbal "language"; that when horses understood that they can trust you, they will decide to be with you. Roberts registered as his term for "hooking on", the phrase "Join~Up", in which a trainer negotiates with an untamed horse to form a voluntary relationship with him.
Background
Roberts, the son of Marvin Roberts, was born in Salinas, CaliforniaSalinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
. He began observing wild mustang
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
s in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
at the age of thirteen. Roberts wrote that he was sent there to round up horses for the Salinas Rodeo Association’s Wild Horse Race and spent hours silently watching the feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
horses interact with each other. He wrote that he realized that they used a discernible, effective and predictable body language
Body language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
to communicate, set boundaries, show fear and express annoyance, relaxation or affection. Roberts wrote that it was then that he understood that utilizing this silent language would allow training to commence in a much more effective and humane manner, encouraging true partnership between horses and humans. Equus is the term coined by Roberts to refer to this language.
An event that would change the direction of his life was a call was from the offices of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and an avid horsewoman. She had heard about Roberts' work and invited him to come to her country and show her staff his "Join~Up" method. After watching his demonstration, the Queen urged him to write a book about his nonviolent horse-training methods. That book became The Man Who Listens to Horses.
Today, Roberts travels around the world, demonstrating his method of nonviolent horse training. He volunteers his time speaking to incarcerated youth in juvenile detention facilities, gentles wild horses in front of live audiences, teaches his techniques to a growing number of students at his Equestrian Academy in Solvang, California, acts as a consultant at schools with disciplinary issues in the UK and the US, and advises executives at Fortune 500 companies.
Monty Roberts' father, Marvin, described his methods of horse training
Horse training
Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse racing to therapeutic horseback riding for people with...
in his own book written in 1957 and according to Monty Roberts:
...trained horses to carry riders in the traditional way — "breaking" horses by breaking their will, almost torturing the animals into submission.
Roberts claimed to have been beaten by his father, but other sources deny this. Roberts' brother, Larry Roberts, said that their father was a gentle and kind man known for his generosity. Roberts' aunt, Joyce Renebome, and cousin, Debra Ristau, in their book Horse Whispers & Lies, also deny claims of beatings and other abuse.
Career
Books and documentaries
Roberts has written several books.Monty Roberts: The Man Who Listens to Horses is a 1996 autobiography published in hard cover by Random House in 1997 and re-issued in paperback in 1998 by Ballantine Books (ISBN 0-345-42705-X). It spent 58 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list and has been translated into more than 15 languages. In 2007 it was re-released in an updated edition at its 10th year anniversary. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.
The thesis of this book is that it is possible to learn the nonverbal language of horses, and that such knowledge would enable a person to train a horse without resorting to physical force (see Natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd instincts. It involves communication techniques derived from wild horse observation in order to build a partnership that closely resembles the relationships that exist between horses.- Basic ideas...
and Horse training
Horse training
Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse racing to therapeutic horseback riding for people with...
).
The front flap says:
Monty Roberts is a real-life horse whisperer — an American original whose gentle training methods reveal 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.
The book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 58 weeks.
Next was Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild. It appeared in 1999 and also joined the best-seller lists.
Other books by Roberts include Horse Sense for People (2001), From My Hands to Yours (2002), The Horses in My Life (2005) and Ask Monty (2007).
Three documentaries on Roberts have been released. The first was the 1997 documentary BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
/PBS Monty Roberts: The Real Horse Whisperer. It showed Roberts as he set out to tame a wild mustang without enclosures, and his developing relationship with the horse later known as Shy Boy. Other documentaries include the 1999 film Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild and a 2005 documentary on Roberts' work with wild horses and another about his work with aboriginal youth on Palm Island
Palm Island
Palm Island may refer to:* Palm Island, Queensland, Australia, the community on Great Palm Island* Great Palm Island, Queensland, Australia, the island* Palm Island, Grenadines...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 2006, a DVD series with 17 episodes, named A Backstage Pass! was completed and broadcast in the UK. The series has also been broadcast in the US on the HRTV cable channel.
Awards
In 2002, Roberts received an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of ZurichUniversity of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and in 2005 he gained an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of Parma
University of Parma
The University of Parma is one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in the 11th century. It is organised in twelve faculties. The University of Parma has currently about 30,000 students.-History:...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 2004, the Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
commissioned a special Join-Up badge and training program in honor of Roberts’ work, and in 2005, he became the first foreign-born and first American to receive the German Silbernes Pferd (Silver Horse) Award for outstanding contributions to promoting the love of horses. In the Dec. 2008 issue of Your Horse, a major British equestrian magazine, readers named Monty Roberts Personality of the Year 2008.
Between 1950 and 1969, Roberts won 11 National NIRA All-Around Championships, including National NIRA Champion Bulldogger, the NIRA National Team Roping Championship and the NIRA National All Around Championship. In 1966 he assisted in the founding of Flag Is Up Farms, of which he is now the full owner. From 1973 to 1986, he was a leading consignor to the Hollywood Park Two-Year-Old Thoroughbreds in Training Sale. In 2004, Roberts’ German-bred horse Sabiango won major races throughout the US.
In 1989, Queen Elizabeth II invited Roberts to Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
to demonstrate his training methods to her and her staff, and in 2002 Roberts again visited Windsor Castle as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. Roberts was appointed Honorary Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
2011 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2011 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 7 June 2011 in New Zealand and 11 June 2011 in United Kingdom to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2011.-Privy Councillors:...
.
Publications
- Roberts, Monty. The Man Who Listens to Horses. Random House, August 1997, hardcover, 310 pages. ISBN 0-345-42705-X.
- Roberts, Monty. The Man Who Listens to Horses - abridged audio book. Random House Audio, August 1997. ISBN 9780679460442.
- Roberts, Monty. Shy Boy, the Horse that Came in from the Wild. 1999, 239 pages.
- Roberts, Monty. Horse Sense for People: The Man Who Listens to Horses Talks to People. 2002, 256 pages.