Article by Tracey Hamilton
Back in January and February I shared about our curious little Mustang named Milo. He had the peculiar habit of lying down in the arena when he didn’t want to work. Our student leader Heather has been consistently showing up at the barn in between school and work to ride and train him. The connection between them is so beautiful. When she arrives to work with him, his ears perk up and he hustles over to the stall door to greet her. It’s been wonderful to watch this pair grow together.
Heather continues to spend time before each ride bonding with him through grooming then moving quickly through Parelli’s seven games. The purpose of the games is to engage Milo’s mind and see where he is mentally.
This past week Heather texted and asked if we could take him out on the trail. She has worked diligently with him and the pair was definitely ready. So this past Monday I saddled up one of our “steady Eddies” and Heather and Milo followed us out of the arena and onto the trail for his first official ride out. As my horse weaved back and forth on the trail trying to snatch a bite of grass here and there, Milo calmly stayed in the middle of the trail and was a perfect gentleman. We ended up riding twice as far as planned because he was so relaxed and totally enjoying himself.
Rhythm, repetition, and consistency. Great work, Heather!
See this article in the October 2021 online edition:
It is our mission to build an all Mustang herd of trail horses while sharing Christ with Northwest teens. Pairing youth and Mustangs creates a dynamic relationship where both parties can learn, grow, and thrive as successful members of their respective communities.
