The Shepherds and I made it home midday yesterday from our little adventure. We came back to a winter wonderland and more snow still falling. I got some work done and a ride in before dark, that’s what you see here.

In other news, we finally decided who’s going to The Mustang Summit at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo with me (something could always change because these are horses we’re talking about): Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy and DG Griffin. The beauty and the beast, you can decide who’s who.

We also went back and forth for the longest time on what I should be covering in our presentations, and it looks like we have a plan: How to take your Mustang from gentled to riding. Working title, but it’s something.

I see a lot of wildies get hung up in the gentled stage. So long as someone is happy to just pet and feed them, and is hopefully providing them with friends, space and basic hoof and vet care, all is well.

However, companion type horses are often the first to go and the hardest to place if there’s a change of circumstances. The reality is, not everyone can afford or is willing to feed and care for a horse that’s not working and never has for 25+ years.

Training means safety, for both (wild) horse and handler. With what I do, I could die any day. All of us could. My goal is that if I keel over for good, my horses are safe because they’re pleasant enough to be around and have sufficient training that they’re going to be worth something to the next person.

This isn’t fluffy or romantic but an important thing to consider. If I’m gone or not capable of caring for them, will they likely thrive in someone else’s life?

Macabre thoughts aside, training is life insurance for horses. If we want to grow the Mustang community, which we need to if we want to continue finding great homes for once wild horses, we need to show the trainability and versatility of Mustangs as working partners. That means furthering their education to help them reach their potential and in turn inspiring others to do the same.

If you’re coming to the Expo, come see us. We’ll cover exercises – including ground driving, leading by a foot, ponying etc – that are helpful in preparing for an uneventful transition to riding. I’m not particularly brave or sticky but I aim to be thorough so the courage and stickiness I do possess will suffice when it comes time to ride. And I mean really ride.

Through the mountains in the snow in the dark with dogs underfoot and another horse getting ponied. I get out of a pen as soon as I can when I’m starting a youngster, because riding circles in a confined space bores me to tears, that’s just me. My wildies seem to like having some place to go too.

Riding and practically living surrounded by wild horses and Mustang lovers has brought so much joy and purpose to my life. I’d love to inspire and empower others to have similar experiences if that’s what they want for themselves.

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I was going to post a video this morning, that was before I got snowed in while having dinner at my friends’ house. We went from no snow before it got dark to 6+in when we looked outside a few hours later, some miles into narrow windy mountain dirt roads that don’t get plowed by the county.

So here are some pictures of the not-so-new-anymore Mustangs instead while I’m on slower internet and nervously watching it continue to snow. I have the dogs with me, many thanks to Tay Martin for taking care of the wild ones at home where there’s less snow. I’m just a few miles away as the crow flies and a few 100ft higher. That can make all the difference in weather out here.

These 4, Deets, Woodrow, Gus and Lorena, have been a joy to get to know and work with these past few weeks.

Lorena (buckskin) is pending adoption and already doing lots of grown up things with ease. She’s getting her first “big girl” trim next week, is tying, leading sending, crossing obstacles and wearing tack. She’s building confidence loading when asked (loads fine when not asked and then won’t come out of the trailer until I insist that she does) and is supposed to embark on a road trip to start her new life soon.

Gus (bay) is the kindest giant boy and is learning all the big kid things like loading and picking up feet. That was scary for him at first. He insists on being caught, loves people, crosses obstacles, finally figured out lungeing and thought it was the greatest thing ever when I put a saddle and bridle on him for the first time yesterday. Standing still while tied is very boring, but he’s getting better. Gus is the best weirdo ever. Not available for adoption at the moment, will update when that changes.

Deets (appy) and Woodrow (silver bay) are good, level headed geldings with fairly easy going personalities. They lead and tie, stand for grooming, will lunge, send and cross obstacles. They don’t have much stranger danger. Both are working on picking up feet and loading. They are potentially spoken for, will update if that changes.

All 4 have learned and are practicing body control, i.e. yielding hindquarters and shoulders, as well as backing in addition to just leading and going around me on a circle. That’s important for many things down the road.

To all who have submitted adoption applications, thank you. I will reach out to people with approved applications over the next couple of days. If the horse you asked for is spoken for or we don’t yet have the perfect Mustang for you, we’re happy to work with you and help you find a great match.

