Definitely a plot twist! That’s very cool you were able to track down her origins. Knowing she was feral for half her life will help level set expectations for sure! She’s such a pretty girl and is going to have a great life!
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Wow, what a stroke of fortune that you were able to connect with her backstory.
Usually going through an auction of that kind means that the connection with the horse’s history is severed. And I think it does make it harder to work through whatever the horse brings to the equation.
Certainly provides more explanation to her expressions of uncertainty. Being in a good stable home for some time to come should help her gradually feel more secure.
Thankfully she will have that now. Good job! 
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WOW! In a million years I would never have guessed mustang.
Thank you for giving her a good home.
Mustangs are very smart and once they learn something will retain it. They will take their cues from you so be very confident in handling her. Also, super easy keepers but lord do the ones from more northern areas get woolly. You may be able to get away with not shoeing her - just depends on the ground in your area.
Give her a carrot for me. I love mustangs. Were I younger I’d try another one.
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She is SO smart.
We’ve started clicker training with her at the end of last week and she has picked it up so quickly. We needed to spend some time getting her comfortable with being handled in general before I felt I could multitask holding the clicker and her lead rope and the horsemanship flag, but now that we’re there, we’re cooking with gas. She has been very defensive of her back end, but after 3 clicker sessions she is letting me pick up her hinds with a rope, and i can touch all over her hind legs with my hands. Progress!
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Ivy update!
Things are progressing along. I find some days I am encouraged and optimistic about her progress and other days I wonder if we’ll ever get anywhere. 2 weeks ago I could pick up both of her back feet and pick them out, now we’re back to using a rope to practice holding them up. Really not a fan of having her back end handled at all.
But the longing is getting better! This is a short video from last night with her blind side facing me (this is her hard direction). So today I’m feeling hopeful. The ups and downs of horse training!
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Hi friends!
Long time no update. I am actively marketing Ivy now, offering her as a green project pony. The market is tough for a small mustang, and people also seem to have very high expectations for something being listed at the lowest of fours and as a PROJECT. It’s been an experience navigating potential buyers and trying to understand their feedback and concerns against what I’m communicating about her. It’s a lot of “she’s too green, too small, too grey, too nervous”. Maybe my perspective of the market for a borderline free pony is super off base, but I think she would be a great little project for someone smaller than me to continue to bring along. That said, she’ll stay in my care until the right person meets her. I’m not willing to move her to just for the sake of getting her off my books and risking her ending up back where we got her from. She’s too sweet and has worked too hard with us to be subjected to that risk.
It has all been a huge learning experience bringing her along. My trainer went to Florida in January and I pretty much continued to work with Ivy on my own. I sent lots of videos and did some virtual Pivo lessons but primarily plugged along solo. I “backed” her in late February after a ton of ground work. She is now w/t/c under saddle and has popped over some x-rails and cavaletti. She is brave on the trails, and doesn’t mind my wild golden retriever running laps in the indoor. She has been very rewarding to bring along, and still has a long ways to go. The canter is very green and she needs a lot of help to stay balanced but that will come with time.
Anyway, here’s a link to some updated video clips of her progress.
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I think I saw her ad a couple weeks ago and wondered if it was Ivy. I think she’s adorable and she reminds me a bit of a pony I once I had. Her new person is out there waiting and they will reveal themselves when the time is right 
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I thought your playlist was a nice fair representation of Ivy, and what to expect from her. You’ve done an awesome job over the last 6 months or so! 
This may not be worth much … I wonder if the people looking in the low 4’s really understand what ‘green’ is, and what a ‘project’ is. As you are demonstrating, she’s not a good candidate for a slightly-more-than-beginner’s first horse. She needs a rider who can steer her at the canter. Many low-budget riders are not that rider.
You know your market, though.
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You probably already know about these, but in case you don’t - there’s a few very active mustang FB groups (BLM Mustang hub, Mustang sport horse community) that might be worth a shot to list on to capture the crowd of people who are looking specifically for a mustang.
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Yes, I’ve thought about this and definitely agree which is what makes the process tricky. I don’t think the average intermediate/advanced rider looks at Ivy and thinks “That’s what I want!” which then means the average person searching for a $1000 pony likely doesn’t have the skills to continue to develop her. She’d be great even as a little trail pony, but again with her size that makes it tricky because a little kid probably still isn’t the right rider for her even though she is brave and quiet outdoors. I think it’ll just take time to find the right match for her.
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Yes! Those groups are great. She is primarily posted only in Mustang FB groups and a couple of local horse person groups to get her in front of the nearby audience. Fingers crossed her person comes along eventually.
She looks footy to me in those videos which is a reason I wouldn’t respond to the ad even if I needed a cute grey pony. Did you ever x-ray the fronts? Or consider putting front shoes on her?
She also looks like she is more of a western mover, I wonder if you showed her in western tack? I’m assuming she’s good on trail because she’s a mustang here but lots of people love them for trail riding and competitive trail etc. and she might find a home that way.
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Yes, x-rays were unremarkable. Vet believes this is just her way of going. She travels this way whether she is on a longe, ridden by a heavier rider (me), or a kid. Vet remains unconcerned.
I’ve thought about the western angle, unfortunately not my wheelhouse and I don’t have access to western tack. We are in the northeast where western is in the minority as well.
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From your vids, you’ve done a great job with this cute little mare.
I’ll throw out a Wild Card & suggest you consider seeing if she’ll drive.
She’s a great size for that, the blind eye shouldn’t be a problem if it’s not while ridden.
I wish I was closer & shopping… 
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Feel free to scroll but my two cents:
Personally I’d definitely throw on four shoes for two cycles, have a fitter double check the saddle, and see what changes. She moves footy and very unconfident for a horse with at least two months under saddle like she’s trying to protect her feet or back. I honestly think he way of going would scare off most experienced riders looking for a deal. The go full speed or ouch no thanks energy at the canter combined with the restricted trot just doesn’t feel like an inherent way of going and looking the same on the line wouldn’t make me less inclined to not think ouchy somewhere.
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for the record, there are no videos on the sale ad so everyone’s feedback about videos deterring responses is irrelevant. We work with a UPenn sports medicine vet, so I will follow their recommendations.
I’m not looking for feedback about how she is travelling or performing, I was just posting an update about her progress. I think it’s unrealistic to think any horse being ridden 20 minutes a session 3x a week for 3 months is going to have made some monumental progress. She is also a very small mustang pony being ridden by a full sized adult. She isn’t a purpose-bred sport horse who had all the best care and attention throughout her development. She is a wild pony who was feral until she was 10 years old. Who knows what kind of injuries or traumas she experienced out on the range. Let’s be realistic here.
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Ivy is privileged to have an incredibly competent care team (her farrier is also great). I’ve seen Ivy in person and helped OP work her. The vet is on the money this mare is an economical mover, not a sporty one.
She was an unbacked mustang up until ~3 months ago. OP is underselling herself, the progress she’s made is monumental and Ivy is so lucky to have landed with her.
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You are doing amazing stuff with her. Great job. Thank you for sharing the update with us. It made me smile.
I think some people just forget that some horses naturally move like a sewing machine.
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Much appreciation and thanks to you and @beowulf. I really believe (and so does my vet and trainer), that what we are seeing is more due to fitness, strength, and learning to carry her body in a different way. I think she will just continue to get better with time and consistency.
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