‘THE man who listens to horses’, Monty Roberts, died last Friday, July 31st, aged 91 after an extraordinary career spanning eight decades.

Born in California, USA, he was the world’s best-known advocate of natural horsemanship and has touched the lives of many horse professionals.

Growing up as the son of a horse trainer who used methods “often violent and rarely fair to the horse”, he competed in rodeo and completed a degree in animal science from California Polytechnic State University. Roberts developed the Join-Up method, which aims to build trust and willing cooperation through body language and understanding horse behaviour rather than fear, force or punishment. His mission in life was to leave the world a better place than he found it for horses.

His autobiography, The Man Who Listens to Horses, became an international bestseller and introduced millions of readers to his training philosophy. It has sold more than six million copies.

Roberts developed a close friendship with Queen Elizabeth II, beginning in 1989 after demonstrating his methods at the Royal Mews.

The Queen strongly supported his work, and he later received honorary membership of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the Royal Household’s racing establishment.

Roberts travelled worldwide giving demonstrations, clinics and courses including to Ireland. In a 2018 interview with The Irish Field, Roberts said: “The Irish are hands-on grounded horsemen. They don’t need to see things twice to catch on. I found that in Ireland, my words went deeper quicker than many other places.

“My clinics, my demonstrations, advice, tips, you name it, it’s all online for people to see, either for free or for less than a stick of gum mostly. My goal on this earth is to leave the world a better place for horses than I found it.”

His daughter, Debbie Roberts Loucks, shared the news on his passing this week. “For the world, he was known as the man who listens to horses. To me, he was simply Dad, a man of extraordinary kindness, unwavering integrity, and an unshakable belief that trust could accomplish what force never could.

“For more than eight decades, he dedicated his life to changing the way people understand and work with horses. His mission reached far beyond horsemanship. He believed that true leadership is built on communication, patience, empathy, and respect; lessons that have touched the lives of countless people around the world.

“As his daughter, I have always known that one day I would be entrusted with carrying his life’s work forward. That responsibility is one I accept with humility, gratitude, and determination. Together with our family and our dedicated team, we remain committed to preserving and sharing the philosophy that meant everything to him.”