# Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I thought this was pretty cool. Every year there is a competition for professional horse trainers to take a wild mustang and train them for 100 days. The results of their training are exhibited in this competition. After the competition, the mustangs are auctioned off to private buyers. This makes the horses more appealing to buyers because they have had 100 days of professional training behind them and many are put through desensitization exercises to make them safer to ride. I don't know if it is still done but at one point the BLM was either shooting the horses or selling them to slaughter for population control.

This trainer uses a method of training called "pressure and release" where for a wild horse, pressure would be standing close to the horse, and the release, or reward, would be walking away.

The beginning of the video unfortunately has a lot of cheering in it, but the bareback freestyle is worth watching. At first I thought the horse was doing a slow jog at one point, but I think it's actually an attempt at a "passage," a dressage tecnique. Very impressive! This trainer became so attached to this horse she was able to buy him at auction!






This pair didn't win but I wanted to post the video because this 16H black mustang is GORGEOUS!!! You can clearly see the spanish influence, especially in the super curvy neck and concave face, he looks just like a 50k pure spanish horse. The flowy dress the rider is wearing is part of showing off her training, as that could be extremely spooky for a wild horse.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thanks for sharing, Angela! Very interesting! I LOVED the first video... an amazing amount of trust has been forged between that little horse and his rider in a 3 month period. 

Although the second horse is beautiful, I cringed to see the way he was being ridden. A horse that is consistently "behind the bit" (over bent, so that his nose is behind the vertical, and in this case, mostly close to his chest) has been ridden almost exclusively in draw reins, and FORCED to maintain a position with his head. He has no true acceptance of contact with the bit. The one time she takes contact, he wildly throws his head in the air. Then the stupid business with the ball at the end is just downright dangerous. I don't care if the human is stupid enough to go and hurt herself, but she was taking a chance on permanently laming this nice horse with him tripping over the ball like that. (and, of course, she has already done enough damage to his back with all the draw rein work that it will take his new owners a year of PROPER training and chiropractic to get the muscles back in working order. It's a shame.

The first little horse, although he doesn't have the stature or elegance of the black horse, has been allowed to learn (as much as could be expected in 3 months) to accept gentle contact with his mouth, and allowed to hold his head where he needs to at this point in his training. I bet this one's not sore at the end of his 100 days of training, and is ready to go right on into a regular, long-term training program. 

I like both horses, but as far as the riders are concerned, I wouldn't have reservations about letting the first one on my horses. I wouldn't let the second one NEAR my horses if this is representative of her work.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

krandall said:


> Thanks for sharing, Angela! Very interesting! I LOVED the first video... an amazing amount of trust has been forged between that little horse and his rider in a 3 month period.
> 
> Although the second horse is beautiful, I cringed to see the way he was being ridden. A horse that is consistently "behind the bit" (over bent, so that his nose is behind the vertical, and in this case, mostly close to his chest) has been ridden almost exclusively in draw reins, and FORCED to maintain a position with his head. He has no true acceptance of contact with the bit. The one time she takes contact, he wildly throws his head in the air. Then the stupid business with the ball at the end is just downright dangerous. I don't care if the human is stupid enough to go and hurt herself, but she was taking a chance on permanently laming this nice horse with him tripping over the ball like that. (and, of course, she has already done enough damage to his back with all the draw rein work that it will take his new owners a year of PROPER training and chiropractic to get the muscles back in working order. It's a shame.
> 
> ...


Thanks Karen for your insight. I also didn't care for the 2nd ride but I couldn't put my finger on why. Also some of these have downright outrageous, crazy freestyles. I have now read about "behind the bit" and it is a cruel technique, the horse can't see and his breathing is compromised. This horse already has an elegant neck she doesn't even need to go there. I did sense the black horse was tense. I was just so impressed with the first trainer, you can see the bond between horse and rider.

Karen, she does this little leg maneuver twice with him, in the freestyle, is it a passage?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Angela, go watch some of Elisa Wallace's other YouTube videos. That girl is a REALLY good horsewoman.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I really like how she used the horse's natural curiosity and "games" to win his trust. She seems to really know horse body language and how she needs to react. Also in the freestyle, I just noticed she is not only bareback but also has absolutely nothing on his face, only using a simple loose rope around the neck to guide him through all the maneuvers. How fitting that she chose not to use any props (besides the jumping fences) and no tack. It is simply horse and rider in its purest form. Beautiful.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

atsilvers27 said:


> I really like how she used the horse's natural curiosity and "games" to win his trust. She seems to really know horse body language and how she needs to react. Also in the freestyle, I just noticed she is not only bareback but also has absolutely nothing on his face, only using a simple loose rope around the neck to guide him through all the maneuvers. How fitting that she chose not to use any props (besides the jumping fences) and no tack. It is simply horse and rider in its purest form. Beautiful.


I agree. It was really lovely!


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