Angis Mustangs

Oops Texas in case you haven't already heard..

2010-09-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry we should have posted something about Texas..

Angi's knee seems to have heeled (back as good as it was from the car accident anyway) Be kind to your knees children, I promise you, like your back someday you'll very much miss the days when they worked without complaint.

Ari made progress after Angi was able to walk again, however was not ready to go to TX. Since Angi pre adopted him for this event, she can take the time it takes to get him going right before finding him a permanent home.

Jims mare did well and he did take her to TX. She wasn't finished but he figured he didn't do this to win, so if they got to where they could go and competed then they would have accomplished a lot.

Angi had finally named her, Inara. The Arabian name Inara means ray of light - heaven sent. Their first class the crowds made her a bit overconfident, but they made it through the course together.

When it came time for the cow work Inara's first look at cows since being on the range I suspect, however she thought pushing them around might be a fun thing to do! Jim must have thought so too, because he came home and went Team Penning on his mare Slipper, and also went to the slow work/intro to cows class at the Southern Kern Roping & Riding Club. He likes it!

Jenna & Henry had done well. She says when they lacked cow, they pushed wild burros in the canyon where she rides. Aim, Tiny, & Tornado had all done OK with the crowd,and bustle and while Henry went in and worked, his scores were not as high as Jenna had hoped.
Before her last class, cow work, Henry had a moment and Jenna ended up underneath him instead of on him. (Mustangs are pretty athletic) Jenna got back on, pushed her cow, and THEN went to the ER!

After the finals we all gathered back at the hotel and instead of going out to Billy Bobs we had wine and cake at the hotel to and sang Happy Birthday to Jenna!

The adventures of the naughty horses

2010-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is July 7th and I am quite sure that this post will be very long to make up for the weeks and weeks of not posting anything. It has been an adventure. I can confidently say that this mustang has been the hardest horse I have worked with in so many ways. The same reasons that make him easy on some levels are the exact reasons that make him difficult. Let me also note that mine is not the only one that is making his handler work for it. Jenna's mustang, Henry, is equally mischevious. He likes the idea of bucking hard when going faster then a walk. That means Jenna is riding at a walk so she does not die. Jim's mare, who he refused to name, has enough flight drive for 16 horses. I got tired of the mare having no name (because he was certain if he did not give her a name then he would not keep her) that I gave her a name yesterday. Her name is Inara. It means ray of light, illuminating, or sent from heaven. I was helping him trailer load her and I decided she earned a name by the time we were done.
Okay, so lets go over some things that have happened with Ari in the last month. He has been wearing a saddle for the last month. When he wears it he likes to buck. Not the kind of buck you look at and say "I can sit that" but the kind of buck where he puts his head between his front legs and you see his hind feet a foot over the round pen. Oh, did I mention that he can buck? And it really didn't help that Ari and I had an accident where I ended up injured and unable to work him for three weeks. We were playing with me on the fence above him and Ari ran into the fence knocking me under his feet. He spun and landed his hind foot on my knee cap pushing it completely sideways and back. This made me scream a little and have to hobble on crutches awhile. I also make a cranky person when I can not work my mustang makeover horse! After all of this I thought to myself that this is the first horse I have really felt needed to be laid down. So that is what he and I did one night. I slowly, cautiously, and with respect taught him that the ground was a good place to be. Oddly enough that made a huge difference in his respect level for me and instead of cussing me out when I would ask him to do something (anything really), he started thinking maybe he should say yes to me. We made progress. We were able to stand in his stirrups instead of being launched into the dirt. Did I tell you that Ari can buck? I am not saying that Ari has become the quietest horse around but he is at least starting to look rideable. Yeah! I am not sure that I will not still get launched a time or two but it is beginning to be a dream of mine that Ari and I might ride accident free!

Ari learns some new things

2010-05-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ari has never left me in doubt that he is a mustang and just in case I forget for a split second he will try some naughty thing to remind me. We shared such a nice day the last session and I think he should carry it into his next session. Think Again! It isn't like he doesn't remember everything, it is just that he thinks he should test my leadership skills. We start with the pedestal, which he puts both front feet on and rather quickly is doing this consistent. We move on to the trailer. He puts fronts in and then I back him out. He puts three feet in and then I back him out. We go all the way in and out and I really reward him with grain (his favorite) and rubbing his face. He walks easily over the hill of dirt, between some logs, and part way onto a tarp. Then I put him on the tie wall so he can stand while I work other horses. This is the easy part for him. He stands quiet for and hour and then I figure I should put him back in the trailer once more before dinner time. Ari thinks otherwise. We walk towards it and he says "Ummm, No, I don't think so" and rears several times then proceeds to drag me around a little. All this while a little devilish look in his eye. I work him in circles and on ground driving forward. It looks something like this: Up, Up, Backwards slowly dragging me with him then bolting forward fast with tail swishing. OHHHHHH stop. Pause to reconsider naughtiness then up and then back and then bolt again. We work about ten minutes until he is being less up and more forward. THEN we walk to the trailer and he goes in with a sour look on his face. Lots of rubs and a huge release. My horse is naughty!

How Ari learns to be interested and Angi (yet again) learns more patience

2010-05-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

I am exausted and it is only going to get worse this next week due to bootcamp but I drag my tired butt to play with Ari despite the wind. I have a different mind set today. Ari has not learned trust yet and how can I blame him? I seem to have a plan he isnt sure he needs to follow. I remind myself to trust in the timing and just take the time it takes. How can I forget that? Each horse is different and Ari is special. I am sure that God has given me the horse that I am meant to have despite if he challenges me and maybe exactly because he will. I have had him two weeks now and I am sure it feels like I am not far enough along but Ari is where he needs to be. I remind myself that this is about creating his whole lifetime attitude. How I work him will decide how he views us humans. We start in the roundpen today and I do a little more desensitizing to the flag that Jamie forgot when she was visiting and I have stolen :) Awesome little flag! I use the stick and string all over him and teach him that hitting the ground with it should not make him jump out of his skin. I use the flag above his head and wave it around while he moves. He is bothered at first but yet again is quickly past it. Then we go out on the five acres again. I am less nervous of him pulling away from me because he is becoming very soft online and in his circles around me. We meet the pedestal and I reward Ari for every little try to step towards it. Ari learns to put his nose on it and then put his head over it to eat the grass on the other side. He is food motivated and I use this to my advantage. As soon as he trys to step on it we walk away. Then in a sleep deprived moment of silly exaustion I get fixated on teaching him to take a treat out of my hand. I get a cookie that smells like oatmeal and shove it between his clenched lips. He does not like it. He does not know what cookies are and both kinds I try he spits out. It must have looked funny, him putting his head up and me shoving cookies in his mouth. Then I walk to the huge shipping container that has the grain in it. Ari is afraid of it but I convince him to come close and then shove grain in his mouth. This he likes and he actually learns to take some from my hand but with a few close calls of his teeth eating my fingers. We work it out and then we take a walk to the trailer and eat grain at it. I ask and Ari actually puts his foot inside and paws it. I am pleased and walk away with him following. Our day feels so successful! He follows me while I feed out grain to the other horses. Ari walks over a piece of wood that cracks and makes loud sounds and steps on a stick that smacks him. I look back to see Ari almost jump into my lap! AHHHHH Wild horses :)

Ari the mustang

2010-05-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

So I am bad about posting to the blog right now but I am forcing myself to write tonight before I fall asleep. Ari is amazing. He is brilliant but he is not easy. He is not Azania. He is not Freedom. He is not real hard but he is not easy. He is left brain but a bit of a drama queen. I have had him just a week and a half . He is not bothered too much by the flag on him or over him but is not ready for the saddle pad yet. He in quite a spectacular bucker when I do rope work but so far no one has been around to get video. He managed to learn to lead a little, enough for me to get him from the round pen and into a stall so that I could work him in there also. He spent two days in there. I have been working so hard getting him to learn to tie so that I can haul him places and have him tie to the trailer on a tie blocker ring. Yesterday I gave him a bath but he is still not letting me brush his tail or his hind legs. Today I decided we really needed to get to work. We took a long walk around the five acres, walking over logs and by the dogs. He handled himself well. More time on the tie blocker while scary things happened like water spraying him down and then we worked on the trailer loading part of it. He is very unconfident about that. He wanted to split so I used a tie blocker for support. We ended with him standing by it and having his head inside the trailer. Don't you want to go see cows Ari? :)

May 11th

2010-05-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

It is windy today and Ari and I work in the round pen. I start our session with the lariet rope. It takes only a moment to walk up to him, rub on him with it, then put a loop over his neck. With this done I can use the rope around his legs, by his cinch area, and to toss it over his head a bunch to desensitize him. Ari says it tickles and annoys him, which he expresses by bucking or kicking at the rope. Whenever he stops and looks at me I release the pressure and let him stand. This standing still thing seems like a good idea to him so very soon Ari is no longer bucking or kicking. With the stick and string I work on rubbing him and using the string to toss over him. I jump around, kick out my legs and swing my arms around quickly. Ari is sure that I am insane at this point but he gets over his fear of fast movement rather quickly. I am able to halter my "wild" horse in a short amount of time. With Jamie and Kathy watching from the inside of a warm truck I lay down in the dirt with Ari nosing me to see if I live or not. He did not know that people roll in the sand also :) I end our evening with leading him out of the roundpen and part way down the alley to his big pen before I unhalter him.

May 10th

2010-05-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

His name is Ari. It means "looks like a lion" "fearless" and "brave". Today we play in a big pen and he has lots of movement. He hides behind a tree so I play hide and seek. Ari thinks I am a weird thing but he is curious. I take a small flag on a long pole and follow him with it. He reaches out to smell it and lets me touch him with it. Ari seems to work through things quickly. I like that alot. I am able to catch him in this pen and lead him a little but once he startles and gets away. The 22ft rope dragging behind him scares him and he runs. When he calms down and I catch him I try to use the rope to touch his leg but this is too much pressure in this big pen. Tomorrow we will try this in the round pen. Today he lets me brush him much easier and we have made some progress so I let him go for the day.

May 8th Our first real day learning

2010-05-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

He still doesn't have a name yet. I have many to decide between but I know that his name will be important so I am searching for just the right one. I have decided on a Hebrew name again but hopefully one that will not be mispronounced like Azania was :)
He is nice minded and remembers everything. I play with him in the roundpen and he faces right up and lets me rub on his face. He is not a one person horse because he allows other people immediately to do anything that I have done first. I play with the rope, tossing it on him and wrapping him up in it. He kicks at it a little when it is behind his butt. He seems to understand when something he does is not getting a release and he quickly gives me good answers. Look mom, when I get nervous with the rope I face up and get quiet. GOOD BOY! I am able to halter him today and it only takes a short while to convince him that it is okay. I have a twenty foot rope on the halter and teach him to lead, well, somewhat...... He resists but doesn't make much drama. Then I teach him that the brush is a good thing. I am able to brush his mane (he loves it) brush his neck, and shoulders (he thinks its nice) and then brush his hip (he holds his breath but seems to really enjoy the touch). That is the end of our session and I send him home to eat.

