Welcome back to an interesting update about the mustang I am working with!
For the past couple of sessions I let her get used to my presence. She was still very timid of me and she was not sure if I was something that was safe. I tired using different treats but she just was not into them mostly because well... a wild mustang is sure not going to find a sweet treat just lying on the ground! I would put different ones in a dish for her and her owner would tell me that later on the mustang ate them. So hopefully she enjoyed them and she just wanted some privacy while she snacked!
For a couple days not much happened. Sometimes she would get close and look at me more closely but mostly she would stand near and stare off. Until!!!
She let me touch her nose a couple of times and was more interested in checking me out! I was ecstatic when this happened! I had to keep myself from jumping up with joy! But then at night something interesting happened.
I got some text messages from the owner saying the mustang didn't come up for dinner and stayed all the way at the back of her paddock. It was very odd! I told her how she let me touch her nose and the owner responded saying, "Oh she had a good session! She is just digesting it!" Evidently, the owner noticed when she has a good session with the mustang, the mustang acts different until the next day! When she comes back to the mustang in the morning, everything is back to normal (well as normal as it can be right now), just like a switch!
I am used to horses digesting training sessions, you know with the chewing, licking, and rolling of the eyes but I have not met a horse until now that digests in such an unusual way and for such a long time! It was eye opening for me and something that I will watch out for now when I do more sessions with her and other horses!
If this is something you have witnessed with your own horse or another horse I would love to hear your story!
Until next time!
Ashley
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