Extreme Mustang Makeover Trainer, Jamie Thomas

Monty takes first in the in-hand competition!

2008-06-07T00:09:00.001-07:00

You read it right! Monty was excellent and we scored at the top! Good boy Monty! My goal was to win the in-hand portion and we did it!

I have a video, but when I can figure out how to get it off the video camera, I'll post it.

Our conditioning score was not the best, about the middle of the pack. He's what you would call an easy keeper! BUT, our combined scores have put us in the top ten!

Saturday is the riding portion. Not sure how we will do, but I will let you know tomorrow night!

I need to sleep so more on the events of the Expo later.

Sacramento!

2008-06-07T00:05:00.001-07:00

It's here and I have arrived in Sacramento. Work forced me to make the trip in a 14 hour straight shot. Both Monty and I were exhausted, but we made it! We have one day to settle in, ride and get ready. I'm not forcing poor unsuspecting souls to take pictures, so you will have to wait. Sorry!

Little brothers earn my respect..

2008-06-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

MANY, many thanks to the boys in Tri-cities for their hard work! They raised $400.00 cleaning stalls so Monty and I could go to Sacramento. Way to go!!

Ride the West!

2008-05-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Monty and I packed up to head to Spokane for Ride the West. We ended up leaving town late Friday night, due to my work schedule, but landed in Spokane at about 8:30 pm. Just in time to see Susan Kirk do her presentation with Mac of EMM fame, during the evening festivities. I unloaded Monty and immediately started walking him around the fairgrounds. It was a prime opportunity to introduce him to loud speakers, crowds, all kinds of pedestrians, horses, carts, vendors, golf carts and general chaos! I introduced myself to Charles Wilhelm and asked about his mustang. I was disappointed to find that he had not brought her to the event. We met several nice people that asked all kinds of questions about the big bodied mustang hanging around the in gate. Even though he had not been in any environment like it, he handled it with ease. He amazed even me, as I explained to the crowd that he was a wild horse 68 days ago!

We met up with the troupe from the Border Patrol, all riding BLM mustangs!! They invited me to ride with them in the evening presentation!! Our first night started off with a bang!! He did great and never once spooked! I then rode in the darkened outdoor arena for about 40 minutes. I settled him into his stall and headed to the hotel about midnight.

Saturday morning started early getting ready for our shot at the X-treme Trail Challenge. I attended the morning walk-through of the course, carefully planning out my route. I knew that Monty was not going to get the lope and flying lead change so I planned ahead for an alternate performance. I also knew that I was going to be slow and steady, carefully introducing him to the obstacles and not rushing him. We had a 6 minute time limit and I hoped to complete as many obstacles as I could. I was not sure how he would handle the cows, but hoped he would be similar to Patriot and not bat an eye. Many thanks to Tracey Westbury, a fellow WSMC, competitor for filming the historic event!

At the in gate

Brush walk-over

Water crossing

Bridge

Once again, I am amazed by this incredible horse. Take a look at the video to see for yourself.

He did great for a horse with less than 90 days of training. His score was a respectable 78 out of 110. We did not get to complete the last two obstacles (ran out of time), we skipped the mound of precarious dirt between the water entries and got a zero on the gate. A zero is still a good score. You get a zero if you execute the obstacle. You can get 3 extra credit points and negative 5 penalty points per obstacle. We zeroed the gate because it FELL OVER on us as we went through it! LOL

After the course, we headed over to the BLM adoption area and met up with Ramona from the Burns corrals. I offered to let her take spin on Monty around the grounds. She took me up on it. When they disappeared around the corner I commented, "Um, Monty has never been out of sight from me yet. I wonder how he'll do??" They reappeared and all was well.

I asked Tracey to show me Sandy! What a cutie. He was content to hang with the other mustangs, pretending he was still wild. Faker!

I put Monty away for a few hours while I wandered the show and vendor halls. It was announced that Doug and Kathy Vouchell were giving a "Problem Solving" riding clinic at 6:30 pm for $40 and there were spots available. I jumped at the chance and tacked up Monty for a ride. Our problem? None really, baby horse, let's work on forward and shoulder control! Monty impressed me and the crowd, for his good nature and how far we had come in a few rides. Doug and Kathy wished me good luck in Sacramento and told me "You'll do great!"

I rode around the grounds, introducing Monty to more people and general fairground paraphernalia. I was standing there with 6 people surrounding and petting Monty when Charles Wilhelm drove by in his golf cart. He shouted in jest, "Are you trying to make me look bad?" "Yep!" I said. "It's working!" A funny exchanged between competitors. I put Monty up for the night and fell into bed around midnight.

Sunday was a lazy day. I slept in and arrived at the fairgrounds around ten. I left Monty to eat his breakfast while I did some shopping. I realized that I own just about everything a horse person needs, so I spent very little. I guess I am saving myself for Sacramento!

I decided to tack Monty up in my Dressage saddle, just to see what he would look like. Not bad, if I say so myself! We headed over to the BLM area and asked a few volunteers for some help. I needed another person to man the metronome while I trotted Monty around the round pen. I am on the search for a song with his trot tempo and I didn't know what that tempo was! It's 140 beats per minute, just in case you were wondering. He then spent the next hour tied to the round pen while I chatted with potential Mustang adopters. Several people came by to pet him while he dozed in the sun.

Later, we again wandered around the fairgrounds, meeting more people and seeing more sights. At one point I decided I needed lemonade. Imagine the sight of a mustang with his head inside the vendor booth licking lemons. You get the picture. How many people stopped me from leaving to take one more picture? Lots! It was right about this time that Charles showed up again. "I hope you win!" he said. "I'll do my best!"

We headed over to the X-treme Trail Challenge Finals to watch fellow WSMC trainer Keith Danielson compete on a clients horse. He had made the top twelve spots. Very cute horse, lucky owner. They did very well. Keith did not bring his horse, Tina, either. Again, I was disappointed.

Monty stood quietly for about an hour while I watch the finals. He was surrounded by a crowd, but he dozed peacefully. After that, we packed up and headed home. It was a great time and Monty was fabulous! I am kicking myself for not carrying my camera everywhere. I had so many great photo opportunities with Monty in all sorts of situations that would boggle the mind of most horses!

A day of pampering...

2008-05-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Another glorious sunny day, just in time to prepare for Ride the West. We took advantage and spent the day with more firsts. Monty let me relax with him in the sun. It's the first time he has stayed down in his stall with me.

Then, the morning started off with Monty's first trim. His feet were in great shape when he arrived. I wanted to wait to prevent him from becoming sore (like Patriot) on any rocky trails we would encounter. Melinda Irhazy of MiShoer Horseshoeing gave him a great barefoot trim. As expected, he stood like a champ.

Sneak!

Melinda, you have received many compliments on your work!

Next, Dale Pearson, our local (and best!) equine chiropractor, gave Monty an oil change and alignment. :) Monty was a bit nervous about Dale. Then, I realized that he was the first male person to work with Monty. Note to self! After a while, Monty settled and Dale was able to get to work.

Turns out, Monty had a pretty severe kink in his spine! It's a wonder he didn't boot me when I climbed aboard! He had been consistently stiff to the right. Dale set things straight again and Monty is doing much better bending to the right now. Whew! Dale will return next week for a recheck and alignment.

Finally, Monty received his first bath! Ok, water and Monty are not the best of friends, but he tolerated my soapy advances. I hope to practise a few more baths before Sacramento, as it's been far too cold to bathe. In fact, it's raining right now and my horses are still wearing their winter blankets!!! UGH!

Practicing for Ride the West...

2008-05-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, I am going to go back, to the week before last weekend..uh, I mean, 12 days ago?? Uh, whatever, I mean, before now...

Once again, Monica Bretherton, from the Seattle Post Intelligencer came by to see my newest wild child for my latest Wild Child Event, du jour. :) This time, I told her to bring her riding clothes, 'cuz she was going to get to ride Monty!

She complied and came all dressed up to ride "English"! Now, I'm not surprised, since she knows I ride English, but little did she know that today she was going cowgirl! lol

She ended up staying several hours. You know when grrls get to chattin' about horses, you are in for a long day. I was happy she was able to stay for so long, because I was really in need of a ground crew. I was preparing for Ride the West and I needed to practise a few of the obstacles that we would have to negotiate.

After jointly brushing and tacking him up, I showed her his trailer loading expertise. We moved into the round pen and we showed off his tricks and skills.

At Ride the West, I was competing in the X-treme Trail Challenge. It's a trail course that was going to test Monty's trust in me and his ability to handle pressure. But I also knew from last year, that there were going to be a few obstacles needing a bit of an introduction before tackling them on the big day.

Dragging a pole, carrying a tarp, moving a bucket from one place to another, opening a mailbox, moving a bucket filled with rocks, pushing cows, opening and closing a gate, entering water, pushing a ball, backing through and side passing over poles were all possibilities.

I don't own cows, so that was out. But I was able to set up most of the other scenarios. With Monica's help, we introduced Monty to many of the tasks that he would face.

Then, it was Monica's turn! A few quick ground work exercises to establish trust and she climbed aboard. She struggled with what to do with her long legs! We had adjusted my stirrups, but not enough. Eventually, she just dropped them, as Monty has a trot as smooth as silk. No need for stirrups!

She did a great job and Monty did too! Thanks Monica for coming out. I had a great time!

If you want to read the article she wrote about her visit, click here.

A girl and her horse...

2008-05-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

Monty's pretty much been sitting around sucking his thumb since I returned from Ride the West. He was fabulous, by the way, but more on that later.

First, I want to go back in time and tell you a little about a visitor Monty had.

Do you remember Kim and Tami from the Wild Horse Sanctuary? I met them while I was stuck in Redding, CA? Well, a few weeks ago, they stopped by to check in on Monty's progress. Tami brought her daughter, Staci (that's Staci with an "i", mind you!) :) Well, let me tell you, Monty is in LOVE with Staci! Not to mention that she is in love with him!

Of course, I suggested that she and her Mom buy Monty. :) She was game but Mom? Well, not so much. Not because Monty isn't the greatest horse on earth..kid talk you know. But because they flat out cannot afford him, fully expecting his asking price to be well into the thousands. Hey Staci, I'm in love with him, too, and I won't be able to afford him either. :( sniff...

It was a cold and stormy day that started out with a bit of sun but ended in rain, as you can plainly see from the video. Look at that! A video! Staci and Monty were practicing "Heel"!

Staci's Mom is a barefoot trimmer and was having a blast checking out Monty's "wild" feet. I had not yet had Monty trimmed, so she was able to see what wild feet look like. Tami complimented Monty on his manners. "He's better about his feet being done than most of my domestic clients!" I was very proud of my boy!

More press..

2008-05-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to point you to some nice articles written about Monty and his adventures.

Wild Mustangs Learn New Tricks - Not exactly accurate, but it was nice to be interviewed while wandering around the showgrounds at Ride the West.

Wild Ride - Monica Bretherton of the Seattle PI came by to meet Monty and take him for a ride.

I'm in, again!

2008-05-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover Congratulations!

You have been selected to compete at the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover to be held September 18-21 at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Either I'm nuts or this is becoming a very bad habit!

Day 51 until...uh, now

2008-05-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Patriot, my resting nomad

People have asked if the reason I am so quiet on this blog is because I don't want potential bidders knowing how great Monty is. Well, I know for a fact that blogs tend to make these horses more expensive. And I would LOVE to keep him for myself. But, the real reason is that I have been devoting my spare time to working with Monty not blogging. I'm sorry for the delay.

The grass is here! But the cold weather remains.

Monty and I are doing well and we are having a great time. He has to be one of the nicest horses I have ever had the privilege to work with. You all know how much I love Patriot. Don't tell him that Monty has a better mind and a much nicer body! His trainability is excellent and he handles change very well.

My good looking boy

I have so much to tell you but have so little time these days. I'm doing my best to ride and work Monty every day. We have gone trail riding several times both with a group and solo. He does excellent by himself. Other than that little fit he threw on our first trail ride, he has had no other herd bound tendancies. He IS at the top of the herd ranking system at my house, so he could really care less about his barn mates.

Rolling in the round pen

I have also used him for lessons and taught newbies how to train wild ones. He is an excellent school horse. He tries very hard to understand commands given by greenies and never takes advantage. He has had 5 new people ride him in the last two weeks alone. Abbey, had never been on a horse in her life. Now she can say that her very first ride was on a wild mustang! Needless to say, she is now horse crazy!

Ashley negotiating the cones

Abbey's first ever ride on a horse

Abbey is hooked!

Monica from the Seattle PI taking a spin

His confidence makes him excellent for flagging colts. He is helping me train my stallion, Montana. He and Montana are neighbors. I think they have little conversations during the night, as Montana is coming around quicker by the day. I think Monty is letting him know that I'm not so bad.

Ashley and Abbey grooming Monty

Monty and I will be attending Ride the West in Spokane next weekend. We have been invited to ride in the evening Spirit of the West show and help with the BLM wild mustang adoption. We are also signed up to compete in the Extreme Trail Challenge. It's a trail course on steroids! While Monty only has a few dozen rides on him, we are going to give it a go. It will be excellent exposure and far more than what they will ask of us in California. Mostly, it's for the practise and to see how he handles the pressure. It's as close as we are going to get to Cal Expo up here in the Northwest. We will meet up with fellow competitors Tracey Westbury and Charles Wilhelm with their mustangs and hang out with Susan Kirk. Susan competed with me in last years Extreme Mustang Makeover. Looking forward to seeing you guys!

More soon. I promise!!

Thank you to my sponsors!!

2008-05-11T22:20:00.001-07:00

I know, I know! I am so behind on this blog!! Many apologies to my devoted fans.

I want to take the time to say THANK YOU to my many sponsors. They have been incredibly generous and are very supportive of of what we are trying to do for the mustangs with this event.

Dr. Richard Vetter of Performance Equine Dentistry donated Monty's dental work.