Formerly known as Lot 55 or 04853317

2010-05-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

This years Fort Worth competition is a bit different.

First, the trainers have all adopted their horses. It happened April 24th live on RFD TV. Bidding by phone they had 130 approved trainers bidding on something like 106 horses (with some trainers adopting two) there were many frazzled nerves worried if they would get the horse they liked, or could afford. Phone bidding can be problematic, as you have someone who is to be bidding for you.. and I'm sure there are some disappointed folks out there, but Angi is not one of them.

Her horse Lot 55 was not her first pick, in fact as she went over and over the videos the day before when watching 55 remarked "He's not on my list, how did I miss HIM?" To which I say.. because you kept looking at mares!

The second way it is different is that there will be no In Hand portion. This is where Angi really shines as her horses are all very solid in general manners and ground work. I do not think that she has ever been out of the Top 10 In Hand, and was 2nd in her division last year with Azania. With no In Hand class, they need something else to judge them on, so in this years event cattle work is not optional! Sadly we have no cows, but have been going to Rosamond HS to Team Pen on a couple of Friday nights, and unless someone wants to loan, or give us a cow we will probably be out there a lot this summer.

Also there will be no auction at the end, but trainers can place their horses, and have the adoptions transferred, so you may still be able to adopt a horse in Ft Worth if you wish to.

Finally they get no reimbursement for this event, and need to pay stall fees when in TX. (on top of the travel cost) However they are paying $$ awards to the top 20 finishers, rather then the usual 3. I'm sure we will find some fun way to gather funds for the trip, so stay tuned for opportunities to join in.

Here are a couple of pictures from his "torture" session last night ;-)

Kathy

New mustang

2010-05-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

The drive is a killer when you try to make it in a rushed manner, but we arrive back to Lancaster with three little mustangs. Mine still has no name. First day with new mustang (or first night) and I get my mustang into the roundpen . We have lights and a loud generator but he is not explosive. He IS food motivated and takes food out of my hand quickly. I touch his face a little and he is nervous but not overly. This is a six year old horse but he quickly learns to face me and let me touch him with the stick. I manage to touch his face and left side of face and neck. Then I have several other people touch him also so that he is sure not to become a one person horse. I am exausted so it is a short session and I am off to bed.

Texas

2010-02-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Jenna calls me and says lets do Texas. This always seems to be followed by me saying, "yes, this sounds like a good idea to me, lets do Texas." So here we go again. Jamie already has her application in and her horse picked out. I, on the other hand, am procrastinating. Why? It isn't like I will change my mind and not do it. I guess somewhere between last year and now I have forgotten what it feels like. The tired, sleepless nights. The stress of taking a wild, untouched horse and bringing them into the world of riding and showing. Oh yeah, and in 100 days! Are you kidding me? Are we seriously out of our flippin minds? Of course this time it is even more interesting because they have skipped the whole in hand class, where I really excel with my horses, and added alot of other insane things like cow work. I guess the nights of 2am practice, the egging eachother on, the constant competition to see which of us women will be doing something crazy with our horses that day, and the drive to prove these horses worth the time it takes to start them all leads to one thing. Its time for another crazy road trip spent with friends and horses and lots and lots and lots of coffee....... Why did I just give up caffiene anyways?
Be sure to scroll through the posts to the first week of Azania for the videos!
I will be filling out my application.

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 :)

day nine (or how Azania discovered he was a wild horse)

2009-06-24T08:02:00.001-07:00

On day eight Azania relaxed and got familiar with his new surroundings. I am sure he was wondering what the heck this place was, full of horses, dogs, motorcyles, and occassionally kids playing. Day nine I lead him to the roundpen. That is a large feat in itself because he has to walk through a small gate, past a haystack covered with a tarp and down a long driveway filled with cars, dogs, and other odd things. Then he arrives into the roundpen (walking past a motorhome and through a orchard of trees) which has a flag flying overhead and next door neighbors that have motorcycles. He stays relatively calm and I turn him loose to adjust. Then we start playing. Online is not going well, he keeps spinning in circles and wrapping himself up so I turn him loose. I think my horse has gone nuts! He is sure acting like a three year old, running from side to side and unable to focus at all. After several hours of just trying to get some sort of circle around the round pen, we have a dripping wet horse and a slightly annoyed trainer. He has accomplished lots of things but none of which look like a circle. He has reared up several times because he would really rather be close to me and how dare I ask him to stay out on the rail, spun in circles making it look like he actually might have some sort of atheletic ability and came rushing at me for comfort. We get some small trys so I lead him to his stall and hope that I don't go crazy training this left brain extrovert.

Week 1 Videos

2009-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Azania is really handsome, and pretty much a giant puppy looking for a good scritchin' ;D He's as bouncy as a puppy at times too. LOL

Lets see what pics Angi has here already....
Hugs and love, check.
Pad, check.
Ropework, check.
Saddle, check.
Sat on, check...

That's a lot of stuff already.. but here's some vidos from the first week. ;D

Some good,

some bad,

and some just plain silly!

Once again PLEASE do not attempt to copy the crazy stuff! Angi plays with wild/formerly wild horses 6 days a week and yes sometimes she gets hurt.

Kathy

day seven

2009-06-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have no pictures yet from this day:( Kathy is promising to get them to me soon. I played with Azania in the clinic and he was completely unfazed by the people and other horses playing around him. He had such a high play drive and he started to learn to do eye away and disengage better. His circles still have some upward movement that needs to be improved. We played loose a little in the arena and he would come charging at me, stopping with hardly a inch to spare. He wanted to charge around and play. I did a little flag work, which made him nervous and slightly kicky. True to his nature though, he worked through it quickly. When I thought he was done I put the halter on him so I could lead him to the trailer to start to teach him to load. I walked him up to it and he just followed me in. Quickest trailer loading I've ever taught! So much for that being a big deal. When we unloaded he followed me down the driveway and into his new pen at my house.

Day six

2009-06-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Azania got yesterday off and today I got up at 5:30 to play just a little before work. Azania lead right to the arena and we played with circles and yields. He was quiet until he decided he wanted a break and then he would do his rear up. He gave up when that accomplished nothing. Getting back down to work, he completed his circles learning to trot around cones. He picked up his hind feet with no big issue and allowed me to brush his tail out. Feeling good I put him up until the 30 minutes I had before leaving from work. I loved on him, climbed on a barrel and lay across him letting him carry me around the arena loose. I only put the halter on when I actually straddled him. Quiet standing still, he was a little unsure about moving forward. A few steps and I loved on him and put him back to eat his dinner. His first ride!!! Go boy!!!

Day four

2009-06-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that yesterday Jill rode her horse in the arena with my big fattie mustang yesterday. His name is now Azania (Az uh neye uh) which means God is listening or God has heard in hebrew. He was drawn instantly to what was a curious breed of animal, half horse half human? He had to smell every part of Dalton; his bridle, his rythem beads, his bareback pad and then Jill. He decided it must be okay despite how odd it looked and he licked and chewed. Today was a Huge day in his training. Still some upward movement when he doesn't want to go forward. I saddled him and he really didn't care but had a little trouble moving around with a rope tossing over saddle. Sure looks huge straight up on his hind legs. He quickly worked it out but was soaking wet and breathing hard. He practiced tied for awhile (wanted to dig a hole) with his rope just wrapped several times around the pole so it could give if he lost his head. He let me sit above him and rub all over him so I decided he needed a day off tomorrow.

Day three

2009-06-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today his friend is gone and my mustang is a little bit more hesitant without his big buddy to stand by him. We started off the session in the roundpen using the hose to spray water on him. He was a little nervous but like everything got over it quickly. Then we worked on moving in the roundpen comfortably both directions. He still is nervous on his left eye. He is learning to take his hip away when I put energy on it. I haltered him and started the real work on teaching him to give to the halter. This he did not really think sounded like a good idea and my big boy protested. After some pulling on me, some rearing, and a few tail swishing he decided that it was less work to co-operate. Then I realized that he was nervous of my carrot stick hitting the ground so we worked a long time on getting him to "Whoa" and not to panic at the sound. Again some rearing and slamming his front feet hard before he settled down. I don't think bucking will be the issue but I would guess he is quite light on his front end. Then after working that through and getting him to yield his shoulder and hip; we went out of the roundpen and into the arena. He is leading half way decent now but with some sluggishness typical of the introverted horse. He learned quickly to walk over the bridge, walk over the barrels and push the ball. Then somewhere along the way all this lack of sleep made me slap happy and I started doing crazy Angi stuff to him. I taught him to come up beside the fence so I could rub his withers and sit on his bare back. I sat on the big ball we have and bounced beside him next to his back. I stood on a barrel, gripped his mane, and proceeded to get him to roll me a few steps. All this he tolerated pretty well. What a quiet horse this will be. So I lead him out of the arena and across the yard to the pen he stays in all with no real issue. Good boy! Better keep your eyes on this one!

Day two

2009-06-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about a name for my big fat mustang but so far nothing has stuck. Today was good and he proved himself to be the most brilliant horse ever. I can't believe how quickly he learns and how hard he trys. He let me do more work with the saddle pad rubbing all over him, even his back legs. He is starting to accept it even flapping a little bit. I haltered him and started teaching him to lead a few steps. He is so curious about everything and puts it in his mouth. I pulled out a saddle and he chewed on it, lifted it up, and let me set it on his back. I did a little rope work in the round pen with my lariet around his girth and behind his back legs. No big deal. He is walking, trotting, and loping in the roundpen but is a little more nervous on his left eye. I didn't push him to much, just used today to introduce him to things and gain some more of this big boy's trust.

New Horses for Angi and Jenna

2009-06-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

They come rolling into Lifesavers at around ten, three horses and two very tired woman bringing them. Jenna and I bouncing around and around. They unloaded like pros and down the alley and into the lighted arena. They looked at us and we looked at them, moving around the arena and checking out the new place of residence. My horse was HUGE, bay, and pushy. He was the perfect horse for me; I do love those dominant horses. Jenna has two reds, one little really scared one and one that looked like a draft only not tall enough. We left them to rest and drink, having seperated the scared one into his own pen where he was trying to climb over or smash through. Needless to say, Jenna was not thrilled to see how much fear that little one had just from us being outside the pen. Later on we went back and played with our big two and stayed with them until one or later, finally getting so exausted we had to go to sleep. Then in the morning fed them, hanging out with the two bigger ones in the arena. I am in love with my horse. He is awesome. Rumor has it that a certain Kathy Mahan may be planning on bidding at the adoption to take him home with her :)
He is awesome. He very quickly learned to face me, smell me then push the ball. I should have known that something that pushy would love to push that ball. He wanted snacks of alfalfa and for a good scratch reward he quickly learned lots of things in a short amount of time. He let me touch him all over, down his front legs and half way down the back ones. Then he thought I was crazy but I insisted that he wear the hoola-hoop on his back. That was so funny. After that he was not bothered by the saddle pad at all because it wasn't yellow and rattled when placed on him. He was always willing, food motivated and only a slight attitude. What a good boy. Pictures tomorrow!

Only 10 days to go!

