A good trainer can hear a horse talk, a great one can hear him whisper.

So says Monty Roberts, perhaps one of the world's finest equine trainers and a speaker of their language. Borrowing body signals and other subtle forms of communication used by horses, Monty starts them into training. (He loathes the word breaking.) Even horses who have never before been handled can be ridden in under thirty minutes once Monty joins up with the animal. His gentle methods build a bond of trust between him and the horse. He has trained thousands of spectacular horses in this fashion, many of whom have become champions.

So many times this man overcame defeat, ridicule, and setbacks.

Monty's methods were shunned by his father, a trainer himself, who harnessed brutal and terrifying methods to break horses. He believed that You have to hurt them before they hurt you. Despite this lack of support and other obstacles in his life, Monty followed his dreams and successfully developed a top training facility which introduced a gentle means of training horses, now proven all over the world.

I was impressed by this touching memoir. So many times this man overcame defeat, ridicule, and setbacks. But he proved that determination and a belief in what you are doing can triumph. I was glad to hear that many of Monty's associates also adopted his training techniques.

This incredible book is for those who truly love horses and are dedicated to the noble hearts of these beautiful creatures. The book also teaches some important lessons in life such as never giving up, going for the gold, and believing in your dreams -- not matter what you have to go through to reach them.