Finally Dunit Mustangs & Performance Horses

Finally Dunit Mustangs & Performance Horses Gentling, training, and offering BLM/Forestry Mustangs and Burros up for adoption

Day 1 with Pecos. Tried to feel him out after bringing him home on Thursday and he seemed to be a kicker and an avoider....
07/20/2025

Day 1 with Pecos. Tried to feel him out after bringing him home on Thursday and he seemed to be a kicker and an avoider. I take that 1st day with a grain of salt. Today he was much better with touch from the whip. No kicking at it. Made friends with alfalfa cubes after quite a bit of calmly encouraging him to face me. Seemed to enjoy face pets after he realized they came with treats. He is quite reactive with defense maneuvers though, such as wheeling around to kick at a feed scoop that landed by him. I will have to be careful with him. He doesn't even have mature 2 year old incisors yet so hopefully he's just a scared toddler and not a spicy teenager.

We're home :) He's a bit of a fine b***d fella, but he has a LOT of growing to do and is super cute. Either has some pin...
07/17/2025

We're home :) He's a bit of a fine b***d fella, but he has a LOT of growing to do and is super cute. Either has some pinto in him or just a splash gene. And he has the cutest little pricked ears. Excited to learn what his personality is. I believe i might name him Pecos. 2 year old from Muskrat Basin, WY.

My new boy is at Ewing, ready to be picked up. Picking him up the 17. He looks pretty cute.
07/13/2025

My new boy is at Ewing, ready to be picked up. Picking him up the 17. He looks pretty cute.

07/07/2025

Why are horses a release for people?

Horses are a release for people because they strip life back to its simplest, most honest form.
In a world full of noise, emails, deadlines, expectations, horses remind us that real communication isn’t about words. It’s about presence. It’s about energy, intention, awareness.

When you’re with a horse, your words mean nothing, but your actions, your body language, your energy? That’s everything. You can’t fake confidence with a horse. You can’t lie with your posture. You can’t manipulate with charm or excuses. Horses reflect back exactly who you are in that moment, your fear, your calm, your frustration, your peace.

That’s why working with horses is 90% self-reflection. They force you to get quiet. To slow down. To pay attention not only to them, but to yourself. Your breathing, your posture, your thoughts. They draw you out of your head and into your body, into the present.

It takes us back to a time when survival, connection, and trust weren’t built on promises or conversations. They were built on consistency, energy, and respect. Horses remind us how to just be, without the layers of complication life piles on.

That’s why so many people find healing with them. They don’t care about your job, your past, your social status. They care about your energy in this moment, and nothing feels more freeing than being seen for your truest self, without judgment, without words.

📸 With One Line

Virgil says Happy 4th everyone. He is available for reassignment starting now, with more than the basics, including pack...
07/04/2025

Virgil says Happy 4th everyone. He is available for reassignment starting now, with more than the basics, including packing the saddle and bridle, and being sat on.

I haven't done a great job of giving Virgil updates. We are at 42 days, and he is doing great. I think we are past the t...
06/24/2025

I haven't done a great job of giving Virgil updates. We are at 42 days, and he is doing great. I think we are past the toughest part, which was making friends again after working on some respect stuff. He wore the snaffle for the 1st time today, and is packing the western saddle uneventfully. I've also climbed onto him twice with no bothers in the world. This guy is like an Eeyore who just wants a friend. He's doing wellcwith all 4 feet, and figuring out lunging much better, but just gotta figure out how to get more than an intermittent trot out of him. Also doing great with bathing.

This!
06/18/2025

This!

There’s a growing fad in the horse world right now that I think we need to take a serious and honest look at. I’m talking about the trend of going completely bitless—not just as an occasional option or for a specific situation, but as a blanket philosophy that a bit should never be used on a horse. It’s being promoted as a more humane, kinder, gentler approach to horsemanship.

Now, I want to start by saying this: I’m not against riding bitless in the right context. I’ve done it myself. A good horseman should be able to ride a horse in a halter, a bridle, a piece of baling twine—or nothing at all—if the foundation is there. The bit itself isn’t what makes a horse soft, responsive, or correct in their movement. That comes from training, timing, and feel.

But here’s the problem:

Going bitless exclusively—as a philosophy rather than a tool—can lead to a number of problems, and I’ve seen them firsthand. The bit is not an instrument of cruelty unless it's used cruelly. Just like spurs, ropes, or even our own hands, it’s not the tool—it’s the hand behind it that matters.

When we take the bit completely off the table, we’re giving up one of the most effective and fair ways to communicate with the horse. We lose precision in lateral flexion, collection, and vertical softness. And more importantly, we often lose the ability to help the horse use their body correctly.

And that’s where real issues start to surface.

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🧠 What Many Don’t Realize...

