If Brave was a human he would be a follower. He would not be interested in working too hard, but happy to just be in a group of people he trusted that would take care of him. He would enjoy repetitive tasks, because they would make him feel safe and secure.

Each Mustang learns differently and needs a unique approach. Brave has always held a lot of fear and that fear expresses itself by reacting with quick feet. (as in striking and kicking) He is very kind and means no harm, he simply wants to follow. But his fear overwhelms him at times at it comes out in his actions. As our relationship builds, he is gaining more and more trust in me, but I fully respect the fact that his Brave Heart is still working to shine through his fears and is journey to owning his Brave self is a long one.

our history together …

Brave Heart is a buttermilk pinto buckskin gelding from Nevada. He is the only Mustang we have that was ‘born in holding’ – which means his mother was gathered from the wild while pregnant and he was born at a BLM holding facility. BLM is the government entity that managed the population of wild Mustangs in America.

I adopted him at the same time I adopted Flying Colors. He was one of the wild Mustangs up for adoption for the Mustang Million competition. I had no intentions of getting him, but he ‘no saled’ – meaning no one wanted him and when I went to the back to load up I spotted him in a pen.

He was skinny, eaten up with bite marks from the other Mustangs and built like a gangly teenager – nothing but knees and legs. One of the wranglers saw me looking at him and said, “That one mirrors up to me when I am riding my horse everytime I sort them” – Well that was it for me, I had a hole in the trailer and figured – why not? So I adopted him 🙂

The process of gentling Brave has been a lengthy one. His name is Brave because it represents who I know he truly is, though it is still hiding beneath many layers of fear and insecurity. When a Wild horse strikes or kicks, it is always because of fear. Anytime anyone acts out in aggression, it is always because of fear.

I respect that he feels fear and his story of needing to be being Brave beneath all that insecurity and deep rooted fear, it is the story of many many people as well.

That is the beauty of each of these Wild members of this herd. They each bring a unique story to those of us yearning to hear it.

Brave has a story and it is still being told.

-mmj