Filetti Farms Mustang Makeover Journey

Every horse is different. I learn so much from each one I train. I’ve never trained a horse with as much “stranger danger” as Prince has. It’s hard for him to let his guard down. It always feels like one step forward and 2 steps back with him. So, time to call for help again!

Anyone want to come love on my horse? 🤣 I’ve started begging people to interact with him so he can get use to other handlers and learn humans aren’t so scary. Thank you to those who have helped this week. You are the best!

I don’t know if we adopted a horse or a rabbit. 🤣 Yesterday we started teaching Prince to load in a trailer. He walked right in first try. Once in, he got scared and bolted out. He took off to our big pasture where all the horses are. I’m sure he was loving his freedom and was bounding about. It was hard to tell if he was a horse or rabbit as he was bunny hopping around. lol Check the pictures of him with all four feet off the ground SEVERAL times.

Prince has FINALLY caught onto lunging. I’ve been doing lots of groundwork but for some reason, the concept of lunging was hard for him to get. I’ve had to break it down into so many small steps and today it finally clicked. Mustangs really make you think outside the box!

Brooke saddled him again. He did buck at first and then settled right down. We are SLOWLY starting to see some of his personality come out.

I’m waiting for the day he starts coming to the edge of the round pen for touches and scratches. My students have been waiting to greet him for pets and scratches but he is not ready. That will be a HUGE breakthrough and game changer for him!

Introduced the ba****ck pad and saddle to Prince yesterday. He had a few bucks and then it was over. Started teaching him to pick up his feet as well. He’s a tricky one. He’s both sensitive and dull at the same time. 🤣 It’s fun trying to figure out what works for him and learning how we need to break each step down for him to better understand what we are asking. Hoping with the holidays behind us we can really dedicate some time to him.

We have been working with Prince but not as much as we should. Hoping this year we will find more time to work with personal horses and to reach our goals.

Prince enjoys his journeys out of the round pen now. He still has LOTS of stranger danger but is starting to open up and show some personality. He is going to be SOLID once he trusts. I love how brave and open he is to new things. He seems to process well and take everything in stride.

Yesterday Brooke took Prince out of the round pen for his second time. He was MUCH more willing leave this time. Since there were no lessons yesterday, and it was quiet on the farm, we ventured down to the arena to see how he would do with all the traffic and items in there.

I was pleasantly surprised how well he took everything. Approached with caution but was not scared of anything! Even our GIANT blow up Clydesdales. He smelled all the new items, walked over ground poles, cross rails, and we even took him over to our second arena.

Once in the speed arena, he started to get spooky with Levi being ridden and cantering around. He tried to get away once but quickly got over it. We decided to end on a good note and call it a day.

I’ll be doing lots of groundwork with him this week and teaching him to lift his feet so we can get the farrier out soon. Once those two things are accomplished he will start hauling out for adventures.

Time for an overdue update….

As everyone knows this time of year is CRAZY busy!!! We have been doing small and very few sessions with the mustangs. We separated them into two different pens which was great because Prince could not hide behind Ghost anymore. Both horses were getting better with their groundwork but still lots of room to improve. They are understanding the fundamentals though so that’s great.

For some reason I just could not click with Ghost. He started getting aggressive even though he was being corrected. I called in Daisy Jones to work her magic with him and you could see they really clicked. I was going to send Ghost off to get started under saddle so we could have more time to start Prince. After contacting the trainer and things falling through I knew it was best to give Ghost to her. You could see there was a bond there that I never had. Daisy is FEARLESS when it comes to mustangs and Ghost needs a confident handler. I’m not going to lie, I did fear he could hurt me, one of my children, or students if I was not careful. He is the first mustang that has ever come after me in full attack mode. Not once but twice. He also charged Emily twice as well. I’ve had others that have reared, striked, kicked and bit. Ghost is the first horse I’ve had to beat off of me though. I know she will do well with him. I can’t wait to follow her journey and see all the things they accomplish. It’s a hard thing to admit that sometimes you are not a good fit for a horse. Daisy has more knowledge about mustangs than I do. She is WAY more confident with Ghost than I was and he knew that! They will do big things together.

