Adopt a Wild Mustang!

A week in pictures

2012-02-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

Lots of great thing going on in this amazing California weather! I figured I would just narrate the last week in pictures:

Summer has been amazing. Her steering and movement was a little 'sticky' the first few days of riding (which should be expected) but she seems to have gotten the hang of it after 2 rides. We practiced trotting figure eight's to get her listening and moving off of my leg. Once I was sure she could steer, we went out of the round pen and took a walk to the outdoor arena. We walked over a bridge, around poles, and then worked a little more at the trot. Then, an older mustang at the barn showed up to go on a trail ride down the street. We decided to tag along! It was incredible to see how confident this horse is under saddle. We passed traffic, bikers, joggers, dogs, and she was great! I am so proud of my little Summer. I can't wait until she finds her forever home. In the meantime, I get to enjoy working with her :)

Dixie is leading all around the property and exploring the trailer. This was her first time seeing such a small trailer. Her first ride was in a big stock trailer with 2 other horses, quite a difference from the last time she was in a trailer!

Trixie is getting used to taking nice walks and enjoying the mustard weeds! She may look into finding work as a weed puller in the future, lol!

Dixie worked really hard and was so sweaty that I thought it would be the perfect day to try giving her a bath. I slowly introduced the water by letting it fall near her feet and then letting her sniff it. She shoved her nose into it and took a nice drink. She seemed to love the cool water in her body, and of course our little 'pig pen'was rolling in the dirt minutes after she got rinsed!

Remy has been with me since July 25, 2011. He has been far and above the toughest horse to train. But you know that just means that he has taught me the most about training horses. I thought he should try and make a few other friends (besides me of course) and introduce him to the little pony on the farm. It seemed like they were two long lost friends, playing halter tag for almost the whole time they were together. It was nice to see him interact with another horse and I am looking forward to introducing him to some other friends soon.

Here he is working under saddle. His movement is incredible and I just can't wait to see what this horse will end up doing. He will most certainly excel at anything he is trained for.

Cinna-man! He loves to show off for the girls. Maybe he has some Arabian in him, that tail shoots straight up when he is showing off. It has been really great to see how he has grown and matured.

Dixie preparing for the fly season!

Trixie found a more fashionable way to ward off flies :)

Dixie and Trixie after 15 days of training:

2012-02-20T07:39:00.001-08:00

The girls have made a lot of progress in such a short period of time! They are quickly becoming popular with my friends too! Trixie was following Kim around like a lab, it was pretty cool to see that these mares trust not only me, but anyone they meet that shows them kindness.

After lunging Dixie with all of her tack on, I started to practice mounting up. She never even batted an eyelash when I put weight in the stirrup, a good sign!

We decided to go for a walk and see all of the fun things on the property. Tarps, tractors, wood piles, you name it! Dixie took it all in, I was very proud! When it came time to go back in her pen, she was not very convinced that was such a great idea. It took a lot of time to get her to willingly walk back in. Poor Trixie was not happy she got left behind! I told her that in a few days she would be ready to take a walk too!

Karin has been making friends with Trixie.

The saddle pad was a bit of a challenge, it took some time to convince her that it was not a scary animal trying to kill her. I think a few more days of practice and she will be fine with it.

"What the heck is that and why is it on my back?!?"

I promised Trixie she could go on a walk too as soon as she was ready. Once Anthony came out and worked with her, I could tell it was time. She was following him around in the pen and so they took a walk outside. It was nice and uneventful, except for the few whinnies from the distressed Dixie who was not happy about being left behind. I figured that would happen so I was busy introducing side reins and lunging her while Anthony and Trixie were on a walk.

You can see Trixie in the background, they both look great!

And finally, we decided it was time to take a little walk with a rider. It was so exciting to be in the saddle for the first time! Anthony was there to lead me around (and he got a ride too!)

These last 15 days have been great, I can't to see the next 75!

Dixie and Trixie

2012-02-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

After lunging Dixie with all of her tack on, I started to practice mounting up. She never even batted an eyelash when I put weight in the stirrup, a good sign!

