Customer Reviews

Horse Whispers & Lies: The Shocking Story, Did Monty Roberts Trade Truth for Glory?

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have read Horse Whispers and Lies, The Man Who Listens to Horses and I have been to one of Monty's clinics. Someone asks why it matters if horses are being treated well and the process works? It matters because Monty Roberts DID NOT invent this process and he is getting rich by ruining the reputation of his parents. Monty Roberts also is not a "gentle" man. Monty broke the horse's leg he rode in the Shy Boy video. I guess this could be an accident, but his lack of concern for the welfare of the horse HE injured shows his true colors. Monty is responsible for a lot of abuse DIRECTED AT horses. The horsemen and women who live near his Flag is Up ranch can't stand him. People who have worked with and for him, can't stand him. This is not petty jelousy, it's the disgust of watching someone abuse an animal and then claim gentleness.

In the horse community one can't hide behind smoke and mirrors, the truth eventually comes out. He "screens" his "wild" horses for his clinics. I have heard this first hand from the horse owners near his home and there are stories regarding this in the book.

The truth matters because he DOES abuse horses and is not the loving horsewhisper he claims to be. Monty only cares about himself and noone else.

Yes, the process works but not because Monty invented it. It works because he learned this process FROM his father and from others. This process has been around for a long time but is only gaining attention within the last few years. Watch Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Dennis Reis and other natural horseman and you will see them do the same or almost the same process. So if you believe in the Natural Horsemanship Movement, support the trainers who walk the walk, not Monty.

This book is important because the truth matters. This book spells out all the deception point by point. Their evidence can be researched; Monty's cannot because it does not exist. Visit the web site www.citizenforjustice.com/monty and you will see more evidence of Monty's deception then you will ever believe.

Again, Truth Matters and good people who have given everything to their family, horses and community should not have their reputation ruined because of a glory seeking, money hungry, con-artist of a son needs attention.

I was surprised to read three reviews here by people who obviously did not read Horse Whispers & Lies. The reviews seemed to be based on adoration for Monty Roberts. One reviewer asks for proof to show which side of this debate is right... read Horse Whispers & Lies... the proof is there. The reviewer who tells of his own abuse and how it was kept secret could not have read HW&L and believe it possible for Monty's supposed broken bones and bloodied skull to be kept secret from the 50 to 100 people who were with him on a DAILY BASIS. The reviewer who suggests people get close to Monty before judging him would have learned how very close the authors were to Monty Roberts. It's one thing to read a harsh review from someone who read the book. I take exception to those who give this book a bad review and didn't even read it. Those who read the book have a new understanding and awareness for truth and character and why they matter. I will stand for what I believe though it is not usually the popular thing to do. Reading Horse Whispers and Lies might change your life. This story of a kind and gentle horseman and his wife who had their memories and reputations ruined by a glory seeking son will leave you crying for justice. Read the book before you say it's a waste of time.

After reading all books regarding this so called savior of the round pen, I have concluded that he is a sham, a lying, greedy parasite that preys upon the horse-loving public. Anyone with practical training experience can tell you that Monty is not doing anything new in the round pen. These training tactics have been used for as long as any of us can remember. If he wants to make a living convincing people that this is his prophecy, fine. Why destroy the good name of his hard working, loving family? The interviews included in this book make it perfectly clear that Marvin and Margaurite Roberts cared very deeply for their children, family, and students. They helped countless children live their dreams and encouraged them to follow their dreams into horse related futures. How could so many people who knew Monty as he grew up and were witness to the daily routine of the Roberts family, and the care given to their horses be wrong remembering how it really was. No, I say Monty is the one that has the selective and over-creative memory. Did Monty think that no one would come to his demonstrations without him throwing in a bunch of "feel sorry for me lies" in his books? He is never going to get a dime from me for any of his "hard earned" knowledge. I am going to make sure that everyone I know reads this book and learns the truth about this injustice to his parents and family.... being related to this lying sham is bad enough. Everyone should read this side of "his" story.

