One thing that gets in our and our wild horse’s way – namely in the way of building a relationship based on mutual understanding and trust, of making lasting progress without lots of big fireworks and having to go back and repair damages – is being so focused on the outcome that we forget how …
Category: Stefanie’s Notebook
Mar 21 2023
Saving Buttercup – Dealing with the unexpected in the backcountry
This post is only a year and a half overdue. Sometimes it takes me that long to put something into perspective. November 2021, a long-anticipated pack trip with friends into the middle of nowhere, Southern Utah. First time taking the Mustangs out of state. First time packing in the desert. First time sleeping outside on …
Mar 18 2023
Mustangs as mirrors
One of the things that makes working with Mustangs so special, yet also raw and humbling is that they are some of the best lie detectors around. They respond to what they perceive rather than to what we would like them or others to believe. In that way they are true mirrors of not only …
Mar 13 2023
Look what you’ve done…
Growing up, hearing those words – in German, no less – usually from my mom or one of my grandmothers was a certain indicator of impending trouble. This is different. Remember when we did a fundraiser late last year for a chute? Well, the stars aligned in such a way that required things to be …
Mar 10 2023
Mustangs on NPR
In other news, this past week we had the pleasure of giving Ashley Ahearn , journalist, horsewoman and Mustang adopter, a behind the scenes look at the what, how and why here at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . She flew out from Washington to spend a blustery winter day with us and do a …
Mar 09 2023
Moana’s surprise
I’m all but speechless (doesn’t happen often ) and overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement about this week’s events. Somehow Mustangs bring out the best in people and the best people together, and with so many neat things coming together all at once, it’s hard to decide where to begin… We’ve been keeping a baby announcement …
Mar 09 2023
After gentling, before riding
Here’s Blanca, the bestest, fluffiest, toughest and cutest old mare, putting up with a young Mustang, DG Petrie, while getting a job done. Petrie is a coming 3yo filly out of last year’s load of Devil’s Garden Mustangs from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals. We’re currently working on the new load… We’re only a …
Mar 05 2023
Short and sweet – The value of brief, low-key sessions
This is gentling session # 3 with Behne, 12yo per BLM paperwork, from Sand Wash Basin, Colorado. He already has a loving home, he is with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for basic handling and to learn to like human interaction. He leads, backs, is starting to yield shoulders, hind quarters and send off in …
Mar 03 2023
Gentling older Mustangs – Cary in the rearview mirror
This boy is 9yo Sand Wash Basin Mustang gelding Cary, the youngest of the older geldings we’ve recently had the pleasure of working with. Interestingly enough, with his relative youth he was the more challenging one even though the others took/are taking a little longer to settle down initially. The other geldings are/were 11 (Schatzi, …
Mar 01 2023
Matching effort
This post was inspired by a conversation with a dear friend about an entirely non-horse-related topic, but as with so many things, I find it applies here too. I believe that we need to be willing to invest quality time and effort into our horses before we can expect better results. We have to remember …