July 20, 2008
I know, I know, it has been many days since I have blogged, well I think that is what you call it. This is new to me.
Anyways...Moses has come leaps and bounds in the last 11 days. Saturday, July 5, was a real break through in Moses' thought
process of accepting me and what I am asking him to do. I have spent allot, ALLOT, of time with him! He has accomplished
amazing strides in ten days. His "heart change" I talked about on July 5, was him accepting me as his trusted leader. I have
found a quiet giant underneath a frightened mustang. He still has struggled with two major training steps, but we have worked
him through it. I have had to improvise in my training technique to accommodate his instinct to be afraid of predators (us).
Don't think that I have changed my philosophy of pressure and release, but I have altered the way I use it to help us stay safe
and help Moses understand and not be so afraid. I have listed his amazing accomplishments below of the last 10 days.
Bridle Work, Plastic bag & whirly twirl desensitising, crossing jumps, logs, arched bridge, & the wash rack, first bath, saddle
pad and saddle, ponying lesson, first trim (all four feet), and his first ride.
Looking back at last year with Joshua there are things that were easier and things that were harder. Moses has blown my mind
about the mustang breed. If you compare him to Joshua, well Joshua was so much braver in the beginning. He was afraid of
me, but willing to investigate me and what I might have to offer. Moses on the other hand was not willing to even think about
what I was, other than a predator. I had to work so much harder to get his trust, yet now I as I introduce new things to Moses he
has actually accepted things quicker than Joshua did. He has struggled more with two things: the saddle was hard for him to
accept. He was fine at a stand still, but the most important part of starting a colt is desensitising with movement. So his first
step with the saddle attached to his back was a doozy! It took three days of saddling to get him to not buck and rare with that
first step, though after the third time he accepted it and now the saddle is no big deal. The first rider however, was not so easy
either. That first step was a DOOZY!! Moses was as ready as I have ever had a horse on the ground. I could not get him to
buck on the ground with the saddle on. He was not afraid in any of my ground work/ saddle lessons. He was quiet and
ready...but, his instinct of a predator above him on his back was not. I have spent many hours ponying him all over the place
during my lessons at the ranch, so he has had me over him and touching him. I always desensitized my colts to a human, just
like I did all the other new things I have introduced to them. So, Ryan is my human and we have a lesson plan I have used
with all the colts I have started, including Joshua. However, with Moses, it did not work. So, as a trainer you sit back and look
at the situation and improvise to change your method to fit the horses needs. I am not going to divulge all my secrets here in
this blog, but I can tell you as a trainer, we must be willing to bend our method around the horse to help the horse understand
and keep us safe. I do not want to "buck the horse out" and we did not. I want to work the horse to the point of acceptance
and then release the pressure. Even if it is very slow and step by step. I am excited to say I rode Moses this morning with out
any bucking or raring and he started his learning process of understanding the ground work lessons I taught him in the bridle to
transferring them to his back. Moses has blown my mind because of his willing heart to trust, even when he is afraid. Yes he
has had a hard time with some of this, but when I think where he has been the first four years of his life, and how far he has
come in the last month, WOW, what a adaptable and amazing creation that God has blessed me to work with. The hardest
part is almost behind us as the teaching now begins to prepare us for the competition. The foundation is almost laid and the
fun part is just beginning!
I know, I know, it has been many days since I have blogged, well I think that is what you call it. This is new to me.
Anyways...Moses has come leaps and bounds in the last 11 days. Saturday, July 5, was a real break through in Moses' thought
process of accepting me and what I am asking him to do. I have spent allot, ALLOT, of time with him! He has accomplished
amazing strides in ten days. His "heart change" I talked about on July 5, was him accepting me as his trusted leader. I have
found a quiet giant underneath a frightened mustang. He still has struggled with two major training steps, but we have worked
him through it. I have had to improvise in my training technique to accommodate his instinct to be afraid of predators (us).
Don't think that I have changed my philosophy of pressure and release, but I have altered the way I use it to help us stay safe
and help Moses understand and not be so afraid. I have listed his amazing accomplishments below of the last 10 days.
