Archive for Mustangs

A Mustang’s Goodbye

November 19, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Personal Stuff, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

Gabriel & Bella

In the wild a Mustang herd always has one alpha stallion and one alpha mare. Although the mare can be “stolen” by a competing stallion, the stallion-mare bond is very strong.

I saw that borne out yesterday when we had to say goodbye to our small herd’s alpha male gelding, Gabriel. Gabriel was a big Warmblood rescue who was with me for ten years after an already cataclysmic life full of accident after accident. His days have been numbered since he was two years old, so the fact that he made it to 18 is a miracle.

But Gabriel’s time had come, and he was clearly suffering, so yesterday was the day.

Bella, my Mustang mare, was very bonded to Gabriel. He in fact tried his best to mount her from time to time, even with all his physical handicaps. As strong as she herself is, he was her leader and could do no wrong, and she adored him.

We had Gabriel way out in the pasture when the vet gave him the injection that would help him sail peacefully away. Bella was closed in the corral up at the barn with her other two herd mates. I had talked at length to her about Gabriel’s departure and felt she understood, but what happened next made me really wonder.

We were well out of sight and hearing of the barn, but when Gabriel’s big body hit the ground Bella let out a shrill whinny. Bella never whinnies. She squeals, she groans and grunts, she even growls, but I have hardly ever heard her whinny.

I immediately dispatched the friend who was with me to go open the corral gate. Bella came roaring out like a big black freight train (she weighs 1500 lbs.) — we could hear her before we could see her. And when she came into view I could tell she was furious. In fact the vet said he would retreat far away from Gabriel’s body because he feared Bella would associate him with what had happened and might want to harm hiim.  I withdrew with him, to a distant grouping of scrub junipers, so we could give Bella some room and time to do whatever she needed to do.

Bella tore off in a big circular pattern around Gabriel’s body, about 100 feet out, alternately at a huge trot or intermittently galloping with her chin tucked into her chest — you could feel the anger pouring off her. We could only watch in awe as she circumscribed what seemed to be an area of protection all around Gabriel, making sure there was nothing near him to harm him.

Once she had finished the circle and let off her initial fury and frustration, she finally approached Gabriel’s body, quietly and respectfully. I then joined her in an effort to share our grief together. She sniffed him only once at that point, and let out one anguished squeal.

The vet said he had never witnessed a display quite like this before. He felt it was clearly Bella’s wild heritage exerting itself and wished he had been able to make a video of it to show to young vet students in order to impress upon them how deeply losing a member of the herd can effect the others.

Bella stayed close to Gabriel until it was time to bury him. I tried to show her that would not be something she would want to watch and, amazingly, she quietly walked back up to the barn.

It was feeding time when we finished burying Gabriel and, for the first time in her life that I know of, Bella would not go in her stall to eat and had little interest in her food. She finally ate most of it, with her new herd mate, Lopeh, eating quietly nearby, then she went back to the pasture and spent the evening roaming the area, occasionally whinnying for her lost love.

And that is where we found her this morning too, though she did come on in to eat finally. Afterward, she and I walked back out to where Gabriel had last lain, and she still checked the air and looked toward the distant mountains to see if she might catch sight of him.

Our herd has lost two other male members since Bella joined it, and she has never even seemed to notice. But her grief over losing Gabriel is awesome, her actions magnificent and terrifying.

We are all very relieved that our dear Gabriel is no longer suffering, and that he can finally find rest from his long and difficult life, but we are now grieving as much for Bella as for him and will be putting all our efforts in the next days and weeks to help her, and ourselves, adjust to such a tremendous loss.
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YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT GABRIEL HERE, AND MORE ABOUT BELLA HERE. AND MORE ABOUT HOW MUSTANGS ARE DIFFERENT HERE.

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That Mustang Thang!!!

November 16, 2009 · Filed under Horsin' Around, Leta's Philosophy 101, Mustangs, Personal Stuff · Tagged , , , ,

You know what I’m talking about if you are a Mustang devotee. Once you really know a Mustang, you’ve definitely been had — in a good way. Other horses just don’t quite compare.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have several other types of horses, and I adore each and every one of them. But there are just certain things about my Mustang Bella that have me totally captivated.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot these past two weeks because I’ve brought in a new rescue Quarter Horse mare who looks like she’s going to be a real gem. And she has a personality very similar to Bella’s.

