By Patty Wilber

I spent a good part of Wednesday afternoon moving dirt while waiting for my two unbroke horses to arrive. Also, it was supposed to rain Thursday, so I wanted to get the dirt work done before it was too muddy! Thank goodness I did because it did rain and we will be in mud-hole mode for a few days!

I moved a lot of dirt with the trusty blue tractor!

Most horses that come in for saddle training can be haltered and understand the concept of being led. The boys, Chispa, 6, and MH, 3, have been haltered, barely. They were run into the trailer via the cattle chute.

When they arrived at my house (with halters on and lead ropes around their necks), we backed the rig up to the pen to unload them, and they reminded me of videos of mustangs being unloaded. We opened the trailer, and they made no move to come out, at all.  They stood at the back of the stock trailer looking a bit shell-shocked. Sheryl went into lead one out, but since they really don’t lead, (yet),  that didn’t work. Fortunately, the open door was enticing, so in a few minutes, they sort of tiptoed forward and tentatively stepped out. Then we gently shooed them into the pen I wanted them in.

They were very wary, and did not want to be touched, but were not crazy flighty.  We were able to catch hold of Chispa’s (red), lead rope fairly easily and pull his halter off.  I kind of wanted to leave it on, but it was loose, and the water spigot in the pen would be the perfect place to snag a halter, which could result in the spigot being jerked from the ground and flying off like a javelin. (Seen it happen.) So, pulled that halter.

The black and white, MH, also was dragging a lead rope,  but it was shorter and it took us what seemed like forever to catch hold of that rope.  He was wide-eyed, flinchy, and hid behind Chispa, keeping the lead just out of reach.  We finally got it!  His halter was snug.  So, we unsnapped the lead rope, but took a chance and left the halter on overnight (with permission from his people).

When I came out in the rain to feed breakfast, Chispa greeted me and followed me around, and when Dr. Loya came to do chiropractic on Gette, both boys were hanging over the fence trying to help, so when I needed to catch Chispa later to treat a draining puncture wound on his neck (that he had upon arrival) with some gauze soaked in chlorohexadine scrub I got from the doc, I expected to pop the halter on, no problem. Ha.

It was cold and wet, and I didn’t have on gloves, so after not even getting close and my hands going numb, I went in.  I warmed up (and it stopped raining for a bit), put on a fleece, a coat, a warm hat, and winter gloves, and went out to give it another shot.  I put the halter in my pocket, approached slowly, and petted him until I could get a rope over his neck.  Then, after five minutes or so of hanging out,  I got out the halter and put it on. It went much better this second try.  I was able to give the wound a good cleaning and play with him a bit.  I was also able to catch MH and do a few things with him.  Then I pulled his halter, so we will see if I am sorry about that on Friday!

Chispa (red) is a leaner body type. MH (black and white) is a tank. Look how muddy it is!

Chispa!

MH. And you can see the snow on top of the Sandia Mountains in the background! First snow of the season!

So, what’s the plan for these boys?  First off will be building their confidence in me and themselves. We will work on ground skills, since MH has none, and Chispa seems to have misplaced any he may have once had.  Leading, moving the hip, moving the shoulder, sideways, backing, picking up their feet.  Desensitization will be incorporated as we go.  Once we get those basics in place, we can lunge in the round pen, pony out, and get their feet done. Then we can think about getting them going under saddle.  I expect to spend a couple of weeks, minimum, on the ground and am looking forward to watching them change from unbroke to solid citizens!