Friday, June 3, 2011

The Eyes Have it: "Eye Brow Cat" EMM Tennessee Winner 2010 Challenge Painting #122

Eye Brow Cat on pick-up day.
Painting for June 2, 2011 Mustang A Day Challenge Painting#122

"First Day"
Eye Brow Cat
5 by 7 inch Watercolor
$45.00
by LindaLMartin Artist
 
In a Mustang rounded up from the range everything he sees and experiences is new and fearful.  Some mustangs react with curiosity and some with self protection such as kicking out  or  wildly dashing about and crashing into things as their natural flight instinct kicks in and they try to escape. By being able to read a mustang’s eyes you can see the stress level and the fear level. Wise trainers learn how to read the language of the horse's eye as well as their body language. Learning to read the stress level in a wild horse’s eyes can give the trainer cues of when to step back or stop so the horse can think about the new experience.

As the trainer works the horse using the dance of pressure and release, eventually the horse gains confidence in the trainer as its herd leader. That confidence brings trust and the horses eyes soften. In doing the Mustang A Day Painting Challenge I have discovered that  the ears also will be a signal to the trainer. As the horses’ eyes soften and he trusts his trainer more, the horse’s ears will point to where ever the trainer is while at rest showing the horse is focused on that trainer and ready to move where the trainer wants him.

The painting tonight is of the uncertain eye of Eyebrow Cat. The reference photograph  of Eyebrow Cat was documented by Amy Spivey on pick-up day at the holding pens. Eye Brow Cat was destined for greatness in the 2010  Tennessee Extreme Mustang Makeover through the efforts of  Trainer/Challenger Madeleine LeClerc.  Eyebrow Cat  Came in first and  the horse trained by  Madeleine’s partner Robert Carlson came in Second making it a clean sweep for the R&M Mustang Program trained horses.

A year later in May of 2011 Eye Brow Cat helps
to teach Madeleine's new Supreem Extreme
 Makeover Mustang how to lead from the saddle.
His experience also helps the strawberry roan mare
to gain conficence and stay calm in new situations.
Next Week both Madeleine and Robert will be competing with their 2011 Ft. Collins EMM horses Watson and  Tango. If you are interested in having Robert bid for you on Tango please contact Robert through The R&M Performance Horses website : http://www.westernclinics.com/ or contact him through Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rmmustangprogram
Both Tango and Watson  have turned into very useful horses and with continued training have a lot of potential both in a variety of completive equine disciplines or as a trail and pleasure horse companion.

Eye Brow Cat has his own page on Facebook. After his EMM Win Madeleine adopted him. He is now used for a variety of activities including helping to train new EMM and SEMM horses.
You can follow him here on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eyebrowcat

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