Get A Better Bond With Your Horse Through Monty Roberts' Join-Up

Monty Roberts has made a big difference in the world of training. Through live demonstrations, books, and videos, he has bought awareness of natural horsemanship. He focuses on reading the horse’s body language in order to communicate more effectively. Roberts is well-known for his nonviolent training approach called Join-Up.

What is Join-Up?

Join-Up is a different approach to the traditional breaking of a horse. This gentle and effective method eliminates the need for violence. It is often used to start horses and get them to accept a saddle, bridle, and rider.

The trainer will encourage the horse to move forward in a round pen by driving him around. The horse has the option to continue running or join-up and work with the person. It’s important to look for signals that the horse is ready. This may include an ear locking on the person, licking and chewing, smaller circles, and dropping his head.

Once the horse appears ready, the trainer takes on passive body language. They turn their back to the horse and see if the horse willingly chooses to be with them and accept their leadership. This method creates a bond of trust and communication.

Watch Monty Roberts attempt to join-up with a young horse.