Karin has been making friends with Trixie.

The saddle pad was a bit of a challenge, it took some time to convince her that it was not a scary animal trying to kill her. I think a few more days of practice and she will be fine with it.

"What the heck is that and why is it on my back?!?"

You can see Trixie in the background, they both look great!

And finally, we decided it was time to take a little walk with a rider. It was so exciting to be in the saddle for the first time! Anthony was there to lead me around (and he got a ride too!)

These last 15 days have been great, I can't to see the next 75!

Quick Update!

2012-02-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, the girls have settled in nicely! Both of them enjoy their view of 350 acres of green grass and 2 cute geldings hanging out waiting for them to say hello. One of those geldings is Cinnamon (adopted at the Napa event in September 2011). He has been fun to be around, what a character! While I was introducing the girls to some things, Cinnamon came up and stole my saddle pad! He ran around with it like a dog with a stuffed toy. I was able to catch a lot of it on video, you can see it here: Cinnamon vs. Saddle Pad

Ok, so back to the girls. Both are doing really well. I decided to name them Dixie's Double Take and Trixie's Trouble Maker. I have been able to touch both of them, although not when a camera has been around for poor Trixie! Here are some pictures from the last few days, I hope you enjoy them!

Ooooh, I'm supposed to wear these on my legs? That makes more sense:)

Watching the boys graze.

Saddled up and ready to go!

Let's learn a trick! Watch the carrot...

Lower...

Tada!!!

What is the best birthday present?

2012-02-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

2 new mustangs of course! Ted, Kirstin, and I headed to the corrals on Friday and on the road home with them Saturday morning. After arriving around 2pm, it took a little more time to separate everyone into the right pen. Kirstin's mare did not want to leave my 2, and I don't blame her! By the end of the day everyone was tired but happy. Here are the pictures from the corrals to the new pens. I will be posting lots of pictures and updates as often as I can. I am really happy with both of these mares, from their conformation to their size and attitude, it is going to be another great adventure!

Drumroll please...

2012-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to announce that I was selected to compete in the 2012 Norco Extreme Mustang Makeover!

The last time I competed, Neo Noir did well adopting for $2500 and finding one of the best homes ever (thanks Priscilla!) I know the Mustang Heritage Foundation has set the goal for this year to find 4000 mustang's homes. Since Neo, I have trained and adopted out another 6 and found a breed that is truly amazing to work with. As for the competition, this year a few rules have changed... Instead of geldings, we are working with mares. Trainers also had the choice of taking one or two mustangs to gentle, train, and compete with in 90 days. Obviously, I chose two! I have no doubt this will be tons of work but cannot wait to get started. In the meantime, my 3 other mustangs I am still working with weekly will be keeping me on my toes as well as the amazing friesians I work with in Sonoma. The mustangs are coming from the Litchfield Corrals and are assigned randomly so I have no idea what size, color, or temperament. I am planning on keeping the blogs as current as possible, stay tuned for pictures and bios. I head up on Friday and will be bringing the girls home Saturday. I will probably recruit some photographers to help document this adventure. If you haven't already, sign up for my blog by typing in your email address on the top bar that reads 'email address' and hit submit. It sends you an email when I post a new blog (no spam, promise!)

Summer: Riding & Lunging Outside!

2012-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

The pictures do the talking, Summer is progressing and learning everyday. Today we spent some more time in the saddle and also took time learning to lunge in the big arena (around the mud of course)! She also took a few small jumps, which she seemed to enjoy. She has a lot of 'spirit' as I am sure anyone who saw her at the barn today would confirm. It was nice to see her truly act like a horse that wants to learn and work! And when we were all done, she wanted kisses and a nuzzle.

Enjoy the pics, I sure enjoyed making them!

Sunday=Funday

2012-01-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

The days seem to fly by when you drive from one barn to the next! This weekend alone I have spent more than 10 hours riding, giving lessons, and ground work with some amazing horses. I was getting spoiled with all of the dry weather, and now the rain has finally started to pour! Good thing we have indoor arenas:) That means the pictures/lighting is not that great, but the progress was!

