Mission Mustang

Mission Mustang
Thesis Statement: Veterans train and connect with wild horses as a way of therapy at the Equicenter.

While I was creating the slideshow, I remembered the rule of thumb by starting and ending with a strong image. Once I decided which those were, I put them into place and worked around them. Since I began with the image of the trainer and the horse struggling against each other and ended with the man and the barn door, I decided to sequence it showing the progression of the relationship between the horses and the veterans. As I went through and tried to create a sequence that made sense, some of the images I had chosen did not fit visually, so I found myself going back and choosing different images that expressed the same idea. I was constantly moving pictures around to decide how to visually transition between them. I also wanted to make sure that there were a variety of different aspects shown in the slideshow along with the ideas presented in my thesis statement. I met with the photographer and gained his insight and opinion, and edited accordingly as I saw fit. I received caption information as well as more information about the people in the images which changed my perspective of the story a bit.

Images by Matteo Bracco

Mission Mustang
Thesis Statement: Veterans train and connect with wild horses as a way of therapy at the Equicenter.

While I was creating the slideshow, I remembered the rule of thumb by starting and ending with a strong image. Once I decided which those were, I put them into place and worked around them. Since I began with the image of the trainer and the horse struggling against each other and ended with the man and the barn door, I decided to sequence it showing the progression of the relationship between the horses and the veterans. As I went through and tried to create a sequence that made sense, some of the images I had chosen did not fit visually, so I found myself going back and choosing different images that expressed the same idea. I was constantly moving pictures around to decide how to visually transition between them. I also wanted to make sure that there were a variety of different aspects shown in the slideshow along with the ideas presented in my thesis statement. I met with the photographer and gained his insight and opinion, and edited accordingly as I saw fit. I received caption information as well as more information about the people in the images which changed my perspective of the story a bit.

Images by Matteo Bracco
Professional mustang trainer Emma Minteer struggles to maintain control of a mustang attempting to run away during a one on one training session at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Oct. 18, 2018. According to Emma, many of the mustangs first struggle to adapt to the life inside the pen, along with minimal to no human contact.
Details of veteran Luann Van Peursem's helmet during a training session at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Nov. 2, 2018.
Veteran Lou Gritter directs mustangs into the round pen during a training session Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Dec. 7, 2018.
Veteran Lou Gritter writes his "Veteran Note", reflecting on himself and the horse after a training session at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Dec. 7, 2018. For himself he writes," Better off reading horse's intentions.", but acknowledges progress by noting the horse was acting,"Fairly gentle".
Veteran Colleen Bellezza attempts to approach a mustang in order to make first physical human contact at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Nov. 30, 2018.
Veteran Lou Gritter successfully makes physical contact with a mustang previously afraid at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Dec. 7, 2018. Gritter established that in order for that to happen," You have to make them comfortable".
Veteran Luann Van Peursem takes a moment to herself during training at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Nov. 2, 2018. In response Peursem stated,"They gear off of you. If you're comfortable, they're comfortable. Its hard as a veteran".
Veteran Luann Peursem reacts after successfully calling a mustang over during her training session at the Mission Mustang program on Veteran's Day at Equicenter in Honey Falls, N.Y. on Nov. 12, 2018.
Government issued tags, formerly on the necks of mustangs, rest inside a barn at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Nov. 12, 2018. The tags are forced on to mustangs once captured by the government. When a veteran is able to remove the tag it is a major milestone, signifying a mustang having enough trust in a veteran to allow them to remove the tag.
Veteran Lou Gritter goes inside the barn to warm up between training sessions at the Equicenter in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. on Dec. 7, 2018.