As Rose Ellis, 14, gently pulled the sparkly purple hula hoop to the side, Nike, her yearling mustang, responded flawlessly, moving away from the pressure and turning her body.
The hula hoop technique begins to teach the horse, who just two weeks ago had hardly been touched by humans, to respond to the contact of reins, explained Gena Wasley, who is helping Ellis train Nike.
The two said it’s still very early in the process, but the progress so far has been remarkable.
“When we first got her, she was afraid to be touched. She was scared out of her mind,” Ellis said.