Monty Roberts: Joining Up

MisterMarley

MisterMarley

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I'm thinking about trying the Monty Roberts Joining Up technique but I was just wondering whether anybody has tried it and what they got out of it? Did it really work? Do you have a better bond with your horse? Does it work for everybody? Any information or stories people have, feel free to share! Any help, advice, tips or stories will all be appreciated!!
Thanks :)
 
Monty has an online "university" that you'd find the techniques in but tbh join up is so well known now you could probably just google it.

I've watched my friend do join up with several youngsters. I don't think it's quite as quick as Monty makes out and my friend did have a very dominant colt that never responded to it but I think overall it's a successful technique.
 
Take care.

A livery yard owner had to go and stop one person chasing their horse round for hours "doing a join up" because he had missed the signals the horse gave him. Poor thing was exhausted and confused.
 
When i first got my nervous lad had to do join up in the field just to get near him :( Always managed it in less that 10 mins :)
 
just-me said:
When i first got my nervous lad had to do join up in the field just to get near him :( Always managed it in less that 10 mins :)
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Well done!

I've seen the join up vid on the university page and Monty says something like "We do it 6 times on this rein and 6 times on the other." I've never seen my friend do it that quick. I do know that you're not supposed to chase the horse round til the point of exhaustion.

Orangehorse

Take care.

A livery yard owner had to go and stop one person chasing their horse round for hours "doing a join up" because he had missed the signals the horse gave him. Poor thing was exhausted and confused.
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This is one of the reasons why I haven't done it personally. I'm scared of getting it wrong.
 
Yes I have been practicing the Monty Roberts methods for twelve years or more since my gelding was a bolshy brute that would pull away when I tied him up and wouldn't load into my trailer.
Eventually he went from the worst behaved horse to the best behaved once I had learnt more.
I don't think anyone can "do it" exactly like Monty Roberts, he's been practicing for about sixty years and he says he's still learning!
My advice would be go to see him this autumn at one of his demos to see if you think it works and you can even speak to him personally during the interval. Get DVD's, join his on-line university at http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/ and practice as much as you can. It definitely does work if you do it properly and know what signals the horse gives to look out for. As a previous poster says, you need to know what the signs of the Equus language is and how to respond to them so you are speaking the horses language. It's not just a matter of driving them around a round pen and then they join up and you are bonded.
It is very rewarding when you see your horse behaving exactly as Monty predicts they will.
Good luck
 
Yes, it does work. I've been to only two of Monty's demonstrations, and I'm sure I haven't got it even half right yet, but it's brilliant, and we haven't even got an arena or closed space. I've done it with an etremely difficult mare just in the open field, and it's amazing how it worked.

He's an amazing man, and gentle, in my mind the modern patron saint of horses. It has been a privilege to watch him. Give it a try. You will be pleased with what you achieve.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEHTNfQ03Es

Here's a video of me doing it with Ned. I think I have the basics right, but I always forget eye contact and having my shoulders square to him.
Also, very interestingly, Ned doesn't show signs of chewing, licking or bowing his head, but he still comes over and follows me. All the other horses we've tried it with all show these signs.
Perhaps Ned knew me well enough anyway and didn't feel he NEEDED to show them? I don't know! Either way, give it a go :D it's wonderful!
 
I've done it with Jasper, made me all emotional! It does work! Just research it as much as possible and remember that if it's not "working" it's probably something you are doing/not doing rather than the horse is not getting it! :D
 
I did join up with my gelding but not following monty roberts as such. I used to do a lot of free schooling and loose jumping with him and at the end of the session I then asked him to join up and it worked every time, he was quite an expressive horse and was very attached to me so join up was relativly simple for us but still special :)
 
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