Beautiful moments last night with one the quirkiest Mustangs we’ve had yet.

Last week I took Spur into town for the first time. We rode all around our tiny mountain town and into the school yard. He met the staff and a lot of the students, and was perfectly content sleeping and letting kids love on him while others were noisily playing basketball and on the swings.

Today I ponied him alongside Lacy to help Tay Martin find a wayward bull. Turns out 20 kids on a playground are fine. Riding on the road is fine. Traffic is fine. Dogs, water, group rides, loose horses, trailer loading in the dark: Fine.

Cattle, especially facing him? A death threat. I’ve never seen a horse have a meltdown of such epic proportions over a bovine. I can hold onto a horse and I hardly ever lose one, but Spur up and quit the scene on us today.

We had just gone from 1 problem – loose bull – to 2 – loose bull and loose horse – when our brand inspector texted me, wanting to know if he could come do Ruby’s brand inspection. I told him no can do, that I’d just hard released a horse while having a stand off with a bull and was going to be busy for a while yet.

“You’re not supposed to lose a horse while finding a cow.” was what came back. “Good to know.” I replied.

Ultimately and after much back and forth (Lacy is a tough and willing little wannabe cowpony), the bull found his girlfriends (the wrong ones) and Breanna Engle found Spur with barely a scratch and called me so we could meet. He ponied the last couple of miles back to Taylor’s house like he hadn’t just been on a big adventure.

Yay for living in the middle of nowhere where people know each other and who might be missing what horse, and are savvy enough to catch it.

Spur qualified for the cow camp of shame at the end of a long, eventful day. By the end of it he could not only breathe the same air as Taylor’s colorful herd of Scottish Highland cattle; he could also stand across the fence from them and even follow and *gasp* touch them.

On days like today I remind myself of moments like last night, when the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy herd had wandered off to graze and Spur watched the moonrise with me. And of what a ball of fire and chaos Lacy could be when she was younger.

I like to look for silver linings once the dust settles, the sweat dries and heart rates are within normal limits again. Everyone is in one piece. Important lessons were learned. Everyone was helpful, patient and kind.

Taylor is going to start bringing her show cows over to visit the Mustangs so the horses can see some cattle before they have chance encounters in the real world and the fluffs can get used to traveling. Win-win-win.

#horses#mountains#bettertogether#fullmoon#outdoors#makingmountainmustangmemories

The horse. The trainer. The future owner. Others who may come in contact with the horse: Friends, visitors, haulers, farriers, vets, kids, horsey as well as non-horsing loved ones.

Ideally we help the horse become confident, comfortable and competent in all areas of life with humans.

That makes for a happy, well-adjusted, trusting and respectful partner that’s safe and enjoyable to be around.

For some that’s a long road and all we can do is work towards that goal in small – sometimes very, very small – steps.

When I’m working with a Mustang, whether it’s going great or less smoothly, the guiding light is always to set it up so that everybody wins.

Not in a “participation trophy”, “congratulations, thank you for being here today” kind of way, but in the sense that the horse and handler both are making progress towards getting what they are looking for.

Here NV Mustang mare Zin – her adopter sent her to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling – is learning that when she gives to rope pressure rather than fighting or running from it, she makes the pressure go away.

She’s learning that ropes don’t hurt. She’s learning she has agency and how to think through pressure. She’s getting more confident in herself, me and calmly interacting with a human.

I’m getting her closer to picking and holding up her feet, because I want her to be able to confidently stand for her first trim. I want to be safe, and keep her and our farrier safe when we do that.

Sometimes we need to be creative in our approach, especially with Mustangs. “Everybody wins” is a good goal to have with people, too.

*We call this exercise leading by a foot. It’s also an important step towards hobble training, which in turn is more than just for backcountry grazing. It’s also broken leg and nasty cut prevention because it teaches horses not to fight if a leg is caught*

#horses#learning#goals#progress#winwin#teaching#trust#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

This is why people say that horses are “good medicine” or simply good for the soul.

So many smiles that evening.

It was also the occasion for me to admit that big dopey geldings with a PhD in energy conservation make great friends.

The Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang herd had friends over for an evening visit.

Rock (pangare bay gelding from Little Colorado, WY) and Tiny (sorrel gelding from Salt Wells, WY) were so happy about so much attention and so little work.

Lacy (dun mare from Divide Basin, WY) and Spur (bay roan gelding Stewart Creek, WY) were weirded out by all the commotion and politely made themselves scarce.

You can see them sneaking the heck outta Dodge in one of the pictures.

Spur is my shadow when it’s just him and me. He’s serious about work and a ground covering machine. Lacy is one heck of a saddle horse who has one favorite human and I’d like to think I’m second on her list.

Those two are particularly near and dear to my heart. I love a serious horse that enjoys having a job and covering country. They will visit with people but usually need to be on a lead rope or in an unusually sociable mood for that.

Rock and Tiny are the gentle giants of the herd. Cuddles over effort any day.

