A good day

Today ended on a wonderful note.

I went out to feed the horses tonight and had some troughs to clean out and fill so I had time to kill.

Tabasco was standing next to the panel so I decided to climb up and stretch my leg over his back. I was able to actually sit on him where you are supposed to while bareback but I didn't put all of my weight on him. I had my foot and an arm on the panel to help support some of my weight. He could care less. I'm not going to do any "real" riding until they are at least 3. I want to make sure they have time to grow without having any strain on their backs. Besides if you take your time and build a good foundation from the ground you have a better relationship from the saddle.

I've been able to do that with Tabasco before so that's nothing new there... BUT I was also able to stretch my leg out and "sit" on Shoni!!! She is the sensitive one and you have to go slow with her. Her flight instinct is strong and she lacks a lot of confidence so this was a big step for us! We ended on a good note and a huge grin on my face!

No witnesses so no photos but I saw this great video that I wanted to share with you all! If you have not seen this before make sure you have a tissue handy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

Sorry blogger wont let me post the video so all I can do is provide a link to it.

Tarp fun

I decided that it would be big fun to take a tarp out to play with the horses and see if I could get them to walk on it and check it out

I took the tarp out of the package and spread it out on the one side in the babies pen. They immediately came over to see what the heck I was up to and were stepping all over it without any hesitations. They sniffed it, pawed it, nibbled it and were more curious then afraid. Well that was easy... hmm maybe I should lift it up a little and see what they think of it then?

So up the tarp comes and Shoni decides that's enough for her and she walks over to a different section of the pen to watch. Tabasco perks his ears up and with the tarp taller than him he proceeds to walk on the tarp towards the high end and what do ya know, the tarp is now ground level. Now that he is completely standing on it I decide why not see if he will wear the tarp? So I wrap him up like a wonderful present and he is falling asleep on me. Well that went well lol I thought I would have to work a little harder than that- but I am NOT complaining just awed.

Eventually Shoni came back over to walk on the tarp and nibble on it some more and she let me rub it on her face and a little bit on her body. She did great with that but you could tell she was thinking hard about it and worrying a little. This is where pressure and release work so well and it really gives her more confidence.

At this point I notice how thick the flies are getting so I run up to the garage to get some flyspray and a brush. I brush all four horses and spray them down. Now it's the fifth horses turn... Shoni. She despises being sprayed with the bottle and likes to run away when she sees it. I don't usually halter any of the horses to brush them or spray them unless I need them to stand still. I didn't want to halter Shoni because I don't want her to associate being haltered with being sprayed but sometimes I do alternate. At this point the battle is on and she is running and Tabasco and trying to figure out what's going on. When she finally stops (behind Tabasco) I get her to look at me and sniff the bottle. Then I step back. Now she remembers this game. I get up to her and rub her with the bottle like it is a brush and as I am I spray her back then just rub her. Then I move down her legs and spray her leg. She runs off. And so the process continues with the touch and go- literally.

As she is running she is passing over the tarp and isn't thinking too much about it. After so many times of running over it it started bunching up. The next time she passed it got caught around her back legs a little and startled her and she kicked out at it. I guess I have a "oh no don't touch me there" spot (-Clinton Anderson) that I get to work with using scary objects. Eventually I got her mostly sprayed down and ended on a good note of rubbing her with the bottle and spraying her a couple of times without her moving then walking away.

Does anyone know any good spray for horses that kills/repels flies, mosquitoes, and ticks? And maybe doesn't smell so bad or have to be applied while wearing a glove? What do you guys use?

Photos

Talked mom into coming out with me to do chores and play photographer. The ones with Sundance weren't very good since he didn't want to stand still. He loves to be scratched but not leaned against or hugged... so I guess next time I'll have to bring a halter for him! : )

I brought a halter for each of the babies since they can get antsy and sometimes have a hard time standing still long enough to get pictures of... that and it was also dinner time and a breezy day lol.