Bridle Work, Plastic bag & whirly twirl desensitising, crossing jumps, logs, arched bridge, & the wash rack, first bath, saddle
pad and saddle, ponying lesson, first trim (all four feet), and his first ride.
Looking back at last year with Joshua there are things that were easier and things that were harder. Moses has blown my mind
about the mustang breed. If you compare him to Joshua, well Joshua was so much braver in the beginning. He was afraid of
me, but willing to investigate me and what I might have to offer. Moses on the other hand was not willing to even think about
what I was, other than a predator. I had to work so much harder to get his trust, yet now I as I introduce new things to Moses he
has actually accepted things quicker than Joshua did. He has struggled more with two things: the saddle was hard for him to
accept. He was fine at a stand still, but the most important part of starting a colt is desensitising with movement. So his first
step with the saddle attached to his back was a doozy! It took three days of saddling to get him to not buck and rare with that
first step, though after the third time he accepted it and now the saddle is no big deal. The first rider however, was not so easy
either. That first step was a DOOZY!! Moses was as ready as I have ever had a horse on the ground. I could not get him to
buck on the ground with the saddle on. He was not afraid in any of my ground work/ saddle lessons. He was quiet and
ready...but, his instinct of a predator above him on his back was not. I have spent many hours ponying him all over the place
during my lessons at the ranch, so he has had me over him and touching him. I always desensitized my colts to a human, just
like I did all the other new things I have introduced to them. So, Ryan is my human and we have a lesson plan I have used
with all the colts I have started, including Joshua. However, with Moses, it did not work. So, as a trainer you sit back and look
at the situation and improvise to change your method to fit the horses needs. I am not going to divulge all my secrets here in
this blog, but I can tell you as a trainer, we must be willing to bend our method around the horse to help the horse understand
and keep us safe. I do not want to "buck the horse out" and we did not. I want to work the horse to the point of acceptance
and then release the pressure. Even if it is very slow and step by step. I am excited to say I rode Moses this morning with out
any bucking or raring and he started his learning process of understanding the ground work lessons I taught him in the bridle to
transferring them to his back. Moses has blown my mind because of his willing heart to trust, even when he is afraid. Yes he
has had a hard time with some of this, but when I think where he has been the first four years of his life, and how far he has
come in the last month, WOW, what a adaptable and amazing creation that God has blessed me to work with. The hardest
part is almost behind us as the teaching now begins to prepare us for the competition. The foundation is almost laid and the
fun part is just beginning!
July 30, 2008
After three days of vacation at The Lake of the Ozarks, Moses and I went back to work and Moses is doing great! The three
days of vacation will probably be the only time away from Moses I will have, but it was much needed time of relaxation for
me and my family. Any more traveling I do, Moses will come with us.
This week I worked him mostly in the saddle as to get some wet saddle blankets under his belt. Now, I am working ground work
am and riding pm and he is doing great! I was a little concerned about his leads as he has had a hoof problem and has had
a tendency to cross fire and push off with both hind legs in the ground work lessons. My farrier and I have been working on it,
well he has done the hoof work and Moses is getting better. I have been loping circles and Moses is getting the correct lead
and moving forward better. He is so very responsive, almost to sensitive, but I look forward to building his performance and
taking advantage of his quick response to my training aids and cues. As he learns he will become less reactive and more
consistent in response to my requests. Today I took him on his first trail ride and he did great wanting to lead the way. I hope
to take him to the lake on Friday and get some real trail riding under our belts. Today he seemed excited to be out and
curious and brave about his surroundings. The dumpster was the scariest obstacle to him, and yet he handled it with control
and confidence. This past week I have worked on obstacles and tarp work and he has past these training steps with flying
colors.
His trust in me is really growing and he wants to be with me. It is hard for me to guard my heart and think about him being
adopted to a good home. The hardest part of this competition for me is understanding the reality of bonding with this wild
animal and then letting him go. Well, as Joanne reminds me when I get nervous about the upcoming competition and
adoption, she says, "One Mustang at a Time!" I have taken her advice to heart every day as my stomach gets butter flies
when I think about only having 6 weeks left.
