Whats people's thoughts of the Monty Roberts methods then

tess1 said:
to be honest Catrin, as you know, I've been there, done that and got the t-shirt. … I can only draw two conclusions - either the buckstopper was a tool for horses who "objected", or it is standard Monty equipment for starting youngsters. Neither of which sits well with me.
Click to expand...
This is what Monty replied when you asked him in November 2009, I doubt if anything has changed:


Dear Tess

Thank you for your enquiries regarding the buckstopper. I can't think of a more appropriate time to discuss the use and effects of the buckstopper than right now. Recent circumstances in my career have brought this discussion into focus, I am happy to answer your questions and give you my opinions and recommendations in the most open fashion possible.

Q If the buckstopper is defined as a device which prevents the horse from bucking by inflicting pain when the horse attempts to do so ...

A First of all, I do not agree with the premise that the buckstopper is used 'inflicting pain'. It would be more accurate to characterise it's actions as 'a surprise', 'distraction' and perhaps 'uncomfortable'. The reason for my position is that horses learn very quickly while using the buckstopper and their pulse rates are dramatically reduced during it's use. This leads me to believe that pain is not present.

Scientific tests have proven to me that when adrenalin rises and pulse rates are rapid learning is reduced. In the case of the buck stopper the technical instrumentation clearly indicates that there is lower adrenalin and heart rates. Clearly, horses are far more likely to enter a positive learning curve when there is an indication of lower heart rates than when the heart rates are high.

One should understand that I have used the buckstopper on approximately 1,500 horses by this time in my career. Not one horse, before I did public demonstrations or during, has suffered injury through it's use. This is a strong indication to me that pain and stress levels are kept extremely low. It is highly likely that injuries would have occured if pain and stress was increased.

Often I have made the following statements during the course of my demonstrations "the worst evidence I can attribute to the buckstopper over the hundreds of horses I have used it with is a pink line under the upper lip. This was only in the most extreme cases and never resulted in treatable injury. I have seen far more evidence of tissue damage from winter clipping."

Q.. and should only be used by professionals on extreme cases, what educational value do you feel that the inclusion of this device holds for the audience at your demonstrations?

Another statement I often make is "please allow a professional who has some experience with bucking horses to use the buckstopper. Do not go home and think that you can just get on and ride. I recommend this procedure only to professional horsemen and only for extreme cases." I don't believe that I have worked with a bucking horse without that admonition.

The educational, and in fact, overall value of including the buckstopper in demonstrations is that it saves the lives of horses. I think there is clear evidence that the lives of several hundred horses have been saved with the use of the buckstopper. In addition, there is no way to calculate the number of injuries or even loss of life where people are concerned.

Here in England, one only has to visit with Carrie Adams to understand that her dressage horse Ascot Bewes became safe and rideable because of the buckstopper. This is not to say that Ascot Bewes is the only horse to overcome bucking in England with this procedure, dozens of other owners have reported to me that there is horse is alive only because of the buckstopper.
 
I find Kelly odd to deal with. Having watched one of her demos recently I had some questions for her, so I pm'd her on here to ask if I could ask them. No response, when at the time she was still posting on here.

The psychiatric nurse comment is silly and I do hope it was made tongue in cheek. All her presence on this thread seems to have done is to deepen the mystery as she hasn't yet answered any questions!

For anyone interested, my questions which I didn't get to put to her were a) was there a gentler way to deal with the horse who objected to loading (who objected mildly and then more and more strongly going to vertical rears during the demo. I felt that this was down to showmanship not horsemanship, as I had previously witnessed others working with the same horse on the same issue and he was perfectly calm and the training worked), and why she didn't routinely ask owners to ensure pain had been eliminated before their horse was accepted into a demo. The second question was because this came up as an audience question after she had worked with a horse. She seemed to act a bit like tge question took her by suprise and she agreed that they should have checked that first. They then removed the mare's saddle and ran fingers along her spine - the mare dipped very strongly as pressure was put on a certain spot, indicating she probably was in pain.

