September 18, 2008

I am exhausted. We got back to the room a bit ago, and I got to have a little nap. It felt like dead sleep. Now we head back to the place for schmoozing with the press and the talent show.

Charles was a giant help today. He's getting into leading Miss Billie around and seems unfazed enough that she can relax and show her good girl side.

Our competition was today; we survived. Charles took her out while I went to the walk-through meeting. The course was no big deal, and we got to talk with the judges and ask questions. My turn was posted at the very end (3rd from last), so I figured I could watch a few. It's amazing how entering a huge arena with a lone baby horse changes the angel at the end of the lead into something else. Lots of "mistakes" were happening, some from nervous handlers (thank goodness I'm not the only one) and a bunch from nervous whinnying yearlings. About 10 into the list came two really good trips. Nice to see. I want to emulate, right?

Charles met me in the arena with a good report on Billie. After a bit, we headed over to the barn to check on her and start to get ready. That's when I heard the announcement that my ring was doing away with the list, and please just come when you are ready. Crap. So I got dressed in my nicer duds, pulled the boots on, brushed the horse out (no bath, thank you) and we made our way to the same arena we practiced in last night. There is a warm-up area right there and we went in. This was no angel on the end of my lead. She lunged a little, fitting a few bucks in, mostly trotting, mostly to the right. She managed a few piaffs, just to keep me on my toes. The best ones came while I was trotting her around the warm-up area. I then decided to head down for our body conditioning score, since everybody had left the warm-up area and this might be part of our behaviour issue. She seemed to settle a little, but started pawing pawing pawing. What does that mean? She want to roll, roll, roll. In the warm-up area, I finally saw someone else's yearling roll. Hurray! It's not just mine!

Billie stood for about half of our conditioning scoring time. I think they will count off for fidgets. Then we had to wait a bit more to actually go into the ring. I took her outside to the concrete, thinking that this would keep her from wanting to roll. Every time she'd paw, I'd make a right-hand turn (one of our maneuvers). By this time, the butterflies were roiling. I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. But I need to present this little filly like we just got offered a million bucks, right?

We headed in for our turn. This started out okay. I went to the first cone; we paused till acknowledged by the judges (I remembered). Then we walked toward the stock trailer to load and unload (our one good trick). Billie was breathing so hard, so I kept saying good girl, good girl. We turned to make the trailer approach, I stepped up, she paused like she does, she sniffed, she put one front hoof, she put the other front hoof, she stopped. She started to heave herself onto the trailer. She stopped. She backed off the trailer. Oops. I invited her again to join me in the trailer. She said "no thank you" and made to back away, a new trick. Oops. So I decided we were nixing the rest of the trailer load/unload. We walked to the next cone. We made our 360 turn to the right. It was not our best, but she was worried. We stopped. This was the time to pick up feet. I picked up LF. I went to pick up LH--she moved. Tried again and got it. I went to her RF. She waddled away, but I got it. She was having none of RH, moving moving moving, so I just ran my hand down her leg to show I know that's what I'm supposed to do. Somewhere in this maneuver, she ended up in the air, but we continued on.

Next, we trot. We are headed over the low jump, then through a serpentine of cones. I think we made it over the jump (maybe she walked while I trotted?) and she was trotting when we entered the cones. Then she was airborn again and having a fit. Continue continue use the energy yada yada. I bailed at this point and decided that we would walk the rest, if we could trot we would. We walked to the box; she was leaning in on me as I was pushing out on her. She kind of turned the 90 degrees, kind of backed and turned into the chute. Definitely walked out of the chute. We were supposed to trot a curved set of poles over to the exit poles. We started to trot, and she started to leap, so we finished with a walk.

I was in tears as we exited, not in disappointment, I don't think, but sheer terror. Charles took her over from me and she quietly led back to the barn.

Later, another gal told me that they gave up on the list since so many had to scratch, not being able to get to the arena in the first place. I'm shocked. At least we made it there. I spoke with one of our judges, Ken McNabb, and he told me to consider that at least I was out there working to make the mustang accessible. It doesn't matter how my trip went. He said some other things, too, to help me to see where I should be proud of my job done, and I am. It's nice to have it put in perspective: an untouched animal 100 days ago trusts me quite a bit today. It's not perfect, but I have no experience and am learning as I go. It's really a great thing.

September 17, 2008

We've had a lot of good work since the clinic in Marble Falls. Monday, I realized that I probably should try lunging Billie since I'd not done that yet, and with her staying in a stall for a few days it might be a good skill to have under our belt. Bev helped me with this on Monday. I nearly had a heart attack, too. Way too exciting for my likes. Bev handled the first part of getting her going around on the lunge line. Okay, really, Bev handled the wild maniac at the end of the lunge line till she settled down, then she turned her over to me. Something about using the energy that's there. Whatever.

I'm still having trouble directing this excess energy that Billie creates. No, really, it's gotten better, my reaction to it, but it's still coming out. What can I say...she's a horse.

I lunged her in all corners of the ring, till finally she had no more energy left. Then, she had to roll in the sand at the end of my lunge line. Not funny. But no exploding horse as I ended up with Sunday.

Don't you know, this morning we loaded her up to head to Ft. Worth. She was pretty good loading. Then the long ride in the trailer. Still good. Then unloading in Ft. Worth. Amazingly good horse. Sure, she looked around, had a startle or two, but really an absolutely trusting horse. After a bit we headed over to get her brand checked. They ended up shaving the hairs above the brand, and now it stands out really nicely. She was actually pretty good with the clippers! After, I took her in a practice ring to lunge. She was so hard to get going. I kept having the feeling that the little smartie-pants was getting ready to roll. Know what? She did! How embarrassing! One gal on horseback laughed and not too nicely. She quickly apologized, but big deal. We survived, and no exploding horse, thank God. She spooked periodically at the weird noises, yada yada, but generally seemed to relax.

I put her back into her stall, fed her, brushed her, then headed over for the marathon trainer meeting. Later, I took her over to our arena for a practice session, or should I say the practice session from hell? Let's see...it was crowded...some trainers were lunging/reprimanding/showing off in the arena. Then, some fool was moving chairs that scraped acrosss the concrete. Next, the same fool was dragging a heavy metal table/stand across same concrete. It's so much fun to have a bucking horse at the end of a lunge line while the other fools are lunging/reprimanding their horses right behind you...NOT. A bit later, some crackling noise, maybe a pop-gun? went off--Billie ran almost over me, made me fall, I did not loose the line, and she did a nice bring-the-hind and then came back to me as I got back up. Ouch. Oh, yeah, she rolled...again...what a pain. Some nice old guy tried to make me feel better (again, someone was laughing rudely) by telling me that Billie must feel very comfortable/trusting in my presence in order to feel comfortable enough to roll in this strange environment with all these horse around. Whatever. So, I'll try to take this as a pseudo-compliment. To ice our cake of a crappy warm-up (yes, there WERE some good moments), Billie flipped out while trotting over a raised pole (I didn't notice what the impetus was) and ran over me, slipped out of my hands, and was loose in the arena. Yikes. Of course, she circled back to me and wanted me to take up the lead again. What a baby. My goose is cooked. I'm really not having so much fun.

Oh, and I found out tonight that I go 68 in a total of 70 competitors. Isn't that fun? The event starts at 8am with the walk through with the judges. Great. Actually, this should give me lots of time to watch a lot of the others, learn the course, and lunge my maniac mustang. A good thing, right? Of course. Maybe I can get her to roll before we head into the arena. I can hope.

September 1, 2008

I am exhausted and as red as a lobster.

We took Billie to a clinic today that was geared toward folks participating in this mustange makeover. We learned so much! The basics were covered. We also got exposed to SO MUCH SCARY STUFF! Charles took pictures, and I will try to get these uploaded in the next few days. After today, I feel really good about how things will be in Ft. Worth. We've got lots of practice on our basics to get in still, and lots of scary things we need to find out about, but overall, I feel we'll be just fine.

Of course, it was dark when we left the house, and I forgot to put on my sunscreen, and then when I was out in the arena shading my eyes, realized I didn't have my hat on either. ARGH! The big shocker was seeing myself in the mirror when I got home--red red red.

August 30, 2008

I'm thinking that I probably will take Billie to Ft. Worth. Somebody gets to win the big bucks, and maybe it will be us. Monday there is a mustang clinic in Marble Falls--might be worth taking her.