As an equine book editor, I take away one star for the occasional tiresome melodrama and even more occasional sarcasm. It weakens the authors' positon. But the facts are irrefutable. They tell you where you can find all the information to check out Roberts' stories. The writers of the Horse & Rider article (Primedia Enthusiast Publications) could not substantiate even one of the points they investigated. Not even one. The point of the issue of Roberts' truthfulness is this. If he's lying about where he got his horse training methods and about other facts of his life, then how are we to trust his methods? What if he's guessing, or lucky, or working with horses who are not in fact strangers to him or unbroke? Are we to accept it when he, in effect, tells us, "Well, don't believe me about that other thing, but this time, I'm telling the truth"? I saw the "gentling" of Shy Boy on PBS. He ran the horse down for days with the aid of a helicopter. What we saw in the end was exhaustion, not "joining up." The veterinarian that Roberts had doing behavioral commentary said that when we saw the horse put his head down, it was a sign of curiosity and submission. It's also a sign of fatigue, especially when coupled with lop ears and that much perspiration. If Roberts has so much faith in his own training methods, why did he not get on the horse himself? Because of his age, the program said. Yet John Lyons rides the horses he's training. He's a grandfather, and walks with a noticeable limp. So do scores of other trainers who are Monty's age and/or with similar physical conditions, such as Bill Steinkraus and Tom Dorrance. It's very scary when a horse trainer says he's not in good enough conditionto safely ride one of his own horses. And it's a bad sign when a trainer asks someone else to do what he or she will not. If Monty was afraid of being thrown, perhaps Shy Boy wasn't ready to join up with him. To put his wrangler on the horse was cowardly. What Monty does is nothing new. But the rest of us (horse trainers) at least credit where we got our training methods, and we believe enough in our methods to put our fannies where our mouths are ... in the saddle.

I was pleased that Monty Robert's relatives wrote to refute the stories he told about his up-bringing and business dealings. I felt sorry for him when I read "Man Who Listens to Horses" and thought how noble of him to overcome such oppression. However, based the family's documented story in "Horse Whispers & Lies," Monty is all LIES and marketing. The true family story still isn't getting the exposure it deserves--it should be sold as a package with Monty's book. Monty's karma will reward him ultimately.

I had many misgivings when reading Monty Roberts book- The Man Who Listens to Horses. Join-up is not much different from what many of us do when first starting a colt in the round pen. We didn't have to go watch the mustangs in Nevada either. Horse Whispers and Lies only confirmed what I had been thinking about Monty Roberts all along...a con man who puts on a good show. I personally know a few of the people who have made comments about Monty Roberts in HW&L and they are people who never would have uttered a sound if they hadn't had an unpleasurable experience with Mr. Roberts (and I'm not talking about the authors.) I for one will never waste another dime on a Monty Roberts book.

"Horse Whispers and Lies" is a good read with lots of human touches, as it carefully, gently but relentlessly, shows us that Monty Roberts repeatedly has not told the truth in his book "The Man Who Listens to Horses".

It is a difficult subject to approach - refuting their close relative with whom they had shared so much - and the authors have done it with down-to-earth directness and also with sadness and restraint.

The authors, Monty Roberts' aunt and niece, use a comfortable, conversational narrative style to introduce us to the situation they found to be intolerable.

Monty had appeared on national television to promote his book, and had chosen to use this opportunity to launch his public career by tearfully telling of long-time fierce abuse by his father, among other surprising things.

We are brought through the pain, shock and outrage felt by the people who knew Monty and his family. We are shown how the idea of writing something to restore honor back to Monty's parents, eventually grew into the organized form of "Horse Whispers and Lies". Then we are taken back into the past.

There are many personal quotes and many other reports in this book, and throughout they all are put into perspective and softened with genuine, interesting annecdotes and glimpses of a quiet early-day Salinas, California life style.

We have a satisfying look at a good and honorable extended family - deeply committed to the youngsters and to their horses.

Thank God the cloak of kindness has been removed from this self styled equine messiah,and the real person hiding underneath has been exposed for what he was and is. The suspicions I had while reading The man Who Listens to Horses are at last confirmed, lie by lie. Nothing added up. The time line, events, box car adventures, James Dean, Nevada, Salinas Rodeo dates all were out of sync. I was there then, and my foggy memory of the events just didn't compute in my mind. A visit to the micro film archives at the Stienbeck Library backed up my suspicions. Can't beleive that anyone could annihilate their own family with so many blatant lies just to feed their ego and strengthen their bank account. Well now, thanks to the perseverence of Joyce Renebome and her daughter, Debbie Ristau the truth emerges. They have compiled an accurate documented chronology of the life and times of four generations of the Roberts family, piece by painstaking piece. An easy read, the story is truthfully told. The memory of Marguerite and Marvin Roberts is vindicated. Shame on you Monty Roberts, your time will come.

It seems that Monty Roberts was blessed from birth with intelligence and athletic ability as well as the opportunity to develop himself. He won trophies and earned excellent report cards. Documents from Sacred Heart School and the California Horsemanship Contest confirm his successes as a youngster.

From many sources comes a description of a loving, active home life provided by Marvin and Marguerite for Monty, his brother and aunt. Theirs was a very public life....long days at the stables, a home filled with family, clients and visitors. It seems hard to believe that no one noticed the prolonged child abuse as well as animal abuse Monty claims occurred.

Horse Whispers and Lies raises two disturbing question for me.

Why would a man successful in his own right find it necessary to hurt his family and friends so cruelly...for money? fame? publicity?

