ISPMB Provides an Insight into The Approach to Take While Taming a Wild Horse
The most well-known breeds of untamed domesticated horses that roam free the wild are mustangs. They are found in the Western United States and can be adopted through organizations like ISPMB or International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros. This is the oldest wild horse and burro organization of the nation, and has been preserving and protecting America’s wild horses and burros for the past 61-years. Newly adopted wild mustangs require careful training. Their handlers must have enough patience to tame them. The transition from a wild horse to a domesticated one can take several months to up to a year.
It takes a good amount of practice and experience to be able to tame wild horses like mustangs. This is not a task that any inexperienced horse handler should take on. To tame a wild horse, a basic understanding of equine behavior and a level of confidence around horses is needed. Horses are herd animals and within their herds, there would be dominant horses that influence much of the movement and behavior of the herd. During the taming process, the handler needs to essentially have enough confidence to establish their own sense of leadership and dominance for the newly adopted mustang to submit and begin to obey commands.
One of the most important aspects of taming a wild horse is body language. A handler needs to have a proper understanding of the body language of a horse, as that shall impact how much time it will take them to develop a relationship with a wild horse. It can be a good move to place the wild horse in the company of tamed ones in the field to start. Walking to the tame horses in the field and feeding them treats will show the wild ones that they do not have anything to fear. Tame horses must be patted with a warm tone and soft voice. Over time, the wild horses shall start to relax and they might even be encouraged to approach the handler.
To earn the trust of the horse, the handlers must firstly try to get into regular contact with it. The horse must be provided with proper time and opportunity to get used to the touch of the handler. The handler must subsequently use their voice and constant positive reinforcement with treats to keep encouraging the horse. Grooming additionally is another important aspect of taming a horse and gaining their trust. Regular grooming will make the horse relaxed and get accustomed to being touched all over their bodies. In the beginning, the strokes with the brushes should be slow and smooth so that they do not get unsettled. As the horse becomes a horse is comfortable being handled, groomed, and wearing a halter, the final step in taming shall be to introduce them to lunging. More insights into taming wild horses can be acquired by organizations like ISPMB.