Summer and I had our first ride today! With the support of Glen on lead rope, we casually walked around the indoor arena. Not one bit of hesitation from Summer, it was really nice to see how quickly a young, smart, and willing horse will progress!

Remy is also taking huge steps, he is able to lead and hoof pick in the front. A very big sign that he has enough trust in me to give me his hoof. He is quite the handsome boy, and looks a little but like a giant fuzzy teddy bear with his winter coat!

2012 update

2012-01-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Well the new year has brought a surprise... Summer! She was the little 2 year old mustang I took in June 2011. Her owner contacted me and sadly through no fault of Summers, had to find her a new place to live. I said I would take her back immediately! So, that means that after working with 5 horses at 2 barns yesterday, I then went to wait at another barn near my home for little Summer to arrive. When she got there, she had been pretty stressed out and no one was able to halter her (she was free loaded into the trailer). It was sad to see my sweet little friend look so upset so I waited a minute and then climbed into the trailer with her. We stood there for a few minutes while I talked to her, telling her she was with me now and that meant nothing but good food, good training, and a good start to the new year. Then I slowly reached my hands around her neck and put on a bright and shiny brand new purple halter. We opened the trailer and she hesitantly jumped out but after a few circles, I think she recognized the place! I walked her to her stall and she sniffed around. Having the wonderful support friends, Summer had grain, hay, and a nice fluffy stall waiting for her. She wasted no time and ate some grain, sniffed the hay, and then rolled in her stall. I am hopeful that she will be finding a new home as soon as possible!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Thinking about 2011, I was able to place 4 mustangs in homes. That is 1 more than last year! Being able to work with them on a regular basis is great, because it means I get to see them really grow up. Little Talitha is working well and boy is she smart. I showed her the first steps to teach her to bow and a few days later I get a text message from her owner "she bows!" I call her my little honor student.

Cinnamon is enjoying his huge pasture with his new best friend Ranger. He has grown a winter coat so wooly and dark, it hardly looks like the skinny sleek mustang I first met in July.

Twister aka Remy is quite another story... he has become my biggest teacher (read challenge) and I enjoy working with him the most. He still favors his right side and will try to get you to stay there but will allow me to touch him on his left now too. In fact, he really likes his ears scratched and will tilt his head in at an angle as if to see "ooh ooh please more!"

In addition, I am still riding at blacksterlingfriesians.com as well as teaching dressage lessons. You can see the picture above is Majestic in our holiday outfits!

I hope this message find you in good health and happiness!

Twister: ADOPTED!!!!!

2011-09-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Congrats Misty and family!

Click here to see me working with this amazing boy!

Cinnamon: ADOPTED!

2011-09-17T16:47:00.001-07:00

Congrats Karin and family!

Talitha: ADOPTED!

2011-09-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Congrats Conny, Roger, and Brandon!

Getting ready for the BIG day!

2011-09-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Lots of preparation is going into this weekend. I am thrilled to share the following pictures of each mustang as they continue to learn and grow. I will be at the Napa Mustang Days this weekend finding homes for the horses. Come visit! I will post pictures of all the adopters the second the paperwork is filled out!

Feels good to be free!

2011-09-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

That must be what Talitha was thinking when she was turned out in the round pen for the first time! She was a doll walking out of her paddock and around the barn. After she went into the round pen and kicked up her heels, we worked in the smaller round pen and the outdoor arena. She walked casually over poles, around obstacles, and didn't even bat an eyelash! What a good girl, I am very proud of my youngest little mustang!

Cinnamon got a bath. He was sooo clean, for about an hour! He was not a huge fan of water, but tolerated it like a gentleman. After, we walked around the barn so he could dry off. He is so sweet, I keep imagining his perfect home. I think it will be one that involves a lot of grooming, he loves to be petted right in the crest of his mane. He will do the 'Elvis lip' when you have found his favorite spot!