We've been traveling around the outside of the pen the last few days. Mostly she is unconcerned about anything but getting to eat grass. This morning I learned that the caliche drive in front of our house bothers her feet. We'll try that again tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, I'm planning to work with Bev again. I'll take Billie over to Switch Willo and see what fun stuff she's been doing next door. Christy should be on hand and can show off Billie's tricks to me!

August 27, 2008

I've spent some time each day since Bev's visit on Monday taking Billie outside the pen. It's no big deal anymore. It helps that I trimmed the tree outside the gate so I do not have to duck anymore.

Christy took Billie over to the stables again today, and tells me that Billie was a Super-Star. They walked and trotted over poles, an X, and a gate. They even put a scary saddle pad across the X and she still went over it!

I'm planning to meet up with them on Sunday and see how it's done!

August 25, 2008

Yes, a very exciting day all around!

This morning when I went out to check on/feed/clean up Billie's pen, I opened the gate between the pens. Usually I leave this open, but we've had a bit of rain and I didn't want the footing to get real yucky, so I'd closed her out of the round pen for a few days. Billie was excited, mainly because in the interim, choice green shoots had made their way to the surface and dotted the round pen. She had a good time making her way around the pen sucking up juicy morsels. The perimeter had some good stuff too, so she stuck her head under the panels trying to get to that.

Yesterday morning I had a little scare. I was standing outside the pen gate, on my way back in. I think I had her feed in hand. Billie stuck her head through the gate panels as she sometimes does (which I hate), but this time when she started to bring her head back in, she had turned it and was stuck! OMG! I let go of the gate, and it swung in with her. She quickly got her head free, and it turned out to be no big deal. Funny, though, that she has not stuck her head through the panel since. Ha! Good lesson. Lucky pony!

So back to this morning...I used the opportunity of Billie being in the round pen to hang her Blocker bolt (for tying). We "chatted" a bit more, and then I went inside the house.

After a bit, I was feeling guilty, thinking that this poor little girl needs a bit of work. I'd neglected working her the last few days since I'd taken Decker to the horse show the past weekend. I headed out of the house, but before I could take two steps out the door, I saw that Billie was entertaining herself! She was running and bucking in the round pen! She'd make a circuit, then run into the small pen and stop. Next, she'd dash back out to the round pen and kick and buck some more. I saw her repeat this 5 or 6 times. What a hoot to see!

After a while more, I decided that I really should work her, so I made my way into the pen with all my "tools"--the bamboo pole and the stock whip. She was up for a bit of fun. I made her walk each direction, turn in toward me, and walk on some more. She was so hard to get going! She a Decker both are so NOT worried about me! Billie kept turning in toward me, licking her lips, as if to let me know that all she wanted to do was to play follow-the-leader. Well, we did that, too.

This evening as I was driving into the driveway, it dawned on me that I really do not have to take Billie to Ft. Worth. I decided last week that I'm going to keep her afterall. Why do I need the stress of Ft. Worth?

I feel like a slacker, though. I've not made up my mind about it!

I talked with Bev this evening, too. And in talking with her, got to face up to some of my worries. And then, of course, had to go act on them! I put my boots on and headed out to the pen one more time. Bev came over, too, which gave me something more to work on when Billie acted scared. We/I handled it! I took it as a training op! Good for me!

Next, Bev moved the junk from in front of the gate, and Billie and I went outside! We lived! Yippee! We had to repeat this a bunch of times, and it got better each time. We had to have "discussions" to go back inside the pen, but, hey, we lived! Billie even got caught up in the hose strewn across that area, and she handled it so well--it was no biggie--I love this horse! Bev helped point out where I needed to be a bit more abrupt in my corrections, and geez does this pony pay attention. It amazes me that the more she has to focus, the calmer she gets. Bev thinks it's because she feels comfortable knowing she can defer the leadership to the handler, and I'd have to agree.

At this point, I told Bev I needed to be able to trot Billie in hand, so we made a stab at this. Truely, Billie had no clue what I was doing--was I inviting to play? Did she need to run away? Did she need to rear? What was I doing? We kind of got the hang of a very ugly in-hand trot. Now I want to get a nice one going, with a nice float in the lead.

To end the evening, I tied Billie to the Blocker bolt. I was SO worried about this! So I looped the rope through, leaving her a little float to her head. She checked it out this way and that. She even tried to turn and pull away. It's amazing to me to be able to watch as she is thinking this through. She'd stand with a bit of pressure, then step up and release the pressure herself. She kept checking it out. After a few minutes, I picked a point so that the next time she stepped up and released her pressure and stood still, I would release her, and I did--end of lesson. Only one time did she pull enough slack that I felt the need to re-set the rope. Of course, next time, she may have more tricks up her sleeve. Next time, I'll let her check it out for a few minutes more.

Big day, huh?

August 22, 2008

This weekend, I'm at a horse show. I had seriously considered bringing Billie, but have had all sorts of things come up the last three shows which caused me to not be able to go to them, that I decided to focus on MY show and not take the mustang. At this last Summer Circuit show each season, there is a hunter breeding class for yearlings. It's not that I'm really considering Billie for hunters that I was thinking of taking her, it was the experience of getting her away from home. But I've not attempted trailer-loading her or even tying her yet, so opted not to take her.

I got to watch the yearling event today, though. Who knows how she'd have done? And when it started, this giant gust of wind hit and made a lot of the horses bonkers.

This morning, I put a log in the round pen with Billie. I was thinking that each time I looked out at her, she was hanging out on the other side of the pen. Surely she was not afraid of it?! I went out later and had her approach me at that side, then step over the pole, and she was fine. She must have just been sunning herself!

I found out today that for the event, we need these basics: walk in hand, trot in hand, back up, walk over poles, pick up feed, and trailer load. I expect we'll have more than this to demo, but we have most of these down. Next week I'll try trotting in hand in the pen. I'm not sure when we'll try the trailer-loading--hopefully not the day we are trying to leave!

August 21, 2008

These are fun days.  Last week, my friend, Christy Schier, started working with Billie.  I find Christy unflappable where horses are concerned.  My favorite Christy-moment was last spring, when my horse, Ghost, was flipping out in the paddock.  He had a terrible head-shaking syndrome going on.  Sometimes when he was turned out in the paddock, which is fenced with electric wire, he would touch his nose to the wire, then go running around the pen like banshees were chasing him.  Then he'd touch the wire again, and again run around like a lunatic.  When he'd start this, I'd bring him in.  This particular day, he was really freaking me out, and I could not work up the nerve to halter him.  Christy kindly took the halter from me, walked out to the crazy horse, stood there a moment to let Ghost focus, haltered the fool, and then led him down the aisle and he was a calm horse.  Wow!

 

So, I knew she's be up to this task of helping me.  Here's what's happened under Christy's watch so far:  The first day, after round penning, she took Billie out of the pen and all around it.  The next day, she took Billie out of the yard and over to the stables.  Bev tells me that Billie had a few hissy fits along the way, but as I expected, Christy handled these outbursts appropriately, and made it a positive outing for my little mustang.  This really paves the way for me, and I can't thank Christy enough!

test

Wow, can I post via email?

 

If this is showing up, then YES!

August 15, 2008

Bev came over to help with Billie again. I had stopped round penning so much since I felt like I had somehow de-sensitized her to my presence--he stopping with her butt to me was a clue. Bev helped me clean that up, and I feel like we are back on track with that. It's amazing how the littlest things can convey so much to a horse, especially when you don't even mean to!

I proudly showed off how well Billie leads in the pen, how she sends through the connector gate, how she brings the hind, yada yada. So naturally it was time to open a panel and send her through--just like the gate, right? What's the big deal?

I could not believe how my heart was racing. It was almost making me feel sick. So I took a deep breath. The plan was to send her through a time or two and with both directions. It really went okay. The next step was to lead her outside the pen, turn, and come back in. That was definitely more scary for me, but the mustang seemed okay. When we had to try a few more steps, we were okay circling left with Billie on my right, but it fell apart circling right with Billie on the right.

This showed that we needed work on her yielding her front end, and me letting her yield her front end. We spent the rest of our time chasing that goal, and found a good stopping point with it.

I've spent the last couple of mornings working the yield the front. This morning, I was going to open the end panel and try through the opening again, but Billie twice pushed at me (I think) as if in a hurry to get out, and I hadn't even unhooked the chain. So I changed plans and we worked on her backing, bringing the hind and backing, sending through the gate, and then sending past me. She reached a good and cooperative point, so we stopped.

I'm realizing that when Billie's reacting not the way I want, I need to make a quick check of my cues to her. I still sometimes find myself offering her contradictory things. Focus focus focus! And baby steps!

