Angis Mustangs

Trip pics

2009-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Chicks find fun on the road...
It wasn't gambling... really!! The game was free, the quarter was to buy a DumDum

:D How Appropriate !

*note the local paper tucked under Angi's arm. A road trip Wouldn't be complete without one! LOL

Azania relaxing in Amarillo. A big thanks for the great welcome to our hosts & friends at the Horse Motel

Happy Chicks at The Cowgirl Museum Reception.

Loosening up after 3 days on the road.

Happy Chicks are ready for the show!

Going home with his new dad !

We found some hitchhikers who needed a lift to Cali.

and what trip is complete without a stowaway or two ;D

Videos!!

2009-09-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

Angi and Azania in Texas. They tied for 2nd place In Hand with an 81. (just .5 behind 1st place) and they finished 13th overall in the Idols division.

Beth has video of the adoption auction, but it's on tape so I'll have to convert it to digital before I can post it. The bidding went REALLY fast, and something in my heart told me to keep going after my limit.

We would have brought him home and loved him, Beth was already making plans for shows, BUT the gentleman who adopted him will LOVE him that very special love some of us are lucky enough to find. He was hooked from the 1st meeting, but needed some time to realize it, just like I did with my Symphony 7 years ago. She haunted me until I went back to adopt her, so I understood just how he felt. It was an easy choice to make but one that left us all very emotional and peaceful at the same time with no doubt that this is where God wanted Azania to be.

So Congratulations Frank! I pray you have many happy years of love with Azania, and that you keep in touch.

Kathy

Azania had a good day

2009-09-24T18:22:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of this boy, worked his heart off and gave it his all in Texas. He came in 2nd in the in hand class and did good under saddle. Over all we were 13th and missed the top ten by a little. He came out into the sale ring quiet and soft, giving mustangs a good name, and winning the heart of several bidders. His adoption went to $2500, quite a bit more then several of the horses that made the top ten even. Kathy bought him back but relinquished him to a man with a heart for this horse only. He had stopped bidding at $1900 but went and borrowed the money to get him from Kathy who had only bid because she felt like she was supposed to. Come to find out she had bid against a couple who I thought might not be suitably matched for him. They found a horse to adopt that worked for them. Azania went home with the best owner for him and I am looking forward to hearing what more Azania accomplishes in his first year of domestic horse life :)
Came home to a quiet herd and a slightly bittersweet sadness of missing Azania. I felt good about his owner and new home but it is always hard to say good bye.............

sleepless nights with tired horses

2009-09-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to write on my blog for awhile and I have so much to share. Both on our great mustang adventures and on some other small stories also.

First I want to share a story that has been on my heart. I recently took in a mare a week and a half ago. I did not need to take another horse on. I have a few extra that I still need to find homes for. I remember this horse from two years ago when she had been sent in to be bred at a friend's house and I really thought the world of this mare. I remember her being fun on trail, quiet for a kid and a nice registered paint mare that the guy had paid quite a bit to get. I really figured I could just rehome her and not worry too much. OK! So somewhere I am living in a false world where all people take care of their pets and when I sent my friend to go pick her up and got a call that she was a mess I did not really know what I was in for. Remember, I'm downsizing, that means less horses not one more :)------

I called Jaime to come put shoes on her because I heard that her feet where bad but nothing could have prepared me for what she looked like. Bad is not the word that I would use. She could barely walk, one slow inch at a time and I was not sure that I would not be putting this mare down. She was about three hundred pounds underweight. Her left front had the angle so she was walking on her coffin bone and they looked like cow pies. When Jaime trimmed her the inside of her hoof was rotting and falling apart. He put shoes on her and after a half of hour talking to my vet, I was left with the impression that it was a real wait and see. I started her free feeding on three way and my vet said that she could be on some alfalfa because her body was so starved that the protein would be absorbed and not make her feet worse. Jaime put shoes on, my friends brushed her while she ate any grass she could reach and I fly sprayed her. It is probably the most attention this mare has gotten in forever. So, now it has been almost a week and a half since I got her and Jaime has seen her three times to adjust shoes and make sure her feet were doing slightly better. I have been at lifesavers living on Azania. Today I got home after three days of being at the ranch and I went to feed. I had the best gift that will last me a year. A paint mare walking quickly across her pen to see if I had added a pile of alfalfa on top of her three way!!! I could just cry. She has a long way to go and alot more vet and farrier visits to get her there but maybe someday she will make some little girl happy and have a person of her own again.....

