Just Horses

Not only have I been busy working at the Arab farm this month while they are away at U.S. Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but after working 5-6 hours at the farm, I come home and go to work for another couple hours. Good thing I don't work all the time because I have no idea how I would fit all this in. The weather has been really nasty with rain and wind so my outdoor activities have been limited to shoveling poop out of Rio's paddock and Fritzy's stall. I only had one day where I was able to work with Rio.

Unhappy, wet Mustang.

Over the weekend my OH helped me divide Rio's corral into 2 sections. We had 2 extra round pen panels and we put them across the middle of her corral so I would have a smaller area to start stick work. Before when I did stick work, she could easily get away from me and it was kind of pointless when I couldn't keep the pressure on her and she could just run away from the pressure and know she could easily get away. By dividing up her corral, I now have an approximately 24' x 24' space I can close off. So yesterday I went to test it out.

Andrea at Mustang Saga (thank you Andrea!) said she had stuffed a glove and attached it to a stick to help with the gentling of some of her Mustangs. So I took an old garden glove, stuffed it and attached it to my stick. I had done stick work with Rio before, but I just used a 6' stick and her paddock was just to big for me make any progress. So I was excited to test this new stick/glove out in a smaller paddock. Once I started I wanted her to get used to the idea of the stick coming towards her, especially with a hand attached to the end. Of course she ran and tried to get away from it/me. I just kept the pressure on her until she stopped running then I backed off. It took about 10 minutes for her to realize that "Hey, I can't get a way from her anymore, I might as well just stand here and deal with it." She put her nose in a corner and I reached my stick/glove out and made contact on her wither. She flinched but she did not run off. So I backed off. I let her think about that for a minute then I approached her again. This time when I put my stick/glove on her I kept it on her longer and petted her wither. I did the approach/touch/pet/retreat over and over with each time petting her with the glove longer and longer. I petted her wither, shoulder, back and lower neck. With the stick/glove and the way the glove is stuffed makes it just like a hand. The fingers move and I can scratch, pet and rub with the glove just like my actual hand. I wasn't actually expecting to get this much progress on the first day with the stick/glove. But I did. And I was happy. 

Petting Rio with my stick/glove.

I was so happy that I sent the above PM to my OH. Then I called him. I told him I would do it again when he got home from work. We went up there and it only took Rio about 3 minutes to stop trying to get away from me. I was able to pet/rub/scratch a little higher on her neck and her butt. I am excited to go out there today and do it all again.

This whole process has been so hard. Rio has this wall up that I have been trying so hard to break. I think I am starting to tear away a little bit of that wall down, finally. I just wish it would have been sooner. But I can't beat myself up for it. You don't know what your going to get when you adopt a wild Mustang and you just go on doing what you know and what you think is right. I'd rather take my sweet time and do it right then do it fast and screw it up and forever lose any trust that I have gained. I feel like we are on the right track and always have been and I know there are some things I probably should have done differently.... it's just taking a lot longer then I expected.

I will continue to put on my muck boots, waterproof jacket, baseball cap and rain gear throughout this crappy weather we will have for the next 7-8 months and do whatever I have to do to get this adorable filly to trust me 100% and get 'er done! I know in my heart that this horse is going to be the sweetest girl ever. I see it in her actions and reactions. I will say it again.... she doesn't have a mean bone in her body and I have never felt like she was going to hurt me. Her first instinct is to flee! She just can't trust completely or accept human touch quite yet. It's going to happen soon.... I feel it. I already have one heart Mustang and I have room for another. And I think it will be even more special with Rio after everything we have been through. I am ready. Bring it on Rio!

Pretty in pink!

Miss Fritz got a new blanket. I decided to blanket her this winter since she wasn't really growing a winter coat. I already had a winter blanket for her, but I needed another to put on her while the other one is off at the cleaners. I was just going to order another black one, but my OH said for me to get pink. I thought that was funny since he tries to claim Fritzy as "his" horse! My OH also got the lights installed in the stall. Boy does that ever make a difference!! I just plug the lights in when it's time to clean the stall or even when my farrier is out. Now that we are pretty much only getting dark, rainy, dreary days, it sure helps having lights to see what the heck I am shoveling!!