NOV 16 2008

Time has come to put Sadie and Apache in the pasture with all the other horses, 8 horses and 1 burro.....So Caitlyn and I put their halters on them and led them to the pasture. Once inside the gate, we took off their halters and let them go........what followed was the most beautiful sight I have seen in a long time! The two of them took off running with tails in air all around the pasture (about 15 acres) bolting here and bolting there! Of course, Red Cloud and his "brother" General Buck (we adopted those two as yearlings 3 1/2 years ago) decided the "babies" couldn't have all the fun, after all, they're still young too! So they took off jumping and bucking tails in the air....just too gorgeous for words! They had a grand time playing and exploring their new home. They settled in very quickly and began to graze with the others. Feeding time came and we fed the "big boys" first, then Horse and Bufford the burro at the gate (their usual spot), and now to call Sadie and Apache to their designated area, we put their trough next to the fence line near Horse and Bufford. (Let me explain about Horse, he and Bufford were abused and BLM asked us to rescue them, so they've been living with us since August of this year, trying to put weight on them, very, very sweet, both of them, if anyone is interested in adopting them let me know!)Well, we called Sadie and Apache so they came right away to their area and seems as though Red Cloud thought where he was supposed to eat was just a little too crowded and came over and joined Sadie and Apache! They welcomed him (never picked their heads up!) and they all ate peacefully!

LETS' GET UPDATED NOV 1ST

Well, like everyone else, life gets in the way of blogging! But we have since put Pardon in the round pen to keep him isolated and dependant on us for everything. He still snorts when approaced but loves to eat moss from the trees! My husband says it has some type of penicillin in it??? I don't know but he sure does love it and it has to be fresh moss, nothing that's been on the ground for too long! Almost seems to be a treat for him, go figure? We put the two "babies" up in a pen in the front of the house and brought in my 4 yr old mustang Chief Red Cloud and another colt, Duke, that I have raised since he was 2 months old (he's 23 months old now). Their job is to "buddy" up with the two, Apache and Sadie so we can turn them out into the pasture to join the rest of the herd. The first week and 1/2 Red Cloud didn't want to let them join him and Duke to eat. Then they would let them join but Sadie and Apache had to stay together on "their" end of the trough! Same way with the hay rack, the yearlings had to eat on "their" side! After about 10 days, they were allowed to "join-up" and now they eat side by side and all at the same time....too amazing to watch how all that works!

APACHE

Well, we've settled back into our routine. He's very jealous of Pardon, everytime I go to pet Pardon, Apache gets right in between us....too funny the way he acts! It's as though he says, "that's my mom and you're not getting any of her love!" Will take some more pictures and post them sometime this week.

REBECCA

Ok, I'm lost, what's the story on Silverado?? We have Pardon with us now and my daughter rode him Saturday. He was a little nervous to be in Southwest Louisiana instead of North Carolina! But we have lots of time and loads of patience, he'll come to love his new home!! I just don't like the fact that we are losing daylight hours......always makes me sad to see summer go! I just love being able to come home from work and play with all my "friends" in the pasture...keep updating the blog and in case you haven't heard.....ALL MUSTANGS, THAT'S 100% WERE ADOPTED OUT! YIPEE!!!!! I'm glad to know everyone got a home!

BACK FEET!

Worked on those back feet again today, getting better, but still not great. At least this time he didn't stomp me! Guess he was too busy munching on grass to care about it.....we definitely don't like fly spray! It got okay if I sprayed into the air, but let him feel it on himself and he was jumping! Yet another thing to desensitize him on.....so many other things to do and so little time...Okay next owner, you have the foundation started, keep me a progress report!

STILL ON THOSE BACK FEET!

Yesterday used the buggy whip to rub up and down his legs trying to desensitize him back there. He didn't seem to mind it being back there and I rubbed all over his back and belly with no incident! He still kinda kicks out when I picked up the back feet, but it's better than it was............still got our work cut out for us with only 10 days to go! I sure wish these hurricanes would just leave us alone till after competition! Hard to focus and prepare at the same time! Keep you posted....

JUST A NOTE!

This little boy is going to make someone a really good horse....to be as young as he is and to have accepted so much already. I have tried to keep his spirit and yet make him a willing partner in this process. I think he will be able to adapt to whatever final training someone chooses for him. I'll be sad to see him go, so the new owner has to promise to keep in touch!

PROGRESS!

Well, tonight we were able to begin picking up back feet! Yippee! He still kinda stomped at me, but allowed me back there AND while my husband held his lead rope for me (and he really doesn't like my husband!my husband stand 6'6" and has a very deep voice, unlike my small one!) But tomorrow, I'll try again and every day I know it will get better.

Gustav gone!

Well, evacuating is never a good thing, but even more so when animals are involved. The babies did really well on the trip there and back. They seemed to take it in stride and especially since this was their first time off property! They truly will make their new owner very proud with all that they have learned! We managed to get some practice time in while gone and now we're down to fine tuning. Still working on the back feet, but he's coming around. He even decided he knew how to trot! (and stay with me instead of past me!)He's very capable of passing me up! ha ha

FEET

Sunday August 24....managed to pick up front feet for a brief moment! Big victory, but he's still not allowing back feet. We had some distractions going on in the big pen with about 15 or so horses getting wormed, haltered, and sprayed for flies right next to the round pen, but all in all he worked pretty well. All the other work went okay, so we finished up and ending with some grazing (a treat!)