Tabasco, Me, and Shoshoni

Me and Tabasco- the brat kicked me! lol He
sure looks cute with his head tucked in like that
though. He looks like such a rebel with his mane
all over the place!

Me and Shoni- Look we match!!! She is so gorgeous
and I'm surprised that you can see her eyes in this
photo. Usually her bangs are in the way since her hair
is so thick!

Tabasco, Me, and Shoshoni- I love my mustangs! : )

Story Time

Boy it has been a crazy week and do I have some stories for you folks!!! : )

First I will post the photos of the horses that I promised from before I left. They are the pictures of the mustangs with the saddle on their backs and the stirrups hanging down. Look they are so good and are mostly done eating AND they let me come out there with the saddle and no halters!!!

Above/Below: Shoni with the saddle on her back

Above: Tabasco wearing the saddle

Ok now for story time. I went to Virginia to finish training with my new job and got to stay at a conference center. I'm scheduled to go on a plane and am kind of nervous since it is my first time flying alone and the last time I flew I was 13 and didn't pay much attention to the airport. On my way there I flew out from the Fargo, ND airport through United Airlines. I got to the TINY airport at 5:10am and my plane leaves at 5:40. There are about 20 people in line ahead of me. I finally get up to the check in at 5:20 and the machine is not recognizing me. We talk to the guy behind the counter and he says, "Oh that's because your plane already left." What?! I thought the plane wasn't leaving until 5:40. Hmmm... Long story short they had already given my seat away to a standby passenger so I was up the creek.

So dad and I ask the guy what we're supposed to do now and the guy replies, "It's not my fault YOU missed your plane- now get out of my line so I can help these people going to Denver." Then we ended up talking to his co-worker behind the counter and she had to help us get a standby ticket since that guy wouldn't even do that. Then we got to drive back home and wait until after 1:00.

I went home and slept for a while then mom suggested calling the customer service line to see if we can get a ticket through a different company to get to Virginia faster. The people on the phone could not tell me but said there was a possibility and that I would have to speak with someone at the airport... soooo we make the 30 minute drive BACK to the airport and right up to the counter. The same guy is working the line. We talk to him and he still has the same attitude and cockiness. They said, "It's not our fault that you missed your flight and we can't get you on a different airline since YOU missed your flight." Then mom made a comment about his attitude and about how we were standing in a line forever and that they had already given my seat away. The 2nd guy who was working behind the counter made a comment about how he was working at the counter 5 minutes before we were waiting and there was no line. So he basically implied we were lying to scam them into a trip on another airline.

So now we go back home again (I had forgot my cell phone anyway) then we went and ate at McDonalds. We drive BACK out to the airport and I head upstairs to go through security. I say goodbye to my parents and stand in line. I get to the front and all of my stuff is in the bucket (including my shoes that they make you take off) then they tell me I have to remove my belt. Okay. So I do all that walk through the metal detector and do NOT beep. Then the people at the end ask me to point out my stuff so I do. Another long story short they took me and my stuff off the the side where they frisked me and went through all of my belongings and swabbed everything. Then when they put everything back they didn't even do it right so some of my books and things got ruined. Jerks.

By this time I am tired, ticked off, and I am feeling like this god forsaken airport is messing with me big time. So I am sitting at my gate which took me 2 seconds to get to after the frisking (I told you it was a small airport) and I'm waiting for them to start boarding the plane. Well the check in gal and the guy from the front desk stop at my gate. So now I'm thinking that he's going to mess with me again and make sure I don't make this flight either. Well everyone who had a ticket boarded then they called us standby passengers. So I get on this 2 seats on one side 2 seats on the other side and an aisle in the middle plane and my seat is all the way in the back. Hmmm maybe that guy did mess with me after all?

