Cimmaron is a wild mustang from the ranges in the USA. She
was brought to Ontario and continued to be a wild horse out on a several acre
pasture with some other horses including another wild mustang. Although she
would see people filling the water trough and tossing hay, she was never tamed
for the majority of her life.
She had her hooves trimmed a few times by being tranquilized
and sedated to the ground so that her severely deformed hooves from over growth
could be trimmed. I started working with Cimmaron last year and was able to
halter her, and groom her.
Heading into this year Cimmaron's owner and I really made an
effort to get Cimmaron tamed so she could be trimmed without tranquilizers.
I've been working with her for an hour once a week, most weeks.
It's been really exciting because now I can approach
Cimmaron pretty easily, she will take carrots from my hand, I can halter her
each session, she knows how to be led with the lead rope, how to yield her hind
quarters, and she picks up each hoof for me to clean out.
Last week I did a session to prepare Cimmaron for the
farrier to come up - I wore a head lamp which was a little scary for Cimmaron
at first. I brought my own farrier tools and hoof stand. I was able to rest
Cimmaron's hoof one at time on the stand and use the clippers and file on her
hooves without any complaints or worry from Cimmaron.
Cimmaron has certainly come a long way and is now much more
tame but she still has some more room to come before I would call her training
complete - she still gets nervous the first couple times as I switch from left
side to ridght side of her body to rub her, I still have to halter her slowly
or I will overwhelm her and cause her to run away, and Cimmaron is still wary
of new things.
I know she is making great progress though because we have
already accomplished so much and Cimmaron gets better and better every week -
now it only takes me a few minutes to halter her, she leads much better, I can
rub her all over, and pick up all hooves - as well each week the tasks get
easier and easier. She actually stands really patiently for me to clean her
hooves - much better then most trained horses!
Tonight is really exciting because Kaileen, a natural
barefoot trimmer, will be coming up to try trimming Cimmaron's hooves. I will
start by getting Cimmaron's halter on and some basic desensitizing exercises to
get her ready, and then Kaileen will try to take over and trim her hooves like
a normal, tamed horse.
Cross your fingers for us for good luck!!