Twister has decided to approach right away when coming to see him. He remains at a distance of 1-2 feet. You can gently grace the side of his nose while he sniffs you. I keep telling him that grooming feels so good! I think it will be soon he might take my advice. Either way, he remains attentive and calm when I am with him. Once I leave, he will walk to the gate I went out of and wait as if to say "come back!" I am very pleased with how sweet his personality is. He will need someone who is understanding of his needs and able to give him the time it will take to earn his trust. I don't know if I will be taking him to Napa yet. I will be announcing that next week so stay tuned!

5 weeks in, 3 weeks to go!

2011-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

The days seem to be flying by. I am shocked that the last time I had time to sit down and write about the mustangs, it was almost 2 weeks ago! Well the good news is that we have been working really hard so there is lots of great progress to report!

Cinnamon is working with not only a saddle, but also a bridle. He works in the round pen and I am introducing new 'scary' objects like balls and mounting blocks...ooooh! He has taken everything in stride and proved that he can overcome just about anything with a lot of patience and time. He has tried to take that saddle off a few times, lol. It hasn't budged, so I think he may be convinced that it is not worth trying anymore! He is very calm before and after he bucks so I think that just proves he is smart and really thinking!

Talitha is leading on a halter and now practicing coming in and out of her paddock. She is doing great! I also introduced a flymask. She was not a fan before it went on, allowing it to rubbed on her body but very hesitant about her face, but she has come to realize why it is there. I think once they figure out it keeps the flys from being in their eyes, they are sold!

Twister is quickly learning that people can be ok. He has accepted taking hay and treats out of my or Anthony's hand and will allow (and even enjoy!) being scratched up and down his back and head with the pole. We are usually about 3-4 feet away from him which is pretty close when you consider how wild this boy came in!

I can't wait to show off the mustangs at the Napa Mustang Days September 16-17th! It is only 2 weeks away!

Cinnamon spice!

2011-08-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

He has not only proven himself to be sweet, but sassy too! I spent some time introducing the saddle to him as well as some other grooming tools. He really enjoys being groomed, a lot! After he did so well, I thought he might do just as great coming out of his pen for a walk to the round pen. I was right! He did fabulous, walking out nice and calm in out one gate and through the barn into a another gate to the round pen. I turned him loose and he kicked up his heels! He threw his tail up high and pranced around like he was showing off! After he got his kicks out, he wanted to work with me, approaching every time I asked him too. He is officially a 'TIP' horse by definition (being able to be haltered, lead, and hoof picked) so I am actively searching for a home for him. I hope I can report some good news soon!

Not even three weeks...

2011-08-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

Not even three weeks later and you would never recognize these horses that were picked up as scared mustangs from BLM corrals. They have all made a lot of progress as you can see from the pictures. These pictures are from the last 4 days (I have been a little busy!) so I didn't put individual blogs out. I will write more later when I have a bit of extra time (lol!) but I wanted to make sure everyone watching got a chance to see what amazing horses these guys are turning out to be!

Twisters touch...

2011-08-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

For all you Twister fans, here is a picture of one of his first touches. You can see he is relaxed and attentive. He came up to me and I was so happy that someone had a camera to capture it! He is very willing to work, which makes him fun (even though he is tough!)

Mustang News!

2011-08-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard about the Napa Mustang Days event, check out their website by clicking here --> napamustangdays

There will be a select number of tamed wild horses for adoption (as well as lots of wild ones from the BLM). You can those available horses by clicking here --> halter trained mustangs

Come out and celebrate the American mustang September 16-18 with us!

Day 10

2011-08-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

There is an average of about 5 hours a day of working the mustangs. That totals to about 50 hours as of today. It is the most rewarding feeling to have made progress and I am happy to report that all three mustangs have made a lot of progress!

Cinnamon is as sweet as the day is long. He is kind and a little shy but seems to be working through the new experiences that we bring every day. He can be touched all over by hand and with the pole. I have begun to ask him to lift his feet, which he has obliged every time. He is ok with a saddlepad and flymask rubbing all over his body. Now the work is going to focus on getting him through the desensitizing to the many objects and situations he will encounter in his life.

