Fun day!

So today was quick but fun. I pulled Sunday out and went to go tie her to the trailer to saddle her. My 4-wheeler was parked very close to her and as she passed she stuck out her nose to investigate it. I allowed her time to look.  I decided that I would climb on and start it and see what she did. She didn't move a muscle. As it was roaring she steadily touched all of it with her nose. It was almost like she had been waiting on this chance for awhile. I noticed that both mustangs weren't afraid of the 4-wheeler  she seemed really interested in what it was. So as I sat there a minute I figured clicking it into gear and leading her off it wouldn't hurt. She even walked behind it where the exhaust blew at her and she just gave it a funny look. She led beside it like a champ as I picked up speed she trotted right along. I then took her out to the pasture and up the drive to my house and told Dan to video. She trotted all over. I was so happy to see that she was that interested. I took her back to the trailer and saddled her up. Today I worked on her mounting and bridling skills both need help. I accidentally kicked her in the butt mounting her  a few weeks ago and it has slowly turned into an issue. It went from a small spook to a jump and run scenario the last few rides. She did way better after working with me today. The other big step for her today was I figured out a way to rig her bit so she won't get her tounge over the bridle. After the initial introduction to how the bit felt. I got on and began working on her face. She quickly figured out how to lower her head and travel around the pen she turned very well and stopped like a pro. I guess all I have taught her in the halter just translated right over to the bridle. Happy to see us finally moving into what I know. It is a challenge to constantly be on guard and reading them by each minute. Sometimes I wish they were just normal, but then I realize how much I learn because they aren't normal. 

 

God doesn't care about our "eventuallys" He cares about our "today's"

So over the last few days it has been frustrating for me...If you followed me last year then you know I tell the good, bad, and ugly. I told you at the end of my last post that I wanted to take some big steps over the next few days. Well mustangs don't really work on our schedule. Both girls have been really reactive and "mustangy" ever since last weekend and I have had a tough time pulling them back around. Sunday took a great step a few days ago, I got on her again with the halter and she is very light. We are still waiting on the bosal to come in due to the fact that the first one came in and was defective. The last few days I have been fond of Sunday. I seem to have had more luck with her. So in the process of trying to progress her I took her out of the pen with Sable and put her in the barn in Spade's (last years mustang) stall. Spade then has to eat in the ally of the barn since I am full in every pen. It was a great move because it made Sunday start focusing on me instead of everything else. It cause Spade to eat in the ally of the barn where there is more movement around him. It was good for me because I am terrified to walk behind Spade because he kicks so bad. Since this change has happened Spade settled down and will actually let me walk around and behind him as I feed other horses. This has built my confidence in him tremendously. He has really softened over the last few months. After returning last year he kinda did his own thing and I rode him only once after coming back from the challenge. It has taken him a while to come around but he is finally there. I hope to start him on barrels after the Mustang Million.