Steve Rother, donated the groundwork clinic for Monty and a set of his training DVD's. I will be raffling off the DVD's at the event in California to help offset some of the costs of this event.

Reber Ranch and Feed donated a ton of hay to feed Monty while he is in my care.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has a troupe of kids in the Tri-Cities area working hard at a local stable to raise money for gasoline. They are following Monty's progress and learning how to give their time and energy for a good cause, The American Mustang.

Montana Saddlery donated a Circle Y Gaiter Trail Saddle for me to use during the event.

Silverlite Trailers made a cash donation towards travel expenses. I own a Silverlite trailer and can't say enough good things about them! They are perfect for hauling the wild ones!

Melinda Irhazy of Mishoer Horseshoeing donated her time for Monty's trims.

Reprographics Northwest donated signage for promoting Monty and the Western States Mustang challenge.

Flyin' Lions Embroidery donated embroidery for the event.

Dr. Hank Greenwald of Equine Medicine and Surgery donated Monty's traveling papers.

My parents, Jim and Gina Thomas, for their aid in the final repair of my truck.

Last, but not least, my great friends Beth and Dodge who donated their time and trucks to bail me and Monty out of the truck failure. They have also been by my side, riding or watching, ready to dust me off or call 911 as necessary!

MANY, MANY THANKS to all of you for your support.

Day 47 - 51..the basics

2008-04-17T00:53:00.000-07:00

Rain and work have kept me working with Monty late at night. Not to worry, I have been working on the basics; everything from liberty and obstacles to basic handling. He's pretty tired of picking up his feet on command and dropping his head for the bit. LOL

I did take the time to get my application submitted for the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover event in Texas. I signed up for both a yearling and a riding horse. As if I did not have enough to do in my life!!

Days 36 - 46..Sunny weather!!!!

2008-04-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

Finally!! One day! One day of precious sun!! No rain and 80 degree weather for one glorious day!!

What did I do during that sunny day?? Anything to stay outside. I bathed horses, my dogs and my car. Did a bunch of barn chores and started organizing my garage. I also worked hard on gentling my wild stallion, Montana. I currently have three mustangs that I am gentling at the same time; Montego, Montana and Ronan.

It was a great day to let everyone out to enjoy a stretch and a spot of grass. I turned Patriot, Montego and Ronan out together. I was calling them the Brown Bunch. Left side Patriot, middle Montego, right side Ronan. All Nevada mustangs and all COMPLETELY different in stature and personality.

While Patriot took a nap...

...Ronan and Montego had a blast playing stallion games. This was the first time I have turned Montego out with other horses.

Then happily went back to eating...

In the round pen, I was working on finally getting my hands on my most wild child, Montana. He's a seven year old stallion gathered in August from the Beaty's Butte HMA. I can touch him everywhere except his legs and head, but will leave at the slightest provocation!! I swear the main problem is that he can't SEE ME through all that hair!!

Alas, the weather turned rainy the next day and it's threatening snow for this weekend. Drats!

Days 20 - 35..more trail rides

2008-04-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

Monty and I have been doing what we can to get by now that I am working crazy hours. We work late at night on continued ground work and the basics. He is a steady learner and is a pleasure to work with.

We did get a chance to go on a few trail rides over the weekend.

First, we headed up to the Pilchuck Tree Farm, right outside Arlington, WA. My friend Beth and I took a nice long ride through the fir trees, traversing a few deeper water crossings. We have pictures of Monty up to his belly in the water, but Beth can't figure out how to get them off of her phone!!

We did get to practise loping along some sandy trails. He thought that was a kick!!

At one point, we tried a bit of a separation test. At first, Monty didn't even notice, but when Beth's mare nickered, all bets were off. Monty was worried and tried to find her, but he didn't try anything bad. Still, I hopped off to be sure that I remained safe, as I was still riding in my halter at that point. He was wearing his bridle, so for the rest of the day, we practiced steering with the bit.

The next day, we headed up to Mt. Blanchard, just outside of Bellingham, WA. We joined up with the Traildusters Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen. Steve Ruppert, a local mustang trainer, led the ride. He was pleased to see how far we had come to date.

It was raining pretty good in the morning, but cleared for the remainder of the ride. Beth, myself and about 25 other horse and riders set out on a longer (about 5 hours) trail ride. This trail winds up a fairly steep incline over the course of about 4 miles. I used only the bridle to steer him and he acted like he had been doing it his whole life.

An excellent conditioning ground for stamina, it also winds through tight trees. Close enough to knock your knees good!! Needless to say, Monty got a lesson on stay off that dang tree!!

At the top, the trail opens to a scenic display of the Chuckanut Bay, Skagit Valley and the San Juan Islands. Monty took a spin around the lot, ponying Beth's horse and met all kinds of admiring fan's, who took great interest in the good looking, stout mustang.

After a short respit, we headed back down the mountain.

So now for the fun part! As I was heading home, the truck decided to die again, while in the middle of an intersection, leading onto the freeway! UGH!

A quick call to Beth and the car club and we were rescued. While I had the truck hauled to the shop, Monty stayed a few extra days at Beth's place. He got to meet a whole new set of people, was handled and brushed daily and had to load up in a new trailer to come home. All without me!! He did great and I am happy to report that he won't miss me a bit when he is adopted by his new person in June. SNIFF....

Thanks Beth for the babysitting and trailering services!!!

Good Luck Midwest Mustang Challenge Trainers!!

2008-04-15T02:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take the time to wish all the trainers in the 2008 Midwest Mustang Challenge the best of luck! I know that you are getting ready to compete this weekend and I wanted to get my well wishes out to you before you left. Have a great time and remember, even though its a competition, we are doing this for the Mustangs! Give them a big kiss on the nose, a hug and send them on their way to their new homes.

OR buy them back and love them forever..whatever you choose!!! :)

Good luck trainers! We are rooting for you!!

When is training a mustang no longer fun???

2008-04-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

When you don't get to actually train a mustang!!!

I'm sorry for the very long delay in updating Monty's progress. I lost a key employee two weeks ago at my business and now I am working overtime to keep ahead of the pile. While Monty has had some work the last few weeks, it's not as much as I had hoped. I am working a full day and training Monty at night, as best I can between rain squalls. Late at night, like between 10 and midnight!

As I was contemplating my dilemma at work, I realized that this is a great time to spend some time getting to know the person behind the competition. We are all hungrily reading every word that the trainers post about their horses leading up the events, but there really is more to the people behind these horses. Some of us have other hobbies (god forbid) and full time jobs outside of horses.

I thought I might take a few minutes to introduce myself. If this bores you, please feel free to skip to the next blog entry! But since this *IS* my blog, I can write just about anything I want. So there! At the risk of this sounding like a personal ad, here goes...

I am single, never married and I live about 40 minutes south east of Seattle in a town called Auburn, WA. Auburn is still a smallish town known mostly for our local thoroughbred race track, Emerald Downs and the old joke that women who come from Auburn all have big hair. Whatever..I've never seen it, but I've only lived here two years.

I am mostly a casual horse person, but I can get prissied up now and then and can even clean the dirt out from under my nails.

BMW banquet 2007
I own 4 dogs and 9 horses. All the loves of my life, however, two stand out from the crowd. Kindle, my 10 year old Pom and constant companion (who you may have met at the 2007 EMM) and Jedi, my 21 year old Arabian gelding.

I grew up overseas in my younger years and in Westlake Village, California during high school. I went to college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and graduate school in San Francisco (USF). I lived in San Fran for 11 years before moving to Washington in 1998. I have a degree in Industrial Technology with a minor in CAD/CAM and a Masters in Business Administration.

I started riding when I was 13. After begging my parents for years to ride, I was finally able to take English riding lessons. I was hooked!! I started out in hunter/jumpers taking lessons at the world famous Foxfield Riding Club. I showed throughout junior high and high school. I was jumping 4'-9" and eventing at the pre-lim level until I went away to college. My eventing horse was a Foxfield school horse named Tara. She had a propensity for spooking at the ditches and coffin jumps. Needless to say, I became more enamored with Dressage after seeing the bottom of those obstacles, over and over again!!

I showed Dressage consistently for about 12 years, both on Jedi and several other warmblood horses. While I still compete in Dressage, I also cross train, in a sense. I discovered team penning and ranch sorting!!

While ropes and I do not get along, chasing cows and working as a team caught me. For years, I penned in my dressage saddle and hard hat, much to the chagrin of my compatriots. "You are going to fall off of that horse!" Uh, I don't think so. I had a darn good seat and never had any trouble sticking. I won the respect of many a cowpoke after that. In fact, it wasn't until last year that I bought my first western saddle. I still cant figure out how to keep from hooking my shirts on the horn when dismounting. I actually had to have a cowpoke save me last summer at a sorting event, when I was hanging on my horn with my feet 6 inches off the ground!! The cowpokes laughed then!! Why did I switch gear? I STILL wear my helmet though. You wont catch me without one. Good training begets a good habit.

My life outside horses includes two main categories, work and cars.

I own a professional drafting services organization called Midpoint CAD, LLC. We provide drafting services locally and nation wide, to companies that either do not have any drafting staff or are in an overcapacity situation. Basically, we produce construction drawings for architects, engineers, & general contractors. We have been in business for 15 years and are always looking for good drafters, as well as, well, more WORK! So if you know anyone looking for drafting help, let them know. (shameless plug). Up until two weeks ago, I had a Production Manager that helped run the inside of the business. Sigh.. Oh, and we also have an opening for a Production Manager!

My other hobby of choice is high performance driving and BMW's. While I have always been into horses, I caught the car bug, more specifically, the high performance car bug, about 7 years ago, when I joined the BMW Car Club of the Puget Sound and signed up for my first high performance driving school. I was hooked!

Like a drug, I was sucked into improving my driving skills and learning all about car control. Driving schools are held in a controlled environment, usually at a race track or motorsports park and you are provided with excellent instructors. We teach all the important skills that every driver should know. Stuff they do not teach you in drivers ed. It's not all about driving fast, it's about car control, such as, accident avoidance, skid control, threshold breaking and the dynamics of steering and throttle input in precarious situations. These driving schools can lead to more advanced driving skills, such as full race course track driving and eventually, wheel to wheel racing.

Thunderhill Park - Willows, CA

I have driven some of the best tracks on the West Coast and have reached speeds in excess of 140 mph. Slow, by Nascar standards. Fast by four door family sedan standards!!

Laguna Seca - Monterey, CA

I signed up for my first school in February 1999. By the end of that first season (February - October), I had taken another 23 driving schools. Did I say I was hooked?

California Speedway, Fontana, CA

The second year I attended 18 schools, the following, 12. By the beginning of my fourth year of driving, I was invited to be an instructor. I taught others the art of high performance driving for about three years. If you want to learn more about high performance driving or want to take a driving school, contact your local BMW Car Club Chapter and they will point you in the right direction. You do not need a BMW to do these schools, either. Any old car will do. Monster trucks..well not so much.

It was then I got hooked by the American Mustang. The horse..not the car!!! So back into horses I went, hook, line and sinker...

My personal mustangs - obligatory Mustang content!! :)

My first Mustang(s) was actually a mom and baby pair, River and Tucker. I went down to the BLM corrals two years ago with a friend, whom I thought was *CRAZY* at the time. He had always wanted a mustang and I was dragged along as the conformation consultant. I spotted this pair and I had to have them.

Then, I received word that a buckskin pinto was available on reassignment. After I saw pictures of him, I HAD to have him!! Canyon had "people" issues and "rope" issues. Actually, they were just trust issues, but let's not tell his old owners that.

You all know Patriot from last years Extreme Mustang Makeover. If not, his story begins here. I absolutely had to have him, too!!

Finally, my last mustang is Montana. He's a seven year old stallion from the Beaty's Butte HMA. He was gathered in August. It's taken some time, but I can touch him every where except his legs and head. He's coming around. I definately had to have him as well!!

Montana at the corrals in November
Can someone say "Stick a fork in me, I'm done!" What a fatty!

Montana last Saturday
And with that..let's turn back to Monty's story...

Day 19..more snow!

2008-03-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Patriot checking out the snow

Pictures from my house this morning...

Hmmm..sit by the fire or slip in the ice and snow?? Don't get me wrong, I would rather have snow than rain right now, but we are expecting heavy snow all weekend.

Not to worry. I'll get creative and continue on with Monty's training.

Day 17 - 18..snow!

2008-03-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

Call it global warming, call it spring. I call it weird! It's snowing!! This morning it was sunny and 60 degrees and tonight it's snowing like crazy! I know all you east coast people say "So what!" Well, I live near SEATTLE!!! We get rain, not snow!!!

Needless to say, I'm staying inside by the fire! Monty can enjoy licking the snow off of the paddock rails.

Montana, my Beaty's Butte stud muffin

Day 16..the dentist

2008-03-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

I am a fanatic about my equine dentistry. Good dental care for your horse is as important as good foot care. The condition of the horses teeth effect more than just how the horse rides with a bit. Waves, ridges, sharp points, bite seat, unerupted teeth and periodontal pockets cause poor behavior, weight loss, serious pain and ill health. A "normal" vet may not have the skills to do more than a yearly float. He may not catch cracked teeth, cysts, periodontal pockets or loose teeth. An equine dentist is the best person to do the job. He/she has the training, skills and equipment to "see" the real problems and "reach" the unbalanced teeth at the very back of the jaw.

My Jedi

I almost lost my most beloved horse to poor dentistry. Jedi, due to his age (19 at the time) had been seeing the "normal" vet for twice a year floatings already. His age and inability to hold weight, even though he was a notoriously easy keeper, prompted the vet to see him twice a year. This vet belonged to one of the biggest equine practices in the state. An equine hospital known for their skill and expertise. I thought I was doing the right thing, not knowing any better.

