Does Clinton Anderson read my blog???

"I have a whole new respect for what you do," said the voice on the phone. A neighbor, who happens to be an equine vet, had just finished watching Clinton Anderson's episode on RFD where he'd been working with mustangs. "Have you seen it?" No...I'm afraid not.

She wasn't the first person to ask. Even Curt wondered if I'd seen CA and his girls working mustangs. But until City Boy taped it and plunked me down yesterday morning, I can honestly say it hadn't ever passed in front of my eyes. And when I did sit down, it wasn't for long...

"He's been reading my blog! Look, he's using my rope trick!"

City Boy went back to check the first aired date, which was in March. Proof, I said, because I'd been using my rope long before that. He must have copied me. Right? Well, okay, maybe someone else out there realized on their own what a sweet deal a long rope can be when dealing with a wild mustang. But I'm sticking to the Clinton Anderson reads my blog story.

A few years ago I adopted this mare, Sunny. She was a reassignment, meaning someone else had adopted her but was now giving her up. She'd not been touched since they'd gotten her. Adopted in June, we picked her up in February. She'd rubbed off her halter and avoided any contact with humans, which wasn't difficult since they'd adopted a little colt who was more than willing to be buddies with them.

So when Sunny came home, we began a journey together. Quiet Storm had been easy, Sunny was not. She was shy, and very touchy about you being on her right side. People continually commented that she must be blind, but she wasn't...she was just a wild horse who didn't like you on her right side.

I worked Sunny with a rope, tossing it repeatedly over her back until it was no big deal to have it laying across her body and dangling down the other side. It took three months for her to relax enough to actually allow me to touch her right shoulder. The day she looked at me with that eye was cause for great celebration. I had to take a picture so I could look at it later and know it wasn't my imagination.

Sunny was a tough nut to crack, and being only my second wild horse, she offered me a lot of opportunities for learning. But learn I did, and learn she did as well. While I never did ride her before finding her a new adopter, she did get good at standing nicely to be tacked up, and I even lead her up on the trails.

When people ask me what my favorite tool is when working wild horses, I tell them a rope. Of course now they'll think I learned it from Clinton Anderson. But those of you who've known me long enough will know that Clinton learned it from me...(that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)