Hi Lara & welcome. Your enthusiasm shines through your post as does your earnest desire to do the right thing for Mijo. You possibly already know that I have an equine family too, Humphrey, who sired Kirk & Holy Moley. Mijo is still very young so I would urge you to be patient, spend time building your relationship, becoming his safe place. Different breeds mature at different rates. Thoroughbreds are startled at 18 months old so as to race as 2 year olds. However, some heavy horses & native ponies continue to grow & develop until they are 8 years old. Mine all live together, outside 24/7, all year. They are very close, probably because we lost Bella when Moley was just 6 months old. Humphrey took on the responsibility of raising his offspring & in acknowledgment of that responsibility & 2 consecutive years of ligament injury means he is now 10 & not yet fully started - happy to carry a human but essentially untrained. Kirk, who is now 5, is happy to have me on his back but untrained as is Moley who is just 4 years old this month. Why wait this long? Well, Humphrey is a heavy type (old fashioned Irish cob) so they are all slow developers. We have spent time together every day, building trust, learning skills. They move when I ask it, they slow & stop by verbal prompt, they move aside & backwards from light pressure, all without any tack or tools. These are the skills necessary for whatever they do for the rest of their lives, which will be with me. Taking Mijo away from his herd will initially stress him but if he quickly learns that there are benefits & it's only short term he will soon look forward to spending time with you. Benefits are a small feed & scratching/grooming, becoming confident with you in his space. Learning that you enhance his life so that he looks to you to bring new experiences for him. Having firm foundations is fundamentally crucial & will bring you both incredible benefits later. Have fun but make certain Mijo has fun too. Keep us posted & good luck. Cheers, Jo.

Hello Tara and welcome;
I would echo Jo`s thoughts about how to approach your colt in the coming days with regard to his training and also leaving the herd while you work with him.  I have been involved with working with horses in herd settings for 30 yrs and can pass on to you what I believe is important to keep that delicate balance alive and well.
If you can remove your boy from the herd without subjecting him to separation anxiety, that`s a huge win for you.  If that isn`t the case, then try incremental steps until he is with you outside the boundary of the herd settled and happy.  The most important aspect at this time would be his overall happiness and ability to relax and enjoy your company.  Once you reach this point keep his lessons short and positive.  Grooming and hugs would be a place to start.  Ask him to give to pressure while your hugging him.  If his nature is a little on the wild side regarding your closeness to him, then move more slowly, with his politeness and YOUR SAFETY uppermost in your mind.  Remember your breathing, deep and slow.  He will try and mimic this with his breathing , then you have the beginning of a relationship.  Keep these sessions brief and to the point and then return him to the herd.  If you can keep him happy with your energy of softness by being direct with your body language, he will be drawn to come to you the next time you appear in the pasture.
Tara, you have a golden opportunity to observe these horses in a pasture setting.  With a little time spent on your part focusing on how they cue each other with their body language would put you in a position to perfect your body language for teaching them the ways of the human and the training that goes with being on their back and in control.
With regard about the herd hierarchy and when to return the colt to the pasture so that he doesn`t lose his place with the herd, keep the sessions short at first with the idea that you can do more than one session a day.  Once the colt and the herd get desensitized to the comings and goings by you into their setting, the separation anxiety complication will be a thing of the past.
Relationship, relationship, relationship is the key, in my opinion.  Spend as much times as it takes.  It will be the capital that will provide a success in his training while shaping his character for the horse-human connection.

Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress

Bud

Greetings Jo, Bud, and all y’all,
The history of this boy lends me to believing I do need to do this in incredibly incremental steps. He was separated from the herd and taken only a half mile from them, before I was able to buy him. Once he came back to the herd the herd had changed, or was in the process of changing and he and his father Medicine Hat Diego were gelded. The herd ended up getting another couple of geldings unrelated. Needless to say Diego and the lead mare were soon sold. There was several days when after he was gelded I was able to harness him and do some ground work with the dually. The filly Bonnie is Mijo’s full blooded sister and was barely weaned when their parents were sold. I was unable to see them for about eight months but before that we had a bond I have never experienced with any other animal ever. He must of been quite upset with me not coming to see him or he forgot who I was or something because the next time I saw him he was taken out of the herd and brought to the outer pasture and he was skiddish and seemed headshy, really just wanting to get back to the herd. Then after several more months we moved them to the ranch. I barely got to touch his nose a few times since they have been here. We’re still building and developing where all the corrals and such will go. For me, I just want to be near him without putting myself in any kind of danger in the middle of a herd of mostly wild unstarted horses. How to stay safe and coax him away without the whole herd following seems unlikely... I’m going to work on it more, seems like a slow painful process to me until the facilities are in place.

Hi Tara - please forgive me for the previous name typo. You're totally right but then you're so not right. Firstly, YES, you need to be as incremental as your horse needs you to be (irrespective of whether or not your facilities are completed & available) & NO, it will NOT be a painful process - other than the pain of you curbing your excited enthusiasm in the certain knowledge that you ARE going to give this youngster the benefit of your professional horsemanship skills. Please allow me to review how I understand how Mijo perceives what has happened in his life so far. He's born into his family, with all the expectations any foal has. He gets a sister & then humans begin to play a more significant role. He & his father are gelded & his parents are removed, leaving him to oversea his sister. Now unable to have a family of his own, his expectations have narrowed - all he has left is survival. One human, at least, was reasonable enough to let him cooperate enough for their purposes but they then left for a significant time whilst 'bad' things happened without any benefit Mijo can see. So, realistically, you come back into his life when he now isn't just healthily wary of humans but has cause to distrust them - they effectively orphaned him & his sister which meant he had to accept previously unwanted responsibility in the herd to uphold their herd status. I see your initial goals as these: to become a benign presence in his world, not asking anything of him within his herd. Then incrementally moving his perception of you to becoming the person who brings benefits to his herd - the one who leaves a trail of carrot pieces for them to find, which can lead to him actively anticipating your presence. From there you work to show him you are NOT demanding but listening to his needs. This is the point at which your true partnership will born into its infancy & your job is to nurture it. Yes, he will make mistakes, as will you, along the way but these are learning opportunities for you both. This journey is slow but it is as far away from painful as could possibly be imagined. Yes there will be frustrations for you, days when it will seem like Mijo is just blocking out your every effort to befriend him. When that happens walk away & eat some chocolate. Come back 10 minutes later, when you both are calmer & try again, having decided how to modify your approach to your goal to give Mijo a reason to trust your judgement. 