2009-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Soon but not soon enough we will have our mustangs! Jenna and I have been calling eachother alot reminding the other that YES we are going to Texas! I do believe that Jaime Osbrink will be doing it also and I am excited to have these two people that I admire as inspiration for this competition. I am sure this will be a blast but why do we have to wait ten more days? Pictures of our horses will be posted as soon as we get them.

Que takes a bow

2009-06-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've had this cutie pie in for training for two months now. He is not yet riding but is trying really hard to be a good boy. He has had some not so great training experiences and is working on getting over them. His owner has realized that he is not the horse for her and has allowed me to place him up for sale. She is asking $3500 BUT is willing to negotiate. This horse will make the right person and awesome horse but must go to a person who has lots of experience because he would outsmart the adverage horse owner. He is a registered pinto with some nice bloodlines. He has shown in hand for several years and usual takes high point champion. He is out of a very nice reining paint stallion that has done well in his career. Que is 17hh and just four years old. If interested please email me at ajsblueskyranch@yahoo.com

Here we go again

2009-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

and I blame Jenna! Really, it was her idea to do it. "Lets go to Texas" she says, already having done her paperwork weeks prior. I am late, like always, at least three weeks past the entry deadline. I email people and ask to get in, and here we go again. I can't wait, this time with a huge plan, lots of excitement, and Extreme Mustang Makeover here we come!!! We get our horses in two weeks, Kathy being the loving friend that she is (and the crazy co-conspiritor) agrees to go grab them. I am already working out the plan on having lots more time for this one and lots of big dreams to compete to the best of my training skills. Now all I have to do is wait to see that new lovely wild gelding step off the trailor and into my life for the next 100 days :)

Supreme Horsewoman Videos!!

2008-12-14T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here are SOME of the videos of Angi and Freedom at the Lynn Palm Women Luv Horses Supreme Horsewoman Contest.
The winner was CorrineElser and Dolly, followed by Wylene Wilson and Filthy Rich, Madelynn Wagner and Handy Hank, Jamie Thomas and Montego Magnifico de Durango, Janet Titus and Chato, and Sandy Anderson and Outback Jack.

Freedom was sore friday afternoon and I thought maybe he stepped off something wrong during one of the trail courses but when I was watching the conditioning vid I thought I saw him stepping "off" just before she trots him, then on the In hand course he trips over a log, then seems sore getting onto the bridge.. after that is when I noticed him having trouble going back down the hill to the barn.. but it looks like he may have been a little off from the start.

Conditioning

Is it just my imagination??
order of go is
Jenna Nelson & Domestic Aim 3 y/o mare from Fox Hog HMA WSMC finalist
Jamie Thomas & Montego Magnifico de Durango 4 y/o gelding Twin Peak HMA, WSMC 1st place In Hand
Angi Keitel & Freedom 5 y/o gelding Calico Mountian HMA 07 EMM horse
Janet Titus & Chato 4 y/o gelding WSMC finalist
Corrine Elser & Dolly 4 y/o mare Coppersmith HMA WSMC Winner
Robin Orfice & Brumby 11 y/o mare
Gena Wasley & Dutchess
Wylene Wilson & Filthy Rich 4 y/o gelding 08 EMM finalist
Madelynn Wagner & Handy Hank 4 y/o gelding WSMC finalist
Sandy Anderson & Outback Jack 4 y/o gelding

The judges told why they marked a horse up or down after the class. Angi was told Free was too camped out for his long back, his mane was uneven (guilty!) and that he was not as curious and alert as he should have been, also that his head was too low. In the MHF events quietness and manners had been a plus score. Jamie got marked up for ground tying from one judge.. Another marked her down saying it's a safety issue. LOL isn't that the way it goes sometimes? It was nice of the judges to each tell why they scored as they did because many of the girls do not normally show.

Angi and Freedom Trail

He stopped because he had just spotted the course reset girl in the shadows inside the rail, and shied when she stood up and moved into the sunlight. (I was not looking at the camera then obviously because all you see is trees and sky lol )

In Hand and Freestyle.

When he disappears in the freestyle and Angi laughs, he is mugging people on the rail looking for more Winnies cookies. The applause is because he sidepassed to her.

Those of you who know Freedom will probably get a kick out of his Freestyle antics, (I did) It was the most fun he had all weekend! Since he was sore she did most of it at liberty instead of just some, and then scratched him from the Equitation class.

By sunday morning he was sore in both shoulders and spent most of monday on the ground at home. He seems to have recovered fully and is happy to be back out with the herd.

Here are a few more of some of the other mustang trainers

Corrine and Dolly Freestyle (awesome!)

Jamie Trail Course

In Hand (1st Place GO Jamie!!) and Freestyle

I have all the Freestyles which I will upload eventually.. but ran out of HD space during the finals.. SORRY!

It was fun to see so many people we have met because Angi has done the EMM and WSMC. The people who participate are all dedicated (or soon become so) to promoting the wonderful things you can acomplish with mustangs. Most of the horses at the event were from the Western States event (wild in march 08) and Filthy Rich was at BLM until June 08.

Hopefully Angi will find time to tell you her thoughts and feelings of Freedoms adventure, but I finally got videos uploaded so.. I wanted to share them.

Freedoms still proud Aunt Kathy

I need two more weeks!

2008-11-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

So it has been the same as always before any competition that I convince myself is a good idea. How much time do I really have? I have been able to work on riding with just a string and no bridle but of course that is still in a smaller area. His loping still needs lots of improvement and I am needing to start roping barrels and opening gates. We did have a day of meeting real spurs to get him to move off my leg better and well..... Not that it didn't work, but it wasn't like a light bulb went off in his head and he said "I will move!" It was more along the lines of " If your really mean it then I will move a step but I still think I can pretend that I don't feel it when you bump me" The best thing I can say is that Free is happy about the grain (in attempts to get more naughty spunk to come out of him!) and I know Jamie can relate with her boy :) If these left brain, dominate introverts could just MOVE! Anyway, I have four days off and the sun is shining so I bet everyone can guess what I will be doing.........

Weekend plans??

2008-11-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

Time grows short, with just one week left before the Woman Luv Horses Supreme Horsewoman contest Angi is plotting ways to ride Freedom more then twice a week.

Rain on Wed, Holiday Thursday, Work Saturday, Church on Sunday... so Angi is taking friday off and we are hauling Free somewhere, to do something, maybe even to play with his first cow..

No there are no plans I know of to have/work cows at the event, so it is not something he needs to do right now, but Free is more motivated to move out if he has more space, and something to make it interesting. He will probably find the cow fun although he is not allowed to chase this cow, only follow it ;D What does one treat a cow with? We were thinking Oatmeal cookies might do..

While she is playing, a few folk will be having a work day here at the ranch. She took down some pens to use the panels for horseback riding at the Churches Fall Festival, and as usual we ended up sticking this here, and that there as need arose afterwards and now it seems like there are too many just stick it here for now type of pens. Plus if we move the red round pen over, it could be made bigger and used as a small arena.

Saturday I am fetching more panels, and hope to tame the wilds growing in the front sand lot enough to make a decent turnout area there.

So if you are bored this weekend, grab a wrench, and come on over!

How Angi died

2008-11-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

So what part of me thought it was a great idea to go out on trail when it was already dusk and Freedom has only been between my house and Laurie's house twice? It must have been the same part of me that said it was okay to spend only 5 minutes warm up before going out with Lizz and Beth, or the part that said night rides were fun :)
We head out (Yes, I do have my helmet on!) and it gets dark quickly. Lizz is riding in front and Beth behind which was not the best idea for Freedom. Somewhere on the way back Lizz does a little loping ahead and Beth's horse kicks dirt up at Free's heels. Freedom lost his head and went Bronc time! Oh my goodness did my adrenaline go up fast. He went strait up and blew forward FAST and then bucked harder then he has ever bucked. After the moment of thinking that I might come off or that this is bad I had the sense to regain balance and pull his head around. Freedom calmed down right away and then we proceeded home. What a photo that would be except for you would only see darkness and blur and my huge eyes.........

Our little trip

2008-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

I decided to take Free to Lifesavers to play after the clinic and he was bucking in the pen when he saw the trailer. I'd like to say it was his excitement but I am certain it was more like "AHHHHH, I want my breakfast first!!!"
We playing in the arena with lights after dark and worked on things, I was frustrated and I could tell he was feeling it. His stop was good but he still does not want to yield that shoulder over. His lope was decent but still not round enough in his circles and he kept dropping his shoulder. Well, it can't all happen in one day but I want it to.
I can tell that I needed sleep so we called it a day and went home.

My poor little horsie

2008-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

I guess the truth is that I don't have that much time, so when I actually do get to ride him then Freedom has a long session filled with lots of things. Today I couldn't get on him soon enough, and it was dark so early, so I ended up riding with a light. It also was a full moon so it was nice. I started with the whole sidepassing thing, which Free just doesn't get very easily. Bumper spurs were added to help him but it ended up still not really making much different. What makes Left Brain introverts hard? Hmmmm, perhaps the fact that their idea of moving is usually slowly and it takes work to get the momentum. Jamie Thomas can probably relate ;) Go sticks added to help remind them that you really could pop their butts if they do not get going.
So, with ALOT of energy and urging we were able to start to get the sideways movement down under saddle. The great thing about this type of personality is that his favorite word really is whoa and it makes him have a great stop. It also came in handy as I was teaching him to jump the barrels with me on (still slightly sluggish) and drag a tarp from his back. All in one day, I must say that Freedom always inspires me. To end off the day we chased goats and he really got into in :)

Now for the deatails.. and more fluff

2008-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the details for anyone interested in attending the Lynn Palm Women Luv Horses Supreme Horse Woman Contest. It is Dec 5-7 here in So Cal at the The Industry Hills Expo Center. Want to purchase tickets for the Women LUV Horses event which includes the Supreme Horsewoman Contest and other fun happenings.

Angi and Free are being joined by some wonderful friends made at the original Extreme Mustang Makeover and Western States Mustang Challenge. There is an exciting group of 12 Lady Mustang tamers who will be in attendance. Not just our friends Jamie Thomas (Patriot & Monty) and Jenna Nelson (Domestic Aim) , but also Gena Wesley who trained Feather for the WSMC, Janet Titus (Jennas fellow finalist on Chato at the WSMC), and Corrine Elsner who won the WSMC on Dolly with some very stiff competiton from a few of our So Cal men, Matt Seridan and Joe Misner. ;D. I have not met Wylene Wilson yet, but am looking forard to it. She placed 6th in the 08 EMM and is representing the EMM trainers in the Battle of the Bling to be held in at The Road to The Horse Competition in Franklin TN!

The Expo itself sounds like a blast with some really legendary horse woman speaking, and there is sure to be some really neat booths for us horse lovers to browse through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A Magical Equine Experience"
Industry Hills Expo Center Industry, CA
December 5-7, 2008
Contact Info: Phone (352)629-3310
Email: generalinfo@lynnpalm.com
Website: www.lynnpalm.com

Supreme HorseWoman Contest Events

Friday
Conditioning, Grooming & Fitness
Trail/Obstacle Course

Saturday
Agility Course – In Hand
Equestrienne Equitation/Reining Pattern

Sunday
Musical Freestyle- Top 6 Finalists Exchange Horses in Competition.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there it is and so close! Is Angi riding her horse? LOL... YES she is, but not as much as she would like to.

