Many years ago, I read "The Man Who Listens to Horses" and wondered why I had never before heard of this man who supposedly brought about such a sea change to the world of horse training. The round penning method he claimed to have invented is identical to what other "natural" horse training gurus had already been marketing during the previous 10 years. I independently discovered the technique myself back in the 60's when I was a teenager. (Too bad it never occurred to me that I could use it to become wealthy.)
"The Man Who Listens to Horses" was published in November 1998, after the release of the film "The Horse Whisperer" in May of 1998, and after the 1996 Nicholas Evans book was a bestseller. (On his website FAQ, Evans says that Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and Buck Brannaman were inspirations for his character Tom Booker, but that Monty Roberts had nothing at all to do with it.)
John Lyons' first book was published in 1991 after his videos were already popular and the first edition of Parelli's book (very modest and not at all the marketed glitz that Parelli NH is now) was published at about the same time or perhaps earlier.
Modern media, coupled with excellent PR made it possible for these trainers to become rich and famous gurus adored by thousands worldwide.
I wondered why readers of the Monty Roberts "autobiography" thought that we had all beat and abused our horses until Monty came along and showed us the better way. All the horsemen I have known have always looked for better ways of training, and I never knew anyone who used the Hollywood movie bronc-busting sterotype as a colt-starting method. Indeed, consistent use of such a method would get the 'trainer' a bunch of broken bones with little else accomplished.
After I read "The Man Who Listens To Horses" I began to read comments from other folks about what BS it was. I took those comments with a grain of salt, because I wanted to be fair. I read reports by knowledgeable horsemen who had been to his clinics. Overwhelmingly, it seemed to me that it was only the novices and kids who were impressed.
I also received a firsthand report from on online acquaintance who had an encounter with Monty at a youth horse show she was directing, where Monty attempted to hijack the show to publicize a demonstration he was giving elsewhere on the grounds.
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In February of 1999, the Horse & Rider expose about Monty Roberts' book came out. It appeared to be well documented. There is an infamous "anti-Monty" website and I read the stuff on it, while still trying to remain objective.
"Horse Whispers & Lies" finally provided the indisputable proof that I needed to conclude that "The Man Who Listens To Horses" is more a novel than nonfiction. I am grateful to the authors for making the effort to let the truth be known!
I know that they have been unfairly and untruthfully accused by gullible Monty fans of having ulterior motives or of being "jealous." It must be very painful to have to endure these insults.
I would point out that the authors do positively assert that Monty is a capable horse trainer. They simply want to set the record straight about what is true and what is not true.
Something I read quite frequently (posted, I suspect, by horse-crazy 12 year old girls) is that anyone who makes the world a better place for horses is OK with them, regardless of what lies he has told. That makes me think what a sad state of affairs the world has come to, when being honorable and truthful is no longer a measure of someone who is considered worthy of respect.
Monty claims a lot of credit for the success of the stallion Johnny Tivio. According to records online at the AQHA website, Monty bought the horse 12/13/1965.
The AQHA has the following as show records for the horse:
NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION $ 5,188.90 Earned thru 01/01/1966 1965
OPEN HIGH POINT WESTERN RIDING STALLION 1964
OPEN PERFORMANCE REGISTER OF MERIT
It appears that Johnny Tivio did a great deal of winning before he came into Monty's hands. According to people who knew Johnny Tivio, those wins were done under the training and riding of Harry Rose.
Monty wrote of Dually (PEPINICS DUALLY) that he had been a
"throwaway horse that no one wanted." For Dually, AQHA ownership records show as dates of sale:
CURRENT OWNER : MONTY AND PAT ROBERTS SOLVANG, CA 01/09/1995
2ND PREV OWNER : GREG AND/OR LAURA WARD TULARE, CA 03/01/1994
It should be noted that Greg Ward (deceased) is known as one of the greatest Reined Cowhorse trainers of all time.
AQHA performance records for Dually show:
NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION $ 6,295.51 Earned thru 01/01/1994
NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION $ 5,404.18 Earned thru 11/02/1995
Apparently, the horse had earned over $6000 before acquired by Monty.
Dually was a product not only of Greg Ward's training but also of his breeding program that has produced many world class money earners in NCHA, NRHA, NRCHA, and AQHA, descended from Greg Ward's great mare Fillinic.
As evidence of Greg Ward's love of horses and his skill, consider this quote from an article in Western Horseman magazine,
'Could it have been that the high-strung Fillinic had proven too much of a challenge for the earlier owners, needing the sure and steady hand of the "Master," Greg Ward, the man who was to make Fillinic, just as Fillinic was to make him?' Seems to me that perhaps Greg Ward was the kind of trainer that Monty would have liked to have been. I know I'd like to be a Greg Ward or a Matlock Rose! Which reminds me of this famous joke:
There was a party in honor of an elderly, internationally famous pianist. A society matron approached him and gushed, "I'd give my life to play the piano the way you do!"The pianist said, "Madam, I did."Further reading:- 'Horse Whispers & Lies'
- the Feb. 1999 issue of Horse & Rider magazine's article, 'Horse Whispers or Horse Feathers?'
- San Francisco Examiner Article: 'BIOGRAPHY CALLED UNBRIDLED FICTION' January 11, 1997
- "Horse of a Different Color" by John Skow & James Willwerth, Time Magazine Dec. 14, 1998
- "Now! Read the True (More or Less) Story!" Tuesday, February 24, 1998 The New York Times
- "A Peddler of Court Gossip May Pay the Piper" by Jonathon Turley.
There has been a misbelief that when Roberts sued Horse & Rider magazine, that it was the magazine that called for an out of court settlement. This misunderstanding seems to have come from a full page ad that the magazine agreed to give to Roberts, in which he thanked Horse & Rider. I read a post by a former H&R staffer in which she explained that it was Roberts' attorneys who asked for an out-of-court settlement, that the magazine had been prepared to go to court.
I must emphasize that there is no question of Monty Roberts' horse handling knowledge and skills. However, let's not put this very HUMAN person on a pedestal. In fact, don't idolize ANYONE.
Some of the best advice I ever received was from an elderly lady when I was 10 years old. I was a horse crazy kid who virtually worshipped the teenaged daughter of the 4-H Horse Project Leader, who was a very talented rider. The elderly lady advised me, "Don't idealize other people, but try to become your ideal yourself."