I like Kelly's words, I went fully expecting to enjoy the demo but like other famous horse trainers I left feeling it was more about the show than the horse. :(
 
I havent read all the thread so maybe what I am going to put has already been said.
1. I find quite a lot of Monty's ideas I have found I have been doing for years just by intuition , and I am sure many more horse owners/carers/riders have been doing too.
2. BHS stuff is not "wrong", sometimes MR stuff works well sometimes a more traditional English approach works well too.
3. Kelly Marks simply uses a different approach with people to get them to do what is necessary to get the horse to do what you want. eg some people do not respond well to a "take control" approach. But, the horse being a herd animal needs leadership or he will take the lead or just feel unsure and confused he needs "mastery". KM just puts what to do differently so the tree huggers dont think they are "in charge".
4. These people have made money/ a living but writing book about this and giving demos. Most of us horse owners have been doing what they do for years anyway, I know I have, but just havent tried to make a living at it.
Just to re-iterate, BHS is not wrong, it works, IH stuff can work well too, its just a different way of doing the same thing.
 
Actually Horsesforever1,as for point 4 ,I really don't see why people get so uptight with the modern way of imparting horse knowledge.Years ago people made quite a good living travelling round taking money and doing fantastic things with "untrainable" horses...problem was they did everything they could to keep this knowledge between them and the equine,hence the term "Horse Whisperer".
Then you got the people who just sneered and said "its common sense" meaning its experiance and I've had horses for years and know the answers but I'm not telling you
I see nothing wrong with anyone spreading knowledge to everyone even if the charge, when others have been so careful to keep it secret ;)
 
From Monty's email to me:

Another statement I often make is "please allow a professional who has some experience with bucking horses to use the buckstopper. Do not go home and think that you can just get on and ride. I recommend this procedure only to professional horsemen and only for extreme cases." I don't believe that I have worked with a bucking horse without that admonition.

So, I repeat - since when is a horse with a maximum of ten hours of training, in an experiment to demonstrate "kind" techniques an "extreme case"? And if nothing has changed, then there is no point in me emailing him, because the above is, in my view, absolutely no justification for including the buckstopper in a "scientific study" to "prove" that Monty's methods are kinder.
 
Last edited:
Has anybody got a link to that study please? For all that I have taken a keen interest in natural horsemanship under the scientific eye I don't recall having seen that one.
 
Oh god I can see someone has posted the link but can't find the post :o

Also having just looked back I was reminded of tess' post about the ontrack promotional video. I can remember it (I use ontrack) and I wondered what it was about the images that made you come to the conclusion that riding horses places more strain on their limbs than would naturally occur? Perhaps I can provide some clarification in terms of exercise physiology, if it is of any interest?
 
talkinghorse said:
At the start of this thread, I posted my personal reasons for following Monty Roberts' methods. Here are some more global ones that show his influence.

Monty is committed to taking violence out of the lives of horses and people. He empowers others to change and take violence out of theirs. He works with young offenders, disadvantaged communities and individuals whose lives are affected by violence. He has rescued 47 foster children from violence or violent lives. He gives tirelessly of his time and never refuses a request to help a horse or child if he can do so. He has been instrumental in having the use of the whip banned or reduced in various countries and situations. He won't stop until the whip in racing is banned.

Monty is committed to making the management of horses healthier and less stressful. To that end he promotes and teaches ad lib forage feeding; constant access to water, shelter and companions and management and training that reflects the individual horse's needs. He demonstrates the adverse and stressful effect of continuous lunging and promotes alternative methods of training. He has had rules changed to enable horses to perform without shoes. He promotes natural fibres next to the horse's skin and tack and equipment that assists the horse, but does not harm him.

Monty promotes world–wide, and works constantly in, equine assistance programmes for disabled or disfunctional individuals. He is patron of several in UK. His influence had changed the BHS. President Martin Clunes and Chairman Lynn Petersen are both Intelligent Horsemanship students. Monty also worked with former Chairman Patrick Print.

In a few short years, Monty has changed the perception of horse training in South America, where extremely harsh traditional horsemanship has been the norm for centuries, to such an extent that the gauchos who wanted him killed when he first went, now want to follow his methods instead. On June 24, at the Guards Polo Club, Windsor Her Majesty will present certificates to several whom Monty has recommended. The certificate acknowledges their extraordinary efforts to eliminate violence in the training of horses, followed by their name and the country’s name. Recipients are Adolfo Cambiaso (Argentina), Carlos Gracida (Mexico and Argentina), Memo Gracida (Mexico and Argentina), Carlos Leite (Brazil), Catherine Cunningham (Guatemala), Eduardo Moreira (Brazil), Joel Baker (USA), Mateus Ribeiro (Brazil), and Satish Seemar (Dubai).

Monty gives 300 days of his year, travelling 200,000 miles to ensure that he helps as many people as he can, while he can. Recognising that with poor health at 77, he can't go on forever, he has created hundreds of hours of film, covering every aspect of horse handling and management, which he makes available for less than the subscription to Horse and Hound. He also answers people's questions, in emails or at demos.