I have big plans for him in the month of August as I am going to take him and Joshua to a BLM Mustang adoption in Gardner,
Kansas to demo the mustang breed. I also plan on competing in a Cowboy Horseman's Challenge much like The Extreme
Cowboy Race race here in Kansas. I have allot of work to do, but I think this challenge will be a great preparation for Fort
Worth. He will also be going with me to Iowa to do private training sessions. The travel time will be good for him and I look
forward to the upcoming month.
Ryan and Joanne are doing great with there horses. Ryans time is limited, but when he does work with Gimmly it is quality
time. Below he taught Gimmly how to climb the mounting block! Ryans hair is white because he spent the day cutting
cement floor to make room for plumbing the house we are remodeling. He says I am giving him his grey/white hair.
Whatever! It is all the hard work he is doing for us! Thanks to Ryan for all his hard work for our family and the time he makes
for his mustang. Givmmly will make an awesome horse for someone to adopt he is quiet and willing to do almost anything!
After three days of vacation at The Lake of the Ozarks, Moses and I went back to work and Moses is doing great! The three
days of vacation will probably be the only time away from Moses I will have, but it was much needed time of relaxation for
me and my family. Any more traveling I do, Moses will come with us.
This week I worked him mostly in the saddle as to get some wet saddle blankets under his belt. Now, I am working ground work
am and riding pm and he is doing great! I was a little concerned about his leads as he has had a hoof problem and has had
a tendency to cross fire and push off with both hind legs in the ground work lessons. My farrier and I have been working on it,
well he has done the hoof work and Moses is getting better. I have been loping circles and Moses is getting the correct lead
and moving forward better. He is so very responsive, almost to sensitive, but I look forward to building his performance and
taking advantage of his quick response to my training aids and cues. As he learns he will become less reactive and more
consistent in response to my requests. Today I took him on his first trail ride and he did great wanting to lead the way. I hope
to take him to the lake on Friday and get some real trail riding under our belts. Today he seemed excited to be out and
curious and brave about his surroundings. The dumpster was the scariest obstacle to him, and yet he handled it with control
and confidence. This past week I have worked on obstacles and tarp work and he has past these training steps with flying
colors.
His trust in me is really growing and he wants to be with me. It is hard for me to guard my heart and think about him being
adopted to a good home. The hardest part of this competition for me is understanding the reality of bonding with this wild
animal and then letting him go. Well, as Joanne reminds me when I get nervous about the upcoming competition and
adoption, she says, "One Mustang at a Time!" I have taken her advice to heart every day as my stomach gets butter flies
when I think about only having 6 weeks left.
I have big plans for him in the month of August as I am going to take him and Joshua to a BLM Mustang adoption in Gardner,
Kansas to demo the mustang breed. I also plan on competing in a Cowboy Horseman's Challenge much like The Extreme
Cowboy Race race here in Kansas. I have allot of work to do, but I think this challenge will be a great preparation for Fort
Worth. He will also be going with me to Iowa to do private training sessions. The travel time will be good for him and I look
forward to the upcoming month.
Ryan and Joanne are doing great with there horses. Ryans time is limited, but when he does work with Gimmly it is quality
time. Below he taught Gimmly how to climb the mounting block! Ryans hair is white because he spent the day cutting
cement floor to make room for plumbing the house we are remodeling. He says I am giving him his grey/white hair.
Whatever! It is all the hard work he is doing for us! Thanks to Ryan for all his hard work for our family and the time he makes
for his mustang. Givmmly will make an awesome horse for someone to adopt he is quiet and willing to do almost anything!
| First Bath! |
Aug 2, 2008
Yesterday was great! My friends and I went to Melvern Lake to trail ride. I have not loaded him since I moved him to
R&D Ranch, and he was barely halter broken then; yet he trusted and obeyed and loaded and backed out for me several
times. Moses did awesome at the trails! I tried to help his confidence by riding behind a well seasoned horse, but
Moses would have no part of it. He wanted to lead the way! He forged through knee deep mud, creeks, and hills. He
definitely will make a great trail horse. His performance is improving also, he loves to spin, yes spin. I have never
had a horse take to a spin so naturally. He is allot of fun to ride and has really made a heart change and a willingness
to learn. He greeted me at the gate this morning. No fear in his eyes, just true contentment and enthusiasm to see me.
