Monty Roberts Speaks the Language of Equus
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Monty Roberts p aks theLanguageofEquu by Vicki Hanson or anyone who has ever witnessed it, the brutal scene in the classic 1961 film The Misfits in which Clark Gable fights a wild stallion at the end of a rope indelibly defines a thousand similar struggles between man and horse. But this Western also gives us a surprising break with tradition Gable's character suddenly frees the animal, acknowledging finally that destroying its spirit murders something in ourselves. This has been the message of Monty Roberts (ASCI '59, Boots and Spurs '86 honoree) for most of his 62 years. Exposed to the world of horse training and rodeo competition throughout his youth, he sought a different direction from his father's methods of tying up horses to "break" them. He developed instead the gentle craft of "starting" young horses, using a body language he calls "Equus" that he learned as a 13-year old studying mustangs in the Nevada desert. Roberts has catalogued his methods in his bestseller, The Man Who Listens to Horses (Random House, 1997), magazine articles, and shows like Dateline NBC. These methods are deceptively simple: Wearing his trademark tweed cap, he stands in the middle of a round pen, Rohet"L'i works with a racehorse feelri'lIl ot the starting gate. (Photo byDmlq 11IIen) ~ ·I~-;.... ......... ..~.41~,~~......... ~-.,... ..... ,- .. .~. -. -" . " ",", . - _....- ,-- --- '",7/tr ~''''' ~~ ~ .' • . -' • . :\0' i,,'" I I) ,. C t ... " t' ." 4 CAL POLY MAGAZINE SPRING.199B .J. '. , •• I • f~ r .... .r- .... I, , ' ..~ _ Robel'to; and his wit: , Pal. a well-known hOl'sewoman and Westl.'l-n arti..1:. (Pilato hy Karen f().,ter Well ) facing a nervous young horse and man are cooperating. horse enterprise project and served backed against a wall. He flicks a Roberts has successfully as horse unit manager for 10 years. light cotton lunge line at the started thousands of young horses, Senior Equine Specialist Mike horse's heels, reinforcing its including royal mounts for Queen Lund, who teaches equine classes instincts to "go away a lot." As the Elizabeth II, and helps rehabilitate with Hunt and Animal Science horse's fear subsides, it signals that mistreated and "remedial" horses. Professor Gene Armstrong, agrees. it's ready to negotiate: cocking an He gives horse clinics worldwide "Monty has always been open to ear, chewing its lips, lowering its and offers demonstrations at his having students watch his join-up head, and finally following own Flag Is Up Farms, a world method, which he's been doing for Roberts around the pen until class Thoroughbred racehorse years," says Lund. "And he's a "join-up," when both man and operation near Solvang. successful role model - he shows horse stop and Roberts strokes the Students from the Cal Poly kids that all you have to do is use horse's forehead soothingly, horse program - one of the best some initiative and thought." talking reassuringly. nationwide - frequently visit Flag "The fundamental goal of Often within half an hour, Is Up. "The main thing Monty my work is to create a greater Roberts goes on to run his hands Roberts has generously given understanding in the area of over the horse's vulnerable areas students is the opportunity to communication," says Roberts, (back, belly, flanks), pick up each work with horses - not just a one "human to animal, and human to of its feet, then slowly add a pad time gift, but over and over," says human. My primary desire is to and saddle and eventually a rider. Animal Science Professor Roger leave the world a better place for Without the use of force, horse Hunt, who established Cal Poly's both horses and people." W Please see interview with Monty Roberts on the following page. ':'" .. '" . , , ' ; , . ~ _.. .. " .- ., . ~ ~ -. ....,. r:' . u.,..~ ,- ~.." ..' .~ _CAL POLY MAGAZINE SPRING 1998 5 - . 1 -.; . • t:j: • .'. ~ . 1 ~ J. •. • ' • rw""l1.~ III • .. The following interview with MontyRoberts was held on a brightday in mid-December1997 athis Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, California. CAL POLY MAGAZINE: How with a triple major at Cal Poly: store, doing the books for the far back does your connection biological sciences, to get as much training operation, helping me with Cal Poly go? of the psychology and biological with school. And later, raising our aspects of my work as I could; three children [daughters Debbie MONTY ROBERTS: I first carne farm management, becCiuse I had a and Laurel and son Marty], and down from Salinas in 1949 on a lot of related units from Hartnell; showing horses, The degree to high school FFA field day and and an animal science major. I which I've succeeded is directly stayed in the ag farm shop on a joined