She is working at Lifesavers 4 sometimes 5 days a week when there are Funshops scheduled and has commitments to clients, but she is finding some time to spend with Freedom.

Did she happen to mention it looks like he is 16h now? and that his favorite word is still Whoa! ;D

Sadly he is ball~less at this time, and we all know how much Free LOVES balls. I am thinking of selling rhythm beads to buy him a new one. The one he had in Texas blew away... (Yes, blew. We have learned that a ball THAT big CAN fly over a 5 foot fence in the high desert winds)
If interested email me (Kathy) at FattButtStang@yahoo.com

Here we go again!

2008-11-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

I could blame Jena for being the first to mention this competition, but then when Jamie agreed to come that made it all way more exciting. Of course me and my lack of time, and here it is closer then a month and I still need to teach Freedom to pick up a tarp and drag a log. I promise to take some photos again and I am going to keep up with the blog. After all, December is coming up really quickly and soon we will be at the Lynn Palms "Women Love Horses" and doing a crazy competition. I have been riding, though sometimes in the dark with a small light that helps me see somewhat where I am going. Beth spends a lot of time sitting outside watching me ride and me asking her how it looks. Is he collected Beth? Is he stopping nicely? He is not doing so well with sidepassing to the left but I am certain that it is partially my fault because I like the other direction better :)
I also have to say that Free got his feet trimmed by a real farrier (instead of his mom just taking some toe off) and he did good! For all those people who have not yet met him, Jaime Osbrink has got to be the best farrier I have ever met! We use him at Lifesavers and not only is he great at balancing and correcting horse's hooves, he also understands horses. FINALLY! Someone who is a farrier and actually is good with horses also! I was impressed with how relaxed Free was with Jaime doing his feet when he tends to be opinionated and believe that most people are scary. Freedom is starting to learn that other people are okay also one person at a time :) Thanks Jaime for taking time with Free.
I will get some photos of Freedom riding and post more soon.

So Angi says to me..

2008-09-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

"It's a good thing you are updating the bloggy, because I haven't.."

I was honest and replied that; "No, I had not been updating it either."
And so, here I is! (am I)

What has been happening... or hasn't been?
Angi is trying to ride Freedom, and is sometimes successful. We are again planning to attend the NWHA show in Las Vegas Oct 18-19. Baring more broken fingers or toes Angi should be there to handle Free herself, and two of our friends are coming along too.

One is a very new match up for a Colt off the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington State, (pulled off a feedlot by a rescue who is the last chace for so many slaughter bound horses)

The other is a wonderful, very expressive BLM mare and her mommy who has raised her with patience and love.

I think Beth is bringing Chester back to the show, which may not leave me any room in the trailer to bring a horse for myself. =D We'll have to see who I can squeeze in. I can not bring MY girl even if there were rooom because she is busy being a mom to her Oopsie baby Tryst, who is turning 2 months on the 26th.

Angi is busy working as usual, Visiting clients, putting in 3 days a week at Lifesavers, plus the Happy Horse Academy Clinics, and getting Free ready for a competition in Dec.

Hopefully she can update you on how he is doing and what she has planned for him soon. I'll nag a bit I promise!

And last but not least, best wishes to all our mustang friends who are in Texas this week for the second Extreme Mustang Makeover! I so wish we could have come again this year.

WE LOVE YOU ASHLEY!

Kathy

Go Ashley!!!

2008-06-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Many people we have met because of The Extreme Mustang Makeover and the Challenge are participating in the 2008 200 version.

One very special person we met last year is Ashley Stevenson. Ashley and Angi stayed late at night to play, laugh, and let their horses have some time out of stall without 2000 people walking about. We all had so much fun with Ashley (Ashley and Angi make a deliteful pair!)

Ashley did a fantastic job with her horse Rock who was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd during the horse course but who went on with patient urging from Ashley. For those whose only exposure to Ashley and Rock was their horse course, here is a glimpse of Ashley & On the Rocks, (and Angi & Freedom) the night before, or more truthfully EARLY morning of the 07 EMM event...

The girls, and their geldings had a lot of fun just hanging out away from the spectators and bustle of the event. There is video I'd pay money to own! (did you hear that Darlene?) I missed out on some of their best fun while picking up a friend at the airport.. Hey! Wait a minute I missed out on some fun in Sac doing the same thing!

I may have to curtail my taxi service at future events if this keeps up!

You can follow Ashley in this years EMM and Mission 007 Yearling Challenge on her webbie Ashley Stevenson

You can also follow along as Beth, myself, and other So Cal participants blog our Reno Edition of Mission 007.

Expo Vids

2008-06-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Jamie Thomas and Montego Magnifico de Durango
plus Angi on Monty in the Adoption.. (sometimes you do NEED spurs lol)

I'll put up more tonight or tomorrow..

Some EXPO news from Kathy

2008-06-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yes we are back and what an adventure it was! We picked up Jenna and Aim Tuesday night then headed off to get Angi and Prosperity. We left about 2 am and arrived at the Expo mid morning on Wed (I think there were two other horses there but more soon followed.) Wed is a bit of a blur being so tired and busy unloading. We heard from Jamie Thomas that she got stuck an extra day in Washington so we checked into the hotel, ate a late lunch, napped, and went back after dark to wait for her and Monty to arrive. I waited for her at the gate, relaying directions from a patient Security Guard while Beth and Angi bedded down Monty's stall. We were the first to greet Steve Boyles as well since he was pulling in when I went to the gate to wait for Jamie.

We got to spend time with many friends, from Texas last year, and those we made during this competition, as well as friends who came to see us from near and far. Once again there was a really FABULOUS group of people!! The MHF Staff, The trainers and their families are the second best thing about these events, right behind the horses themselves of course. The horses at this event were top notch, a really great bunch of trainers who did a superb job with their horses!

Prosperity handled the new place and the box stall well. She and Angi played on lead and at Liberty in the smaller arenas. On Thursday she worked Prosperity and had her wear her saddle. A few of the other trainers helped push her a bit and she was more humpy the bucky with the saddle in motion, she also did well when Angi stood in the stirrups, so.. While I was gone to the airport to fetch a friend, Angi decided to take her first and only ride on Prosperity....

I am told it lasted 2 sec tops.

Of course no one videoed it, but I have plenty of video of Prosperity so I know just how athletic she is ! Jamie Thomas had Prosperity on lead, and was going to pony her off of Monty (Montego Magnifico de Durango ) Jamie said there was nothing she could do, Propserity did not take off bucking.. she just reared up high, and then snapped her rear up to meet her head, Lots of air... with all four feet well above the ground. Beth said Angi was launched like a bottle rocket, and Steve Boyles said as soon as she settled in the saddle she was in the air, went head over heels about 3 times, landed on her back and... bounced!

I am sure she was sore, but she was up and moving around so most people probably wouldn't have known she even came off. Just what she didn't want to happen, but the trainers that observed Prosperity agreed she needed more time to accept the saddle.

Prosperity did well in Conditioning, and In Hand. She broke trot on the poles, but scored well, earning 8s and 9s in most of the other obstacles. For the Horse Course Angi took her out and did a Liberty Freestyle, worth 45 points (she did not hear that she could walk the whole course, the speakers were hard to hear in the arena and she did not know she was invited to.)

The adoption prices were lower then Texas but Prosperity was adopted for $750 and will be living in Clements, CA with a couple and an almost 5 year old boy who left me with a lovely mental picture.. Him standing on a chair in front of her stall loving her. Prosperity grew to love the crowds, especially he children and became a bit of a thief towards the end. She was nibbling purse straps, and grabbing lemonade straws from people who stopped to pet her.

It was really hard for me to drive away and leave her there, I can not imagine how Angi did it! You fall in love with these wonderful animals and you want others to share the joy of loving a mustang.. but you leave a piece of your heart with them, and can only hope that the humans in their future are careful to protect that seed so that it continues to grow.

Angi probably has a whole other list of things to say, but I know she is already busy, busy, busy.. back to work, has a clinic on Saturday, and she is wanting to be able to spend some time with her own horses one of these days.. ;D

My new horse

2008-05-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

I played with Prosperity yesterday in the arena and she was a totally different horse. Her confidence is finally starting to show up and we played a lot with the obstacles. I can just see this mare letting me ride her right before the competition and then knowing nothing about lead changes, etc. but still it would be a honor to get her to that point. Yet again, I find that it is easy to fall in love with these horses and to wish that you had room for another one (what could possibly be wrong with 60 horses :)---? ) but of course I have my hands full with the horses I have ( about 13 or so plus the other people's horses I have) and can not have another one to take care of. She is just so nice to be with and so willing and has a great attitude. Yesterday she was a lot more relaxed with the saddle going across her so I did not even cinch it. I really wanted to quit on a good note and I did not want her to always think about bucking. She is getting over the bucking with the rope now and I am so glad to see the sensible side of Prosperity! Onward we go!

My fault really...

2008-05-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

I have hours of video.. I even uploaded a few but alas they did not transfer properly and then I got very busy. I became a Grandmother, went to fetch Mission 007 yearlings, and last night (a few days early with little warning) My daughter, Beth's colt was born. :D So with all the new arrivals human and hoofed I have been neglectful.

Dylan Lee

Prosperity has had some great sessions, some I have seen, some I had to miss. One thanks to our own Chester who set free the herd AGAIN! Which meant I had to leave to go help round them up. :sigh: Chester just needs something to do. :P

"Dandy"s Instant Smoke

Beth has named her yearling Zoe Star and I am still working on the perfect name for my filly... Ingrid has named hers Halle Berry and Pumba. The yearlings will be competing, and available for adoption at The Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno Aug 15-17th.

Angi is holding a Meet the Mustangs Clinic in Palmdale, Saturday May 24th. 9am -4pm She will be demonstrating gentling techniques, (with one of the yearlings..) pre saddle work, as well as playing with Prosperity and Freedom.

The mysterious Jenna Nelson is planning to bring Domestic Aim. ;)

Cost is $10 with Lunch available. There is also a raffle, which will include some wonderful products from Cowboy Magic, to help Angi and Jenna with travel expenses to Sacramento.

Proseperity the wonder horse

2008-05-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have Prosperity at Lifesavers working in the arena with obstacles this week. Under saddle? Ummmm, not quite but she is trying! And trying, and trying, and trying. I am trying to build her confidence, allow her to be herself and not push her when she is scared, and still teach her that the saddle will not eat her.

She is comfortable with me laying across her bareback and will carry the saddle (after a few bucks) but has not been ready for my butt to be planted on it. She has gotten to a point where I am able to stand in the stirrups (still bucking from the left side) and is really looking to me for reassurance. I keep telling her that it is not important, that I will not sacrifice our relationship for a competition. She is soooo close and I often just want to do it! I can really see the changes from day to day and how she is now exploring her options ,running away at liberty shaking her head at me, then coming back to me asking to be rubbed on her eyes.

