huh. well, if my coach decides to have us do it, i will. So far we have not used any apparatus on the horses i’ve taken to her.
edit: o wait, once there was one tie in the middle of the arena. I think to show the person in lesson ahead of me where X is?
Trot poles and cavaletti are very useful in getting dressage horses to develop the trot, but usually that would be a bit further along under saddle. For longeing or groundwork you can use any time. Some horses will choose to go over them in liberty work because they are more interesting. Longeing over cross poles for a tiny jump is also useful.
ahh…well then, we’re probably just not ‘there’ yet! *(what we do when is my coach’s call)
Actually, i don’t generally longe a horse for training purposes on my own either…not anymore anyway, (i used to way back when) with or without a line. Once in a blue moon, to check to see of a horse is lame, i might move a horse around a pen until i figure it out. My guys all have large acreage pastures and move freely at will, so no need to longe to get any ya-yas out before riding.
again, if coach has me work on it at home, i’ll do it of course. Generally, she does not give out homework though.
The wild mustangs will all get some sort of hand-signal training (i guess it would be called liberty lunging?) and fine tuning just in the course of events, and that’s all before they are gentled…so that’s a bit different.
Oh wow, she looks great! I love your farm as well, what lucky horses to have that space.
years later…an update
Here’s a video with that mare that bunny-hops. She is the bay that runs across in front of my vehicle in the beginning…and also there is some of her trotting at the end. She has her tail flagged. As you can see, she does have a canter, but not a very good one. She’s sound though. And you guys were correct!!! Her issue is structural. She has a pelvic tilt. One hip is higher than the other. … You have to reeeeeally look for it to see it. I haven’t trained her to saddle. I decided to take her to get a diagnostic at MIZZOU (university veterinary teaching hospital) ‘someday’ but haven’t gotten around to it. She’s appx.five years old (blm called her “4” when in fact her teeth said: “2” when my vet examined her in 2020…so that’d make her five now? but who knows… )…so i suppose now would be the time.
3rd clip
I just read this whole thread and so glad I did. 8pondfarm you are the coolest. And I would DIE to have your farm or to come back as a horse and live there 
I love the cow that was like “I’m gonna shake my head and romp too!”
What a happy, healthy herd! As to that mare, she cross fires quite happily, so you may want to consider that as you go forward.
What a fun video! This one is clearly the smartest… 
“I don’t know why y’all are running around when you could be trotting behind the gator eating hay!”
That one…that’s Quigley and o my, does he have a story to tell! Gotta run to haulin for my dressage lessons. But i’ll share on here all about him later this evening if you want.
What Lucky horses!! They all won the horsie lottery when they got brought to your farm.
Here is where i tell the story of: “Quigley is not a gelding”
So dear Quigley is now a sweet, smart gelding happily living in the herd?
What a story he has.
Were any other mares preggers?
Quigley has risen to top ranks in the combined herd. He’s number 2 or 3 (out of 20). He is sweet and obedient to me, but owns the gator when i bring out alfalfa. Grazing around, he mostly moves with the herd, but i occasionally find him in the barn all by his lonesome. (I have his best buddies incarcerated --for training, and he longs for them)
There are possibly two other mares pregnant. They still have four months or so, if they are. Most of my horses are rotund from summer grass, including those two, so it’s still hard to tell. I will bring them in with Brenna on Jan 1 and keep them off fescue for their last 3 months, just in case.
That Quigley. He is quite the character, that’s for sure!
He bonded hard to his arrival-mates. Together, the four of them rode an uncomfortable LooONNNNNG way from Colorado, to Louisiana then to here (missouri). Then they learned about humans together in their drylot (90x90), a run-in barn…and me. When he graduated to pasture, the other three were quite far behind him in taming, and he still mourns for them. His second night out-to-pasture he jumped the gate to get back IN!! with them. I was flabbergasted to see him in there that morning. Had to reinstate a 6’ panel across the 5’ gate. In alll my mustangs, i’ve not ever had one even try to jump out. But then again, he jumped IN lol. Here’s a pic of him and gate:
Now that’s the ONE I’d want to put at the head of my training program.
Typically, those kind are over-achievers and so much fun to train.
The very smart horse w/ decent conformation seems to excell as an all around good guy.
Quigley reminds me of a spur of the moment auction purchase I made exactly 52 yrs. ago
He was a semi-feral yearling, got strangles at the sale and he and I learned dressage from the Masters’ books.
We could cruise down our dirt road doing two tempis and passage like the best of 'em.
Never had another one like him.
I still miss my lil Blackjack. He was named after the lead horse in JFK’s funeral procession.
I love all your pictures and stories. What lucky horses to live with you.
It makes me want to set my place up and get a few gentled mustangs. I don’t have the skills to gentle them myself.
Their personalities come in all shapes and sizes. Some are wild at heart and just don’t take to domestication. MOST will come around, some sooner, but most later. The process of gentling a formerly wild mustang is truly an awakening for a horseperson. To produce a successfully adapted saddle horse you transform your own self even more! Wholeheartedly recommend it!! Taming a mustang is for the soul like yoga is for the body.
You are so correct in this. I miss my mustangs terribly. But they were all different. Some had quirks that you just had to learn to live with…others ended up like any other domestic horse in every way. Some were much easier than the others but the ones I learned the most from were the quirky individuals.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