I am happy with where Sunday is but it has been tough to figure out a plan with out the use of a bridle. On the flip side of things the move wasn't all that great for Sable. She didn't like being by herself at all. She would pace the fence the majority of the day and lost weight quickly over the few days she was in that pen alone. I didn't realize how bad she was until I tried to catch her a few days ago. She ran around like crazy. I was trying to catch her to get her feet done for the first time. As I was moving her around the pen she seemed to not only be avoiding me,  she genuinely seemed fearful. I was at least 60 feet away from her at all times. By the time I realized she was afraid enough to do something outstanding, she had lock her eyes on the 6 ft fence at the pasture side of the pen. She very strategically loped to the fence and jumped. Her feet caught the top foot of the fence and the whole section of panel came crashing down. She landed on her feet on the other side and continued to run out to the 40 acer grazing pasture. I looked at my farrier and calmly told him that she wouldn't be done that day. :) Since she pulled that stunt I knew something had to be done to get her back on track so yesterday I spent and hour with her doing ground work and bathing and grooming her. She seemed to come back to earth after yesterday. This morning I was sitting at the barn in the car and I pulled out my devotional app on my phone. It always seems to have the quick word that I need. This morning it was talking about how we only get what we expect from the Lord. Believe more, you receive more. It was really good I am bummed I don't know how to copy it on here. But as I read it I realized that I had no faith in God for these horses. I guess I assume that God isn't worried about my progress or deadlines. Danial and I were talking the other day about how sometimes people with talent, no matter what it is, have a tendency to rely on that talent instead of allowing God to take control. I asked myself if I can do what I do in my own power how much more can God do. God interrupted me. I felt Him say "Kelli I can only do what you expect me to do. How much do you expect?" Right then I decided that I was going to pull out my very skittish mustang and saddle her at the trailer like a big girl. I expected her to stand and be saddled quietly. It was a little slower then my normal speed, but she did it. So I then thought, I want to teach my lesson off her this morning. This would require me to be in the arena. So I took her to the round pen and moved her around (with a long line...we will not be jumping anymore fences!!) She seemed good so I hoped on. I rode her around at a walk and trot. She was perfect. The circumstances with my student weren't safe to ride her during the lesson so I tied her and saddled another horse. She stood at the trailer until my lesson was over and I put her away. So tonight I felt that she needed a better ride then we had this morning. I went to the barn to do the work for tonight. I grabbed her first. A friend was riding with me tonight so I took the chance to work Sable in the round pen. I hoped on her almost completely cold and tuned up her feel. I made sure she wasn't going to run off with me. Then I was determined to take the step I have been dreading. Riding her in the arena. There I feel like there is no safety if she wanted to buck or run. It is also intimidating to colts. It can be very scary. My friend was on her seasoned horse so I felt safer. Sable surprised me. She turned very curious...she rushed to meet the other horse and she happily followed him around. The things that usually spook most colts, she would approach to investigate. She seemed like she loved the "purpose" of being in the pen. I started showing her some of the movements that we struggled with the last few weeks and she started getting it. She was moving like she had been ridden 10 more times then she has. I realized that I wasn't expecting enough. I was limiting myself, my mustang, and my God. So my challenge to you today is think about the areas in your life that you are limiting God by your lack of faith that things can truly be different. The bible says, Faith of a mustard seed can make mountains move...how many times have you heard that and said "Mountains don't really move?" I know I have. And it is true in the natural. But God can make things that you can't see or things that don't seem possible, very possible. My mountain, today, was very small on the grand scene of things. I limited Him because I assumed God didn't really care. I knew I could get there in my own power, eventually. But God doesn't care about our "eventuallys" He cares about our "today's". He wants you to believe Him for the "right nows". A person can eventually receive healing or they can be healed right now. Your marrige can eventually be restored or it can be restored today. You can eventually become sucsessful or it could be today. Joseph is one of my favorite people of the bible for multiple reasons but one of those reasons is that he proved that God is in the "suddenly business". In 24 hours he went from the prison to the palace. He became second in command in Egypt, and it wasn't even his own country!  I believe that Joseph relied on the Lord and in His promises. He knew from when he was a boy that he would be special and that was his expectation. So it made it easy for God to do amazing things in his life. It is all on what you believe and have faith for. Have faith that God can change your world, big mountain or small.

Quick Update!

