Day 14, June 27th
Started out early this morning, saddled Solomon and the mustang and was headed for the round pen I had found the night before. He saddled up nicely and led out through the crowd without a problem. He is really starting to settle in. When I finally reached the round pen, there was one of the university people told me I couldn't use the pen. So I then led him back to the stall and put a plastic bag on the saddle again. He still is really troubled by the plastic bag. He tenses up, kicks at the bag, kicks at the wall. So I tied him up in the stall and let him wear the plastic bag while Tell showed his roping horse today. Tell was World Champion Header and Reserved Heeler. When I came back to the stall he seemed to be a lot quieter. So I unsaddled him and brushed out the sweat marks and put him back in the stall through the heat of the day. When the sun started going down and it was cooling off, I saddled him up again and I went for a walk around the fairgrounds. Once again there were alot of kids on bikes, one little dog got away from his owner and was dragging his leash in the gravel, golf carts zipping by, but all of this stuff is becoming less and less scary to the horse. Activities in the main arena had finished so I led him into the bright lights of the main arena. Trotted him around, got him to do some circles in front of me, move to the left and right, then I walked around the arena. He seemed to be accepting things very well. Took him back to the stall, unsaddled him, brushed, fed , watered him and I put him to bed.
Day 12, June 25th
Tell is in the ranch roping. Tied the mustang in his stall and led him around again. Then I led him around the warm up pen. He is starting to accept the show scene. He is a lot more relaxed today!
Tell had a great run in the ranch roping and he was the World Champion. I showed Solomon in the ranch riding where we placed 3rd. We placed 10th in conformation. And the end results of the 4 classes we ended up World Champion 3 year old Challenge Horse. What a Day!
Tell had a great run in the ranch roping and he was the World Champion. I showed Solomon in the ranch riding where we placed 3rd. We placed 10th in conformation. And the end results of the 4 classes we ended up World Champion 3 year old Challenge Horse. What a Day!
Day 13, June 26th
Tell was 7th in conformation. I saddled mustang and led him around the parking lot and barns again. He is settling nicely. I gave him a bath today and will work him in the round pen I discovered while I was walking him around.
Day 11, June 24th
I am in the ranch cutting in the first class. Cindy's horse Solomon worked well and we pinned the cow and I finished 3rd in the class. Saddled the mustang and let him stand in his stall while I prepared Solomon for the working ranch class. Solomon worked well again, we drew a fast cow and he worked him well. Then we lined him out and ran hard for a nice finish. I roped the cow and Solomon stopped him well. We won the class! Mustang had a nice day as well. He seemed to be settling in so I ponied him around the parking lot. He was really hugging up to Solomon for security. He was really nervous, kids on bikes, horses everywhere, trash cans, campers, dogs, golf carts, Wow ! what an experience. We made it back safely to his stall , what a relief! Tell had a good working ranch horse class. He finished Reserved World Champion.
Day 10, June 23rd
Saddled mustang in his stall, let him wear a plastic bag on the saddle for a hour or so. He was wide eyed and very jumpy. I unsaddled him and led him to the wash rack for a cool bath.
Day 9, June 22nd
Tell and I are off to the American Ranch Horse World Show. We're taking the mustang with us. He let me lead him out of the barn with no trouble. To my surprise he followed me into the trailer with no problem. Loaded Cindy's horse Solomon and Tell's horse and we're on our way to Murphysboro, TN. Hour stop in traffic in St. Louis , otherwise than that we had a smooth 7 hour trip. When we arrived the mustang was very nervous and he followed me into the stall without a problem, what a relief!