And there the similarity ends!

In spite of the fact that this 8-year-old mare has been essentially running wild for the last 4 years as a brood mare, bearing at least 3 babies during that time . . . and in spite of the fact that we couldn’t even walk up to her when we first brought her home without her panicking and jumping away from us . . . she has, in two weeks, turned into a total pussycat.

Her obvious good breeding and early training became apparent after a mere 4 days of consistent handling, and she passed her first farrier visit with flying colors today. She has impeccable ground manners and will do just about anything to please. Including standing on her head  if one has a treat at hand. Well, I’m exaggerating a bit there, but her food obsession will obviously be to our advantage in her in future training.

And why do I mention all this? Because, after an incredible foundation in training and mileage, and in spite of a desire to please me, Bella still does everything on her own terms. She loves treats too, but would never stand on her head for one. She is not nearly as easy to lead as the new mare, or even to move around. In fact, she has a reputation for being the original “immovable object.” She takes a ton of leg when riding her, and if she decides she doesn’t want to do something she simply stops, dead cold.  Stuff like that.  I could go on, but you probably get the idea.

And yet, Mustang Bella is my be-all/end-all, my cat’s meow. She is what floats my boat and blows my skirt up. And I think it’s because she, like all Mustangs, possesses an amazing sense of self and self-preservation. She has extremely high integrity and gives respect back to those who respect her equally.

"Lohpe," short for Penelope

Our new mare, “Lohpe,” will become a valued and beloved member of

our

family, I can already tell. We will adore her for her gentle and giving nature and hopefully many unseasoned riders will benefit from her flexible spirit.

"Bella," the Cat's Meow

But Bella will remain the queen and reign supreme over our small herd. She knows her place and understands her role. And yet, at the same time, she treats me as her foal. Really. She does.

Stuff gets done largely on Bella’s terms …. but she is my obsession.

My Mustang Bella rules.

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HERE’S ANOTHER POST ON HOW MUSTANG ARE DIFFERENT:

How Are Wild-Captured Mustangs Different From Our Domesticated Breeds?

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So What’s the Big Deal About Fasting? And What Does This Have to do With My Mustang Mare?

August 17, 2009 · Filed under Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Personal Stuff, Uncategorized

Fasting. Ugh. I hate it. I have tried it a few times and simply cannot accommodate it in any way, shape, or form — bodily, sensorily (is that a word?), or philosophically. Cleanses, yes. Fasts, no. Perhaps it is just me, or my constitutional make-up.

Whatever, and be that as it may, there is a large body of evidence, harking back to ancient times, that fasting is good for the body and soul, and therefore I guess, what ails you. To quote:

“Fasting allows the organs that cleanse the blood, primarily the liver and kidneys, to take a rest, to detoxify. That which they are burdened with [toxins] are henceforth washed away, leaving the blood clean and the organs rejuvenated . . .”

….. okay, I have to admit, that’s my own quote, making fun of the old, arcane language used by early herbalists and doctors …………..

So yay. Wouldn’t we all like to do this, regularly, leaving ourselves “washed clean” and therefore ready for the next onslaught of burgers and fries?

I would. But I just can’t. Period.

So, back to the topic at hand. Bella. My Mustang mare. What in the world might the idea of fasting have to do with her?

Well, Bella, as you may already know if you have been following this blog, is from a wild herd of horses in Wyoming that has the draft horse, Percheron, mixed into its bloodlines , and she seems to have imbibed every nuance of that draft horse gene possible. She is not your typical Mustang, to say the least.

No. Instead she is ultra-tall for a wild horse, around 16 hands (you horse people will know what I’m talking about), and weighs in at around 1400-1500 lbs. — an exceptional weight even at that height. She’s just BIG. In fact we have to curb ourselves from constantly calling her “Miss Piggy,” while chortling and turning away so she won’t think we’re making fun of her.

Bella, "Miss Bigness"

Bella, "Her Bigness"

Okay. So she’s big. That’s fine and always has been. But normally her ‘bigness’ is somewhat attenuated by ‘working out’ a la my riding her several times a week. Not so these past many months since I injured my back last September.