Since he has a non-profit organisation status, every penny that he makes, from sales of books and equipment, is used to promote the education of non-violence world wide.

It is the little guys like us who change the lives of our horses, it is the big guys like Monty that show us what needs to be done.
Click to expand...

I really like this post...I am still struggling to understand why people are so anti MR & KM...so you may dislike some methods but as a general rule IMO they offer the kinder solution and teach this to thousands of people...encouraging kinder treatment of horses...surely this should be celebrated...but yet here we are??

I am happy for someone to explain...as perhaps I have missed something
 
Hi Naturally

the link to the study is here http://www.mobileliveryassociates.co.uk/distance-learning-material-for-associates/ hopefully.

I'd be interested in your comments re the ontrack video - although it didn't change what I do/don't do with my horses. It was just something doing the rounds on facebook which I commented on as I thought it was quite a powerful visual representation of what is happening to horses' lower limbs and hooves during movement ... I'm a bit puzzled as to how/why it even came to Kelly's attention tbh, I'd have thought she'd have had better things to do with her time than read my facebook comments.
 
Did Monty's trainer actually use the Buckstopper in this study? In academia, if a company provides you with something for free, it often requires mentioning during scientific publication as part of the advertisement in return; theoritically Buckstopper might need to have been mentioned even if there was never any intent to actually use it. I can't see the article on my phone to check though. The pressure of performing such a training and performance feat however may mean that options may need to be cycled through faster than when time is a relative luxury: I think a much more interesting question is whether, without such time- and academic-pressure, Monty and his associates would use the Buckstopper so quickly or on such young horses?

I for one was pleased Kelly Marks appeared on this thread, and am a bit sad she's felt she needs to leave the thread! People are saying boo her for not talking about things here when the advertising rules say you can't, but she stated that she will as long as she's been given permission. I wish more people knew the T&Cs on here: Heather Moffat certainly learned the hard way! Kelly then says she will put them on her web page as an alternative and that's not good enough for some posters here either. Whether you agree with her methods or not, she has been damned if she does and damned if she doesn't! I would have loved to have seen some healthy, mannerly and respectful debate on both sides while we had the chance with someone so well informed. I am ever so disappointed such an opportunity has so quickly evaporated 80(
 
The study says that each trainer got to choose the equipment they needed.

If the training could not be done in the allocated time-scale without resorting to pain inflicting gadgets then the study should have been modified - anything else undermines the fundamental premise of "kindness" which this study was meant to be based on.

I sincerely hope that Monty and his associates would not resort to the buckstopper so quickly, or on young horses, as the whole justification for the buckstopper has always been that it is a last resort for horses with extreme problems who are very likely to be destroyed if they are not "fixed".

I would be delighted to respond to anything that Kelly writes on her own forum if the advertising regs here prevent her from doing so here. However, her post last night reads like an ad, one of talkinghorses posts reads like an ad and so far she has done nothing to address any of the questions asked on this thread, which I do not necessarily believe would contravene regs. I have tried to remain healthy, mannerly and respectful - not always easy when someone accuses you of being a troll with mental health issues.
 
I recommend you read back over the last 22 pages, several people have protested at some of your wilder interpretations/definitions of the truth and you've ignored them all.
 
Marianne, you have just called me a liar, on a public forum. Please point out to me exactly where in the last 12 pages I have stated an untruth (I didn't join until page 11).

And while you're about it, perhaps you could post links to some of the x million studies you mentioned a while back that said join up was kinder than some other training methods ... now that wasn't an "exaggeration" by any chance, was it?
 
Careful Marianne. If you are not privey to the discussions between Tess, myself and Kelly that span years, not just 22 pages of this thread, you might end up looking very silly defending Kellys comments in her recent post.

Just saying!
 
I think personally and in agreement with others that YES IH is common sense!

I never think of Monty Roberts demo's as a 'show' there is a man and a horse showing some useful hints and tips - body language , correct use of dually, use of long line to a bunch of horsey people who can take away and use bits to help them with their horse or themselves. He is not flashy or extravagant like pat or linda P.

Monty nor Kelly nor Sarah proclaim to be the law on how to deal with horses, but have built up a way of relating with a horse in a way it understands. Yes they sell books and merchandise but you dont have to buy it!

Join up is a diificult one as every horse and every owner is different. Those who may use parts of IH may never actually use join up, i have never 'done it' because i have never felt like i 100% know what to do but have used other methods explained by Monty, Kelly and Sarah (usually simple ones with pictures!!)

