January. 29, 2020 – Ask Monty Newsletter

Question: When is a horse ready to carry a Queen?

Following on the original question from Eve about starting horses and vulnerable riders, here is Part 3 of Eve’s query: As an example, I know she is an exceedingly capable horsewoman but, as a responsible trainer, how do you know when a horse is ready to carry someone as precious as The Queen?

Monty’s Answer:

Dear Eve,

This is probably the most interesting segment that has come through with this question. Ask any parent if they consider their children to be as precious as Queen Elizabeth II. Ask almost all husbands if their wife is as precious as Her Majesty. The same could apply to closest friends. Human life is precious. The horses I consider so precious to me are constantly being blamed for hospitalizing or burying many human beings. If we don’t take every measure possible to ensure the safety of riders, then we are adding to the reputation that horses have in the emergency rooms of the world.

It is my opinion that as much as 90% of the so-called accidents caused by horses were in fact caused by humans. These accidents are generally the fault of a human who thought something was okay when it was clearly an act of carelessness. It is scary that any human being on this earth could ask the question that has come through but one must not blame the questioner – the blame goes to the horsemen of the world who have failed to fully educate people intending to deal with horses in a manner sufficient to enlighten them to the dangers of careless activities. It is my hope that I have helped over 400,000 who read my Facebook page and the 90,000 people who read the questions and answers on this newsletter. We now have more than 800 searchable Q&As free to access on my website, representing over 16 years of diligently posting them, here.

If only the world knew the efforts made to be sure that the precious Queen Elizabeth is safe while riding, this question probably would never had been asked. I happen to know first-hand how incredibly diligent those tasked with this responsibility are. We are always hoping and working to increase safety globally. Never in the history of the world has there been more access to good information regarding the safety of horse and rider. My family is committed to continuing this study and dissemination of good horsemanship well into the future. Many of you are students of my Monty Roberts University We also have a podcast with over 150 episodes called Horsemanship Radio I am honored to share what my eight decades of experience with horses has taught me, and continues to teach me. Thank you for being great students of horsemanship.

Sincerely,

Read the full newsletter: When is a horse ready to carry a Queen?