Mustang Silliness!

I wasn't able to work with Chance for the last couple weeks, due to being sick. So even though I still have a nasty cough, I just had to get out and work with her. I always start off by tying her, grooming and picking up all 4 feet. The last time I had her tied, she was spooking at everything, and jumping all over the place, which is unlike her. She usually stands still and behaves quite well. This time she stood perfectly still and wasn't being spooky. She has always been really good about grooming. She absolutely loves this time we spend together. Chance has been doing spectacular with hoof handling. I am even tapping her hooves with my hoof pick. It has never bothered her.



Once I finished brushing her, I pulled out my towel that I had used a couple months ago for sacking out. I wanted to wave it around and see how she reacted while she was tied. I have waved the towel around her before, but that was before I started tying her. The minute I started waving it, and it made that flapping noise, Chance reared back in a panic, but as always she gave in to the pressure and went forward. I kept doing this until I got the proper response from her. Then I would start over. She would get a little jumpy but by the time I ended the towel flapping she was standing stock still without a care in the world. I then walked up to her and put the towel on her back, which she got a little jumpy about. But immediately calmed down. I think she remembered those days a couple months ago when I rubbed the towel all over her and put it on her back. I just need to be more consistent about doing this.

I untied her and worked on backing. She backs like a pro now. She's so responsive! I pulled out my handy stick and flung the string all over her body, let it wrap around all her legs, under her belly, around her neck, and she doesn't even flinch! She has always stood completely still when I do this. Nothing has really bothered her around her legs, probably from all the handy stick work I did when I first got her home.

I called my OH at the house, and told him I was ready for his assistance. We were going to work on leading through the middle paddock, where she always gets upset and starts to rear. I wanted to see if she remembered anything from the last time. My OH came out and shut the lower gate, in case she somehow out muscled me and got away, then he opened Chance's gate and off we went. We had to navigate some mud puddles. She didn't overreact like she has before about the water. She stopped to sniff and seemed curious.



She wanted to walk right behind me, but I made her stay to my right. She hopped over the mud puddles, which is better then the last time. After we made it past the water, she started to get worked up, when I say worked up I mean she starts to trot, head up high and she ignores my jerk on the lead. This is when she typically would start to rear. I walked her down the paddock and back up, then back down. At this point she got worked up and reared. I took my dressage whip and whacked her good on her front legs. She went backwards, hopped up again and I went to whip her legs again, but missed. She was still going backwards and I wasn't quick enough. BUT, she never reared with me again. We continued walking through the paddock until she was calm and responsive. She did actually calm down quickly, and if she started to trot and not mind, I'd jerk her lead, and she would come back down to the walk without rearing. I think she is starting to understand what that jerk means.



My OH was in charge of the camera here, and he doesn't let it focus before he snaps the picture. So blurry pictures again!



I decided to take her up to the arena to see if she wanted to run around a bit. I have only had her in the arena twice, and she never wanted to run. There is some grass in the corners of my arena and she is just content to eat it. But today, since the arena wasn't slippery or muddy, I told my OH that I wanted to make her run. It is too muddy in her pasture, so she doesn't run around much.



Before I turned her loose, I had my OH pick up all 4 feet. I want her to get used to someone else doing this, and especially a man. My farrier is a man, and he will be here in a couple weeks. Chance did very well for my OH. I also think my OH enjoyed this! I know he loves watching me work with her, but I can't get him out of the house on football Sundays!!

Once my OH was done with her feet, I walked her around a bit, then turned her loose. She went straight to the grass and started eating. I asked my OH to rattle the arena panels, they rattled, and oh. my. goodness!! She took off running, bucking, rearing, spinning, the whole nine yards! Of course my other horses took off at a full run through the mud, which I hate. I always think they are going to hurt themselves! Brandy was rearing and bucking in place. It actually looked like Brandy and Fritzy were sparring with each other! If anything, those two looked like wild Mustangs! Chance saw all that and was going crazy!

I took a ton of pictures, but they are all blurry, so I am only able to post a couple that weren't too terrible.



My little Mustang can move!!



She'd stop by the gate and watch my other horses going crazy, then she would take off running and bucking again.



The only thing that I didn't like, was when she started to run again, she would run straight at me. I didn't have my longe whip with me, only my dressage whip. So I would have to go at her with that. I do not want her thinking she can run me down. It wasn't that she accidentally ran in my direction, she kept doing it, and making it a point to run at me, then kick out. Maybe she thought I was another baby and she wanted to play with me. I know that some of our babies at the farm will do this. I wanted to take video of her going crazy, but I was too concerned about where she was and making sure I didn't get run over.

I like this picture, but you will see that I cut off her ears, I know, I have such great camera skills! I think she was about to turn around, and I did not want to get run over.



By the time all the running was done, Chance was huffin' and puffin' and totally sweaty!



It did take me about 10 minutes to catch her in the arena. She did not want to be caught. But she didn't run from me. She just walked away to eat some grass, then when I would walk up to her, she'd turn around and walk away, she did this many times. I was finally able to get her in the corner with my OH's assistance, and grab her halter. On our way back to her pasture, she started to trot and I jerked on the lead, and she went right back to the walk. She tried it again, jerked on the lead, and back to the walk. I think she is totally understanding that now. She didn't overreact and rear like she did a couple weeks ago. I didn't even have to turn her around. She walked nice and calmly into her pasture.

I was very happy with how things went. She responded just like I hoped she would. My only wish is that my arena pictures didn't turn out so blurry and that I was able to take a video of her being silly! I'll try to remember to take a video next time, and I will stand on the other side of the fence!

I was going through some pictures last night, and seeing the pictures when Chance was 4, 5 and 6 months old just really showed me how much she has grown up! She isn't so baby-ish anymore and she is going through a growth spurt right now. She is getting tall. She has almost grown out of her baby halter, one more hole to go, then she'll be in her new one. This experience has been so much fun for me. Just watching her grow, learn and change in the 3 months I've had her, has been so exciting! I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!