And I had to remind myself what I figured out a month ago: It's okay for Billie to react to things. It's my job to NOT react when she reacts; be prepared that she is going to react; and welcome the learning going on. Duh! She's a baby and everything is new. She is not nearly as concerned about most of these things as I am, so I need to chill and enjoy the process. I wish I'd had this in mind on Wednesday when Bev was here and we were going through the panels.

I think I need to have someone on hand next time I want to go through the gate so that I do not have to mess with the chain.

And I need to get my Blocker tie put up so that we can have a tying session. I think we are ready for it.

August 9, 2008

This was a good week working with Billie. The highlight was Thursday when Matt Wilkie, the farrier, came over to trim her feet. She'd started on a flare on her left hind, and it was starting to make that hoof look funny. I was really nervous, not sure what to expect from the experience. She's been pretty good round penning and working on the end of a lead rope, but I just wasn't sure how the whole holding her hoof thing was going to work out. Before Billie came to me, she had been trimmed by the BLM. From what I've read, I gather that usually the mustangs are penned into a narrow chute so that they cannot move side to side and yet the feet can be got at to trim. It's not as horrid as perhaps it sounds. I've kept a couple of spare panels on hand myself just in case we needed to restrain her for the vet (or farrier), but we've been lucky and the panels have just sat waiting.

For Billie's trim, I put the rope halter and lead on her and just held her as I normally hold my horses for trims. I pick up her feet just about every day, so this part would not be a surprise. But the farrier needs to trim her hoof, sort of like trimming your own fingernails, so he holds on a bit longer. Matt is the best, however, and extremely patient. I've not seen anything faze him so far. He tells me he has quite a temper, but I've never seen him use it. He's always been kind with each of my horses. He made his way around my little filly's feet trimming away. She got a bit more fidgety with each foot, but nothing bad. Matt just held on and continued trimming and filing. He started with the front left, and that was no problem. He next went to the left hind, the problem foot, and that went pretty fast, too. Halfway done and they were both still standing! Third, he trimmed the right hind. This one was a little more tricky since Billie seemed more ready to say cut that out. Still, Matt just held on and trimmed and filed quickly. And it's funny that he never seemed to rush; he just worked quickly. With each new foot, I'd move us to the shade, but Billie kept moving us out to the sun, where she'd stop hopping around and Matt could finish. Matt finished up with the right fore. This one was tougher since Billie definitely had had enough. Matt was holding that hoof, and Billie started to hop hop hop. I finally woke up and bumped her with the halter, and after a couple of times, she let Matt finish. He just held on while Billie was hopping. And then he was finished and set her hoof down. It was interesting since Billie did not seem upset, she just had this expression like "what was that all about?", and she knew it was over, too. No hard feelings.

So now my filly has been trimmed. Her flare looks much better, really not noticeable. Hopefully it will grow out more even this time and after another trim be gone.

Round penning is going okay these days. I think she's become de-sensitized to me sending her almost too much. She still goes the direction I ask for, and I can get her to turn into the circle to change, or get her to halt facing in and then we can play follow the leader. But I've been getting the hint that she's not all that impressed with me these days. I got some rump my direction today a couple of times, like she knows I don't want to approach that end so she's giving it to me to worry about. I'm thinking we need another Bev tune-up. Billie seems sweet as can be, but I want to be certain she knows/respects that I am the leader.

She's not so pushy at feeding, so maybe I'm really okay. I do remind her each time I go into the pen with feed that she's to stay back, and I do not let her rush the food when it's in her bucket. She has to stay back till I walk away. I wonder, do horses let you be in charge some of the time but not all of the time? Does she respect me when I'm feeding but not so much when I'm round penning?

I'm wanting to get her outside the pen in the next few days. I'm not as competent ground working her as I like. I can send her back and forth through the gate between the pens just fine, but cannot seem to get her to go past me with enough space when I stand in the middle of the pen. Bev will be able to help me with this. I want to have this part down a little better before traveling outside.

August 5, 2008

I really need to update photos of Billie. She has filled out nicely, and grown, I think.

This was a good morning this morning. She was very easy to work. I try to keep in mind the words of Clinton Anderson, "Be black or white". Sometimes I catch myself being gray, like "kissing" to Billie when I'm meaning to shoo her away--my bad. But if I keep in mind "black & white", I usually can be more clear, and she responds better. Duh.

So, it was a good morning, and my little mustang was very responsive (in a positive manner). She went around the pen as I asked. When she made to turn without prompting, I figured out to stop her, ask her toward the center, and then send her on the direction I wanted. I just have to remember to slow it down sometimes and let her have that break with two eyes on me--the two eyes is what it's all about anyway. We did more follow the leader, hula hoop, and sending through the gate, and she was nearly perfect.

This evening, we got home late so her supper was late. I asked Elizabeth to go out to feed her so I could get our supper on. Elizabeth told me that Billie dashed around the pen kicking and bucking when she headed out there, and again when she walked away. I think the little girl was hungry and was letting us know her displeasure at having a late feeding. I went out myself when Elizabeth came back into the house and told me all this, and Billie was too busy eating her grain to bother with running around.

August 4, 2008

Most days I can work Billie in the morning; some days I can add an evening session, too. I usually start out in the smaller pen with putting the halter on, doing a few backing exercises, then flex her head each side. Then I lead her out to the larger pen, which stays open to the smaller pen except when I'm working her. We get to practice a few more backs, then I make her practice being a good little pony while a mess with the gate between the pens to get it closed so we can work. Then I lead her around the round pen. We work on changes of direction, walking faster and slower, halting, etc. We again back a few times and do some head flexes and poll releases. Then I walk her to the center of the ring and remove the halter. Next, I send her out to the edge of the round pen and we start work again. She has to go to the left or right for a time or two, preferably at the canter, then I whoa her by stepping toward her path and then taking a step back. This normally slows her down, brings her head toward the center of the pen, and then I send her on in the new direction. Normally this works pretty well. Of course, some days go more smoothly than others.

Yesterday she was an absolute gem. Today, she kept offering to turn without my cues, which meant we both had to work extra hard! I would work to turn her and get her going my direction again. There was a lot of kicking up and bucking on her part today. But I think I did a pretty good job of staying tough and staying on task.

After running her around the pen a bit, when I feel like she's really with me and paying attention to what I'm asking of her, I will let her walk into the center for a pet (or sometimes a rest, and then we work some more). If she's done with this part, then we play follow the leader. I can get her to criss-cross the pen with me numerous times. This is really cool! What a treat!

After playing follow the leader, I will put the halter back on and then open the gate between the pens. Our next task is for me to send her through the gate "like a big horsey" has to work. She's pretty good at this. Today, we added a new game after: The stay out of my space game. For this game, I mentally drew a ring around myself. Clinton Anderson calls it a hula hoop. Billie had to stay outside the ring and keep her eyes on me. She was pretty good at this, better than I had expected. I had to bump her just a few times to either keep her from encroaching or to keep her attention on me. We had a successful few minutes, which I thought was terrific for a first time.

August 1, 2008

These last two days have been pretty good ones, as far as the mustang filly is concerned. Billie was a little resistant when I led her around yesterday morning, but we worked that out. I think she was "testing" me, trying to see if I was really the big mean broodmare! In the evening when I worked her again, she was more compliant, and fine to round pen.

This morning I had time to lead her around and round pen her. She did okay and didn't question me too much, except to ask if she could stop, please. Another wave of the whip and she was back on her circle.

It is very nice to run her around a bit, then step back and into her path, and have her turn and slow down, change direction if I choose, or just stop when I say it's okay. She's easy to bring into the middle and then put the halter back on so we can lead around a little more, or just practice going in and out the gate being led.

I've got Matt Wilkie, my farrier, set to come out next Thursday to trim her up. She's got a funny splay of her left hind hoof going on. She's not wanting to go long cantering to the left and I wonder if the funky hoof might be part of the reason. I guess we will find out next week. Meanwhile, I'll keep getting her ready for his visit. I think if Matt treats her like Ghost, who is a weanie for trimming and shoeing, we'll be just fine. Matt is real fast with Ghost and doesn't make him have to put his foot up on the farrier post. Yes, I've tried working on this with Ghost, but it's an ingrained thing and he's a retired horse with back end issues, so I don't worry about it, especially since Matt gets along fine with him anyway. This will be Billie's 2nd trim ever, and the first one with me. She's super at letting me mess with her feet, but I wonder how she'll be with real work going on! Wish us luck!

