More Better Than the Rest

We were driving down the road, Darling and I, that sunny Friday morning, when we came across a little antique shop with a sign that said 'More Better Antiques'.  We laughed, saying wouldn't the Grammar Nazi love that?  More better...

Our destination had been Ride the West, a horse fair being held in Spokane, WA.  There was a BLM adoption being held there, though it was not our intent to adopt.  They would be in Monroe two weeks later; that was much closer to us.  But we wanted to enjoy the weekend together and it never hurt our feelings to visit another adoption event.

Of course...once there, we started shopping. We couldn't help ourselves!  And the BLM staff, bless their hearts, said that if we found something we liked, they'd haul it back to Monroe if we wanted to adopt that weekend.  And so...you know how it is...we did!  

We had a short list, and among those first few picks was a tall, rangy red dun colt.  Goodness, he was a lanky thing, but he caught our eye, and Darling dubbed him "More Better", because, she said, he was more better than the rest.

We were not the only ones who the colt attracted that morning.  Not far from us on the bleachers was a young woman who'd lost the bid on another mustang, and she was determined not to lose this boy.  Darling and I didn't have much in the way of funds, so it didn't take long for us to be outbid.  We were disappointed, but someone else was made terribly happy.  And in the end?  We went home winning the bid on little Quiet Storm, which was the best possible horse for Darling to start on.

I'd been cruising the internet for a wild horse forum, but didn't find one.  I went straight to work and created one, which drew not a lot of traffic, but among the few original members was none other than Andrea...the woman who'd outbid us on that red dun gelding.  Over the past six years we've shared a love for that boy, who grew into an extremely handsome, tall, stout horse.  I was fortunate to visit with him in person a few years ago when I was in Spokane for a mustang show.  Andrea hauled him over from her Idaho home.  She'd done such a good job with that boy, who she'd named Tonka.

So many of my readers also read Andrea's blog, and by now you've undoubtedly learned that she lost this incredible gelding this weekend.  My heart aches for her, but I am so thankful that she is at peace with it all.

Andrea is not letting the grass grow under her feet.  She put the word out that she was now in need of a horse so that she and her husband could continue trail riding.  Mustang or domestic, it didn't matter, just as long as it was of decent size and had a good mind.

I messaged Andrea from facebook and asked if she wouldn't be interested in adopting from the corrals again?  It's so difficult to choose one from the photos, of course, but I sent her to my photo album of adoptable geldings from my last trip to Burns.  Low and behold, there he was...the big stout bay gelding.  He made her heart go pitter pat, she said.  So at the moment I am waiting with baited breath to hear if she's able to adopt.  I'm hoping and praying he's just as good a friend to her as Tonka!

I'm Getting a Cold...

Better now than, say, three weeks from now! Have you looked at your calendars lately? Christmas is just 21 days away! Scary. Really, really scary.

Now that my horse trailer is back in action, thanks to a new axle, Darling and I have begun hauling the boys back up to the riding club. Darling has stated she'll just be working Steve Holt! from the ground the first few days. Smart kid. It's been over a month since the horse show where we found ourselves begging for a ride home, and despite Steve Holt! being such a good minded chap, he is, after all, a three year old.

Yesterday whilst Darling was in school I decided to help the process along a bit by bringing Steve Holt! up to the arena for a short workout (from the ground, naturally.) The more short sessions he's got under his belt, the better he'll be when she climbs on his back. He's not accustomed to going anywhere without Sandy, so did a bit of whinnying, but mostly he played, running around the arena, kicking up his heels, and of course, gazing at himself in the mirror (that is, you know, his favorite activity!)

Once he'd finished stretching his legs a bit, I took him for a walk up around the stables. We saw plenty of pretty ponies, sticking their heads over the rails and calling to us. Steve Holt! took only a mild interest, then went back to searching for green blades of frost encased grass. It's nice to know you can take a fresh three year old out for a walk into unchartered territory and have them not get all goo goo eyed and buggy about strange horses calling to them.