This horse will be so quiet when she is broke but she is taking a longer time to get there. I see the differences between her and Free, often thinking that I could not have had two more different horses if I had deliberately looked for them. Free was so confident with objects, having no fear of obstacles or the saddle but he was really nervous of people. He bonded with me and had no other leader. Prosperity is afraid of objects but loves all people if they rub her forehead. She is willing to follow you and loves to play at liberty. Freedom fought me for the joy of playing at liberty, telling me that I was not strong enough to lead him and he would lead instead. Prosperity wants to be loved on, and loves her hair brushed. I am so hoping for the best owner for this beautiful girl, someone who wants to keep her forever and ever and never let her go......

Time away

2008-04-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Since Angi was going to be at Lifesavers for Wild Horse Boot Camp, Prosperity went to Lifesavers Friday morning. It's only her second trip away from home, so she was a bit nervous on arrival, but Lifesavers has mustang strength pens, and alleyways which I imagine might remind her of a BLM facility.

The thought was that Angi could work with her after Boot Camp ended each day. That worked out great on Friday, and Prosperity got saddled for the second time.

Saturday night Jeremy Dunn brought Ojos. We ate Bar B Que, watched Jeremy ride Ojos, and Jeremy played with one of the boot camp horses. Prosperity was just hanging out in one of the outside round pens, listening to Blessing and Mouse playing "rival stud" running along their own sides of the fence line and thinking it was time to play herself. She was so beautiful with her neck arched and her tail a flag behind her, she wanted to go play with the herd. :D

By Sunday afternoon everyone was exhausted (We stayed on after the Bar B Que hoping a HUGE ex-PMU mare at Lifesavers would foal... but she didn't)

Mondays Lifesaver is closed, but horses still need to eat so, Angi slipped in to work with Prosperity and got a free ski tow thanks to Prosperity and a 22" line that wrapped around her leg. (She says it's the first time that has ever happened to her, and hopefully the last)

The best news is Prosperity, like Freedom has learned the word WHOA, so once Angi thought to say it.. took her about 10 feet I'm told; Prosperity stopped and looked back at her. I imagine seeing Angi land on her rump and sliding along the ground was not something Prosperity had been expecting to see out of the corner of her eye, but I'm thinking if she can drag her trainer without panicking... she could be dragging a lot of other things. :D

Why Angi is not riding.. yet

2008-04-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

This video is from last week, and came in between the saddle going on, and Angi standing in the stirrup.

Prosperity still has some fear to work through before she will be ridden. It doesn't mean she won't be a GREAT horse to ride, just that Angi doesn't want to skip over this as it would only come back later, and probably at a really bad time.. Like in front of thousands in a noisy arena? Or worse after an adopter takes her home!

If the fear is there, it will come out at some point. So it's better to deal with it now, on the ground.

Prosperity needs to be able to handle being touched all over, while moving, before Angi gets on. She needs to be comfortable with the saddle moving, and the stirrups flapping. Most of all she needs to remember to look to her leader whenever she is unsure or afraid. For Freedom safety started as his ball. (he didn't need a leader) When ever he was unsure about something he wanted to go smoosh his nose into his ball.

Prosperity is good about looking for the answer much of the time, and as you can see while her reaction is very dramatic, the drama is short lived, then she turns to Angi for reassurance.

Hump Day

2008-04-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

I went to Angi's yesterday to ride into the poppies near her home, and because it was hump day (44 down - 44 to go) Also because Angi won't take a first ride unless there is someone there to pick her up, or dial the phone if needed. :D

Always remember to ride safe boys and girls!

Prosperity wore a saddle for the first time yesterday, she was fine with the saddle going on, then offered a very easy to interpret opinion about moving with it on! That passed quickly and soon Angi was standing in the stirrup.

I was amazed, as always when I upload the pictures. This is almost every picture I took yesterday (didn't have an extra set of batteries on me) AND..

Prosperity look fabulous in all of them! I don't think I have taken any pictures where she did not look great. That's unusual because we all know how easy it is to take a shot that makes a horse bad, but with Prosperity that never seems to happen!

She is stunning in person and I'm not sure if her expressions are transferring over in full blown glory, or if I just see it that way because I saw it happen live. She is SO focused on Angi, and constantly asking if this is right? and what do you want next?

Angi is already muttering that she is sure it is all a plot, and that THEY (Patti, Westlie, Kali.. ) picked this girl out JUST for her to fall in love with! So she's on to you ladies! (and yet is still planning on picking up a Challenge yearling next month)

Added a tune for your enjoyment...
There is some FUN video footage, but I left the camera hanging on Angi's fence last night. :P Silly me!

Kathy

Quick Note and Other Happenings

2008-04-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

I know Angi has been bad about posting updates lately but she's been REALLY busy! She was released from PT for her hand this week, and while it is still not 100% she is hoping it will improve with time and use. (She refused to even consider another surgery!)

Prosperity has been working on becoming solid on the ground, because Angi follows the belief that "You ride the horse you lead." So it has been tarps, and toys; Learning to be tied and saddled; Baths, and wind, wind, and MORE WIND!

She has been fitting Prosperity's training in between getting back to work with her faithful clients who have waited as patiently as possible ;D for her to be allowed to work again. She has also returned to work at
Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue.

There are some GREAT things in the works at Lifesavers! Their education program has expanded and is now Happy Horse Academy offering a series of FUNSHOPS on the 10 keys to Happy Horse*Human relationships.

Happy Horse=Happy Human

Fast approaching is Wild Horse Boot Camp

Thursday April 24th-Sunday April 27th.
Clinicians are The Happy Chicks, (Chris Vilmer & Angi Keitel,) and Jeremy Dunn (EMM Finalist).

I participated in Wild Horse Boot Camp last April with Rose my newly adopted Nevada mustang (of course!) It was a fantastic experience.

Isis Dann w/ Rob Pliskin

Some of the Lifesavers horses used were Shoshone Indian horses rescued from Fishcreek. These horses are so BEAUTIFUL and intelligent. It was difficult for some participants to resist the urge to take "theirs" home!

Limited spaces still available, call Chris 661 727-1205 to reserve yours.

Winsome Rose :D
'01 BLM Curly Mare
Silver Peak HMA

In which she sees a ball...

2008-04-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a site that carries balls like Lifesavers.
www.police-equipment-worldwide.com

and one that has a slightly smaller one, like the one we had in TX last year. The 71" ball is about 5' inflated. It doesn't have a skin, but is rated for 600 lbs and my horses did not kill it like other balls I have purchased.
www.bpp2.com

Kitty has a video of Ray, Tanner and herself playing with it.
rangercompetitionP1

Meanwhile here was Freedom playing with Lifesavers' ball.
(Freedom LOVES balls.. and Angi ;D )

Prosperity takes a ride

2008-04-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

I seem to sometimes forget, in the midst of the idea that this is a competition and that we will be going to Sacramento way to soon, that Prosperity is changing daily and turning into a horse that trusts me. I forget that just a few weeks ago she was wild, not willing to allow a hand to be placed on her, and I look at her with greedy eyes wanting to do what she is not ready for.( saddle saddle saddle saddle ) I remember that this bond will take time and not to be impatient.
Prosperity learns to trailer (with a little pressure from Kathy behind) and also learns to be squished in a slant load divider (with a little stomping action in protest). Then on to Lifesavers, where she unloads in an alley (almost spooking away but instead giving to the rope as soon as she felt the pull of it, GOOD GIRL PROSPERITY!) She seems a little nervous of the new place, hesitant to halter later on when I come back to get her, but she follows me all the way down the alley into the arena's round pen. She protests a few times but not with much conviction. In the round pen we do rope work; which, by the way, Prosperity can buck. I am intent on fixing that before I place my butt in the saddle. Then we did sacking out with the pad.

Then we go into the arena (were there is another horse and owner working on the ground) and Prosperity learns to ground drive over the wooden bridge and follow the giant ball around until she was able to touch it with her nose. I am happy with her day so we load into the trailer (still needed the pressure from behind) and home we go.

Freeeeeedom

2008-03-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

I was sorting the collection of things that are mucking up my desktop, and found a slideshow titled Mustang Makeover 2007 Sally? I do recall finding it somewhere but I don't think I ever ran it all the way because when I did now, I found this towards the end... For those of you who could not be in Texas or missed the quick shot on RFDTV of Angi getting a hug from one of the wonderful women behind this event, This is Angi after she found out we had won the bid on Freedom. This hug from Westlie was preceded by her hands covering her face and some jumping up and down. One might think Westlie hugged her just to get her to stand still ;D but I don't. The whole day horse, after horse had the trainers and their family and friends bawling. This is what getting to know these horses leads to, they offer you complete trust and in return they hopefully get love and commitment.

This is why you will find trainers asking "Who wants to adopt my horse?" because the hardest thing about this, the absolute hardest is to turn these horses over to an unknown adopter. They want to get to know you, to let the horse meet you, to show you all the things that make this horse, their horse so special. They want their horse to succeed, to bloom where it is planted...

So if any of you following the blogs are interested in a horse, or already hoping to adopt it, Contact the trainer and say hello.

Freedom's been living he life of.. well a horse the past few months. With Angi hurt and it being a windy winter, since the NWHA show in Oct he has spent it just hanging with his peeps. Now he is going back to work! He's headed to Lifesavers next week to play, and possibly a Demo for the Barstow, CA ETI Club on April 6th. Angi, Freedom and Prosperity were invited by Joe Misner who will be there with Pockets and Laredo. It sounds like fun!
Beaucoup, Freedom, and Lilly

Long days and longer nights

2008-03-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have even gotten the chance to update my blog. I happened to become a proud owner of a chihuahua puppy that seems to need endless care all through the night. This creates a very sleepy Angi. Never the less, Prosperity and I have gotten several incredible sessions in and I still need to download the photos. We had one day of sacking out with the pad (still a little uncertain on that one) and me thinking that it sounded good to try a saddle also.
Wrong answer! Prosperity was not ready for that and let me know by blowing straight up into the air so I just focused on the pad. I spent one day trying to teach her to wear the tarp (not quite there either) and one day teaching her to drive over the tarp with the halter on. She spent alot of time in the air on that one too but the end of that session made a proud Angi and a horse who willingly walked over the tarp instead of jumped it. Boy can this girl move :0

The last several days have been meeting the trailer and it has been quite an adventure. The first day we worked an hour until she could put her head in it. The second day took a little less time but still produced a wet Prosperity who is learning to be very soft on her halter indeed. Today was the big break through, she drove up to the trailer then put her front feet inside it. This, of course, took awhile, but she improved so much and hardly sweated at all.
I am still waiting for someone to want her :)

Why my horse is the best :)

2008-03-18T20:47:00.001-07:00

I don't have the pictures downloaded but my horse is the neatest mare ever! I worked her yesterday and she allowed me to pick up her front feet, run my hands down her back legs and I put a surcingle on her (which was too small because my horse is FAT and I had to put baling twine to make it longer!) and she did absolutely nothing. Oh by the way, Thank God, this one does not buck :) like my Freedom did. She is slightly spooky sideways when something scares her but is light on the halter and responsive AND has GREAT movement.... Can't wait to trailer load.
She does not like her tail brushed yet, but she does understand the word whoa.

