Western States Mustang Challenge

The Western States Mustang Challenge brought thirty top horsemen and women together with thirty wild American Mustangs.  Challenge trainers had ninety days to gentle and train their mustangs.  The Challenge began in March when the trainers picked up their mustangs and ended on June 7 at the California Exposition arena where the Mustangs performed with their trainers and were then auctioned off to new owners.  The funds raised by this auction go to the Bureau of Land Management and are used to provide additional care for wild Mustangs, one of the only true American breeds.  Charles Wilhelm worked with a Mustang mare named Willow Bey. 

When I picked up Willow Bey in March, she had an injury to her right front leg.  This probably occurred during her trip to where I picked her up.  She came in bruised, battered and very rough looking.  After some time to rest her leg and let the splint heal, I started her on ground work.  She is a horse with a very high emotional level and every part of her training had to take that into consideration.  Basically, with Willow I followed everything I do with a young horse just as it is written out in the colt starting book I wrote, “Starting Baby Jaz.”   

The last six weeks were difficult with Willow Bey.  There were several different lameness issues.  She re-injured the leg with the splint and later she had two hoof abysses.  Up to that time she went lame I had completed many ground work exercises with her but had only had two rides on her.   Both times we walked around and I got her to relax, move her hips over.  I didn’t demand more of her but just let her walk around and relax.  And then she went off again.  The vet came out and at first we could not determine what the problem was.  An abyss usually gives some type of digital pulse.  We blocked it out and it was in the left rear inside hoof.  She went sound and we just guessed that it was a very deep abyss.  There was no heat or digital pulse. 

She finally went sound again three days prior to the Western States Horse Exposition.  I was able to work her lightly for about 15 or 20 minutes the first day.  I worked her on a line, no hard work and not asking anything very difficult because she had been off for four or five  weeks.  I just got her moving    I did take her to the Exposition in Sacramento and I worked her 10 or 15 minutes each day.  For a horse that I had not been able to work for the last six weeks she was calm and quite emotionally sound.  She was good with the crowds and the only problem she had was with the stalls provided.  She didn’t do well and was quite nervous and pacing in the stall.  Any time I or any of my staff that she knew came up to the stall she would whinny.  We would take her out and walk her around.  The Heritage Mustang group had a 24' x 24' pen right in front of her stall that they let us use.  She settled right down, was immediately quiet and I was impressed with her.  The night of the auction I walked her into the arena saddled and bridled and with a string halter under the bridle.  She had on boots and I draped a tarp over her which she later stood on for me.  She sold for $500.  Circumstances were such that I didn’t meet the person who bought her.  I would still like to meet this person and provide additional information about Willow.

Here at the ranch, we all had a good time with Willow.  She gained between 75 and 100 pounds and she looked great when we went to Sacramento.  She was really ragged when she came in and the vet couldn’t believe how well she looked at the end of the ninety days.  While I did not get as far with her training as I wanted, I did complete extensive ground work with her including leading from the golf cart.  I was able to groom and clip her.  I had her feet trimmed but I did not have her shod.  She definitely needed trimming as the hoof angles were wrong and she was upright in her back heels.  I had dental work done on her and the chiropractor looked at her. She took shots like a 25-year-old broke horse.  The vet was able to handle her feet when checking for the abyss.  She was calm and not concerned.  She was exposed to a lot of different experiences and while her training is not complete, she has an excellent foundation.  She did great and I was happy with her and I was pleased to participate in the event.

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