the rodeo club and won proportionate to the help she Navy bunkbed, The horse courses two national championships as gave me. at Cal Poly were just getting well as many regional [ones]. started [under Bob Gibford]. I kept I was married after my first CPM: There were many Cal Poly coming three or four times a year. year at Cal Poly. We had a little graduates from the 19505 who I lived on campus, keeping horses Western store at the corner of made their mark in the horse there, riding horses, helping out. Broad and Foothill and a few world. After graduating from Hartnell horses in training. Pat was a 100 Uunior College] in 1955, I enrolled percent partner, sitting in the MR: Yes - It was a vintage crop Trevor H<lqJer, CalPuly sen!llr l1leChclllical et1~inecrjl1g student, worked with Roherts to st<lrt a filly for the Tlwl'Oughhretl l'ntl.'rprbe Ilmjecl. The 1110~l valuable thing lleanwd was "uhlle l.'yt' cunl <lct." Ila'"llel" "d'yS. (P11IIto murle.\y Uoyer fluI10 ~~"' I • . .... ,", _. - .• - " . ,1 ",.; .. 6 CAL POLY MAGAZINE SPRING 1998 '. '. .'. :,' . ~ . ~ r .. .' that included Bill Stroud [ASCI Satish Seemar, who is now '58], now a vocational ag adviser running the world's largest in Paso Robles, and Jack Varian Thoroughbred operation. [ASCI '58], who has gone on to have big ranching operations CPM: What would you say are throughout California. At one the most important lessons you've time virtually all of us rented learned from your horse training places on O'Connor Way, the back methods? road to the Army camp, where we had room for horses. At least five MR: First, to allow any creature people living in that little canyon the right to fail, but to hold them went on to become world [rodeo] accountable for their actions. champions. Without that, they cannot In '59 I began to operate succeed. Second, no one has the Laurellinda, a professional horse right to say " you must" to any training operation in Edna Valley other creature, animal or human. financed by Homer Mitchell, a San Not governments or parents or Crawford Hill!. former (al Poly student and long Joaquin Valley cotton farmer. But I teachers. time manager ofMonty Robe,"ts' Flag Is lip arllls. [kept my involvement with] Cal The contracts I make [with believes all creatl.lres have a right to th ir own Poly, because Mr. Gibford and Mr. horses] give the positive perceptlolls: 'We need to a 'k our. elves. 'If I were Bob Miller, my adviser, kept consequences of certain actions as living in this hot". c's body, how would I perceive sending me students. well as the negative ones. I tell what i . going on?' (PllOto by Doug Allell) Many have gone on to them, "Do whatever you want, but wonderful things. [Among them if you want to walk over there [to use negotiation or force], we are] Lee Smith [AGB '66], now while I'm asking you to come over generally use force. But ultimately one of the major heads of here, then walk over there a lot," violence has a greater price than agricultural banking in Nevada; and I send them cantering in the problem it tries to solve. Right Johnny Miller [ASCI '54], who circles for a while. When they're now [the Earth] has the greatest went on to be World's Champion ready to move toward me, I offer chance it has ever had to eliminate Cowboy and now has his own them fellowship. violence. [All the world's powerful operation in Scottsdale; and nations] are professing not to want [former Cal Poly student] CPM: Your techniques appear to violence now - we could sign a Crawford Hall, who has run be rooted in the notion of peace pact under the United Flag Is Up for 25 years - I couldn't surrender rather than domination, Nations and agree never to use have hired a better manager. which is the usual way humans do violence again. In 1966 I moved down here business. [to Solvang]. Roger Hunt worked CPM: Your book has been on the with me for a year and then there MR: You put your finger square New York Times bestseller list for 18 followed a stream of interns, both on it. The human species, if it can weeks and as of this week is formal and informal, including rule by domination, generally number two. What has captured one exchange student from India, does. If we have an opportunity all those readers? continued on page 8 - . CAL POLY MAGAZINE SPRING 1998 ., . -j ~: • • ,~ . ~. - "f~ . , " 0 0" ~ . .' .' .. , -~_ ; ~ . I ~ , ..~ . :., 0-_ • I ..1It-_oJ .. ~ (. continued from page 7 MR: The book strikes a chord hand, and we have created chasms man's best friend? about how people conduct their between the species. relationships with other human MR: Oh, I do. Without the horse beings. The letters that have come CPM: If you look back through the United States would've been in here - stacks of them - are history, the horse is everywhere: another 50 to 75 years happening.