Oh well I am on the plane and going where I need to be... then I get to Chicago. That place is a zoo and it is kind of confusing. I am on standby in Chicago also and am on a list with 50 other standby passengers. Needless to say I was number 15 and did not make that flight, but I did make a friend who was trying to catch the same flight to DC and she has a friend who is on the Internet telling her which gates to head to and she is nice enough to pass that information on to me. Then I waited in line at the next gate and managed to be number 4 on that list and get a seat on the plane.

I finally get to DC and get on a taxi over to the conference center. The taxi driver was grouchy and hard to understand so that was an experience as well. Then I finally get to the conference center and there is a lobby full of people waiting to check in. I'm beyond grouchy at that point but I hang in there. I get my room information a map and directions then I head off to find my room. A half hour later at 11:30pm I FINALLY find my room.

At 5am I wake up to get ready for class and head out in search of the cafeteria. This conference center has been around for years and is built like a college campus and a hotel mix. There are rooms, classrooms, a cafeteria, a courtyard, a bar, exercise room, pool, ect.

I eat breakfast and get my class over and am having a great day. Things are looking up. After class I went to my room to relax and do homework. It is such a beautiful day outside I decided to change into a pair of jeans and take my homework outside to work on it. I put on my tennis shoes and have a pebble along the right side of my foot in the one shoe. I take it off and dump it over and a cockroach about 3 inches long falls out. Now I am freaked out, the cockroach is lying on the floor twitching, and did I mention I am freaked out?! I have never seen a cockroach in real life and I only knew what it was from watching fear factor and from the size of it. I call down to the front desk and they tell me they are going to send maintenance over to check my room and that they are going to move me to a different room. He tells me to check my shoe for eggs to make sure that they don't spread to other parts of the building. I hang up and squat down and pick up the shoe that is lying next to the cockroach who is on his back dying. As soon as I pick up my shoe the cockroach flips over onto his stomach and takes off running under the bed! OMG! I drop the shoe and hang out in the hall waiting for maintenance to come. About 10 minutes later a bellboy comes. Wait! Where's maintenance?! He calls to get a guy from maintenance down there and sat with me and asked for details with the bug. He doesn't like bugs either.

Maintenance finally shows up and shines his flashlight under the bed. No bug. He pulls out one side of the bed then pushes it back and pulls out the other side. Still no bug. He looks around the vent and the desk. No bug. We are talking then out from now where comes the cockroach running. The maintenance guy kicks it around a bit to see what kind it was then squashed it. "Well it's not an American cockroach so it doesn't lay as many eggs... and we just sprayed for cockroaches so they are running trying to get away from the poison... no one else has complained..." Oh well isn't that nice! It would have been better if you could have sprayed to prevent them and make sure you didn't get infested don'tcha think?

After they moved me up to the new room I did not have any other bad experiences (thank goodness!) and I was able to have some fun with class and my classmates/friends. Some of us even went to DC for a few hours one night. I will post a story on that with photos in a new post since this one is so long.

Thanks for reading my little rant and sorry if I gave you the willies with the bug story... just be glad it wasn't you! : P

A Quick Note

I went out to work with the babies with the saddle again this afternoon. I went out a little later when they were finishing up breakfast. Tabasco and Shoni were a little irritated to see it coming at them but it didn't bother them too bad. I was able to drop the stirrups and get photos (I will post those later).

At one point I had the saddle on Tabasco and something startled him so he started trotting away and then the saddle was bouncing on his back since it was not cinched on. Of course that makes it worse and he was circling around and down the saddle went.

Oh boy.

Now at this point both Tabasco and Shoni are completely freaked out by the saddle and wont let me near them with it and I am beyond frustrated. I sit by myself for about five minutes to let the horses calm down and to try and get my mood better and a rake caught my eye. It is one that has a plastic end. It reminded me of Tracey's blog (Mustang Diaries) and of some of the training that she does with her mustangs. So I go grab it and much to the babies dismay I bring it into the pen. I got Shoni curious about it and when she was a pro of touching it with her nose I brought it to her withers and started rubbing/brushing her. Then I would stop so she could think about it. Then start up again. She did great. Then I did the same to Tabasco and he could care less lol.

