Out of the corral!

Every time I went to visit Celis White in her corral, I brought the lead rope and a treat with me in hopes that the grey mustang would associate food with the lead. Some days Celis would let me approach her and clip on the rope, other days I had to start the lead rope training all over again. Yet I still had not asked her to walk with me. This wild horse certainly was teaching me patience!

But as the days and weeks passed, I could see a change in Celis. She became less apt to spook at my movements when I did my daily care routine around the corrals. The look in her eye softened and she would nicker to me when I came to her corral; the white mare seemed to be trusting me more. Also her belly began to grow, and was becoming quite round. But there was much training to do before the vet could examine her.

Now that I could approach Celis with the lead rope, I began teaching her to walk along with me. I found that her experience of dragging the lead rope actually helped me with this process. When I first clipped the lead on her, (See the last chapter), she moved back quickly but stopped when she got to the end of the rope. So, using my usual tact, I took a horsey snack with the lead and went into her corral to teach her to walk along with me.

On the day that I decided to start her lead training, Celis White looked up as I entered her corral, and turned her head away like she usually did. Today's treat was hay, which crackles and attracts the horse's attention. I rustled the hay, and she turned her head back to me. I approached the mare slowly with the hay outstretched in my hand. Celis took a bite and I clipped the lead on to the halter.

I had left a small supply of hay just outside the corral. I went to the hay, keeping the lead slack and got another handful. I walked slowly back to the mare. With the hay in my hand I crackled the stems, but instead of letting Celis eat it right away, I kept it out of her reach. At the same time, I applied pressure to the lead rope. The mustang, with her usual appetite, stepped forward to get the hay.

I went to the hay again, got another handful and repeated the lesson, this time though, I had Celis walk four steps before giving her the hay. Each time I did this procedure, I would increase the number of steps before giving her the hay. Soon we were walking all around her corral.

For several days I used the hay to help motivate the mustang mare to walk. I was concerned though that this method might cause her to become pushy and try to bully her way to the hay. So I began using a technique that I learned years ago in 4H.

Once I got the lead onto the halter I positioned Celis so she was on my right, I took a hold of the rope with my right hand, and in my left I held the extra so that about 2 1/2 feet of it dangled from my hand. I pulled the rope very gently with my right hand and at the same time I gently swung the extra lead in my left hand around my back toward Celis' side. This way I could face forward and still walk forward as she moved.

The end of the lead just grazed the mare on the side, but it was enough to cause her to jump forward and try to run away from me. I stopped in the middle of her corral, still holding the rope. Once she reached the end she stopped with her nostrils flaring. I walked up to her and patted her on the nose and allowed her to calm down.

After a few minutes, Celis seemed to relax. So I tried leading her again. I did the same method with the rope, however, this time Celis just bolted forward and stopped. I let her stand for a moment, and then again I gently swung the tip end of the rope behind me toward the little mustang. The rope did not touch her, but the sight of it was enough to make the gray horse trot ahead. I was able to keep up with her and we walked around the corral. I stopped for a moment and then applied just a little pressure on her halter which was sufficient to make Celis White walk along side of me.

I tried halting again. Celis obediently stopped. When I asked her to walk again, she just twisted her head slightly to one side, so I took the extra end and tapped her again the same way as I had before. The white mustang did not bolt this time. Instead, she danced her back end away from me, trotted ahead, and we walked around her corral a bit more.

For several days I continued walking Celis White around her corral in this manner. She began to become confident in walking; no longer did I have to use the rope to get her moving, instead she would walk when I started walking and stop when I stopped. I then decided it was time for her to see some of the surroundings of her new home.

After doing another leading lesson in her corral, I led Celis to her gate and opened it up. I truly did not know what to expect. Would she try to bolt out of her corral? Would she try to run away from me once we were beyond the gate?

Celis completely surprised me. She did not want to leave her corral! I had led her to the open gate and she stopped. She did not want cross the threshold. I pondered the situation for a moment. I did not want her to learn that if she balked, she wouldn't have to do what was asked of her. So I used the ol' 4H method with the end of the rope. Celis did not move. I tapped her a little harder, and she still would not walk through the gate. I clucked at her a bit and used the rope again.

Still the little mare would not budge. I pulled on the halter at the same time as tapping her with the end of the rope. I tried again. Finally after what seemed to be a century, Celis jumped over the threshold and out of her corral!

Once she was out, she stopped, but her nostrils were flaring and her eyes were wide with surprise. She looked suspiciously at everything on the ground around her feet. I petted her and talked soothingly to her, praising her as much as I could. I led her a little way away from her corral and she walked along snorting at everything. But she did not try to run away from me.

I circled back and when we went back into her corral she jumped over the threshold again. I praised the mare again while petting her. I was so elated. I could not wait to tell John. I took the lead rope gave Celis a treat and left the corral so the little mustang could reflect on her experience.

Celis outside of her corral