I'm making that pinto an honorary mustang. He's got some super good preservation skills. He snorted and blew and hid inside the dark cave his owner has provided him. Everyone else ran out to visit, but he warned them. He warned them good! He's adorable, don't you think?

With the recent gather of South Steens down in Oregon, there's bound to be a ton of colorful ponies available for adoption right now. In fact, there is such a variety, we got word yesterday that the Burns District will be holding "Color Fest" in February! Duns, roans, and spotted butts will be available at a special event. If anyone is considering adopting, but you've been more inclined to find something with color, now is the time!

Don't forget to read the post below. It tells which two photos were selected, and the winner of an 8x10!

Goin' Out With My Spurs On

Our first trip to Burns we spotted a man decked to the hilt looking all the part of a 50's Hollywood Cowboy as he strutted across the road and into...the fabric store? Certainly you wouldn't have seen John Wayne doing that. Or would you? After all, this guy was wearing his work clothes, from cowboy hat to jingle bobs, he was the real deal and in the dusty high desert ranch town he was not one bit out of place.

In my town, people do not dress the part of the old west, but rather you'll see them in their business suits or dresses as they scurry about from desk job to the counter at the bank to the line at Starbuck's. Except me that is. I go out with my spurs on. Heck, it's what I wear when I go to work, so that's what I've got on when I head out to do business. Pink boots and pretty little spurs. Maybe I need to invest in a wild rag to go with?

This has been a rough couple of weeks here for me. Typically when I get a cold, it's a 48 hour deal. They can get as nasty as all get out in that 48 hours, but by day three I've bounced back and am kicking harder than ever. But not this time. My throat still burns and there's a mild fever that floats in and out with it. I suspect the fever is more humidity related than anything; it's barely there and most often found after I come in from working with the horses. A recent trip to the Dr confirmed there is nothing I can take; this is viral and attacking the vocal cords, so suffer through is the best I can do. Hence, I've severely limited my phone calls.

I've also limited my time with the new trainees in an effort to heal a bit sooner, rather than drag this thing on and on. I actually took the entire weekend off, something I'm not prone to doing, and I've cut my training back to once a day, or sometimes twice, rather than working them 3 times a day. My goal is to keep at it just enough to not lose anything we've gained up until now.

Dakota is leading, a bit shyly, but willingly in his small paddock. If I'm patient and keep my back to him, he'll come up and investigate, wiggling his lips on my shoulder in an attempt to familiarize himself with me. I've never had a horse who's not been gelded until age 4; he's different than the others. Gentle, quiet, but there's a power there that I don't want to awaken...at least not in a defensive manner, so we're taking things a bit slower, and I'm happy with where he is. It won't be long before he's relaxed and comfy with people.

Addie struggles still just a bit, but I've been able to scratch both sides of her at the shoulder, and today she decided it was okay to move in a forward fashion when I was 'leading' her. Typically she plants those big hind feet of hers and pivots, but nothing more. She's the most fearful of the bunch, even though I was able to touch her first. She freezes, but then jumps, so I need to be careful. I've decided to let her drag a line with her so she can learn to give when she steps on it. Much easier when they teach themselves.

Denny...oh, what a boy he is! As previously mentioned, I can nearly climb all over his right side, but he's not comfortable withe me on his left. Although~I did manage to get him lunging just 6-7 feet from me with his left side facing me. He didn't like it and made several get away attempts, but he's coming around. He's also not fond of being touched on his face, so we're working at that. He did, however, figure out the leading thing last night.

Once they get to this point, things do tend to move along. A lot will depend on my 'recovery' though. Feels funny to say that as I'm not really sick...just tired (probably increased with the heat/humidity) and feeling crummy due to the sore throat. Hopefully I can shake this in the next day or two, because...

The big Youth & Yearlings event is this weekend! I know, I know...3 months have passed and now it's time for the kids to show off what they've learned, and most will be saying goodbye to their dear little friends. If you're in the area, please come out and support them at Black Raven in Arlington.

