Mustang horse training: How do you take wild mustangs and in less than 100 days turn them into cooperative riding companions? AnnMarie and Mike Cross of Crosswinds Equine Rescue in Sidell, IL tell us how.MUSTANG HORSE TRAINING THE FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT: GAINING TRUST SO THEY RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT YOUR LEADERSHIP. Although trainers often use the terms “alpha horse” and “dominance”, horse owners often misunderstand these terms. They believe it means bullying the horse and demanding absolute submission. How many of us would trust a leader who treated us that way? Instead, the best way to earn trust is to set up learning situations that benefit the horse as well as the trainer, are within the horse’s capability to learn quickly, and allow the horse to have some degree of choice. THE TEST OF MUSTANG HORSE TRAINING: GETTING A WILD MUSTANG INTO A HORSE TRAILER As an example, the Crosses explain how they teach wild mustangs to trailer without resistance or fear. We all know the trick of putting grain just inside the trailer door and allowing the horse to eat and thereby come to associate the trailer with food. But how about the added “wrinkle” of taking the horse away from the grain before it is finished? If you were the horse, what would you be thinking? Maybe something along the lines of “how fast can I get back into that trailer so that another horse doesn't get my grain?” You bet. According to AnnMarie, her mustangs become impatient and try to get back into the trailer as quickly as possible—a little farther and a little farther—to get that last bit of grain. Getting into the trailer becomes something the horse chooses to do. RESPECT MY SPACE! They also emphasize making sure the horse respects your space. How do you do this? By applying pressure to the horse’s ribs a foot or so behind the shoulder where an alpha horse would apply a nip or jab.as discipline. This seemingly minor technique produces a huge response from the horse, causing him to move sideways away from the handler and thereby respecting the handler's space. It also transfers to work under saddle. When the rider applies pressure in the same place using the lower leg, the horse yields and moves off. Try these quick and simple techniques to transform a scaredy-cat or challenging horse into a confident, cooperative one.
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