Even with twice a year floatings, Jedi was losing weight. We tested him for parasites, metabolic disorders, possible cancer, everything we could think of. He was getting senior feed, hay, alfalfa pellets soaked in corn oil and every variety of weight gain / vitamin product possible. They helped but not enough. He was skin and bones.

One weekend, I attended the Backcountry Horseman Jubilee. Dr. Vetter with Performance Equine Dentistry was one of the vendors. I made a beeline for his trailer and asked a few important questions. A week later, Jedi was under the care of Dr. Vetter. Turns out, he had two periodontal pockets that were years old and completely missed by the "normal" vet floatings. He also had two very loose front teeth that caused excessive pain every time he bit down. Dr. Vetter addressed these two issues and within 3 months Jedi was getting back to normal weight. Jedi is very stoic and did not show this pain. Dr. Vetter saved his life and I am forever grateful to him.

Now, all my horses see the equine dentist yearly. Some, twice a year. My horses in training are no exception. I insist that they see Dr. Vetter before I even attempt to ride with a bit. It just isn't fair to the horse to expect them to perform without knowing that their mouths are in good shape.

Today, was Monty's day to see Dr. Vetter. Just like he has been to date, he took it all in stride. He walked right up to the trailer, received his initial sedation and then wobbled in.

As I suspected, Monty had sharp points and waves, along with two wolf teeth, plus an unerupted canine. Dr. Vetter addressed these, as well as, cleaned his sheath (little boy parts). Unlike Patriot, he was completely stoic about these procedures but still looked to me for support (even under sedation). I was standing next to him in the stocks, rubbing and talking to him. At one point, I walked to the front to take pictures and he lost track of me. You should have seen the look in his eye turn to fear! WOW! Dr. Vetter's wife and trusty assistant, Kathy, said "You better get back here!" I did and he immediately relaxed. I am always amazed how much mustangs will bond with their trainers. It's a gift of joy I receive with each mustang I train.

Days 12-15..first trail ride

2008-03-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

The weekend was full of exciting stuff for Monty.

Thursday and Friday we worked in the round pen. I wanted to teach Monty a verbal command for canter, before I attempted to try it from the saddle on the trail. I actually was able to get Monty to canter, both under saddle and not. It is a challenge to keep him going at a steady pace, but he is definitely trying. I just don't think he sees the point. After all, "There are no cougars chasing us, Mom!!! "

Saturday, we trailered over to the Taylor Mountain Watershed. My friend, Beth, came along for moral support, riding one of my other horses. We set off down the trail. Monty was intrigued but not tense. I have yet to teach him to give to the bit (he just "carries" it), so I am using the halter to guide him. We weren't but 10 minutes into the ride and Monty was leading! Curious to find out what was around each corner. He spooked a bit at a few man made objects, but took right to following the trail and setting a good pace. Many times he lead through scary water crossings. Beth kept commenting how the mustang with 4 rides was leading the 6 year old horse! LOL Different personalities. She (the horse) is insecure. Monty is not. Good for Monty. Good for me!

We came upon a logging road where a lake had formed. What a fortunate thing! Looks like a prime opportunity to try out deeper water! A few timid attempts were made until it became obvious to Monty that it was WATER! Drinking water! Yay! After he tasted the water, he walked right in. "Hey, I know about water! You drink this stuff. Preferably when you are up to your knees!" LOL

We then had to spend about 10 minutes working with the "older horse" to get her arse in the water. Finally, after many failed attempts on her own, we asked Monty to pony her into the water. She followed and Monty got his first pony horse experience. It was great and amazing at the same time. I just love him!

Oh, and we got lope!!! Actually, it was more like bolt and run, but hey, it was faster than a trot!! We had been ambling along in relative peace and quiet, when we were suddenly bombarded by 2 off road motorcycles!! Ugh! I found something that gets Monty going!! And fast!! "Hey, hun, can you fire up the ATV? I want to lope today!" LOL

Monty bolted and ran about 25 feet before stopping and facing up to the situation. He then carefully started to return. This time, the "older horse" was not on his tail. She IS accustomed to ATV's and has ALOT more spook in place work than the new guy. She spooked but was easier to turn and face. Beth, my ever vigilant Backcountry Horsewoman friend, proceeded to go back to the rumbling machines, and politely "educated" the young men on proper off road machine / horse etiquette. They saw my horse take off like a shot and immediately apologized!

I just held on, knowing full well, that Monty would stop shortly (we know he won't gallop that long!) and that he might be having "helicopter" flashbacks. They use helicopter's to round up the wild ones. He behaved as I would have expected, however, I did not expect to encounter off road vehicles. They are not a usual occurrence for that riding area. Neither were the two huge yearling elk we encountered!

Sunday rained most of the day. We did get a chance to work on tying, grooming and a little advanced moving the shoulder from the ground. We continue to work on giving to pressure so that he will be more comfortable with tying in spooky situations.

All in all, a great weekend. I am more than happy with our progress and look forward to the week ahead. Monday, Dr. Vetter of Performance Equine Dentistry, will be here to work on Monty's teeth. He's four, so it is certain that he needs a few waves and the two wolfe teeth I have found removed.

Day 11..day off

2008-03-20T01:13:00.001-07:00

Today was a day of rest. Mainly because Monty has had a big four days and also because it's still raining!!

Looks like rain until Saturday, when we plan on a "real" trail ride, where we will practice getting out of first gear! Maybe some wide open spaces will help open up the throttle a bit. We will see!

Day 9 & 10..clinic days three and four

2008-03-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

Days three and four are all about repetition, refinement and PLAY!

Monty was asked to do a little more than stand like a statue (his favorite). We worked on just moving around a bit at the walk and trot, negotiate around the other riders in the arena and some obstacles. He did great. But he is really all about "All whoa and no go!" LOL There has to be draft horse in there somewhere! With a little, ahem, encouragement, from behind, we were able to break into a nice two stride lope until he, um uh, trotted again. He's a trotter, for sure!!! I have yet to see him lope of his own accord. Even loose in the arena! Too funny!

The best part was going on a mini trail excursion outside during ride number two. The clinic had to exit the indoor early on Day 3, so we headed outside for a stroll around the grounds. That was cool!

A few more things Monty was exposed to was being bridled, tied, wormed and clipped. He's also looking more like a show horse, as I clipped his muzzle, bridle path and ears. I told you it was horsie boot camp!

By the end of day four, we were negotiating a gate, opening and closing it with just a small bit of a struggle. I'm so proud of the big guy. He really tries hard. I think we have cemented a trust that will help us in the future.

Day 8..Second day of the clinic

2008-03-20T00:26:00.001-07:00

The second day of every Steve Rother clinic is my favorite. It's the day we bring out all the horse eating obstacles! Everything from tarps, umbrellas, barrels and jumps to bridges, cones and the dreaded car wash! We spent the morning practicing our sending and control using these obstacles. It sure is a good way to find the holes in your groundwork. If you are lacking in your body control, it all comes out here! By adding in the aspect of the unknown, trust and respect for the handler becomes critical. I had some difficulty with Monty's shoulder control, backing and sending the day before and we needed to spend some time refining that before we could tackle the scarier objects. But once we dialed in on those things, the obstacles came easier. Monty is not very reactionary, so getting a rise out of him can be a challenge. Especially if you are trying to move his big hairy body in a direction you want to go with any life or speed! LOL

In the afternoon, I saddled him up for the second time. He was a little wary this time, but nothing too exciting. Did I tell you that he was pretty mellow? It was time and he was ready. Up, down, up down! Man, I really need an up-ramp!! Up, down, up, down and I was on. He just stood there! I waited for something exciting, but did not really expect anything. Sigh, ok big guy let's bend and move!

Day 7..First Day of the clinic

2008-03-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

Uh, can you take this thing off my head!

I bet you are all wondering how the clinic went, aren't you! Sorry for the delay. We just returned yesterday!

On Day 7, Monty and I headed off to Brush Prairie, WA (about 3 hours south) to attend a Steve Rother clinic. You may remember from Patriot's story that Steve Rother is one of my all time favorite clinicians and his clinics are ideal starting grounds for young horses. In four days, the horse is introduced to so many things, that by the time they return, they are pretty much gentle and ready for anything.

Monty loaded like a champ that morning, walking straight out of the round pen and into the trailer without hesitation. Yay! We arrived to head straight into the arena to start the groundwork portion of the clinic. Monty led from the trailer into the indoor arena, a little slowly, but with good confidence. That morning we practiced our sending, backing, leading, squeezing along a wall, hip and shoulder control. He did great. He has become really light in the halter.

After lunch, after a bit of bending and giving, I worked Monty with a few scary items, such as a plastic bag, flag and tarp. After a VERY short while (much to my surprise), he was wearing the tarp like a rain coat and leading with it over his head! He is such a mellow guy!

I can stand ground tied with you under my belly!

By the end of the day, Monty was wearing his saddle. I actually, just saddled him up. Just like that, with hardly a snort. We sent him out to run with a few other horses in the arena and he didn't even bother to buck! That would take to much energy! Let's see how he reacts tomorrow!

Now, that's a flag!

Watcha doin back there?

I'm sorry that the pictures are blurry. I don't have the best camera for indoor pictures with low light.

Day 6 - Well, I feel better, at least..

2008-03-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

So, Monty wasn't all that excited, but at least *I* feel better, knowing he has at least some protection from the elements. Yeah, yeah, I know! He's a Mustang! But he was shivering! He was not prepared for the 40 degree weather change!

All in all, he handled the blanket with no more fuss than a few minor "I'm leaving!" attempts. He's starting to trust me and when I ask him to sniff something, he usually tries.

We spent Day 6 waiting for the rain to stop long enough to get a few quick things done. It's been pouring here, non stop, since I arrived home and I do not have a covered arena.

When we got a break in the clouds, I ran outside to try a few new things. He's in the round pen now, with more room to move around, so we practiced some sending and backing. We worked on some liberty and recall. I finally have him coming to me on an arm signal. It's a form of a "join up" that I like to teach for my liberty routines. That way, I can park him at one end of the arena and then recall him to my side. Kinda like dog obedience where you ask your dog to stay and then recall him to front, then ask him to finish. We worked on the recall portion today. It's great when your horse gets accidentally loose or is in the pasture and you want to call him to you. I don't walk out to get my horses. They get their butts to me when I call them! LOL

After a thorough grooming and feet pick up session, we walked down the barn isle and we tried loading into the trailer again. Hmmmm..guess he forgot. Well, no, he didn't actually forget, he refused! LOL No kidding. I didn't blame him, fourteen hours in a trailer is a LONG time. But he still had a lesson in "You don't pull Mom around the barnyard, cuz you just don't want to go in no stinking trailer again!" Needless to say, his favorite place is now INSIDE the trailer, because outside means too much like work! He cracked me up. It got to the point where I would unload him and he would immediately turn around and jump back in! Well, that will come in handy in the morning, when we load up to go to a Steve Rother clinic for the weekend.

I'll try to get some pictures and video of his progress in the clinic the next few days. Boot camp for horses, here we come!

Day 5..doing nothing but shivering and eating

2008-03-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

A much needed day off was had by all. Monty hung out in the round pen, eating, and contemplating why he was suddenly freezing??? I can see that blanket wearing lessons will follow shortly!

Day 4..the long haul

2008-03-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Day four was all about getting home! After a short, but unexciting trailer loading lesson, Monty was comfortable enough with the trailer to load up and go home. Fourteen hours later, at 5 in the morning, he unloaded like a champ into the round pen. Greeted by a weather change of nearly forty degrees, he thought he had gone to hell! LOL The pouring rain greeted the new arrival, along with several nickers of "Hello" from my band of wilds and domestics. I fed and watered the herd and promptly went to bed.

Day 3..what I did on my (unexpected) vacation...

2008-03-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today I fed 300 Mustangs, literally!! I was up early to get to the "Wild Horse Sanctuary" to help founders, Diane and Ted, feed their band of 300 wild ones plus about 50 saddle horses. I was graciously invited to help feed, after having dinner with Tami, Kim and Lori (WHS volunteer) the night before. I jumped at the chance.

The Wild Horse sanctuary is 5000 acres of safe haven for 300+ wild mustangs. The mustangs come from a variety of sources, but was mainly founded by the "Original 80". The bands also include horses from the Santa Cruz herd and also the more famous, Phantom Herd. Phantom has been made famous by the many books written about him by Terri Farley.

From the "Wild Horse Sanctuary" website..

"Rather than allow 80 wild horses living on public land to be destroyed, the founders of the Wild Horse Sanctuary made a major life decision right then and there to rescue these unwanted horses and create a safe home for them. And just as quickly, they launched a media campaign to bring attention to the plight of these and hundreds of other wild horses across the west that eventually led to a national moratorium on killing un-adoptable wild horses.

The Sanctuary is located near Shingletown, California on 5,000 acres of lush lava rock-strewn mountain meadow and forest land. Black Butte is to the west and towering Mt. Lassen is to the east. The current location features better accessibility for the public, a milder winter climate with more natural cover, and other benefits for the horses."

Along with caring for the wild ones, the Sanctuary offers trail rides, camp overs and cattle drives to the public. Please visit their website for more details on these fun events.

The Sanctuary is always looking for qualified interns, volunteers and donations. If you would like to help, please visit: How you can help

I plan to help with the camp ride in October, acting as a drag and helping the guests with their horses and tack. Come and join me!

Back to my day with the herd...

I arrived about 9 am and was met by Ted, Diane's husband (the hired help!). He escorted me down to the barn and I watched while he loaded hay on this gi-normous fork lift!

I sat atop the lifted forks with Bobby, the farm dog, and Ted at the helm. First, we fed the "old saddle horses".

Then we fed the current saddle horses. These horses are used for the rides and camp outs. This one was my favorites, although I believe her nick name is "Captain Snotty Pants"!

Then we moved onto the wild ones. We were greeted at the gate by a band of geldings, led by one lone stallion from the Santa Cruz herd. He was friendly enough to let me touch his nose, but that was it! He was gorgeous!

