Tom Durocher, Monty Roberts Certified Instructor

Updated:

September 20, 2024

Natural Horsemanship, Interviews & Profiles

Bringing a fresh perspective to the world of horses.

By Jacqueline Louie

In his work with horses and riders, Monty Roberts Certified Instructor Tom Durocher goes far beyond “horse whispering.” He helps people gain a deeper understanding of horses, and reinforces the importance of connection and the relationship with their horse.

“We don’t use violence with the horses we work with. We don’t wait for the horse to make a mistake — we wait for the horse to do something right and we reward the horse for that. Everything we do with the horse is communication,” says Durocher, who is from Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in east-central Alberta.

Durocher became the first Monty Roberts-certified instructor in Canada in 2005 and is also the first Indigenous Monty Roberts instructor. “We don’t run sessions for an hour-and-a-half straight. If it’s five, ten, or fifteen minutes a horse is going to give us, we’ll take that.

“It’s the silent language behind horses. What we’re talking about is the body language of the horse. Every gesture the horse makes means something,” explains Durocher, who has been a horse trainer for more than four decades and is also a retired farrier. “We study the body language of the horse and the psychology behind the horse — how he thinks, how he moves. We look for trust, respect, and leadership.”

Related: Eagle Feather Riding

In autumn of 2023, Durocher held a weekend demonstration at Painted Warriors Ranch in Alberta. A small group of attendees gathered at the round pen and watched Durocher calmly and patiently work with each horse. He pointed out small nuances in the horses’ responses, whether it was eye contact, ears, carriage, or the way the horse was breathing or standing. What also stood out was his gentleness.

“It’s by invitation and choice,” observes Ross MacInnes, who attended the demonstration weekend with NiChi, a 10-year-old draft-cross gelding. A retired police officer, MacInnes is a 30-year veteran with the RCMP and Calgary Police Service. He has been riding horses since he was seven years old and completed equitation training under the protocols of the RCMP Musical Ride. MacInnes, now the national training director with Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Canada, an organization that provides instruction to those working in the EAL field, appreciates how Durocher explains the “why” behind what’s happening in the round pen.

Over the course of the weekend, NiChi, formerly a feral horse, transformed from being very reluctant and fearful about loading in a trailer, to calmly self-loading.

“What Tom does is provide a process for the horse to be comfortable with the human and confident that he’s safe,” MacInnes says. “We watched NiChi become progressively more comfortable until he was loading by himself.”

On the second day of the demonstration weekend, MacInnes pointed at the horse trailer and asked NiChi — without using any kind of rope — to step into it from the middle of the round pen. “Away he goes, and he waits for me to close the door.

“I would encourage anyone, whether they are new to the horse world or an experienced horse owner, rider, or trainer, to spend time with Tom,” MacInnes says. “He brings a fresh perspective to the world of horses that will be of great benefit regardless of your background. He is an outstanding clinician. He is easy to talk to, with a great sense of humour, and lots of good stories.”

Tom Durocher holds a variety of horse clinics and courses for all experience levels across Western Canada. He also coaches with EAL Canada.

Also see:

Related: Adventures in Bitless Riding

More by Jacqueline Louie

Photo: Monty Roberts Certified Instructor Tom Durocher works with NiChi, a 10-year-old draft-cross gelding, who was gifted to Ross MacInnes by a Cree elder. “NiChi” is a Cree word meaning “friend who is closer than a brother” or “two who travel together.” Credit: Jacqueline Louie