Once they were both comfortable with the rake I decided to bring back the saddle. I was able to get it on both of them with the stirrups hanging down and let it sit there. We did not have any more problems. This made me feel so much better and we ended off with a good note with the saddle. Thank goodness...

Then I worked with Sundance a little while with the rake and he caught on pretty quickly though he didn't completely relax with it. Then I tried the 18 year old mares and they didn't want anything to do with that scary object. By that time I was getting pooped from working with the other three so I didn't pursue it.

Then later today we went to a just for fun horse event in town where all horse enthusiasts compete and they had some barrel racing and other events that I have no names for. It was fun to watch these folks and their horses but it was so windy! I'm surprised that the horses did so well with the wind. Mine would have been in the next county lol.

This will be my last post for a week. I am going to Virginia (by DC) to finish my new hire training class. I leave at 5:40 Sunday and get back 11ish Friday. Then Sunday the 20th we are going to another just for fun horse event. I will get photos of that one for you. I can't wait until I can get Sundance and the babies into things like that. I am hoping next year to take them to some and MAYBE compete. :)

See ya in a week!

Another Video!?

Wow three new posts in one day?!

I couldn't resist running outside tonight to play with my camera and it's handy recording option. I was trying to get video of Tabasco with his head through the panels and then I caught Shoni with her head completely under the panel trying to eat some grass. I tried to back up to get her whole body in the video but there was a big bale of hay behind me lol.

Internet Adoption

Hi All,

Just wanted to let everyone who may be interested (or knows someone who is interested) in adopting a BLM mustang know that the BLM Internet Adoption is going on right now. The website is: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/onlinegallery.php

and to access the site you may have to have your cookies enabled (it walks you through how to enable them on the cannot find website page that will come up when you click the link above- if they are not already enabled).

The website has a list of horses that are available for adoption and it tells you if the horses are unstarted or where they are in their training. Some of them also give information on if the horse is a good candidate for beginner type adopters.

If you are planning on placing a bid be sure to get approved and get a number right away so that you can get your horse. If you are interested in a specific horse but are unsure at the moment if you want to get them be sure to write down the horses number and information and also which holding facility the horse is currently located in. If the horse does not get adopted by the time the bidding ends there is a possibility that you can still adopt it. Don't wait too long to decide though or your horse may be sent to a different facility or adopted by someone else.

There are many beautiful horses available and I highly encourage anyone who has the interest and the means to adopt to go for it! If you have any questions about adoption or gentling please leave me a comment.

#1360- 3yr Sorrel gelding from New Pass-Ravenwood(NV)

#1384- 4yr Pinto gelding from New Pass-Ravenwood (NV)

#1388- 3yr Pinto gelding from New Pass-Revenwood (NV)

# 1548- sorrel 2yr mare with colt from New Pass-Ravenwood (NV) has been bid on

#1600- Black 3yr gelding from New Pass-Ravenwood (NV)

#8294- Brown 1yr gelding from Jackies Butte (OR)

#8620- Dun 4yr mare from Fox Hog (CA)

#9568-Bay 1yr gelding from Twin Peaks (CA)

#9636- Sorrel 1yr filly from Wall Canyon (CA)

#9676- Bay 1yr filly from Nut Mountain (CA)

#9717- Sorrel 1yr gelding from Nut Mountain (CA)

#9962- Bay 1yr filly from South Shoshone (NV) has been bid on.

#0066- Bay 1yr gelding from South Shoshone (NV)- I think he looks

similar to Jessie's Remington...


#7310- Black 2yr gelding from Piceance- East Douglas (CO)

#0270- Grulla 2yr mare from Red Rock Lakes (CA)

#6500- Chestnut 2yr gelding from Lost Creek (WY) (Shoni's herd...)

