Pepperidge Spice, Steward Creek WY Mustang Filly.

10/01/2023

We picked up our Pepper today, after 6 weeks training with Terry Clibborn. Katy also rode her and passed Pepper's test- smart little mares are known for such things!

08/21/2023

I was so excited today to take our little mustang Pepper to well know mustang trainer TJ Clibborn, and his 2 wonderful mustang loving apprentices. He says she will be started riding tomorrow! She rode nicely in the slant in our trailer with Abi as a buddy.

Mustangs are horses captured in wild herds out west. Pepper was captured at age 4 months in the Stewart Creek, Wyoming herd area.

03/31/2023

It was coggins and shots day for Pepper today, and it went pretty well. Yeah!

03/26/2023

Pepper had a good workout yesterday with Katy- after a few weeks off with allow us being sick. Training time soon!

09/22/2022

Pepper the mustang was a good girl again for me this AM on the way to turnout, and on a cool windy day too. I think the good "walking to turnout" days are increasing in frequency with time.

09/20/2022

I was so happy that Pepper the mustang was well mannered and respectful on her way "down the hill" to turnout this morning! It made my day. Typically it is her naughty spot, as it has seemed to be for most of our young stock over the years. There are signs of a big appy color change coming up for her next year, lots of white! Here she is with her best friend, 25 year old Jewel.

09/19/2022

Pepper was a very good girl for grooming today- for the first time for me, she willingly picked up and let me clean out all 4 feet. We then did a short lunging and groundwork session.

09/08/2022

No work out for Pepper today, I just let her be a horse. We did need to go by the scary hay elevator with bales sitting up high on the way to turnout, and she really did pretty well with that. And she came up to the gate later for some scratches/ lovies.

09/07/2022

Katy did a little flag/ spacial respect work with Pepper yesterday and today, which is helping with the spacial disrespect/ attempt to rush to morning turnout issue. I also groomed her and worked with her feet and fly spray introduction work. She was a good girl today.

09/07/2022

Thank you Katy for starting some ground work with Pepper!

09/06/2022

Pepper moving pen to stall (she is easy to catch, and loves her stall.) One part of the stall to pen journey is challenging for her- she gets anxious to join the herd/ has issues with control going down a short hill. And, she is very afraid of cars, even at a distance. Always there is something to work on: so we begin.

09/03/2022

Here is Pepper learning that the evil white plastic chair is no big deal..... I am working with Spicy most days, lunging, feet, assorted desensitizing work. She is doing well with turn out and comes in nightly. She is excited at turn out time like most 2 year olds. She continues to be quite attached to 25 year old Jewel.

08/27/2022

See link for the current situation for mustangs. Sadly, some never get out of hiding pens post capture- domestication is a tough transition for older animals.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/86000-wild-mustangs-that-roam-the-west-are-at-the-center-of-raging-controversy

Activists condemned the government’s recent capture of nearly 350 mustangs, but for those tasked with managing a booming wild horse population in a drought-stricken West, it’s complicated.

08/27/2022

About the Steward Creek, Wyoming Herd Management Area. Notice the terrain on the photo. Really high desert terraine, with harsh winters.

08/27/2022

Spicy's ID record from the BLM. Interestingly, she is both freeze branded and microchipped.

08/27/2022

This is backtracking a bit.... Pepper, aka Spicy on arrival to our farm on August 15, 2022.

08/27/2022

Pepper and I started some real work. This is after a good mustang work discussion with TJ Clibborn, and booking for 1 month of spring training (early saddle work) with him.
Today I worked with her for the 1st time: we lunged, touched and brushed, rubbed with a flag stick, picked up feet (I could pick out the front ones), rubbed with a saddle pad to both shoulders, and backed/ gave to backing pressure. I switched to a quick release rope halter today as she was getting too strong going to turnout in a regular halter. A good session! She is very treat motivated for haltering and such.

08/27/2022

Pepper has been adopted by 25 year old Jewel, a retired QH mare. Jewel is treating her like her own filly. They are also stalled next to each other at night.

08/27/2022

Pepper at turnout, with a few horses. We are stalling her every night.

08/27/2022

Welcome! I decided Pepper needs her own page as we go through a horse training journey together. Pepper (She came to me as Spicy: I decided her name is to be Pepperidge Spice) is a 2 year old Steward Creek, Wyoming HMA (Herd Maintenance Area) mustang filly.
She was captured at age 4 months and in a holding pen until age 1 and 1/2. At that point she was adopted and gentled by Keri Regalla, and was used fir a mustang training demo. I purchased her from Keri and completed BLM adoption on August 3- so in 1 year, I can assume ownership. Photos: Pepper, then Spicy, at our first meeting. As you can see, she is Appaloosa Colored, common in the Steward Creek herd.