Talitha had a but of a rough week. Overnight, she came down with a serious case of hives. Her entire body was swollen including her face. This was alarming since swelling in the face can lead to inhibited breathing. Fortunately, we were able to borrow some antihistamines from a neighbor horse so we could get it under control right away. The vet came out as soon as possible (5 hours later) and gave us our own prescription for the antihistamines plus some banamine. Overnight the swelling mostly disappeared and she was back to normal. We have been lightly working her, trying not to stress her out any more than she already is. Since there are so many factors that contribute to a hives breakout, it is impossible for us to know exactly why it happened. You can see below how her little face was so swollen, poor thing!

Twister has become incredibly interested in people and the distance between us is slowly decreasing. He is attentive when in the pen and has been taking baby steps towards me. Anthony spent some time in the pen using the pole to rub him and when he would pause, Twister would lean forward as if to say "more please". After a little while longer, Twister took a sniff of his hand. I think it will only be a few more days before he is going to figure out how nice people can be.

Day 6!

2011-07-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

6 full days of work have gone by and each mustang has developed at their own pace. It is amazing to watch the way Talitha, Cinnamon, and Twister have changed.

The obvious rock star has been Cinnamon. His curious and willing attitude has allowed us to introduce the fly mask, grooming tools, saddle pad, and even the saddle. He looooves to be scratched in his mane and will tilt his head sideways for you to rub. He has even let me pick up his hoofs to begin introducing him to hoof picking. What an awesome guy!

Twister has been taking things a little slower, which is just fine for all of us. No one wants to feel rushed, especially when you are taming a wild mustang. Although he has not gained interest in touching us, he has accepted the pole to rub him all over his entire body. He becomes comfortable with us in the pen after a little bit and will walk (on his own) about half of the length of the pen towards us. Ever hear that saying "slow but steady"? That's Twister!

Talitha is the youngest at only 17 months. She is also the only female, which makes her the most finnicky! Some days she is quite interested. Others, she would just assume walk away from us. One trick we have been using is petting the horse next to her pen. She seems to realize he is getting all the attention and it might be a good thing. She has also been interested in objects like saddle pads and grooming tools. She especially enjoyed sniffing Anthony's head!

2 days of progress

2011-07-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

After 2 days of working 6 hours each, you can see that we made some really nice progress!

Cinnamon is incredibly curious. He is friendly and kind, letting me pet him since early this morning. He loves to get his ears scratched. I really enjoyed working with him today. This is one very nice mustang that is going to make someone really happy! He is easy to work with and that makes training fun. Today he sniffed a fly mask and got brushed, tomorrow we will introduce a few more exciting items.

Twister is a little bit different. Since he was older when he was caught, he stayed a stallion longer and you can really see the difference in his body compared to Cinnamon. He has those stallion jowls! For this reason, he is a little tougher to work with. Still, he has already made a lot of progress, being touched all over with the stick. If his attitude is any indicator of what he will be like, I could easily describe him to his future owner... boss! Even though he doesn't want a whole lot to do with people, he is confident and steadfast. I think this will translate into being an awesome trail horse once he has bonded to his forever owner.

Here is my boyfriend Anthony working Twister. You can see he is beginning to be interested...from a distance of course!

This is the closest Twister got to contact today. I think it is pretty darn good considering he is a tougher mustang to work with.

Sweet little Talitha really loved Anthony. She was not feeling so great because she was de-wormed at the corrals and had quite an infestation to get rid of. Despite the tummy ache, she was still willing to be worked with today and that says a lot about her willing personality.

My new best friend!

Twister, Talitha, and Cinnamon

2011-07-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here are the lucky 3:

(Carter Reservoir) Cinnamon

3 year old sorrel gelding

(Twin Peaks) Talitha

17 month old bay mare

(Twin Peaks) Twister

4 year old dun gelding

Litchfield means...

2011-07-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

New horses!!! Woke up at 5am and headed out to Litchfield to pick out some TIP projects. It is a good thing that there were only 3 open mustang paddocks at the barn otherwise, the 4 horse trailer might have been full. It is always fun to pick out horses and today was no different.

