The NEW ADENTURES of NIKE (2011 BLM Mustang Mare)
Prelude: We decided it was time, once again, to take in a “recue
horse”. The goal was to find a suitable
candidate which met our specific criteria, train him or her up, deal with any
health issues and eventually find this horse a great family that matches the
horse’s aptitude, attitude and personality. The ideal candidate would be a
Quarter Horse or Mustang, between 3 and 15 years old with some experience under
saddle with a good enough frame to handle a 200+ pound rider. We wanted to
avoid major health issues because of the expense. Underweight and hoof issues
we could deal with. We were prepared to deal with fear and/or abuse issues as
well. We also wanted to find a horse less than 200 miles away from our home in
Placerville, CA. So we put the word out on various social media forums and
started our search. Surprisingly there are very few horse that met all of our
criteria! We had a few leads come up but for whatever reason those leads didn’t
pan out. Then we got the email that started us off on this new adventure.
DAY 0 – The First Date: We got a note from the owner of a 4
year old BLM Mustang mare, bay in color with two white socks and a crooked
little blaze. She had the horse for two years, did the Mustang Makeover (ground
work/in hand) in 2012 and then due to life had to lease the horse out. The mare
was ridden on trails but here training really backslid during the lease time.
Now the owner is heading out of state and can’t take the horse due to costs. It
happens. Life sometimes gets in the way of our passion. So after exchanging
some emails and seeing a wonderful video the owner created we went to Grass
Valley, CA. to meet this horse.
Enter NIKE
(like the goddess of winged victory, not the shoe). She had great bone and
solid feet, a soft eye and an easy going energy mixed with curiosity. After
watching some ground work with the owner it was time to shake hands with the
horse. We established some rapport and began to work. Simple stuff like working
on the line, flexing laterally and yielding the hind end. Overall it went
really well. We noted some habits Nike developed during her lease period that
we knew would have to be addressed quickly but they were manageable for the
moment. Then we decided to test her ability to learn. We taught her a method of
backing called “Tap the Air” which is harder than it sounds. The goal is to
have the horse back up with some energy to a soft rhythmic cue that happens in
the air about 3 feet from their nose. Took about 10 minutes but she got it.
Then her owner saddled her up. The walk and trot were nice. The lope was in
need of work. She had gotten a little stiff in the bridle from the folks that
leased her but she soon softened up and got into the work. This brief ride
helped us to establish a starting point. We decided she would be a great fit
and after some papers where signed we loaded her up, which took less than 10
minutes and headed home.
DAY ½: Once we got home we unloaded Nike. She was a bit
revved up but calmed down after we did some work on the line. We also
established that leaning into the circle and pushing us would NOT make the work
stop. In fact it would increase! She figured out that it was best to just cruise
and not be pushy. We then reviewed Tap the Air and then lead her to her
pasture. She met our two geldings (Ronan and Argent) and then had a nice meal.
DAY 1: After breakfast we loaded up all three horses and
headed to The Downunder Brumbies Nor-Cal December practice. Nike was introduced
to our style of round pen work. She moved through all three gaits, changed
directions and eventually locked on and followed Michael around. Lots of loves
and baby carrots happened. Then she got to go into the arena and work with a
group of other horses. While the other horses worked on more intermediate and advanced
maneuvers Nike got to focus on her fundamental skills and just being social. We
had one small attempt at a tantrum when she was asked to lope on the line but a
quick correction let her know that tantrums are not acceptable. The rest of the
session went really well. She got to relax tied near the arena while the under
saddle portion of the practice happened.
After the
arena work was done the group moved out to the obstacle course for some fun.
Nike got to see the course and other horses playing on all the cool
things. Then Michael led her to see the
tractor tire mount. She sniffed all around it and then she got to move her feet
around it. She was calm and curious. Then she was asked to step up on the tire.
After a slight hesitation she did just that! She stepped up like an old pro!
The rest of the afternoon was her getting to explore and play on the obstacles.
It was clear that her previous owner had built up confidence and understanding
for this type of thing with Nike. The session became about building a new bond
and it was great! A very positive first day!
DAY 2 – ADVENTURES IN BLANKETING: It was a gloomy day with
poor weather threatening on the horizon. So we went blanket shopping for Nike. It
gets pretty cold up here in the Sierra Foothills and though she is a Mustang,
being underweight makes it harder for her to deal with the cold. Note to self:
ASK if the horse is used to blankets BEFORE attempting to put one on it. Nike
was not all that familiar with the concept. As we began to use advance and
retreat to introduce the blanket it began to rain…sigh…and then hail…great…and more
rain. Eventually we got the blanket on her and she settled down to enjoy a nice
meal and rubs from her humans.
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