“ To look into the eye of a horse is to see a reflection of yourself that you might have forgotten.” This quote by Gillian Mears suggests that interacting with a wild horse, can provide an insight into one’s hidden or forgotten qualities. During my 100 days with Henry, he has done just that. As much as I have taught Henry, he has taught me. Patience, Kindness, perseverance, a love and empathy are all attributes I see as I reflect back over this 97 day journey.
When Henry first arrived and our eyes met, a step towards his direction created a flinch. Approaching him with care and caution and patience was what it took; The fear in his eyes took time to overcome, but with many hours of work, Henry and I broke through. A simple touch was no longer a fear. As we progressed, we worked on haltering and re-haltering. Henry jerked away everytime his nose was approached. This made this simple task quite difficult. I had to take this into consideration while teaching him to put the halter on. Although Henry isn't perfect at it yet, he can now be caught and haltered. A great success of patience and perseverance. Since touch is a fear of Henry’s, his feet being picked up required a soft touch and a trust between the two of us, I began by rubbing random objects down his back to his legs to get him used to the feeling of what would eventually be my hand on his legs. I would then have him step onto a rope and pull the rope to get Henry used to movement on his feet while something is holding it up. Time,patience and perseverance were the qualities that finally made this task successful. Now I am able to pick up his front feet and even scratch them. His back feet, which usually is a harder task for horses, I can pick up as well. However, I still have to proceed with caution, as Henry is the type of horse that we may not know when a quick is imminent. Although Henry doesn't enjoy human touch, we have built a bond, and I am able to brush him and walk around him safely. Henry can also load up in a trailer, which is a huge accomplishment for Henry and me. Henry can also now stand for tarps, fly spray, flags, water guns, bubbles, and he loves to splash in the water.
Henry has taught me to be patient in many different ways, and he has also taught me what to do in different situations, which I can use for future training with other horses, as well as other situations that are in my life. Mustangs, with their untamed nature, can challenge us to confront our own instincts and our desires, forcing us to look inward and understand ourselves better.
Although it was a short amount of time, I loved spending my time with Henry and the way that we bonded. Henry has learned many different things as much and he has taught me a vast number of things. I am truly going to miss Henry, and I hope he can perform to the best of his abilities. I am proud of the horse he has become, and I pray he keeps growing in knowledge.
Katelyn Willey 5-2-2025