Congrats PJ!

2011-06-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here is Summer heading to her new home. PJ spent time with Summer and I a few days this week watching the way I work so she could continue to train her as she matures into a gorgeous 3 year old. Good luck on all your new adventures, I am glad I was able to play a part in helping her find a forever home. She is a very special horse that caught a lot of peoples attention and I have no doubt she will continue to turn heads!

Happy Trails!

2011-06-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering why the blog has not been updated in over a week. Let me assure you it is for good reason! Besides taking a mini vacation to Point Reyes with the girls, preparing for the last semester of my thesis, and finishing the school year, I have been at the barn every day working with Summer! I spent much of last week showing Summer to potential adopters and all the hard work paid off, she got a home! She will be heading to her new home on Friday. I am so excited for her to have such a great new mommy. And, the best part? I get to finish her training when it is time to start riding in a year!

Photo Shoot!

2011-06-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Bad weather...Good day!

2011-06-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

The rain has not let up, but that did not deter my dear friends from coming out to visit our sweet little Summer. We walked around the indoor arena and after Summer was clearly unfazed by me leaning on her back, I slipped on! It is one of those special moments that you never forget, Summer was perfect! She was completely calm and trusting the entire time. I wiggled around a bit and patted her all over while we all stood in amazement over this adorable mustang that had not even let me put a halter on 14 days ago! When you earn a mustangs trust, it is amazing what you can do together. Special thanks to Holly and Marianne for coming out to capture this special day on film!

Summer Update

2011-06-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

Summer has been with me for 2 weeks now and the progress she has made is huge. She has been exposed to a lot of new things and has handled it all in stride. We took a walk outside her paddock and into the indoor arena. It was the first time she was in a covered arena and navigating around other horses. She was cautious but willing, trusting me to keep her safe. After a few walks around the indoor arena, she decided to roll. I think her nickname might end up being pig pen! With the rain, she has managed to locate every mud spot in her paddock! I am heading back out now and hoping the weather will ease up so I can get some new pictures, we will see! Thanks for reading and if you are interested in meeting Summer in person, contact me!

Saddle up!

2011-05-27T08:14:00.001-07:00

Summer has been introduced to a saddle, pad, fly mask, and other various grooming tools. She has trusted me to show her what is 'ok' and has been great. She has been leading in and out of her corral and has really relaxed a lot since that first day. Her tail is no longer 'tucked' when she walks, instead it flows behind her. You can really see she is feeling very comfortable working with me. We have 3 weeks until the Napa adoption event and I am feeling pretty good about her progress. Now all I need to do is find her a home!

Don't bug me...flys

2011-05-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

You may or may not realize it, but a fly mask can be quite a scary thing to a horse that has never had something covering their face. Summer is protective of her head (as she should be!) and so introducing the fly mask took some time. Wild horses learn to protect their vulnerable parts from predators or situations that may compromise their ability to escape. She was very good about the fly mask being rubbed around on her body, she tolerated it as I gently slipped it onto her face a few times.

Once it was secure, I began rubbing her down with a saddle pad. As you can see, she did very well. Considering she has only been with me 24 hours, I am pretty pleased! You can see from the picture above that she showed me some really positive signs of licking and yawning. This girl is fun to work with because even though she is quite skittish and nervous, she is still inquisitive and willing to work. She even whinnied when I shut the paddock to go home!

History of Carter Reservoir

2011-05-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Old Spanish stock influenced Summer and her herd

For those of you who know the HMA's (herd management areas) Summer is from 'Carter Reservoir'. It is located in Washoe County, NV with a small portion in Modoc County, CA.

Her herd size is 25-35 head and the horses from this area tend to be Dun, Blue Corn and Grulla with dorsal stripes, barred or striped legs and dark points. She is a red dun with a dorsal stripe as well as striped legs. Most horses in this herd get to an average size of 14-16 hands and weighing between 900 and 1100 pounds. Summer has a really thick mane and tail which are distinctive marks of this herd thought to be from old Spanish stock. Summer was brought into the corrals as a foal with her mom 9.18.09 and her freezemark # is 09221041

Summer is here a little early...

