Here’s Tay Martin giving Buddy, a yearling Mustang gelding who’s been at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling for a couple of weeks now, a good scratch.
It’s funny and cute and all but the reason I’m posting it is because I think it’s important to make time for low pressure activities, things the horse enjoys and for just sharing space.
Suddenly going to school is a big deal for previously unhandled horses that have never had anything asked of them. There’s much to learn and it’s easy to get caught up in teaching skills and enforcing rules.
Part of our responsibility is to also set the tone for how these once wild horses view humans. We’re not unpredictable, scary predators and we’re also not just food bringers or scratching posts. We aim to help them see us partners to whom they look for guidance.
To strike that balance, we look for what each horse enjoys and make time for some of that in our interactions, with appropriate boundaries. It helps everyone reset, lighten up and enjoy each other more.
Buddy is a good kid. He is now easy to catch, goes for long walks, loads, ties and picks up his feet. There’s still some refining to so but we’re super excited for his future.
He’ll be going home in just a few weeks. His adopter will keep up with his handling and continue to prepare him, in a developmentally appropriate manner, for life as a well-adjusted, reliable riding partner.
If you have a Mustang you’d like us to gentle or are looking to adopt, please get in touch via PM or email. Our available horses are being updated today, go check them out at
w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g
Training halter and rope: Rowdy’s Ropes
Music: Living the Dream by Matt Robertson Music
#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#horsemanship#adoptamustang#makingmountainmustangmemories
