Mounted search and rescue

[Mustang Blue <mustang_blue_wy@yahoo.com>]

I often ride around in a country subdivison that consists of around 80 homes.  Someday, I hoe to catch the culprit who consistantly is throwing beer bottles and other trash into the designated bridle paths.  There is also an empty lot/acreage, that didn't mow the bridle path one summer, and the weeds/sage & grasses were so tall they hid a loosly coiled barb wired fence that was down and lying in the grass, my mustang and I rode right into it before spotting it, thank goodness I had taught him to single hobble picket no matter which foot I used, and he knew not to panic if something was around his feet or legs!!!  He had stepped into a tangle of loops just big enough to get caught up in, could've done some SERIOUS damage, but he froze and waited for me to untangle him.  He was trapped by 3 hooves, but didn't sustain a single scratch.

 

There is nothing I have found that he refuses, when he does spook, it'sin place and just takes some gentle coaxing to convince him of something that won't hurt him.  Bags, tarps, bridges, dogs, water, wildlife, (dead or alive) etc, etc, etc, doesn't faze him in the least...

Now if I can just convice him that cows aren't mountain lions! LOL! That is his only real fear we haven't had the oportunity to desensitize him to.

 

The more you can expose your horse to, teach him in a gentle and understanding manner, not a forceful manner like I saw my neighbor do with his mare when there was a bag on a fence, (which only instills in the horses mind that it IS something to fear) the more trust worthy, & willing mount you will have.

 

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mustang_blue_wy/album/576460762327856693#page1

Lona

 

msar-riders-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> When riding in a public area you have 
> to keep your eyes open for
> bottles and cans. 
>
> I have seen worse damage done by fence wire.
I often ride around in a country subdivison that consists of around 80 homes.  Someday, I hoe to catch the culprit who consistantly is throwing beer bottles and other trash into the designated bridle paths.  There is also an empty lot/acreage, that didn't mow the bridle path one summer, and the weeds/sage & grasses were so tall they hid a loosly coiled barb wired fence that was down and lying in the grass, my mustang and I rode right into it before spotting it, thank goodness I had taught him to single hobble picket no matter which foot I used, and he knew not to panic if something was around his
 feet or legs!!!  He had stepped into a tangle of loops just big enough to get caught up in, could've done some SERIOUS damage, but he froze and waited for me to untangle him.  He was trapped by 3 hooves, but didn't sustain a single scratch.

 

There is nothing I have found that he refuses, when he does spook, it'sin place and just takes some gentle coaxing to convince him of something that won't hurt him.  Bags, tarps, bridges, dogs, water, wildlife, (dead or alive) etc, etc, etc, doesn't faze him in the least...

Now if I can just convice him that cows aren't mountain lions! LOL! That is his only real fear we haven't had the oportunity to desensitize him to.

 

The more you can expose your horse to, teach him in a patient & gentle and understanding manner, making lessons interesting and fun for your horse, instead of using a forceful manner like I recently saw my neighbor do with his mare when she was frightened over a bag blowing on a fence, he repeatedly kicked and whipped her for over 15 minutes trying to force her up to it (which only instills in the horses mind that it IS something to fear) ending in him getting bucked off and her bolting away.

 

The more time you invest in gentle teaching techniques, the more trust worthy, & willing mount you will have. (and actually save you time, headache and possible injuries in the future) It's an ongoing lesson you never stop teaching, and as your horse learns that he can trust you even when faced with fear, he'll become more and more interested and willing to except new fears with less and less opposition.

 

See one of my mustangs here:

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mustang_blue_wy/album/576460762327856693#page1

 

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Keep the Spirit Alive, Ride a Mustang!

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mustang_blue_wy/albums

Lona in WY 

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