The adopting-a-wild-mustang thing might be something best left to professionals or "naturals".
So many questions and doubts along the way. Especially when you know that what you do (or don't do) now will likely influence her forever.
The main thing I want to put forward here, though, is that the answer to nearly every situation I encounter is "it depends"....!
Most people who know me know that I didn't grow up around horses and really only started my horse "thing" at age 41, after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 37 and during an interval of good health, taking a dude ranch vacation in Wyoming.
So, I have been a student since then.
As with domestic horses (or child, or any being in your care), when they are yours, their distress is your distress. Galloping around the paddocks with nose outward like she’s going to jump…. (=largely distress)! She was doing this for the first 7 to 9 days. ....I wasn't sure if I should interrupt the behavior... get her attention to try and soothe her... or, does she just need to “learn” to be here, and alone? (Note: some of the running was pure joy IMHO, after being "captive" in a small training pen for the previous 3 1/2 months).
I can usually come to a conclusion for most of my questions like this…. But documenting them will keep me reminded that this is so not a simple or straightforward journey.
Without dragging her around by her face, what is the best way to discourage her from eating grass when I am trying to walk her - or do anything - on the grass?
The constant face-bump with the rope halter seems quite annoying to me, and is not all that effective (so far anyway). So, is this a matter of John Lyons’ “it takes 1000 times of doing something before creating a pattern” (not a verbatim quote): do I just stick with it until she knows I will not waver?
Unfortunately then, I am screwing it up because I do want to reward her with grazing after we successfully completed a big walk. Using a flag behind her or a stick, which usually she’s quite sensitive to, does not faze her if she’s managed to get the grass, even though in the round pen it is generally very effective.
For now I am taking the approach: at this time, under no circumstance, can she graze while we are walking. The problem with this is that it is nearly impossible, as long as Tori (my dog) is along, since periodically I need to remove sharp sand burrs from her paws or get her back with us when she goes squirrel-hunting. Answer: don’t bring Tori. …OK, not my fave answer! Tori helps with the overall feel of fun and pleasure and confidence and safety during the walks. Her value on the walks is great.
However... it may be best to not include her.
How do I get her attention or work on feet when I do not have a round pen or suitable arena without the distraction of grass?
How bad is it that she does not have someone to share a paddock with?
How bad is it that she doesn’t have an equine friend to touch noses with?
How close should you get when you are leading your horse near other (fenced in) horses?
How do I “respect her opinion“ when what she wants is not in the plan or recommended?
Two main things are showing up: eating grass as mentioned, and her asking (quite firmly) to go back to visit with horses (pseudo-)met along the way…. she showed me her obvious desire to go back to spend time near some horses that live next to the horse trail. It was a challenge to get her to go in my direction… Pulling on her face, flagging her, even touching her rump, did not result in much. She would move forward 2 to 4 steps and stop again, looking longingly in the direction of those horses. Should I indulge this? I had the time and could have actually gone back although it was about a quarter mile behind us. What would the result of that be? Would it be helpful? Would it make things worse?
This is a learn-as-you-go-game. I am of the mind that each horse and each situation is its own unique thing. She is doing very well with what I am doing thus far. It is tempting to think I am "on it" and know what I am doing. But I don't. I just know that if a situation comes up where I really don't have a tool or skill, the first step is stay calm... and as Mark Rashid would, employ miso no kokoro... in Japanese, "mind like still water".
More than anything I take the route that my brain and heart have more influence on her than any technical skill or task I might employ.
I am listening to an audiobook by John Saint Ryan (A Voice For the Horse), much of which clarifies Tom Dorrance's concepts in True Unity. Dorrance is the master of them all, but I found this book to be extremely difficult to decipher. Saint Ryan's discussion and stories are giving me insight.
Pic for interest :-)
I thank my personal or online trainers who have most influenced me in this heart-centered, softness-seeking journey: Terry Church, Anne and Stephen Duchac, Mark Rashid, Bruno Gonzales and Karen Rohlf.
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