App Store Critic Blog

My Review of the Book “The Man Who Listens to Horses”

Have you ever seen the popular television show “The Dog Whisperer”? It highlights a man who loves dogs, and has a unique ability to communicate with them, and train them as well. The book “The Man Who Listens to Horses” offers a similar story, about a man who is able to train and communicate with horses. Written by Monty Roberts, it showcases the internal workings of a horse’s mind. In this article I will be offering my humble opinion on this remarkable book, and offer what I think are some of the highlights that I think other readers might enjoy.Monty Roberts has a love of horses, and he sure has a story to tell. He grew up with an abusive father, and this abuse not only extended to him, but to horses as well. This abuse formed a strong impression on Monty when he was young, and as he grew older he started to formulate an opinion that there must be a better way to communicate with the horses that he loves so much.The “join-up” technique is his better way of horse breaking and training. He outlines the process in this book. In a nutshell, here it is. To begin, you need a round pen and an unbroken horse of course. The handler then stands in the middle of the pen, and the unbroken horse is encouraged to run around the perimeter of the pen. The handler will keep steady eye contact on the horse, and will stand in a very authoritative and imposing way. During this stage the handler will be looking for signs that the horse no longer wants to get away, but wants to communicate. These three signs are:The horse will gradually turn the ear that is closest to the handler towards him/her.The horse will start to chew and lick.The horse will lower his head near to the ground as he runs around the pen.Once the handler has determined the horse wishes to communicate, he will turn his back on the horse and start to move away. At this point the horse will usually move closer to the handler, permitting the handler to touch him/her. The next step in the process is to saddle, bridle, mount, and ride…The book takes us on a journey into Robert’s life (in addition to the “join-up” technique). We learn of the various stages of his life and the events that have helped to shape his view of horses, and the techniques he has developed along the way. Some of the highlights are:-The author’s successful childhood riding career-The author’s relationship with his father-The Thoroughbred racehorse facility that the author developed-The time he met Queen Elizabeth II of England-Using the join-up technique with wild deer-The author’s experiences with mustang horses-Three of his favorite horses: Brownie, Johnny Tivio, and DuallyDo you love horses? If so, you will love this book on a humane way to communicate with them and train them as well. Be sure to check it out, read it over, and let the information sink into your mind.

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