Good one Kelly and Sarah for coming on here and giving there opinions, if it were your full time job and passion then i expect anyone would do the same.
 
You asked me about a buckstopper - I had guessed its a rather harsh piece of kit ...but its not something he actively promotes is it? it isn't something he shows people on a DVD and encourages them to use it?

People are doing far far worse than this IMO...I do not have the background knowledge of the people on this thread...but I am the target audience...and I say that anyone in a position of power that is encouraging good practise on the majority of his demonstrations and literature (buckstopper aside) is doing a lot of good things for the horsey industry.

I have openly stated my horror at other methods from watching demos, dvd's and experiences with intructors....I have had no reason so far to doubt MR's methods.
 
Marianne, I would appreciate a response - please tell me exactly where you believe I have lied. The fact that I have written things that you don't agree with does not make me a liar.
 
Naturally said:
I find Kelly odd to deal with. Having watched one of her demos recently I had some questions for her, so I pm'd her on here to ask if I could ask them. No response, when at the time she was still posting on here.

The psychiatric nurse comment is silly and I do hope it was made tongue in cheek. All her presence on this thread seems to have done is to deepen the mystery as she hasn't yet answered any questions!

For anyone interested, my questions which I didn't get to put to her were a) was there a gentler way to deal with the horse who objected to loading (who objected mildly and then more and more strongly going to vertical rears during the demo. I felt that this was down to showmanship not horsemanship, as I had previously witnessed others working with the same horse on the same issue and he was perfectly calm and the training worked), and why she didn't routinely ask owners to ensure pain had been eliminated before their horse was accepted into a demo. The second question was because this came up as an audience question after she had worked with a horse. She seemed to act a bit like tge question took her by suprise and she agreed that they should have checked that first. They then removed the mare's saddle and ran fingers along her spine - the mare dipped very strongly as pressure was put on a certain spot, indicating she probably was in pain.

I like Kelly's words, I went fully expecting to enjoy the demo but like other famous horse trainers I left feeling it was more about the show than the horse. :(
Click to expand...

You know, I am suprised to read that. I had understood that the IH team screened horses for unsoundness pain etc. before the demos.Sue Palmer is an RDA who is often at the demos.She is also an ACPAT physiotherapist.She became one when she realized that a lot of the horses referred to her for behavioural difficulties actually have pain.It takes 6 years to become an ACPAT.Three years training to be a human physio, 2 years full time practice and then a masters in animal physiotherapy.Quite some commitment.The back dipping is often (although not always) associated with a badly fitting saddle which is, IMHO more normal than abnormal.
 
Parker79 said:
I really like this post...I am still struggling to understand why people are so anti MR & KM...so you may dislike some methods but as a general rule IMO they offer the kinder solution and teach this to thousands of people...encouraging kinder treatment of horses...surely this should be celebrated...but yet here we are??

I am happy for someone to explain...as perhaps I have missed something
Click to expand...

There are others on here who are better placed to explain it, but in a nutshell for me, I feel that MR (and KM to a lesser extent) has/have changed people's attitudes towards training horses for the better, but now that they have been around a while and scientific studies are being published, and my own knowledge has grown, I see things that I don't like in their methods. Whilst I could forgive this is a student it sticks in the throat if its the expert themselves, and I don't like anyone with the attitude of being unwilling to enter a dialogue and learn from other people.

I now don't think that the method is any kinder than well carried out traditional training, and that it can be as inconsistent and cruel as badly carried out traditional training. I suspect we have got to where we are (decently carried out horse training based on an understanding of what works and what is fair, and which doesn't focus on dominating the horse) faster because MR challenged people to look at horse training from a more empathetic point of view.

tess1 said:
Hi Naturally

the link to the study is here http://www.mobileliveryassociates.co.uk/distance-learning-material-for-associates/ hopefully.

I'd be interested in your comments re the ontrack video - although it didn't change what I do/don't do with my horses. It was just something doing the rounds on facebook which I commented on as I thought it was quite a powerful visual representation of what is happening to horses' lower limbs and hooves during movement ... I'm a bit puzzled as to how/why it even came to Kelly's attention tbh, I'd have thought she'd have had better things to do with her time than read my facebook comments.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link Tess, I'll read it in a bit.