Thank you Jaime Osbrink for being so willing to make a special trip to come see her and do her shoes so often despite your busy schedule!!!

And Chris Jones for giving me some extra hay for getting her weight back up and Thank you Doc Connelly for being the vet to talk me through the hard decisions and how to go about righting what some unkind person has done wrong to this poor girl.

Dressage and why Angi is going crazy

2009-08-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am not sure why I am fixated on this dressage thing when I really have not much understanding on how to get these beautiful movements that dressage trainers make look so easy. I have been living in videos trying to grasp some of it. We are still working collection and Azania gets so ticky. He even tried to toss me a few times when I insisted that he MOVE with the long whip. He is pretty sure I often suck!
So we are working hard and we worked Friday night for several hours. Azania has the most fantastic back up of any horse. He is working decently diagnol and sideways, and he is doing good in his rollbacks. He sometimes can be lazy with is shoulder yielding on one direction. Spurs have helped somewhat. He really is dominant and not motivated to give in if he doesn't believe that you can follow through with something other then just heel. He is trotting collected and extending a little at it. But we have so much more to do! AHHHHHHHH
And there really is not a neck sweat alive that will fit :)

More cows

2009-08-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Azania's first adventure! We go see cows and lots of other people riding in a very large arena. Okay, so for all you people who think of him as easy :)------ He can be and he sometimes isn't! When we first got in the arena he lost all momentum and focus and uhhhhh Steering! (hee-hee). We first worked on you can move your feet and be guided despite all these distractions. Under me was a horse and I was aware that he had alot to say. Part of what he was saying was that I would really like to run and run and run and not stop. So we did not run. We trotted and stopped and sidepassed and did diagnols.
We followed a kind lady on a quiet red gelding until we could venture into small groups of others. Azania really wanted to play bumper cars with the others but we did not. Victor Penner and his wife assured me that both their horses were used to bumper horses so not to stress if Azania did run into them. THANK YOU BOTH!!! It really relieved some stress and we did manage not to crash into either when my horse thought he was supposed to walk on the other horses feet instead of his own. Azania relaxed and we tracked the herd of cows easily with no fear. Then the group of us gathered around the herd for some slow work and I was second. A very nice man (I never remember people names) guided us through it if it was our first time. We first were supposed to walk between the herd of cows and the fence then get braver and go between some cows. Azania could care less. I, on the other hand actually was a little nervous to be smashed between cows, some of which had horns. Azania did shy at the guy telling us what to do several times and it was obvious that he was sure he should be riding a horse and not on the ground. Then we got to keep one cow out of the herd and work it real slow. Azania really did good but showed no real draw to the cow. He just said mom is crazy and I am not really certain why I should chase this cow but okay..............

cow pictures

2009-08-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

My fat horse grows up

2009-08-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

So much has happened and I have had so little time to write. Beth came over and we took the horses out to ride on the trail. Azania liked having a horse to follow and lead sometimes, he really went out like he had been out on trail a million times. He didn't look twice at the trash in the desert. He walked calmly past mattresses, plastic bags, and cardboard boxes. He had a blast. We were riding for about two hours. It was so much fun. I've spent all my spare time watching dressage videos and trying to work Azania. Often it feels like AHHHHHH and sometimes it feels like AH HA! We are getting things worked out and working on much more.
Yesterday my friend Ingrid came over to ride Azania. It was a blast. For any of you who have met Ingrid you understand what a blast this lady is. The first time I met her I was struck on just how bold and confident this woman was with horses and how much fun she was to be around. She is even crazier then I am! The first thing Ingrid did was walk right up to him and pick up his feet, getting all into his space. Azania handled this really well, tolerating Ingrid rubbing all over him. Then she played with him a little and got on. He tested a little bit but then realized that Ingrid was stronger then him. Azania conceded respect and rode well. I told Ingrid that I had been doing crazy stuff with him so she added to it by standing on his back and jumping on him from the fence from directly behind him. It was so much fun. Thank you Ingrid!!! I had a blast and I know Azania did too.
We have been working alot on collection. With help of the dressage videos I have started Azania in collecting his head and neck. He is getting it so quickly. The idea is to drive him forward while taking a feel on the outside rein and giving a light rythem to the inside rein. This teaches him to collect on the light feel of the outside rein. It was so nice to feel Azania start to reach for the bit a little and collect. It was beautiful :)
Then this morning I met with Morgan who is helping me put together a program for if we make the top ten. She gave me ideas and inspired me so now I have tons of work to do! I will surely get no sleep for the next month........

