What are the differences between training a mustang vs. a breeding registery horse? Well, in the beginning - a lot. A mustang takes a certain level of experience. Although, many first-timers survive it, I am amazed at the novice level trainers who manage to get it done. Some of their success depends on the actual disposition of the mustang they adopt or are given. I know when we received our mustangs in 2007, a novice person could have easily trained Chopper, he was very curious and very bold and not really scared of a person. When I look back at the mustangs Zane trained for the BLM in 1999, there were a few that many trainers could have handled, and several in the bunch we were given that would darn sure eat your lunch! The mares in that lot were extremely difficult and although we broke them to ride and tie, they weren't easy and they just weren't pleasant in their demeanor either. I would not have wanted to own one of those mares. That was a factor in deciding which horses to bid on in this competition. I didn't even look at the mares, although I am sure there were some nice ones in there. (And by the way, I am a Mare person, but cautious of owning a mustang mare.)
The first few weeks of mustang training are time consuming and can be dangerous. Most mustangs aren't down right aggressive, but their instinct to flee is very strong so if cornered or threatened they will do almost anything to get away. Your timing and handling techniques have to be dead on. If they feel really threatened they may also strike. Zane used to always wear a protective vest when working with them. Although he was never struck, it was a good precaution. THey are unbelievalby fast when they do. We start out by just walking around them in a small pen. We use a small square corral and we move slow so the horse doesn't run. We try to move by them and around them and let them go by us, all the while trying to keep it slow. When they stop and face us, we give ground and encourage them to step forward. We have found working in a small square pen where a horse can actually stick his rear in the corner and face you works better for a mustang than a round pen. The round pen keeps them going around and around, and a mustang can do that all day long. With the amount of horses we have, we just don't have all day long. Although this style may go against all a hard core natural horseman has been taught, letting the mustang corner up makes him feel a little safer in the beginning. We work with them until moving around them in arcs gets less threatening to them. WE keep encouraging them to take a step forward and back any pressure off when they do. Sometimes the first day they will take a step to us and in some cases will reach out their nose and let you carefully touch it.
The next day we build on them coming to meet us. Some mustangs are bold and not afraid and will eventually come forward and greet you. We get a loop on them at this point and work them the same as if the rope wasn't there. We eventually keep working the arc until they will let us in close enough to tie a halter. Then, we use the halter to keep reinforcing the "meet and greet". At this point we use a stuffed glove on the end of a stick to start touching their neck and shoulder. They ususally won't allow you in close enough with your body to touch them yet with your actual hand, but by using the fake hand, we get them used to being touched. We alternate side to side rather quickly so they don't get one sided right off the bat. (THey really want to be one sided). (You can watch Monty Roberts videos on You Tube for more in depth info on the "hand"). We just keep working on getting in closer and closer. This takes some time although they can be surprisingly tolerant once they are unafraid of you handling their head.
Once we can rub them all over with the hand and that means up and down their legs, back, and buttocks, we work on touching them with our real hands. Usually this is enough for one day. The next day we come back and repeat all the above and start working on picking up their feet. Zane doesn't ride them until you can pick up all four feet. He uses the same method again, as Monty Roberts. (Or at least the method Monty once used :) He gets them to where he can loop a rope around their foot and they let him hold it with the rope. Once they allow him to use the rope (Usually a soft lead rope) he progresses to actually touching the foot and holding it with his hand. Once this is accomplished on all four feet, we move to the saddling portion. Again, working both sides of the horse equally, we sack them out with the pad, and saddle. (If a horse is especially difficult, we start with a surcingle, then an Engish Saddle. )Zane always uses a hook to "grab" the cinches as it is unnerving for the mustang to reach under him and then for him to feel the squeeze of the cinch, so for safety we use the hook and if he kicks or bolts we just steady the saddle and the cinch and keep working with them until they are connected.
We put the snaffle bit in and let them pack it around at this point too. We move to the round pen for the saddling and riding portions. Once the horse is saddled and bridled, we move him around until he is comfortable packing everything and spend some time roping the saddle and horse and letting him pack the rope around and let him feel it around his feet and legs, turning him with it as we go. Then, we bit the horse up on each side usually with a snap rein that snaps from the saddle to the bit. If a mustang is pretty good about his feet and the ropes and things, we will drive them, but if they are pretty ouchy about all that, we just do the bitting up portion. When the mustang accepts all the above, they are ready for their first ride. We accomplish this with a pony horse for safety and "buddy" comfort for the mustang. This part can be a little exciting at times, and sometimes no big deal at all to the horse.
All the above can happen in a few hours, a few days, or in some mustang's case, up to a week. We just try to keep everthing calm and slow, it faster to be slow:)
Once the riding begins, the mustang really starts to learn to trust his rider and the trust that you build is also what makes him different from a domestic horse. It is amazing how fast the trust will take a horse in his training. Once a mustang decides that no matter how silly the thing you want him to do is- he is willing do it and he starts to trust you completely, the sky can be the limit in what you teach him. The best thing is, that you don't have to go over and over the same lessons like you do on a young domestic, if a mustang learns to sidepass left, the next day he can sidepass left still :) .
Once the mustang is progressing well under saddle the differences in training are very few. We have found you have to be cautious with riding into new open areas and make sure your mustang is stopping and turning well before you do. You don't want any "run off" episodes because they take time getting over. Once a mustang runs off, he will attempt to do so at any open opportunity and it takes a lot of training to overcome. The running off can be much more of a problem than any "bronc" rides. Most mustangs just don't buck, but they do choose to run when faced with something scary.
Another major difference is acceptance of other people. We expose are mustangs right away to as many people as possible and try to work them equally between us in the beginning. THey can become extremely bound to one person. Like a one man dog. When this happens they are fine and broke with you, but another person can't do anything with them. Some people might really like this but if you train for the public, be aware of it.
I have found a few differences in working with an older mustang vs. a 3 year old last time. The 6 year old was harder to gentle in the beginning. It took a lot longer than I though it should to get him halter broke and saddled and the first ride was not very pleasant. He really slammed me around. However, once we were through the first few weeks, the maturity of his mind has helped me teach him things faster and he is very trustworthy and gentle to be around now.
Let me know what your experiences and words of wisdom are in mustang training!
