Our Horses: Wild Sweet William (Willy)
Acorn, Aspen, Athena, Beryl, Blackhawk, Cedar, Chaparral, Daisy, Everest, First Star, Hickory, Honey Girl, Jade, Jasper, Joyee, Juniper, Navajo, Onyx, Pearl, Pepper, Pinon, Raven, Sapphire, Sequoia, Springtime, Starbright, Teak, Teton, Tiger Eye, Topaz, Vaquero, Wild Sweet William, and Zoey
Willy was Mary Lee's 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover draw. He was a 5 year old gelding with a stallion's attitude. This was a new experience for Mary Lee. When she encouraged him to move his feet as a sign of respect, he thought she should move hers! Willy is from the Cedar Mountain herd in northern Utah.
He has a stripe that divides his face and represents his two very different sides and personalities. His left side is "you can't make me do it." His right side is "I am really afraid." Willy's facial expressions and body language are very pronounced and opinionated. He is a real character!
Once Willy decided " he was okay and she was okay," he was quiet and steady as a rock. He never bucked, spooked, or demonstrated any great concern over obstacles. Jumping barrels was effortless. Learning to want to be with Mary Lee and become a willing partner was their biggest obstacle. Transferring that trust to other humans has taken time.
He tried to carry his "studly" attitude into the herd when he was turned out. The other horses "cleaned his clock" numerous times in order to socialize him to appropriate herd decorum. They helped Mary Lee teach Willy to yield to pressure and to respect others.
Now Willy is at Kayenta Korrals for the winter. Mary Lee will ride and prepare him for her advanced students and his beginning jumping training. He is a happy gelding and enjoys his life. He particularly likes his best friend, Raven, and they are quite a pair. They sometimes look like they are velcroed together when they are strollling around the paddock together. He still has the most opinionated facial expressions Mary Lee has ever seen. His left side comes to you with a little skepticism and his right is soft and open to the human. He is a real character, but a trustworthy partner.
