When we first started discussing the idea to bring pairs to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy to gentle and adopt out, we got a lot of feedback along the lines of “I don’t recommend it, those wild mares can be aggressive when they have a foal at their side”. Figuring that we wouldn’t have a super tight timeline since we planned to wean the foals prior to adoption, and would work with the mares and foals in such a way as to minimize stress, we adopted two mare and foal pairs from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals : Peanut (3yo) & Pumpkin (now 5mo old), pictured here, and Hazel (5yo) & Juniper (currently 4mo old).
We gave them some time to settle in and started gentling them during the most recent private gentling workshop I taught two weeks ago. These pictures are from their fourth session and we’re beyond impressed with both of their progress 
Our process for sorting and working with them: Sort as quietly as possible, separating the pair. Our gentling pen is in between the alley way and round pen. While mom is in the gentling pen, the baby can be in the alley way, just a few feet from mom. They can see each other, sniff and nicker to one another.
I keep sessions short, around 30min. The mare goes from the gentling pen into the round pen where a bucket of loose grass alfalfa mix hay awaits. She usually eats out of a slow feeder net, so loose hay is a nice treat. Baby trots willingly into the gentling pen to be closer to mom. They are still fence to fence. Eye contact is limited due to privacy fence along the round pen wall. During the first couple of sessions Peanut would come over frequently to peek underneath the panel and check on Pumpkin. Since then she enjoys her quiet time with the hay bucket while the little guy is in ‘school’.
Once school is out, we open the gate to the round pen and baby wanders over to mom who keeps munching, hits the milk bar and calmly follows her back into their pen. Observing increasing levels of relaxation and confidence has been very encouraging. I prefer gradual, step-by-step weaning over the “poof, gone” alternative as I believe it’s less stressful for both mares and foals, and these two are taking very well to having a little bit of time away from each other.
I work with them individually the way I work with the others as well and they are progressing just as nicely as their fellow Devil’s Garden Mustangs here for gentling. Four sessions in they can be caught and haltered, have started to move hips, shoulders, rib cage, give to pressure, back up, lead, been introduced to stick, stick and string, hand, brushes and stand for fly spray.
Peanut and Pumpkin will be looking for homes once gentled and he has been gelded and weaned. Pumpkin is a red-headed colt with a little sass and a great mind. He loves scratches and is going to be a big, stout boy. Peanut is a soft-eyed mare, smart, and looking for a human to give her the confidence to navigate our world. They are microchipped, not branded as is customary for wild horses coming from the U.S. Forest Service / U.S. Forest Service-Modoc National Forest
We have one more pair to start gentling here shortly.
If you’re interested in adopting or a participating in a private or semi-private gentling workshop, to learn about Mustangs, Mustang gentling and improve your horsemanship, send us a PM or email us at info@wildhorseoutreach.org
Custom rope tack made by Rowdy’s Ropes . Thank you Nancy for all the pretty colors, great materials and custom designs that set us up for success and help keep the Mustangs safe!
The flat braid cotton ring rope (lunge line with altered hardware) works great as a neck rope and interim halter and was a suggestion from Mustang Matt Horse Trainer and Elisa Wilson (don’t check out Elisa’s page if you don’t like gorgeous Mustangs and amazing leather work).
