-
Step 1
Gain the wild horse's trust before doing anything with it. The horse has to trust you before it can work with you. Keep the horse in a small pen and visit it everyday. Feed him, water him and talk to him in a calm voice as many times a day as possible. Eventually, he will learn that you are not there to hurt him. Go inside the pen and brush him or rub him all over with your hands.
-
Step 2
Put a halter on the horse after you get him used to ropes. Carry a halter and lead rope with you when going into his pen. Lay the rope across his back, rub him with it and let him smell it. Put the rope around his neck and then slide the halter in place. Let him wear it around in the pen, but take it off before you leave. Put the halter on and lead him around the pen often.
-
Step 3
Work with the horse on the ground to gain more trust. Working with him like this allows you to teach him things while teaching him you are his leader and won't hurt him. Brush him, pick up his hooves, lead him around different places and introduce him to different things that may seem scary to him at first.
-
Step 4
Introduce the horse to the saddle pad and saddle by tying him up inside the small pen. Allow him to smell the saddle and pad before you put it on him. Place the pad and saddle on his back and tighten the girth just enough that it doesn't fall off. Lead the horse around with the saddle on his back for a few days. Work him in a round pen while wearing the saddle. Put a bridle on him and let him get used to having a bit in his mouth while working in the round pen.
-
Step 5
Mount the horse once he has gotten used to the saddle on his back. Have someone else close by in case you need help. Walk the horse around the pen to get used to your weight and someone on his back. Walk in the pen only for the first week before trying to go at a faster pace. Get the horse to stop, turn and move forward from your cues before attempting to ride outside of the pen or at a faster pace.
-
Step 6
Ride the horse by himself until he knows how to follow your commands to move, turn and stop. Riding with someone else and other horses can confuse him and cause him to not pay attention to you. Ride the horse as often as you can to get more practice in. Consistent riding is the best way to train a horse.
Comments
Nouvisimo said
on 3/4/2008 It has been a while since I have visited here, so I am hoping that Dhorsewife will read this.
Your assesment of my experience is far from the truth. I lived at the edge of the Black Rock Desert in Northern Neveda for 12 years as a cattle rancher. My experience with Mustangs (wild and domestic) is extensive. I agree with your comments regarding the way they view things. That is what makes the training process a bit different; depending on the horses age at capture. I have trained those that I was able to mount and ride within 3 weeks time and those that I simply had to back off of and it took us a few months to sort things out. Some were beyond my scope and were turned over to others for their training.
Regarding the halters, when you adopt a "Wild Mustang", they do (or did) recommend that you bring a halter at adoption with a lead attached. BLM wranglers will put the halter
Dhorsewife said
on 1/23/2008 It's obvious that Nouvisimo has little experience with mustangs.
We have adopted four horses in the past year and a half and have found them to be incredibly smart, hardy and sound. We much prefer their minds to their domestic counterparts. My daughter adopted her first mustang at the age of twelve and did the training herself, including the first ride.
Mustangs have a different thought process than domestics; they are geared to self preservation. If you're willing to remain open minded, have an experienced mentor and ask for help when you're stuck, many mustangs are suitable for those with limited experience.
While this article is a bit simplistic and makes it sound like you can just walk in, do a little sweet talk and win over a wild horse, it's still about gaining trust and that's a very important step.
Dhorsewife said
on 1/23/2008 Obviously Nouvisimo has little experience with mustangs. My daughter adopted her first mustang, a yearling filly, when she was twelve and did 98% of the work herself, including mounting for the first time.
We've had four BLM mustangs in the past year and a half and have found them to be steady, mentally stable animals; far superior to their domestic counterparts.
While training isn't as simple as laid out here, we've often been able to catch and halter our horses within a week's time. A potential adopter needs to have an open mind, realize that the thought process is different in wild than domestic, and be willing to ask others who are experienced when they run up against a problem.
Nouvisimo said
on 1/14/2008 This is possibly the most irresponsible and dangerous article ever written on this subject and should be removed!!
For a professional trainer to handle a Mustang is risky, giving such written advice as you did to the average horseperson, or worse, layperson, is suicide.
There is nothing in this article that could possibly lead the the success of either horse or handler. Rather would most likely end up being a total train wreck, phyically and mentally for both.
Let me remind you that Mustangs are not just horses. They are wild animals who live and die by insticts and behaviors that, for the most part, have been bred out of their domestic cousins. The staalion in my barn can be hand bred to any mare much more safely than I feel handling a Mustang right off a BLM lot. Not to mention that when you adopt a Mustang from BLM, you are on a one year probation with that horse.