July 30, 2008

We are back on track!

This morning, I went out to work with Billie in the round pen, determined to really apply all I've learned through the years. She's a good little horse. I've been watching my videos again, studying my heroes, so I felt sure I could overcome this running at me thing that's been going on.

Wrong. That filly ran at me at least three different times, sometimes making two passes. It's amazing how this switch goes off. I'll be tap tap tapping the ground, tap tap tapping her rump, trying to get her to move (and pay attention to me). She'll take a step or two, so I let off tapping for a couple of seconds, till she puts her head down to munch more grass. Then I repeat the tap tap tapping. All of a sudden, she waggles her head and comes at me. Sure, I wave the whip at her, but she barely swerves enough to miss me, and sometimes turns to make another pass! Of course, I high-tail it out of the pen. I'm so frustrated that I let her do that, and I think I know what I did wrong, so I re-enter the pen. Starting again, confident that I can channel my heroes, I start again. The second time she "pretends" to play my silly game and runs around the pen once, then she makes for me again! I exit again, and really ponder what is happening. Is she wanting me to play? Is she showing me that SHE is boss? Of course she's boss--I keep running out of the pen! I sit for awhile next to the pen. Meanwhile, she flips the switch a few times (without me in the pen) and runs, kicks, and bucks at nothing. I am determined to not let her be the broodmare in charge, so I enter one more time. But I still cannot keep her from running at me.

I left the pen and called Beverly. I knew she would help me if she could. I knew she would be able to see where my holes in dealing with this filly are.

Beverly met me at the house this afternoon and after working with her for an hour, I feel like this is a task I can manage once more. She pointed out when I was letting Billie invade my space, pointed out where I need to be more firm. She took over for a bit. Billie only once time turned to kick at Bev, and she never ran at her. Bev worked her on the end of a line and then round penned her. Billie quickly understood that she was not the top mare in the pen. Then it was my turn, and I had just as good results in the end. I round penned her, I lead her around the pen, I backed her up, I got her out of my space, I even got to show off the Bev how great we are at picking up hooves! Wow! What a great way to end the day!

And what a great place to get to start tomorrow!

July 27, 2008

Back to frustration time. Some days I just really wonder what I'm doing. Last night, I turned Billie out into the round pen. After she was hanging out awhile and eating grass, I decided to go into the round pen with her just to hang out. After a few minutes, she decided to get wild. She made right for me, shaking her head and being silly. I shooed her away (thank goodness I remembered to take the whip in with me), and she veered off. She circled and tried this again. When she was past me, I made for the gate and got out of there.

I watched her as she ran circles around the pen, kicking and bucking. This lasted about 5 minutes, I think. Really, I don't think she was doing anything to me. I think that she just felt like being silly, and since she sees me as a playmate, I think she was inviting me to romp with her. Problem here is that I'm NOT a playmate, nor do I want her viewing me in this manner.

I "tricked" her to get her to go back into her small pen a while later.

Tonight, I tried some of our leading in the smaller pen, thinking to lead her out into the round pen. It was not so good tonight. I think she was distracted with Charles there, whom I'd asked for assistance. She also had not had her dinner, and I'm finding it always goes better when she's been fed before training times. Bummer for me. I did not get back out tonight--life just got in the way.

I'm going to borrow a friend's Clinton Anderson tape on working with young horses. I hope I find some help there. I also think I will order a rope halter her size. I really think a rope halter solves a lot of issues. She's just too small for any that I can buy locally, and I suck at making them.

July 24, 2008

Billie leads like a pro in her small pen. This evening, I was pulling up rocks in the round pen, getting it ready for Billie to investigate. An especially large rock would not come out with my meager tools, so I opted to leave it in place and tucked the dirt back around it.

Elizabeth came out with me just in case I needed another set of hands. I had no idea what would happen once Billie made her way into the round pen.

While Billie was distracted eating some hay, I opened the gate that connects the two pens. It didn't take long for her to notice the gap and start investigating. She made her way through, and I made my way back out, not knowing what sort of shenanigans were in store. Mostly, it was pretty boring. She pulled and ate grass as though she's not had any in MONTHS...oh...yeah...all she's had is hay. She covered the ground like a search team, working her way back and forth, left and right. Every time I thought I saw her getting ready to let it rip, it seemed a new piece of green green grass caught her attention. She would start to step over the patch, back up, grab the patch, and then continue her search. Pretty funny.

Night was descending, and I didn't want to be chasing her around in the dark, so I went back inside the pen while Elizabeth held the gate wide open. It was pretty un-exciting. Billie kept eating (I know, I should have made her pay attention), and so I started tapping the ground with my whip, slow and rhythmically. This got her to saunter in the general direction I wanted, as she continued to pull what little grass is in this pen. After a couple more minutes, it was as though she knew something was up. Her head came up, and she made as if to wheel toward me, so I shook the whip her way, and she went through the gate, by accident I think. I closed the gate behind her.

Here's where it gets really amusing: As soon as the gate was latched, she turned back my way and tried to poke her head through the panel as if to say, "Hey, wait a minute...How did THAT happen?!?!" She set to tossing her head and pretending like she was going to tear around her tiny pen. She sure seemed disappointed to be back on that side of the gate! When I picked everything up and started to head back to the house, she did her baby-buck routine. She's a fiesty little girl.

Tomorrow evening, I'll let her out into the round pen when there is more daylight left. Depending on how she seems, I may go inside and hang out while she's hanging out. Hopefully, on Sunday AM I can start some round penning exercises...we'll see.....

July 23, 2008

Leading Billie is getting easier and she's fooling me that she's a pro at this. I think she kind of enjoys the diversion.

We brought in the panels for the round pen and got it set up outside her pen. I've still got some stuff to move out of the way, but expect to be able to turn her loose inside the round pen by the weekend. I can't wait to see her explore!

My goal for that is to let her run around some, and also to start working her. Clinton Anderson says you should be successful round penning before starting ground work. We'll see. In my personal experience (only two horses), I've not round penned, only done ground work.

Billie's a pretty smart girl. I hope not too smart for me!

After we've had some successes round penning and/or ground working, I'll start setting up some obstacles for us to lead around. Cool, cool, cool! Can't wait!

July 17, 2008

More good work today and a few more steps toward my goal. She's still worried about the beach towel, but is leading some and seems to enjoy the task. Picked up all her feet today, too, as usual. I was reading in Mary Twelveponies book on colt starting about how you can work to get the young horse to start lifting its foot (so you do not have to pick it up). I think I'll work toward that--should be interesting!

July 16, 2008

I feel like we are back on track. I put Billie's halter on her this morning to lead her around. We did some bring the hind and a little leading. When I led her today, I felt comfortable giving her a couple of feet of lead rope. There was the start of her being able to work off and around me, the start of ground work. Yay! Not perfection, mind you, but a start. I can stand off to the side, face her, and lead her by tapping with the whip on her rump and leading with the lead rope with the leading hand. Did I say Yay?! We worked this both directions and even had some whoa working. Double yay! This we can build on.

The difference? Before I went out this morning, I could picture myself standing in the center of her pen and sending her around me, real ground working. That's my goal.

Keeping the whip in hand helps. I can tap her rump to get her moving. Sometimes it takes a few taps before it registers, but she doesn't seem perturbed. I can use the handle end to poke at her to keep her out of my bubble--it works better than my knuckles and is easier on me. Billie does not seem worried about the whip in hand at all, but I do notice that she seems more "at attention" when I carry it--in a good way. I use it as an extension of my hand to direct her; it's working well to make her turn and move. I feel bigger when I have the whip in hand; Bev knows what I mean.

July 15, 2008

Sometimes it seems that Billie knows exactly what I want. Today I was leading her around the pen. We turned left, we turned right. Then she'd lean into me and I'd have to elbow her away. Not sure if I'm causing that, or if she's being pushy. She'll go back to being led, and then we repeat the cycle. I guess this is just part of her figuring it out. I love it when she licks her lips, though. It makes me think I'm getting somewhere good.

I'm finding the beach towel all over the pen. I hope this means she's actually pulling it around and hope I get to see that soon. When I pick up the towel to hang it back up, she still gives it the hairy eyeball, so I'm not so sure how the towel is moving around. She might just be pulling my leg.

July 14, 2008

Going into the pen with the whip in hand seems to keep Billie from being so pushy. And it comes in handy to direct her. I put the halter and lead on her again today and worked on leading a bit. She's still trying to tell me she has no idea what I'm asking, but I think she's fibbing! It's getting better, and I feel sure that when the additional panels get here and we can make a bigger pen, it will all come together.