One morning I was in the field with my guys. The field is by a road junction & the road is mostly hidden from us by a thick, high hedge. Suddenly I hear a car approaching the junction, where it should be stopping, at high revs & then screeching tyres & BANG! All the heads shoot up & an equine wall instantaneously blasts past me in turbo boost. The cars engine continues to rev uncontrollably. I cannot reach the accident quickly so turn to see where my guys have run to & whether or not they had run into trouble. There they were, in a line facing me & the source of their panic, less than 15 feet behind me. A trust worthy of tears. 

Time & patience reap unbelievable rewards. Tara, those are 2 gifts Mijo deserves from you in abundance. Keep updating how things are going & we will do all we can to help & support you both on your journey. Cheers, Jo.

Good morning all.   Jo, your words are filled with wisdom and care.. What a beautiful approach you have laid out for Tara.
Tara, you have a place to start the process that will change the life of your young colt as well as yours.  Take a deep breath, and let the GOOD TIMES ROLL
Please check in from time to time and let us know how things are progressing.

Bud

Good morning all,

Thank you for the advice you have given Tara. This will help me in my relationship with my young gelding as well.

Your friend,
Gera

Thank you everyone for your answers here, and wow I’m tickled that others are learning from this as well as me! Today on the way home I got some carrots and apples for the horses and on the way to the camp here was Princess Mija (Mijo’s half sister just a hair older than he is whose sire was Diego by Red, the new lead mare.) and Bonnie (his full blooded sister) with one of the geldings just feet off the road... of course I had to stop and pull out the treats. We’ve been trying to keep an eye on Mija because we think she was kicked and has been favoring her leg for a few days. I was able to give her a nice rub on the nose after she found the treats on the ground she came up almost like to say thank you. Funny too about her for a long time I was the only one who could get near her, then slowly she’s been getting better... she came up the other day but didn’t get a rub, I think she wanted to but then the chihuahuas scared her off. Today she got a nice rub, so did Bonnie.
 Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who might read this!
Thanks again, I think during all this...studying and this forum are indispensable for me right now... it’s like when the student is ready the teacher will appear.

Update...
He loves carrots and apples, and tossing them out to him seems the way to go, I know better than to hand feed him. We don’t do that, as it causes them to nip and we don’t want to start bad habits. The game seems to be to get his treat to him and not let the other horses know what we’re doing... it’s fun, it seems like he knows the game already, and he knows if Red comes up all bets are off, she has pilfered his treats before but she will snark him and that scares me cause I never know which way they might go. While I trust my boy, I don’t necessarily trust the others... and Red’s pushy, not that she would intentionally hurt anyone. So he has the idea that if he lingers around after the others move off I’ll toss him a treat, sometimes I can get him to come right up to me for a rub, but then usually another horse comes up and ruins the moment. I really want to halter him and do some ground work but I want him to want to and I hope eventually he will. The dogs are troublesome as are the rest of the horses... dogs I can lock in the house, the corrals aren’t even started yet as fencing the garden comes first. I know it is an all in good time type thing but it is painful to wait... and with every birthday we get more and more grateful to have birthdays!

News...
Unfortunately last week we lost one of the seven, the old buckskin mustang was 28, he came and let me know he was hurting, we did everything we could for him. I know the last years were the best in his life and I know too that he knew human love in his last couple years. Was touching the whole herd surrounding him almost like protecting him and saying goodbye at the same time. They really do communicate and care for each other.
This week it has been good with our three and they are starting to come to see me a lot easier. Mijo comes when I call him most of the time and now he is getting used to seeing me with the dually and a long line in my hand when he comes over and he’s not afraid of it, not quite at the harnessing point but not far from it. Still I want him to want it, not just me wanting it for him. Bonnie is the smaller dually still and wouldn’t you know when I have hers she doesn’t come over and when I have hers he or Mija will come over. Like they know already....

Good for you Tara; you`re creating a draw for him  to place his head into the halter.  If you can shape all of your thinking into this approach when working with your horse, your learning experience will be greatly enhanced.  Shape the playing field with your leadership skills being in the best possible light for the both of you.  Remember that you possess an energy field for these horses that is hard for them to resist, and if that field is equipped with love and a authentic desire to be one of the herd, they will open themselves to you,

With the older horse passing, you were given a gift by witnessing how horses support each other in ;life.  When that life is coming to an end, they draw themselves together as if to wish the horse departing a good journey into the next life.  This is an ancient ritual.

Thanks for the update
Bud

Hey Ya’all, thanks for answering Bud, I’m tickled to be able to check in here from time to time, I don’t always have internet but when I do I try to update. I’m telling you I’ve never met a more spiritual (for lack of a better word) horse, in my life. I can move his feet without even harnessing him yet, (he’s been harnessed and done ground work but not for some time and not on this ranch.)... he pays close attention to me. Like if there’s a carrot piece on the ground, I’m inside the fence they are without, he watches where I point, looks and goes there! As I said he pretty much always comes when I call him. Today he even came back after the herd moved off choosing to leave them and returned to me, about five minutes worth. I was able to rub his dually on his nose and stroke his nose before he decided the herd had gone and he should go find them. I was jazzed, even the smallest bit of progress is amazing to me especially the choices he makes to be closer to me.  Staying safe is paramount but it has crossed my mind that I could probably set us a stone circle and try that as a round pen. He’s just so amazing I feel like he deserves to be trained by someone more experienced than I am... at any rate, we will be doing our best as we can.
Enjoy,
Tara

Hi Tara. The foundation of any good relationship is trust & you & Mijo are certainly on the right path. All humans make mistakes ( even Monty admits to them ) so, yes, you will make mistakes but then so will Mijo. These may appear at the time to be complete disasters but they are not, they are opportunities - for horse & human to forge an even greater bond between them. Keep your cool, control your breathing, your body language, your adrenaline. Be calm, be consistent & give Mijo great praise for any & all efforts he makes. Be mindful not to assume he will necessarily give you the same reactions - he may be stressed more ( or less ) depending on the herd dynamics or weather or any number of other factors so take time to learn to 'read' him. Knowing when to ask less but appreciate his efforts as much as if he has made a major breakthrough will earn you disproportionate respect. Have fun - together. Cheers, Jo.