TIP, and Spare Tires

I've been contacted by our local fair and asked to return with wild horses once again. Last year we brought three mustangs in and did gentling demos all week with them, taking them from fearful, shaking creatures to halter broke ponies looking for a leader. It was great fun, and the crowds loved what we were doing.

The horses I bring are part of TIP (trainer incentive program), which was created by the Mustang Heritage Foundation to help trainers cover costs while the horses are in their care. If the horse is adopted within 90 days, they'll send you a check to help cover expenses. If you don't find an adopter, you're out the money you've put into the horse, unfortunately, so it's good if you can get a good minded, easily adopted animal in your hands.

Of course, people all want pretty, colorful ponies, especially if they're getting mustangs. And who can blame them? But a lot of nice bays such as Sandy and Steve Holt! get overlooked because of that, so the horses who come through TIP are typically the bays and browns and blacks. But a couple of weeks ago I got a call to tell me there was a dun in the TIP corral in Oregon, and would I like him? Oh, boy, yes! He'd be perfect for the fair. I don't mind having the bays there, but one horse with a bit of flash will catch the eyes of onlookers, and that's very important. So this past weekend Darling and I drove to Longview WA where we met the pretty dun gelding you see above.

At 4 1/2, he's very aloof and leery of people; he stuck to the back of the pen and wouldn't come forward, not even to eat. People were mesmerized by him, but his age had them discussing whether or not he could be gentled. This was exactly the reason the folks at Burns put him in the TIP program. Most people were intimidated by his age, so why not give him a chance with a bit of training?

I plunked a sign up on his pen telling folks to find me if they were interested in adopting, and I had a number of inquiries, but even with 30 days gentling offered they were still hesitant. It didn't take more than a couple of hours, however, to find someone who desperately wanted him, so before we even left for home, Dakota had an adopter. Of course, this means I haven't got anything with flash to bring to the fair as Dakota will be in his new home by then. Guess I'd better go mustang shopping, eh?

By the end of the day on Saturday I'd adopted out Dakota, found someone else who wanted their new mustang in training, and picked out another TIP mare as we were closing up. She may not be flashy, but she was a big four year old with a very pleasing attitude. Only problem was that Dakota's adopter showed up with her sister...and the sister adopted the mare! So two TIP horses were now adopted, and I had a full trailer coming home. So yes, I really DO need to go mustang shopping!

Everyone loaded easily and Darling and I waved goodbye as we headed for home. Just as we hit the pavement, however, I began to hear a little click click click. A rock, I thought...but it didn't come loose so I pulled over at the stop sign a block from the fairgrounds and climbed out to look. Oh, no! A huge nail was buried in my front tire. So back to the fairgrounds I went, where I begged and pleaded and tried my best to look like a damsel in distress in an effort to get the gruff and tough BLM men to help me out.

It looks like I ran him over, right?

Give that government man a shovel...he's having to lean on his knees!

Once the spare was on the truck we headed for home. Traffic on the way down had been horrific; a parking lot from Everett to beyond Olympia. If you know anything about WA state, you'll know that's over half the state in one big traffic jam. Thankfully that was not the case on the way home, although Seattle traffic never sleeps. With the late start, and the tire change, it was after seven by the time we hit the road and midnight before the horses were unloaded into their dark new home. I'm sure they slept as well as we did that night. I'm kind of wishing I was still sleeping!

Seattle at dusk. No, it's not blurred; that's the way it really looks!
All the Starbucks caffeine, don'cha know!

Photos in this blog post by Darling.
Go visit her at Mustang Desire.

Wild Spots

Pony Girl commented yesterday that she'd never realized there were wild Appaloosas out there, so I thought I'd post a few photos. The Warm Springs herd is known as the "Appy Herd", although you'll find the coat pattern scattered about in other HMAs as well. Jet, my black mare, was from Warm Springs but didn't have the appy coat pattern.