July 12, 2008

Progress today. I worked the girlie today, putting the halter on her and using the long rope and swinging it over her back. She was fine as usual, which is bothersome--she's fooling me. I also flexed her head each way toward her middle. At some point the little imp bit my arm--she definitely thinks she's a teenager and wants to be boss.

After a bit, I went out of the pen and decided to toss the rope over her back while I was out of range. She didn't really care for it (too bad) and so I decided that this was our de-sensitizing project for the day. ; ) I kept following her around the pen (she on the inside, me on the outside) and tossed that rope over her body again and again. Some of the time she thought she could get away by going inside her shelter; no such luck for her! I imagine anybody watching would have thought I had lost my mind and was torturing her. But I knew that when she stopped traveling around the pen and just stood for me to toss that rope over her back, I'd have progress and could stop. It took a good while, close to 30 minutes, but she finally gave up and stood for the rope.

I went out again this evening and repeated the whole thing. Charles added to it by coming out and standing at the rail. Billie thought she would find a rescuer in him, but no. I followed her around for about 5 minutes before she decided to stay in place. At that point, I put down her grain and started up again. It took just a minute or so for her to stand still (yes, she was eating) and let the rope pass over her again and again. After a couple of "standing still" and not caring times, I quit for the day. I'm pleased.

July 10, 2008

This morning, I worked on flexing Billie. I put her halter on, added the long lead rope, and then grabbed the halter and used that to make her flex through the poll to each side.

I started back with this basic so that I can perhaps get back to using the rope to make her spin back on herself.

I think that I've hit a wall of sorts. It's not really a wall, but look at it this way: That first month I had Billie were phenomenal. I was quickly able to pet her, then brush her, then pick up her feet, start leading her around the pen...I think I expected everything to move as quickly. She was amazing me every day.

She still amazes me. But I want progress, and I want it now! I want to be able to walk her around outside the pen, and it really surprised me at how much her being keyed up surprised me and worrried me. I've been asking everyone I know what to do next, what to do next, like there is some magic formula and I've skipped some step and am trying to get back on track.

After talking to a friend today, I realized something. She's a horse, she's a baby, she's wild, and OF COURSE she is going to be worried about things, startle at things, get keyed up about things. That's just to be expected. MY job is to understand and expect these reactions and take them in stride. It's no big deal. I'm not the reason she's reacting; she's just reacting as any normal horse exposed to something new, scary, strange, etc., will react.

I've wondered at the calm that I see in the horse trainers on the videos I watch. Of course they are calm--they've seen this a million times before; it's expected; it's normal. I've been beating myself up for my reaction, but really, that's normal, too.

What I have to do better is to think through more than just my plan for what I want to try with Billie on any given day. I need to realize and predict that, yes, she will likely react strongly when I introduce anything new. I need to be ready for that reaction, expect that reaction, and when it happens, know that it is a normal thing for any horse to react this way to this new thing, and that it, too, will pass. I can keep myself out of the way and safe, and keep Billie safe, with my prep. So what if I've not had to handle it a million times already and not had to chance to become de-sensitized to her reaction? I'm the one walking on two legs, so I'm smart enough to fake it; fake calm; fake that I know what I'm doing; fake that I was expecting exactly that reaction because it has happened that way so many times before. And if I'm a good enough faker, maybe Billie will realize there is nothing to be reacting to, and we'll be back on track and moving right along.

I got lucky and lulled into a sense of how easy my mustang was going to be to halter break based on how easy this all started out. I think the mustang I have now is more like what I had expected before I brought Billie home. It will all work out. I have a better plan now.

July 9, 2008

I've been putting Billie's hay in a short water trough for a few weeks now. The past few days, I've pulled the hay trough in under cover since we've had rain chances and the hay gets gross when it is sitting in water. What does Billie do when her hay is under cover? She pulls it out of the trough and strews it all over the floor of the shelter. She must be having a pajama party at night, or something. Maybe she's trying to tell me that she would like a more cushy bed?

July 8, 2008

Today is one of those days I'm wondering if we are taking steps backward. I'm still working to get Billie used to the beach towel hanging on the pen. I had it in a heap on the ground, but put it back on the panel today. She still gives it the hairy eyeball.

When I got home from my ride on Decker, I took his sweaty baby pad out to Billie, thinking maybe this would be easier to tolerate since it smelled like a horse. She was wary at first, but seemed to work her way to accepting it pretty fast. I left it in her pen on the ground, and it was fun to watch her approach, sniff, pick it up, startle when it moved (because she picked it up), and her re-approach.

I also wanted to practice leading today, so I put her halter on mid-day, too. That was no biggie, she didn't mind her halter or the lead rope. That is, until I got the lead rope on her off side, thinking to cause her to spin to the outside as I think Lucy was showing me. Just about the time she felt that rope on her off side, the utility company tree workers starting moving the tree branches they had cut down in the morning around. Billie gave a huge startle, and was trying to get AWAY. So I do not know if it was the rope or the brush. I got her "settled", which means not running around, and when she looked like she was going to stay in place, I took the halter and lead off. She was still at attention. I hate stopping when she's like that, but I'm beyond my comfort zone at those times. So I stepped out of the pen and worked to get her interested in the scary baby pad and beach towel.

July 6, 2008

Billie is still have trouble accepting the beach towel. I left it on the ground in a heap this morning. This evening, it was strewn part way inside her pen--she must have played with it? I picked it up, which really got her attention, and then let it hang in my hands. I thought she might step up and sniff it, but instead, she walked away and did not want to look at it, which I'm learning means "I don't have to accept that". So I left it back in a heap outside the pen. Hopefully she will have played with it in the night.

July 4, 2008

Poor Billie is having a new experience tonight--fireworks.

I live in the city, meaning there are not supposed to be fireworks in my neighborhood. About 9:30 tonight, somebody shot a wad of high-class fireworks, the kind that make huge beautiful bursts in the night sky. Normally I would enjoy seeing these, but not when I have a mustang in my backyard. Those colorful lights really frightened her. Once those died down, we had the more usual noisy popping ones. After awhile, Billie stopped running around her pen and just stood as those she was trying to be a statue.

Geez, people...happy 4th.

July 3, 2008

Billie left the towel hanging up, so I moved it to another spot. She's still looking at it. This evening, it was on the ground, but I think the wind pulled it down. I put it back above her hay, and then fed her grain on the other side of it. Tee Hee!

This morning, I brushed her out again. I think that she must have lain in her poop! Or maybe she was extra dirty from the little shower we had yesterday afternoon. I also picked up each hoof. She's getting better at this, but I still have to get her to shift her weight around to free up a foot.

She tells me each day that she would like to try going outside again. Fat chance!

I ordered more of the Priefert Hoss panels from American Fence today. It may take a few weeks for them to come in. It will be good to expand her pen so that she has a bit more run around room, and I have more room to work her.

Tomorrow is July 4th. I sure hope that firecrackers, which are illegal in the city but get popped anyway, will not frighten her too much. I hope my panels hold--they will. I just worry about her being worried. Maybe I should have thought to make loud noises before this to get her used to that?

July 2, 2008

Back to basics today. I started out today with brushing Billie out, and then "shoving" her around, picking up her feet, and leading her around. I used the rope and twirled it over her back, yada yada yada. She still wants to be a lap-dog. I worked to keep her out of my space, and even employed some of the neck-bite that Mark told me about. What this means is that when she misbehaves, or rather pushes limits, I pinch/grab a bit of her neck just as a mother horse would grab her baby. I didn't work it too hard, but I think I definitely got her attention.

This evening, I put a different beach towel over a panel. It started out near where she was eating. She kept looking up at it, but continued to eat.

Later on I found it on the ground. I don't know if she pulled it down or if the breeze did. I then placed it a rung higher than it had been before. Snort snort snort was Billie's response. It got her attention for a bit. Wonder where I'll find it tomorrow?

July 1, 2008

After talking with a few trainers about what to try next, I think I'm developing a plan. I'm told I need to start increasing the pen size, maybe adding a panel each week, so I can start ground-working Billie. I also need to keep working on de-sensitizing with flags, towels, etc.

