I adopted a buckskin mustang in 1995 and named him Little Dude. The first thing I said as I turned to look back at my horse in the horse trailer on the way home was "that is my little dude" so his name came to be. I have enjoyed him so much he is my best friend and I would be lost without him. He has such a personality that is all his own. We have become known through out the area as Andy and her wild horse or the lady in red on a wild mustang.

It took me three days to gentle him. From there everything proceeded really fast. We have done parades, horse shows, over night trail rides, but the best is when we are alone riding. People ask me if I still have my mustang and the answer is always yes, I could not part with him for anything. I was told I could get a good cheap horse and that I did not want to adopt a wild horse--they are no good. Well I did adopt a wild mustang and I don’t regret it one bit. We have proven otherwise that they are some of the best horses.

He is so smart and has taught me a lot about horses as well as myself.

When he decided that I could touch him I scratched one side and he would turn for me to do the other side. I spent at least 2 hours doing this all the while touching his legs and letting him smell my hands so he would know that I was not going to hurt him. I felt the important thing was to let him come to me on his own, as they told me that they work on trust.

He gained 50 pounds a month for the first few months that I owned him. He got healthy and coliced on me. I called the BLM and let them know what was going on and got a lot of good feed back and support. The vet and I decided that he should not have grain. He was at my mothers and my sister decided he should have grain. So I called again and explained what was happening and moved him out to the Llama farm with me. There the bond got tighter between us. I would go play out in the pasture with him and just sit with him. He would lie at my feet like a dog and let me brush the flies off him.

The electric went out one night when I had him out on the front lawn eating grass, and of course he got out. I was panic stricken that my best friend was gone. How was I going to get him back? I followed his tracks to the field across the road where he had gone into the woods. The panic grew as I considered the possibilities and how I could afford $5000 to get my horse back? He had his halter on and one main concern was that he might get hung up somewhere. I kept following the tracks and started calling his name. He came right to me when he heard my voice. He had a choice--he could be free or he could be with me and he choice me. That made my heart sing when he chose me over being free. I knew then that we would be friends forever and the love we have is given freely.

I view adopting a mustang as you could own them in the legal since but you could only be a friend to them if they chose to let you. You cannot own them, only be friends to them if they so choose. I have found this works real well.

I could not get him to lunge for me and I called some people from New Hampshire that were at the adoption and talked to them about it and they told me to keep after him and he would do it. Well I gave him a break over the winter and just brushed him and played with him and come that spring, I said we will try this one more time and he was right there walk, trot, canter, was I happy or what.

When it came time for me to start picking up his feet he would pull them away from me and I would reach down and pick them up again and he would pull them away from me. Now I can go out to the pasture and pick up his feet.

I took him to a stable where I worked cleaning the stalls so I could get the help I needed to get him so I could ride him. My first ride was a five minute trail ride on him just sitting there getting on and off. I was so happy he just stood there and I tell everyone what my first trail ride was on him.

That fall my daughter rode him on a trail ride and he was so good with her. He makes me proud. I tell him lets show people what a mustang is all about.

I don’t want anyone to think it was easy because it was not. I spent a lot of time with him on the ground just walking him into different situations and exposed him to a lot of different things. The one thing I had going for me was his trust in me and the trust I had in him. Being a first time horse owner I was ignorant of a lot of stuff and he had so many chances to hurt me and he never has. He seems to know what I need if I need him to give me a hard time or to be loving and gentle even if it is not what I think I need at that time. This experience is not for everyone you have to set boundaries and be firm with them but not aggressive and remember they are wild and will fight back. Be a friend with healthy boundaries and watch what happens.

Little Dude has grabbed my shirtsleeve and just hung on from the time I gentled him. This was something I let him do. I don’t know why but I did. I was at horse person’s house and he grabbed my shirt and she told me that it is a true sign of affection from a horse when they do that. I guess that means my little horse loves me openly and honestly as I do him.

People have remarked on the bond that is between us and it is there if you watch you will see it.

I am grateful for my little horse and the bond and love that is there between us, as I know he is grateful it is there.

I am grateful for the love of a wild horse named Little Dude.

Angela Young