Hi Tara and Jo;
Tara, I would strongly urge you to re-read what Jo writes about above.  That paragraph is SO FILLED with wisdom.  Please do NOT ALLOW self doubt to stand in your way of working with Mjlo.  I believe from your description of Mijo`s focus on you, you have discovered the number one breakthrough needed in effective horse training.  With that said, take small incremental steps with your body language while letting your circle of energy work its magic.  Remember, moving Mijo`s feet in concert with the pathway of your thoughts through body language is what we are ALL striving for.  You most certainly can do this without a round pen.  All you need is a longer lead line.   Treat this experience like a dance.  The music will be listened to you at first and then by Mijo, once chorography and rthyum is established.  [FORWARD,BACKWARD, SIDEWAYS TO YOU AND AWAY FROM YOU] are the directions to start with.  Since there are four legs on a horse, you need to separate the movement of the front  and back legs.  Work on these training moves until they become fluid and you two move as one.  Start on one side, his easy side first, and do not change sides until you can look at him and he can preform the movement that you have asked for with your body language and course , your thoughts.  If Mijo can accomplish these movements, you will be in a position to begin transitions.  We can talk about those at a later date.
Learning for the horse is the paramount direction we all hope to be going toward when training.  Horses learn DIFFERENTLY FROM HORSE TO HORSE.  It is our job as there caretakers to grasp on to the easiest and best way for a horse to LEARN a particular response to what is being asked of him.  As a rule, I have found that horses learn faster and more completely if the lesson is   #1 started on the most supple side [every horse has a side that he is more free on than the other]   #2  in my experience, when teaching a lesson on movement, if we stay on the one side until the lesson is COMPLETE and the horse is moving off of your energy in the appropriate direction, before you show him the movement for the other side.  We all know about the importance of balancing a horse from side to side regarding their movement, but we need to take a hard look at how the horse in front of us LEARNS.  Many horses will learn faster and more completely if the lesson is condensed on the ONE SIDE.
I hope this will help you to follow-up on what you have started with Mijo.  Please keep us posted.
Enjoy yourself and Mijo
Bud

Hi everyone! Thank you Jo, Bud... 
...I always read the posts so many times and I find it helpful to read through others past posts as well. 
Trust is the key, and this boy is so amazing. Right now I’m just tickled to have him come to me. I don’t even have to call him anymore he sees me come out and he comes to the fence. The other horses don’t do that, not constantly like he does. Yes I understand the dance, we are developing a pattern, though I think I may try  to find an incremental step...something else I can do. I stay inside the fence and he, (and herd) stays outside. I trust him to a point. I do not trust the herd as I know just how dangerous they can be. I would love to halter him and refresh his ground work but I am afraid of the herd, they tend to get rather rambunctious and I have seen first hand that while they may not mean to hurt someone they absolutely could startle or get snarked by another horse and run someone over or worse. Paramount to trust is safety in my mind. I do believe even the horses understand this in a way. I believe all in good time, it will happen, and I have most of the equipment to start him, dual long lines, dually halter, light saddle, etc. so when the round pen gets built I’ll be ready.
One thing though I heard Monty say on a video the other day he doesn’t train with food, though he might let them steal a bite of sweetfeed on certain occasions. I don’t hand feed them but I have been using treats to draw him over to me, not every time, but a lot of times. I have noticed the other horses don’t come to me like he does, sometimes one or two do, but he snarks them away. He even chases Bonnie away. His little half-brother is growing up fast and they can get pretty violent it seems. Observing the herd wild out there is amazing but I still wish the day would hurry and come when I have a working horse to go out and be able to hook up the wagon or ride fences. We’ll get there sooner or later. I spend a few minutes with him a few times a day at least, though it seems really on his terms but that’s okay right now. He’s still listening and paying attention to me, so that tells me something... I’m still amazed he knows his name.

Hi Tara. Let me put your mind at ease - treats, as you are using them, are just a tool to help you overcome the deeply imbedded instinct which has been pretty much underpinned by a great deal of the human experience so far ( it's creating a window of opportunity ). Currently, you are not so much training but putting in place sufficient reason for Mijo to "just give you a chance". Monty did the same thing, with a very different method, with Shyboy in the wild. The full story is available but, in essence, Monty followed this youngster relentlessly, but at a distance, using a number of horses over several days & a huge backup crew. His aim was to habituate this wild horse sufficiently so as to allow him to take him from the wild. Once that was achieved, with the minimal stress possible, the training began. There is a story I want to share with you. For the last 4 years I have never left the house without taking packets of mints with me - why? Because you can only train, build a great bond with, a live horse. When Holy Moley was just a couple of months old she managed to escape through the field gate. I got it closed to prevent the others joining her but Bella, her Mother, was deeply distressed, pacing & calling urgently. It is an offset gateway, allowing vehicles to pull off the road so I had about thirty feet to catch this foal. Fortunately, she was fascinated with the grasses, weeds & smells of the gateway. The road is not quiet - enough traffic to spell certain disaster. I worked my way between Moley & the road. But she did not know a halter ( & I didn't have one with me ). My mind raced as I moved to block Moley getting closer to the road. WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO? I've got a loose, excitable filly foal, whose natural curiosity was going to take her into mortal danger, & a closed gate between us & safety. She would quickly outwit my blocking her path as she was much more mobile & agile. Then the penny dropped - she knew MINTS! I had mints in my pocket. I offered her a mint & immediately became her sole focus of attention. She took the mint & then trotted with me back to the gate. I gave her another mint, timed opening the gate so the other ponies didn't block her return or allow them to get out too & magically everyone was safely back together. Phew! Monty demonstrates stretching exercises for horses an apple on a stick ( food, not directly from the hand ). Giving a small feed after a training session is a reward, a thank you for their time & attention & a reason for a horse to view gentle training favourably. To horses food isn't a trophy, it grows at their feet but we have access to foods they can never find in the wild & we can give them treats that they associate with us without them wanting to 'mug' the human. My herd know when to expect mints. They are habituated to when treats come. My youngsters also know to hold my hand gently in their mouth. Yes, I do still have all my fingers. Tara, use all the tools available to you but use them wisely. Cheers, Jo.