So . . . back to the fasting thing. What can one do if one wants to “cleanse the blood, detoxify the organs,” etc. without a full-blown fast?  Well, try eating minimally and upping exercise, but then do a partial FAST for a few days from all supplements and superfluous substances so your organs get extra rest. And drink tons of water during that time to flush out the resultant toxins.

That’s what I’m doing with Bella: less feed, less hay, and NO supplements for a while — giving her body and organs a  time to rest and detoxify.

Miss You-Know-Who, frustratedly trying to extract hay from her new mini-hole hay net.

Miss You-Know-Who, frustratedly trying to extract hay from her new mini-hole hay net.

And I’m trying to remind her daily: “Fast? NO! (I would never do that to you Miss Piggy . . . I mean Bella). Cleanse, YES!” So far she’s not really on the team, but I do think she’s going to feel better sooner rather than later. And my back is oodles better now, so “Bella, watch out!”

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FOR MORE ON BELLA, OR JUST THE FAT, DRAFT TYPE HORSE, SEE:

The More, ahem, “Robust” Type Mustang

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The More, ahem, “Robust” Type Mustang

July 18, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Personal Stuff, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , ,

This pose shows off Bella's Percheron'esque derriere quite nicely, I think.

This pose shows off Bella's Percheron'esque derriere quite nicely, I think.

I bought my very first piece of original art when I was in college — a French lithograph of a teeny, tiny boy standing behind a huge Percheron draft horse, holding her lead rope and yelling at her in French to “move her butt!” Which was literally the only part of her anatomy visible in the sketch. Her name was Bijou, which means jewel in French.

The piece was totally irresistible for me. I had to have it. Maybe I had a premonition that a very similar equine jewel would come into my life one day and become my pride and joy.

That would be my Mustang mare, Bella, above.

Eight years old now, Bella came to me as a 4-year-old from my friend Stephanie, the Mustang Mama of all time. Bella was the first of the many Mustangs  Stephanie has adopted over the years, and I have heard Stephanie express more than once that she was real lucky to make her acquaintance with Mustangs with a horse like Bella! (If you’ve read the recent posts, you know what some of Stephanie’s other Mustangs are like, and what challenges they’ve posed.)

Bella came from a Wyoming herd of Mustangs that has lots of Percheron draft horse blood mixed in, and she typifies what is called a Tai Yin constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This stands for a combination of the elements Earth and Metal. In Horse Harmony — Understanding Horse Types and Temperaments, by Dr. Madalyn Ward, D.V.M., here are some of the passages she uses to describe the Tai Yin horse:

  • …the Tai Yin type tends to have a heavy body and move fairly slowly.
  • The Tai Yin horse is like an iceberg. If you don’t get to know him you may only see the tip of his deep, solid, stable character.
  • …tough physically, and he tends to be a dependable hard worker.
  • He is not overly ambitious, but once he learns a skill he will perform consistently.
  • …often a one-person horse who will not be happy performing for just anyone.
  • He makes a good stock horse but tends not to be quick enough for cutting or reining competition.
  • He is a dependable and competitive trail horse but is not really suited for endurance riding.

Are you getting the picture? Stout, slow, devoted, calm, steady. Likes routine. Likes his person. Doesn’t show a lot of emotion. Isn’t too flashy. Etc.

Nice attributes for a 6-month-old wild filly brought in off the range, wouldn’t you say?

Bella was a dream to work with and raise. Stephanie got up on her and never looked back — just rode her on down the road. In the 3 years she had Bella, Stephanie put hundreds of miles on her, took her camping, taught her to jump (well, after a fashion), to herd cows (also after a fashion), and to be a generally dependable mount.

Bella was a large colt, and she grew, and grew, . . . . . and grew. It became clear  early on that this was not a horse built for speed events or competitive jumping, or for the agility required in moving cattle. And, being rather lazy by nature, Bella often turned her back when it was time to be caught . . . because she knew what was coming and simply didn’t want to have to go to work that day — like some of us.

