Finé

This journal's useful life is over. It's been turned in (with a few stylistic changes...ever a perfectionist). But I wanted to conclude it with this interview from my final. During my final, we were able to touch him and lead him...major steps for this horse.

Cindy: What do you think the biggest thing you learned from this is?

Jen: I learned that I could do it. I've never thought I was capable of training a horse, I mean, that's why I'm a Studies major and not a Training and Instruction major. I taught this horse something.

Cindy: So you learned about yourself. Anything else?

Jen: I learned a whole lot of patience. I also learned his language. Wild horses respond to every movement you make, so its easy to learn their language if you're just watching. We cannot talk and I cannot touch him but I can tell him instantly what I want from him and he responds.

Cindy: What would you do differently next time?

Jen: I wouldn't have started out with him in that pen, and I would have wanted the round pen to myself although I know that's not possible. When we had him in the pen, he accepted what we were doing to him because his body was shutting down out of fear. [Horses will shut their bodies down when faced with death so they don't feel anything.] Now, out here in the open, when he let's us do something it may not be as easy but its because he's truly accepting it.

Cindy: Would you do this again?

Jen: Absolutely. I learned so much about horses in general from this project, its incredible. You guys should keep doing it.

Cindy: No, I mean, in the future would you buy a Mustang and do this again?

Jen: Oh yes, I've actually thought about that. Now that I've worked with them I've come to enjoy working with them, they're not like any horse I've worked with before. I definitely will.

Cindy: Good answers! That's all.

Jen: Just don't get three year olds again.

Cindy: (laughing) Don't worry!