Finally home! I have twohappy mustangs in my barn. Let me catch everyone up on our progress. Sincegoing to Marks everything moved pretty fast. Tuesday I went in to each maresstall and started to brush them. I have found that they seem to like being brushedand are calmer about being touched. Also the time near them and moving aroundthem builds confidence that my movements are not aggressive. It is no differentto them as if someone threw you in to a pit of bears when you don't knowanything about the behavior of bears. I personally would panic and probablyhave to change certain articles of clothing. ;) So I try to give them a chanceto be near me without requiring anything from them. And anyone that has brushedout a mane and tail knows that it takes time. After I groomed them Mark poniedSable (the black mare) out to the round pen. We did a little ground work andthen saddled her. She moved out under saddle with no problem. Mark asked if Iwanted to ride her first or him. I didn't trust her near as much as he didso I got him too. lol! I kept thinking “I am a mother of small children!” and Ireally didn't need to take the risk on one I wasn’t sure was ready. So Markhopped on and rode her around in the halter. Walked, trotted, loped with noproblem I was surprised because she was much more flighty then Sunday (thedun). She moved really nice. After lunch we pulled out Sunday and did the samething. She wiggled a little more then Sable did and I was having troublesaddling with a new roping saddle I started using. It was about 15 poundsheavier then my barrel saddle that I start colts in and much harder to throw. Ifinally got it on and moved her around the round pen. She was perfect. I wasmuch more confidant with her then Sable and I was sure she wouldn't buck. Itrusted her much more, mainly because she oozes confidence. Mark dallied her tohis saddle horse so I could step up. I half mounted a few times and she startedto hop. The pommel popped up into my collarbone. It felt like I was beingtossed around like a rag doll. I thought “just hang on and she will settle”Well she didn’t. So I stepped offhoping that she wouldn’t kick on the way down. Thankfully she wasn’t moving infear so she wasn’t to worried. I wasn't confidant in trying again. I told Mark totry because I knew my lack of confidence would get me bucked off. I was sureglad he did because she bucked and there was no way I would have ridden it. Thefunny thing was she wasn't scared or mean. She was playing like a colt would.After a few good jumps she lined right out and moved around like a champ. Soyesterday I got her out and saddled her and worked her in my normal equipmentand she did great. Miranda and Mark challenged me to ride her in a halter vs.the snaffle that I normally start colts in. (I do it because I am a weenie, orthe fact I just feel like I need the control). Both mares had their teethworked on that morning so bits were out of the question anyway. So I hopped onher and started moving her around. I started laughing because every time shewould move out I would try to stop her, even though she wasn't trying to doanything. I could hear Miranda on the edge of the pen hollering, "Leaveher alone and let her go". I would give her rein and then get scared andstart picking up. Then Miranda would holler again. The reason we let them go isif you try to control them some times they get scared and then you could causethem to buck from fear. Usually they are fine if you just sit there. I got tolaughing at myself I could barely ride. I stepped off Sunday and gave her apat. I was so happy she did every thing that I asked.
I will tell you a littleabout them both...
Sunday (the dun) ishilarious. After brushing her the other day she has been in my pocket eversince. She has no fear of me at all. In fact she is pushy at times. She yawns alot! She also smiles a lot! Yes she smiles...every time she does something goodor funny she will throw her nose in the air, roll her lip back and show herteeth. Of coarse anyone that has seen her laughs. I think that is why she keepsdoing it. This I have a feeling will come in handy.
Sable (the black) is myinsecure one. She hasn't really come around to really loving me. She lets metouch her and brush her but not before protesting a little. She is really goodunder saddle so far. She needs a leader. She has deemed Sunday her big sisterand copycats every thing she does. Since we got home today. Sable even eats outof the same food pan as Sunday. I hope in the next few days she will trust meas a leader and become more confident.
While talking with a good friend today I realized the lesson that Godwas teaching me this week. I realized that it wasn't only on colts that I tryto control. Many times I have a tendency to try to control things that only Godcan control. Many times I feel that people out of fear of loosing control tryto make God do things. Or even worse try to take over what is Gods business.Over and over I have barrel racers that come out and are tight as cats on topof their horse. Pulling back as much as they can trying to control the horseeven when the horse is doing nothing wrong. Then when they need control theydon't have any because they have dulled down all of their cues. When insteadthey could ride around on a loose rein and allow their horse to do their joband then IF the horse needs direction they can give it and the horse is morethen happy to comply. I see people trying to control things of Godthinking that they know best. Just like people don't trust their horse..they don'ttrust God. I am SO speaking to myself right now. I think that we might besurprised if we would just let go and let God work in our lives. There are manytimes that we block things that God would like to do because we just won't getout of the way. Something else that I learned this week is that some times youneed some one yelling from the sidelines to remind you to let go. I let go ofmy mare this week because I knew that Miranda is more experienced in coltstarting then me and knows what to look for. She also is on of the people in mytraining life that will challenge me to do things that I would never dream. Shestretches me as a trainer and makes me better. In spiritual things of life I have others that are my"side line yellers" that keep me doing what I need to be doing. So mychallenge to you today is let God do what he wants to do for you, and let goand see what happens. Challenge number two...find someone that is confident inwho they are in God to be your cheerleader to keep you accountable to what youneed to do. They will challenge you to do things that you have never donebefore. With those two things you will catch a ride that will blow yourmind. 
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