Until some sort of incentive program comes back, our nonprofit organization Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is funding all of this on its own. We appreciate your support in helping wild horses transition from holding pens to loving homes now more than ever. Thank you! If you want to help, please check bio for how to do so or reach out to us directly.

Training halters and leads Rowdy’s Ropes

First 3 photos: Photographer Linnea Helander

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I recently read somewhere on social media – and I wish I could remember where – that the best way to fix a bad habit in a horse is to not let it develop on the first place.

That’s so simple, yet at the same time so profound. I’ve seen so many horses revert back to undesirable behavior that’s worked for them in the past, or take so much longer to unlearn dangerous things and become solid in good ones.

Barn and buddy sourness are pretty high up on the list of common, pesky and problematic things people deal with in their horses, Mustangs and domestics alike. Having a buddy or barn sour horse can sure take the joy out of riding, make it unsafe or plain impossible.

Anymore I like starting my own horses, from scratch. Gentling Mustangs for a living, that’s pretty easy to do. That way for the most part whether they’re barn or buddy sour or not is in my hands.

Some people are sticky and don’t mind a ‘good’ fight with a horse that’s dancing and rearing and hopping and spinning or running backwards. I’m not one of those people.

Ground driving is probably the number one tool I use to develop a horse that confidently goes wherever you point them, no buddy needed, and goes back home at the same pace.

Here’s Devil’s Garden Mustang mare Petrie who’s good enough now that I can put the driving bridle and lines on, no surcingle, saddle or harness, and off we go. I wouldn’t recommend that, at all, if you’re just starting out.

We’re drunk walking a bit here because I had the phone in one hand and lines and whip – yes, I always carry a whip because it’s a needed communication device when (ground) driving – in the other while dodging holes and brush.

Ground driving, like many other things, is simple but not necessarily easy if you haven’t done it before, and needs to be taught step by step for it to work as desired.

At Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy we’re happy to teach you/your horse this skill if you’d like. More on how to work with us on our website.

Would anyone be interested in some video based instructions on ground driving that would be available online? Anything else? Let us know in the comments or via PM/email.

Music: Colter Wall : Prairie Evening/Sagebrush Walz

#wildhorseswillingpartners#mustangtraining

#sunset#makingmountainmustangmemories

People like all kinds of different horses, all for their own reasons. They all will make us better humans and horsemen and -women if we let them.

I’m fortunate to have a lot of horses – all Mustangs now – in my life, many only for a short time on their path to hopefully becoming someone else’s partner and friend.

I like a good mare with grit who wears her heart on her sleeve and her thoughts all over her face. That’s these two for me, now coming 9yo Divide Basin Mustang mare Lacy and coming 2yo Devil’s Garden Mustang filly Cedar.

They’re so similar that they couldn’t stand each other for months. Finally now I’m seeing what’s starting to look like affection between the two and it makes me happy.

They’re both forward, easy traveling horses who love to go see the world. They are serious about a job needing done and outside of the occasional manageable spook don’t do anything silly.

They know who’s who, pick their people and are not shy about expressing whom and what they like. There’s only one person Lacy is friendlier with than me and I don’t blame her at all. Cedar at this point considers herself mine – or me hers? – and it’s pretty darn cute.

She’s had to learn to let others touch and handle her because while the one person horse thing may sound romantic, it’s not fair to the horse or those around it.

They can also feel my energy shift and keep me honest. If I’m in a hurry or grumpy I can’t catch either one of them. Not lovely but it helps me check and ground myself and not take my agenda out on them.

If they need to learn something I teach them and if they understand they apply it. If I’m unfair or rushy or grabby with either of them they tell me. And I reflect, listen and adjust, often quietly at the end of the day. That’s how a partnership should be.

It always amazes me how most every Mustang here finds someone who loves them for just how they are. I sure love these two and I love it even more that they’re starting to bond – without being herd bound because that’s just not who they are.

Both of them are Ambassadors Mustangs with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . One of them just might make an appearance at The Mustang Summit at Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in March.

Lacy was my first TIP horse when that was still a thing and the first Mustang I gentled. She came from the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program , Cañon City holding facility in 2017. Cedar joined us in 2023 from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals .

We have gentled Mustangs available or coming available year-round. Please contact us if you’re looking or have a Mustang needing gentling. Located in Guffey, CO.