This afternoon, I took a beach towel out to the pen and hung it on a panel. HELLO!!!!!! This sent Billie flying. I took the beach towel off and tossed it in a heap on the ground. Next, Billie was very interested in this pile, so I moved it closer to the pen. After awhile, I held it up to the pen and let her sniff at it. After a bit more, I folded it so that it was smaller and laid this across a rung on a panel next to where Billie was eating her grain. She finally paid the towel no mind. In fact, I left it out with her and went inside to fix supper. After supper, I found the towel in a heap inside the pen--she had pulled it into the pen with her! Charles retrieved it for me. Next, I unfolded the towel again and hung it on the panel as before. This got a little bit of reaction, but not nearly like before. I decided to take the towel inside with me when I went in for the night. I'll take a different towel out with me tomorrow; one that I won't mind that she plays with!

June 28, 2008

Things have been going so very well with my mustang, that I got the wild idea to take her on an outing. I was thinking I would take her with me out to the farm over July 4th. We've got a round pen out there that we can move under some shade, and she'll be just fine for an overnight. To this end, I've been really working on the leading and working up to taking this little girl out of her pen. Mark told me I should be sure that I'm really leading her, not just her following me, so I've been working on turning into her and making her come round. In the pen it seems to be working great.

This afternoon I decided that while I was still sweaty from riding, I should try taking Billie out of her pen and see how that goes. She's been really wonderful so far, right?

I put the halter and long lead rope on her as usual. I opened the gate and stoood at the opening with her--not usual. She wanted OUT! I made her wait. I think that I led the way out the gate. Billie kind of took over from there. She was keyed up right away. My thought was "do not let that lead rope get too long!" I kept it short and kept her head my way. This was too exciting for me. We'd made it about 20 feet from the gate, and all I wanted was to get her back inside the pen. She let me lead her back to the gate, even keyed up as she was, and we got back inside. I kept her head by me, keeping her hind end away. I unsnapped the lead and made a bee-line for the gate. I got it closed before she could make it out again. SHE WAS MAD ABOUT THAT, I think.

She came up to me at the gate and I was able to get the halter off, no problem. Then she started snorting, shaking her head around, bucking, kicking, and more for what seemed 5 minutes. She made direct hits to the pen panels a couple of times. She's not happy about this, or maybe she just got keyed up getting out of the pen and not sure what to expect.

My heart was pounding in my head.

I stayed out there till she seemed her quiet self again. I definitely need some more help/guidance next attempt.

June 25, 2008

Pretty cool today. This morning I decided to try again to lead Billie around. No problem. She led just fine! I tried it again this evening, and still no problem. I can lead her from either side. She still wants to crowd my space some when we halt, but we'll work on that. I read an interesting description: I need to imagine a hula-hoop around my middle, and Billie needs to stay out of the hula-hoop. I think that will be a good visual for me.

Now that she leads in the pen, I need to get brave and lead her out of the pen and into the yard! Yikes! Guess I'll comb the ground again and just be certain there are no bad obstacles for horsey feet!

June 23, 2008

Wow! How did a week get by without any posts?!?

This week I've started trying to lead Billie around. She still comes pretty well when I kiss to her, but need her to follow on the lead rope. This is harder. I think I must be inadvertently blocking her movement. I AM praising when I get those feet moving, so maybe she just is not sure what the game is.

I keep brushing her and picking up those feet. As always, she does not mind much when she's eating, but she's also doing a really good job standing still when I brush her--I think she especially enjoys that.

June 16, 2008

Today was terrific! This morning, I decided it was time to take the halter off of Billie. I've practiced a handful of times putting one on and taking it off on top of the one she's wearing, and today I tried it a couple more times while she was eating breakfast. No problems. So I took a deep breath and unfastened the halter Billie has been wearing since we picked her up at Stallion Station in Elgin. I slid it off her face. She put her head up, chew chew chew. When she put her head back down for more, I slid it back on and re-fastened it. No biggie. So I took another deep breath and took it off again. Wow! She's so very pretty, especially without that halter! And I feel tons better knowing she's less likely to get caught on something.

We were on a roll! On a whim I decided to see if I could pick up her feet, too! I've had no trouble brushing down her legs, and one of those times she even offered her foot--how does she know these things? I made may way around to all four feet in turn and had no problem picking each one up. No big deal!

Now we'll start playing with leading.

June 15, 2008

Brushed Billie out again this morning while she was eating. I sure do like this filly. I'm able to brush down each leg, under her tummy, brush her tail, whatever. Today I started walking behind her, keeping my hand on her rump as I made my way around, just as I do with any other horse. Wow. As of today, I'm not the only one who is able to touch all over Billie. I'm thrilled.

June 14, 2008

I'm really enjoying this experience of taming my mustang. Yesterday, I was talking over with Lucy my dilemma regarding wanting to put a holder for hay and Billie still wearing a halter. I really want to be able to take that thing off, but am worried about getting one back on. Lucy offered up the perfect solution: Practice putting on and taking off a larger halter over the one Billie is wearing...duh! Now, why didn't I think of that? Double duh!

This morning, after Billie had eaten, I tried out the larger halter idea. It worked pretty well. I offered her the halter, which she sniffed, and then offered it again by holding some grain in my left hand so that Billie had to reach through the nose-opening of the halter to get at the grain. Before long, I was able to pull the whole thing up her face, even tossing/slapping the end that goes over her poll across. I did this a few times and held it in place. Then worked on taking it off her face so that there was no head toss involved. I never actually buckled the halter, thinking that was something to save for another day. I'll repeat this a few more days and try buckling the new halter when I'm confident Billie is not going to freak out and run off and get a hoof caught in the larger halter! Honestly, I probably could have done it today, but why rush?

I'll be so glad when I know that I'll be able to take off her halter. Her little face is starting to lose hair in places where the halter must be chaffing. Either that or she's developed a fungus. Bound to be the halter, though.

Today I also introduced the grain I have my trail horses on. I've been feeding sweet feed and oats along with her hay up till now. But I think she's ready for Platform Pleasure. I'm real pleased with how my farm horses look on Platform and I'm hoping the change will fatten this little girl up. I also got a brush for her and was able to use that this evening. She seemed to enjoy it. I guess it really didn't feel much different from my hand--it's a soft brush. Tomorrow I'm going to try out the mane and tail brush, at least on her mane.

The final purchase today was a tub for the hay. I expect she's ingesting pooped on hay from time to time with it on the ground, and this tub is supposed to keep that from happening. Fat chance! She immediately tipped the tub over and pulled the hay out with her hoof, as if to let me know that it is normal for a horse to play in her hay! Oh well. I'll keep trying to put get her to leave it in there, at least till she starts pooping in it, too!

Charles took some pictures of me brushing Billie. I'll get those posted asap!

June 12, 2008

Today I picked up a 6 foot lead rope at the Tack Shop. When I went out to feed this evening, I clipped it onto Billie's halter while I stood outside the pen. Good plan. She was not thrilled about having a lead rope attached. She worked a bit trying to get at it with her mouth--I was afraid she would actually swallow part of the lead. Then she tried to get at the clip--it has kind of a long shank. Finally, she tried to get away from the dragging rope, but it kept following her. She stepped on it a few times. The first time or so she was upset, shaking her head. But she quickly figured out to stop and low and behold magically she was free. She also seemed to figure out where the lead was and would walk to the side of it as it dragged. Not sure I understand what that was about. After a few minutes, I unclipped the lead when she came over to see me at the pen side.

I clipped it on again (again staying outside the pen) when I fed her the grain. She didn't find it right away since she was busy eating, so I pulled the feed outside of the pen, which didn't please her. She paced around, and had to step on the lead a few times. She again figured out to stop and not fight, and then she was magically free yet again. After a few more minutes of this, I rewarded her good work by placing the feed back inside the pen and removing the lead when she was eating.

June 11, 2008

Did I mention that Billie is a little imp? This morning there seemed to be a lot of mess to clean up in her pen. Mostly, I was getting a lot of hay picked up with the poop, so the muck bucket filled up pretty fast. When it was rounded up on top, Billie got very interested. She pulled a few wisps of hay out--yuck. Then, before I knew it, she put her left hoof on the pile and pulled the whole thing over! Ugh! What a stinker she is!

I worked the rope on her some more today. Again, while she's eating grain I seem to be able to do anything. I can toss the rope all over her back and get no reaction. She's not as crazy about me tugging on her when I have the rope looped on her neck, but I'm working on that. I tug and let go, tug and let go, till I get a step from her. I tried a bit of the rope work when she wasn't eating, and she was more accepting than she had been the last time, so I think I'm making progress.

I really want to try a lead rope clipped to her halter soon. I can't wait to lead her around her pen--should be exciting!

