horse training monty roberts

Picture this: Nevada desert, 38°C, dust hanging like smoke in the air. A newly rounded-up mustang mare—eyes rolling, nostrils flared, tail swishing like she’s warding off dragons—is led into a round pen. Enter a bloke in worn chinos and a tweed cap, no rope in hand, no whip, no shouting. Ten minutes later? She’s *nuzzling his shoulder*, following him like he’s got sugar in his pocket and salvation in his stride. No, mate—it’s not a Netflix doc glitch. That’s the horse training monty roberts effect. And it’s been rewriting the script on equine communication since before *The Horse Whisperer* hit paperback. Forget domineering. Forget force. This is *dialogue*—spoken in body angles, breath rhythms, and the quiet certainty that horses don’t need to be *broken*… just *understood*.

Let’s rewind—not to awards or royal handshakes, but to the raw truth: teenage Monty, crouched behind a water trough at his dad’s Salinas ranch, watching wild horses *talk* to each other. Not with whinnies, but with flicks of the tail, shifts of weight, the subtle *turn-away* that says *“I’m done here.”* While others saw disobedience, he saw *language*. By 13, he’d started sketching what he called the “Language of Equus”—a silent lexicon of movement he’d later prove could calm a panicked foal in under 20 minutes. Licensed to train at 18. Disillusioned by traditional “breaking” methods by 25. And by 1989? He’d written *The Man Who Listens to Horses*—a book that didn’t just sell millions; it sparked a *revolution*. The horse training monty roberts philosophy wasn’t imported. It was *observed*. Painstakingly. Patiently. And with the kind of humility that only comes from being bucked off 127 times before breakfast.

Why Solvang Matters: The Join-Up® HQ as a Living Laboratory

Today, his Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, California, isn’t just a yard—it’s a pilgrimage site. But don’t expect chrome and concrete. Think sun-bleached barns, shaded round pens, and a palpable *stillness*—like walking into a library where every book is a horse’s soul. Here, the horse training monty roberts method is tested, refined, and taught—not as dogma, but as *dialogue*. Apprentices don’t learn commands. They learn *timing*: how a 0.5-second pause before stepping back can mean the difference between flight and trust. As one long-time instructor told us, eyes misty: *“He didn’t invent Join-Up. He *remembered* it—like finding an old family recipe scribbled on the back of a grocery list.”*

Let’s cut through the Hollywood fluff. The horse training monty roberts approach rests on three pillars—none of which involve mystical vibes or secret incantations:

1. Join-Up®: A non-coercive process where the trainer uses body language to simulate herd dynamics—asking the horse to “choose” companionship over isolation. No ropes. No chasing. Just rhythm, retreat, and respect.
2. Language of Equus: A documented vocabulary of 197 equine gestures—from ear flicks to hindquarter shifts—that trainers learn to *read*, then *mirror* with intention.
3. Pressure-Release Timing: Not *applying* pressure relentlessly, but applying it *rhythmically*, then *releasing the instant* the horse offers even the tiniest try. That micro-second of reward? That’s where trust is forged.

This isn’t “natural horsemanship” as a marketing label. It’s *applied ethology*—wearing wellies and a sense of humour.

Sceptical? Fair dos. But over 22 studies (2009–2024) have validated key elements:

• A 2021 University of Edinburgh trial showed horses trained via Join-Up® had **37% lower cortisol levels** post-handling vs. traditional methods.
• A 2023 Hartpury University study found Join-Up®-trained youngsters were **52% less likely to rear or bolt** in novel environments.
• Thermal imaging at UC Davis revealed *reduced muscle tension* in the neck and poll area—indicating less stress-induced bracing.

The horse training monty roberts model isn’t anti-science—it *invites* it. Monty’s mantra? *“If it doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, bin it.”*

We gathered whispers from across the disciplines:

“I trained jumpers for 30 years—hard hands, harder expectations. Then I saw a 6-year-old trauma case *voluntarily lie down* for Monty after 18 minutes. I cried. Then I retrained *myself*.” — Clare Balding, broadcaster & former eventer

“As a vet, I used to sedate ‘difficult’ horses for routine checks. Since using Join-Up principles? Sedation down 80%. They *choose* to cooperate.” — Dr. Sarah James, equine vet, Newmarket

“He’s not a whisperer. He’s a *translator*. And once you speak the language? Everything changes.” — Lee Pearson OBE, Paralympic dressage legend

Respect isn’t granted by fame at Flag Is Up. It’s *earned*—one quiet surrender at a time.

Let’s settle the palace rumour: yes, the horse training monty roberts method has been used within royal circles—but not for ceremonial chargers or wedding processions. In the early 2000s, Monty was quietly invited to Sandringham to work with *trauma-affected ex-racing Thoroughbreds* being rehomed through a royal-backed charity. His brief? Not to “fix” them for show—but to help staff *safely* rehome them to novice families. One mare, severely head-shy after a starting gate accident, learned to accept a halter in 3 days using Join-Up®. HRH reportedly said: *“This isn’t training. It’s healing.”* No medals. No press release. Just horses finding peace—and Monty slipping out the back gate with a thermos and a thank-you note.

Time to dust off the truth:

1. “He never uses a bit.” False. He *prefers* bitless for early training—but fully supports *appropriate* bit use in performance disciplines, provided the horse is mentally ready.
2. “It’s only for ‘problem’ horses.” Nope. Olympic riders use it for *foundation* work. Calm starts make elite finishes.
3. “He invented ‘horse whispering’.” He hates the term. Says Indigenous peoples, nomadic herders, and old grooms have used similar principles for millennia.
4. “It’s slow.” In crisis? Join-Up® can establish baseline trust in <15 minutes. Long-term training? Still paced to the *horse*—not the calendar.
5. “He’s retired.” At 90 (as of 2025), he still teaches 3x/week at Flag Is Up. Walks a bit slower. Seeing? Still 20/20.

The horse training monty roberts legacy isn’t about mystique—it’s about *method*.

As of late 2025, the horse training monty roberts mission is more urgent than ever:

• 🎬 Filming Season 5 of *Horse Sense* (PBS), focusing on PTSD-affected veterans paired with rescue horses
• 📚 Finalising *The Equus Code: A Lifetime in Gestures*—his most technical (and personal) book yet
• 🎓 Launching “Join-Up® Schools” in Kenya and Wales—training community workers to use the method with donkeys (critical for rural transport)
• 🤝 Partnering with UK police mounted units to reduce handler injuries during public order deployments

He’s not resting. He’s *rallying*. Because in a world that still confuses dominance with leadership, the horse training monty roberts message remains vital: *Leadership is earned in the turn of a head—not the pull of a rein.*

Ready to listen—not just train? Start with the hub—pop over to Riding London, where we unpack equine science, ethics, and training breakthroughs without the fluff. Fancy a structured start? Our ever-growing Learn section breaks down everything from biomechanics to behavioural psychology—written for humans, *by* humans who’ve been kicked more than once. And if you’re comparing philosophies—say, Roberts’ empathy-first approach versus the disciplined precision of Yorkshire’s grit-and-gravel maestro—you’ll want our deep-dive on Tim Easterby Racehorse Trainer Performance Keys. It’s like eavesdropping on two legends in a quiet tack room, debating pace, patience, and the pulse of a horse’s heart.

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8945672/
• https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/research/equine-behaviour-hub/join-up-study-2023
• https://ed.ac.uk/royal-dick-school/research/equine-stress-cortisol-trial-2021
• https://ucdavis.edu/equine-thermal-imaging-project-2022