While I was playing with Copper this morning, I asked Brian if he wanted to come in the pen with us because it would be good for him to have two people invading his space. Brian says "no thank you". Okay, "WHY?" Brian says it is because he doesn't want to get too attached to him...after I am done Brian comes in to say hello......
Hmmmmmmmm.....doesn't want to get attached, eh? Yeah, that is how I DO NOT get attached too...(snicker snicker)
The other night I played with Copper...put the Wintec synthetic saddle on him and even snugged it up. He was not too keen on that, but he did not buck so I was happy. I know it is not a bad thing for them to buck, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable or scared enough for him to do it. My goal is to go slow...no buck. If he bucks, well, I will get out of the way until he stops. :-)
I kicked the bucket around until he stood still. I wanted to stand up on the bucket to get him used to me 'climbing' up right beside him. I got on my bucket, by the way, I need a taller bucket, and I leaned over him and the saddle. He handled that part real good.
While on my bucket, I was throwing the lead rope around and over him...
More leaning over him as much as I could reach...
The only time he was not at all happy was when I unsaddled him, and I put my armpit over his back and gripped with it and my body - I have a pretty good armpit grip...sounds like a redneck contest...will have to work on that! Anyways, he took off and I stuck with him. He did a little butt hop and a small kick outwards. Of course I started it...now I had to find a way to finish it on a good note. So slowly I worked my way back up to him and I would put my arm over him, touch him with my body, and move away. I did this several times and he relaxed. I secretly wanted to get on him this weekend...just for a second, but his reaction changed my mind. No worries - I like to make big fun goals like that even if I have to change them. It all worked out, and once he relaxed I picked something we did well, we did that a couple times, then called it a day.
This morning we played a while and this time I put the old rough western saddle on him. He snorted at it...I have to tell you, I love how he snorts at everything he is trying to figure out! It is totally different than Tripp's snorts were. Anyways, it only took a couple minutes of me walking back and forth with it, him snorting at it, me touching him with it, then throwing it up there. I don't have a girth, etc on it, so we did not tighten anything, but I won't do that for a few more days anyways. I want to be able to put it on him without the halter before I tighten it.
We are practicing our lunging with a lead rope...and a saddle...
Oh oh, there goes the saddle!
He jumped back and looked at it, snorted that big wonderful snort that I love so much, then walked towards it...
What do we do now? Yep, saddles goes back on, and without any issues I might add! Oh yeah, I had my Dummy Legs on there too! I was taking them off and literally throwing them back up there...
The other night I was also rubbing all 4 legs all the way down to the hoof. I was pretty tickled about that because you all know how touchy they are about their legs! We worked on that again today....
Copper says: "Here is my girl NOT getting attached to me...."
Copper is real good about dropping his head for the halter and also when I was making like the lead rope were reins...he would drop his head when I took them off, and when I put them back over...
It is pretty amazing how squatting down on the ground and duck walking can freak out a horse. So what did I do? Alot of duck walking...will probably be sore tomorrow. I know I am not as graceful as a little kid, but I got to thinking that little kids LOVE to reach up to a horses face, so I simulated being a little kid. Most of the time I would reach up and he would drop his head for me to pet his forehead...now I need to find a little kid to test this on! Hee hee!
He did snort at me, and from that angle it was quite comical! Was wishing I had my camera in hand because that would have made a great picture or video...
I am not as far as I was with Tripp at this time, but I also only had Tripp to focus on last year. Copper is very smart, catches on quick, and we will do just fine. I won't rush him because that defeats one of the purposes I have. And that is to show people that just a few minutes a day or every other day can grow into something huge and wonderful with these mustangs. No, they are not all created equal, but neither is anything else. I still look back at what I have done with these guys and say "Wow...who woulda thought?" If anybody out there has thought about adopting a mustang, I say go for it! If you don't have the facilities required by the BLM to get a wild one, there are other options. There are foster homes thru the BLM, and there is the Trainer Incentive Program (TIP Trainer) thru the Mustang Heritage Foundation. You can find a trainer near you, see if they have any horses already, if not, go with them to pick one out, then have them gentle it for you! You will still need to be approved by the BLM, but the horse will be gentled so it will be ready to go into a normal pen. If it is done right, you should be able to catch, halter and lead your horse at the minimum. They must be completely gentled before you get them...so, think about it. They are amazing horses!
Until later...Karen and Tripp, one of the amazing mustangs! :-)
2 comments:
I would just like to point out that Copper had just went through a rigorous training session with Karen and that I was merely checking on him to ascertain that he was still in good spirits! =-D
Excellent answer Brian! (not that we believe you) ;)
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