Trigger and Buttermilk- 05′ and 04′ Palomino and Buckskin Twin Peak HMA Mares

These poor mares have had a long road to recovery! They were adopted from the BLM from a trainer that had no experience with Wild Mustangs. His approach was too much for them and they became scared and defensive. Trigger, the palomino, had finally had enough and charged him. She did not injure him, nor did she mean to, but it was enough to make the owners understand that they did not know what to do from here. It took them 4 years to find Trainers that would take this sort of horse, and two of them at that!

So, for 4 years they waited in a round pen, atrophying into the stiff scared stance they had adopted. This created many more problems to deal with than normal as these mares were now literally “frozen with fear”! It took about 6 months to  get them gentle enough to halter and begin working with them. It took at least a year from there to get them leading, picking up their feet and tolerating grooming. The palomino would spook every time her tail touched her right leg as she had been stuck to the left for so long! It has taken a year since that to get them both lunging, tying, trimmed by a farrier, wearing saddles and just about ready to think about getting on. They have both shown tremendous improvement since having their necks adjusted, however it has been a long time to get them to where they could even be adjusted by the Dr.!

We have taken these mares on personally as it was going to take too long for the owners and there wasn’t anyone else we knew that had the expertise it has taken to get the mares to this point. Thankfully they are mustangs which are notoriously long-lived and hearty…..these girls will have many years in them to enjoy as domestic riding horses when they are ready. It will be about one more year before they are solid under saddle and ready to adopt out!