Finding our song

2009-08-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Lizz reminds me that I really need to have my song for my horse by now and I am not really sure what I want to use. I have picked out on song and several others to play with and see how the rythem works for Azania and I. It really ends up being between two songs that have relatively quick beats. I ride to each one several times then switch between them a couple more. I am in a playful mood and Azania thinks that his mom is crazy as I try to jump off him mid-trot (he slams on the brakes each time) and sit on his butt and ask him to move with me there. I finally have the song picked ( a great Toby Mac song) and we play to it several times. Ralph and Lizz both ride him, he is naughty with each one! With Ralph he is a slug and forgets to trot well. With Lizz he trys to smash her leg in the panel. He is BAD! but I do love him.......We end when we have both workeds into a lather. He has reared several times in irritation at me demanding a good back up and has become much more quick to lope when I ask for it. Oh Azania, we have a long way to go!
Angi

learning to dance

2009-08-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

I only had a short time, and it was kind of windy and gross outside. I took my stick and halter. I took a can of alfalfa pellets with me to give as incentive. Azania likes to go up so I decided to try to teach him to stand up on his hinds on command. I take my stick and tap his neck. Just as thought, he becomes naughty. I give an alfalfa pellet and he looks at me like I am crazy. Why is my mom giving me a treat for being naughty? I use the stick to tap each leg and as he paws it forward I give him a treat. He is now being too lazy to protest with up but has a nice, slightly spanish looking type walk on the ground and thoroughly thinks his mom is insane!!!

Azania meets the magical Jaime

2009-08-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that there are plenty of his clients that will tell you the same exact thing (and we all know that his pretty wife thinks he's the best!) but really, Jaime Osbrink is a super duper awesome farrier. Not only can he read horses, he knows what to do with it and is patient when they need it. Azania was one of those mustangs that really thought farrier meant horse eater. Okay seriously Azania? This horse has been so unafraid of new things that I really hadn't thought much of his first trim. As soon as he sees Jaime walking up to us he forgets that he is halter broke and proceeds to try to drag me around the rather large turn out area and flys backwards say about five hundred miles an hour. Really! So we work on getting Jaime up to him while Azania is snorting. Then we work on getting him to handle his feet being lifted by the horse eating man. I really have picked up his feet a million and one times :) but you sure couldn't tell at that moment. Jaime talked to him and Azania calmed down and soon was doing his feet like a pro. Okay, so the shoes had to wait but it was the adventure of the day and thank you Jaime Osbrink for being patient with my scaredy cat mustang!