June 20 Day 7
Today was an eventful day. This was the first day the horse was saddled. I prepared him with
another horse and sacked him out. He accepted it very well, he wanted to snuggle up to the other horse.He didn't mind me touching him. Using a plastic sack on the end of a stick to get him comfortable. I then got on the ground and placed the saddle pad on him. First on the left then on the right. He was curious and cautious and was looking to me to protect him the whole time. I tried the best I could to reassure him that he was alright. I placed the saddle up, he seemed to accept that pretty well. I began the process of cinching him up. He stood there and just let me saddle him. Once I had the saddle secure on him I tied the lead rope to the saddle horn so it wouldn't drag. Then got out of his way quickly.I was afraid that he would panic when he realized there was a saddle tied to his back. But to my surprise he just stood there for awhile ,looked around and walked off. I came back into the pen and drove him around. Then I got ahold of the lead rope and worked him left and right on the lead rope. Then I tied him up while we broke for lunch. After lunch I led him in the stall, began putting weight in both stirrups, jumping up to prepare him for me to get on. He seemed to be bothered by this. Everytime I would put weight in the stirrup he would look to the right as if to try to get away from me. I continued changing sides going through the process for quite awhile, but he seemed like he wasn't accepting it. So I led him back into the arena, then I tied two feed sacks together, and then tied them to the
saddle horn. I was glad that it was the feed sacks on him and not me. Because the sacks
on each side REALLY bothered him. He tried the best he could to outrun them, when he couldn't outrun them he tried to kick them off. He was REALLY bothered by them,which is how he would of been if I were on him. I got ahold of the lead rope after awhile,and tried to work him left and right, he insisted on looking over his right shoulder and kicking at the bag on the right side of his body. I used my lunge whip and would tap the bag on the left side of his body.Everytime he would look right I would tap the left bag and after alittle while he looked out through the halter and continued on forward and began to look me up for that security and comfort again. After he had accepted the bags on each side I took them off, unsaddled him and led him into the wash room where he got his 3rd bath of his life.
What a day!
another horse and sacked him out. He accepted it very well, he wanted to snuggle up to the other horse.He didn't mind me touching him. Using a plastic sack on the end of a stick to get him comfortable. I then got on the ground and placed the saddle pad on him. First on the left then on the right. He was curious and cautious and was looking to me to protect him the whole time. I tried the best I could to reassure him that he was alright. I placed the saddle up, he seemed to accept that pretty well. I began the process of cinching him up. He stood there and just let me saddle him. Once I had the saddle secure on him I tied the lead rope to the saddle horn so it wouldn't drag. Then got out of his way quickly.I was afraid that he would panic when he realized there was a saddle tied to his back. But to my surprise he just stood there for awhile ,looked around and walked off. I came back into the pen and drove him around. Then I got ahold of the lead rope and worked him left and right on the lead rope. Then I tied him up while we broke for lunch. After lunch I led him in the stall, began putting weight in both stirrups, jumping up to prepare him for me to get on. He seemed to be bothered by this. Everytime I would put weight in the stirrup he would look to the right as if to try to get away from me. I continued changing sides going through the process for quite awhile, but he seemed like he wasn't accepting it. So I led him back into the arena, then I tied two feed sacks together, and then tied them to the
saddle horn. I was glad that it was the feed sacks on him and not me. Because the sacks
on each side REALLY bothered him. He tried the best he could to outrun them, when he couldn't outrun them he tried to kick them off. He was REALLY bothered by them,which is how he would of been if I were on him. I got ahold of the lead rope after awhile,and tried to work him left and right, he insisted on looking over his right shoulder and kicking at the bag on the right side of his body. I used my lunge whip and would tap the bag on the left side of his body.Everytime he would look right I would tap the left bag and after alittle while he looked out through the halter and continued on forward and began to look me up for that security and comfort again. After he had accepted the bags on each side I took them off, unsaddled him and led him into the wash room where he got his 3rd bath of his life.
What a day!
Day 4, June 16, 2008
We had a great day today! Show Me St. Louis came out today to tape the mustang and learn about the Mustang Makeover Challenge. The piece will air June, 17 at 3:00 on Channel 5.
Today I continued with the trust building and repeated all the lessons we have been working on the last few days. He is yielding to pressure a little and I can also lounge him to the left, stop and back to the right.
We had a breakthrough, he allowed me to touch him outside of the shute. He also received his first lesson in being tied with a halter on. It took about 20 minutes but he finally settled in and accepted being tied.
To finish up I was able to lead him around the arena and even take the halter off of him while in the arena.
Day 3, June 15, 2008
Today we built a shute to run the Mustang into, this will allow me to get my hands on him to let him know I mean him no harm. He is very tense and jumpy, but I rubbed on him until he got quiet. He then allowed me to put a halter on him and I opened the shute and repeated the process. I also repeated the process I started yesterday with the rope. He still won't allow me to touch him outside of the shute, but will follow me some when I walk away.
Building his trust will take time and patience.
Day 2, June 14, 2008
I worked with the mustang in the arena, man can he trot. This is a powerful moving horse. He is very attentive and likes to keep his attention on me. I roped him and allowed him to do what he needed to do to get comfortable with the rope. After he stopped trying to run out of the rope his attentiveness returned to me.
After running him back into his stall I had to use a 6' stick to remove the rope, he won't let you touch him yet!
Day 1, June 13, 2008
Today we picked up the Mustang for the Mustang Makeover, as well as 3 other mustangs that we will be offering for sale on July 4, 2008
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