Dipper is the newest member of the War Horse Creek herd. He is a chestnut-colored gelding and a mustang, and is thought to be around 15-18 years old. It is unknown which Herd Management Area (HMA) he came from originally, but our team plans on looking up his brand to try and find out more about his past.
We don’t have much information about Dipper’s history. He was a backyard companion for 10 years before coming to our ranch, and we have heard that he was once owned and ridden by a sheriff. However, we don’t know much else beyond that. It is possible that we could learn more about Dipper through his brand.
Dipper has shown himself to be a gentle and laid-back horse, though he has health issues and has not been ridden in 10 years.
Right now, the main focus is on getting Dipper healthy and gaining weight. He has received a full exam from our veterinarian and completed much-needed dental work.
Dipper also needs a lot of work learning how to move away from pressure. Most horses have a natural response to move away from pressure. By pressure, we simply mean directed energy and intention. This can be as subtle as squaring your shoulders off at a horse and looking at a point on the horse, such as their hindquarters. But, some horses require more pressure. This can be done by raising up your energy with body language, movement, and sometimes voice commands. Dipper has not been around other horses or even other humans for a long time, which has dulled his response to pressure. He is improving simply by being around our herd of horses who are communicating with him using pressure and also regular work in hand and in the round pen with our staff.
Once he is healthy, our team plans to integrate Dipper into our Collaborative Horsemanship Workshops for Veterans.
Dipper has been paired up with our other newest herd member, Missy. The two of them are already good buddies! We are very happy to have Dipper at War Horse Creek. He is an excellent addition to our herd and program.
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