Days 5- 7 Blustery Days

2008-03-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday I only got a few minutes to play with Prosperity and it seemed like it was so windy that I didn't do much. I rubbed her face and did some flag work. She is not real bothered by the flag touching her body now.

Ahhh, but today was GREAT. I didn't work her yesterday so today I knew I needed to get some time in even if it was cold and windy. (Listen to this complaint :) we do live in California) She was

snorty but I ignored it. I worked her until I was able to halter her (which she was finally ready for) and then taught her to lead. The neat thing about using the rope around her neck first is that she had become light so when I haltered her she was very light and did not pull on me. I taught her how to yield her shoulders and hinds then how to drive forward with me directing her. Then we braided her mane!

day four

2008-03-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

It is windy today and I only have a few minutes to play with Prosperity. I use the time to rub on her face and to get her used to quicker movement around her. I did a little flag work with the plastic bag and she did wonderful! She was nervous at first but quickly settled down and allowed me to touch her a little with it. On we go :)

My first sponser

2008-03-11T21:36:00.001-07:00

I just received word that cowboy magic is going to be my first sponsor! I am excited because I know that Prosperity's mane will be wonderful now because I will be able to use the detangler to keep it shiny and happy! Thank you Cowboy Magic!!!

Today is day three of Prosperity's training and today she had some major breakthroughs. I was able to get her to smell me, allow me to rub her face with my hand and the halter, and also to get very close to her being ready to wear the halter. She is getting very soft with the rope around her neck and leading will be no big deal. I can see by the way she played with the tarp that trailer loading should be no big deal either.

This mare is so incredible and smart that I am impressed with her every time I have worked her by how fast she learns. She is willing and kind. Everyone reading this make sure you think about adopting this girl :)

day 2

2008-03-10T21:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, here are a few random pictures to go along with my blog today. The puppy in the jacket is Sweetpea and she is my brand new, little itty bitty puppy :)

This other picture is of Penni, she is a horse that used to be very scared. Just this last week she has begun to ask for love and attention. Here she is kissing my friend Laurie out of the blue.

Here is my lovely little mustang girl. She did so well today, but is still not ready to wear a halter on her head. As you see, she is interested in the tarp and not bothered by stepping on it. We worked on facing up and smelling my stick and then smelling my hand. She is still very nervous with me being so close to her face but with the stick I can touch her down her face. She is snorty at me, but really nice and never has a grumpy second when I am working her. I am so pleased with her and how her mind works.

I am sure glad to have this little mare but someone better come pick her, she will be a great little horse.

The rest of the day :)

2008-03-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

The girls are done for the day and I sadly waved goodbye as Jenna and Domestic Aim left to their home. The day went so well, and I am so incredibly inspired. I think that Jenna and I bounce off each other and challenge each other to do more. Jenna had Aim leading, and even taught her baby to trailer load! Go Jenna! (Not to mention picked up back feet)
As for my girl, She is so special. She is not tall but is real wide. She learned so much today that I am sure she will spend all night thinking. She is not too bothered by the rope and she has learned how to give to the pressure of it. Mostly she is just moving her fronts when I apply pressure but at the end managed to take several steps moving her hips over for me. She is much shyer with me on the left side, only allowing me to touch her with the stick not my hand yet. On the right side she was allowing me to groom her and to brush out her mane. No more dreadlocks for Prosperity! She is still unsure about the face part of her which is odd for me because that is usually the first part they let me touch. Prosperity would like her butt scratched. Well, that is it for now.

Our Girls :)

2008-03-09T12:05:00.001-07:00

Here they are :)

Jenna Nelson , Matt Sheridan, and I brought our horses home yesterday . It was great! I never met a better bunch of people and this is going to be a blast! I got to keep Jenna overnight and we got up early to play with our girls.

Here they are being run into the chute to load.
I think the best thing is that they are friends also, they came from the same herd and in the group of horses they were sticking close together.

I separated them so that they could be played with. Jenna had here horse, Aim, following her and smelling her within minutes. The picture above is her and Aim. I decided to name my horse Prosperity. She is the one wrapped in the rope. I quickly was able to teach her inside and outside turns in the round pen. I tossed my rope at her and she really was not too bothered by it. She got a little nervous but not a big deal. I started rubbing her (mostly on the right side) with a carrot stick and she let me touch her with my hand. within a few hours I was able to rub down her neck and butt one the one side and now I need to work on the other. They both seem to be very thoughtful mares and quiet. Jenna is outside sitting with Aim as she eats her lunch and I am about to go back outside to play again. More later......

Its a....

2008-02-26T23:16:00.000-08:00

MARE!!!!

We only found the gender because the So cal trainers were wanting to pair up for pick up. We do not know anything more then it is a mare and will be from Nevada ;D and supposedly plain colored.. :scoff: I don't recall seeing any plain about the horses in Texas last fall. ;D

Angi is both excited and nervous, because she likes strong minded mustang mares. I think it is safe to say if this mare is from Calico Mountian (Freedoms HMA), Black, or heaven help us.. BOTH! We are in big trouble mister! She was really hoping to be able to have this mustang go to someone else (preferably someone she knows or could get to know)
So if you are interested in adopting her horse PLEASE contact Angi

That is the most difficult part of the Makeover process.. you get this incredible wonderfully smart mustang for 100 days (or 89 in the case of the Western States Makeover)

You get it to trust you completely... To become your partner in an incredible event.. and then you have to watch it be auctioned off, with no idea who is bidding or winning the bidding because you are in the ring with your horse.

Last fall there were tears streaming down my face as I watched her lay her face on Freedoms neck at the close of the bidding because she didn't know that she had won the bid. She didn't know how much money people had offered to make sure she got to take him home.. as they entered the sales ring I was frantically calculating how high we could bid for her.

We were sobbing in the stands because even though it took her awhile to admit out loud that she didn't know how she could face coming home without him, we had already known it watching them together. The folks at the auction that sunday got to see the real Freedom, happy to just be playing with Angi.

I took Freedom to the NWHA Show in Oct. Angi couldn't go because she was sporting an unstable finger fracture. She could not have held a lead rope or trotted him in a class, and even the thought of a long truck drive hurt so she stayed home. Free did well except for the water bottle, that he was with me instead of Angi that probably caused that. He spent the 2 days in Vegas with his worry eyebrows on... something we didn't see when he was in Texas with Angi.

I found some pics from the show the other day and though I would share them. Free hasn't done much since Sept, Angi was injured 4 days after Freedom returned from texas, and she has just recently been released to work horses. She hopes to show Freedom at some local shows and take him to the Reno Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Aug along with a Makeover yearling (if she is chosen to participate)

Kali Mullins of the MHF was at the show. She was the one to give Angi Freedom in Reno last June. It is great to know that there are such a wonderful bunch of people working hard to show the world what we already know about Mustangs.

It begins again!

2008-02-08T18:04:00.001-08:00

I have been chosen to do the Mustang Challenge for Sacramento! And boy am I both excited and wondering if I am really crazy and just never knew it. I feel like I did before but this time I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can not bring another horse home :) Anyone interested in advance? I am happy that there is a change I may bring home a mare; I seem to really enjoy those moody girls. I like attitude in my horses, though freedom sure does have his share of spunk. This will be more people, and I know that I will certainly be a nervous wreck with tons of people watching, but I seem to forget the crowd when I am in with the horse. Then it becomes me and that amazing animal that bonds strong and stays true. Hey, and Jamie is going too and that is so great. I can't wait to see you again Jamie. Here we go!

2008-01-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

We are holding a ground schooling/obstacle clinic this next weekend for any of you that are interested in attending. It will be at a friend's arena in Lancaster on the 26th and the 27th of January . The price is $25 per day for people participating and $10 a day for auditors. It will involve some obstacles, trailer loading and basic respect on the ground. Call 816-4541 to sign up or for future dates of clinics. Thanks :)

2008-01-21T16:27:00.001-08:00

They are wolfie dogs and certainly cute! At two weeks old they are starting to howl and talk!

I am impressed with how fast they are growing. It seems like they were born yesterday and all of a sudden they are walking and barking like real dogs. I hope they are easy to find homes of their own and I am certain that they will make people incredibly happy to have them.

Wolf adores (wolf/lab cross)

2008-01-10T19:26:00.001-08:00

Meet Freedom Jan 5th

2007-12-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Freedom came to Hesperia last night. He is hanging out with our Chester and Symphony (The mustangs he went to the NWHA show in Vegas) Tomorrow we are going to inflate the ball and let them play bit. Our yard is on the side of our house so he can see and hear the cars that go by,
the trucks with rattling trailers, helicopters, sirens, and all the other "city" things that go on here that he doesn't see at Angi's... kids on skateboards , bikes, and trash trucks.

This morning he took a nap in Symphony's favorite corner, and ate some of the leaves that fell off the trees in the back yard earlier this week. We call them mustang candy because if we don't let them in to eat them... Chester will find a way to get in and bring Symphony with him!

MEET AND GREET
Freedom will be attending the High Desert Mustang Clubs Anniversary Playday on Jan 5th, So if you are in So Cal and want to see him and a bunch of other exceptional mustangs in action, please join us in Phelan on the 5th.

Phelan is north of San Bernardino/Rancho Cucamonga Go north on I15 exit at HWY 138, (Wrightwood). Or from the SFV 405 to I5 to Hwy 14. Exit Angeles Forest Hwy but take 138 east past Pearblossom/Littlerock.

More detailed directions and info can be found at http://www.hdmc.bravehost.com/

Hope to see you there!
Kathy

Freedom takes a trip, a surprise baby and Zion goes to the vet

2007-12-29T22:07:00.001-08:00

It has been a heck of a week. First my stallion, Zion, gets slightly colicky (we have had horrible, cold wind and he hates the change of weather) and it is impossible to find a vet. Everyone is out of town or busy because of the holidays. After what feels like 65 calls to different vets I find a one I have never used in Tehachapi. Kathy is on her way this direction to pick up a horse for a friend so she just brings her trailer here and we load Zion and haul the other Kathy along with us. Poor Zion is miserable but is a good boy for the vet even though he thinks it is odd that the vet wants to listen to him all over his body. He is a little squirmy but I think because he is secretly hoping this visit is really to meet new mares! The vet is great and decides to keep him over night to keep an eye on him. The next day Kathy goes back to pick him up for me since I am back at the doctors getting my button removed. The good thing is we haul Faith to get preg-checked when we take Zion (YEAH!!!! It is a negative like we hoped for) and when Kathy goes back she takes Delightful to get checked. Ummmm, hmmmm, Kathy got a pregnant mare and didn't even know it :) She is due in July. Happy foaling Kathy :)---- We are going to get a little paint baby. ( I am living vicariously through Kathy on the foals ) Three babies coming for her; one is May, one in July and one in August? Lots of little squealing foals!!!! Oh so cute!!!!
Then Kathy loads up Free and Chester to take them to her house. Free gets a visit to play with Symphony, very cool. Three strong willed horses at one house, sounds like my kind of place. Oh,and the other Kathy got her first horse adventure........And finally got her new horse home at dark :)

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone enjoys their day tomorrow.
Tonight is windy and stormy outside, when I went out to feed everyone looked miserable about the wind blowing in their faces. I blanketed the kids horse, Hasty (Violet as Isabelle says her new name is) and attempted to blanket the Arab, Penni. Penni must not be a blanket horse because she almost went into the fence when it flapped a little (Thank God I did not strap it on). I decided to skip the blanket and make a hot bran mash with some senior feed instead. I had to skip the senior in Hasty's bran because the last time I fed it she blew up from hives and I had to give her a shot :( Poor girl.
Have a good day tomorrow.
Angi

Baby's new name

2007-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

The baby Thoroughbred has a new name. Thanks to Ingrid, who picked out the name of Cosmo, he finally has a name. The new owner loves him and Cosmo is a very happy, quiet baby that spends a lot of his time taking walks with his mom. Here is cute photo of him peeking into her house through the window. He really wants to live inside mom! Thank goodness he isn't here or I am sure that I have several people who would be bringing him in!
Now I have to run around and go get some hay for all the horsies of my place.