The wild horses are fed way back on the acreage, so the band of geldings followed along..

This was my favorite gelding. Are you beginning to get an idea of my favorite color pattern??

Phantoms herd..."Shy", the Palomino is Phantom's main mare. Sadly, Phantom was not with his herd. I really wanted to see him. He had been spotted a week before, but he was not around today.

Phantom's last baby, the grey in the middle...

The new stallion of the Phantom herd...

See all the fun things you can do if you are stranded in Redding????

After my feeding excursion, I went back to the barn and we practiced picking up our feet on command. Not all that exciting, but the right rear was a bit unnerving for Monty.

We also practiced "beauty shop"! He was groomed up and brushed out and looked like a domestic! He promptly let me know that mustangs are meant to be dirty, as I watched him roll in manure. sigh

Day 2..new people

2008-03-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

It really is a small world! While sitting in Starbucks using the Internet to update my blog, I happened to look up and catch the insignia of the "Wild Horse Sanctuary" on a gals sweatshirt.

Naturally, I asked about the shirt and their involvement with Mustangs. Turns out, her friend, Tami, the gal with her, happens to be a farrier who's sister works at the Wild Horses Sanctuary in Shingletown. (A few towns east from Redding) They had just spend the day at the Sanctuary feeding and volunteering. And the most amazing part, they live in Roy, WA, about an hour from me!

Of course we got to talking about Monty and they asked if they could meet him. Well, sure! We quickly packed up our laptops and headed out to the barn.

Monty got a chance to work with both Tami and Kim. They had a blast playing with a newly gentled mustang. This is Kim gently getting to know Monty. Sorry Tami, I didn't get pictures with you. :(

They are hoping to come out and see his progress over the next few months.

A bit of catch up..Day 1

2008-03-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

While stranded in sunny California (woe is me!), I was able to get a lot accomplished with Monty. I worked with him about two hours the first day. At first I just hung out on a bucket...

Then I asked him to yield his hindquarters and shoulders to indirect pressure....

..then I asked for a bit of a sniff..

Finally, I was able to grasp the rope and ask for more...

By the end of the session, I was able to touch him all over.

Introducing Montego Magnifico de Durango!

2008-03-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

....or Monty for short!

Why Montego? Well because he's a Bay, of course!!

And since my Dodge Durango caused all the trouble, I threw that in there for good measure! If we were going to start this adventure off with a bang, he needed a named that suited!

Monty during the load up in Sacramento..

My first glimpse of my new partner...

Here he comes!!

Haltered and ready to go..

Myself, Joe Misner (EMM & WSMC trainer) and the Mustang Heritage Foundation's Executive Director, Patti Colbert.

Finally home..

2008-03-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived (5 AM) from our long journey home. We are tired and weary but home safe. Although, I have to admit, I hate all you California people!!! LOL We left Redding, a warm 70 degrees and came home to driving rain and a chilly 38 degrees. Ugh! Why do I live here again? I was grateful to have had that few days of sun for working with my mustang. It sure was nice.

I'm going to go take a long winters nap and start working with him again on Friday. Nite y'all.

Stuck in Redding, California!

2008-03-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I am stuck. My truck broke down in Redding on my way home. Luckily I have a great network of friends and Mustang folks that came to my rescue. I was able to get the truck to a Dodge dealer and the horse and trailer to a very nice facility called the Broken Arrow Stables. Thanks Gwen and Wade for your hospitality!

The truck needed a new part and it won't be here until Wednesday, so I wait. BUT, that has not stopped progress. I worked with my new Mustang yesterday. What an amazing guy. He's a big bay gelding from the Twin Peaks HMA. He's stout, about 15H with only a few white hairs on his forehead that resemble a star, if you look with a microscope. He has correct conformation with a short back and a nice sloping shoulder. His face is really cute, too! I cant wait to see him under English tack and a braided mane!! LOL

I worked with him for about two hours. He leads, yields his hindquarters and shoulders (both on and off lead) and backs. I can touch him all over and pick up his feet. I have no doubt that if I had my saddle I could tack him up and start leaning on him. I went over to Tractor Supply and bought a few items so I can work with him today. Maybe I will borrow a saddle.

I'll try to blog while I am here, but no guarantees. I have a ton of video and pictures. I'll get those up here too. Wish me luck that I get home safely!

And we're off!!!

2008-03-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

In the morning, I begin the journey again. I am off to Sacramento to pick up my mustang for the Western States Mustang Challenge. Wow! I can't believe that I am doing this again. It sends chills down my spine just thinking about it! Good chills, mind you! I am excited to be doing this again.

We do not get a full 100 days for this event. Only about 90. I have added a counter to the right to help keep track and as a reminder to get outside and ride!!

Look for a blog update with pictures of the new horse on Sunday!

I'm in!!

2008-02-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

This was the beginning of the letter I received this morning!! Here we go again!

Western States Mustang Challenge

Dear Western States Mustang Challenge Trainer:
CONGRATULATIONS - you were accepted as one of the competing trainers!

Yippee!!

Stay tuned for updates on the new guy..or gal, as mares are now in the contest. 15 will be mares and 15 will be geldings.

In the news, again!

2008-02-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

One more time!! Feeling kinda special all of a sudden!

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsebytes/archives/130806.asp?from=blog_last3

Also in the news, the Mustang Heritage Foundation announced another challenge event:

Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, August 15-16 (tentative dates) Spread the word!

In the news!

2008-01-30T19:11:00.001-08:00

A very nice reporter from the online publication, The Inside Poop, came out to interview me a few weeks ago. She wrote up a very nice article. Feel free to take a gander..

http://theinsidepoop.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=99

Introducing Nomads Rest Ranch & Mustang Training Center!!

2008-01-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess it's about time I told you all about my new business. I have officially opened the doors to my training business, Nomads Rest Ranch and Mustang Training Center.

http://www.nomadsrestranch.com/

The mustang makeover brought me so much publicity that I have people knocking down my door to train horses. Go figure. So, I relented. :)

My focus is going to be gentling wild mustangs for dressage and trail careers. I will take in the occasional young (not wild) horse to be started under saddle. I will also go down to the corrals with you to pick out your new mustang and then gentle and train him for you.

I can only take in a couple horses at a time, as I don't have the time or room for more than a few. Plus, I am going to be choosy about which horses I take in as I need to stay focused on my goals for the mustangs.

If you would like to get a rate sheet or get on the wait list, please email me at jthomas@nomadsrestranch.com

I have several mustangs and horses ready to go that I have already started. I will highlight each of them in upcoming entries. If you know anyone looking for a nice mustang or young horse, please let me know.

The application is in...

2008-01-26T00:21:00.000-08:00

..for the Western States Mustang Challenge. Cross your fingers! For those of you that expressed interest in the new horse, stay tuned!

Patriot is spending the weekend getting the kinks out for our upcoming Steve Rother Clinic and the Oregon Horse Center, Mountain Trail Clinic. We will be traveling to these events during the next two weekends. I will also take my incentive horse, Ronan, along to participate in the events.

I am excited to get going again with Pate. I spent the evening watching the DVD's of my Mustang Makeover Competition. While I was not excited to relive my now famous ride, we actually did not do too bad, in comparison. I did not watch many of the other trainers rides that day. Tonight, I watched them all. At least I had a great big smile on my face the whole time, even though Pate was bouncing all over the arena. For only 17 total rides before the event, he was wasn't half bad.

Having done this once before, I now know what I need to concentrate on for the next event. If I am chosen for the Western States Challenge, I will have a new plan to follow based upon last years event.

Wetern States Mustang Challenge - June 6-8, 2008

2008-01-17T01:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have updated this blog. The holidays have come and gone and its a new year. My incentive horse is coming along beautifully and has a new adoptive home (more on that in an upcoming entry). Patriot is doing well and has had the winter off. He is turned out to pasture with other horses his age, fully recovered from the lesson of the dominant mare. It is too cute to see him playing stallion games with the other geldings in the pasture. Little does he know, but his loafing days are almost over. I have him signed up for that trail clinic he missed last fall due to that kick. February will be a busy month for my fuzzy pasture ornament.

What I wanted to talk about today is the Western States Mustang Challenge - June 6-8, 2008 - being held in California. The entries are due for this event in a week and I am considering participation. I am torn as I would like to do the big event in Texas, as well, however, California is SOO much closer.

However, my biggest dilemma is actually a problem I want your help in solving. Since I do not want nor need to keep the horse I get for this event (and you KNOW I will), I wanted to see if anyone out there is interested in adopting this horse and line up to be the high bidder BEFORE I head to California? I would really like to get to know the potential new owner of this horse, rather than hand him over to the highest unknown bidder. Would that be too much to ask?? :) Please spread the word. I am thinking I will only enter if I know that I have a prearranged home for the new guy. Can you help?

EMM pictures are here!

2007-11-17T23:13:00.000-08:00

Patriot and I had some professional photos taken while we were at the competition. They have arrived! Ohh, shiny!

In hand

All aboard

Patriot represents!

2007-11-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

Today, Patriot was a proud representative for the mustang breed. My local farm store, Reber Ranch, held their annual "Breyerfest" today. Several children and young people came from all over to show their Breyer models in a model horse show. After the show, a parade of live horses from many different breeds had a chance to show off their stuff.

Pate did pretty good. It was the first ride since Fort Worth, as he has been getting some much needed time off and then he was laid up with the shoulder injury. He took it all in stride, except he was a bit worried about being alone in the arena. However, when the BIG draft horses pulling the even BIGGER wagon came trotting by, he was the only horse to stand still and even walk up to the rig! I was so proud. Horses with years of training bolted and pranced. He said, "Hey, let's follow them!" He then stood quietly for petting and attention, loving all the kids.

He seems to be as good as new. He trotted even and sound, with a full stride. I am glad he's better. He had me worried.

Extreme Mustang gets second chance

2007-11-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

Of the 100 mustangs chosen for the 2007 event, only 82 made it to the show. The last 18 did not make it for a variety of reasons. A few made it back to the corrals in Nevada, but one made it to Burns, OR.

While I intended to participate in the new Mustang Heritage Foundation's Trainer Incentive Program, it was going to be difficult to obtain another mustang from Nevada. Last weekend, I attended the Kiger Adoption in Burns. Quite by accident, I found out that there was an EMM mustang waiting there to return to Palomino Valley. I wasted no time in asking if I could take him home to finish his training. I was granted permission and just like that, I have an incentive horse!

For those of you out there that wished they adopted an EMM horse or were bidding against me for Patriot, here's your chance! I get to train this new guy and I can sell him directly to you, no auction!

He's a very cute, dark brown gelding, about 14.3 hands, with a small star and white on his coronet band of the right rear leg. He's still wild, but was willing to try and join up and very sensible. He is lighter boned, forward thinking with lift in his shoulders and drive from behind.

I will gentle and start him the same way as Patriot with natural horsemanship techniques and classic dressage training.

If you are interested in this horse, please email me ASAP and we can chat.

Living Large and well

2007-11-12T23:17:00.000-08:00

Patriot is finally moving sound. He takes a few off steps here and there, but I think we are out of the woods. It looks like maybe the kick only caused a bad bruise and nothing more. Needless to say, Patriot is rather fond of his weekly massages and chiropratic treatments! :)

I am going to give Patriot a few more weeks off from riding, but he will still get to go out on the trails as a ponied horse. He likes to get out and about, so he's happy.

Mares! You gotta love 'em to own 'em

2007-10-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Patriot learned a hard lesson last weekend. Mares are to be left alone, with a 50' radius at all times. Don't even look at them, or they will give you what for. Sigh. Poor Pate. He thought he was going to survive it. After all, he still gets it into his head from time to time that he might still be a real boy. Wrong!

Pate received the business end of one of my mares hind legs to the shoulder and is now doctoring a pretty good bruise and possibly a cracked shoulder blade. It took only a second for him to sniff her as I was walking both of them to the trailer to go for a ride. She was not interested in that, at all!

To give her credit, she ponied him for several hours that day with nary a whimper nor a swish of her tail. He must have looked at her with that gleam in his eye when he tried to nibble her rump. She set him straight and was done with the lecture.

Normally, a blow like this would be hardly noticed, but she must have nailed him at precisely the right angle. He was fine for the first two days, with just a bruise, but now he's gimping pretty bad and is on pain med's. He is on strict bed rest with a little hand walking for awhile, which is JUST fine with him!

Unfortunately, what this means is that he does not get to go to the trail clinic this weekend, as planned. Not that I don't have 4 other riding horses I could take, it's just that I really wanted to take him! This clinic only happens once a year and I am bummed. Oh well. I'm still going, but I will miss my Pate.

Jeez, the most expensive horse I have too!!

At home, doing nothing at all.

2007-10-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

After a chaotic, whirlwind week, we are home. I turned Patriot out to pasture with another of my young mustangs, Canyon, and they are having a blast playing "boy" games and hanging out.

What a difference a week makes! We left Texas in 90 degree heat and arrived home to 40 degrees and rain, rain, rain! Needless to say, Pate is wearing a nice warm coat. He has no hair for this abrupt change in weather! I plan to continue with his riding this winter, so a short coat will be a blessing.

We have some fun events planned for the next few months, so I will update the blog as we go along.

I wanted to take the time to say thank you to my family, friends and employees that supported me through this whole event. I really appreciate your support and backing. I also want to give a shout out to all my new friends whom I met at the event and all Internet contacts that I have made. Thank you so much for all the emails and kind words you have sent my way since my return. I did not know how far and wide I reached with this blog! Your praise means more to me than you know.

A big "Hi" to Angie Keitel, Tim and Karen Noland, Jimmy Thomas, Kitty & Rick Lauman, Clifford Tipton, Dixie LaFountain, Greg Reynolds, Wolfgang Remkes, Excy Johnston, Jeremy Dunn, Ray Ariss, Kathe Smothers, Vixen Barney, Josh Appleby and all the other trainers I met and bonded with during the event. It was great fun to meet you and your horses. I hope to see you all again sometime. Please keep in touch!