And even more disturbing, why does our society reward such a man with our attention and adoration?

Why do we accept the word of a publishing house or television program so readily when a man is leveling such hurtful even criminal accusations?

Anyone who has read Monty's Roberts book or watched his program on television should read this book as well...that is, if we want to form our own personal opinion of what really happened in this man's life instead of blindly following the hype and glitz. We all should ask ourselves what part of Monty's story is true. If he has been honest so be it. If not, we should raise our voices.

This book casts real doubt through the accounts of ordinary, simple people. These people have little to gain and have already lost enormously through emotional suffering. It is sad indeed, if they are accurate in their accounts of the Robert's family, that because of our social values and greed Monty Roberts will predictably not be called to account for his actions.

This book is definitely worth reading. It is not written as a novel, but as a point for point documentation using quotable and verifiable sources. The conclusion is that Monty Roberts' life as documented in his book "The Man Who Listens to Horses" is a fabrication from A to Z. People who read Monty's book are immersed in a sad tale of a combination of a beaten child and cruelty to horses in one package. Monty seeks to bring some legitimacy to his book by bringing in actual people and real events, but with whom and with which he had nothing to do with. Do you think he could accidentally forget that his "trip to Nevada" never happened? One reviewer said "not one piece of evidence is professionally documented" and claims it is "muckraking", but in fact the reverse is true and no Monty bashing in the sense of "muckraking" appears in the book. The evidence is verifiable. Monty is self-generating. He wrote a book saying how great he is because he communicates with horses at the same time overcame, now known to be completely fictions adversities, to triumph. He made himself into the classical heroic figure who triumphed over evil and the audience fell for it. Some reviewers say "who cares if Monty lied, it is a great horse book". Only people who cannot be objective would dismiss criticism and evidence to protect their wish for something to be true. Adults who can look from a distance would not allow themselves to be so easily swayed by Monty's fiction and claims. Perhaps they have been blinded by Monty's claims of horse brutality by his father, which are shown to be false?

Monty's methods are not "his methods" nor did he learn them through independent study. These methods have been around for 1000's of years and other horse trainers like Parelli, Lyons, etc. tell that to you straight out. Natural methods are becoming popular because the horse is no longer a tool, but a hobby and has been discovered by the urban middle class. Yet another reviewer claims the authors have no documentary evidence, but then the very numerous interviews are all documented and independently confirm each other. In fact documentary and eye witness evidence is the best type to have. If the evidence is wrong a cross examination would reveal that soon enough. The authors will never be sued by Monty. The hordes of witnesses would bury Monty and the cross examination would show Monty to be a liar and open questions on his practices themselves.

I have seen his live demo. There is no way he used an untrained horse and it was obvious to see. More than one former student (search the web) has already come forward to state that the horses were pre-trained as was the horse for the BBC special.

The obvious conclusions are: 1. "The Man Who Listens to Horses" is fiction sold as non-fiction. 2. Monty's methods were around long before Monty and he made no discoveries. 3. The evidence in "Horse Whispers & Lies" is documented. 4. "Horse Whispers & Lies" is not a novel, nor sold as one. 5. Monty's and his supporters evidence is circular reasoning by constantly referring to a book now known to be a lie. 6. Diehard Monty supporters who refuse to believe obvious evidence attack the review or reviewer and not the evidence. 7. Monty's father did not abuse horses. 8. Monty gives fake "live" demos.

A reviewer from Utah missed the point so completely that he actually reviewed my review and not the book in question. He also started saying the description is "long winded" which simply showed his review is emotional instead of based on reason. I hope readers of his review will realize that usually supportable and verifiable facts are required. Quotes which seem to make you feel important backfire because not only they are completly taken out of context or can be used for one's own benefit, but also incorrect. Liars, cheats, theves, etc get away with it everyday and all should know it. If you really believe in "ye shall know them by their fruits" then what about the book in question (which is called "Horse Whispers & Lies")? Do you really think any reader would change their opinion by a fire and brimstone argument? This book, and none of the reviews, question "Join-Up" so why is there a defence of it in these reviews? To write a book review you should first read the book and understand it. Since you did not review the book, I assume you did not read it. Second while writing you must support your opinion and not fall into the trap of assuming that everybody shares your views and thus support is not necessary. Third preaching without establishing credibility actually undermines your credibility. The authors of the book "Horse Whispers & Lies" do not fall into any of these writing pitfalls.

The fire around Monty is burning ever higher. There will always be the supporters who will deny ever being taken in no matter what, but for the rest and the maturing it is time to move on, but never forget. If you love horses, admit Monty is a fake, but also admit he has awakened even more your love of horses. Now go and look to horse (people) trainers like Parelli, Lyons, and read Rashid. These people are where your horse future lies.