Stephanie knew I was considering taking another riding horse as a gift to myself for my 60th birthday and felt the match might be a good one. That is putting it mildly. I didn’t want to quit riding, but I wanted a horse I could trust, who wasn’t “hot-blooded” or hard to handle. Obviously, Bella and I were meant for each other and are very much alike. I don’t want to have to work too hard either, and would much rather take a 30-minute amble in the hills or a low-level dressage lesson than a 20-mile trail ride or gallop. Bella likes the same things I do, plus she loves all the extra time I spend fawning over her. The easier-going lifestyle has suited her constitution well too, as she continued to grow until she was 7 years old so now stands 16 hands and weighs in at about 1400 lbs.

If you want a steady pleasure mount, and like to bond with your horse, a Tai Yin might just be your best bet. Sure was for me!!!!

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This is the end of this week’s series on Mustang types and temperaments, but we’ve only covered five out of the eleven types. And of course they apply to all horses, not just Mustangs. If you’re curious to learn about the other six types, or want to take an online test to find out the type of your own horse, check out the resources at Horse Harmony. There’s tons of fun stuff to do there, and the book is fantastic!

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A Metal Mustang

July 17, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

Beautiful Reyacita

Beautiful Reyacita

I’m not talking about a bronze statue here. I’m talking about a constitutional type that in Traditional Chinese Medicine is called Metal. And Reyacita is an adorable little Mustang mare who falls into that category.

Reyacita, Rey for short, is the most recent of my friend Stephanie’s Mustangs, having been adopted by her last January from the Canon City, CO, prison BLM Mustang program. She was 3 years old and had been haltered, but that’s as far as her training had gone.

Stephanie has adopted one Mustang a year for many years, and every single one has been totally different from all the rest.

As you can see, Reyacita has an exceptionally beautiful head and face for a Mustang, and a very soft eye. She looks like a pushover, doesn’t she? She did to Stephanie too, and she started out that way. Then things turned rough.

The well-balanced Metal horse, according to Horse Harmony — Understanding Horse Types and Temperaments, by Dr. Madalyn Ward, D.V.M., is “hard-working, consistent, dependable, and tough” and can do well in just about any job.

So what happened with Reyacita? She started out calmly and solidly and looked like she was going to be all those things — but then she blew, and blew hard in a totally unexpected bucking fit! In Stephanie’s words, “I think I pushed her too fast in the beginning, but she was too stoic to let it show.”

This would make sense, given what Stephanie soon found out about Reyacita’s health and considering Dr. Ward’s recommendations for training a Metal horse:

Repetition is the key to success for the Metal horse. Of all of the types, the Metal horse is the slowest to grasp new concepts. It is not that the Metal horse is not intelligent, but he does best when he is allowed to master single skills before moving to the next lesson. Therefore a methodical, step-by-step approach to his training works best.

Stephanie got back on after the bucking fit but then gave both herself and Reyacita a couple of months off.  She also discovered that Rey had a lung problem known as heaves, and Dr. Ward hypothesized that this was the reason she had bucked in the first place — she couldn’t breathe! With good holistic and homeopathic treatment for the lung problem, and once back on a very routinized and revamped training program, Reyacita came right back around to the solid, steady mare she had seemed to be at first.

Reyacita’s lung problem ties in with the Metal constitution and was no doubt one of the clues that helped Stephanie finally figure out her personality type.  According to Dr. Ward, Metal horses are prone to respiratory diseases and heaves. They also have a high pain tolerance, which means they will often keep working until injury or illness incapacitates them, which is what happened with Rey.

This case study is a great example of how figuring out your horse’s constitutional and personality type can make all the difference in how you train, feed, and handle her. Without the changes Stephanie was able to make in Reyacita’s training and care program, no telling what the future would have held for this adorable little horse!

Rey and Steph are way past this point now, but this is the slow, careful approach Stephanie took when she resumed Reyacita's new training program.

Rey and Steph are way past this point now, but this is the slow, gentle approach Stephanie took when she resumed Reyacita's new training program.

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Mustang Gal, Val — A Horse of a Different Color … AND Personality

July 16, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

"Valentine" - A Beautiful Pewter Grulla

"Valentine" - A Beautiful Pewter Grulla

Today let’s take a look at the Wood horse personality type. The element Wood in Traditional Chinese Medicine relates to, among other things, the liver and gallbladder, the eyes, connective tissue and, emotionally … anger (uh oh).