Cute yearling halter and rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

Hackamore: The Colorful Cowgirl

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

It’s been so much fun watching our youngest Ambassador Mustangs DG Cedar (filly, coming 2yo) and DG Griffin (colt, not quite 1yo) grow up and their personalities develop. They came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy last year from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals in California.

I’d never before owned a horse this young. Watching the baby antics, naps in the sun and Lacy slowly embracing being their “aunt” has been such a gift.

Cedar is strong willed but also sensitive. She seems to consider me her human, can sense changes in my energy and reacts strongly to them. She’s both brave and independent and slow to trust new people.

Griffin is quiet, laid back and very much a follower. He makes the best mare faces I’ve ever seen on a gelding. He’s curious and generally the same with most people rather than drawn towards one person.

It’s interesting having both of the two distinct types of Devil’s Garden Mustangs, the less common tall, athletic, more sensitive and almost Thoroughbred-like one, and the laid back, thick drafty kind the herd is known for.

It seems like they’d be like oil and water but Griffin and Cedar are best friends and their personalities seem to balance each other out very nicely.

Meanwhile I’m on the hunt for a riding horse for more strenuous rides than Lacy is capable of and Tiny is excited about these days. I’m looking for a branded one to gentle and start.

There MAY be some new faces here as of yesterday. Whether my new riding partner is in there is TBD but stay tuned for their intro and new name theme

Shirt and hat: Outback Trading Company LTD.

Halter & lead: Rowdy’s Ropes

PC: Tay Martin

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

In the caption on a recent video I suggested not putting anything on the horse when you don’t have a plan for how you’re going to remove it.

Here’s how I remove the ring rope aka neck rope as well as put on and remove the leg rope in the early stages of gentling:

The hook on a stick.

Instructions for what you need to make your own are at the end of the video.

I have two of them and I always keep electrical tape handy and an extra driveway marker or two around to make a quick repair if needed.

It can double as a horse scratcher and training stick as needed and I often use it to fish for other tools that are just out of reach. Its one of the cheapest and most versatile training tool I own, and something I always have with me when I’m working with unhandled horses.

DG Rafiki was a good sport and let me be clumsy and slow while I was filming this for you guys. He’s a 9yo Devil’s Garden Mustang gelding, SA and available through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy. Located in Guffey, CO.

Credit for this nifty tool goes to Mustang Matt.

The song is Professional Outsider (so true!) by Matt Robertson Music.

The leg rope is an important training tool for us when gentling Mustangs. While I’ve met a select few that understood the idea of picking up feet better without it, we use it on most of the wild ones we train and I personally do leg rope work with all of the Ambassador Mustangs, the ones that live with us at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy .

The leg rope teaches them to pick up and hold up their feet, a process I start by first rubbing the leg with objects and then swinging the lash of a stick and string around it.

Then we move on to leading by a foot. Each foot. That instills the idea that there’s pressure but there’s also a release, meaning their leg isn’t just trapped. Horses don’t like feeling trapped or unbalanced, especially wild ones.

From there I can use the leg rope to gradually introduce holding the leg up in the positions (forward and back) needed for trimming. For a while past that I put it on as a back up in case the horse wants to pull a foot away from me.

Why a rope? It’s safer for me and less threatening for them. I avoid accidental releases that would occur when I run out of arm or the horse kicks loose/leans on me. Teaching them the wrong thing and then having to go back and fix it is not fair to the horse and poor use of our time.

What kind of rope? This is a retired 14ft lead rope with the hardware removed and only the spliced loop at the end that I run the tail of the rope through.

I later revisit leading by each foot by putting pressure on it from every possible direction and teach the horse to give to that calmly. You don’t know when, where and how something is going to snag your horse’s leg, be that a water hose, brush or even old wire on a ride. Better to be prepared than hurt.

Finally, leading by a foot is the ideal hobbling preparation. I also do some lunging and stopping them by a foot too to show that pressure to the leg means stop and think. If you rope, you can also rope the legs and do the same thing that way.

We offer various formats of coaching for owners and adopters of Mustangs and gentling of wild horses for clients. Reach out to us if you need/want help or are looking to adopt a gentled Mustang.

Pictured DG Minerva aka Miss Kitty. She is a kind 5yo Devil’s Garden Mustang mare looking for a human of her own. PM us if interested.

Training halter & rope: Rowdy’s Ropes
Coat: Outback Trading Company LTD.

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

#wildhorseswillingpartners
#makingmountainmustangmemories