Alla base del lavoro di Monty Roberts vi è un profondo approccio etologico: l’osservazione attenta del cavallo nel suo ambiente naturale e la comprensione dei suoi comportamenti istintivi. Roberts ha rivoluzionato il mondo dell’addestramento equino partendo da un presupposto semplice ma radicale: il cavallo comunica prevalentemente attraverso un linguaggio non verbale, silenzioso, tipico di una specie preda. È l’uomo, quindi, che deve imparare ad adattarsi alla mentalità e alla percezione del cavallo, e non il contrario.

Monty Roberts, born in 1935, is a renowned horse trainer who became internationally famous thanks to his autobiography The Man Who Listens to Horses, published in 1996, which quickly became a best seller. In the book, he recounts how he learned to “read” the language of horses by observing them in the wild, without human interference.

From a very young age, Monty showed extraordinary talent: at just three years old, he was already able to ride at a walk, trot, and gallop. What came naturally to him seemed extraordinary to others, so much so that he was called a child prodigy. His father encouraged him to devote himself more and more to horse riding.

A crucial experience occurred in 1947, when, at the age of twelve, he participated in the capture of 150 mustangs in the Nevada desert. On that occasion, he realized that horses that were injured or considered “untamable” were sent to slaughter. Deeply affected, he decided that the following year he would act differently. At thirteen, he left two weeks ahead of the official expedition to observe the herd undisturbed. It was then that he truly understood how horses communicate with each other through postures, movements, and almost imperceptible signals.

Monty suffers from severe color blindness and sees the world in black and white. However, during that expedition, he discovered that his limitation was compensated for by exceptional night vision, which allowed him to perceive shapes and movements invisible to others. These observations gave rise to the concept of Equus, a Latin term meaning simply “horse,” with which Roberts identified the natural language of the equine species. Applying these principles, he managed to tame the captured horses without violence, saving them all from slaughter.

Il riconoscimento ufficiale arrivò nel 1989, quando fu invitato dalla Regina Elisabetta II al Castello di Windsor per dimostrare le sue tecniche di doma gentile e formare il personale delle scuderie reali. Colpita dall’efficacia del metodo, la Regina promosse una serie di dimostrazioni in tutto il Regno Unito per diffondere questo nuovo approccio al cavallo. Su suo suggerimento, Roberts pubblicò la propria autobiografia, primo di molti libri successivi. Nel 2002 tornò a Windsor per partecipare al Giubileo d’Oro della Regina con ulteriori esibizioni equestri.

Monty Roberts’ philosophy is based on the idea that persuading a horse to cooperate spontaneously is infinitely more effective than forcing it. This method, known as natural horsemanship or gentle training, aims to establish a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. The culmination of this process is Join-Up, literally “joining together”: the moment when the horse voluntarily chooses to trust the human, recognizing them as a reliable partner and not as a threat.