I think the video shows very nicely that the shod hoof doesn't absorb impact particularly well, but I know there are studies which would disagree with me on that score. ;)

I have to guess that it is the portrayal of the fetlock sinking low at speed/high pressure that particularly interests you? In a nutshell, (I have a tendancy to get too geeky :o) the tendons in the lower limb are able to withstand those sorts of forces, indeed that is why they have evolved as they have done and stand on one digit not three - primarily for forward impulsion and speed but also the disappearance of the other toes allowed the fetlock to become a shock absorption mechanism.

I think the greatest challenge to the horse's leg tendons is during gallop, where it is subject to a huge increase in heat, force and stretch. I think a study or studies have actually been done which appear to have found that the proteins in the tendon at gallop are very close to catastrophic breakdown due to strain and temperature increases. But as we all know, horses gallop as a natural activity and they rarely break down as a result - they either seem to be able to cope remarkably well working at such close proximity to failure, or we have missed something.
 
Parker79 said:
You asked me about a buckstopper - I had guessed its a rather harsh piece of kit ...but its not something he actively promotes is it? it isn't something he shows people on a DVD and encourages them to use it?
Click to expand...

It is a thin line that runs beneath the horse's lip, at the top of his gum, and then is attached to the poll and then the saddle. When the horse puts his head down to buck, all the force goes to the line at the gum. Monty uses them in his demos - so I would say, yes, he does show them to people although, as in the previous email, he says they should be for professionals and severe cases.
 
Naturally said:
There are others on here who are better placed to explain it, but in a nutshell for me, I feel that MR (and KM to a lesser extent) has/have changed people's attitudes towards training horses for the better, but now that they have been around a while and scientific studies are being published, and my own knowledge has grown, I see things that I don't like in their methods. Whilst I could forgive this is a student it sticks in the throat if its the expert themselves, and I don't like anyone with the attitude of being unwilling to enter a dialogue and learn from other people.

I now don't think that the method is any kinder than well carried out traditional training, and that it can be as inconsistent and cruel as badly carried out traditional training. I suspect we have got to where we are (decently carried out horse training based on an understanding of what works and what is fair, and which doesn't focus on dominating the horse) faster because MR challenged people to look at horse training from a more empathetic point of view.
Click to expand...

Thank you - I think from the level I am watching (leisure riders and some competing a little) its refreshing to see some people looking at the likes of MR and KM for help as none of us are experts....whereas I utterly cringe when I watch others on my yard trying to follow Parelli.
 
tess1 said:
It is a thin line that runs beneath the horse's lip, at the top of his gum, and then is attached to the poll and then the saddle. When the horse puts his head down to buck, all the force goes to the line at the gum. Monty uses them in his demos - so I would say, yes, he does show them to people although, as in the previous email, he says they should be for professionals and severe cases.
Click to expand...

Thank you tess1 - is this any worse than a rider yanking on the horses mouth to keep their head up? I'm not trying to argue...its a genuine question out of curiousity.
 
leogeorge said:
Careful Marianne. If you are not privey to the discussions between Tess, myself and Kelly that span years, not just 22 pages of this thread, you might end up looking very silly defending Kellys comments in her recent post.

Just saying!
Click to expand...

Well, I think Marianne is looking pretty silly right now.

I would still like a response, Marianne. I do not appreciate being called a liar on an open forum simply because someone does not like some of the uncomfortable truths that I have posted.
 
it's a fair question, Parker 79. In some ways, perhaps it is not - however, it's important to look at why the horse is bucking - for example if the horse is bucking out of pain, or fear then it would be unfair to use a painful device to stop the behaviour. It would be much more appropriate to identify and treat for pain/ill fitting tack etc and spend some time re-schooling the horse so they don't have a problem with being ridden. If young, unschooled horses - like those in the study - bucked, it would likely be because they were struggling to cope with the speed of training - or possibly even physically struggling to cope with balancing a rider. It would be very disturbing to think that a buckstopper might be used as a quick fix in such a situation, especially as the training time in the study was very short, and the demands asked of the horses considerable at the end of only ten hours of training.
 
The buck stopper is made from cord similar to cotton washing line. It is made into an oval shape, with another piece like a brow-band. The oval goes over the poll of the horse and into the mouth under the lip and over the gum. There is another piece of line from poll to saddle or surcingle.

The buck stopper is fitted so that in any normal head carriage there is no pressure on the gum. Only if the horse attempts to put his head down to the ground, will he feel pressure on the gum. As the horse lowering his head puts the pressure on, so if he lifts his head, the pressure is released.

When bucking, the horse tends to leap forwards with his head high, then plunge his head down as his front feet come to the ground. It is this sudden plunge that causes instant pressure on the gum. Because the horse administers the effect himself, it is instant in its action; it is also instant in its release. It is this instant that can save the life of a rider, and in many cases, the life of the horse.

