HOW IS HORSE SENSE DIFFERENT FROM “HORSE WHISPERING?
” Horse training approaches characterized by understanding and cooperation have been popularized by the novel and movie “The Horse Whisperer.” My reaction to that title was that it should be called “The Horse Listener.” Then I saw the Monty Roberts book, “The Man Who Listens To Horses.” The point is, that successful trainers like Roberts, or like Craig Cameron who every year demonstrates similar techniques at the local fair, all based their methods on understanding the horse, and using the horses language and the horses instinctual reactions to further their training, so that the horse may be quickly ridden. The horse is desensitized to normally fearful and unfamiliar behaviors (being led, being saddled, being ridden). In the process, the horse learns to overcome the initial fearful reactions, and begins to trust the trainer. The trainer establishes themselves as the leader of the herd, but a friendly leader, who allows the horse to be the follower; to, in Roberts terms, “join up.” My
