Monty Roberts Equus Online University | Monty's Horse Training Post: Creating a suitable chute/ behaviour in the chute

Learn all about Equus • Dually Halter • Shy Boy Mustang • Jumping Horses
• Story of a Horse Whisperer • Riding Horsemanship • Dressage Horses • Willing Partners
• Horse Training • Round Pen Lessons • Performance Horses • Join-Up

Watch Monty's horse training videos to learn how he demonstrates communication through horse training techniques that the amateur and professional alike consider to be the trainable skills of a horse whisperer yet Monty calls it horse gentling.
Monty's horse training techniques are non violent with intelligent natural horsemanship. In addition to video instructions, Monty has written many books related to natural horsemanship. Monty trains safe horses for nervous riders called Willing Partners. Monty trains world class race horses for sale.
“I am very proud to be a part of Her Majesty’s horse training and her passion for their welfare. I believe she is the leading monarch for the advocacy of horses in the world. She is a thought leader in this field. Her Majesty's horses are trained using the Dually Halter, making a difference in the training of sensitive animals by giving the horse the choice to partner in the training.” ~ Monty
“I communicate with a horse in what I call the Language of Equus; a silent language of gestures that is discernible, predictable and effective. Now you can learn from my videos, audio and notes to help you understand the horse as I do. This language is really quite simple, but simplicity becomes its greatest strength.” ~ Monty
Monty Roberts is a renowned horse trainer known as the man who listens to horses and the original horse whisperer. Monty's horse training instructions are accepted worldwide.
Monty has helped thousands of people globally through his Monty Roberts Online Videos to learn how to Join-Up with horses, training young horses, spooky horses, horses that bite. His mustang , Shy Boy , is his most famous horse.
Join-Up methods help horse and trainer to establish a bond of communication and trust. “You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.” ~ Monty
Monty says, “We hear that ‘actions speak louder than words,’ but generally we do not live by it too successfully.” Now Monty has taught thousands of people worldwide how to build trust in animals through our actions and body language.
Monty’s principles really amount to common sense and immense patience. He believes that children and horses have the same behavioral patterns. They are both naturally “flight” animals. "If you frighten them and resort to confrontation, you’ll lose their trust." ~ Monty
"Simple one-on-one reassurances and praise reap long term dividends that can all be undone with the quick slamming of a book on a desk or shouting back." ~ Monty Roberts
"No one of us was born with the right to say 'You must or I'll hurt you' to any other living thing, animal or human". ~ Monty Roberts
"My life's goal is to leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses and for people too". ~ Monty Roberts

← back

Horse Behavior and Training

Creating a suitable chute/ behaviour in the chute

By:

Kathryn in NZ

Date:

2020-Dec-07 at 07:51AM

Hi I am currently working with two horses (although I'm actually looking after nine in total), but these two - one is remedial - his name is Star. Star is a quarter horse gelding who has been abused, trained using old-school methods and basically has had his trust broken totally.
The other is a young quarter horse mare who hasn't been handled (not even touched) and hasn't had her trust broken.
I have done join up with Star three times and he's coming to me and now letting me touch his front areas but his adrenalin comes up if I raise the halter near his head. I'm trying to do it incrementally, rubbing him with the halter, but am wondering if I will need to use a chute.
As for the mare, her name is Georgia, I have done join up and it has caused her to be less afraid of me and hang out reasonably close but she's doesn't want to let me in her personal bubble. For her, to get close enough to touch and walk away, and put a halter on, I'm thinking of using a chute. I have been studying the lessons on the Uni where untouched horses are started using the chute.
For the chute I have two options, I can try and create one using temp fencing panels in the round pen because my round pen is made of temp fencing panels so it's versatile that way. Or there is a chute in a local farmer's stockyard for loading cattle onto trucks. I want to make sure I create a safe environment for me and the horse. Should I expect the mare to act crazy the first time in reaction to my coming close to touch her?
I'm not totally sure what to expect of the mare's behaviour in a chute for the first time.
How tight does the chute need to be? No room for the horse to move forwards, sideways, backwards at all?

Kathryn in NZ 2020-Dec-10 at 08:10AM

I've concluded that as long as I move forward in small incremental, repetitive positive steps, ensuring that one step has reached a level of acceptance and calmness before beginning the next step, we should be able to get to where we want to be.

JoHewittVINTA 2020-Dec-10 at 09:57PM

Hi Kathryn. I think Monty only uses his very substantial chute system when the horses are so very green that they are highly likely to either injure themselves or the handlers. The core of everything Monty advocates is trust. If you can control your breathing & body language in order to approach any horse in relative safely then working incrementally, as you suggest, is the preferred option. Allowing choice, allowing mistakes without pain as a consequence is to nurture learning & progress. My own experience is that this route gives both horse & human immense satisfaction in jobs well done & lessons learned thoroughly & quickly. Good luck & keep us updated on how you get on. Cheers, Jo.

Kathryn in NZ 2020-Dec-17 at 08:25AM

Hi Jo, thanks for your reply. Yes what you said is what's been happening. I'm happy to report things have been going very well. Georgia is so calm and has been handling everything new to her beautifully. She's now used to the halter and today had her first lesson learning to lead with a dually halter.
Star is still a work in progress regarding building trust and bringing his adrenalin down but I'm now able to halter him so that's great. Next will be the dually and leading for him as well. :) :) :)