Interesting implications there for a horse, huh?

Valentine (Val for short) is a 7-year-old Mustang mare owned by, yep you guessed it, my friend Stephanie. Val was Stephanie’s second Mustang and was adopted as a baby. She is, as this blog’s title implies, a unique color, which one doesn’t really see in domesticated horses and which isn’t so common in the wild either. She’s what’s called a “grulla,” a gorgeous pewter-like color that sometimes gleams grey, sometimes bronze’ish, and she has a dark dorsal stripe running down her back. She is also very large for a Mustang, and quite talented (when she wants to be), so attracts a lot of attention and admiration at the jumping  shows she competes in. And she usually wins. That is if she doesn’t decide to dump Stephanie first.

But back  to the attributes of the Wood horse. Here are a few of Dr. Madalyn Ward’s comments about same in her book, Horse Harmony–Understanding Horse Types and Temperaments:

Personality: “The Ultimate Competitor”

Motto: “I WILL Win!”

… tremendous presence … naturally bold and often has a strong, muscular conformation …

You can feel the power of a Wood horse when you ride him. He loves to be physically active and challenged … On the ground [his] competitive nature will cause him to push you just to see if he can get away with a particular behavior, and if you do not handle this right away he might literally walk right over you. The same is true under saddle, as he is constantly testing the limits, and he will begin to pay attention only when you step up and set boundaries. With a Wood horse a boundary is a dynamic phenomenon that is open to discussion, but once you set it firmly it will only take a quick reminder to convince him that you mean now, tomorrow, and always.

These horses are tremendously athletic and have a mind of their own. They are not particularly eager to please or responsive to affection, so gaining their respect is key. They get bored easily so need to be worked consistently, and they are often very alpha in the herd — and not always a kind alpha.

Valentine demonstrated all of these traits early on when as a yearling she kicked Stephanie in the stomach at feeding time. After chasing her around the paddock and throwing feed buckets at her for a while, and then taking two or three days to recover, Stephanie asked me to talk to Val to make sure she understood there were lines never to be crossed, ever again.

Val listened, rather indifferently, showing me clearly how wild-at-heart she still was, and how alpha, but she “got” it and more or less agreed. And she has never laid hoof or tooth on Stephanie again. Because of her talent and size and yes, her independent nature, she is  well suited to be one of Stephanie’s favorites, Stephanie being rather a maverick type herself. But they still go round and round not infrequently, and Stephanie really has to lay down the law and beef up her aids when she rides in order to remind Val of her job and who’s boss.

Even then, as happened not long ago, for some off-the-wall reason known only to Val, she will head out into the show ring and dump Stephanie before the first jump, thereby disqualifying them of course. Go figure!

Most of the time Valentine flies, and Stephanie sails, and they win, and it is all worthwhile!

Valentine at her best, with Stephanie aboard!

The moral of this blog?

Don’t get a Wood horse, especially a Mustang Wood horse, unless you are up to an ongoing, supreme challenge!

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A Very Different Kind of Mustang Personality

July 15, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs, Uncategorized

Sammie Joe - A Lovely Mare With A Will To Work!

Sammie Joe - A Lovely Mustang Mare With the Desire and the Will to Work!

Yesterday we met Fred, whose nickname is short for Frederika because she’s such a stompin’, chompin’, truckin’, buckin’ little tomboy of a Mustang mare. Fred is a great example of the Jue Yin personality type, which in the Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five-Element way of classifying constitutions, is the combination of Fire and Wood. Very unpredictable, that one (see yesterday’s post)!

Today meet Sammie Joe (stands  for Samantha Josephine), S.J. for short. Sammie Joe is another of my friend Stephanie’s Mustangs and came to her a couple of years ago as a 3-year-old. She had been adopted out but was considered a miserable failure by her adoptive family, so was back at the prison in the BLM Adopt-A-Mustang program once again.