Turns out that when it comes to bringing non-horsing humans around them, they go right into puppy dog/jungle gym mode.

New people, hugs, cameras, dogs, impromptu bareback rides…No problem, the more the merrier.

It was adorable and they both earned major brownie points for being the bestest Ambassadors for our “wild” horses.

I’d love to hear about your favorite experiences of just “being” with horses!

#horses#love#family#mountains#sunset#joy#fun#happy#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

We can teach a horse how to feel about learning and themselves by how we prepare them, read them and present new things or tasks

Yes, horses are individuals with their own personalities, strengths and insecurities.

We can also set them up to win.

The idea is that everybody wins.

That has nothing to do with whether or not you’re using food rewards. It has to do with what outcome we’re looking for and how we work towards it.

Here Lightning Bug – a 3yo sorrel Antelope Hills WY Mustang gelding – is meeting the spray bottle for the first time.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “My horse doesn’t do fly spray”, I’d be independently wealthy.

We’ve never had a Mustang that “doesn’t do fly spray”, not even the ones that had a really hard time with a lot of seemingly simple things.

That’s s because fly spray is something a horse has zero internal programming for. The way we present it is the way they’ll see it. Good, neutral or bad.

I don’t have any fairy dust for magical training outcomes and I’m not here to tell people what to do.

What I do have is years of experience – academic and hands-on – with behavior and behavior modification.

When we obtain knowledge in a nonjudgmental way, apply it – there’s trial and error involved – and use it to better ourselves and to benefit our horses, we can achieve the “everybody wins” goal and the quiet training sessions more and more often.

*Yes he is a Mustang. The freezebrand is under his mane*

This handsome boy is looking for his adventure human. He is available to an amazing home through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Guffey, CO. He is Sale Authority and can travel.

Lightning Bug is currently 15hh tall, string tests to 16hh. He’s built to be versatile, safe and fun, both inside and out.

He and we would very much appreciate your comments, likes and shares on this post to help LB find the incredible home he deserves

#horses#learning#teaching#horsemanship#growth#winwin#calm#makingmountainmustangmemories

I see so many people want to neatly micromanage the world around them into submission to create an artificial bubble to ride or work their horses in.

I don’t have that luxury and I don’t think it’s good practice. Not for us. Not for our horses.

Do we want to set an animal and a person up for success when they’re learning and not overwhelm them to a point that they shut down? Absolutely.

It’s also a disempowering feeling when you know you’re at the mercy of your environment holding it together just right in order for you to be ok. In more ways than one.

Feel free to read into this whatever fits your situation.

For working with young Mustangs, I like to get them used to controlled chaos so that when the uncontrolled chaos happens, they’re prepared.

I focus on riding the horse I’m on – meaning make sure they’re responsive and prepared for the task at hand, and know I’m there to have their back – instead of carefully orchestrating what the others are doing.

Spur was mighty excited the first time Rock came flying up behind him and wanted to take off. I let him know he’s with me, and with Lacy who knows how this works.

I also ride Lacy solo so she doesn’t become dependent on the horse I pony. When I do pony, my little hothead Mustang mare has become quite the steady mentor.

All this “I don’t ride when it’s windy, we can’t trot, no dogs …” is great and all until it isn’t. We exist in the real world and not in a vacuum.

I can leave my dogs at home only to have my horses literally get attacked by someone else’s. I can insist on single file until someone falls off and their horse takes off. I can say nice weather only until the weather changes.

I have never met a single hornet, bear, deer, snowshoe hare, ground nesting bird, moose or afternoon thunderstorm out on the trail that cared even the tiniest bit about my precious little feelings or my safety.

That’s my job. It’s my job to educate myself and to put in the time with my horse(s) to make sure we can withstand the unforeseen. Because it’s not a matter of if, but when and what.

I’d rather enjoy the ride than cower up there, waiting for some kind of shoe to drop.

Thoughts?

Somehow the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang herd has turned into a colorful collage of Wyoming Mustangs from 4 different HMAs. Somehow the dogs are always right there and still manage to stay out of harm’s way.

#horses#mountains#sunset#joy#growth#learning

#together#goals#makingmountainmustangmemories

Whether you’re curious, just getting started or looking for new ideas and connections, we’re looking forward to meeting you!

Please share with anyone who might be interested in/benefit from this event!

We cover gear needed for equines and humans in the backcountry, putting on a pack saddle, throwing the box hitch, navigation, stock containment, feeding equines and humans in the backcountry, and preparing equines and people for pack trips.

Plenty of opportunities for questions and hands on practice.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Help us spread the word please! Proceeds go towards supporting our work with wild horses

$125 per person if paid in advance (Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, Square, cash or check) or $140 if paid on arrival.

#horses#mountains#outdoors#outside#explore

#adventure#learning#workshop#community#fun#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

We’ve got Rock, a giant, sweet, game for everything young Mustang, a work harness, single tree and a tire drag.