Beautifully said Jo.  `Love the story.  Tara, FOCUS OF THE HORSE  will be your greatest  ally.  Everything, in working with horses, starts and ends with how you can draw his or her` attention to you.
I am so-oo very happy that you are finding a way to work with Mijo.  Thanks for the update.

Bud

Oh my! Apples on a stick....who’d have thunk of that! That will be tomorrow and see where we can go with it.... marvel Jo! Thanks!

We made a hand! I wish I could post the pictures but it’s so funny because Mijo is the only one of our three skittish about it....and even old Red isn’t afraid of it! The other horses all loved the hand, Mijo was the only one who jumped sideways and is leary of it.  I have no idea why but nevertheless it was a great session tonight and he ended up having so much fun with me just talking to him at the fence that the other horses wandered off. He ran to find them when he realized it but we did spend longer together than before. Everyday I think what we could accomplish and everyday my goal is just to keep him coming and try like heck to get a corral and round pen in. Still it’s so much fun to just be out there with them and watch the dynamics change, watch the learning happen....
Jo, Bud, you all and of course Monty all amaze me, I just pray to be able to ride this beautiful horse someday.

Tara;  this time is really important for both you and Mijo..  I would suggest that you just let it play out because you have found a way to level the playing field with Mijo on YOUR TERMS.  As long as he keeps responding to you and has some fun associated with it, you will be gaining respect in his eyes.  It`s a win- win.. See if you can get him to mimic some of  your movements while being outside the fence line.
Thanks for the updates
Bud

Hi Tara. I'm so pleased for you & this small herd - this is progress for you all. Not only is Mijo changing his mindset but he's taking his 'equine community' with him. Bud is right. This is fantastic. The onus is on you to make the most of the situation. Monty talks about accelerated learning. Your present circumstances need intelligent management & restraint of human enthusiasm. If you think back to where you were with Mijo & the others last April, just two short months ago, you'll see what massive progress has been achieved. Now is the time to take a step back & cement that progress. Pushing on right now to ever greater goals would risk loosing the advances to date so just take a few days, maybe a couple of weeks when you all, horses & humans, simply enjoy your newly found coexistence. Two months ago these horses had a baseline comfort zone. It mostly excluded humans. That has changed by your actions. Your job now is to make the new comfort zone the replacement baseline. Accelerated learning needs the underpinning of good horsemanship. Progress can happen in leaps & bounds but it is fragile until the necessary supports are put in place. Monty says "slow is fast". Approach each of your goals as though you have all day to achieve it & it may happen in minutes, go at it like you have minutes & it'll likely take you all day. Taking a little time now for these horses to relax totally with where you have taken them will, in the long run, save you months of remedial training should you push too hard & then need to backtrack in your training. Time to allow yourselves, horses & humans, a little self congratulatory 'basking in the sun'. It's all part of the process. Just have fun. Cheers, Jo.

Hi everyone, today was good. He comes when I call he goes along the fence where I direct him for the most part. He walked with me when I walked and stopped when I stopped and started again when I started...wouldn’t you know it, another horse right in the way botched it. Was fun, no pressure I didn’t take anything out with me but a carrot so very non-threatening, no expectations and I got some pets on him. He does get jealous and runs the other horses off from me, or stands and glares when I give them attention. He wants all the treats and pets to be his! So fun! Mija is doing much better on her leg, I barely see her limping at all, a little if she tries to move real fast. They all pick on poor Bonnie still but the herd dynamics changed when Mija got injured, like she’s accepting her place as being lower ranking mare to Red. Before I actually think she was trying to complete with her. Bonnie is by far the fastest, she was chasing the goats tonight trying to stomp poor old Billy but in the end it seems like she just had a moment or was trying to play with them cause they were all grazing together not five minutes later! 
I’m doing good just hanging out with them, mostly him, but yes the whole herd too, it’s exciting to see what progress we can make just almost without trying. I try to see them twice or if I’m lucky, three times a day and Mijo will come right up and wait for me at the fence now at those times. It tickles me to no end.
Thank you again for listening to me and putting in your words of wisdom, it means more to me than I can tell you to have this support system.

Hi Tara. FANTASTIC! I'd like to suggest that for the next little while the learning curve emphasis shifts from the horses to YOU. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about READING THE HERD DYNAMICS. Because Mijo spends all his time with his herd & they all spend some of their time with you ( Mijo wanting this to be all focused on him ) the herd have collectively decided, at least for the short term, that you are a good, positive thing. You've brought new experiences to them - which they are now enjoying. However, a herd is like a chain, one member gets spooked & they will all be affected. By taking time to grow the herds overall confidence in your inclusion in their lives, you are showing even the most nervous herd member that you are someone they need/want in their lives. Kids & teachers both need school holidays - a break from pressure. They return refreshed & more willing to meet further mental/physical challenges. Take time to read this herd & see how, without introducing further challenges, you bring the least cooperative member so much more on board. It's like building a tower. The scaffolding goes up & the walls can then be raised but then building needs to pause while more scaffolding is put in place. I'm so pleased that this herd, but mostly your boy Mijo, are giving you the respect & cooperation to fuel your enthusiasm. Enjoy the fruits of your labours. Judge when the herd has relaxed, or at least the main members that Mijo relates to - they too are tools to use in keeping his focus on you. Then you can resume by bringing a small further challenge to them - if you've got the herd read right you will get some acceptance very quickly ( accelerated learning ). Pressure release followed by acceptance, the thread through all Monty's methods. Please keep us up to date - I for one am really enjoying your continued success. Cheers, Jo.