SKIP AHEAD

For time's sake, we're rolling forward the pages of training! We've finally been able to get in close and love on Apache! He's okay with brushing as long as we don't get too far down the leg.........using the rope to get him used to them being picked up, but progress is slow! Real reluctant to give me his weapons still, but we're working on changing that! If he only knew I was his REAL best friend! He'll figure it out before long and we'll be inseparable.....lol!

Wednesday July 2, 2008

Today he’s really antsy and nervous about going into the round pen but goes. He can’t settle down because there are other grown horses that he has never seen before in the pasture that the round pen sits in. The horses came up and sniffed him and he tried to bite them. I tried to run him around the pen but he was way too nervous with all of the outside stimulus and could only focus on trying to get out of the round pen. I spent one hour trying to get his attention and then finally just reached his lead rope with the stick and clipped the other one to it and led him a little, he was wanting to run because the grown horses were running across the pasture, so I unlatched him and let him go back into the pen. I was concerned I would get run over by him trying to escape the other horses

Tuesday July 1, 2008

We went into the round pen and tried to do some running with him, but he likes to stop in the area of the gate he came in through. He still searches for Sadie Mae and looks for the grass around the edges. I laid the red stick with the white bag on the end down where he was eating grass and he approached it and sniffed it. I did nothing so he got a little more comfortable with it lying there. He seemed to settle down a little and I was able to lead him for a little while. My husband came out to meet us and made some noise by tapping the end of a barrel lying on its side. He looked really hard at what sound he was hearing and I just talked to him and told him it was okay, not to worry. Nothing would hurt him.

Monday June 30, 2008

Set up the passage to go to the round pen and today he knew what was coming and still acts fidgety and nervous. When he is separated from his friend Sadie Mae, he desperately looks to find her and tries to figure out how to get to her. He continues to focus on eating grass around the round pen. We tried running to do Join-Up® again, but still easily distracted and won’t really focus on me. Got his lead rope again and led him. He follows pretty well and he side steps well also…maybe he’ll be a dressage horse?? Worked with him about and hour and a half.

Sunday June 29, 2008

I know this is in reverse (sort of) but you have to remember, us older people don't learn as fast as you young ones!Hope you enjoy our journey (me and Apache)

This is the first day I am able to work with Apache since my ankle injury. Put him into the round pen and began to move him with the “red stick”. He wasn’t real sure what was happening and we had to put kids in strategic places outside the round pen to keep him moving. His focus was on eating grass at the edges of the pen and looking for his friend Sadie Mae. However we managed to run him for a while (he has lots of energy!), my husband had to come in to lend a hand because the temperature was so hot! He had not done total Join-Up® but we were able to catch his lead rope and attach another one to it to allow him some room without feeling threatened. He actually led pretty good for his first time. He doesn’t like to be rewarded with a pet on the nose or forehead , he nipped to show his disapproval for that! We worked about 3 hours total together today and then let him go back to eat.

We're Here, Now What?

Okay, so they've settled in and now what?? Well, the first step is the round pen, of course! Seems like Caitlyn's horse Sadie Mae actually likes people! good thing since that's who'll be working with her. She takes to leading almost immediately seeming anxious to please and have company with her. I'm still in "the boot" so all I can do is watch at this point. But I am pleased at the progress Caitlyn is making with Sadie.

THE NEW HOME-CHOUPIQUE, LA

We have a holding pen where we put the new animals so they can get used to their new home. This is where we put the "babies" for now. Caitlyn (my daughter) has named her filly Sadie Mae and I have chosed the name Apache. I feel I have named him appropriately at this point because he doesn't think he needs to get along with anyone! I think he is considering scalping me at this point if he could... lol (just kidding) I broke my ankle in April and I am still wearing the walking boot cast so I'm not able to get close to him and it's killing me! I just want to love him all over, he's so sweet! Caitlyn is taking care of feeding them while I recover so they are getting used to her. A little jealous, but I'd rather wait for the doctor to release me where I can begin working with him.

THE PICK UP! Elgin TX

Well, we are sharing a ride with a trainer from Scott, LA. He's picking up 2 yearlings and we're picking up 2 yearlings. Our guest, Chuck, arrives at the house (after getting just a "little lost") and we "hitch" up and discover we need a wheel seal for the horse trailer....seems the last one to borrow it failed to say anything to my husband! No big deal, but we are anxious to get on the road! We planned to go the back way to the interstate, but now we have to go through town....finally get to the interstate and about 15 miles down the road, we have a tire on the vehicle that is almost flat! My husband, Robert and Chuck get out to change it and bend the rod for the jack! Oh no! Call for help, but of course this takes a little while....get the spare put on and drive to the nearest town to purchase a new tire (don't want to take any more chances. We scheduled ourselves to pick up at Stallion Station between 1-3 believing we would have plenty of time to get there! Well, not when you leave Louisiana at 11:00 in the morning! We finally arrived in Elgin around 4:30 and got our paperwork and loaded. Beautiful horses everywhere! We headed home with our tasks on board. This was not our first experience with mustangs, but it was the first time for Chuck! He was excited and ready to get started!We made it home about 11:00pm and Chuck still had 1 1/2 hrs to drive to his house.