2011-05-22T06:13:00.001-07:00

"Summer" has a new meaning...

This adorable 2 year old BLM mustang is in search of a forever home. Adoption fee of 125$ and an approved application are part of the process in making this little girl part of the family. Summer comes from the Litchfield Corrals. She is halter broke and working very hard to get some new tricks for her new family. Stay tuned for her progress and updates. If you are interested in adopting, please email me at alyssaradtke@gmail.com or give me a call at 530.723.2420 Thanks!

Chico Adoption!

2011-04-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

If you were thinking about adoption, you're in luck. BLM mustangs are coming to Chico this weekend looking for homes! Read about it HERE. I will be there to help out and provide any training information you need to get started. Contact me if you have any questions and don't forget to spread the word!

Farewell Ranger and Cody

2010-11-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures from yesterday. Ranger and Cody have found the BEST HOMES in the WORLD! I was thrilled to wave goodbye and know that these 2 lucky mustangs have a wonderful family to love them forever. I wish them the best of luck!

The 2010 TIP Graduates

2010-11-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Cody accepting a rider, Ranger out on the trails. Life is good. The boys are ready to head to Southern California. Joe and his family have adopted BOTH MUSTANGS... CONGRATULATIONS!

Now the question is what am I going to train next?

A step back...

2010-10-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

For anyone that doesn't already know, October 2nd 2010 my dad passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. I took a leave of absence and spent his last month together in Michigan with my mom and sister. It was a "hard goodbye" but ultimately I will be stronger for having had him in my life even if it was only 27 years.

That being said, the mustang boys took a little "vacation" from the working world while I was away. They had about 60 days worth of work and then took 30 off so I was a little nervous about what they might be like when I returned. They are and always have been two very different personalities. I shouldn't be surprised that one missed me and the other seemed to have forgotten all about me.

Cody nickered for the first time when he saw me and ran over to me. He has since been following me around like a puppy dog. He was always pretty good about following but now he is like glue! He also acted trusting enough that I began to lay my weight on his back in preparation for a rider. He also did outstanding being ground tied while I hosed him off as well as tied to the rail. He lunged in side reins and I was so thrilled to see his head set so naturally with such little guiding.

Ranger on the other hand seemed to have decided I had to earn my way back into his circle of trust. He was stand offish and uninterested when I went to greet him. It actually hurt my feelings for the first day but then I realized he had a good point. I did disappear for a long time and I thought I had better not get offended unless it went on for more than a few days. After 3 days in a row, Ranger is on the road to being his normal calm and cool self. I imagine by this time next week I will be telling you all the new tricks and cues he has learned.

So thats the update on the boys. Monday marks the "90 day" period that I have had them and that means it is time to go to their forever home. I will keep them a few more weeks since I was unable to train them the entire time but we will be saying our goodbyes soon. Stay tuned for more updates and progress.

More Pictures!

2010-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

2010-09-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

The weather has been really nice lately. Both Ranger and Cody have been enjoying the break from 90 degree weather. Ranger has been out just about everywhere on the property. Yesterday, we went to the water pond and he seemed to like it. He was pawing the water so hard I had to lift my legs up so I didn't get soaked. Cody has been lunging with a bit and for the first time, I saddled him up to lunge. He accepted everything with ease and what a mover, wow! You can see in the picture his extension is amazing! He is going to be a head stopper for sure. I have already had many comments at the barn about the wonderful temperaments and movement from both mustangs. It is nice to see them growing up and maturing into such nice horses.

30 days later...

2010-08-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Well, 30 of the 90 days have gone by since I brought these boys home. Ranger is now being ridden regularly under saddle and Cody is learning how to work in a round pen. Cody also had a fan club of little girls come visit him and such a sweet boy when I showed him off. You can tell he really like kids! Here are the pictures to show it, can you tell how proud I am?

Riding!

