Update: 04/29/2009

Today for once, he actually didn't snort at me when I entered. I can atribute this to all of the gate work we did yesterday. I think he is finally accepting that gates are not as scary, and they are a method of transportation in a way.

Today, I decided that I would start sacking out his face, I didn't do it yesterday, because it was very windy, and I didn't want it slapping him in the face therefore compounding the problem.

So this morning I used a fly mask since it didn't flap as much. I choose to sack his head out with a non-flapping object because of his explosive reactions to foreign objects touching his poll.

He was quite scared of the Velcro, but adjusted well.

It took me about 5 minutes to desensitise him to the mask, and get in on for the first time. He accepted it readily and I had no major difficulties.

Update 04/28/2009:

Ace did very well today, sorry I haven't gotten the Training FAQ page up, he certainly has been keeping me busy. Soon I think I will move his updates to another page, and keep this one stricly for his information.

I finally figured out what Ace's problem is when I would enter his pen, he would always snort at me and act very scared. I attempted to take him out of his small round pen into the arena today, but he was scared to go through. I realized he was associating the squeeking of the gate with the chutes at the Palimino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center. Everytime he's heard that noise, something awful and tramatizing has happened to him. Poor guy. I worked with him gently for over an hour, and I finally convinced him that going in and out of gates meant no harm to him, soon he was happily walking all around the arena and through every gate we have.

I finished clipping him today, he really is an angel. Sacked him out more thoroughly, and man does it make a difference! Since he has come home, he seemed so tightly wound that I wondered what was going on inside his head. Everytime I sack him out, he seems so much happier and at ease when we're done, like I've just taken a load of his shoulders by helping him realize that I mean him no harm. (And neither do the plastic bags, rain coats, sacks, tarps, etc LOL)

Once we accomplished the gate excersises, I figured that we would attempt to introduce him to one of the stalls, a very scary experience for mustangs indeed! They tend to feel trapped and panic so I took it slow with him... Or at least I tried. I took him into Trust's stall (His lover, that completely ignores him! To his displeasure of course) and he walked right in! He was so busy smelling the walls, and her manure that I don't think he even fully comprehended what he was doing until he was inside. But when he finally did look up, he noticed her hay and made himself right at home. Typical men huh!

We practiced going in and out through the different entrances, but he was more interested in eating and smelling the walls, so I moved on.

I walked him around property for the first time, and introduced him to the rest of the family. Astonishingly he walked right past me, and smelled them. Even though he was wary, he was still on high from our earlier confidence building excersises and insisted on introducing them to me. LOL. Quite a character he is.

Then we decided to visit the random scary objects in our yard, such as a big boat. Being it was very windy today, the cover was flapping wildly, but he walked up to it and smelled it. All was well until the cover slapped him in the face.

He took off running, but stopped 20 feet away. I slapped my leg and asked him to face up to me with both eyes. To my shock, not only did he look at me, but he walked up to me! I mean he was free! He had several acres that he could have ran loose on, terrorizing us all, but he didn't. He choose to join up with me instead. SUCCESS! I walked him back up to the boat, he sniffed it for about 5 minutes, and then decided it was boring. He sighed and pressed his head to my chest, begging me to hold his head and tell him what a clever boy he is. Of course I abliged happily, and stood there next to the boat rewarding him.

I re-sacked him out before putting him up, and I went the long way back to his pen, through several gates, and past the mares. He is such a gentleman.

Update 04/27/2009:

Today, I worked on sacking him out, leading manners, troting while leading, reinforcing accepting touch all over his body, picked up and cleaned out all four feet several times, explored his whole body and looked for any "holes" in our training thus far, clipped his whiskers and bridle path. Over all I am ectatic with our progress, he is a gem.

Update 4/26/2009:

Ace is awesome. He has the perfect temperment, I am in love with him. In the last three days we have accomplish a great deal. When he came home, he had never been touched outside of the chutes, and never on his own accord. I let him join up to me, and let him decide whether or not I was worth trusting.
So far, I can catch him, brush him, rub him all over (including his private parts), touch all over his face and mouth, ears, clean all four feet and tap on them, lead him pretty well, rub a towel all over, switch halters, taught him to bend his head and neck flexing, back up, comb out his mane, lift his tail.
Pretty good for less than 3 days huh?

Update 4/25/09:

Ace's first day home went well, he is very focused which made my job much easier. He is very curious and really wanted to come see me, but he would only smell me a few times, but throughout the day he stepped twords me.
On Ace's second day, he did extremely well. The morning started off rough, I touched his face a few times, but then he was done cooperating. So I started using the end of my lead rope, desensitizing him with it, eventually replacing it with my hand. By the end of the night, I had him leading fairly well, brushing all over his body, picking up and cleaning out both front feet, and rubbing him all over his body. I am going to attempt to cinch up a bareback pad on him later tonight. Hope all goes well! Pics from today:
(I will load video of him coming home tonight, Note* about 6-7 hours have passed of constant work.)

One more day.

The past weeks have gone by slow, seeming to drag on. Thank goodness tomorrow he comes home. There is certain to be action this weekend. Ace's arival, Trust to foal anyday. I figured I would post some pictures so you can see what Ace is like.

Introduction

Ace is a four year old, wild stallion that I will be bringing home Friday, April 24, 2009. Ace is magnificent, a true black. When I said I needed a challenge in my life, I had no idea that a wild stud would be part of it, but ultimately in the last couple weeks, I knew it was meant to be. This will likely be the hardest mustang yet, but most certainly not the first.

I love the mustangs, there is something so different about them than any domestic horse. Is it a challenge? Does it break your heart to see them so terrified? Yes. Even though it is tough, the most rewarding thing happens. Then learn to trust, hell even love. They learn that you adore them more than anything else in this world, and that's when they'll give it all for you.

Just back in Feburary of this year, I adopted another mustang, Trust. Training progressed well, but she banged up her knee pretty bad, and it hasn't healed right. The vet doesn't think she'll be rideable, and I also measured her and she is only 14HH. She looked much bigger in the pen with the other mustangs, but the mares were extremely small. This is why I have adopted Ace. I need a great riding horse, companion, and best friend. Here's where our Journey will begin.