Pictured: Annie Oakley’s 3rd gentling session.
20min of feel, timing and the right tools for the job. Some patience, being quick on my feet when I need to. Knowing when to praise and release, knowing when and how to ask. Fail safe? No. But practice makes better.
1st session: Neck rope prep.
2nd: Neck rope on and off again (from a distance, gotta be safely creative with a wildie you can’t get near), body control, more touch with the lunge whip.
Thank you Tay Martin for capturing Annie Oakley’s first touch. AO is a 6yo tri colored pinto Mustang mare from Cedar Mountain UT. She’s here for gentling for her adopter and is not available.
Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Guffey, CO offers gentled Mustangs for adoption and gentles wild horses for clients. We can help arrange shipping from and to other states. We also offer lessons, consultation and training at your facility, as well as remote coaching.
It’s important to remember that some Mustangs take longer to let their guard down than others. No amount of wishing or fairy dust can speed up that process. We can teach them the skills and make the gentling process as easy, clear and enjoyable as possible.
Turning in their wild card is an inside job and takes as long as it takes, and in some cases significant time, effort and resources on the part of the adopter.
“Mystery pain” isn’t at all unheard of – but often overlooked – and can make learning and trusting much harder for the horse. Stallion fights, resource shortages, being bred and carrying foals starting at a year old are no joke for a species that tends to be a bit fragile under the best of circumstances.
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