I have been looking forward to this day and it feels good to have his trust. This is the fun part, still allot of work and
time. The heat is horrible here, so early mornings and late nights for Moses and I and the other horses in my training
program. It will be all worth it!
Aug 10, 2008
The last week has been frustrating and exhilarating too! Moses found his rare in the saddle. Rare has been his
response to fear and his resistance to pressure response on the ground and now he found it with me in the saddle. So
for three days I worked him through a program to fix his up response. Now I have his head a little lower than I would
like, but we are making great progress again and he is doing great.
I decided to sign him up for the Ultimate Cowboy Challenge race, which is a obstacle course and horsemanship race
set up much like the Extreme Cowboy race. I did not know how he would do, but I was certain the experience would
be great practice for me and him. Well, he did great! We got 14th place in the Open division out of, well fourteen
horses....I know you say last place, but I was so proud of him for accomplishing every obstacle. It was a scary course
and the first time he was introduced to this type of thing. He was up against the best horses around, as I have to
compete in an Open division as I am a professional, so he had stiff competition.
I was amazed how he grabbed peoples attention. People wanted to know his breeding and thought he was Fresian.
He moves with such strength and presence. He is a show stopper! We had a gate, water crossing, Texas three step
type trail, figure eights, side passing, backing in a U, spins and a Cowboy curtain make out of a round bale feeder, bra's
and panties! Yes, a women designed the course and thought it would be a funny twist on the traditional Cowboy
curtain. The crowd did not think he would do it, but he only hesitated for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and
went through. He has great potential as an incredible athlete. In preparation for the race I worked on allot of other
things to prepare, such as dragging logs and jumping. It was a great experience for both of us and I even got the
pattern right, twice! I competed on Josh too and he did great!
I had a moment as I thought about this weekend how very far Moses has come! This last six weeks has been long
hours and allot of sacrifice of time. It has flown by though and sometimes seems like a blur when I look back. I had to
take a deep breath and realise I still have aprox. 5 weeks left and I plan on putting the same work hours on him, so he
should be exactly where I need him to be at Fort Worth. I feel better, but still feel pressed to work hard!
Below is pics of Joanne and Still Water. She is doing a great job! I look forward to seeing there continued progress
together!
Yesterday was great! My friends and I went to Melvern Lake to trail ride. I have not loaded him since I moved him to
R&D Ranch, and he was barely halter broken then; yet he trusted and obeyed and loaded and backed out for me several
times. Moses did awesome at the trails! I tried to help his confidence by riding behind a well seasoned horse, but
Moses would have no part of it. He wanted to lead the way! He forged through knee deep mud, creeks, and hills. He
definitely will make a great trail horse. His performance is improving also, he loves to spin, yes spin. I have never
had a horse take to a spin so naturally. He is allot of fun to ride and has really made a heart change and a willingness
to learn. He greeted me at the gate this morning. No fear in his eyes, just true contentment and enthusiasm to see me.
I have been looking forward to this day and it feels good to have his trust. This is the fun part, still allot of work and
time. The heat is horrible here, so early mornings and late nights for Moses and I and the other horses in my training
program. It will be all worth it!
Aug 10, 2008
The last week has been frustrating and exhilarating too! Moses found his rare in the saddle. Rare has been his
response to fear and his resistance to pressure response on the ground and now he found it with me in the saddle. So
for three days I worked him through a program to fix his up response. Now I have his head a little lower than I would
like, but we are making great progress again and he is doing great.
I decided to sign him up for the Ultimate Cowboy Challenge race, which is a obstacle course and horsemanship race
set up much like the Extreme Cowboy race. I did not know how he would do, but I was certain the experience would
be great practice for me and him. Well, he did great! We got 14th place in the Open division out of, well fourteen
horses....I know you say last place, but I was so proud of him for accomplishing every obstacle. It was a scary course
and the first time he was introduced to this type of thing. He was up against the best horses around, as I have to
compete in an Open division as I am a professional, so he had stiff competition.