This was right after we unhitched him and he was still figuring out he wasn’t leaning into weight anymore.

He’d pulled the single tire before and then me on it. This was his first time “working”, dragging part of the pasture.

It’s unexpectedly, ridiculously rewarding seeing the before and after of manure piles when you’re breaking them up with the help of an eager young wildie.

Rock was totally invested once he figured out what to do and how to lean in and get and keep the drag moving.

I’m all for teaching Mustangs to be versatile and to give them the confidence to navigate different tasks and situations.

A horse with a “yes I can” attitude that’s willing to look and listen to a trusted and respected human for guidance will take you most anywhere, keep you and itself safe and it’ll most likely be fun too.

Tay Martin came to learn about putting the heavy harness on and stayed to be Rock’s side walker and emotional support human for his maiden voyage as a work horse.

*Yes, he can survive 20min of pulling without a collar pad. I need to get a bigger collar for him so that the pad will fit*

In 31 years of working with horses of all shapes and sizes on two continents (crazy to think about, where’d the time go!?), I’ve done a little bit of a lot of things.

I was first dragging pastures with previously barely handled Shetland Ponies in rural-ish Germany almost 30 years ago, and riding draft horses whose main job was logging in the Czech Republic just a few years later.

So fun to see it all come together, and to mentor and inspire friends along the way. I recently went cart and harness shopping with Taylor and Cassie and I’m so stoked to watch them enjoy bringing their young Devil’s Garden Mustang mares they adopted from Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy along.

#mustang#horse#workhorse#spring#mountains#work#fun#learning#teaching#joy#progress

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Here’s Tillie, a 3yo Twin Peaks CA Mustang filly we gentled, processing the many sensations that come with wearing a pack saddle.

To me, ponying, packing and ground driving are key ingredients to uneventful starting and laying a solid foundation for any direction a Mustang may go in the future.

Properly prepared, the first time with the pack saddle can and should be a non event, even for this spunky, opinionated, easily outraged princess.

Tillie is quite the lady and very expressive. She’s also a super cool, smart, hilarious young horse full of personality.

Tillie was adopted and went home to her person early this year.

Here are some of the updates we’ve received (shared with permission):

“A little update: Tillie is the absolute best in the whole world! I love her so much. She has adjusted so well and even earned going into the large turnout at night. She’s a very willing participant in whatever shenanigans I come up with and loves to go for walks. She has been super brave and calmly goes into the indoor arena (even through the scary small door!) and we are working on cross ties. I have also realized I can bribe her to go pretty much anywhere as long as it involves a grooming session. She is absolutely a princess 

“

“Is there a support group for people who just got their mustang but their mustang is so awesome that they think they need another one already? Asking for a friend…”

“She’s such a good girl! We have now done 3 rides in the round pen. Did a little trot last time. This weekend we’re gonna see if we graduate to the indoor arena. And she has convinced everyone on the property that she needs attention at all times.”

“I love her so much!!!!! She is such a joy to be with and I can’t wait to go back to the barn every time I leave!!!!”

This is why we do what we do at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

If you’re interested in learning more about backcountry packing with horses whether you’re taking riding horses or just leading pack animals, or how to utilize packing for the saddle starting process, there’s still time to sign up for the PACKING WORKSHOP next Saturday, May 3rd, in Guffey, CO.

Contact us if you’re interested and please help us spread the word! 

We love sharing our passion for horse packing. These workshops are another way we can not only support the wild horses in our care but also help you educate yours … Or even help you justify getting one because packing out camp, sheds etc really get heavy after a while 

We’ll be using our Ambassador Mustangs to show elements of the process, so if you’ve been wanting to meet them, you’re in luck 

#horses#horsemanship#mustang#training#learning
#adopt#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

This year’s packing workshops are on

May 3rd

June 7th

July 19th

at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Guffey, CO.

9.30am to 3pm

$125 per person if paid in advance (Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, Square, cash or check) or $140 if paid on arrival.

Registration via DM, email info@wildhorseoutreach.org or phone 719-377-8587. Please provide your full name, a good email address and phone number, as well as how you’d like to pay.

We cover gear needed for equines and humans in the backcountry, putting on a pack saddle, throwing the box hitch, navigation, stock containment, feeding equines and humans in the backcountry, and preparing equines and people for pack trips.

Plenty of opportunities for questions and hands on practice.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Help us spread the word please! Proceeds go towards supporting our work with wild horses

*If you want the full immersion experience and live and breathe packing for a week straight on the western slope you need to get a hold of Colorado Pack Company LLC . Gabe is the real deal and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone more passionate about going and teaching backcountry packing. Plus his family is wonderful and the mules are super cute!*

#horses#mountains#adventure#learning#letsgo#fun

#outdoors#joy#makingmountainmustangmemories

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.

Thank you for your support Rowdy’s RopesMontana Rio Buckaroo HatsOutback Trading Company LTD.

#horses#progress#patience#growth#learning#goals

#wildtowilling#makingmountainmustangmemories