Prince on the other hand has so much stranger danger. So many people have given him love and scratches, you would think he would be over it by now. He is going to be the horse that takes a long time to trust. Once you get it, he will be solid! I did notice a change once Ghost left. He was his comfort buddy. He is now seeking companionship now that he is gone. We were able to FINALLY get him out of the round pen. We will take it slow with him and start introducing him to things on the farm and then start hauling off for adventures. He is such a sweet horse with the kindest eye. Prince reminds me so much of our first mustang named Leo. He is a barn favorite here and I hope Prince follows in his footsteps. They are both VERY similar in personality.

Been a busy week! So glad Bob and Valerie came by to meet the mustangs and work with them. They still have so much stranger danger. We will be separating them into 2 round pens this weekend. We have been using the holding pen to work them separately but keeping them permanently separated will be so much easier!

The moment everyone has been waiting for….we FINALLY have a name for the bay horse. 🤣

Everyone meet Prince! He is such a lovely mover and just floats when he trots. Brooke can now start thinking of fancy show names. She would love any suggestions that include his name.

Today Ghost got to venture out of the round pen. We tried to take Prince too but he said NOPE! It was funny seeing them stand at the gate opening with no desire to leave. Ghost got to meet the scary picnic table, see the horse trailers and walk between them, meet the chickens and even was brave enough to check out the hammock. He is starting to trust me more and more.

The boys had a visiter yesterday. Thanks for stopping by Bill and saying hi! Didn’t get to work much with the boys Friday.

Today I started teaching Ghost how to lunge. I also did some desensitizing. I want to make sure he has really good groundwork and knows how to handle scary things before taking him out of the round pen. He reminds me so much of Tucker!

Week 1 complete!

Ghost and Bay (no name) have come a long way.
Thanks to all those who have helped this first week. It’s nice having them see so many new faces to help rid the stranger danger.

Today Taylor played with the bay horse. She was able to brush and braid his mane. Also worked on being touched all over. I love she likes helping train! I was able to braid Ghost’s mane as well. He let me brush him on both sides from nose to tail. He’s still a little weary but let me do it while giving me side eye. Lol

Busy day yesterday! Only worked with the mustangs for a little bit. Just gave lots of rubs and scratches. Trying to get them comfortable touching all body parts and standing beside them. I had Brooke stick the bay to see if he really was 15.2 hands. He did measure to be. He looks shorter than Romeo but measured the same height. 🤷‍♀️ Hoping we get another inch or two out of him now that he is on good forage. Brooke got her first kiss. I told her she gets to name the bay since he will be her horse. She is still undecided.

I love working with horses! Some days are good days and others seem like not much gets accomplished. My goal is always to be 1% better, because after awhile, 1% better will be 100% better than where you started. I feel this a lot when working with mustangs. EVERYTHING is on their time. Some days you will have huge breakthroughs and others will seem like only a 1% day. If you don’t have TIME, don’t get a mustang! They will teach you patience, they will teach you to question yourself, they will make you work, think outside the box and make you a better person in the end. Each horse is different and requires different things. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Try new things you may not have done before. Get creative! It’s a fun and rewarding experience but don’t set a timeline.

Both boys are steadily progressing but I know there will be bad days where I feel like we are going backwards and not forwards. Horses have bad days like us. Be patient and kind yet firm and clear of what you are asking. If you cannot get the message across, try a new approach. I love learning new methods and ways to teach things. What works for one horse does not always work for another. I’m thankful for those that have reached out and offered input and their advice. Thank you! I’m always learning.

The boys got baths again yesterday. The warmer weather is helping them enjoy relief from the heat with their incoming winter coats. They are learning that fly spray is a good thing and gives relief from the pesky bugs. Both are starting to lead nicely. I’ve started some groundwork with Ghost as he does not respect personal space very well and can get aggressive at times. He is learning to back off pressure and also move his forequarters away. Both horses can disengage hindquarters and square up and give 2 eyes.

I will be removing drag lines shortly as they are almost not needed anymore. The bay horse was able to be caught for the first time yesterday by simply being approached. That was a HUGE breakthrough! Sean, you worked your magic yesterday! They have both been handled by so many people already. Thanks to all those who have helped and continue to help. It makes working 2 horses so much easier. We are now working on getting rid of touchy spots and being able to touch all body parts on both sides.

I’m thankful this competition is almost a year away as I don’t feel rushed or have to push through some barriers faster than I normally would. Everything has been on their timeline so far.