I was amazed how he grabbed peoples attention. People wanted to know his breeding and thought he was Fresian.
He moves with such strength and presence. He is a show stopper! We had a gate, water crossing, Texas three step
type trail, figure eights, side passing, backing in a U, spins and a Cowboy curtain make out of a round bale feeder, bra's
and panties! Yes, a women designed the course and thought it would be a funny twist on the traditional Cowboy
curtain. The crowd did not think he would do it, but he only hesitated for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and
went through. He has great potential as an incredible athlete. In preparation for the race I worked on allot of other
things to prepare, such as dragging logs and jumping. It was a great experience for both of us and I even got the
pattern right, twice! I competed on Josh too and he did great!
I had a moment as I thought about this weekend how very far Moses has come! This last six weeks has been long
hours and allot of sacrifice of time. It has flown by though and sometimes seems like a blur when I look back. I had to
take a deep breath and realise I still have aprox. 5 weeks left and I plan on putting the same work hours on him, so he
should be exactly where I need him to be at Fort Worth. I feel better, but still feel pressed to work hard!
Below is pics of Joanne and Still Water. She is doing a great job! I look forward to seeing there continued progress
together!
| August 20, 2008 Well, we are past the 30 days left mark. Hopefully 30 days from today we will have made it into the finals! We still have allot of work to do. Last week was good. I have pretty good steering in the walk and trot, but in the lope is where we need the most work. Moses has so much go! I want him to be supple and soft and slow and he wants to be upright, strong, and fast. I am finding a compromise that I hope we can both live with. Once I get him in a zone, he does great, but until he softens he is fast as a bullet. His athleticism is growing by the day as his muscles develop in his hind quarter, back, and shoulders. I have before and after pics of him now and WOW! He doesn't look like the same horse I received 60 days ago. Purina Mills has generously sponsored Moses with there #1 performance feed Ultium. And WOW, the results have been tremendous! He not only has put on weight, but a tremendous amount of muscle. He is buff! August 22, 2008 Moses is doing extremely well. Leads are getting better and he has now learned the entire foundation that he will need to accomplish the tasks at the Makeover. I now have to take this foundation and put all of his cues together to get a more finished look. Flying leads and maybe a cool trick are still on the list. I will definitely have simple lead changes, so I am excited on his progress. I refuse to focus on a trick until I am confident that he is ready to accomplish the requirements of the competition, so the trick is on the back burner. He has decided people are great and he expects them to give him attention. He had a vet check up yesterday, just a well-check visit and I am extremely glad to announce that he is healthy, wealthy, and wise. It is amazing to try to understand what the previous four years of Moses' life was like as a wild horse. We know by the scars he has on his neck, that he is a survivor. His scars are only visible from close up as the hair has completely covered them up, so to feel them gives you a glimpse of his past and how big his heart and will to survive is. If you place your hands on the outside of his neck on both sides you will feel bulging scar tissue with almost exact indentions from a mountain lion and or bears claws. The left side is more prominent than the right. I have been concerned since day one of training that Moses was possibly partly blind in the left eye because he has so guarded his left side of his body and it was not until I broke through the invisible barrier that he gave to me on the left side and was able to approach and touch him on the left that he finally had that all important first heart change. After a thorough examination of his eyes his vision is perfect! My vet has a theory that his reactions on his left side are a trauma invoked conditioned response from his attack. It makes perfect sense for him to guard that left side of his body as his injury would of taken months to heal, especially out in the wild with no care. I can only imagine what Moses went through in the healing process, but he not only survived the first attack, but kept himself alive while being lame and healing. He is amazing and his heart is so big and strong he will make an amazing horse and partner for life for some very special person. His guarding of his left side is completely erased at this point, so I have not seen it as trust has taken the place of fear. What an amazing heart change Moses had to have to trust. IT IS ALL ABOUT TRUST! Sept 5, 2008 Well, we are down to two weeks from today, that makes me have butterflys in my stomach and Josie, aka for Joanne