And finally, to all of you that have contacted me regarding training services for your horses, I REALLY appreciate the trust you place in my abilities. I am considering hanging a shingle from the barn some day, but for now, I really need to go back to concentrating on the business that I already own. Since it affords me the luxury to keep Patriot fed and housed, it would be best to spend a bit of time there. LOL God knows I've ignored it long enough to concentrate on Patriot. A BIG thanks to my managers and employees for keeping the doors open and the lights on in my absence!! But hey, clean up the office and get the beers out of the office fridge, as I am back to work now!

Going home!

2007-09-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

I loaded Patriot on a fellow trainers trailer this morning to send him home. He is going to Salt Lake City to stay with Clifford Tipton for a few days, then to Kitty Lauman's. I will fly to Boise on Wednesday, drive to Enterprise, Oregon to retrieve my rig and then down to Kitty's for the weekend. Kitty and I are going to ride together on the trails near her ranch before I return home. Patriot gets to ride home with Ranger, the second place winner of the event!

I will miss the little guy, but I am going to use this time to catch up on my sleep. I hope to sleep peacefully for the next few days.

Fort Worth - Sunday - Adoption Day!

2007-09-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Last night, I did not sleep at all. I stayed late at the barn and hung out with Patriot. I was so scared I was going to lose him. I was happy and sad that nobody approached me to talk about adopting Pate. Maybe nobody wanted him? I was really emotional and started to cry.

I saddled him up and went down to the warm up arena to practise. They told us that we could show off our mustangs using some of the freestyle stuff we prepared. I worked Pate at liberty in the round pen and he was perfect. Sure, now you cooperate! I got on to ride and he rode exceptional and soft. Hmmm..

I was called to the adoption arena and when I got there, realized that I had forgotten my bidder card. Yikes! I asked if I had time to retrieve it and they said yes. I was not going to lose Pate today because I forgot my bidder card! I madly trotted to my stall and retrieved my card and loped back to the arena. In a panicked voice, I asked the auction crew how to bid and how to be high bidder. They told me just to tell the auctioneer that I wanted to be high bidder and how high I was willing to go. I told them, "As much as it takes!" All the horses that before us went for $2500 or less, so I felt confident that I could match that. My dad was willing to help out with the price up to that much. Thanks DAD!

Turns out I still had a few minutes and they provided a small warm up arena inside the main arena. I went in to ride and did a typical dressage warm up showing the crowd how soft and supple he was. I waited my turn in a panic, near tears.

I was given a couple minutes to tell the crowd about Pate. I told the crowd "That he was a fantastic horse. So fantastic, that I am taking him home!" Then the bidding war began, literally! All the people who were interested in Pate came out of the woodwork and started bidding. The price jumped from $1000.00 t0 $2500.00 in three bids. Then to $3000.00 and to $3500! As I trotted around the arena, purposely NOT showing him off, I was in tears, as I thought I was going to lose him. He was worth more to me than money, but I could only go so high. The bidding started to slow between $3500.00 and $3900.00. I heard the "SOLD!", but was not sure if I had won.

When I found out he was mine, I burst into tears and started shaking madly. I adopted Patriot, my little star, for $3900.00. I reached down and gave him a huge hug and struggled out of the arena in tears. I kept hearing people tell me congratulations and I thanked them. I had to sign some paper work as I exited. I was shaking soo bad that my signature was unreadable. As I left the arena, I was surrounded by the media, RFD-TV, Newsweek. They interviewed me as I was crying my eyes out. I could barely speak. They just smiled at me and kept filming. I went back to Pate's stall to many congratulations. My fellow trainers knew how badly I wanted him and they were happy for me.

Pate was the first horse in the arena to go for over $2500.00. He was not the highest priced mustang today, but he was MY mustang. I am soo happy to be taking him home! Many thanks to my fellow bidders for letting me!

Fort Worth - Saturday - The BIG Day!

2007-09-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

The day is here! I head to the arena and start getting ready for the in-hand portion of the event. I don my new western outfit and we go over to the photo booth for some professional portraits. Don't worry. These were taken by my Dad. I'll post the real ones later!

Pate is in NO mood to work. He's grouchy, tired and irritable. As we warm up, he's taking pot shots at me with his teeth. This is not good. I am the 23rd horse into the ring. I can hear the cheers and Aww's as the previous competitors go through the course. The announcer keeps telling the trainers to "Memorize your course!" I guess many of the trainers are going off course. I am doing my best to remember it, not realizing how important that will become later.

Pate and I try to enter the ring, but he balks a bit. The gate crew give me a bit of assistance and we are in and ready. The crowd is AMAZING. There is literally 2000 murmuring people sitting all around us. It's standing room only. Camera's were flashing everywhere. WOW! I have shown at some big places, but this took the cake. I can't even describe the feeling.

We have to walk in, nod at the judges (who are sitting INSIDE the arena) and walk over a series of poles. We make it through that without nicking the poles. Nicking is a 1/2 point deduction. We walk straight through an "L" and then back out to the left. We then pivot 270 degrees to the right and trot to the next cone. So far we are doing good. We then have to pick up all four feet. Pate stands for all four then begins to walk off. Jeez. I quickly stop him and continue on to the walk over brush boxes. No problems or nicks. Then we load into a stock trailer and he follows me right in. I get applause for this, which surprises me. Didn't all the horses load before me?? The final part was a trot through a serpentine series of cones, RIGHT next to the arena wall with about 5 camera men and 20 people leaning over the wall. Pate enters the cones well, then spooks at a cameraman and bumps into me. Ugh. Whew! We are done with Part One.

I head back to his stall to give him a short break and get some lunch. I watch a bit of the competition and see MANY of the trainers going off course. I'm surprised.

I then go and tack up Pate to warm up for the "Horse Course". He is stiff and fighting me. He refuses to get off my right leg and throws his head around. Just great! I feel sorry for him, but ask him to try and maintain his composure. I am draw 18. As we warm up, my dad comes over to tell me that I am 9th going into the Horse Course! There is a 6 point spread between 1st and 10th place. I have a chance at the Top Ten! Many of the trainers received zeros for the first portion because they went off course. Now I know why they kept announcing "Know your course!"

We enter the arena, I am unmounted. I have to get on and lope down the arena wall, past the judges who are sitting inside the arena on the wall. He lopes, but on the wrong lead. We then have to stop at the cone and pivot 180 degrees and lope back down the wall past the judges again and around the end of the arena by the gate. He lopes, again on the wrong lead. As we go by the gate, he balks and I have to get after him. He kicks out at the whip. We then have to continue to lope around and through the center of the arena and do a simple change and then lope to the other end of the arena. As we pass through the center, Pate spooks at the bridge, hard to the right and back toward the gate. What the?? He nearly unseats me. I hear the sucking in of breath from the crowd as they think I am going to come off. No way Jose! I have to circle around and try again. I give a big "Yee Haw!" and the crowd laughs. This time he goes, but is stiff and uncooperative. I hear a lady in the crowd yell to me "You ride 'em, Cowgirl!"

We then have to stop at a cone, pivot 90 degrees and trot into a box and stop. We then have to pivot to the right twice, 360 degrees and then twice to the left. Pate nails this. Then we trot out of the box and through a serpentine set of two panels. He goes wide, but makes it through. As we exit, we must lope only two strides and stop in front of the bridge. Yeah, right. Pate's not ready for this yet and we just trot. We trot over the bridge with no hesitation and I shrug and throw my head back. The crowd laughs hard at this, because they are expecting him to balk at the bridge again. After the bridge we trot over a series of poles and into an "L". We then back through the "L" to the right and trot out of the ring. The crowd roars and cheers me on with support and praise.

I felt the weight of a horrible ride and the loss of a Top Ten finish, but I praise Pate for trying. I am immediately surrounded by the media and they interview me. I don't remember what I said. The cameraman, who had been watching me for the past few days expressed his surprise at Pate's performance. He said. "What happened? He's usually SO quiet?" I explained that he was really irritable and it was the first time he was alone in the ring by himself. Pate's always needed a little moral support from his fellow equines and he felt really alone out there.

It turns out that when we circled after the spook, we were off course and received a zero for the whole test. That dashed our Top Ten hopes. Oh well. Maybe people will not want him now that he showed his hinney! Big smile!

I put Pate away and went to watch the rest of the event. After a short break, they called all the trainers to the warm up arena for the Top Ten list. I congratulated the winning trainers and went back to settle into my seat for the finals. I spoke to a few trainers who expressed that their horses were irritable, as well. It was like someone went through the barns all night banging on pots and pans. The horses were just fried. Quite a few people approached me to tell me that I had a great seat and I rode well. I thanked them, feeling better about our performance.

The finals were entertaining and surprising at the same time. All the trainers did a great job and I am proud to be a part of an exceptional group of people.

Fort Worth - Friday - Busy Day!

2007-09-24T21:34:00.001-07:00

Wow! Today we are slammed! I signed us up for one morning practise where we worked the obstacles from the ground. Pate did ok, but was dragging his feet. He is tired and has lost weight from his long travels. He does not seem to be eating very well. I am worried about him.

I then rush off to a two hour trainers meeting where we ate lunch, met more of our fellow trainers, met some of the judges, discussed the patterns to be used in the ground work and riding courses. Man, the patterns are HARD! Much different than what they warned us about. Many of the trainers are stressed about the difficulty of the patterns, especially the riding portion. There is a ton of loping in the test and many of the horses are not loping yet. It immediately kills the chances for the more novice horses. Pate has only JUST started to lope out and I am keeping my fingers crossed that he lopes at all, much less on the correct lead! The competition will be Pate's 25th ride in total.

Much to our excitement, they announce that Chris Cox, 2007 winner of the "Road to the Horse" will be there to be the 4th judge during the finals! Cheers and whistles erupt! Many trainers were concerned about the lack of a natural horsemanship type judge, as the other judges were big time Quarter Horse judges. Needless to say, Chris was the only judges name that I recognized. LOL

The trainers get to ask only ONE question each about the event. ONLY one. I ask if the trainer has to stay on the inside of the poles during the in-hand back through the "L". The answer is "Yes!" Many trainers ask about the adoption and how to ensure keeping their horses. The answer is "Bid the highest". That does NOT make me feel better. I think I am more worried about that, than the event.

We pick up our official Trainer shirts!

We then head over for a group picture.

I then have to present Pate in-hand for his conditioning score. He stands like a trooper and gets a high score, even though I know that he has lost ALOT of weight in the past few days. The score puts us tied for 7th along with about 8 other trainers!

I start my tack cleaning process, get Pate tacked up for his two afternoon riding sessions. My parents arrive at the arena to help.

Pate works REALLY well in the afternoon. He is soo soft, willing and compliant. I practise our loping and some of the maneuvers I know we will have to perform. He is so good and I feel ready.

I give Pate a bath and get him all sexy for the big day, then hurry back to the hotel to change for the big trainer introduction party at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. The introduce us to the backdrop of the song, "Save a horse, Ride a Cowboy!" It was a long party and they announced that next year the competition will be even bigger with 200 horses and $75,000 in prize money! They are also doing a second event with 50 horses starting in February.

Unfortunately, the food runs out before the trainers get a chance to eat, so a few of us head out to dinner. We swap training stories and worry about the riding portion of the event.

We head back to the barn to feed our horses, hang around and chat for awhile, then I head over to Target to buy a few fans to to attach to Pate's stall. It is hot and the heat is getting to him. I want him to be as fresh as he can be in the morning, but the heat is sapping his strength. Once again, I cannot sleep. I have to get up REALLY early and I too exhausted and nervous. I end up only sleeping about 3 hours.

Fort Worth - Thursday - We are here!

2007-09-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

We finally pull into Fort Worth to begin our time here at the EMM Competition. I feel a strange mix of fear, nerves, excitement and panic. I am excited to be here and to have made it this far. I am nervous about what is about to happen. But mostly I am scared that I will lose Patriot on Sunday to a higher bidder. The marque outside the arena says it all!

We have to get unloaded, checked in, signed up for our scheduled practise times, and wash horses/tack. I introduce myself to as many of the trainers as I can. I am excited to finally meet some of the horses and trainers that I read about on all the blogs and web sites. They are so nice and welcoming, that I feel part of a great new group of people.

The place is huge and HOT! It's 109 degrees outside and we are sweating bullets as we unload the trailer and find our stalls. The stalls and warm up arena are all inside a building connected to the main arena. Luckily the main arena is air conditioned!

The main arena is huge. Several of the trainers are practising already. They have put trail obstacles out for us to practise on.

Horses and trainers are arriving by the boat load. The media is every where! RFD-TV, Newsweek, Western Horseman, and National Geographic!

I get settled in, tack up Pate and head for the main arena. Pate just walks in like he had done it many times before. He gives a little start when he sees a person standing on the rail above him, but then just settles into a nice gait and works well in his practise. I signed him up for his three practise sessions back to back, in order to give him enough time to settle in, warm up, work the obstacles and cool down.

I put Pate up for the night and head to the hotel, since I was sharing a ride, but I was wishing I could stay around to meet the other trainers and watch them work.

My parents arrive and come and get me for dinner. They give me their rental car and I drop them off at their hotel. I have trouble falling asleep and I am awake until 2 am.

Last stop before the end of the line..

2007-09-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we have made it to our last destination, Oklahoma City, OK, before dropping down into Texas. We were told not to arrive at Will Rogers Center before 8 am on Thursday, so we are hanging out at one last overnight stop.

I wanted to send out a very special Thank you to Jaime and Cleve of Cross Country Boarding in Augusta, KS. Pate and Chance stayed at their very nice facility last night. I highly recommend this facility to our fellow horse travelers! Jaime, we really appreciate your generous donation of our overnight fee! We will be back again next year!