June 10, 2008

I'm finding that I can try just about anything out on Billie while she is eating her grain. Today, I brought the rope back into the pen and rubbed her all over with it. This evening, I added tossing it over her back and neck. She didn't mind one bit! It's a little different story when she is not eating, but I think we will keep making progress.

I made a huge boo-boo today. I was tossing the bigger rocks from her pen because they seem to make her stumble and I know my other horses do not care for them. At one point, I was squatting down and Billie came up to sniff me. I thought this was a good thing since I was holding the rope and I was hoping that this was her real interest. Before I knew it, that little filly had snuffled my sleeve and then took a bite! It didn't break the skin (or tear the sleeve), but it is going to bruise. Of course I slapped her and then growled at her twice--I think she got the message.

June 9, 2008

What a nice day today with the mustang. I spent a bit of the morning, after horsey chores, putting more decomposed granite in Billie's pen. She was really freaked when I would approached with the wheel barrow, but then would settle down. She minded not one bit when I would push the wheel barrow into her pen and dump the contents. She even offered to help spread the granite!

I can definitely stroke her all along her back and some down her front legs. It's really easy while she's eating, but I can do this when I'm just hanging out with her, too.

I think I will start bringing the rope into the pen with me again and rub her all over with that. Then I'll start some desensitizing with it and then try pulling her with the rope. She already lets me shove her off balance to move her around while I'm working in the pen, so I don't think this will be a big shock.

June 8, 2008

I figured out a sneaky way to have Billie let me pet her with the bamboo pole. I place her feed bucket at the side of the pen so that I can stand beside her outside the pen and rub her with the pole! She really didn't like it at first, but she was hungry and kept coming back to the feed. After a few minutes, she didn't mind the pole any more! Over the past few days I've been able to rub her with the pole from the withers up to her ear, back down to her tail head, down each leg, under her neck, under her belly, down the sides...well all over. I tried to use the pole while standing inside the pen again, and although she wasn't "wild pony" like the first time, she was clearly not too thrilled with it. I think this will change and she'll be used to it in a few more days. Now when I walk past her, I can stroke all the way from her ears down to her rump. I can even stroke down her legs as far as her knee (front) with no reaction. I'm just letting her get used to me touching touching touching.

June 5, 2008

She's finally learning some manners. It helps that I enter her pen with the stock whip when carrying food, especially grain. She stays back yet does not seem terribly perturbed. Nor does she rush the grain when I set it down. Good little girl.

Charles unloaded the round bale and it sure makes it easier to peel hay off it. Billie eats a lot of hay! I can understand why it is so expensive these days to keep a horse if the horse is not on pasture and you have to buy hay. Billie ate through 3 square bales (or almost) the first week home. Depending on what you pay per bale ($5.00 - $7.50 is what I've paid the last few weeks), you could spend upwards of $100 per month on just the hay! The grain runs $15-30 per month. Thank goodness my trail horses are on pasture! I can't wait for Billie to join them out at the farm.

June 4, 2008

Billie has opinions. This was evident this morning. I pulled hay from the round bale we brought in from the farm for her (square bales are WAY easier, I think, but the round bale is what I have) and she was impatient to eat. But I think she was impatient for the grain I had brought out to her pen, not the hay! I was cramped for time, so did not do the usual pen cleaning while Billie ate her hay; I started to bring the grain in and she SO ambushed me! I could not get the critter to back off so I could safely enter the pen! I finally tossed the grain outside the pen and closed the gate. Billie had a little fit then, tossing her head and making a slight horsey sound. I then had to play "get away from me/the gate" till she went to the other side of the pen. When she did that (and stayed) I brought the grain in and she got to eat that.

Later today, Bev brought me a beautiful bamboo pole! We headed over to the barn and she got Cola out so that we could rub the pole on him and get it all horsey smelling. That took a bit of time getting Cola to know that the pole was supposed to be massaging him! He's a good boy, though, and was licking his lips and then standing so nice and quiet.

I then took the pole over to Billie's stall, thinking I would just walk around and let her see it while I held it upright (like a flag pole). She was real interested in it! Yippee! I let her mouth and lick on it, then decided to try touching her wither area...oops! Did I mention she's a wild mustang?!?!

Sorry, but I just don't have the stand still or walk calmly thing down just yet. I had to scoot around her seemingly shrinking pen to stay out of harms way! Yikes!

Funny horsey, she would settle down almost right away and come back over to mouth the pole that I was holding either upright or parallel to the ground, sniff, mouth, sniff, mouth, chew, yada yada yada. But when I touched her, a switch was thrown and she was wild horsey again! I decided to leave the pole in the pen on the ground and just let her play with it for awhile.

I was over at the fence chatting and a couple of times looked up to see her picking up the pole with her mouth, step on it, or whatever, and then she would be wild horsey again! She was wild horsey a couple of times--glad I was OUTSIDE the pen!

I later scooped a bit of poop and brought her more hay and grain. She was her usual playful pet-me self. Did I mention that she lets me pet/stroke her neck and mane? Why am I using that pole?!?! Oh, right...I need to get to her whole body! Sometimes it seems that she would not mind if I clipped a lead rope to her halter and led her outside the pen. She just doesn't seem to mind me messing with her halter. That doesn't mean I've taken the halter off yet. No sir. But maybe we can get there in another week or two.

June 3, 2008

Wow! I just feel so lucky to have won the lotto and ended up with this little filly! I am so very pleased with our progress to date. Now I can pet her on each side of her neck. This started by taking advantage of her eating out of the feed bucket while I hold it. She really didn't like it at first and would waggle her head, but she is non-plussed about it now. I still have to work on her manners so that I do not get ambushed entering her pen with feed or hay, but all I really have to do is wave her away.

I've been watching bits of the two mustange videos that came in the mail. Each has really good info even though at times the information is contradictory (of the other video, that is). I am really anxious to try a bamboo pole and hope for good results. I've tried to do a little bit with the lunge whip I have on hand, but the end that hangs down is a problem and worries the filly. And it is not really a lunge whip but rather a stock whip, so it is shorter and the hanging end is too short to be able to hold in check. I know, I could put a rubber band on it or something, but that might catch her hair.

It's interesting spending time with Billie. She seems content to have me in her pen scooping poop and talking to her. When I sit outside her pen, she often stands nearby, seeming to be waiting for me to do something. I can't wait to get more training under our belts so that we can do more together.

May 30, 2008

Billie is much better already about not ambushing as we enter with hay or feed. It just took one day of "go away" practice and she seems to understand to not crowd when we say not to.

This afternoon I took a rope out to the pen with me. I let Billie sniff it and mouth it. She came at it from both directions just like a smart horsey should. I was able to use it to shoo her away and to direct her movement. She didn't mind it one bit in my hand; she sniffed at the coil as I held it and let me rub it on her muzzle.

Today she let me rub her on her star between her eyes! Whoohoo! It was almost as though she thought that felt good and seemed to keep coming back for more rubs. I really hope this means I'll be able to touch and rub her neck in another week or so. From there, I ought to be able to rub her all over with the rope and then work my way into "catching" her with the rope.

May 29, 2008

A New Game!

Billie grows bolder by the day--when I enter her pen carrying hay or feed, she is ready to ambush and eat out of my hands. But a real ambush it may become, so I've started waving my hand at her in that "go away" manner so I can be in charge of the scene. This gave me an idea today to try a new game, and Billie was willing to play along!

I've already been "directing" her as I move around her pen using body language that I use daily with my other horses to keep her out of startle and kick range. Today I thought to try drawing her to me with other body language that I often employ. Namely, I walked along kissing and calling to her, inviting with my hand, and she actually followed my movement! Very exciting. After doing this a few times, and going both directions around the pen, I thought I should try the brakes out, too. So I shooed her away by focusing my mental energy at her hind end, waving my arm as I sometimes do to get a horse to move at the end of a line, and she moved on and out as I hoped. I followed this with more "follow me/come here" and more "go away", finishing with the "come here". At a couple of the "come here's" I offered a piece of alfalfa cube on my bare hand, which she gently took. All good work.

This afternoon, I finally received the mustang gentling videos I've been waiting on and can't wait to learn more games/lessons to try with Billie.

May 28, 2008

Interesting day...a good day. Billie continues to eat hay from my hand and to eat from the ground feeder while I hold it. She does not mind my presence in her pen to scoop poop or bring feed. Tonight, I had friends over and took a few out to meet Billie. Beverly squatted by the corner of Billie's shed and let Billie sniff her over. At some point, Bev moved and Billie startled, going into a pretty rearing dance. She got over it pretty quickly and headed back to sniff at Bev some more. Bev noted that each time Billie encountered someone new, she would go over to my spot at the fence before heading back to the newbie, as though for reassurance--a nice thought and compliment to me, I guess, meaning that I offer comfort and security for Billie.

