Monty Roberts, A Real Horse Whisperer (VHS tape, produced by the BBC, 1997, 48 minutes, $.50)
This is one amazing story. I not only watched it twice, I also introduced my friends to it. Who knew that a man could "break" a wild horse in such a short period of time. Who knew how awful the usual way of taming horses could be. The scenes of horses with their legs tied up will haunt me for a long time, but I will also remember the man who turned away from such violence. Mr. Roberts had won riding awards as a child. As an adult he won rodeo championships. All the while he was observing horses, and how they communicated to each other. Walter Farley, gasp, was wrong! It is not the stallion that leads a herd- it is an older mare. Using the insights from his observations, Roberts developed a way to tame horses, not with violence and fear, but with gentleness.
His techniques don't just work with horses. Yes, he did advise Queen Elizabeth on her horses, but he also helped raise more than 40 foster children, most of whom came to him as angry teenagers. Fortune 500 companies also use him to train their people. I am not sure how old he is, but he is still giving demonstrations all over the world. (This year he's going to Australia and the UK.)
This tape teaches you a lot about horses, but it also teaches you a lot about making the world a better place. Start with anything positive that someone does. It doesn't make a difference how small the behavior is, just as long as it is positive. And make sure negative behaviors have consequences. For Mr. Roberts, someone's glass might contain only one drop of water, but for him, that one drop of water is where he starts.
An amazing man. An amazing story. Look for this tape on top the VHS shelves at the front of the store.