Since our last few days traveling have been short, we have had a fair bit of time to ride and play. We took some time this morning in Kansas to school more water and I worked with Pate and a tarp.

Vixen and I are so glad to have taken this time with our horses. We have seen much of the back roads of the USA, passed through or visited 8 states and have enjoyed getting to know each other. We are also excited to say that we have ridden our mustangs in 5 different states in as many days! Our boys are getting quite the passport!

We are only two days away from the final event. Once we arrive in Texas tom morrow, we will have two days to school in the actual arena that we are showing in on Saturday. This event is actually MUCH bigger than I had originally imagined. The trainers have a media party on Friday night and we are getting wind of a trade show for shopping at the event. The final trainer count is 82 participating trainers and horses. Wish us luck as we try to make the top ten.

On the road again..

2007-09-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Vixen saying Good Bye!

Jamie, Kindle, Pate and Chance

Vixen loving on Chance at a rest stop

Well, Patriot and I, Vixen and Chance and Vixen's husband, Ryan are on the road to Texas! We left Washington on Saturday, travelled through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and are now in Colorado. It's been a long few days and Pate is acting nervous. I think he senses that his Mom is getting nervous. He's doing ok, but is not eating as well as I had hoped. I will have to learn to control my nerves, as Pate reads my emotions very well. I'm glad I decided to travel with him instead of shipping him and flying down.

He has bonded with Chance and now they are like glue. Well, actually, Pate is glued up to Chance, but Chance could care less about Pate! LOL Looking forward to splitting them up in Texas. NOT!

I can now recommend a couple of nice horse B&B's to visit if you are travelling from Washington to Texas. Let me know if you want their names.

We have tried to exercise the boys every night, but being cooped up in a trailer for three days tends to make two young bay mustangs very spunky! Yeehaw! We at least had a chance to take a nice relaxing trail ride today.

We have a few more days before we arrive in Ft. Worth on Thursday morning. We will be stopping in KS and Oklahoma City, before dropping down into Texas. I will post road pix and more updates as we get internet access.

Time is short..

2007-09-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

Pate has had the last few days off, as I pack and prepare to leave for Texas on Saturday. I will be gone for 14 days. Preparing my business for my departure has taken a fair bit of time, as well as planning for farm care of my 8 other horses and 5 dogs.

First, I will travel to Oregon and hook up with another EMM trainer, Vixen Barney. We, along with her husband, will travel together, for 6 days, as we take our time. We have hopes to stop and ride along the way at a few of our country's parks.

I have to admit that when I was traveling home from the show on Sunday, I was crying. I am rather sad at the thought that I only have a few days left with this wonderful horse. I credit this rather emotional behavior to why I am NOT a professional trainer. I get too attached! LOL

I read the other day that Kitty Lauman is offering Ranger's potential adopter continued training until Ranger is more "finished". I wanted to throw that offer out there for Pate, as well. He can come home with me for more training, if desired. This is, of course, only if he does not come home as MY horse! LOL

English show pony takes Blue!

2007-09-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Patriot and I stayed overnight to participate in a schooling show at Black Raven Stables on Sunday. Since Pate has a more forward moving trot, I thought it best to enter him into the English classes. I dressed him up in my dressage saddle and bridle and entered into a few flat classes. I think he looks rather cute as an English show pony, dont you?. So did the judge, as she pinned him Blue in the Green Horse class! He also took 4th in the walk/trot and 5th in the Novice class. I was so excited that he did so well that I forgot to take a picture of him with his ribbons!

I had also signed him up for a few western classes, but dropped them when he became tired from the morning classes. He did well and I did not feel it necessary to push him after Saturday's clinic and the English classes.

Later, he showed a fellow show participant, Cindy, how to work liberty. I showed Cindy how to to work Pate off of the line. Cindy was so excited that she got her own horse out and we worked for a while in the round pen.

Trail clinic

2007-09-12T22:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Pate and I headed north to Black Raven Stables for a trail clinic taught by Trail Judge, Jackie Davenport. We signed up for the Novice class with hopes to practice obstacles with a critical eye watching.

Pate found the multicolored poles and configurations a challenge, but lived up to his nature by trying really hard to do his best. Jackie, an Arab trainer, was very impressed with Patriot and how far he has come in the short 90+ days. She also said, "You can see it in his eyes, He just ADORES you!

While I have never shown western trail before, I was intrigued with the technical aspects of it. It reminded me of a time I used to jump 4'-9" fences. The words stride, balance and chip were all words and concepts I was familiar with and therefore related to quickly. BUT, trail is not easy! Pate has a more forward trot than a western pleasure horse and we had to figure out how to slow it all down to what seemed like a crawl.

While the work we did on Saturday was more technical that what we will be asked to do in the challenge, it was good experience. Pate was required to stay in his frame properly over the poles and bend through his ribcage while trotting through "L's". I am proud to say that Pate was the only novice horse to carry a trot the "L's"!

Mooooo..Cow!

2007-09-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

I have been asked recently what my training style was...old skool, natural horsemanship, English, Western, etc. Well, I have to say that it is a combination of all of them! I am a trained dressage competitor and have schooled horses to the FEI levels. I have jumped up to 4'-9" fences and evented for years. I team penn, ranch sort and trail ride. I use all the skills I have learned through the years and have enhanced my training "tool box" with the natural horsemanship techniques of John Lyons, Pat Parelli and Steve Rother. But mostly, I seek new and fun ways to teach my horses how to be riding partners that are happy with their job.

It is important to me that I do not over face my young horses and push them too fast, too soon. So I mix things up and do a combination of arena riding, trail riding and other fun stuff. I have been extremely lucky with Patriot. He has accepted all of my requests with a happy heart and an eagerness to learn. He surprises me all the time! This time, he surprised me with cows!

Last night, Patriot and I went ranch sorting. Luckily, twice a month, a local trainer arranges to have cows brought to the fairgrounds for sorting and I signed us up! I did not go to be competitive, just to expose Pate to cows and ride him in another arena. You never know what they are going to surprise us with in Texas. After all, it is cow town!

You may all get tired of me saying this, but Pate was fantastic! He's got COW in him! He walked into that pen, right up to the backside of a cow and bit him on the butt! LOL The cows started moving and he followed. After a few minutes, he started tracking a cow and taking my guidance on how to push one. Not long after, he was reading the cows and starting to cut them off. I was amazed! I have a few cow horses and I enjoy riding a horse that is cowy, but who knew! Pate, my little gaited...cow pony! While it is going to take more than one night to turn him into a penner, he has it in him!

Pate also took his first official dressage lesson this week. He thought that the two tracking, leg yields, and shoulders-in movements were challenging physically, but all good work outs always are! Think of dressage as body building for horses. Imagine a horse doing tummy tucks and lunges and you will understand why these skills are a challenge. This was the first time my dressage instructor has seen Pate and complimented me on how happy he is to be doing his job. I am happy he is happy!

Life's a beach..

2007-09-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Patriot and I spent the Labor Day weekend on the beach with both horse and human friends. We stayed at a B&B in Grayland, WA, called Ocean Acres. It's a quaint little place located directly on the beach with a B&B, horse camping and miles of ocean front riding. They have a great barn, paddocks and pastures for the horses, plus a full service campground. I highly recommend it!

Patriot and I had a blast. The beach is an excellent training opportunity for horses. It's the closest thing you can get to the noise of a large crowd and can be overwhelming to a horse. Washington is completely lacking in large horse venue's like Will Rogers Stadium in Texas, so we headed to the next best thing...the ocean. The waves, the constant din of the surf, the seagulls, the people, the kites, the paint ballers, the cars..the CARS? Well, yes, cars. Here in Washington, you can drive on the beach, right up to the waves. So that means, horses and humans give way to the 4 wheelers.

We spent three days on the beach, playing in the surf, practicing our cantering, and riding over the dunes. Patriot was fantastic. The group headed out to the beach for the first time with a bit of trepidation, not really knowing how Pate would react to the chaos that is the beach. But, I knew! Pate has always had a level head about all things scary and this weekend was no exception. He walked out onto the beach, leading the group and right into the water! The surf got his attention, but after it lapped his legs for a few minutes, he was standing quietly in the water, doing his best imitation of a fish. Sea water and seaweed were a huge draw! The group laughed out loud as he slurped the water and ate the seaweed floating in it! In fact, he was so enthralled, that I had to drag his head out of the water constantly, worried that he would drink too much salt water!

At one point, we encountered a fellow flying a rather large kite. He was rather adept at flying it. He had grounded it when he saw us coming, in order to not get us hurt, as most horses spook and shy at kites. But we signaled to him to take it up again to provide a training opportunity. After the horses settled, we asked him to drop the kite to about 6 feet off of the ground, so we could ride up to it. The kite was about 5 feet across and 4 feet tall with 20 foot dual tails and made a lot of noise. Pate walked up to within 5 feet of the flying beast and stood there. I was so pleased. It's not everyday you can ride a horse up to a flying kite!
The barn
The group
Drinking the salt water

The KITES!

I know it sounds too good to be true, but Pate was amazing. He handled the kites, cars, surf, and paintballers with hardly a second glance. It is truly a pleasure to ride a horse that doesn't start and spook and bolt at everything. It was just a relaxing ride down the beach. Not that he was perfect. He did spook once or twice, but I can hardly remember them.

Every time I ride this horse, I fall deeper in awe of him. He sure has the best mind! As a trainer, I LOVE a horse with a great mind. It's more important than anything else.

Another Rother weekend..

2007-08-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Pate and I ventured out to our last Steve Rother clinic together. We had a great time. After two days and 18 hours of training, we are exhausted!

In this clinic, we went into all three classes per day, Foundation (groundwork), Horsemanship (riding portion) and Liberty (off leash work, as I like to call it). We ran through all the basics again, worked obstacles in hand, worked obstacles riding, jumped, and practiced trotting and cantering in a large group of horses. He was exposed to a new trailer, several more hours of riding in a trailer, a new barn, another indoor arena, an outdoor arena, of sorts, with rough footing, lots of distractions and he slept in a round pen with another mustang. Later in the evening, we were able to show off the liberty routine that we will use if we are chosen to come back as one of the top 15 horses at the event. He proved to be a great liberty horse, even with all the distractions of other horses in the arena. As you can see, he is becoming quite the jumper. He always clears the jumps by several feet! Jumping horse anyone?

We still have work to do, but as far as I am concerned, Pate is were I would want my horse to be after 60+ days of training. I hate to rush horses along, so if he isn't as refined as some of the others, oh well!

I am starting to get nervous about the event, but I am also starting to feel very sad, as I only have a few days left with a great horse that I have really bonded with for the last few months. Here are a few pictures that were taken during the weekend.

On a pseudo - "bridge"

Backing without contact

Standing for "the ball"

Jumping
Jumping whilst "sitting" lol
Cantering along

Kids horse anyone?

2007-08-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Just back from a weekend away doing nothing at all horse related (well, horsepower, yes) ..imagine that? I thought I would fill you in on what Pate's been up to for the past week or so.

Would you believe that Pate went from this..

to this.. ..in just 65 days??

Last week, Pate earned his license as a kids pony. A couple of the kids who come to my house regularly to ride horses, Kelsey (9), Ashley (16) and Laura (14), all took a turn riding my wild child. He did great! He listened to their aids as they guided him over the obstacles and jumps. I was so proud!

Kelsey Ashley Riding with other horses.

I decided to put rear shoes on Pate and they really helped him step out on the last trail ride. I asked my farrier's assistant to catch and hold him, instead of me, so he could get used to a complete stranger. As you can see, he was completely relaxed. Also, dogs of all sizes, are not a problem. :)

We also went on a few more trail rides encountering bridges and water! Water was a bit scary, but he tried. I have pictures riding through the water, but they were too dark. I'll get some new ones soon.

So far, I am happy with Pate's progress, but I know he still has A LOT more to learn before we leave for Texas. I hope we can get it all done.

Trail, uh, urban city ride...

2007-08-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we ventured out into the wild, the wild public that is..

What is it about the general public? We are an awfully noisy species. Not only that, most humans have no regard for their safety as they jog or bike right up on the backside of a horse! Ignorance is bliss..

Pate and I went for our first trail ride in an area with ALOT of distractions. The trail was the Seattle PUD Reservoir. It's 9.2 miles around and not much of a trail ride for a human, but to a horse, it provides just about every horse eating opportunity that you can find with the exception of crossing water. Most horses do great out in the wild back country. But when you ride in the city, it's a whole other ballgame.

Not only did we ride along some very busy roads, with semi's, Harley's, and loud radio thumping cars, we also encountered joggers, dogs rushing and barking, cross walks, road lines, mountain bikers and the occasional llama!

Care to guess how Pate did? It was a complete non-event. He was absolutely flawless and I am not just saying that. I have started quite a few horses and there have been some that I STILL would not ride in that type of an environment. But I trusted Pate to handle himself and he did.

The only spook we got was when a biker with an IPOD rode up so close on Pates butt that I could have reached out and slapped the dumb guy. Pate scooted and spun to face the scary moving object. Luckily he didn't haul off and kick the guy in the face! It was a bit unnerving. We did not hear him coming due to the traffic noise. I kept the eyes in the back of my head peeled from then on. When the family of kids and Dad rode up on us a few minutes later (again right up on us), Pate just turned his head to glance over his shoulder. I was so proud!

Tomorrow, I think we will head for the back country to get away from all the craziness. LOL

Many thanks to my friend Dodge for coming along and keeping me safe. It was fun riding out from your house and onto the trails.

A beautiful, sunny day..

2007-08-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

The lyrics to the country song by Craig Morgan, "It's what I love about Sundays", should include.. "spending time in the round pen, teaching mustangs how to behave". LOL

Another Sunday goes by and Pate is coming along great. We spent time on the ground with obstacles, time in the saddle with obstacles, riding out in the open, working on tricks, clipping up his scruffy hairs with electric clippers and another water/hose lesson. He's taking everything in stride (pun intended). He is beginning to realize that even though I am on his back, I still get to decide on the direction of travel. LOL He did try and run off with me once and head back towards the other horses. Oh, that was fun! He even threw in a buck, for good measure. Sure!! The first time I dont have a chaperone to watch me ride!!