Hi Tara and Jo;  I to am enjoying hearing about your daily challenges with the herd.  Jo takes you on a wonderful journey with her thoughts.  Her analogies are particularly of resonance with me as I was in the building field for a good part of my life.  Beautifully stated.
A very GOOD THING is happening with Mijo and his protection efforts of you with regard to the rest of the herd.  That thought process by him will hopefully carry over to you as you tame him into your riding horse.  I see this as a huge win for you.  I would ALWAYS keep that thought in the back of your mind when working with him.  When a horse becomes protective of his human with his herd mates, that spells of a special relationship to me.

Thanks for your posts.  We are all enjoying your journey of awareness.
Bud

Happy Father’s Day! ...and Thank you both! There’s so much to learn, but the taking it easy and just hanging out with the herd when they come around is pretty great actually. Yesterday I wasn’t feeling great, life stress had me emotional and it just seems like he knows it when I feel like that, he took extra time with me, let me pet him all over and I kinda got a hug even. I just find it so incredible! I can’t tell you how but this horse of mine senses my emotional state and responds to me, somehow he knew spending that time would make me feel better and it did! Today was great too, I haven’t been taking the harness out and that’s ok, there’s time for that in the future, just the fact he comes to me (whether I have treats or not) makes me very happy. Poor Bonnie rarely gets treats, and she comes and lets me pet her all over. I know I could harness and work with her if I wanted to she’s had a lot of human touch compared to some of the others like Mija. Mija comes up but she’s a bit less apt to let me pet her, I can sometimes but today she only let me pet her face a little. Red and Mateo don’t really get a lot of my attention I don’t care for Red too much and she’s really pushy and demanding, she gets few treats from me, mainly because they aren’t ours... I pet her a bit now and then. Mateo is the oddest horse ever, actually watched him born and it’s on video. Mateo has this thing he does sticking out his head and curling his lips back. The family thought it was because he doesn’t like cigarette smoke but I’m not so sure. While the owner (grandpa) doesn’t mind him doing that I think it’s ugly and bad manners. Grandpa doesn’t mind Red being pushy either and actually likes her to be that way, like in his space, I don’t agree so I limit my interaction with them. Old Jackson, he seems like he doesn’t care about much anything, even treats don’t get his attention, he’s old and I know sure as I’m sitting here sometime in his past he was hurt badly by a human. At any rate nothing I can do for or with Jackson and I don’t know that I want to as he’s Grandpa’s too. He doesn’t seem to really even take part in the herd dynamics, I’ve never seen him snark other horses, and unless it wàs around feeding time I don’t think any snark him, he’s just kinda there. 
Grandpa is bringing them into his little place every evening and giving them a bit of sweet feed, because he was missing Red and couldn’t get near her, all the horses were getting more wild, so hopefully that will improve now for Red like it has for Mijo.
Still saving my pennies to try to get enough funds to go to Flag is Up for live courses. I want so much to be a certified trainer, but I’m not going to hold my breath, I’m a poor girl from Texas just trying to get by. Hopefully it won’t be much longer and we’ll start building the corrals and barn and such.
I feel so much more positive now than I did a couple months ago and I know it’s all going to work out in good time.

Good morning Tara and all;  Everything that has written above speaks of stories that we have all have been witness to in our lives with horses.  These stories give rise to our dreams for the future and hopefully to the time that the beauty of inspiration is born into the light of day.  
Tara, you are walking through a time in your life that you will probably never forget and your small herd of horses are leading you into a light that all of us have available for the taking but very few will respond to.  Your horses are giving you a gift of education into their world and how it works.  Be authentic and patient and CAREFUL and you will become a herd member.  ACCEPTED BY ALL.  
There is an old cowboy saying- -"MAKE A FRIEND OF YOUR HORSE FIRST AND THE REST OF THE TRAINING IS EASY"
Everyone that reads and participates in this forum is pulling for you to realize your dream, because this horse industry people like yourself that can FEEL THE BEAUTY of a give and take of relationship with horses and the MAGIC  they bring into our lives.
Please keep your thoughts rolling into your written expression with this forum--they create so much conversation in our world .

Bud

Hi Tara. I think you may be being unfair to Mateo. From your description I believe he's displaying a perfectly natural behaviour - he's accessing his olfactory plate to investigate smells. This is not disrespectful or ugly. The owners may be right that cigarette smoke provokes this behaviour but it may not be from dislike but a simple instinct. Smoke means fire & in the wild that is a terrifying situation. However, Mateo knows that these humans have 'controlled smoke' so he could be checking to see if it is the benign smoke ( from cigarettes which he knows ) or something else & cause for panic. 

My farrier was here last Friday, bringing two apprentices with him. He trims the feet in the field so my 'family' are not separated. Humphrey & Miss Moley were due to be trimmed but Kirk, Miss Moleys older brother, was in close attendance - my guys love visitors & congregate for attention. One of the apprentices attracted Kirks attention. I suppose he had used hair gel or some other hair product as Kirk was fascinated, sniffing this chaps head most intently & then pulling the face you describe. The poor chap looked most uncomfortable until he realised Kirk had no intention of hurting him & was simply investigating something new. Some people may think I'm wrong to allow my ponies such free access to investigate. We enjoy each other's close company & our trusting relationship is completely mutual. When my vet comes she loves to bring students with her so they can experience my trusting & inquisitive ponies. Cheers Jo.