Billie continues to be curious about visitors and her surroundings. My thought is that she must have had a relatively "pleasant" capture experience. She does not seem frightened of things/events/people. That is not to say she does not startle and is not cautious, but she does not exhibit fear of new things/events/people. The BLM must have done a good job in her capture.

May 27, 2008

We really lucked out when Billie walked into the chute and onto our trailer! This little girl seems to really want to be part of our herd.

Yesterday she was eating hay out of my hand, and when Charles climbed up onto the roof of her shed to add more screws to the tin, she really didn't mind either his being on the roof or the sound of the drill--she didn't ignore it, but her reaction was minimal.

Today I introduced some grain--I think she must have had some of that before! I put it in a ground feeder and held it at my waist, and that little girl walked right up to me and ate it as I held the feeder! After a bit, I set the feeder on the ground and stood next to it. That didn't faze her either. She ate as I stood there. At one point, she reached her muzzle to me and sniffed as if to say "thank you" for the yummy snack. Right after that, as she was munching more grain, she stepped on the edge of the feeder and scared herself (and me!) and had to wheel away! She walked right back, though, and ate more, stepped on it again, scared herself a tiny bit less than before, and came right back to the feeder. I decided at that point to make my exit so I would not be in the way on subsequent startles!

For the record, we are able to enter the pen, scoop poop, put down hay, rake hay, put down feed, etc., all in just a couple of days after bringing her home! Amazing! What a gem of a wild horse.

May 25, 2008

This morning when I went out to the pen, Billie came right up to me at the fence! She sniffed at me but did not want me to touch that muzzle today. I fed her and checked her water, then set to work cleaning up the pen. At first, I scooped poop I could reach through the panels, but lots more poop was in the center of the pen. I decided to try opening the gate to see what would happen--nothing. Billie stood watching me, seeming curious about what I was up to opening the gate and all. My hand waving did nothing to scoot her to the back of the pen so I would feel better about entering--she just seemed not concerned that I wanted to be in the pen with her. After a few minutes, I was no longer very interesting and she went over to her hay pile to munch away, so I decided it was time to enter all the way like it was no big deal that I would be inside the pen with a manure fork picking poop. I didn't turn my back on her the whole time but set about my work and got most of the poop up; Billie was fine with the whole event. Mostly she munched her hay; a few times she walked over to the side of the pen to peer around the shelter to see what was going on but would always go back to the hay.

Later this morning, Charles was visiting with her and was thrilled to have her come up and sniff him through the panels. She even let him scratch her muzzle.

We spent the day at a family reunion and got back later than intended. Billie was fine except that she had eaten every blade of hay I'd put down this morning. She set right to work when I could put more down, but didn't much care for the headlights of the truck shining in her pen--who would?

May 24, 2008 part two

I touched my mustang!

I went out to Billie's pen (when I should have been getting supper started) just to check on things. When I finished my approach, she turned and walked right up to me (I was on the outside of the pen). She sniffed at me. I happened to have a horse cookie in my pocket, so I tossed it to her. She has no clue about horse cookies, although that may be why she approached. After sniffing a bit more, she turned to get back to hay munching.

I then walked to another side of the pen, and when I stopped, she came up again! And sniffed at me some more! I put my hand out, and she let me rub her muzzle. I offered up a second cookie, which she sniffed a bit more, then she gently took it with her lips. She dropped it and didn't go looking for it. Instead, she went back to the hay.

I walked around to yet another side, and she looked my way but did not approach.

I walked around the shelter (out of her sight) and to anther side of the pen (closer to her), and she approached yet again. I got to scratch her muzzle again and again. I made sure to end our contact on a positive, and left before she could get disinterested.

How cool is that?! I touched a wild horse today!

May 24, 2008

It's a girl!

We picked up our mustang today! She is the prettiest little filly! She loaded right onto our trailer, hardly made a peep, and then shyly exited the trailer at home and made her way to the pen without event. She has spent the last few hours munching hay and listening to the sounds of the stable next door.

Her name is Billie's Holiday.

May 23, 2008

We are ready to receive our mustang!

Charles & I made it out to the farm and picked up all the panels from the round pen today. We got back to town and set up a chute for unloading the mustang.

Geez! I can't wait for tomorrow!

May 22, 2008

The pen and shelter are finished!

Charles, Elizabeth, Jay, and Cameron worked really hard and really fast to get the shelter completed today. It looks great!

This evening, Charles finished spreading the footing.

Tomorrow, he is bringing the round pen panels in from the farm so that we can make a chute for getting the mustang unloaded from the trailer and headed into the pen. After that, all that will be missing is the yearling!

Saturday is almost here!

May 21, 2008

This evening, the shelter is starting to look like a shelter! Charles, Elizabeth, Jay, and Cameron got a really good start on the pen and it will probably be finished tomorrow evening.

May 20, 2008

Thank you, Charles!

Charles made a round-trip to Mt. Pleasant today to the Priefert factory and picked up 4 panels plus a gate panel. These are the Hoss panels, which are stout and tall! He made it home about 4:30 pm and we were able to set the panels right up.

Below you'll see a picture of the panels loaded on his truck, and one of the panels set up.

We are getting so close to being ready for our mustang!

May 19, 2008

Today we got delivery of roadbase and decomposed granite. This will be the footing for the mustang pen. Elizabeth spent the morning on the tractor moving the roadbase pile from our driveway to the spot we've chosen for the pen. When Charles got home, they worked to spread it, then started on the base for the shelter.

I called around today looking for Priefer Hoss panels. The lead time to order these is 3 weeks, so Charles is driving 5 1/2 hours to Mt. Pleasant tomorrow to pick them up at the factory.

He also has Jay lined up to help him Wednesday and Thursday to get the shelter built.

It looks like we'll be ready for our mustang just in time!

May 18, 2008

I've decided that the best idea is to get things ready to receive the mustang here at home rather than sending it out to Lucy's first. I worry that if I send it out to Lucy's first, I won't be able to get it back on a trailer for awhile and then won't get to get it home! If the mustang is here at the house, I can visit with it multiple times per day as opposed to once daily.

We are scurrying around making plans, checking catalogs, and choosing the best site to set up the pen. We will use round pen panels for the pen and add a shelter to that. The plan is to have a pen with about a 25' diameter, plus the space of the shelter. The program requires 5' high pen walls, but if I can get the Priefer Hoss panels, which are 6' tall and "mustang approved", according to their advertizing, I will be thrilled. Otherwise, I'll buy more of the 5'+ Priefert panels we've used for our round pen at the farm.

We'll borrow the panels from the farm to create a chute to get the mustang from the trailer to the pen, and keep a couple extra on hand in case we have need to create a chute for a vet issue. I hope not!

The mustang comes home next Saturday. With Elizabeth home for a few weeks, Charles will have a little extra help getting things ready. I will help too, of course, but I've also got my real estate exam scheduled for Thursday morning, and I'm hoping to pass on the first try! Besides, Charles & I do not hang wall paper together well, so I think that my best job for now is cheerleader--rah rah!

Charles designed a nice shelter that he thinks he'll be able to build in a few days, and has headed off to Home Depot to get lumber as I type. Tomorrow morning, roadbase and decomposed granite are being delivered. We'll use this as footing for the pen so that we do not end up with a mud pit when all the grass in the small pen is eaten/trampled.

We are going to be SO BUSY the next few days!

I am extremely excited about this summer's project! It will surely change what I'd had in mind to stay busy and keep Eileen entertained. I expect to learn a lot--about myself, about human-horse interactions, about wildness. I cannot even really imagine right now what this wild animal will be like. I hope it is not terribly frightened when it gets here, although I cannot imagine it will not be. Can you imagine it? First, this poor thing was rounded up from its homeland, then shipped to Texas where it has been turned out for the past couple of months with other yearlings, and then it will be chased into a chute and onto a trailer, then travel an hour to my house, doors of the trailer opened into another chute leading into a pen. It will probably be able to sense the horses next door at Switch Willo and I hope this is a comfort to it.

May 16, 2008

Today I found out that I get to adopt a yearling mustang! Whoo Hooooo!

We will get a pen ready here at the house, but initially I will board him/her at Lucy's. I pick the mustang up next weekend.

Whoo Hooooooo!