refinement

2009-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

I called my friend Jamie, who lives in Washington and asked for ideas and help on what to do next with Azania. I want to get more refinement and to be perfectly honest, I am unsure what to do next. I go outside to ride him. Walk, trot, lope, .......check....... whoa, .....check..... backup, right, left,......check. Then for some reason it all stops there in my head with him. I had started to ask for a little collection but I needed some exercises. I was getting tired of disengage and yielding the shoulder. I went on line and downloaded some exercises from Josh Lyons. They sounded easy enough....... NOT! So the idea is that each foot has a clock under it and that you want to be able to guide each foot seperate to each number on that clock. Each rein (plus leg pressure) is supposed to be able to guide each foot. So picking up the right rein I should be able to pick one of four feet and put that foot on a specific number. Hmmmmm. We tried it exactly how it said to try it first, with the opposite rein from foot. Azania did not get it. I did not get it much better. We worked. He wanted to speed up, then shut down, then buck me off. Since none of those worked he finally gave one little shift in weight of that shoulder and I released. Then rubbed his neck a lot and tried again. By the end of the session I could pick up the right rein to move the left front and the left rein to move the right front, but only to get a step on 3 oclock. The next day we do more of it but in the round pen. Bad idea. Azania is even more ticky and pretends to be spooky, shying at the neighbors and spinning so fast I feel like I have been to disneyland. We go back to work. Refinement is not Azania's strong point. He drops his shoulder so I almost smash into the roundpen rail. We have a two oclock and a three oclock on both front feet from opposite reins, a three oclock from both fronts from the rein on the same side and some sort of hind foot control. Confused yet??? So am I and so is Azania :) but we keep on trying.......

The continueing saga of my fattie

2009-08-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

How does one girl make a fat mustang lose weight? This week Azania goes into a stall for quite awhile and I am tempted to make one big body sweat for him so he can look slimmer :)- He is going to be mad when he discovers how his food is being cut down into smaller rations.
I have had several more days of work into him and it is going well. Sometimes I get discouraged (this is such a three year old!) but most of the time I am just proud of how much try this guy has in him. It is important to me how people see the difference in a horse that has been "started" as opposed to "broke". I know it takes longer and way more patience but in the end you have a trusting partner who will give you their all......
So, Azania is now a big boy. He is wearing a bit. He clearly understands his walk/trot/lope with out protest. He has a good whoa. The first two times in the bit he would push his nose into it (typical left brain pushes into pressure) and I would just keep my hands steady until he would give his poll, tipping his nose down into his chest. He is now tucking his head to stop. YEAH AZANIA!!! He is mostly stopping off his hip thanks to the "whoa means three steps back" belief I have. He is beginning to understand yielding the parts of his body in motion. Then Thursday I started riding him in the big pen with the babies and yesterday we went out on trail. I just couldn't wait for someone to ride with me and Azania said I'm ready mom. I told my roommate to look for me if you don't see me in an hour and off we went. Down the road, into the desert and he really was pretty confident with it all. I am so proud of this horse, wild and untouched to out on trail so quickly..........

Alot accomplished

2009-07-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday went so well, and I have to say that it didn't even feel like work. It was the end of a hot and muggy day. I had worked six horses. I pulled Azania out and remembered what Chris had noticed, that Azania is not even relaxed in his movement yet. I knew what needed to be done. The relaxation circle that Johnathon Fields does. I personally love what this does for the horses but hate the part of standing there for as long as it takes. Believe me, sometimes it takes quite a bit of time. I figured it would with Azania. The point of the exercise is to put the horse in a circle and let them travel until they lower their head and blow air and relax in that movement. You ask for nothing from them other then that they stay going the same direction and respect your bubble and the rope. I asked for Azania to trot and then talked to Lizz, twiddled my hair, thought about dinner and then waited.... and waited...... and waited......... and then he did it! He blew air and relaxed in his movement so I rewarded him by bringing him to me and rubbing him. Oh No! We have another side. So we did the other direction and when he was done he was relaxed and quiet and seemed to feel very confident. I rubbed all over him then picked up his feet and brushed him. I asked him to bow and he went to his knees and said ok, look what I can do. He debated laying down but did not. What an incredible horse this is.