Stephanie was not looking for a grown horse, but when she saw one of the program’s inmates riding Sammie Joe, and how refined and lovely she was, she couldn’t pass her up. This would be a new experiment — not only adopting a Mustang who was not a baby, but one who was already saddle-trained to boot! Pretty exciting! Yes, indeed……

Sammie Joe turned out to be a Shao Yang in the five-element typing model: another combination of fire and wood, gulp, only this time the fire comes before the wood:  fire/wood. Gheez, what difference could that make, you ask? Here are a few of Dr. Madalyn Ward’s descriptive comments of the Shao Yang in her book, Horse Harmony — Understanding Horse Types and Temperaments:

The competitiveness of Wood combined with the high self-esteem of Fire makes this horse almost unbeatable in the ring or on the track. He is very athletic, coordinated, and agile, with lots of stamina. He is job-oriented, but has a mind of his own and thinks he knows everything. The Shao Yang horse is not for beginners!  ……….and if you want to trail ride you’d better have some mountains to climb!

Obviously, if Sammie Joe’s first adoptive family wasn’t skilled in horsemanship, and failed to read this horse right, the match was doomed to fail. Not so with Stephanie! Although, as with Fred, Steph definitely had her work cut out for her.

For starters, due to her earlier experiences, S.J. didn’t really trust anyone so was hard to catch for months. Her tension level also made her prone to ulcers and hard to put weight on. To make things even worse, Stephanie discovered that Sammie Joe’s tongue had been mangled badly, probably by a cruel bit, so this just made the eating and weight problems even more complicated.

Unlike Fred, whose escape route was to buck — as many times in a row as she could — Sammie Joe’s was to flee. She just ran away.

Sammie Joe . . . heading for town!!!

Sammie Joe . . . heading for town!!!

She actually jumped the fence or pulled away from her ties more than once and just headed out. One day she ran seven miles to and through the nearby farming town before someone caught her!

But long story short, patience has really paid off with this horse. The Shao Yang is a great horse for all kinds of competition and work and, unlike her Jue Yin counterpart (Fred again), loves focusing and having a job. Under Stephanie’s respectful, patient, and caring tutelage, Sammie Joe excels at not only cutting and reining, but also ponying and starting colts, and now is winning in her classes at show jumping! She’s not big — just about 14 hands. But she is steady and consistent and a definite keeper as far as Stephanie is concerned!

Sammie Joe now -- ulcers, digestive and behavior problems solved!

Sammie Joe now -- ulcers, digestive and behavior problems solved! Doesn't even look like the same horse.

What a great success story. Go Stephanie and Sammie Joe!!!

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Tomorrow we will look at a “horse of a different color,” literally. Yes, another one of Stephanie’s Mustangs, and yet again another very different personality type!

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Mustangs Come in All Sizes, Shapes, Colors, and . . . Yes, Personalities

July 14, 2009 · Filed under Case Reports, Horsin' Around, Mustangs · Tagged , , , ,

Fred - Still "Twya" at This Time

Fred - Still "Twya" at this time ... but not for long ...

Meet Fred. Fred is a girl — a Mustang girl. In this picture she is about 1 year old and is in the process of killing the saddle blanket you see on the ground to express her displeasure at being asked to stand tied for a short period of time.

Fred is short for Frederika, a lovely feminine name, but since she was such a tomboy, this girl quickly earned the nickname “Fred.” The name thing had been a progression, all based on her personality as it began to emerge — strongly emerge!

Before Frederika she was called “Twya,” because she was so tiny and delicate when my friend Stephanie spotted her at the Canon City, CO prison BLM Mustang sale one winter. Twya was only about 3 months of age, hiding behind her mama, peeking out cautiously. How could one possibly resist such a precious little ball of splatter-painted horse flesh?

Stephanie is a seasoned Mustang gal — we call her the zen cowgirl because of her many and varied attributes and talents, not the least of which is wrangling just about any horse anybody else won’t. She has adopted one Mustang a year now for a long time, and every single one has been vastly different from all the rest. Fred fell somewhere in the middle of that line a few years back, and we have all agreed — she took the cake hands down for being the most difficult of all of Stephanie’s Mustangs to date. Considering that she topped out at MAYBE 13 hands high when grown, that’s saying a lot!!!

Stephanie’s goal and vision with the Mustangs is to make them into great horses, keep 2 or 3 she can play and compete with at any given time, and match the others with really great homes. She has been very successful with this approach. But Fred was a great challenge, to say the least.