Hi Ya’all, First, Bud your post above actually brought tears to my eyes, thank you for those insights and the inspiration to just keep on.
Second, Jo, maybe you are right about Mateo. Still I can’t help but think this constant face he pulls is going to be an issue for whoever works with him, but perhaps it will work itself out in time and like I say, he’s not ours and G.P. (Grandpa) doesn’t seem bothered by it, or by Reds’ pushiness.
That said, now I’m come to the conclusion that Bonnie has been over-handled as a filly because she too is so pushy and got right in my face the other day and wouldn’t back off no matter how big, loud, catlike... I tried to be, she kept coming. Mijo stepped between us and I was able to go around the side of him away from her. It was a surprise moment when I happened to be going from a fenced yard to the truck where the herd was at the fence and as I opened the gate she just came not necessarily aggressive but perhaps trying to play with me? There is very rare times that I will be directly in front of any of them without a fence between and if I am I usually have the long black lead line, I didn’t have anything not even my hat. I don’t think she was intentionally trying to do anything really but it wasn’t a comfortable scene for me, but Mijo stepping in there was timely. This of course isn’t the only reason I believe she’s been over-handled and her mother taken away so early, she has some of the most beautiful conformation in a filly I’ve ever seen. Her mother was a beauty too, but wild as the Tetons are tall.. I think she knows the language but I think too she has no fear whatsoever for people nor does she view us as predatory at all. I’ve seen and hear of aggressiveness towards other animals as well.... so I have to just give this some thought and see how she does.
Today I was out of town and didn’t get back til way late, apparently Mijo made his usual appearance though I wasn’t here, and he hung out a while before wandering off grazing. He was looking for me, or for treats, but either way he’s got it down. My bet is he’ll be here bright and early in the morning..Mija came over tonight too, her leg is so much better, I haven’t seen her favor it for awhile.
We’re working on coming to a place in all this that says calm, stability, peaceful routine, just keep doing what I can for now. A portable round pen isn’t going to be my answer at the moment because it’s see-through, I think I need a corral and then a round pen....
Nothing that a bit of time, patience, and money won’t solve.
Will post more soon I think tomorrow will be even more interesting....
Enjoy, Tara

By contrast...now it seems Mija is on the outs of the herd and for two days now she’s come to the fence and stayed with me for a long time, she keeps the herd in sight but they chase her off if she gets too close. In particular Mijo seems to be her nemesis... haven’t figured out why. I don’t mind she is terrified of anyone but me, I’m pretty much the only one that can get a hand on her without tricking her into things, or places. As far as I know she’s had  very little handling, may have been harnessed a couple times in her life at best. She’s same age as Mijo, same father.

Hi Tara. I think you may be experiencing 'herd politics'. The behaviour you describe sounds as though Mija has been excluded from the herd. This should be a temporary situation - she has displeased the lead mare ( possibly Red ) & is serving some alone time. Mijo will be going along with this because if he doesn't he will be served the same punishment. Being kept out of the body of the herd makes an individual much more vulnerable to predators, hence why Mija is so much more willing to spend time with you. She is craving company so she can relax a little. Alone time is a highly stressful for horses.  They are effectively on high alert all the time because they have no support network. This may seem harsh treatment by Red & the herd to Mija but in order for a herd to be successful in the wild, the herd members must work as a team. If Mija has unsuccessfully challenged Reds authority or behaved disrespectfully she must pay the price. it is likely that all will be forgiven soon & Mija will be accepted back in the herd. However, remember Buds old cowboy saying. Mija will remember that in her time of stress the human remained her friend so this experience will have taught her to respect the herd rules & that the human can be an asset so overall, this is a positive couple of days for Mija. Cheers, Jo.

Hi everyone,

We are doing good the last few days. Mija was back with the herd today when I saw them. Mijo always comes to see me, no pressure just like to hang out with them. I wonder how the lead mare determines when it’s been long enough to let an errant member back in? 

I am hoping this week we can start on the corral and stalls. Will post more as I can.

That was a great first ride in the marble hall at the Spanish Riding School Jo! I pray Mijo’s first time is that calm!

Hi Tara. Yes, an incredible demo. There is no reason why you & Mijo can't have a really great experience - but you have to put in the ground work to make that happen. You're doing great so far but there's a huge amount more to be done, which will ensure both your safety & Mijos. It's not quite the same thing as my guys are domesticated & I have been a part of every day of my youngsters lives but in the forum, under behaviour & training, I made posts under the title ' Trust is a two way street '. I think you may enjoy our achievements. A few days ago I was trimming one of the field hedges, a lot of which is spikey hawthorn. Miss Moley got a clump tangled in her mane up by her face. It was about 15 inches long & wide & about 6 inches deep. She spun violently round & round to escape the thorns, to no avail & the others cantered away when she tried to wipe it off on them. I couldn't see any obvious injuries but she was pretty worked up about the situation. After a few minutes she calmed down, realising that the more she fought the more she was spiked. I called her by name. She walked to me & calmly allowed me to gently removed her nemesis. A couple of years ago Kirk, her big brother by 14 months, got a back hoof jammed between two planks of a fence whilst rolling. He jerked his foot twice but couldn't release it. Stuck on his back his reaction then was to look directly at me. He was calm & quiet & allowed me to free his hoof, just like he expected me to help him out. He got up, totally unhurt - not even a scratch & nuzzled me ( his thank you? ). Each horse has their own personality, their likes & preferences. If we make the effort to partner with them, if mine are anything to go by, we can look forward to being oh so pleasantly surprised over & over again. Cheers, Jo.

Good Morning!

I’m really tickled to be able to come here and thank you for sending me to the post on trust! I learn so much from this forum, and you all are great teachers!

Trust is a huge part of all this and I have given it a lot of thought both from my part to them and theirs to me. Each horse in the herd has their place and I have mine, sometimes I think Mijo trusts me more than I trust him. I know that sounds odd, but true. I trust him more than any of the others.

Yesterday everything started fine we were all out at the fence line, Mijo, Mija, and Mateo getting treats, the others off grazing not paying attention or caring. I have been able to get Mijo to let me pet him back to his withers and back. I am sure I can touch him anywhere, anyway, when Mateo came up he demanded I give him my last carrot and of course when I didn’t do so immediately he pushed through the makeshift gate and within seconds I had the three of them in the orchard! Yikes! I had the black dually and long line in hand, my partner saw/heard what was happening and he came out to help. We herded them back out and fixed the fence.  I’m worried that they might get the idea it’s ok to do that, Mateo especially.  

I don’t think there is any malice in any of these horses but I definitely don’t trust the younger ones, I believe in time I will be able to trust them all, but right now I’m terrified they are going to snark each other and mow me over or worse which is why I don’t just go blast out there and work with them in the pasture like some people probably would. It just seems really dangerous to me.

We got fence panels yesterday so hopefully we’ll have some structures in place before too long. First a pen we can use as a catch pen/gentling pen, then hopefully a round pen after that. I’m excited and happy and somewhat impatient but all in good time, safety first, they are technically wild horses still.

