Dennis and the Extreme Mustang Makeover
Meet Kicktart!
Meet Kickstart! My special friend and partner in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. The climax for this partnership is this spring at the Midwest Horse Fair with The Midwest Mustang Makeover Trainer challenge.
Kickstart is a three year old bay mustang with a little white star between her eyes and she comes straight from the high desert in Nevada.
I named her Kickstart and she came by that name honestly. In fact, to name her anything else would have been unthinkable. Due to the unruly, snowy Minnesota weather, I was 2 weeks late picking her up. Another horse training friend of mine, who is also working with a Mustang, was kind enough to pick her up in Southern Illinois and haul her to his training facility in Wisconsin, where she stayed until I was able to shovel out of the snow and cold and get her picked up.
Kickstart is a three year old bay mustang with a little white star between her eyes and she comes straight from the high desert in Nevada.
I named her Kickstart and she came by that name honestly. In fact, to name her anything else would have been unthinkable. Due to the unruly, snowy Minnesota weather, I was 2 weeks late picking her up. Another horse training friend of mine, who is also working with a Mustang, was kind enough to pick her up in Southern Illinois and haul her to his training facility in Wisconsin, where she stayed until I was able to shovel out of the snow and cold and get her picked up.
Our first meeting was a true challenge. But having worked in the past with mustangs I expected nothing less. It consisted of her coming at me with teeth bared and ears back. I didn’t surrender my ground, although I wanted to. My heart and stomach were in my throat. We ran her out of the barn and into an open round pen, where my job began.
I was limited on time to work with her and I needed to get her in a trailer and haul her home within a couple of days. We worked together in the round pen for quite a long time, to no avail... as her instincts were kicking in. Hence her name "Kickstart".
I finally had to resort to a hoolahand loop (back in the old cowboy ways), to get her caught. At that point I started working her back and forth, with pressure and release, until she understood what it was I was asking from her. I then asked her to move forward with pressure and release, until I could get a lead rope on her. I had to start working on her confidence in me.
Her whole underside was cake with dried mud, and I knew I had to get her somewhat clean to get a saddle on her, so we started working on some desensitizing techniques. By the end of the first day, I was able to lead her back to her stall and brush her as far back as her front shoulder. By half way thru the 2nd day I was able to wave a flag around, get a blanket on her back, and brush the girth area (using great care). By the end of the second day, I was on her back trotting circles in the round pen. The 3rd morning, I was in the open arena trotting circles and going over some obstacles. The late morning of the 3rd day I was able to walk her into my three horse slant trailer, quietly and calmly.
I have worked with a few mustangs in Idaho. in the past, and my experience has been pretty much the same with these wild horses. They show their emotions and feelings honestly, there is no BS in these guys. It’s actually a breath of fresh air compared to some of todays domesticated horses.
You will also be able to meet her at the Central MN Horse Fest in April and she and I just got back from the Mid South Horse Fest in Tunica, MS. We entered a trail challenge there and though we did not win, Kickstart did extremely well.
This article ran in the March issue of I was limited on time to work with her and I needed to get her in a trailer and haul her home within a couple of days. We worked together in the round pen for quite a long time, to no avail... as her instincts were kicking in. Hence her name "Kickstart".
I finally had to resort to a hoolahand loop (back in the old cowboy ways), to get her caught. At that point I started working her back and forth, with pressure and release, until she understood what it was I was asking from her. I then asked her to move forward with pressure and release, until I could get a lead rope on her. I had to start working on her confidence in me.
Her whole underside was cake with dried mud, and I knew I had to get her somewhat clean to get a saddle on her, so we started working on some desensitizing techniques. By the end of the first day, I was able to lead her back to her stall and brush her as far back as her front shoulder. By half way thru the 2nd day I was able to wave a flag around, get a blanket on her back, and brush the girth area (using great care). By the end of the second day, I was on her back trotting circles in the round pen. The 3rd morning, I was in the open arena trotting circles and going over some obstacles. The late morning of the 3rd day I was able to walk her into my three horse slant trailer, quietly and calmly.
I have worked with a few mustangs in Idaho. in the past, and my experience has been pretty much the same with these wild horses. They show their emotions and feelings honestly, there is no BS in these guys. It’s actually a breath of fresh air compared to some of todays domesticated horses.
You will also be able to meet her at the Central MN Horse Fest in April and she and I just got back from the Mid South Horse Fest in Tunica, MS. We entered a trail challenge there and though we did not win, Kickstart did extremely well.
Midwest Horse Digest. You can find it at your
favorite feed or tack store or an online flip-page version at www.horsedigests.com
Kickstart gets ready for the competition
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