According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five-Element way of typing personalities through identifying an individual’s constitution, Fred is what’s known as a Jue Yin. This is short, no …  Chinese, for a combination of  Wood/Fire. Now we all know what happens when you mix those two elements!

In Dr. Madalyn Ward’s book HORSE HARMONY – UNDERSTANDING HORSE TYPES AND TEMPERAMENTS, the key words she uses to describe the Jue Yin horse are “The Trick (and Tricky!) Horse.”  And one of the most telling adjectives she uses is, ahem, “unpredictable.” To quote (with permission):

The Jue Yin horse believes life is all about him! A well-balanced Jue Yin horse is friendly, likes attention, and has a well-developed sense of humor. The key to this horse’s personality is that he tends to function at either a “1″ or a “10″ (rarely in between!) and can change from one to the other in a heartbeat.

You’re probably getting the idea about Fred, huh?

Early on Fred demonstrated clearly that she would pretty much do whatever she darn well pleased, regardless of what was being asked. Oh yes, she was adorable and clever, friendly, beautiful and a pretty mover, but Stephanie never knew what the next breath held when she was riding or training Fred.

Some hold that horses either buck or run away when tested or scared, but not both. If that is true, Fred is a testament to the true bucking type. She bucked from the word GO. No matter what manner of training, tack, rewards or punishment were used, this was her favorite thing to do. Thank goodness she was short!

At the age of 3, after a record-setting buckaroo exhibition by Fred — 23 bucks in a row (and Stephanie didn’t even go off!), Stephanie finally called “Uncle” and gave up her previous hopes of making Fred into a flashy pony jumper for kids. You just wouldn’t want to put a kid on this horse!

Shortly after this deciding moment, Stephanie met up with a long, tall, skinny, drink-of-water cowpoke who was just crazy about Fred, and about twice as tall as her, and a match was made in Heaven! Fred could work hard and go all day, which he needed on the ranch, and he kinda liked her low-to-the-ground aspect.

When Stephanie ran into the cowpoke a year or so later she asked about Fred and if she was still bucking. “Oh yeah,” he drawled. “But I just like her so much I don’t mind hittin’ the ground every now and again.”

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If you enjoyed this post and are intrigued by the different horse personality types, check out Dr. Ward’s book, HORSE HARMONY – UNDERSTANDING HORSE TYPES AND TEMPERAMENTS. And tomorrow we will look at another one of Stephanie’s Mustangs, Fred’s counterpart — a very different personality profile indeed!

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How Are Wild-Captured Mustangs Different From Our Domesticated Breeds?

July 12, 2009 · Filed under Horsin' Around, Leta's Philosophy 101, Mustangs

My "Cover Girl" Mustang, Bella

My "Cover Girl" Mustang, Bella

This is a question I am asked occasionally when people find out I have a Mustang. I’ve had Bella for four years now so have been very interested in this question myself, and have made quite a few observations and gathered a good bit of data.

First, it is important to clarify that the Mustang is not really a breed per se. While all wild horses in America are descended from Spanish equine bloodlines, they have been mixed with many other different strains over the years, so herds from different areas can differ vastly. My mare, for example, comes from a Wyoming herd that has strong Percheron genes from draft horses released by the old-timers in those parts (theoretically to strengthen the wild herds), so she is uncharacteristically large and heavy (16 hands, 1400 lbs.) for a horse from the wild.

The word mustang is from the Spanish word mesteno (w/a tilde over the ‘n’ por favor), which basically just means wild and untamed. So the variety of wild horse types can really run the gamut and still fall into the category of  “mustang.”  But, while that is true, and while Mustangs definitely come in all different personality types as well, there do seem to be a few common traits that wild horses exhibit, and that don’t seem to exist or be as strong in domesticated breeds. Here are a few that I know about:

