Forum


Monty Roberts Equus Online University
Horse Training Video Instruction Program

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

← back

My Join-Up® Experience

i DID it!!

Hello!

We recently got a 15 year old POA pony who's been very calm and gentle. He was very bonded to me and very friendly. We've had him for about 3 weeks. I'm like a baby when it comes to horses and horsekeeping.

I had such a difficulty sending him away - i'd try to send him off and he'd look at me like "what? you want me to GO?" Plus we have him in a tiny paddock that's about 24' x 36' (too small to do join-up i thought) and that is within a fenced property that's about 1/2 acre (which i was worried would be too large) AND we've got easily two feet of snow (making the sending away and running quite difficult).

But today I decided to just do it.

So i took off his halter and using a long fishing pole as a lunge whip, I spooked him off. He took off running. I ran after him. He'd slow and I'd shoo him away again (sometimes it'd take me a minute to get over to where he was) and get him going again. Because of the snow I wasn't able to keep him going in one direction for a long time and then the other, it was just more of an experience of "get away! nope, keep going..."

After a while, maybe 5-10 minutes we were both winded and he was looking at me and i was looking at him and I decided to see if he was ready (i saw the one ear turned when he was running and the licking a chewing a little bit and the slowing), so i turned and he immediately walked up to my shoulder and stayed there and then walked wherever I walked.

I was so proud and AMAZED that this thing worked for ME, a really novice in less than optimal circumstances.

So excited.

carbrookchook
Hello!

Well done! I am a newbie who is still going through the video lessons on Join Up and am yet to actually try anything. I also need to buy the Dually halter etc. Glad to hear it went well for you. I am a bit nervous about getting started.

Cavalli Runner
Hello! 100 lessons completed

I just started working with my horse in Oct/Nov. She has done join-up okay but does not like round pen work at all (she's an 11 yr old quarterhorse who was "broke" to ride but has never had any long-lining or ground work to my knowledge...and according to her previous and only owner. They have no information on how she was "broke"...just sent her off to someone to do it.)
Anyway, I just got Monty's book "From My Hands To Yours" and the Dually haltar. I really want to re-train her in the proper way. She can be a bit stubborn and is very lazy. I have watched all the uni videos on join-up and ground work. I want to finish reading the book and watch all the videos again after that before I start trying to work with my Skipper on the Dually. I'm a bit nervous, too, but am hoping this book will really help me feel more confident.

j.starr
Hello!

I'd like to get my hands on that book too. It sounds like a really helpful book.

I'm actually taking a few steps back - after join up I started right away with the dually but I think it was too soon for my pony. We're going back a few steps to bonding again. I think I stunned him my starting in so soon to the dually.