This is a non-commercial, independent website, owned and written by Nancy Kerson, for the benefit of actual and potential adopters of BLM Mustangs and Burros and similar animals.
DVD or VHS (2-DVD or 2-VHS set) almost 3 hours of instruction!
$39.95 plus $5 shipping/handling = $44.95 total
Lesley Neuman: The First Touch Gentling Your Mustang $45.00
Lesley works with 3 wild horses at a BLM adoption, and very clearly explains what is happening, what she is doing, & what she sees in each horse as it progresses. Study this video and you can learn "pressure and release" gentling techniques to gentle your own new mustang!
Help for Burro adopters! Crystal Ward Donkey Training
All the basics of gentling, handling, and training. A MUST for new burro adopters! Good for domestic donkeys, too!
The Sooty, or Smutty, Gene
Sooty palomino mustang from Salt Wells Creek HMA in Wyoming
Many horses have this aspect of what is most likely a form of natural camouflage.
The Smutty, or Sooty genetic modifier causes some black hairs to become mixed into body coat, sometimes creating dappling or brindle striping.
Sorrel becomes dark chestnut or liver chestnut.
Bay becomes mahogany bay. (Recent research in France shows that most Seal Brown horses carry Agouti, indicating that they may be Sooty Bays)
Palomino becomes sooty palomino, or, in extreme cases, Chocolate Palomino.
Wyatt, Kitty Lauman's Beaty's Butte mustang, has wonderful sooty overtones - almost brindle!
Sooty Palomino owned by Kristi Cantor Sooty Palomino Appaloosa colt at Palomino Valley in August, 2001
This PMU foal is either a Chocolate Palomino or Silver Dapples - the look is the same - only genetic/pedigree analysis can say for sure.
COUNTERSHADING is a form of the Sooty / Smutty gene which mimics the dorsal stripe associated with Dun: left: countershading stripe on a buckskin; Many "linebacked bays" have this stripe - are lacking in any other dun characteristics
right: true dun dorsal stripe
BRINDLE results when Sootiness is grouped by the Brindle gene into irregular "drippy" or "tiger" stripes Brindle horse the owned by Charpilloz family
Much sooty coloring comes and goes with the seasons. Many buckskins produce dun-like dorsal shading and facial and shoulder darkening during springtime. But it fades away with summer.
Benny in his Springtime Sooty Phase
Benny in summer after the sootiness sheds away
Benny's springtime sooty "fake dorsal stripe"
This Internet Adoption horse from Wyoming is about as "Sooty" as they come!
copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Nancy Kerson, all rights reserved - I'm happy to share, just need to be asked and have credit given where due.
Disclaimer: Horses are inherently dangerous. Use the information contained within this website at your own risk.
