Storm
Storm is a 3yo black gelding gathered from Reveille HMA in Nevada.This handsome gelding is in training as part of the Trainer Incentive Program. He will lead, load and pick up all four feet before he goes home. He is NOT trained to ride but should make an excellent trail horse with additional training. He is currently 15 hands and probably only really 2.5 years old so definitely still growing!
January 9, 2016
After a week off because of rain Storm is still a good boy!
January 1, 2015
I have been working with Storm off and on due to the holidays / weather. He’s still coming along great! We worked on approach and retreat and started the basic steps for haltering. He’s doing really well and is a very kind horse.
December 15, 2015
Very nice improvement with Storm this evening. I was able to approach him multiple times and pet him on the left side of his face, neck and shoulder without him getting worried. He was still standing in his “safe” spot up next to the fence so our next lessons will be focused on seeing if he can have enough confidence to let me pet him away from the fence. Glad I didn’t pressure him yesterday to accept contact yesterday. One day made all the difference.
December 14, 2015
Yesterday was cold, windy, nasty so Storm didn’t get worked with. Today we worked on approach and retreat. I find that he is getting very confident with me approaching him and even standing very close to him. He’s OK with me reaching out to touch him but when I actually touch him he gets worried. Hope to have video next session. Still very pleased with him. Every training session I can see him trying.
December 12, 2015
Today I decided to work with storm without touching him with the lunge whip first. We focused on approach and retreat and building his confidence with me walking up to him and walking away. I did get a couple of touches in on his face and a couple on his shoulder / neck but he’s still working on confidence. All in all it went really well. He’s starting to be able to walk up to me and stay closer to me instead of hugging the panels.
December 9, 2015
GREAT progress for Storm tonight. He started his lesson very quietly. Immediately faced up in the center of the pen and allowed the lash of the whip to go over him no problem. I was able to rub him all over on both sides with the lunge line. Because he was being so tolerant I decided to go ahead and see if I could get close enough to be able to pet him. After a few tries he allowed me to approach and rub his neck on the left side. I moved him off and tried again. Success! I asked him to move and pet him a couple more times and then let him be. Very happy with his progress!
December 7 & 8 – Off
December 6, 2015
Reinforced Storms lesson on accepting the lash and changes of direction. Continued working on approach and retreat.
December 5, 2015
Storms adopters were able to come see him work today. We worked with changing directions each way. Then we worked with touch in response to the lash of the lunge whip laid lightly over his body. It was a very good training session for Storm. By the end of his lesson he was able to tolerate the lash and had even gained enough confidence to allow me to approach close enough so that he could smell my hand.
December 4, 2015
Worked with Storm again just to ask him to be able to look at me and watch me. Also worked on changing directions to the inside. Only worked with him a few minutes.
December 3, 2015
Worked with Storm for about 10 minutes just on facing up and turning to the inside. We kept everything low key and quiet and just asked him to look at us and switch directions to the inside both ways. He is super smart and did very well. Here is a quick picture we snapped before we started working with him.
December 2, 2015 – Arrival Day
Today we just did a quick 3 min evaluation of Storms temperament. It is absolutely normal for mustangs to come in scared, worried and flighty. Storm is all of those BUT he maintains enough confidence to be able to look at me and think! For now we’ll do very short sessions focusing on getting him to maintain eye contact and watch us. Shorter sessions will give him the opportunity to settle in and get used to us and the new facility.
At the Corrals