Crazy Days and my fat mustang

2009-07-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

I think that many days have passed in a blur. Between trying to get a car I can drive (because of my other car being crunched in a crash) and balancing between playing with Azania and understanding that even horses do get pissy in 110degree weather. He is definately progressing, but sometimes not in a way that is huge and earthshaking. He is getting used to trailering places and even unloading at night. He has been in a stall and in several herd situations. I want him to have horsie time also. I took him to Lifesavers to ride in the arena with toys and we had a blast! Azania went over the bridge and pushed the ball with me on him no problems. I put him in a bit and the first day he really spent the day chomping like he was chewing bubble gum :) I had other people picking his feet up and at first he would refuse to let them (ummmm, that is something only my mommy does!) and he would plant them into the dirt. No amount of Stephanie pulling, tugging, or squeezing could get him to lift his foot. The next day he let Chris and Mary Lou both pick it up. I was very proud of him. We spent alot of time in the roundpen before the riding because he is incredibly strong and really has to be assured that I am his leader each and every time. One day he was so irritated he jumped four feet in the air with all four feet and spun at the same time. He gets ticky when he can't just come relax in the center of the roundpen. We have been working a lot on circles and figure eights under saddle which he really has not gotten yet. We look a lot like egg shaped trots instead of circles. Never the less, despite his attitude and sometimes trying to run my leg into the panels just because he can, I sure think this horse is incredible and will make someone the most amazing friend and companion.

66 days to go

2009-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Chris and Kathy come over to offer me support and friendship. I am feeling like Azania still has so much to learn and it feels like we will never get it all accomplished. He saddles at liberty like a pro and then plays a little in the roundpen. Chris says to get on so she can see us ride and I say okay :) He doesn't want to move his shoulder over today but he is pretty good with the rest. He has a decent walk, trot, lope though he does want to stop by the gate. He only thought up a few times and didn't actually follow through with it. His whoa needs more work but his bending and turning is getting slightly better. Of course that is such work!!! He is so strong in that neck and knows it. He still has a good back up but now he needs to move on to bigger and better things. He did get a little wound up when the mini passed him and he really wanted to follow and all of a sudden he did have a little spin...... Hee-Hee

Day 26

2009-07-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Or 68 days left to go and I am going to have a heart attack. Azania becomes a wild horse again and we struggle with focus. He runs all around the round pen and splashes through the giant mud puddle that is on the side of it. Only problem is that my saddle is covered with mud splashes......... I work HARD to get him to take his hip away with me looking at it from beside him but instead of giving he blows through the pressure and runs around like a maniac. This goes on for TWO HOURS and I am ready to scream but determined. He won't give and I won't quit until he does. He is soaking with both muddy water and sweat when he finally gives me one step and I walk away. He follows with his head in my back trying to convince me that it wasn't him that was some crazy horse flying around like that, I must have mistaken him for some other big bay......

Day 25

2009-07-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Huge progress and today Azania is again a sensible horse. We work on our riding, me pushing him to learn alot. First we get our backup, with me shifting my weight backwards and closing the reins so he can not go forward, he quickly learns to do it without even the reins. (mind you that we are still in a halter, not a bit). Then we get a lope which really is as smooth as his trot. Incredible. Of course he is a little bit leaning on the side of needing a go stick :) to help encourage that lope. Then we learn to sit back on his haunches and yield the shoulder to my leg and sometimes with some decent speed. Perhaps we may learn to spin eventually? We did get some upward, high ho silver, movement today on my little trouble maker. I am hoping the slight lazy side wins out and that rear will become too much work for him to do :) I really don't like to be that high up in the air.......

day 24

2009-07-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Again Azania is a three year old, and I am ready to beat him...... AHHHHHHH. While trying to introduce him to a fly mask in the round pen he runs and runs and runs, first charging at me then away in some facimile of the game tag. I really scream and go hang myself upside down from the panels of the round pen. I hang, like a bat, and Azania nuzzles all over me and the fly mask. My friend asks me what is wrong and I say that I need to eat Azania soup. She wisely suggests maybe not playing with my wild horse today and I agree after loving all over my crazy boy.......

the third week

2009-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

This week has been nuts, and Azania and I have had days that seem to blur together. He has learned to hold his feet up a little longer in preparation for the farrier. He got his first bath which he was really not a fan of. He had two days off and a day or two where all we did was ground work on the 22ft rope in the herd of horses. He is great and is just a joy to work with. He wants to please but still has bratty moments. He is learning to tie and he dug a hole to China while on the tie ring. He is enjoying being in the herd of horses and is dominant without being too harsh. He simply knows his size. When you call his name he comes to greet you and will leave his friends. He is absolutely fascinated by kids.