Each day gets better and better. We had some break through moments with the bay horse yesterday. This horse is special in a good way. He has the kindest eye but has a hard time trusting. I think he will accomplish BIG things when he lets his guard down and starts enjoying being domestic. I always put Ghost in our holding pen when I work with the bay. Yesterday we got lots of touches, rubs and scratches and I got to de tangle and brush out his mane. We spent a lot of time just being with each other and enjoying one another’s company. Lots of sighs and relaxation. Leading is getting much better and he is starting to join up voluntarily. I may have stole a few kisses as well.

Ghost is a fun horse to work with. He is easy to catch but keeps you on your toes. He has sass but can also be a willing partner. We started some groundwork exercises yesterday to help teach about not being pushy and respecting space. He reminds me SO much of Tucker!

Both horses are getting lots of interaction from
different people. They are learning humans are not so bad anymore.

When I finish working both horses I put them back together in the round pen. Yesterday I was able to catch and be with both horses at the same time. They always feed off each other but they both enjoyed being with me for the first time. I think they would make a great liberty team. So many times they match movements and follow each other in sync. It’s quite lovely to watch.

Yesterday was a reminder that you always need to be cautious working with animals, especially wild horses. Sometimes we get too comfortable and need to remember they have their own brain. Ghost didn’t want to be messed with and lunged twice yesterday with both feet and teeth. Luckily we were able to correct it the second time as we were not prepared the first.

After being firmly corrected Ghost did not want to be caught. Well, I got out my handy rope again (praying I would have better results) and luckily caught him on the third try. I was able to do some touch and release and do more leading work before putting him in the holding pen.

I then roped our bay horse (yet to be named) on the first try. Whoop whoop! He has a hard time with any human interaction and has LOTS of stranger danger. I got him leading again and then coached Emily through the rest of his training session. She worked on touch and release, got the first kiss, fly sprayed, and ended with a nice bath. We have to use a stick to touch his sides as he is still very guarded with any forms of touch. He has the kindest eye and cutest face! I think he is going to be very special once he lets his guard down.

I finished the evening with one late night session with Ghost. We just worked on some more touches and leading. I could not get to the bay horse as he runs and hides behind Ghost still. He will come around with some time.

Yesterday I was on cloud 9! We finally got Ghost leading well enough to get him into a side holding pen so we could work with the bay horse solo. The bay horse has been hiding behind Ghost every chance he got and has been avoiding any kind of human interaction.

Once separated I tried to rope the bay horse which was a big FAIL! 🤣 Totally need to work on my roping skills. I then switched to pressure and release and catching his eye. I released pressure when he would turn and face me. Then I did approach and retreat to see if I could get a first touch. SUCCESS!!! It took time. LOTS and lots of time. Everything with mustangs is about being patient and on their time. Working with them has taught me so much over the years. You have to dig deep, get creative, think outside the box, ask for help from others and be patient. They will make you work for everything but the end result is a lifelong partner.

After getting a first touch with the bay horse, I was able to get close enough to attach an additional drag line. From here we taught him how to give to pressure and disengage his hindquarters. Then we began teaching him how to lead.

The bay horse then got a break while we brought back out Ghost. The bay horse remained in the round pen with us. He wasn’t comfortable enough to be put in the holding pen while we worked with Ghost.

We did some more leading with Ghost, reintroduced the fly spray again, and ended with a few scratches. Oh, also got to steal my fist kiss from Ghost.

Thank you Rebecca for all the pictures and videos! Big thanks to everyone who is always willing to lend a hand and help. It’s great having them be handled by so many different people to help get rid of the stranger danger.

Well, we “think” we have one horse named (the grey). Thank you Callie for the name suggestion. Everyone meet “Ghost” aka Boo Boo. At least that’s what we have been calling him the past 2 days. Lol

Yesterday we worked on some more touches. Everyday we will be getting rid of more no touch zones until he is safe to touch all over. We began the process of how to lead and had his first small grooming sessions. There were so many flies bothering Ghost while training that we also decided it was time to introduce fly spray. He took to that like a champ. Smart boy. We got some great flehmen response. Apparently fly spray smells funny! 🤣

Ghost seems to go with the flow for the most part. He does let us know when he has had enough though. We try to keep sessions short but frequent right now. There is not much stranger danger as we try to have lots of hands on deck to make sure that’s never an issue.

