03/19/2025
Update on Sly! He is starting to gain weight and come around to all the civil things in life. I have trimmed a couple of his feet and he’s been great. Never even had to use a rope to teach him.
The “problem”: He still wants to bolt if he gets scared but we are working on that. He only goes about 20’ and turns around but I got a 20’ rope (ha). It’s less and less but still there. It’s my biggest issue (they always seem to have that ONE thing), but I know we will get it fixed. It isn’t about preventing, it’s about eliminating the issue. He needs to go on to a new home one day, and I cannot have this be an issue because it just cannot always be prevented, so no worries, it will be fixed but it is a bit frustrating at times. And he’s so smart that all of the things I do to fix it he is great at and it doesn’t happen so he’s smart to know when spinning and running will work.
He’s being saddled and carries a bit and has started on ground driving. He’s never had an issue with the ropes. I have hung off the saddle horn, stepped into and bounced in the stirrups and could easily, I think throw a leg over-so why don’t I?
This is where trainers really vary. Personally, I want everything solid. I don’t want to build on holes. For MAYDAY his hole was that I couldn’t touch his back feet. Everything else was solid. My friend kept saying just ride him and I would say not until I fix his back feet. To me, it doesn’t make sense to go ahead and get on, it’s just how I think and do things. For Drifter it was the fact he was so scared of anyone near him. But everything else was solid. I had a feeling if I could just get on him he would ride great (and I was right). I did go ahead and start riding him because I felt like it was what he needed. There is a point where we have to change things up or you are going to jump on the wheel of insanity AND you are simply reinforcing the horses issue by allowing it to continue. My point is-that’s horsemanship and why you cannot cookie cutter train mustangs. Really any horse but mustangs just don’t allow it lol.
Sly also doesn’t like the whip. He hasn’t been whipped, he just doesn’t understand it at all. He would rather me use a flag than a whip. And the bolting started with that. And once he figured out how to escape he started using it. So I have been using the whip to guide and teach him so that he understands he doesn’t have to flee when he isn’t sure about something. I don’t avoid using the whip as a tool-that would be prevention, and not fixing.
He still doesn’t greet me at the gate. But I can catch him easily in a 70’ round pen. He has earned his way into turn out time on a few acres and I can easily catch him there (once he’s done with his running ha).
So far, while he qualifies for the Las Vegas Challenge, I have not made any decisions to go. I see others already sliding stops and spins and working cattle…and I see others just now unloading wild ones…and everything in between. When I know, I’ll know, it that isn’t today.