#6376 Sorrel 2yr gelding from Crooks Mountain (WY)

#6530 Brown 2yr gelding from Lost Creek (WY)

#6503 Bay 2yr gelding from Lost Creek (WY)

Big Scary... Turtles?

Up here in beautiful Minnesota, with it's 10,000 lakes and all of its open spaces, lies many different species of wildlife.

From muskrats, otters, ducks, pelicans, blue herons, and eagles to deer, coyotes, snakes and yes even turtles!?

One night a couple of weeks ago mom looked out the kitchen window and noticed something large and slow walking through the backyard. She told me to grab my camera and to come down but that I didn't need to hurry. So down I come camera in the ready and she informs me that there is a huge turtle in the backyard.

A turtle?

So out into the backyard we hike and get by the turtle. He tucks his head close to his shell but his flesh is overflowing out from under his shell. He cannot even tuck in his legs or his tail let alone his head. Mom makes a guess about it being a snapping turtle who waded in from the lake. All I know is that it's humongous! I think he was between 2 and 3 feet at least from head to tail. We didn't harass him just took some photos and gawked.

Eventually he decided that was enough of the photos and that the lake was a good place to be. So he got up and slowly started marching down the hill towards the lake. Seeing him lift his legs up to physically walk down there was somethin' to see. Especially with all of his flesh exposed like that. Every so many feet he would stop and lay down then lift his head and look for predators. Then he's back up on his mission to reach the lake.

At the edge he pushed his way through the tall grass and all you could hear was the sound of the grass rustling and you could see the grass moving.

Ruby was leashed on the dog run line out back sound asleep so luckily she didn't notice the turtle in the backyard and get bit. From the area that the turtle was at in the yard and the direction he was going I wonder if he did end up walking past her and she was too tuckered out to even notice. The great mystery! : )

First Saddles and a VIDEO?!

Today was a good day (wind and all).

While Tabasco and Shoshoni were eating their breakfast I decided that it was time to see how they would react to a saddle.

I brought it out and sat it on the panels and both of them came over and sniffed it. Then I grabbed it and was walking it over to them to try and get them to sniff it again. They were somewhat wide eyed about the new scary object but they were troopers and hung in there.


Since they were reacting so well to it I thought I would see if I would be able to get the saddle on their backs and have it sit there, but first I had to grab some twine and tie up the stirrups and loose leathers so it didn't tickle them or spook them (I didn't want it to be a bad first experience).


I rubbed it on Tabasco first and he eye-balled it a little bit but when he stood there like a good boy I backed off (pressure and release!). I lifted it over his back and semi sat it down and watched his reaction. Not a peep.

Ok Shoni's turn. I walked over to her and she perked her ears up. She was unsure of the saddle so I went slow and got her to sniffed it. I clucked (clicker training). Then I took a step back. She took another step forward to sniff it again. She touches the saddle with her nose, I cluck then take a step back. Wow that's not so bad huh? So she goes back to eating and I approach her from the side. I rub her with the saddle, she twitches and when she doesn't move I take a step back. She turns to look at me and sniff the saddle. I cluck (am I starting to sound like a clucking chicken?!). Then I start rubbing the saddle higher up so it is brushing over her back where it will sit. Not a peep so I set it down. Still no reation. YEY!





Ok time to go back to Tabasco. I rub him with the saddle again then lay it on his back. Nothing. I step back to get a picture and he tries to turn around to sniff it. I have to rush forward so the saddle doesn't fall on the ground since the stirrups were not down and the saddle was off balance. That didn't faze him either.





I'm so proud of these two. They are both so brave and even with all of the wind the saddle did not bother them like I was worried it would. Maybe tomorrow or next weekend I will try and cinch it and let the stirrups dangle?




Here is a video that I took with my camera that I had no idea I was taking (I thought I was taking a picture lol) and it is only 3 seconds long! I tried to upload videos from my camcorder but apparently I'm not doing something right or blogger is having technical issues. Same with the photos, I was only able to upload the two before I gave up. I'll try for a better video one of these days! : )