I do not know quite what type of trail obstacles they are going to throw at us, so I am trying to be creative and drum up all manner of horse eating objects. So far, I have yet to really phase him. With me aboard, he is jumping small jumps, backing through poles, side passing up to the gate (we have not mastered opening it yet) and trotting over the tarp.

I feel I have good steering control and will now venture out onto the trails. I am hoping to find LOTS of water obstacles.

Oh, by the way, his trot is smooth as glass. By the way he paddles his front feet and his smooth gait, I believe he has some kind of gaited breed in him. He reminds me of a Peruvian or Paso Fino. To all you trail riding fans out there, this mustang's for you!

Still moving along..

2007-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Another week gone by and the time left in this game is growing short.

Pate and I have been working on a number of fun liberty games and teaching a few tricks. I have been riding him daily and beginning to get some steering control. Man is he smart. He's picking up leg and rein cues really fast. He's one smart boy. His "pony" attitude really shines through, though, when I ask him to go somewhere that wasn't his idea!

He cracks me up! I cant seem to keep the reins, rope, stirrups, etc. out of his mouth! He is constantly grabbing and chewing on everything, even when we are riding! I might venture to say its a nervous behavior, but it's still really funny. His boy like oral fixation is really apparent.

Pate had his first serious bath, soap, scrubbing, show shine and everything. He stood quietly tied and took it like a man, even though he thinks being clean is for the grrls. Sorry Pate, you are really beginning to look like a show horse now and not like a wild beast.

The vet, again???

2007-07-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Vetter and Pate

The fancy mobile dentistry unit

Before..

During..

After... note the absence of the baby teeth

My sleepy boy..

Well, this time it was for his own good. Now that Pate is wearing a bridle, it was time to peer into that 3 1/2 year old mouth of his and get his teeth in riding condition.

Dr. Dick Vetter and his wife Kathy of Performance Equine Dentistry, paid a visit last Saturday just for Pate. All young horses, like children, lose their baby teeth. These loose teeth are painful normally and with the addition of a bit, can really irritate. Horses have other teeth called wolf teeth that grow right in the area where the bit lies in their mouth. Some horses have two, some three, some four. Pate was no exception, with three.

Dr. Vetter removed these three wolf teeth, five baby caps and smoothed out several bumps and ridges along his molars. Pate took the treatment well and was a good patient.

However, something profound happened. I know that Pate trusts me, but I didn't know how much until Saturday. Two incidents happened where Pate endeared himself to me in a way I will never be able to completely understand.

The first thing Dr. Vetter does to any horse before treatment is listen to their heart and lungs with a stethoscope and gets an approximate weight of the horse to determine how much "go go juice" is needed to put them into the twilight zone. Weight is determined by using a tape wrapped around their middle right behind their front legs. It's a light weight tape similar to a seamstress' tape that marks weight in pounds. I figured that Pate should be fine with this since he has had a saddle on plenty of times. Well, not for Dr. Vetter! Pate was jumpy and gave Dr. Vetter a little cow kick. I was surprised, since this is unusual behavior for Pate, but then he's only been handled by a very few people. Note to self, hand him off to others to be worked. I asked Dr. Vetter to let me try and low and behold Pate stood still. Hmmm. But ok, no problem. He trusts me. Makes sense.

After Dr. Vetter was done with Pates teeth, he asked me if we should clean his sheath (little boys parts, to you laymen), as all boy horses need this done a few times a year. Most male horses get used to this after a while (and some enjoy it!). But I had not yet tried this with Pate. A good time to get the deed done was while he was still gorked. Again, a bit of cow kicking at the fine doctor. This time I asked the doc to hold on while I snuggled in and held Pates head and whispered to him in his ear. Mind you, he is still half out of his gourd, but awake enough to know it was me. He immediately relaxed, dropped his head and stood still. The doc finished up the cleaning and Pate was done for the day. WOW! How can I let this guy go to some stranger? This wild beast who implicitly trusts me and only me to keep him safe?? Damn you Pate! I was not planning on bringing you back to Washington with me! You better win some money in September to afford your trip home!!

Thank you Dr. Vetter for your sponsorship towards the competition. I really appreciate it!

I should live so well!

2007-07-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Strrrreeeetch

Whatcha doing?

Ooh Baby!

Hey Dale? Did I tell you he was wild?

It was time for Dr. Dale Pearson, the horse chiropractor, to pay a visit to see the ponies, so I put Pate on the list. Now that I am riding him, I thought it best to be sure he was in good shape, structurally. Many horses are "out" in their spine, hips and necks, which cause pain during training. I was hoping that when Pate banged his head, he didn't knock his atlas (the part of the spine holding the head to the neck) out of adjustment. He was locked up in that area and was having trouble stretching to the right. A little Dr. Dale magic and all is well.

Pate was a bit concerned about Dale at first, but soon learned that adjustments are 'da bomb". LOL

I was pretty proud of him, because Dale is the only other person to really handle Pate other than the farrier. Chiropractic can be a bit unnerving to some horses, but not to Pate. He really loved it. Dale said that my little wild man has better ground manners than most of his seasoned domestic horses and was extremely flexible. I guess that will come in handy for all the pole bending he might do someday. LOL

Save a horse, ride a cowboy!

2007-07-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain, go away!! It's summer already!

I took the time between rain showers to get a little something accomplished with Pate. The pictures tell the story. Last Thursday, I sensed that he was ready, so I went for it. Other than that I felt like I was sitting on a shrimp, all went well! LOL

Actually, I am just fine with a low center of gravity. It helps keep the wheels on the ground better in slippery situations. Oh, I mean, it's not as far to fall!

Many thanks to Laura, her mom Shelly and Scott for helping me out.

I have a secret!

2007-07-20T00:49:00.001-07:00

It was dark, so no evidence was gathered. But it does involve a saddle and Pate's graduation to the big leagues!

You will just have to wait!

A little time away..

2007-07-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, the rescue that I work with held a 4 day camping trip outside of Bend, Oregon. Our rescue works to save as many horses from slaughter as we can. We have a little known industry in this country where 100,000+ horses a year are slaughtered for their meat for human consumption overseas. Many of them mustangs. Yes, human consumption! I have saved two such horses, one being Pate's best friend, Tai. My fellow rescuers brought their "saved from slaughter" horses, a couple who were mustangs, to join in fun and riding. While I had planned to take Pate for the experience, he waited patiently for me to return as Tai was exposed to many new things, including water! The pictures show Tai on his 5th ride under saddle. Tai continues to amaze me everyday. He is just three years old and has the best mind. Training him has simply been a dream. I have absolutely no idea why he ended up at a feedlot for slaughter.

I'm home now so it's back to the Pate show...

Baby gets a new pair of shoes..

2007-07-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

Well, after much soaking, no abscess has come about. Pate's feet are fairly flat and short, so it might just be that he has tender feet on the gravel. Highly unusual for a mustang, as they have pretty hard feet. But Pate was born in captivity, so maybe he has not developed the hard feet mustangs are known for. Up until now, he has been on either rubber mats or sand. So both the vet and the farrier decided that it might be best for Pate to wear shoes to help with his soreness. Melinda, my ever patient farrier, worked with Pate to make his first trimming and shoeing a pleasant experience. He was a very good boy. I was able to drop the lead rope on several occasions to take pictures. Sorry Melinda, but I was capturing your best side! :)

The shoes seem to be helping, as he is walking sound now. I was planning to take him camping with me over the weekend, but Dr. G. suggested I leave him home. I did not want to sore him up too much out on the rough terrain, so I agreed.

You can see from these pictures, that his face is healing up well!

Still lame..

2007-07-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Pate is getting better, but is still lame. I am spending time brushing and hand grazing him. We are also working in walking around the property (gimping is more like it), looking at stuff such as propane tanks, porches, hot tubs, picnic tables and a bubbling pond. He's having fun just hanging out and eating grass with no expectations put upon him. He and my old man, Jedi, get to graze out in front of the barn for several hours each day. Now, if I could only keep them away from my blueberry bushes! I finally have blueberries and I want to eat them! I'm not growing them for the horses! I have apple trees for that!

The vet and farrier will both be out this afternoon to check out his foot and reassess.

Can I get a new Mustang? This one is defective!

2007-07-08T00:21:00.001-07:00

If it isn't one thing, it is another! Pate has decided, or rather, Pate's foot has decided to pop an abscess. Now, if you are not a horse person, this may sound pretty bad. But actually, I would have taken an abscess over his poor ripped open face any day! An abscess is basically a blister or pocket of blood inside the tough exterior of the horses hoof. Once drained, the horse usually heals up quick and stops being sore on that foot. They can be caused by a number of things, but most likely it was caused by stepping down hard on a stone.

Once again, Dr. G, as I affectionately call him, was called out to the homestead. After much probing, pinching and nerve blocking, it was determined that Pate's right front foot was brewing a horse blister of epic proportions. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little, but he sure thought it was painful. The best part? That Dr. G could handle his feet, without a sedative and Pate actually picked them up for him! Hey! All this horse training is actually working!! LOL

The doc wrapped his foot in a poultice and it is my job to keep it wet until he stops moving lame and the abscess comes to the surface. Well, with his foot wrapped in several layers of cushion, he almost immediately walked sound. Goodie for me, as the good doctor ordered him back into light training. He will survive! No rest for the wicked around here, as we have a contest to win!

Since I am a softee at heart, I gave him another day off to frolic with the herd in the pasture. Tomorrow is another day.

The new name is causing a commotion!

2007-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

ok, ok, I hear you. I have had several people contact me to either let me know that they do not like the name change or that there is another Mustang in the contest with that name.

I guess we will stick with Patriot! Now, can I go back to training him??? Jeez. -smile-

The fireworks scared Pate a lot. I spent several hours standing by his side, stroking and talking to him. He stood like a stone, getting his emotional safety from me. If I left him for even a second, he would pace restlessly. I was afraid he would hit his face again, so I stuck close by. It was really touching to know that he trusts me enough to get comfort from me when under stress. At one point, he fell asleep, even though cannon like explosions were going off all around him.

Luckily, he was the only horse in my barn that needed me last night. My three other Mustangs were just fine even though the display went on past 2 am!

Happy July 4th!

2007-07-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today is a day of rest for Reno. He worked hard over the weekend, so I turned him out with the herd to eat some green grass.

It's a war zone at my house during July 4th celebrations as ALL my neighbors find it fascinating to send up fireworks. My nearest neighbor bought $2800 worth! Jeez! So, I'm putting all the horses in rubber stalls tonight! :)

A whole lot of "Rothering" going on

2007-07-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 - Saddled!

Day 3

Day 4 - First Tying

Day 4 - Tied at the trailer

Loading up

2 minutes into loading

4 minutes, he is in!

Just back from our four day clinic with Steve Rother. I clinic with him whenever he is in town, so I loaded up Patriot and another one of my young horses, Tai, and off we went.

First, Patriot has been renamed. A poll was taken at the clinic and the vote was for Reno! I have to say, I like that name better.

Reno has come a LONG way. He loads in a trailer, ties, saddles, leads out in the open, comes when he is called in a large arena, sends over scary obstacles and has had his first bath! He was exposed to many new things, like tractors, blowers, ATV's, other horses, a new barn and stall, concrete isleways, and hoses.

Other than that he was fantastic student, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Pate meets the vet

2007-07-01T21:55:00.001-07:00

Patriot had a bad day on Friday. Somehow, between breakfast and dinner, he managed to open up his wound. This time, I called the vet. It was time for stitches! You would have been proud of me. Vet's have had to pick me up off of the ground during these type of procedures. Not this time. I watched every minute, assisted the vet and held my poor boy upright!

My vet is a patient and trusting man. I told him that Pate was handleable and that he would be able to give him a sedative. The vet had Pate literally eat out of his hands by feeding him yummy grain. After a "get to know you" session, he was given a sedative and promptly fell asleep. After many nights of sleep deprivation, my little mustang was snoring like a baby! It was a crack up to hear the snoring sound coming out of a horse!

It took about 1 hour to clean, flush, and stitch the wound. It was worse than you would have thought as first glance and fairly old. He had developed scar tissue and the skin was tough to get a needle through.

Pate "woke up" once during the procedure and needed even more drugs. That's one thing about Mustangs. They can be heavily sedated, yet literally run away. They have a high fight or flight response built into their genetics.

He got 17 stitches in two passes and his first exposure to the clippers. Hopefully, he will heal up nicely without much scarring. He's wearing his fly mask 24 hours now to prevent flies, dirt and further rubbing.

He is having some drainage and swelling, but he is no worse for wear. So I loaded him into the trailer and headed out for a four day clinic with Steve Rother. More on that later as I am still at the clinic and he is doing great!

But I did want to tell you that he loaded into the trailer for the first time in 38 minutes! We took it one hoof at a time.

I will try to get as many pictures and video of his progress as I can while I am here and post them when I return on Tuesday.

Starting to work together

2007-06-27T00:18:00.001-07:00

Pate is coming along really nicely. We have spent the last few days working on scary obstacles, advanced leading skills and more liberty work.

He's sending over tarps, small jumps and through obstacles. I can pick up his feet. He comes to me when I approach and comes when he is called. I have started sacking him out with the tarp and saddle blankets to prepare for the saddle. Tomorrow I will start with trailer loading and the clippers.

He has really settled down and is accepting of me and his surroundings. Fewer noises scare him and he is getting the hang of being a domestic horse.

His face is healing nicely and he is feeling better everyday.

Scarface revealed

2007-06-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay. Work has been busy. Yes, work. I own a small business with 10 employees. Horse training is what I do for fun, so Patriot is a part time affair. Sigh..