Gosh I keep forgetting to blog!! I have been pretty lazy with the mustangs the last few days. I let them out to graze trying to get them show ready. I only have time for a certain amount of riding due to the heat. Both of them are about the same. I have started to feel like I am not moving on them at all. Then Danial reminded me to look back at where they were four weeks ago and I will see how far they have come.  I feel behind because I am not in the arena on them yet but in reality I am riding in my big round pen mainly because it is shaded in the mornings and the arena is not. The round pen is a good 10-15 degrees cooler then the arena. I figure I teach as much in there as I can and then the arena will be even easier. LOL really I don't like the heat. Either way they are both riding pretty great so I stepped back and started doing some ground things with them to start getting them ready for things that they need to be prepared for. So day before yesterday I pulled them out and got them both walking over the tarp. Sunday has been really a confidant little horse. Everything you ask her to do she is over dramatic about how she doesn't want to but them does it with no issue at all. She is really funny. She is always second guessing if she can accomplish a task, then always surprises me on how well she masters things. Sable is the opposite. She seems like all is fine, then looses her confidence, but then turns around and does it pretty well. Thing about Sable is when she gets scared (which is rare) she will explode. That make me nervous.
Today I called the MHF (Mustang Heritage Foundation) to find out how the classes are separated. Once I heard how cool this year will be I decided to take some stress off and do one mare in the specialty classes and the other in the Legends class. The goal is to just have fun. Now to figure out which horse goes where and which classes to enter. I feel way more less stress because of this decision.  My current feeling is that Sunday is my Legends horse and Sable is my specialty horse. But that could change. Today I taught Sunday to pick me up off the fence. Although I was teaching her in the stall and  I felt it was to small to jump on and ride. I am excited in what I am seeing. We are still having issues with the bit. I was so excited to see my package that came in today that had my bosal in it. I pulled it out and inspected it ready to rig it, shape it, and use it tomorrow. As I started trying to shape it I realized that it was literally longer on one side then the other. It was crooked. I thought to myself "This isn't going to work." So I called the company repacked it and got it ready to send back. So needless to say I was bummed.
As far as Sable she has been having a small "mustang moment" where they are scared of everything. I am going to work with her in the morning if weather permits to see how she is. I plan on riding them a lot in the next week. I have got to make some big steps soon so I can get them going. I fell half way there on five different paths. I will keep everyone informed. Night all.

Rewind to go forward.

