Mahina

There are many reasons to love Mahina, and here Andy talks about a few of them.

Mahina acts like she’s been haltered her entire life. From our very first touch, Joel Conner noted that while she initially seemed wary, she quickly grew fond of being petted. Since that day, she’s sought out connection and attention from humans. Mahina is a smart mare with a strong flight response, yet she’s catching on to her training remarkably fast. 

At SAFE, we love horsemanship because it’s like learning to speak a horse’s language. It’s not magic; it’s about patience and consistency. Horses are said to be good for the soul, but they also have an uncanny way of revealing what’s inside us. Horses like Mahina, who are naturally alert and expressive, sense our feelings and respond to what we truly feel. There’s no hiding emotions from them. 

During our recent clinic, Joel was amazed at Mahina’s progress. It’s hard to believe she was untouchable just a few months ago. Now, she’s so gentle and eager to connect that she’s nearly unrecognizable from the fearful mare we first met. This transformation didn’t happen overnight—it’s taken hundreds of hours of patient work to make her comfortable around us. 

Looking ahead, we’re focusing on helping Mahina manage her flight response as we prepare her to eventually wear a saddle. When that day comes, she may not buck, but she might try to run away from saddle in her blind spot. Her best chance at success will come from continuing to build her confidence, helping her grow comfortable with increased energy and movements all around her and especially behind her. 

We’ve started this journey, and with each step, we’re dedicated to helping Mahina become confident and ready for what lies ahead 

As the days grow shorter, so does the list of Mahina’s ‘firsts’ here at SAFE. First time walking through the barn aisle, check. First time having her teeth floated, check. First (and second!) trims by the farrier, check and check. She has really shown herself to be a very reasonable girl in the face of new experiences, and we are loving time spent with this cool mare. Here’s a brief compilation of just a few of the things Mahina has been up to as of late.

Mahina means moon in Hawaiian and much like a moon, this bright mare continues to wax. Unlike a moon, there is no sign of her waning.

Mahina’s curriculum grows by the day as she learns more about what it means to be a good equine citizen. Now that she is able to be caught, she has moved on to more advanced projects like learning the building blocks of this horsemanship and using her newfound skills for such real-world applications as walking across the property to a fancy new pen. Roundpen living no longer!

Mahina has also spent time learning to pick up her hooves in preparation for the many farrier visits in her future. She is sharp as a tack, and it did not take long for her to understand the concept of picking up her hooves — though she can certainly be ‘noodly’ with her balance when asked to stand on only three legs! At the end of a 5‑day stint of working daily on giving to the pressure of a rope to lift her hooves and getting used to being pet all over her legs, she was ready to meet the nippers for the first time here at SAFE.

Check out a brief snapshot of the process:

On her long legs, with a long neck upon which perches a delicate inquisitive head, Mahina in some lights resembles an exotic bird more than an equine. And much like a bird, Mahina arrived at SAFE quite flighty, and with a reluctance to being caught. She was curious from the very beginning, but insisted that any touches were on her terms, allowing for scratches on the withers and back, but drawing an absolute line at a hand approaching her face. Mahina would need to take things slow, so slow we would take them. Each day, sometimes multiple times a day, Terry would spend time with Mahina, working on getting her to hook on and getting her more and more comfortable with being touched — both with hands and with the halter that she would one day wear.

Then, after about a week of daily work, Mahina allowed for a stroke on the forehead. Not just allowed for, but seemingly enjoyed based on the way her eyes went soft. But it was a delicate thing, and one that would have to be cultivated with great care.

For as she grew more comfortable here at SAFE, Mahina’s inquisitiveness also increased. When cleaning her pen, you would often feel as though you had acquired a shadow, if your shadow was the shape and size of a horse. That wasn’t a warm breeze ruffling your hair, but rather Mahina breathing down your neck. It seemed almost too easy to reach out and pet this untouchable creature, especially seeing how much she seemed to enjoy it. But because of her sensitive nature, it was important that Mahina’s handling be consistent and intentional in the early days, lest we make things more difficult for ourselves down the line.

Each day helped get us closer to our goal of getting a halter on Mahina, who became a fast fan of being pet on the face, but remained uncertain of a halter touching her cheek. But slowly and intentionally, we worked on changing her mind, until walking up and catching her was no longer a dream, but rather a daily reality. You can see a bit of the process below.

Haltering Mahina was an incremental process, and remains one even now, but this mare has come a long way in the time that she has been here.