And today is day 23 and he is, like always, a brilliant boy. Azania comes to be caught and I take him to the roundpen. Today he goes through the gates better. He is a little concerned that he can't fit :)
He is doing better in the roundpen off halter, walk, trot and lope on command. He comes to me gladly and works better on the rope this time. The saddling is absolutely no issue and he works a little with it before I get on. Again no big deal with the mounting then we work on walk/trot and whoa. No backup yet but when I take a feel on the halter he drops at the poll and considers it. I still am riding in the halter and really working our right and left but he still has some resistance. He resists less as the ride continues and he gets softer. He trots easily with a click or a touch of my heel. I am starting to prepare for his lope and once he almost did it but not quite. I get off and, as my friend Lizz says, we introduce him to junk food..... Cookies :)

Day Sixteen

2009-06-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday he had the day off and today is absolutely miserable weather. First it is 102 outside and then the winds are so hard that we are eating sand. I turn Azania out into the herd to be a horse for the first time since he got here. He thinks this is great but he also calls to me when I come back out and sticks close to my side as I wander the herd of six horses. I halter him easily and then we work a little on the rope. His groundwork improves. It isn't perfect but it is a lot prettier then before! I take the halter off and go inside to cool off planning to come out later.

day fourteen

2009-06-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today I feel rushed, which is definitely not the type of attitude to have while working horses. Azinia is playful and does his roundpen stuff well so I saddle him up. While moving him around I draw backwards only to find myself falling into the barrel of water that is in the middle of the roundpen (where it does not belong!) It was so comical, my friend Lizz laughing her head off while I am speechless for once in my life. I am dripping wet and Azinia goes to take a drink as if to tell me that this is what water is for. I ride him a little, wet and slippery. He improves slightly but thinks naughty thoughts that never progress past thought yet. I am certain that his upward movement is not gone yet and I am waiting to see how that feels under me :)

Day thirteen

2009-06-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day of frustration, really getting home late and being way too sore to work Azania. He got a day off and I let my body rest since I am still recovering from a car crash. Today I am sore but dying to play with Azania. I drink a cup of coffee and get him out. He is still a little unsure about the little gate I make him squish him through. We get to the roundpen and I turn him loose to play. Our roundpen skills are improving and his play drive is still high (coming charging at me once with some snotty attitude which earned him a swat on the hiney with the carrot stick). He has less upward movement and we work on the long lines for a split second (with the saddle on) and he quickly gets it. He resists a little but not much. I tie my lead into reins and on his back I go. It is dusk and we work until dark. At one point into the first part of the ride he steps on a barrel (really don't know why, guess it's a three year old thing to do) and he spooks sideways and I am uncertain if this will end well. He gets his head back on and I am still on so I figure it all worked out. He really can move fast when he wants to :)
By the end of the night we have a walk, a trot, and a half way decent whoa. We have direction and I am pleased with my big boy so I love on him and put him up for the night.
Hey! Make sure you scroll down to see the awesome videos Kathy took!

Day eleven (Wednesday)

2009-06-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today I am hot and tired. I decide to work on more round pen stuff. Azania actually looks like a slightly more rideable horse but still has a little upwards movement. He has spunk and attitude and play drive which is fun on most days but can make you exausted on others. He is overall doing so well and I have to remind myself why I do this. I do this for the joy and love of mustangs. To show people how amazing they can be, even the ones that are harder at first. To do it all when they are ready, not when I am feeling like they should be ready and to learn to really listen to them. Not just me speaking to them but the mustangs speaking to me and playing with me and becoming amazing partners. You can make a horse do what you want but the key is to get them to want to. I hope this horse touches someone in a big way and becomes someone's lifetime partner. I am thankful that I got to be his first step to trust.

Day ten

2009-06-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

Back to the roundpen for another session and my distracted three year old is slightly more sensible. We compromise and I allow him to come to me often to be rubbed and we manage to do some circles at liberty without too much drama. By this I mean that he reared only about half a dozen times before his play drive came down just enough to do some more meaningful work. He worked online better and even put my saddle on rather quietly. He moved around and allowed me to stand in stirrups, get on, and start to take some little walks around. He certainly has a great try in him but man is that play drive quite high. I have my doubts about him not having some little hot moments in Texas :)