Join up natural horsemanship, anyone tried it?

aliceeventing131

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hi, i was wondering has anyone ever tried the monty roberts join up method, iv seen plenty of videos of him doing it but only one or two of other people at home (youtube) i do try t-touch (not monty roberts but i hear he likes it) on my loan mare, she loves it she relaxes and almost falls asleep every time i do it (move her skin in circles by her forelock, though you can do it all over the body) but ye, i was just curious really :)
 
I have always done join up with my guys.

Toffee is really lovely to work with, we did some jumping with her following me.

Samba will follow me over tarpaulin etc.

I only do it a couple of times though. I have only ever done it alongside ground work though.
I just made myself up a 20m circle pen in the field with electric fencing.
 
i think you get a lungeline, rope or whatever and sort of scare your horse away, get him cantering in different directions etc (thats the 'im the boss of the heard' bit i think) then once the horse has lowered his head, slowed and chewed (the 'okay, i accept u r the boss can we now be friends' part) you drop eye contact, turn your back and wait for the horse to come to you (the 'okay we can be friends' part) then the horse is supposed to come up to you and nuzzle you or something, the you turn round very gently with no eye contact rub him on the forehead ('yes, we are friends now') and then walk off with him following you.

im not sure if iv got that right, have i?
 
Join up didn't used to have a name. Old style horsemen like me just did it as a matter of course with all horses young or old. Perhaps not in exactly the form it's shown as nowadays but it's always been around.
 
Yes. Not sure I would use the word scare tho .. it is more a matter of upping the push energy.. using body language as much as a lunge line .. When my current horse who was then 2 and I was new to JU and other Monty methods... it helped establish us a partnership and I have found it an excellent foundation for us.
 
Yes. Not sure I would use the word scare tho .. it is more a matter of upping the push energy.. using body language as much as a lunge line .. When my current horse who was then 2 and I was new to JU and other Monty methods... it helped establish us a partnership and I have found it an excellent foundation for us.

yeah, i dont know why is used that word i couldn't think of the right word
 
I do it with fat pony when he is being a dick.

Chase him round the field a few times until he starts lowering his head, then walk away. by the time ive reached the gate he is always rich behind me.

Hes much steadier after as well.
 
Yes it's a good way of getting a horse calm and listening, also a good way of catching a difficult horse that won't normally be caught, although you don't quite use the same technique but it's similar, nor does it have to be done in a small round pen neither, you just need to walk about a bit more.
 
Errm, when my pony wouldn't be caught for the first time i chased him round the field changing direction with a lunge whip, making him do the pace i wanted to do. Didn't exactly come to me, but i managed to catch him nicely when he decided he would play ball.

Probabally looked crazy to the next door neighbours, but, hey, it worked. Hopefully i won't have to do it again unless he decided not to be caught again. :S
 
yeah, i dont know why is used that word i couldn't think of the right word

Hi yes I know what you mean .. our words aren't particulary good at describing essentially what is not a human language :rolleyes:

I think there is a common misconception that JU involves scaring the horse tho'.. Have never seen a horse scared when JU is done well..
 
I've never tried it but I've seen a trainer working with a horse and they joined up, and the results were amazing!
Before they joined up the pony was constantly spooking at pretty much anything, after they joined up, he was happily trotting over a sheet of tarpaulin!
I must add that he was a professional though :P
 
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