As for our bay mustang, he is still nameless. He is quite flighty right now so just runs the round pen, keeping a constant eye on us while we work with Ghost. He is starting to get use to us working with Ghost in there and is lessoning his comfort distant which is good. We are in no rush so will work with him as he gets braver.

Exciting day! What’s better than a new mustang? TWO new mustangs! 🤣

1st mustang is a 6 year old bay gelding from Twin Peaks, CA

2nd mustang is a 6 year old grey (looks like a champagne dun) gelding from Sheepshead Heath Creek, OR

We will be training both horses for the next year and hope to compete in the Mustang Classic at the Kentucky Horse Park September 13th-15th 2024.

The bay is more reserved and shy. It took a bit, but the grey gelding warmed up to us tonight and I was able to end the evening giving him scratches several times.

Well…here we go again! We will be picking up another wild mustang on October 19th 2023 and posting his journey here.

I would love help with a barn and show name as he does not have one yet. He is a 6 year old 15.2 hand (I hope he really sticks that height) gelding from Twin Peaks, CA.

We will be applying for the Mustang Classic challenge once we pick him up. The competition will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY on September 13th-15th 2024.

Took Tuck Tuck cow sorting for his second time yesterday. Jared said he really caught on quick and once he knew the cow you wanted he just took over. Such a smart horse! I think my lesson kids enjoy riding him as much as I do now. Lol

Happy Gotcha day to Tuck Tuck! It’s crazy to think we picked Tucker up a year ago today. We had a rough start and nicked named him “Mother Tucker” for a reason. 🤣 SO glad those days are behind us. I’ve invested so many hours, blood, sweat and tears into this sweet boy and it’s really paid off. He’s my go to horse now, totes around my lesson kids, and has really seen the sites. Below are some pictures of things we have accomplished last year until now. We are just beginning as he is coming 5 this year and has his whole life ahead of him. I love you Tuck Tuck. I will always be sad that we did not get to compete at the Extreme Mustang Makeover but am forever thankful that we did not have to go through that stress and you are MINE!

Last day of Christmas Break and went for a swim. Even better, got my husband in the saddle. Tuck Tuck is one of our most solid horses now and is being used for lessons and camps already.

Thank you Scottie Drewry Photography for the AMAZING photos from the Black Horse Buckle series. It was Tuckers first real speed show. We had attended this event before the makeover and only trotted the barrel pattern just for exposure. We may not have been fast, but he was calm and relaxed the whole time and that’s what was most important. I don’t want him ever hating a job and always want to give him good experiences. So far he has enjoyed everything we have tried. We will be attending the series two more times. More pictures coming next month. 🙂

Hello y’all! So I have decided to keep this page open and continue posting Tucker and his journey. The Makeover may be over but we are still working together as a team and getting better and better each month. Tucker had the summer off to rest and decompress and we began training again in August. Since the makeover we have been trail riding, doing flat work to build balance and collection and are now working with an eventing trainer. We competed in our first 3 day event last Saturday. Our dressage needs work but we went clear on stadium and cross country. So proud of him taking it all in and giving his best.

I’m sad we never did get to compete in the Makeover and that will stay with me forever but I do not regret pulling him and working on his time. We have learned to trust each other and I have done my best to make everything new to him a good experience.

Here are some pictures from this weekend. On Friday I had another lesson with our awesome trainer named Beto at Dream Horse Equestrian Center. We did grid work, counted our strides, and practiced lengthening and shortening them.

On Saturday I took my students to a local Buckle series speed show. I brought Tucker to get him more exposer. He did a great job for his second show and was relaxed the whole time. We even placed 5th in barrels. So proud of this guy. There is nothing he won’t try for me!

After prayer, long stressful days, and sleepless nights, I have made the decision to withdraw Tucker from the Extreme Mustang Makeover. I’m sorry I have disappointed so many of you who have been following our journey. I feel it is best for the both of us in the long run. Tucker is not a 100 day mustang and needs more time to settle in. We have been building trust and I don’t want to lose that. We have both been pushed to the max and it’s time to sit back, relax, and not worry about deadlines anymore. He will be a great addition to our program in time. I can now work at his pace which I think will further his trust and our bond. I cannot thank the Mustang Heritage Foundation enough for all their hard work bringing awareness to this amazing breed. Mustangs really are great all around horses once you earn their trust. They can do anything! I hope in the future, we can show our mustangs and represent what they can do in several disciplines as they are so versatile.