Will keep checking in, have fun! 

Hi Tara and good morning.  In reading your post, two things came to mind and I would like to comment on them.
First, you mentioned that your are about to receive some corral panels that can be set up for a catch pen and round pen.  After these are in place, you will find that your world is going to change BIG TIME.  You have read in some of my post about tipping the PLAYING FIELD  in your favor when working with horses.  Well girl, that`s exactly what is going to happen when theses panels are in place.  The trick is to slow your enthusiasm and take each moment with the horse as a treasured gift.  The largest difference will be your ADVANTAGE to ask for and get your horse`s focus on you that leads to the request that might be given him.  FOCUS IS THE NUMBER ONE THING OF IMPORTANCE when training a horse.  Asking for and getting focus comes from fore thought and study on your part.  BE A ZEN MASTER at this, because it`s the door way through which ALL OF YOUR TRAINING, if successful, must go through.
Jo talks about the importance of trust in her last post.  She states trust is a two way street.  You stated that at times you don`t trust Mijo as much as you think he might trust you.  That could be a problem in the respect that when we trust we are saying to ourselves that we have CONFIDENCE in the situation before us.  Without trust, NO CONFIDENCE.  Without confidence, NO LEADERSHIP ABILITY  in eyes of the horse.  Leadership is KEY  when training horses.  I would work on trust and friendship on your part in the very first aspects of training with Mijo and before long you will be lifted up by your confidence.
Tara, you have come so far with these horses and YOUR  understanding about them.  Keep studying and believing in yourself.  When you hit a wall of MISUNDERSTANDING have that basic trust in PLACE so that you are able to go to the horse, put your arms around it, and say "let`s start over and get this right".   When your training is based on friendship. the horse will always be willing to hang with you.
Good luck and happy trails;
Bud

Bud, thank you again! Your words are full of long thought out pieces of wisdom that I have to ponder long and you are absolutely right! I’m looking forward to it all very much.

I feel close to Mijo like I always have, he chose me... and when he did I fell for him just as much. A lot I feel in my lack of confidence has to do with the other horses. The aggression between them seems to be centered around food and when we were feeding them in the pasture they would snark each other all over, going all directions at once. We all had “get-out-of-the-way” quick moments, they might not mean to run a person over but they sure will if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m all about safety. I trust sparingly because I know the nature of the others. One-on-one I’ve only been with Mijo and a tiny bit with Mija and Bonnie all before they were moved to the ranch. Here sometimes I can get Mijo or Mija alone at the fence but Mateo especially and Red seems to like to blow it and comes over. They want treats too, and Red’s a good girl, she’s just pushy. Even along our little fence while I know Mijo will respect the bounds the others won’t and that’s a bit scary. I try not to push my luck. The infrastructure is going to be a huge game changer.

Mijo and I are getting back to where we were before but so super slowly, I just can’t get impatient, safety and his willingness to want to work together is what it’s all about right now.

Mija has shown definitely we can be friends, I think she’s ready to practically put her nose in the harness herself...lol and she’s not afraid of me or being alone at the fence. She is afraid of Mijo and knows he will snark her so she reacts if he (or any of them) comes near. 

I want to mention while they both were sired by Medicine Hat Diego, they have different moms and Red is Mija’s mother. India was Mijo’s.  India was one of the most beautiful grade paints I have ever seen but wild as anything, would not let a human anywhere near her. The old Spaniard we got the herd from worked only with Mijo and then not too much, imprinted and some ground work. Mija not even as much as that. The mares/foals were opposites in personalities. I heard Diego is doing amazing in his new home, he was gelded and is very gentle and good now, India also went to the same home and is doing good.

It’s all going to be centered around the infrastructure.

The next phase is going to be amazing!

Will check in again soon.

Hi Tara. It's very reassuring to see that you do have a sense of the possible dangers of being with these horses, or any horses. They do not mean you harm but you are a much smaller, weaker species & they can inadvertently turn any situation into a catastrophe in a split second. This is where true HORSEMANSHIP comes in. The human who develops the ability to be on THE ALERT unconsciously, by definition, becomes the likely leader of horses. To be inwardly calm but NOT COMPLACENT. The behaviour of the horses you have named show degrees of acceptance of the human, some more, some less. The herd dynamics may alter with new smells & sounds of materials being delivered & building work taking place. Your job is to reassure the herd that these changes are not a threat to them whilst being aware that these changes may pose a threat to you, changed dynamics. Horses have fantastic peripheral vision. Human peripheral vision is less good but most humans seem to make very little use of it. Practice using this ability. This can be done anywhere. Looking ahead, become conscious of what you can see to each side. Effectively, this is your brain training to unconsciously keep you safe. Awareness & alertness without the naturally occurring chemical changes ( fight or flight ) in our body that horses lock onto. It may seem that this is a pointless, even patronising, post but it's not intended that way. How many people cross the road focusing solely on where they're going & paying little, if any, attention to peripheral events on the street? If the lights tell the traffic to stop then it's stopped, right? 100% of the time & it's absolutely safe to cross. OK, so how come people get knocked down? Well, people take risks, drivers & walkers alike. We are distracted by stresses, we let our thoughts wander, we fail to identify dangers in what we consider to be " low risk " situations. Accidents happen, but they are often compounded by the lack of awareness of those involved & that alters how they react, if they react at all, in the tiny window of opportunity to change the outcome. Be safe. Cheers, Jo.