On the one occasion that I have seen the buck stopper used — I still have it on video — the horse attempts to plunge and instantly lifts his head back up. There was no mark at all on the horse's gum and he never tried to buck again.

Here is some further comment from Monty on the use of the buck stopper.

I was in England conducting the science trial at the end of June 2009. A photographer came to me and said that he had a friend in America who absolutely detested my work. She said that the horses were all trained in advanced and that the use of the buckstopper was cruel and ineffective.

Most of you will know that the first part her story is absolutely untrue. I now believe that virtually everyone understands that the horses are not trained in advance. With this in mind I asked the photographer to invite her to come to my farm in California, spend 3 days and watch me at work. Obviously I didn’t think she would take me up on the offer but in fact, I was very surprised when she emailed through her acceptance.

Susy Smith (a pseudonym, as I have no permission to use her name), arrived. She seemed a nice young lady in her mid twenties. Susy admitted that she had formed her conclusion based on one demonstration where she felt the solutions seemed to be too easy to come by. Later, she said, “I had several professional horsemen tell me that Monty did with the horses was impossible unless they were pre-trained”. She had no hard evidence.

There was an open door for Susy to watch me work, interview students, speak with the instructors and question owners throughout the first day. By the end of a long day 1 Susy had concluded that she was wrong to accuse me of having pre trained horses. I worked with about 6 very difficult horses on that day and Susy was able to visit with the owners while the work was going on. One horse was a remedial bucker and a very dangerous one at that.

Using the buckstopper I made a great deal of progress on the first session and I felt that I was going to be able to successfully put this problem to rest. Susy however came to the house that evening with a whole new direction to her criticisms of my work. She said that she was frightened for the horse’s life during the bucking he did. She stated that the use of the buckstopper was, in her opinion, cruel and abusive.

As luck would have it we were all schedules to go to a fundraiser that evening for the local Riding for the Disabled (RDA) group. The owner of the bucker happens to be on the board of our local RDA. Susy moved right in to tell him how horrible the buckstopper was and that she disagreed with its use, I was standing with them when the owner explained the story behind the subject horse. I did not say a word, the owner said it all.

Mr McInro told Susy that he was the master of the hounds for that area, he told her that he bred champion showjumpers and that while this horse had talent he had been bucking off professional trainers. He told Susy that he came to me and that I agreed to give the horse a try. He went on to tell Susy his hunt was constantly looking for hound food. He literally told her that he had suggested taking the horse into the field where the hounds lived and shooting him.

That’s exactly what he had told me when I accepted the challenge, on the way home Susy began to cry and she said that she was extremely conflicted with regard the whole situation. She watched the horse for two more days and he was being ridden without bucking for the first time in his life. I explained to Susy that because of a lot of criticism I had been turning down buckers by the dozens for the past 2 years. It just wasn’t worth the hassle.

Unknowing people, without evidence that it is cruel, will tend to be very cruel to me and speak to the masses on the internet and in magazines. They will speak of cruelty and abuse as if they have experience with the bucktstopper, I told Susy that I had worked with around 1500 horses with no injuries and virtually all of them came to be ridden without bucking. With that statement I had a whole new problem on my hands!

She shouted at me asking me how many horses died because I’d been turning them down for the past 2 years? I answered that probably 20-30 horses had been shipped to the butchers unnecessarily because they didn’t have the buckstopper to get them through the problem. Susy was furious with me saying that I was a coward and I had no right to turn these horses down just because a few uneducated people were criticising me.

Ultimately Susy came to admit that she could see the fact that I was in a no win situation. Susy cancelled some appointments and stayed longer and watched the horse being ridden comfortably. She has become a supporter of my work and in fact I will be having a meeting with her on December 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada where we are joining forces against what both of us agree is some unfair competitive activity involving horses.

During this meeting I will ask Susy to agree that her name can be used and possibly do an entry for you so that you can hear her own words as to the revelation that she went through during her stay with me. Please read this and measure it against your own feelings and the statements you might have made in the past. Help me where you can to understand where the horse world wants me to go and what well meaning horse people want from me.

Monty
 
TalkingHorse ... that is the argument if the horses are heading for slaughter if they are not "fixed".

I have highlighted the questionable inclusion of the buckstopper in an experiment involving training young, unspoiled horses, for ten hours, designed to show that Monty's methods are kinder than everyone else - so the above post isn't really relevant to that argument, is it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top