  • Horses brought in from the wild seem to have “naive” immune systems, so many do not do well with, and often have reactions to, drugs and chemicals, vaccines and de-wormers. Every single one of the Mustangs a dear friend has adopted — one per year for many years now — has taken months, if not years, to clear of side-effects from all the vaccines and drugs they were loaded with when captured. I have heard veterinarians confirm this same theory. Liken it to isolated tribes in the world who are especially delicate and vulnerable to all kinds of maladies and diseases once they are discovered and exposed to other cultures or communities.
  • Many Mustangs do not seem to adapt well when moved into a climate that is extremely different from that in which they were wild. One of the most common examples of this has been horses who develop systemic, disabling sweet itch when relocated from arid, high elevations to low, humid environments. Again, there has been case after documented case of this type syndrome.
  • All horses are self-preservative, but Mustangs seem to have an extra-heightened sense of awareness. And their reactions to a dangerous situation often seem to be more “thinking” than those of their tame counterparts. They don’t just automatically lose their head, turn and flee if they need to protect their herd, for example.
  • Mustangs have a keen awareness of their body in space — where they are and how they need to move. One of my friends who rode Bella for me for a month when my back was hurt, and who is a very experienced rider and seasoned horse person, commented on this by saying: “When Bella and I go out, I can tell she knows exactly where she is at all times, and when we turn around to go home she almost steps in her own exact footprints to get back. I’ve never seen a horse do that.”
  • Mustangs’ shoulders are structurally adapted for moving forward, not side-to-side, because they run from predators in the wild. Therefore some trainers believe they are not well suited for certain types of performance or work that requires great shoulder flexibility and lateral movement — like reining or cutting or side-passing in dressage. This has been confirmed by more than one person I know who has tried different forms of training with their Mustangs.
  • Mustangs have VERY strong opinions, no matter their temperament. They seem to need to understand the reason behind your request. If you don’t believe me, just ask a Mustang owner.

These are just a few of the differences one may find in the Mustang. If anybody reading this blog has other input about this fascinating topic, please send it in. We Mustang folks would love to hear it!

And oh, to see Bella as a cover girl, check out this book, especially if you have  Mustangs and want to manage their care naturally and holistically:  Holistic Horsekeeping – How to Have a Healthy, Happy Horse – From Stable to Stadium, by Dr. Madalyn Ward, DVM.

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How to Tell When Something Isn’t Right for You — Just Smell It

April 9, 2009 · Filed under Horsin' Around, Mustangs · Tagged , , ,

Bella, Whose Nose Always Knows

Bella, Whose Nose Always Knows

Have you ever had the feeling that something just wasn’t right for you? A job, a prospective mate, a certain food perhaps? You couldn’t put your finger on it , but some part of you just knew? Some call that a “gut reaction,” and, in fact, the 3rd chakra, right over the gut, IS proclaimed to be the energy center of our will and drive, our inner knowing. (Personally, I like to check things out through my heart chakra, but I admit that the will is what makes things happen — or keeps things from happening, so if I have an uneasy feeling in my gut, you can bet I listen to it.)

Bella, as you all know by now, is my dream horse and one of the smartest equines I have ever met in that native-sense kind of way. She IS a Mustang, and was captured from the wild, which I myself think is part of the reason. She’s just tuned a little differently than any of the other horses I have ever had personally or otherwise experienced. So she always seems to have a strong gut feeling for what is good for her and what is not (one caviat here: this may not always apply to food, as she has an Earth constitution and Earths LOVE to eat).

Today I brought home a new head piece called a hackamore that I thought looked like something Bella might like to wear when trail-riding. Now that we’re getting back into our riding after my long time-out due to my back problems, I’m thinking about things like this again. And since Bella abhors bits, I usually ride her in what’s called a “bitless bridle.” She and I both love this contraption, but it doesn’t give the rider a lot of control, and since she weighs about 1400 lbs. and is about 16 hands tall, control can sometimes be important, especially when out and about with friends on the trail.

What is all this leading to? Well, when I put the reins around her neck and offered her a smell of the new head gear, she let me know in no uncertain terms that she was having nothing to do with it until I removed the sheepskin padding from the nose band. This was something off a dead animal I was about to slip on her head and she was having none of it! Naturally I instantly obliged and removed the offensive item and we went ahead and tried on the hackamore, even though she still wasn’t very excited about it. And, no surprise, it did not fit her huge head so will be returned to the person from whence it came immediately.

The moral here: always trust your gut instinct . . . and your nose! (And your Mustang, if you have one.)

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