Gentling a Wild Mustang - Day 0 (Pick Up From Ridgecrest)

Today is day 0 of my training journey with “Mojave’s Meraki” aka “Rocky”, my 3 year old mustang pick for the Las Vegas Mustang Challenge. He’s from Nevada Wild Horse Range HMA and was rounded up in July 2020. Since then he’s been in the holding pens waiting for me to pick him up! They’ve gelded him and given him his shots through a chute but that’s all. I’ve trained several mustangs, but never one from day 1, picking it up from the corrals like this!
I was so excited to be the first one there in the morning to pick up. First I drove through to the viewing area where I made sure it was the same horse that I had requested. I saw Rocky and he was looking pretty calm! Then we drove the trailer around to the loading area, backed it up and the BLM employees put him through a chute to halter him safely and got him into the trailer and the doors closed.
I was a bit nervous about how much the trailer was rocking, but once we got on the road he started to settle down. (We also hauled another mustang for a competitor, so I think it helped that he had a friend.) He was pretty calm on the 5 hour journey back from Ridgecrest, California to Las Vegas, and even once got so curious he reached out and touched my hand with his nose! I couldn’t help but just stare at him through the trailer slots anytime we would stop.
When we got home he took his time getting out of the trailer, but walked calmly into his stall. One neighbor was SO excited to meet him, the other not so much. He walked back and forth a bit, avoiding coming up close to the front. I’m going to give him the whole day and night to settle in. I’m so excited to get in the pen with him, but I want to let him relax and take it all in. Baby steps!
I board my other two horses at this barn that has 30 stalls, so there are lots of people around all the time! Rocky will get lots of attention I’m sure! Now that he’s home I’ll be training him for a competition October 1st, 2021 here in Las Vegas! Let the games begin!