EQ E S S E N T I A L S | F A V O R I T E S
MEETING MONA OK
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An excerpt from MUSTANG: FROM WILD HORSE TO RIDING HORSE by Vivian Gabor.
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feel excited as I catch sight of “my” Mustang for the first time, a brief first glance before the mare walks sweetly into the trailer. “She’s familiar with food rewards,” the organizer tells me. The trainer who prepared the Mustangs mentioned this to her specially. With a treat, the horse stands calmly in the trailer while the second horse is loaded. The back door of the trailer is then carefully closed, and I can travel home with a “wild horse” on board. I am told that the American trainer had given my Mustang the name “Mona Lisa,” which in my mind becomes simply “Mona.”
I offer my Mustang mare the back of my hand and invite her to sniff it. Very hesitantly, Mona reaches her head in my direction. She is very cautious but also seems curious. The first, tentative touch happens! I am still interested in connecting and go into Mona’s stall again; however, she doesn’t give me a friendly greeting. In fact, she doesn’t want me anywhere near her, and threatens me. I hadn’t expected that: skepticism, yes, but more evasive, even anxious behavior. This first encounter and the mare’s defensive behavior have given me food for thought. Will I be able to convince this horse to work with me? I start having doubts. Make Mona “rideable” within three months? I don’t quite believe it yet. With these 30 | E Q UE S T R I A N L I V I N G | AP RI L / MAY | 2020
feelings, the first day with “my” Mustang comes to an end.
When I take Mona out for
Adapted and used by permission from Trafalgar Square Books.
the first time, she follows me quietly for the 50 yards or so to the round pen, looks around, but definitely doesn’t go into flight mode. Everything is new to her: the buildings we walk between, the other horses in the exercise pen that she can see next to the round pen. Another 50 yards away is the large indoor arena—but this building doesn’t seem to impress her either. I enter the round pen ahead of her and she follows me willingly. How do you begin training a wild Mustang? I try to see Mona as a completely normal horse and think about what I would normally do. I start with some simple exercises that are supposed to teach her to focus on me. I walk in circles and keep stopping and observing whether she is paying attention to me. I can see that she finds this difficult and keeps looking around her. As a result, she follows unsteadily, a little behind me. You couldn’t call it normal leading. I notice that being led on a rope like this doesn’t mean anything to her. Of course, she just isn’t ready for it at the moment. And why should she be? I feel the urge to let her go. I consider for a moment whether that is wise, and what could happen. Our round pen is fenced with panels so, in principle, escape is impossible. It is possible that I won’t be able to catch Mona again. However, as has been the case with other timid or