Lazy days

2007-12-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Freedom likes his days off :) and boy is it nice to be on vacation he says. I went outside on one of the last slightly sunny days to find alot of the horses all crashed out and some even snoring. I think it looks nice to be a horse.
The cold spell has hit and all of them are now less inclined to stretch out. I guess it has something to do with the cold ground. I can't say I blame them. Now with a little bit of rain the ground is cold and wet.
We are almost done taking names for the poor little nameless baby.
He should have his new name just in time for Christmas :)
Angi

goats are doggies too

2007-12-11T19:13:00.001-08:00

It seems that everyone's horses love apples :) The poll came back that most horses love apples as their favorite treat. I am going to make more polls, I just have to think up a new one.
I have had an update with my hand and it seems that I have 8 more weeks of no work before I am released to use it. I was trying to use it a little but it seems that every time I think about using it, the doctor has something graphic to tell me as to why it is a bad idea to not listen to their advice. I am listening. I tried to ride the other day only to realize that it was not a good idea when my hand was protesting from the use. Again it seems to be forever before I am useful again. And it is almost Christmas, with which the lack of work is making a lack of money to buy presents for family and friends. I know, I know, Christmas is definitely not about presents and I do realize this but it still not easy to not be able to surprise people with things that I know would make them smile. Not to mention that I am not able to sit still this long with out going a little crazy. So, in that frame of mind, we have a little pet that normally sleeps outside with the wild dog that we happened to catch. The dog door was opened tonight because Jensen thought that it would be funny to see if Rainy, the goat, would like to be inside. OF COURSE SHE WOULD :) And so the little goat has figured out how to squish through the dog door and run around the house a little. Okay, I guess that is the epitome of a crazy animal person. I thought you all would appreciate the photos! What do you think?
Angi

Take our poll today

2007-12-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, please scroll down to the end of the page and take a poll :)
It is December and I hardly can believe it is almost Christmas. It is definately the time of year to be sleeping in because it is so chilly in the mornings. How did I ever make it in Oregon? I get so cold here in sunny California that I am certain that I am spoiled.
I hope everyone is doing well. Please, if you dress your horse up for the holiday, send me some photos for my blog :)

Name the poor baby horse!

2007-11-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a sad little horsie with no name to call his own. We are having a naming contest in hopes that he gets a nice one. Hey everyone out there, come up with your most creative names and send $1 to 47742 93rd st west, Lancaster, CA 93536 with your choice of name. Next month I will announce his new name :) and the person who named him. All the dollars goes to feeding the other little horses on the property.

more finger stuff

2007-11-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was my visit with the doctor and I was inspired and hopeful to be moving around more. Christy took me down there so I would not have to go alone. I had all the typical stuff done, more
xrays and pain management stuff. (I actually have not had to have anything for the pain in so long that it seems pointless when they ask me this). The pin was pulled out, with plyers. Kathy's son, John, had prepared me for this over the phone-Thanks John and had I not been warned I am pretty sure I would have really panicked when I saw them. I closed my eyes and it didn't really hurt when they pulled it out but it did make me almost pass out for some reason. It made me weird feeling for about 15 minutes. I did start some physical therapy right away in the hospital and was slightly discouraged with how little my hand actually can move. I know it takes time but I am so impatient! I tried to convince the nurse I could work with it, but Christy made me tell them what it is I do for work so I was told no :( I can not be pulled on or use it to lift yet. Blah!!!! Thank God for all my friends who brought me books and keep me company!
Angi

Another crazy trip

2007-11-26T14:19:00.001-08:00

I always can be convinced to go on a trip if I can do it, and this weekend was no different when Kathy asked me to go to Oregon and help keep her company when she went to pick up her horses. I packed a bag. Friday morning early Kathy, Barbara and I jump into the truck and off we go. We are often easily sidetracked but for some reason we make it to Bend, Oregon in decent time. We arrive at Wendy's house at 2 or 3am and go to sleep. Kendall arrives in the early afternoon with the horses (he went and brought them down from Yakima) and we unload Badger, Delightful Dulcinea, and Faith to let them roll before putting them into the trailer. The grulla in the first picture is Delightful and she is stunning. Kathy had to buy her because she was Hayden's mom and she was up for sale. When she came out of the trailer I knew Kathy knew she was worth every penny.....

On our way back I kept getting papers and checking in horse ads. :) You know we had an empty spot in the trailer. We met this incredible lady who bred Quarter horses for many years and we were blessed to be able to spend an hour or two meeting this incredible mare she had for sale and seeing pictures of the foals and sires she had used. This woman had done an impeccable job matching bloodlines and improving on each horse she had bred. The mare "Spiffy" was well bred, sweet and loving. It was nice to see a person who bred with care and took care of the offspring. She was carefully looking for the right home for her mare because she was getting older herself and needed to downsize some.

We were so close to home when I checked a paper that had a horse advertised that interested us all. His name was buck and he was 1/2 Shire and 1/2 QH. He is 19 and a huge dun gelding at 18hh and 1800 lbs. He rode decently, though hot and was not a beginners horse. Kathy said she might like to ride that and paid the price. On the way home we changed his name to DillyDally because that is what what we were doing when we found him.

Here is the little tank mare of the month looking for a home. She is halter broke and loads but I don't know much else about her and can't evaluate her for a few more weeks due to my hand. She is available to the right person now on a lease/adoption with purchase rights at the end of a lease.
She is beautiful.

Well, I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.
Angi

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone (are there really people still reading this?) a Happy Thanksgiving. Lets all remember how lucky we are. It is really just simple things that make us happy. I consider myself blessed to be able to see the beautiful world, to hear music and (especially at this time of year) to taste all the good food while seeing our friends and family smiling around us :) here is a
big kiss from a little mini horse! Happy Holidays.

All the little horsies

2007-11-15T14:14:00.001-08:00

What does a one handed horse trainer do with all her spare time?
A yard full of beautiful horses, waiting to do something, has inspired me to pull out the camera and shoot photos. I am not sure if that is what the doctors consider resting, but it is hopefully going to keep me from going stir crazy.
This is Lily in this photo. She is four (or five, I am not sure). She is near impossible to get a photo of. She is usually following you around begging for some scratches. She is a mustang and very special. Her original owners gave her to me after a failed trainer attempt. The trainer did not understand Lily, and when I first got her she was scared and hard to catch. She was not like this when she went to the trainer. After speaking with the trainer, I came to understand Lily's fears came from not being handled correctly while "in training" and that this would take awhile to overcome. When being sacked out, Lily had been tied to a post. Having no escape she struck the trainer (who told me she was dangerous) and then pulled back until she passed out. She was cornered to catch or roped and was being rushed to saddle break her. This trainer then told me, after telling me all this, that she just didn't have the time to saddle break her. Ummmm, isn't training all about having time to do it right? So Lily came home with me and after several sessions she began to understand how to be caught quietly. She turned back into the loving girl that her owners had remembered. She is still learning, now we are working on feet, and she is starting to let us trim a little on them without panicking.
This is Kaycee. She was rescued off the feed lot. She was being fostered by a very kind lady in Oregon. When we stayed there along our way to Washington with Freedom, Kaycee made her way into the trailer. I don't know how, really, she just jumped in. I had time to ride her once before getting hurt and she is just waiting until I am able to ride. She is going to belong to some dear friends of mine. Her husband needed a horse and Kaycee seems like she may just be that one! She is kind and willing but just doesn't seem to understand a lot yet. She rode nicely without too much fuss, but couldn't quite understand how to give to the bit.

This is Reba. She is a three year old Quarter horse. She is looking for a place of her own. She has just began her saddle work and is very friendly and quiet. She is tall and should make a nice trail horse someday. She happened to become ours when a lady brought her to a clinic and was too afraid to handle her. She let me know she was for sale and would never get in the pen with Reba. I purchased her and the old owner never looked back. With in a week, Reba had quieted down and we were able to lay on her when she would take a nap. Now you can never tell that she once was a high spirited baby that was a little too quick with her feet!

This is Rose. Kathy and I can't decide who she belongs to. She is a curly mustang, just out of the wild for less then a year now. She is curious but easily frightened, being wild for 5 years she is not sure what good we humans are for. She has been coming around slowly and no one is in a rush. Everyone loves her and her snort!

I wish I could save many more horses because it seems that where ever you look there is a horse in need. Some come with labels that say dangerous, aggressive, stubborn or stupid but if you look at that back it always says human error caused this. Horses reflect the handler. As all of my friends know, this month has been incredibly hard due to my inability to work. I want to thank all of you who have helped me so generously. Jill Starr, founder and president of Lifesavers, donated $500 to help me feed my babies. I have placed some in homes and have some more to find homes for. So many people have helped us out already and I want to thank you all! Without my friends; Jill, Kathy, Chris, Anne and Barry, Coleen, Robin and Bill, Christy, Kate,Linda and John, Jessee and Mary, everyone up in Oregon/Washington, and everyone who has helped me with hay, I would not have made it this far. Thank you all for your help. God is using you to watch out for us or we would not be making it. Hopefully I will be up and running in a few months :)
If anyone is interested in sponsering or leasing a horse let me know.
Angi

Angi's Hand

2007-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Angi hurt her hand just after she returned from Ft Worth. It got smashed between a tree and her horses head. When she went to the Drs they told her she had cracked one of her fingers. Her finger was really giving her grief and she couldn't do anything with that hand, so not only has she not been able to play with Freedom, she has not been able to work.

She went back in a couple of times and they gave her antibiotics but finally re Xrayed and discovered that her finger was displaced and the knuckle is fractured. They sent her down to USC for surgery. All agree it would have been difficult to fix initially and will be even more so now.

She goes in for surgery on the 7th that will hopefully repair it, but she will still be unable to work for a while and will have to work hard after it heals to regain movement in that finger.

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue has started a fund to help feed Angi's horses while she is laid up, and has generously started the fund with a $500 donation. Donations can be sent via PayPal to Kmmahan@yahoo.com and we will be setting up a P.O. box if you prefer to send regular mail.