Good morning Tara and Jo;  Somehow, I have lost sight of the fact that you Tara, are dealing with a group of horses that have had very little human handling.  Jo is absolutely right with what she writes about the overall vision that must in place when dealing with one or more horses that have limited human contact.
My thoughts go back to handling unknown stallions during the breeding season and the hyper vigilance that I had to call upon during these times.  A different situation from yours, Tara, but from a visual perspective, intense, for safety reasons.  This exactly why I do not carry a cell phone with me.
It is so very important to slow down and stay into the moment.   For instance, if you only get Mija to put her head into the halter the first few days BEFORE YOU LEAD HER OUT OF THE PASTURE and into the roundpen, consider it a win and feel great about your accomplishment.
  It probably is going to be tough for you to establish much leadership while in the pasture with the other horses causing distractions.  Once, out of the pasture,, that all changes.  If you have watched Monty`s videos with horses that are NEW to him.  You will see him greet the horse and walk away.  That` s the very first order of the business of establishing leadership oh his part with that horse.  He is saying to that horse, through  his body language," HELLO and I am going over here .  You can follow if you would like to."  That gives the horse a choice, because he is free to follow or not to follow.  Because of the inquisitive nature of horses and the energy flow around the human, sooner or later they WILL FOLLOW, and leadership, for the moment, has been established.  This would be the PLACE TO START YOUR TRAINING.  Our Native Americans became masters with this procedure.
Tara, you also need to protect yourself from the eventuality of something crazy happening while in that roundpen.  You will notice that Monty ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING IN HIS HAND FOR PROTECTION IF THE HORSE SHOULD GO SIDEWAYS AND CHALLENGE   HIM.  You should arm yourself as well.  That is also shaping your field for success while keeping you safe   It will also give you a confidence.
Tara,  when you lead a horse through a gate area for the first time they can erupt emotionally until they used to going in and out of that area.  Be very vigilant during these times.
Please stay safe and keep us all posted
Bud. 

Hi Tara, Jo, Bud and all,
How I enjoy this thread!!! It’s so good to follow your progress, Tara and read all the great advice you get.
I’d like to add to Jo’s periphal vision: when we focus on something with our eyes, our whole body becomes more tense. When we have what Sally Swift (Centered Riding) called “soft eyes” that allow periphal vision, our whole demeanor is soft. Horses sense tension, wild horses survive only through their awareness of tension and change in their environment. 
So working around wild horses with a soft, periphal vision keeps horses and human safe!
Keep the good work going!
Miriam 

Hi everyone!

Thank you for all the great responses! I am absolutely drinking in what you all have posted here. I read and reread, and then I go out with new things in my arsenal.

Without a doubt peripheral vision plays a good part, I first learned to use it in my twenty plus years driving truck, now I can certainly work on doing it more and better! I love the concept of soft eyes and I have been very aware lately that they are very aware of my eyes... so I have been working on concentrating on this part along with the other parts.

 It all happens simultaneously and it can be hard to pick apart and describe in words that paint accurate pictures. Working on getting “big” and snapping my eyes on Mateo sending my energy out to get him to go away and even with the long line it can be a feat.

With Mija it’s not a problem she goes away easily because of this I don’t tell her to go away I try to tell her I’m not going to hurt her and I’m her friend.

Mijo, just seems really like he wants the corrals up as much as the humans do and wishes he could get more time and attention for himself ...and treats. He will go away if he knows I really want him to, but when I first tell him he always questions, l think because I’ve always wanted him and allowed him as close as he wants to be, so he has to believe I do want him to go away, then he will. He is a little spooky still particularly around Red, too he picks on Mija. Mateo is always playing with him, they are beautiful when they play. 

At any rate, so far so good tomorrow is a big work day.

I’m going to work on soft eyes and posture and then the rest will fall into line. It’s like I can never get enough of just being with them. I’m planning to shoot some video as well I don’t know how I could share the video but I hope to work out the details on it soon.

Enjoy,
Tara

Hi Ya’all,
Quick question, if they cur Mateo now, will Mijo always stay acting stallion and if so how will this effect training him? He has trepidation whenever he gets separated from them....
Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Tara

(That was supposed to be “cut” Mateo...)

Hi Tara. I'm assuming Mateo will be driven into an enclosure, to separate him from the rest of the herd & then restrained, sedated, gelded & then returned to the herd after a short period of recovery. You will be the first to appreciate that they will all regard this as being a huge breach of trust, initially. This will likely impact on how each & every herd member responds to human contact & I would urge you to be very wary, not making any assumptions as to what is going to be their respective revised base line comfort zone. Mateo will transmit his outrage, then terror response, to this procedure. I'm not criticising here - I don't have a viable alternative. It will take several weeks before Mateos hormones level out so after a few days it's reasonable to assume the herd dynamics will return to 'normal' only changing as Mateo feels the long term effects. You originally said Mijo was gelded a year ago so he no longer has any natural stallion traits, just cheeky, young man one up man ship. My Humphrey was always a very gentle, respectful lad, even when entire. Only when Bella was in season did he show any stallion traits & even then I felt totally safe being in the field with them. Humphrey is exceptional. Most stallions are not safe for people to 'potter around' like I did/do with him. Kirk, who was gelded at 11 months old in order for the family to safely stay together, has always been more inquiring than his dad, more proactive & braver. It's just his nature. I suspect Mijo is just a healthy, enthusiastic, spirited young fella & once the general major upset, of Mateo leaving the herd involuntary, has settled down his behaviour will return to what you've seen as 'normal'. Cheers, Jo.

Morning Jo, and all...
The only thing different from what you summed up is likely Mateo will be transported down the road, to the vet, then he’ll stay a few days there and when he’s past danger he’ll be brought back. So yes it’s just like you said, I don’t think it will be more than a couple weeks and then they will take him. 
Observing the herd dynamics, (despite the fact that Mijo has been cut,) Mijo appears to be quite the leading male, I’ve seen him gather the herd, move them, alert them, he’s at times very... arrogant, for lack of a better word. He runs Nina like crazy, she’s terrified to be anywhere near him.
I think Diego taught Mijo, and I think Mijo is teaching Mateo. Just my theory, Mijo has always been the most personable colt, very friendly. Only a few odd times has he acted any other way, but he had a horrible experience when they cut him. I wasn’t able to be there, maybe that’s a good thing because he cannot associate me with anything that happened then. Still, I believe that he is doing the job of the stallion in the herd even though he’s not one anymore.
I hope Mateo has a better time of it than Mijo did, different situation completely, and a different vet. While he’s not ours I do have a care for him. Too he’s not been making the face lately that I’ve seen.
Hopefully we’ll have the catch pen done this week.
Thank you for your insight, I’m going to hope for the best for the little guy and all of them.
Enjoy,
Tara