2010-08-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Since these photos, I have been on Ranger without the lunge line. He has remained relaxed and calm. Cody has been working on leading and doing very well. Natural horsemanship techniques have been the foundation of all their training. They both respond well even though they are very different in personality.

2010-08-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Updates on Ranger and Cody

2010-08-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, the "boys" are doing well. They have each started to express their personalities and both prove to be smart, willing, and kind. Cody has amazing conformation, probably because his herd originated from cavalry horses. Many of the cavalry horses had quarter and morgan and he sure looks like he could be either one. He is alert and attentive to his surroundings, he watches with a careful soft eye as other horses, trucks, tractors go by his pen. I have been leading him in and out of his pen for the past 3 days now and he is building a lot of confidence with every new adventure outside his pen.
Ranger has a "been there, done that" kind of attitude. After having him for 13 days, I decided to see what he thought about the mounting block. As he stood quietly, I started to pet him and lean on him, testing to see if he would be ok with a rider on his back. He barely batted an eyelash and so, with a trusty friend holding the lead line, I gently slid onto his back. I got my first ride being lead around in a rope halter bareback. It was really cool that Ranger thought nothing of it. The next few days were spent getting him comfortable with a bridle and saddle and lunging. As you can see from his pictures, he is getting ready to really begin his in saddle training very soon.

6 days of practice

2010-08-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

The mustangs made a lot of progress in these past 6 days. Ravendales' Ranger (buckskin) walked out of the pen and into the round pen for his first session today. This was after he lead successfully in his pen, hoof picked all 4 feet, de-sensitized to plastic bags, sweatshirts, ropes, etc. and got a bath! Coppersmith Cody (blood bay) did a fantastic lunging job in his pen, leading well, and hoof picking. Cody is younger and seems to want to go at a slower pace than Ranger so that is what we are going to do. He has still done exceptionally well considering the amount if time he has been here. I am so proud of the progress they have both made in just under 1 week! It looks like I might have to go find my saddle sooner than I expected!

Quick to learn!

2010-07-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the boys learned very quickly what people are good for... grooming! The dun gelding was so inquisitive. He followed me around his pen asking for head rubs. After some work with the long stick, we started to groom with the curry comb. We also introduced fly spray and automatic water buckets. He was so playful that he kicked his water bucket over, twice! He is playful and sweet, it was a fun day for both of us. The bay wanted his chin groomed, he kept sticking it out. It was very cute. I am very happy with both of them, not even 24 hours later they are being groomed and touched all over. Good day :)

Mustangs arrival

2010-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

These geldings arrived today, July 26th. As you can see, they have adjusted pretty well. I was able to watch the mustangs for a while and observe them at the corrals in Litchfield, CA before deciding who to take home. I chose young geldings with good conformation and nice temperments. I immediately began working with them in the pen. After a few hours I was able to get a quick nose touch from both boys. They seem eager to begin the gentling process.

Summer Vacation

2010-06-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from a pack trip into the Montgomery Pass this June. It is a unique area because the wild mustang herds are not rounded up and managed by BLM. The reason, mountain lions! They "prey-switch" from mule deer to baby foals. The trip was offered by the Rock Creek Pack Station near Bishop, Ca. It was an amazing opportunity to observe and track mustangs on the range. It made me excited to return home so I could start training mustangs again!

Adopt a Wild One

2010-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is a blog dedicated to gentling and adopting out BLM mustangs to approved homes. Through the Mustang Heritage Foundation, trainers are able to take an untamed mustang home and work for a period of up to 90 days to gentle and then adopt the mustang to an approved home. Mustangs range in size and color and have been known to compete in every discipline from dressage to trail challenges.

My focus is on creating a calm, quiet, accepting equine partner. I use natural horsemanship techniques that allow the horse to move at a comfortable pace. Earning trust is the first step in a successful relationship and that is where I begin. You can see my last mustang from the 2010 Extreme Mustang Makeover Norco, Ca edition at www.ollyandherpets.blogspot.com

If you are interested in learning more about adopting a living legend, please contact me at alyssaradtke@gmail.com or 530-723-2420 or visit www.MustangHeritageFoundation.org