I have been working with this horse for two to four hours a day every day since I got her. I know I've made progress but I am having serious doubts as to whether or not I will be able to complete this challenge. I was finally able to snap a lead rope on her today. I know how reactive she is even with all I've done so my plan was to not even try to hold the rope. With the end of the rope on the ground and the snap in my right hand I was able to calmly attach it. I then started to step back just as she realizes something was wrong. I was able to get my camera out after her first two laps. This is what a wild mustang really looks like for anyone wondering.
Wow - she is wild. She is a pretty horse.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a lot of time for a wild horse to accept people (having worked with and broken in 4 completely wild ponies myself). Patience is key here. She seems like a sensitive wee thing, and is probably stressed with the massive life changes she's had lately.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my "wild" heifer. I would work with her every day for hours and everyone else worked with theirs minimally and they ended up much more calm and trained than mine did.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be terrible to feel so frightened of everything. Poor baby. The sad part of the challenges is mustangs need a ton more training time then domestic born horses, and instead they are put on extremely short time frames. Some horses can handle it, and some can't. This may not be the challenge you envisioned, but you are still making progress and doing good things. Keep up the great work!! Corners can be turned, at any time. Looks like it will be a while until Sweetwater gets used to her lead rope. Sorry, I can feel the frustration & disappointment in your written words. I am sure it's a very hard pill to swallow. As you know, it's in no way, shape, or form, a reflection of your training abilities. Then again maybe it is. Because you are doing right by Sweetwater, and working within the parameters she can handle...as any trainer worth their salt would do.
ReplyDeleteI think you're doing very well with this obviously challenging mare; please don't short change yourself or your abilities. If there were no time frame at all, wouldn't you have a completely different mindset about the process, and probably about the horse?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aurora that the road to peace with some wildies can be a lot hairier (I'm told by my cousin who has a permit to catch wildies every year) but the extra mile can pay off big, though it's possible that the imposed timeframe is too short for some of the mustangs (& I wonder what happens to them then? Do you keep her & keep trying, or is there some requirement to return her back to the holding pens - that would be a shame).
Every horse teaches us something - some of them reflect our brilliance while others show us our short-comings; this is not a bad thing, it's just a learning thing.
As with most things in life, intent & persistence are key to whether we achieve what we are aiming for. Having said that, there is no shame at all in deciding we are out of our depth & that we need to rethink.
I am NOT at all suggesting that you are in over your head, I am however allowing for the possibility that the parameters of the challenge may be too tight for this horse (& you will decide if that is the case in due time).
BUT, it is absolutely early days - if she were not part of a 'challenge' then I suspect your plan of action for her would be quite different. Perhaps it could help a little to change your mindset & forget about the timing of the challenge so much & just concentrate on what you CAN achieve with Sweetwater in the coming weeks - I'd be willing to bet money that you will be much more successful @ this & do Sweetwater much more good that what you are imagining right now.
*As an aside, I watched an excellent documentary some time ago about a south western prison that has a mustang program for well behaved inmates. It was fascinating, the effect on the participants (convicts & horses alike), though the only time frame was on the convicts who might be released before a horse was finished & so their horses would go to another inmate for further training.
I think you're doing very well with this obviously challenging mare; please don't short change yourself or your abilities. If there were no time frame at all, wouldn't you have a completely different mindset about the process, and probably about the horse?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aurora that the road to peace with some wildies can be a lot hairier (I'm told by my cousin who has a permit to catch wildies every year) but the extra mile can pay off big, though it's possible that the imposed timeframe is too short for some of the mustangs (& I wonder what happens to them then? Do you keep her & keep trying, or is there some requirement to return her back to the holding pens - that would be a shame).
Every horse teaches us something - some of them reflect our brilliance while others show us our short-comings; this is not a bad thing, it's just a learning thing.
As with most things in life, intent & persistence are key to whether we achieve what we are aiming for. Having said that, there is no shame at all in deciding we are out of our depth & that we need to rethink.
I am NOT at all suggesting that you are in over your head, I am however allowing for the possibility that the parameters of the challenge may be too tight for this horse (& you will decide if that is the case in due time).
BUT, it is absolutely early days - if she were not part of a 'challenge' then I suspect your plan of action for her would be quite different. Perhaps it could help a little to change your mindset & forget about the timing of the challenge so much & just concentrate on what you CAN achieve with Sweetwater in the coming weeks - I'd be willing to bet money that you will be much more successful @ this & do Sweetwater much more good that what you are imagining right now.
*As an aside, I watched an excellent documentary some time ago about a south western prison that has a mustang program for well behaved inmates. It was fascinating, the effect on the participants (convicts & horses alike), though the only time frame was on the convicts who might be released before a horse was finished & so their horses would go to another inmate for further training.