Our own Vicki, "The Italian Connection" loves burros. She is giving demonstrations pertinent to the Burro Psyche .. and, yes, Burro's tend to believe they are a lot smarter than the horse and likely smarter than we are too <sigh>

Well, he's standing still ... this leaves me a quiet period to explain what the rope-halter feels like.  Our method is usually pretty quiet.  This allows other students to come in and observe  closely. Then we let each one try it themselves. This has the additional benefit of teaching the mustang that most of us are pretty laid back.

Pam, also the owner of Tooka, uses a wand to get the mare used to something other than a horse touching her.

I am demonstrating drawing little circles on the mare's back ... it works, even from a distance if you concentrate properly.

Cheryl also specializes in Burro gentling and demonstrates it at clinics. Cheryl also owns and cares for the now quite old Tobey ... he has a radio which is on a shelf in his barn at Cheryl's place. It's always on a Country-Western Station .. he sleeps under the high shelf ... we need a picture Cheryl!!

I like chatting with Gus W. about the mustangs.  He is the BLM State of Utah Director. Gus controls all activities for the care and supervision of the Wild Mustangs in the entire State! Pretty impressive job !! 

Roberta tries her hand at petting the mustang.  It's very quiet and often slow. As you see from the number of people at the other round-pen ... activity like  making a mustang dash around a pen always attracts a lot more people ... not much need to make a mustang run like that though, they already learned how to run away from things out in the desert.  I thought the idea was to get them to come to us ... hmmmm .....

Notice the sand in the round-pen? No "Running Tracks" ... yet we get up to the fresh mustang and (eventually) rub their necks , for example.  We believe "Quiet is Better" ... your choice though.

The mustang is calm, the student is touching the horse's back.  There is a time and a place for jogging the horse .... event training comes to mind as one good reason ... but it is hardly appropriate when you are first getting to know the beast. ..unless that is, your regular life is run a a Control Freak ... then, ok, I can see your need to chase the horse around. Hopefully though you will allow him to chase you around.

Yeah, I think I like scratching their necks rather than trying to prove I am boss by chasing them around a pen in mindless circles ...

Well, gee ... even I can halter the guy ... I have my "Hay" to use for Clicker-Training treats.  The guy has no concept of carrots nor grain yet ... at first I used a motion of moving away as a reward when I made the "Clicking" sound with my mouth ... his reward was I took the pressure off and moved a way for  very few seconds.

It's easy. You just have to put your mind to being calm.

We are discussing "technique" of being quiet while the mustang is displaying a great curiosity about us. his is good.  And this is also how we get him to come to us, rather than us forcing it too much on him.

Yup ... I like it when we are quiet and cause the mustang to relax and check us out ... He  is studying my back-strap and then camera...

Jim is cool. The Mustang knows it too. So it seems. Jim runs all the stage-work and lighting at the Salt Lake Opera & Theatre. Guess ya have to be cool to do that! Jim's done this a couple years with us now and the Mustangs really like him.