Well I am in no mans land again. Every new mustang I feel like there is a huge learning curve. They never just train like a domestic horse. They are way better at somethings and way slower on others. I have done a lot but I was only able to ride them every other day this week due to my wacky schedule. At the beginning of the week I pulled up the Mustang Million trainer group on Facebook, which I try not to do because it discourages me. It make the process way more competitive then it should be. You see people roping cow, jumping obstacles and all kinds of other amazing things. It makes you want to hurry or give up one of the two. When in reality it is a snap shot of how the horse is kinda doing. It is very distracting. So that being said I opened a video of a trainer that has been a good friend to me. She is the one that won Reserve Champion last year and is unbelievably talented. In her video she started loping her horse (this years mustang) around bridle less and as she finished her perfect circle (Yes, a circle bridle less!) the horse came to a sliding stop. I was like "really" ???? Then it showed her at liberty (no tack on her horse) in the arena and the girl would run on foot as fast as she could and call her mustang by name and the horse would run to her no matter where she was. I reminded myself that was what I was competing against. After a small pity party I realized how she might have trained the horse to come to her on foot. Knowing that she rarely uses cookies or treats I kinda thought it through. So the next day I ran out of time to ride another horse, so I pulled out Sunday and released her in the arena. She ran around a few minutes and I started working with my theory. Within minutes Sunday faced me and ran directly to me. That lead to me running backwards and forwards around the pen and she was right on me the whole time. No halters needed. I had achieved what I wanted. I was encouraged by that day that I am competing against some brilliant and inventive trainers but with the right motivation to go outside my box I can do things like that too. Since then I try not to short change myself.
The next day I pulled out Sable to ride her. She had a moment of defiance while saddling. It wasn't the breast collar this time. It was tightening the saddle. She figured out that I use to hands to pull my latigo and when I would pull she would run forward. I corrected her and haven't had an issue since. Riding Sable has done amazing. She is so "normal" that I never feel like she is interesting. But I am really learning to trust her. I have ridden in the big round pen on everyone recently but that is mainly because it is shaded in the morning. I hope to get her in the arena this week. She is very soft. She is moving shoulders and hips fairly well and has a HUGE stop. I am really excited about her.
Sunday is different. I have had a very hard time progressing on her. She is fine on the ground but very unstable in the saddle. I feel like if I breathe wrong she will bust open and start to buck. I say that but she bumped the fence with her hip yesterday and all she did was jump. To make it even tougher she is having a lot of trouble in the bit. She can't seem to find were her tongue goes and all my tricks to fix it haven't really worked. She fusses with it the whole time I am riding her. So yesterday after not getting anything done for about 10 minutes I got frustrated and pulled the bridle off and put my halter back on. I tied the lead back to the halter and got on. I started to ride her around and realized she knew how to turn, move her shoulders and hips and stop with the halter alone. She was very soft and manageable. She is still a little worried about my movements in the saddle. I will be really glad when she gets over that. I came in and started looking at what it might take to ride her in a bosal instead of a bridle. After checking on what I needed I ordered one today and can't wait til it gets here. I will continue in the halter until then.
So once again the mustangs have forced me to broaden my skills and learn something I have never learned before. Sable is working on my seat and my stops and Sunday is going to teach me how to correctly use a bosal and bitless bridles. As I look back though my life I can remember lessons that my horses have taught me through out the years. Wildfire was my first horse. He taught me what a good horse feels like, because of him I have never owned a bad horse. He was patient while I learned horses and barrels. He taught me to quench my fear.  Katie was my next horse.  I rode her for almost a year and she ducked off the second barrel every time, every weekend. After attending Josey's summer school I learned to hold my balance and ride her correctly. She taught me that it is never the horses fault, and you can always ride better. Perfectionism was born in my life. She taught me persistance, perfect practice, and to never give up. The years to come were epic. I won more then I could imagine and this was before the 4D was invented. Katie taught me what it was to win. Then came my love, Star, I bought her when she was 2 years old. I think I was 10 years old. She was started but I had to train her and finish her. She was my first horse to train. It took me three years to get her finished to the point that we were running. She got to the 1D and we never looked back. She is still in my pasture today, retired of coarse. Between Katie and Star I ran youth rodeo until my freshman year in high school. I won a lot of titles and money those years. They taught me how to maintain horses that were athletes. That freshman year I was forced to start riding another horse due to Star's health. It was a professional horse that belonged to a friend, Sage. We matched perfect from day one. I rarely lost a rodeo or barrel race for a year and a half, always in the top placing. I bought him after the first twelve months. Sophomore year, He had an injury to his hip. I went from never losing to struggling to place. Sage taught me that a champion is a way of life not a title that you win. He taught me that you don't need a title to prove who you are. He got better and earned me a scholarship, but never ran the same. While I was running Sage I was training a young mare, Diamond. She was a very large horse and extremely spooky. She was the poster child of a HOT horse. She is the one that taught me patiences. She taught me to do things the natural way. She taught me how to keep a horse from blowing up and how important it was to gain their mind and trust. She taught me how important it was to have a bond.  She was by far my greatest challenge to that point, but was a great teacher. I owned her 12 years. She went though thick and thin with me. She went to college in Louisiana to California and back to Texas with me. She was my sanity and my closest friend though many tough years. Sunday reminds me of her. Manna is my current barrel horse and he has taught me to just have fun and to never judge a book by his cover. Funnest horse I have owned in a while and the ugliest too :).  The mustangs have revolutionized my professional life I can't tell you what they have taught me and where they are taking me. I owe Spade a ton. He has been my greatest teacher.  Now that I am training many colts a month each one teaches me little things here and there. They are why I am a better person and I am convinced that God has a training plan for me spiritually and professionally. Jer 29:11 And it is HIM that sends me the right horses at the right time to teach me in both areas of my life. Currently He is working on my trust.  Sometimes it is important to stop and look where we have come from to remember where we are going. I am thankful that God has always had his hand on me in what I do. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. Heb 11:1 Faith is what activates God in our lives. I have faith that God is moving me in the right direction. This week I have learned that you don't have to trust your horse or trust in people, you just have to trust in God and He will make the paths straight.