Many riders who go bitless because it “feels nicer” don’t actually realize what they’re giving up in terms of biomechanics. They don’t know what they don’t know.

They’re not seeing the subtle changes in posture. The dropped back. The strung-out hindquarters. The braced jaw. The hollow frame. The lack of engagement. The imbalance. The unsoundness that creeps in over time.

These aren’t just little cosmetic issues—this is the kind of stuff that leads to sore backs, hock and stifle problems, uneven hoof wear, and even long-term lameness. But because the horse is quiet or obedient—or just not outright saying “no”—they think everything is fine.

I’ve had horses come in for training or rehab that have been ridden exclusively bitless, and the moment I pick them up with even a soft feel on a snaffle, they’re lost. Not because they’re being mistreated, but because they simply don’t have the body education to understand what’s being asked. They’ve never been helped to move correctly. And you know what? That’s not the horse’s fault.

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🐴 The Horse Deserves More Than Our Good Intentions

The truth is, there’s a big difference between doing what feels good to us as riders… and doing what is actually good for the horse.

We all want to feel like we’re doing right by our horses. That’s noble. That’s the kind of heart I respect. But good intentions alone don’t build a sound, confident, correct horse. Knowledge, experience, and proper education do.

There is nothing inherently cruel about using a bit. In fact, when used with skill and timing, a bit can allow us to communicate with greater subtlety and support the horse in achieving true balance and lightness. I would even argue that, when used properly, a bit is often the kindest option—because it allows for clearer, lighter, more effective communication.

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⚠️ Be Cautious of Absolutes

The horse world has always been full of trends and movements. And any time we start hearing “always” and “never” attached to tools like bits or spurs, we need to pause and think critically. Absolutes usually point to ideology, not horsemanship.

I’ve ridden horses bitless. I’ve also ridden with snaffles, hackamores, correction bits, and more. Each one is a tool, and each one has a time and place depending on the horse’s level, physical condition, goals, and mental state.

If your horse is truly soft, collected, and balanced in a bitless headstall—great. But if the only reason you’re avoiding a bit is because someone told you it’s “mean,” you may be doing your horse a long-term disservice without even knowing it.

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🔍 What Should We Be Asking?

Instead of asking, “What kind of gear makes me feel better about myself?” … maybe we should be asking:

“Is my horse moving in a way that promotes soundness and longevity?”

“Does my horse understand how to carry themselves in balance?”

“Can I ride my horse in a bit and have them respond calmly and willingly?”

“Am I avoiding the bit because I lack the knowledge to use it properly?”

If we answer those questions honestly, we’ll be doing far more for our horse’s well-being than we ever could by following trends or trying to “out-kind” one another online.

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💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Respectful

I know posts like this can ruffle some feathers. That’s not my goal. I’m not here to shame anyone or say there’s only one “right” way to ride. What I am here to do is to encourage people to think a little deeper, look a little harder at their horse’s movement and well-being, and not get swept up in feel-good fads without understanding the long-term consequences.

The horse deserves better than that.

If you’ve been curious about this topic or even struggling with it, I’m happy to have a respectful conversation. Drop a comment or send a message. The door’s always open.

Let’s keep learning, keep improving, and—most importantly—keep putting the horse first.

— Tim Anderson Horse Training

Virgil 30 day glow up. Still changing, but look at the topline difference!!! Excel Feed :)
06/15/2025

Virgil 30 day glow up. Still changing, but look at the topline difference!!!
Excel Feed :)

06/14/2025

Pretzel. We are almost past the 1st rides "ugly rides" stage.

Virgil has found happiness I believe. He's definitely gained muscle back as we approach 30 days, and gotten more shiny a...
06/08/2025

Virgil has found happiness I believe. He's definitely gained muscle back as we approach 30 days, and gotten more shiny as well. Started on surcingle today, holding hinds up for longer, and loading, all which were uneventful (loading was way easier than I expected, but he's highly food motivated and I had a hay bag hanging in there 🤣🤣🤣

I have a couple people interested in this guy. Please contact me if you want to be on the list as he will be available soon. He's going to be a husband type trail horse I believe. Training fees would be as follows:

1000 for foundational stuff - ready in a week or two.

1500 once he's solid tacking up, and packing saddle around.

2000 if I start riding.

My back has been really jacked up the last couple days, so I haven't been able to do a whole lot, but I turned Virgil ou...
06/06/2025

My back has been really jacked up the last couple days, so I haven't been able to do a whole lot, but I turned Virgil out last night and he didn't even move two feet before starting to graze. No walks around, nothing, just graze lol. I easily approached him later on, and he came to eat breakfast this morning.

Just some pictures of Pretzel freshly bathed. Who branded a quarter horse? :)

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