I would like to get better pictures for you, but I am working alone. I'll see if I can get a friend to hold the camera over the weekend and get more interesting shots.

Pate and I have been working diligently to gain trust. It was imperative that I be able to doctor his cut, but I did not want to rush the trust. Pate is a very flighty boy and very sensitive. I have taken to calling him "volcano" because he is very reactive. The slightest move on my part is communicated loud and clear, so my movements must be deliberate, purposeful and very light. His sensitivity is a blessing in disguise, but that will be revealed as time goes on.

I have needed to work slowly to build trust and respect. I knew that doctoring the cut would be painful to him, so he had to trust me to, one, work on his face and two, cause a little pain.

Yesterday, I wanted to work him in the round pen. I opened up the gate to the pen hoping that he would be curious enough to go exploring. Nope, too scared! So I attached a rope to his halter and led him out, one small step at a time. He leads pretty well, so it was a confidence thing on his part. It gave me the opportunity to refine pressure and release and it gave him confidence. He is very light in the halter and I want to keep it that way.

Once in the round pen, we worked on sending, more halter work and liberty. He has begun to "join up" with me and approach at the "kiss" sound. He's also really getting to enjoy the liberty work. I hope we will be able to do some neat things with that.

I have switched halters to a rope halter for better control. I also worked on touching his body all over, brushing and currying and the start of lifting his feet. He's doing really well. I have brushed out his mane and tail and groomed him all over. He looks MUCH better. He is standing quietly, on his own accord, no lead, for all of this.

It's interesting how his mind works. He has developed a coping mechanism over the years when he is feeling frightened or threatened... pacing. I can tell when he is worried as he will start to pace the back line of his pen. He doesn't do it in the round pen, he just leaves instead, which is normal. He also is herd bound and will pace when Tai leaves his stall. I will need to get him into as many new situations as possible to allow him to gain confidence and hopefully rid him of this behavior. He will swish his tail to the left when he is thinking about something, before he licks and chews. It's very cute.

I find it interesting that he will get to the point of almost falling asleep with his head in my arms during the training session, but paces at the beginning of the next session. It is easy to stop if I ask him to face up and pay attention to me. But it is almost like he short circuits for a tiny moment, before he remembers that I am ok and relaxes. He also likes to reach down a grab big mouthfuls of the sand in the arena and let it dribble out. No clue there, but I am sure glad I put him in a stall instead of the arena when he first arrived. All I needed was a sand colic before he was handleable.

After the last two training sessions, it was time to doctor his cut. It is not a pretty sight. In fact, it is downright gross. I used a bucket of hot water and a wash cloth to soak the crusty, groady stuff off of the gash. As I was doing that, I was able to squeeze pus and other icky stuff out of it. It is about 1/4" wide and deep and several inches long. Needless to say, he's been on meds and bute, but I would have liked to have had it stitched. My vet is not a dart gun carrying zulu warrior, so we had to wait. We will see what we can do with it now, but it will leave a scar. After some antiseptic and salve, he's good to go. Although a quick training session with the fly mask was imperative as it's a new permanent installation until his face heals.

Patriot meets "The Flag"

2007-06-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

There is a tool in every modern horse trainers arsenal called a flag. It is essentially a 12" square piece of fabric made of nylon or other suitably scary material affixed to a 3' long stick. There is something to be said about the new lightweight fancy ones. Especially if they make the right amount of noise. The idea is that they should make noise. Enough noise to scare the horse a little. Not the bejeezuz out of him, but enough to get his attention. It allows a horse, like a wild one, to face his fears and emotionally and mentally deal with something not normally found in the wild!

To think that up until recently, I never owned a proper flag. You know the super duper, hi-tech, lightweight, NASA designed flag with your favorite trainers logo on it that you can only buy from that trainer, because no other trainers flag will work. :) Nope, all these years I have been using a plastic bag tied to the end of a dressage whip and, hey, it worked.

But enough about me, as I said, tonight, Patriot (I have decided on Patriot, so just go with it), met "The Flag"! We have been working on our liberty exercises for the past few nights and I got to the point where I just could not stand it anymore!! I need to get that cut doctored. He has really settled in my presence, so I felt that I could finally introduce the flag without him testing the 6' high panels.

I started out just standing in his pen waving it around and getting him used to the idea. I then placed it on the ground in front of him and stepped back. He did what every good wild one does. He took about 4 seconds to reach out and sniff it and proceeded to step on, chew, stomp and bite on my very expensive, NASA designed flag. Hmm, should have used that old one. :)

After a few excruciating minutes, I retrieved my precious flag, dusted it off, checked it for ticks (just kidding) and started stroking him with it. Like on previous nights with the rope, I petted and bumped and stroked him all over head to foot, paying close attention to his face and ears. A few times, he found it scary enough to run off, so I sent him away until he turned back and faced me. It didn't take long for him to realize that the flag is actually boring. At this point, I knew I had him!! Success! It was then that I reached up, unbuckled his halter, placed it correctly on his head and removed all the forelock hairs from his ugly looking wound. I spent the last few minutes rubbing and scratching his ears, neck and face, ending the night with his head cradled in my arms. Whew! I feel better now!

Way to dark for pictures. Sorry!

Liberty begins

2007-06-19T01:46:00.000-07:00

Today we worked on all the same things we did yesterday, but without a lead. In his bigger pen, we practiced sending, facing up and backing with only hand signals. He really enjoyed the game as he started to flip his head around and play with me. It made me laugh. He's comfortable enough with me to approach and stay as I pet his head, neck and withers.

Tomorrow, we move into the 60' round pen as I am confident that he will not try to leap the 6' high panels. All I needed was him to try that with a running start and get caught up on the fence!

He has finally settled in as he will now stay in the stall and eat as I approach or stand outside. Before today, he would leave rapidly and pace at the far end of the paddock. As Steve Rother says, "The gentle is starting to soak into his brain".

Major progress for the Munchkin

2007-06-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very wet day. I decided to stay inside where it was warm and give everyone the day off. Sunday turned out to be dry, but still grey and overcast.

I started out the training session with him back in his 6' x 12' stall, only this time, with the gate open. I leaned against the open gate and fed Tai his favorite cookies. It wasn't long before he was sniffing at me asking for one. I gave him a few and scratched his chin. I slowly moved my hand around his face and petted until he walked away calmly.

I rounded up my old soft cotton rope with no clip. I have an exact duplicate with a snap that I also had with me. I spent about 45 minutes tossing and swinging and bumping him with the rope. I covered both sides of his body and his face. I then used it to gently pull his nose towards me and asked him to give to pressure. When he turned to look at me, it fell away, giving instant release. After several rounds of this, I was able to get him to face me with pressure. It was time to move forward. I snapped the duplicate rope to his halter and began his halter training. Give and release, give and release. When he mastered this, I threw the rope up and over his head and around his backside, asking for a release on the opposite side. He was concerned about the opposite pressure, but tried really hard.

Needing a longer rope to dial in this exercise, I gave him a break and got my 25' rope. Man, that longer rope was scary! He paced a bit when I first introduced it to the pen, but he quickly settled. I snapped the long rope to his halter and began desensitizing him with it, doing all the same swinging, tossing and bumping. He got to the point where I could swing it over his head and around his backside and he would give before I even had the rope in place! I knew it was then time for some beginning leading lessons.

I brought him back into his pen and we practised following the pressure as I walked around the pen. When he was comfortable with that, I began "sending" him in a circle around me and then asked him to "hide his hinney", an exercise that Steve Rother taught me. It is when you ask him to turn and face you on the end of the line, essentially, hiding his backside from view, because his face is in the way, or in other words, disengage his hindquarters. It's a good first step to liberty work and a great way to stay safe from his hind feet!

We worked until he would send in both directions, hide his backside/ disengage his hindquarters, lead, and back with indirect pressure.

The sending exercise really connected with him. He caught on to the game fast and was more than happy to face me and approach. He was even comfortable enough to allow me to pet his head and neck down to his withers. Although, he did try to "taste" me, well ok, bite me, which met with a sharp reprimand! A little test of my true leadership position! He wasn't quite sure before he tried that! Now, he's sure!

I worked on getting the halter back over his one ear, but realized that his forelock is wrapped around the halter and also pasted to his head at the wound site. Every time I moved the halter, it pulled on the wound, which is still very sore and swollen. Pain is no way to make friends with a wild one, so I am going to abandon halter work for now and go on to liberty training instead until it either heals enough or he trusts me enough to pull on the forelock. I do not want to risk the halter coming off during a pressure exercise and to teach him that he can leave. I would have been able to do it, if not for the wound. Guess I just get to deal with one more level of difficulty.

I am pretty happy with the progress today. I am still struggling with determining a name. I thought of a few more. Majestic, Streak, Lil' Bit, Jazz, Park, or Patriot (Pate, for short). What do you think?

Tolerating me

2007-06-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Friday. He will stand quietly with me nearby. Now is the time to start to move this party forward. I have a panel configuration that allows me to set-up a 6' x 12' stall with a gate. This allows me to use my pole or stick to stroke him, with enough room for him to get away, but not out of reach. This set-up worked beautifully with my Mustang "River", but she is SOO much bigger than this little pip squeak! He is able to stand sideways on the 6' end, scrunched up! LOL

At first, he paced hurriedly, quite worried about his new small space, convinced that he was horse du jour. I remind him that if I wanted to eat him, I wouldn't need an elaborate and expensive horse facility set-up! :) Besides, two of his neighbors were saved from slaughter through our local horse rescue, so he was safe with me!

I let him settle and face me. After a few jumps and quivers, I use my stick to gently stroke his face, working back towards his hindquarters. After a few minutes, he lets out a loud sigh, cocks a rear leg to rest and licks and chews. I continue to speak softly and sing to him. Once I am able to touch both sides and all over his body, I open the gate and walk away. He eyes me with a strange look. "Hmmm, that wasn't so bad!

He's managed to pull the halter he came with over one ear, half on, half off. Tomorrow, we will work toward fixing that.

Time spent doing nothing, but well worth it!

2007-06-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday. I have fed him, cleaned his stall, kissed to him, talked to him and let him nuzzle me. He's settled down and that is all that I expect right now. Trust. Trust is the key and I want him to take the lead. I have the weekend ahead to do nothing but play with the new pony.

First Contact

2007-06-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's Monday. He's finally stopped pacing. I enter the pen next door where his new best friend "Tai" lives. I lean against the adjoining panel and play with Tai. Tai is busy molesting me for carrots and cookies. I pay no attention to the new arrival, but can see from the corner of my eye that he is very interested in what I am doing. I can also see that his gash is pretty bad. I tell myself that I need to get some salve on that cut. After a short while, he approaches. Ever so cautiously, he sniffs my arm, then my hand. I reach slowly for his nose and he holds his ground and let's me touch it. I gently scratch his nose and under his chin remembering how yesterday, he would bolt at the sound of a kiss, but chuckle at how he tried to "taste" the muck rake. He's going to be ok! Now, I need a name. Majestic? Streak, after the stripe down his nose? I will let time tell me his new name.

The Arrival

2007-06-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's two hours before my big 40th Birthday Bash. 80 people are about to show up at my farm to help me celebrate. I am at the grocery store buying last minute goods and lots AND lots of ice. Weird since it's pouring buckets and I am freezing. I get a call from the hauler. "I'm at your gate, and he's ready to get out!" Oh, man! I tell my Auntie Gail, "We have to hurry!" "Oh, and it's a BOY!" Yippee! I was hoping for a gelding!

We rush home. Wayne backs the trailer up to the pen and warns me. "He's been pretty frantic until I loaded a mare with him". Great! Turns out, my little boy was a full fledged man until right before he came home to me. No wonder he's frantic. His only experience with humans has, so far been a bad one. The trailer positioned, Wayne opens the gate. At first, no movement. Then, out he comes! We carefully shoosh him into his pen and close the door.

Wow! He's small, maybe 14 hands, only four years old. He is a bay roan with three white socks and a white streak down his nose. He has not lacked for food, as he sports a big old hay belly and has quite the cresty neck. He has cut his face pretty good somewhere along the line and has a trickle of blood running down his nose. He's really freaked out and tries to leap the 6' fence 4 times. You can hear the voice in his head, "I must escape!" He realizes that he cannot get out and starts pacing. Pacing that continues through the night and well into the next two days.

I feel sorry for the little guy. His paper work says he was born in captivity, four years ago, at the Palomino Valley Corrals. He has known only captivity, yet the panels, people, and noises scare the hell out of him. I hope that he will settle down, eventually. I murmur to him that everything will be alright, and go back to preparing for my party.

Anticipation

2007-06-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday night. In four days, my mustang will arrive. I sit and ponder, "What kind of horse will it be? Will it be a boy or girl? Man, I hope its a gelding! Will it be dominant, like my Mustang River, or submissive, like my Mustang Canyon? Will I do well? Will I get hurt?"

I am excited, yet nervous. I have never tested my skills as a horse trainer outside of the regular show arena. Yes, I have entered and won many jumping and dressage competitions over the years on horses that I have started. I have developed a partnership with a horse that has brought me to tears. But never have I tested my "first 90 days" skills, other than I own some pretty cool riding horses. This wont be the first horse that I have started under saddle, nor will it be my last. I have even started a few mustangs, but never for prize money, never for a competition. Jeez, now I know how Steve Rother and Ken McNabb feel when they demo and start young horses in three days at the expos! I've seen it done in three days and I have 100 days. It should be more than possible?!

I am not one that likes to rush a young horse along, especially a Mustang. It's always easier to let a Mustang choose to like you first and come to you when it's ready. It safer that way! But this time, we are under the gun. This horse will have to learn to like me fast, as we have a lot to learn in 100 days and it's going to be a wild ride!

I was excited to find out that I was a chosen trainer. One of 100 chosen from 220 candidates. I feel lucky, I feel special, I feel scared! What have I gotten myself into??