For those that donated to Tucker, I am happy to return the funds. Please private message me so I can return the funds in the way you prefer. I will still be giving out our “Team Tucker” shirts when they arrive this week. You can watch for Tucker updates on our Filetti Farms page from here going forward.

Thanks again to everyone that has followed us and supported us on our journey. So many people have helped us along our way. It has taken a village!

Yesterday morning I threw on my English saddle and hacked around the arena with Hannah before taking her to school. Tuck Tuck looks so cute in English.

After dropping off Hannah I met up with Cassie Marie at Beth Nelson’s. We took Tucker on a trail ride and I learned new trails I had never been on before. We climbed hills, went through mud and water, and had brush rubbing all over us. We tried moving out on the trails but he was only comfortable at a trot. I’ve ponied him several times cantering down trails but yesterday he was not ready to do it independently. We will continue to build confidence and work up to it.

We finished the ride walking Tucker through Beth’s cow pasture. On Friday we plan to go sorting. Anyone want to come with us???? I wanted to get Tucker exposed to cattle before then to see how he would do around them first. He’s been so willing and I always want to try to set him up for success first if I can. Well, we did great! Even felt like he was trying to track a few of the cows at times.

After evening lessons I jumped on Tucker for one last short ride. We just worked on closing a gate, sidepassing on the ground and in the saddle, and flexing and getting softer in the bridle. What a great day. Thank you Beth and Cassie for letting me join you yesterday!

8 days left!!!

I cannot say enough good things about this boy. Tucker is like another horse and just aims to please now! He is a very confident horse and just needs direction. I’m enjoying working with him so much and look forward to our daily adventures. There are so many things and places I would like to expose him to but sadly there is just not enough time.

Yesterday we got to visit Trot Ranch with Iris Glick. Such a fun day playing on her lovely obstacles. Thank you for the pictures Jane Marsden. Tucker and I had a blast!

Tucker and I met up with Jared on our way home. Jared got to see his sweet boy before heading back to work.

After lessons I got in Tuckers first arena ride under the lights. Jared sat on Tucker again. I promised Jared I would let him have a ride before the makeover. Be watching for that in the next coming days.

Only 9 days left!!!

Yesterday Tuck Tuck got a well needed day off. He got to play in the big pasture. Everyone around here enjoys Sundays and our day of rest. Hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday. Back to the grind.

10 more days!!!

Yesterday was AMAZING!!!! We started the day off at Black Horse Ranch Resort for their fun series speed show. I wanted to expose Tucker to lots of people, horses, a new arena and to loud sounds. We only participated in barrels as I didn’t want to overwhelm him. We placed 2nd. There may have only been 2 riders in our class though. 🤣

After our speed event, we walked around the area and went on a short trail ride. Tucker was such a good boy and took it all in. We left on a good note and positive experience.

Several hours later I saddled him back up and worked in our arena. We have been working on forward impulsion, cantering and being softer in the bridle. He has started backing and side passing. Jared convinced me to let him sit on Tucker.

I then walked Tucker through our obstacles and rode them after. He is very curious and is starting to crave attention. I hate to say it, but we are becoming attached!

11 days!!!

Rode Tucker by myself in the arena yesterday so sadly no pictures or videos. He moved out at the walk, trot and canter. We practiced backing, flexing, and introduced the side pass. Also played around with a bean bag and introduced him to our barn fan which he LOVED!

Hoping to get him exposed to lots of new things this upcoming week. Let me know if anyone wants us to come visit, come play at the house with us or wants to go on a trail ride.

Leaving in 12 days!

We did it! Yesterday was my first day riding in the arena AND we cantered. 😍 HUGE thanks to Roland for helping me get my confidence back on Tucker. After coming off so many times it’s been hard to get back on. Tucker is still green as grass but he is becoming a willing partner. After riding in the arena we went on a short trail ride. Tucker did great and we got to work a lot on yielding around trees and bushes. After lessons we played around with some barrels in the arena and were toying around with some freestyle options. Would LOVE any crazy silly ideas that anyone thinks we can do! Tucker was not amused about being sent under my legs. Thank goodness I’m tall. 🤣

Countdown has begun. 13 days until we leave leave!