Ready for homes

2007-10-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Angi does a bit of rescue on her own and has a yard full of 4 legged friends. She does not sell her rescues, she leases them so that if it isn't a good match, they come back to her. She has a few horses ready for lease homes at this time.

Cadence is a 2 y/o AQHA Chocolate Palomino Filly.
She was purchased at auction (3rd auction she was run through in 6 months) and given to Angi. She was in serious need of foot care, had a nasty cut on her forehead, and was head shy. She has had her feet trimmed (farrier feels her feet are fine with no lasting problems from her rough start) and now is freindly and mellow. She stands up for herself in a herd, or rather refuses to budge from her feed and gets nipped a lot. She has been to clinic and enjoyed the obstacles especially the bridge. She learns quickly. Cadence has a good foundation of Hancock/Dry Doc bloodlines, she is levelheaded and responsive and would make a great 4H or FFA project horse.

Lilly is a beautiful 4 y/o mustang whose owners loved dearly. They sent her to a trainer that did not understand mustangs. The trainer called them after having Lilly a short time claiming she was untrainable. Fearing they could no longer handle her, they began looking for a good place for Lilly and found Angi. Lilly is actually a very smart, playful mare. If you go in with the girls it is Lilly that is following you around begging for attention! Lilly needs her own human to love, and to be handled using natural horsemanship methods.

Lilly will make a fantastic partner for someone. She would love to be someones special friend, in fact I could not find a great picture of Lilly alone because most of them end up like this....

Lilly is always looking for love!

NWHA Show ~ Las Vegas, NV

2007-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Because of Angi's hand, we were seriously thinking about not going to the show. I had packed off and on all day, but didn't bother to go wash horses. I was feeling that without Angi how much fun would it be?

I was talking to Angi in the afternoon and we talked about it's being a shame that we had everyone coggins and health certs, and wouldn't be using them. Since we only know of 3 mustang shows, it's not like there would be another soon. She said we should go but that she really couldn't with the state of her finger (surgery is set for thursday and she is forbidden to use it at all!) Having been at the hospital all night having it wiggled, jiggled and xrayed, she was not feeling up to a car trip, but she said come take Free and go have fun...

So Beth and I threw stuff in the truck, and I went to get Free, came home loaded up our guys and hit the road about 11pm. I didn't know if we could unload and check in at night so we went slow, stopped a lot and arrived at 5:30 am. We took a few naps when we stopped but were still tired when we arrived. They found the barn manager to check us in a little after 6 but by the time we got the horses into stalls, shavings, and I washed Symphony it was almost 7:30 and I needed to go to the show office still! Once I got our entry done there was no time to wash Free and have him dry for class #3 so he went into Halter dirty, as did Chester in Class #4

It was lucky the first class was delayed so Symphony had finished drying before we went in. She had managed to roll in her stall, because she had dirt and fluff in her coat, but I could scratch her without leaving dust trails. ;D

They had sturdy 12x12 stalls, which must have semed huge to Free after TX. It was Symphony and Chester's first time in one. He was cool about it, she was not impressed. By Sunday morning they were starting to call and act silly if they couldn't see each other so after their last class (and the horse next to Symphony had high centered on his door trying to follow his herd mate) I went ahead and stuck them in together and they just hung out together. I'm glad the stall was big enough to do that. They were much happier!

The people were REALLY nice. This is a group that works with BLM, fosters BLM orphans, and assists mustang adopters. They hold monthly clinics, and host a yearly mustang and burro show. ;D Just the sort of thing we were hoping could be done here. I joined their group and will try to get some more info on how they did it. I know they do have at least one trainer that is part of their group and I think he runs the monthly clinics. I think we have all the makings here to do as well as they have. But putting on a show looks like a HUGE event that may take a while to be ready for. Plus where do we hold it?

They had just one burro attend this year. Her name is Elizabeth. She was SO sweet. She fell in love with Chester and tried to follow him around.

We did better then expected in most of the classes. We went into halter classes with dirty, unclipped horses, and Free laid down and wanted to roll when I presented him to the judge in showmanship LOL! He had been in the trailer all night, the shoved into a box stall, then here was some dirt and some space between he and the other horses so why not? ;D (just shows he really isn't afraid of humans whatsoever as he didn't know the judge and laid down 4 feet away from her!)

Pictures?? HA!!

We were lucky to make it to the gate with the right horse half the time. Beth watched me compete when she wasn't getting ready for a class. We went down to see the horses up for adoption, and we walked the horses around. The NHWA had a 5 month old orphan from the Nellis gather that Beth was begging to bring home, but we left him there. However if anyone wants a really cute sorrel version of Chester with some nice chrome on him.. (looks like he'll be a bit taller the Chester too) You should contact them NWHA and ask about Lucky7! He's very friendly and not obnoxious like some orphans are.

I had my pictures taken too many times (me in my dirty slobbered on CBER Tshirt) lol We were ready to load up but stayed to see how horses we liked had done in the high point. I didn't expect to be hi point anything!! We were happy to receive compliments on all 3 horses.

Saturday Symphony was pretty mellow, trotted nice and followed my lead pretty well except the dreaded turn away at the trot! I had to practically stop her to have her not go off pattern in the poles, but we still placed second! Freedom seemed a bit depressed but our horses were mor fore up on Sunday, Sym kept a close eye on Chester as he did the trail course. I had here on a semi loose lead and when we got to the bridge she stepped one foot on the bridge, and off to the side.. so I backed her up and we went again, again she stepped on one foot and to the side... So I took her back again, gave her a couple of strokes took a deep breath said you can do this, and then she trip trapped across it like a champ! I was sure those refusals kill any ribbon. She wove, trotted and turned in the box! She wanted to step out of the box and it probably looked funny I had her in a choke hold did a 1/4 turn 1/4 turn 1/4 turn 1/4 turn pausing .. she was happy to trot out of there ad around the barrels with her shoulder pressed against my hip ( I was waiting for her to shove me over, but she didn't) I let her have her head for the zig zag and she halted smartly for a nice finish with about 5 feet of lead looped between us.

Poor Free took the bridge right off, he has trouble with the short trots because by the time he gets the rear end trotting it's time for him to stop already! He was was sloppy in the box, my fault. Ii don't know if he stepped out but he's so long I had to reposition him twice before continuing to turn. He didn't want to trot around the barrels and I realized I still had him held tight from the box. oops! He took the zig zag better the Symphony and also halted nicely. He just wasn't happy without Angi. You can tell when he's worried because he gets this point in his eyebrow, and Sunday it was there all morning. When I told Angi she asked if he was colicky, but no just a little depressed I think.

Chester refused to trot for Beth saturday for halter and again on the poles, but did good on sunday. Freedom was handled by me, and he thinks I suck... I should have switched horses with Beth and let her show Free.
Our finish...

Free was 5th in Halter stock type Geldings
I do not show and suck in showmanship!
1st in MHF futurity Citizenship ungentled
3rd in Trail in hand
Hi Point In Hand and
MHF Futurity All Around Hi Point Champion

Symphony was 2nd in Halter Stock type Mares over 2
2nd in Poles In hand
2nd in Trail In hand

Chester was 2nd in Halter Hunter type Geld
5th Poles In Hand
4th in Trail in Hand

We skipped the in hand barrels and the games on Sunday, I had trotted my knees to death between showing 2 horses, and practicing our trots around poles. ;D

We had a great time and hope to go back next year!

Free and James

2007-10-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

My friend James came over and rode Free for me (since I can't do much with my hand). I was happy to see how well they did together riding around. James has had very little experience riding but him and Freedom did just fine. It tells me that eventually this big hunk of a horse will be the perfect ride for a beginner. Once James was moving his arms around, while on top of Free, in a way that made me wonder if Freedom might spook about it. Nope. Freedom just kind of went "Hmmmmm, wonder why this guy is doing this?" and stood there. It was nice. Of course when I started feeding others Free had to trot after me as if to say " Where is my hay?"

Losing Hope

2007-10-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

In Feb we adopted 2 curly girls from BLM. One is a 6 y/o mare we named Winsome Rose, the other we saw after the adoption, and it was like an addiction. Seems like we started every conversation with the phrase "curly black mustang." Angi made me call and I find out about her. I discovered it was a 2 y/o black very curly filly with 2 white hind socks.

Angi had a dream that she was a hellion and when we picked her up sure enough, she was a whirling dervish! Trying to duck back in the chute and loading 2 front feet and out; 2 back feet and out; One side... She finally did a fantastic lipizzan impression IN the trailer as the wranglers shut the trailer door. I called to tell her she jinxed the poor horse!

Once she was home, we started to REALLY fall in love. She was brave and bold, strong willed, and adorable. Rose actually hid behind her. We tried out many names, someone wanted Velvet, Angi wanted Jade, I wanted something that didn't mean vicious horse. We finally settled on Cherished Hope, and she was.

We both wanted to keep Hope, and Rose. It was impossible to chose just one because Hope was a charmer, looking all cute and curly. Wanting to have her fuzz scratched off, sniffing your hand one minute and biting it the next. Angi worked with her and she improved. As Angi got busy with Freedom, Hope got to chill with the herd and buddied up to my Chester.

Hope aways had thick ankles and when Angi would mention them I'd say its not a big deal, she's fine. Except she isn't. I hauled her to the vet yesterday and she has severe arthritis in her front ankles with very little movement in them. She doesn't seem off yet she doesn't bounce and play as much as she did when she first came, and looking back at pictures, I can now see that they have been growing bigger.

She also has an old injury to her jaw that requires surgery. The vet feels that Hope will only get worse. She still has much growing left to do. After a few phone calls, lots of what if we's and why don't we's, and a night of sleep we can both admit he is right. It isn't fair to put her through surgery and the long intrusive after care only to live in pain.

So after losing Isreal and his twin sister, the emotional ride of the Makeover, and losing May Zing, now we are going to lose Hope as well.

Angi couldn't come to the vets with us, but I was so proud of Hope. She was the best girl for the Dr! She unloaded and led to a strange stall and then up onto the patio at the clinic. She let the Dr look in her mouth, flush it our with a hose, and exam her ankles. Her baby eyes got wide a few times but she stayed sweet and soft and went along. So different from the firebreather that arrived in spring. Our hearts are breaking and the tears are flowing but I know that Hope will be well met on the other side of the bridge.

Kathy

October

2007-10-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here it is, fall already, and I feel it in the air. The horses are frisky and full of themselves. Freedom has had some time off just to be a horse and now it is back to training, at least in some form. With my broken finger I am not sure what I can do, but I am determined to go to the show in Las Vegas in a few weeks. My friend James is going to ride Free this week and I will coach him from the ground. Beth is going to show him and hopefully I will be able to pull off a few classes myself. I still have to call to make sure that it is okay to ride in a bosal, because the rules only read western bit and I am not riding Free in a bit. I still have to send thank you cards to all those incredible people who helped me with money to bring Free home. I am still in shock that he is here home where he belongs! I love that he is there in the morning when I feed. He has two friends in his pen with him and he sure loves bossing them around. THANK YOU :) and I will take some more photos soon.