is falling asleep next to me in a chair, and yet still does not know exactly when she shows. We are both tired, but our horses and us have allot of work to do in the next 14 days. Ryan worked Gimmley last night and they are doing great. Moses has had a tough regimen these last couple of weeks. He did great at the BLM adoption, although he did allot of talking to his buddies behind the panels. He and Josh seemed to have allot of advice for there cousins. Moses and I went to the Mid West Mustang Clubs monthly meeting and he acted as if he had been on the rode all of his life. He stayed quiet and soft and did great. After this busy month, He feels like to me, that he and I could use a long week in a green pasture doing nothing but grazing and sleeping. But, at least he got the day off yesterday. This has been exhausting, but a truly soul energizing experience. To look at Moses now and realize that I am working on flying lead changes, spins, and other upper level moves, just amazes me. Just 80 days ago he was a wild and fearful animal and now he has transformed into a horse lovers dream horse. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like reality to me, as so much has been accomplished in such a short period of time. His heart change has been tremendous. This experience has been truly life changing and I am excited to see him show his heart and athleticism in Fort Worth. It's all about trust! Sept 16, 2008 I just spent the last hour reading my own blog from day one. You might say that is a little vain, but I just wanted a reminder of how far Moses has come in a short three months. I am overwhelmed with his generous work ethic and the heart to handle the work load and most of all, concurring his fears. We are on our way to Fort Worth with three very tame and trained mustangs. Like Ryan said on day one on the way home from Oklahoma, "Moses' band on there way to the Promised Land!" I am excited to compete and show what an amazing breed the Mustang is. Moses and I have been working very hard on getting a finished look on the many things he has learned and flying lead changes. We have worked on a Freestyle pattern, and I hope and pray we will be able to show all of you it, because it rocks! You may get to see me a little out of my ordinary! Thats the only clue I will give, but be ready for a surprise! First Ground work and then on to the riding horse course. Then as my friend, Rusty Walker says, "I will be in the finals for the freestyle, no maybes or if's" I have so many people to thank for there support in getting me to Fort Worth. The first would by my husband and kids. They sacrifice time and money to help mommy follow her dream, I couldn't and wouldn't want to do it without them. My mom and dad and Sharon and Bill Reed are strong supports in my life, not only emotionally, but financially as well. My mother-in-law and father-in-law support me always and have helped Ryan remodel our new house at R&D. They along with my brother-in-laws, Troy and Scott have come from Colorado to help with the house. My best friends, Kristine Black and Joanne Thompson are always there for me, good or bad, always there to listen and understand. My new very special friend Rusty has encouraged me and spent hours on my free style music and choreography for my freestyle. My new groom and nanny Patti has made it possible for me to keep Madison (my 3 year old daughter) with me at the ranch a couple days a week, wow she is a blessing straight from the Lord. A special thanks to Terry for being my artist for part of my freestyle, she did an awesome job! My other friends and clients mean the world to me and I would not have this opportunity without there support and devotion to my training program. Thanks to all of you! I love you all and appreciate all you do. So off to Fort Worth. I will ride the horse I have and he will give me his heart and soul. Whatever the outcome, it has all been worth it. I look at him and get sad at the loss I will have when he leaves with some other very special person. However, I feel a personal joy to as I have saved him. He will have a home and a future and a great life. I hope to keep adding to his list of the horses I have helped save. Look for me at the next competition for Mustangs, MUSTANG MAGIC! I will be bringing another wild mustang home from this competition and be starting over again! I will give you more info. Soon! On to the competition with Moses, remember I named him after Moses in the Bible who was called a "meek" leader. Numbers 12:3 says, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men on the face of the earth." Meekness: a personality trait of gentleness and humility, the opposite of which is pride. Meekness does not refer to weakness or passivity, but to controlled power. Sept 22,2008 Next page |
| Moses before Ultium by Purina Mills |
| Moses after 60 days feading Ultium by Purina Mills |
| Look at those rippling muscles! Thanks Purina Mills! And a special thanks to Premier Farm & Home for there work in helping to provide the Ultium. |