The mare in the top photo shows the typical Appaloosa sclera around her eye. Her color is known as a champagne dilute. This was still a bit of her winter coat; I'd love to see her now and see what she looks like today.

In the photo below, you can see a very old style Appaloosa. Poor little thing had a mane that stood straigh up in the air. And her tail? Well....

Yup...scrawny little rat tail!

The mares in these photos were all at the Monroe adoption in 2007. There wasn't a huge amount of color, but it does show the Appaloosa characteristics in a number of them. As I said, though, you can find Appies in a variety of places. The stallion below was gathered from Jackie's Butte in '07. No rat tail for this boy!

With HMAs gathered roughly every 4-5 years (depending on funding, of course, as well as range conditions), the Warm Springs horses may be coming up again before too long. Perhaps by then I can enable help Pony Girl find her dream mustang?

I Did It!

Darling's Watercolor



"Here's my halter! Take me with you!"

Steve Holt! has been pacing the paddock and crying each time he sees the horse trailer getting ready to go somewhere. I've begun hauling him alongside Sandy up to the riding club in order to get our groundwork underway again before climbing back on. The last couple of rides on Sandy have indicated my back is ready, so it's simply a matter of making sure there are no loose threads after this seven week vacation.

"I'll be good...I promise!"

Last night Froglander came up and gave Darling a riding lesson. No time like the present to climb on my boy, I decided. I had two people there to pick up the pieces and dial 911 if needed. A couple other trainers had given their horses a month off after returning home from Expo and found they were starting all over again. One said it was as though his horse hadn't even been started. I doubted that was going to happen with Steve Holt!, but wasn't planning on being alone should last months buck be a new phase of his personality I'd not met up with.

As it turned out, I climbed on a horse who'd had a vacation, but was ready to go back to work. He didn't want to pick up the lope to the left and got a bit cranky, but in the end I won that battle, along with the mental battle over images of falling that had been in the back of my mind.

So it's been done. First ride after a far too long vacation. Walk, trot and lope in the round pen, both directions, without incident. I'm about to head off with Sandy as we're meeting up with Latigo Liz for a trail ride this morning, but Steve Holt! will find himself back under saddle again tonight. And tomorrow he's heading to Curt's where we'll ride a bit more.

Now, might I direct your attention to the adorable little filly below? No bids. Why? I do not know. The wrangler comments are "Great disposition, quiet but attentive". So why no bids? She's cute! You need her!

More Oregon Internet Adoption Horses

Itching to ride and Another cutie overlooked

Steve Holt! is tired of vacation

Yesterday, Darling and I hauled Sandy and Steve Holt! up to the riding club where she rode and I hung out with my boy. He's beginning to get bored with no job, and it was all I could do to keep myself out of the saddle. My back still has a small sore spot which gives me little to no problem for the most part, but Steve Holt! is a big mover, and you may recall when I first climbed on board in January I could feel every hoof hit the ground for a solid month. So I'm determined to try to take this journey back into his saddle slow.

I'll likely fail. I'm good at failing things like this. Little tests of patience and such. Enough pain pills and it'll all be okay...right? Sure, it will! I hopped on Sandy's back a couple times last week without any issues, so the plan for the next few days is to work Steve Holt! from the ground, put a few more rides on Sandy to limber myself up, then back into my new saddle on a mustang who's now had as much time off as he had rides on him before our set backs.

Mare 8746

Now you tell me, does this mare have Sandy's smiling eye, or what??? Why is no one bidding on such a good girl? I may have to bring her home. (Shhh...dont' read that part, City Boy!) Four years old and approx. 15.1, she's a decent sized girl. And she comes from Coyote Lakes, so perhaps she's related to Quiet Storm?

Again, the offer still stands. Any of the Oregon horses who are left after the adoption, I'd be happy to pick up for you and do the gentling if you'd like to adopt them. Let's find these lovelies homes!

BLM Internet Adoption

Adopt This Horse!

The BLM's Internet Adoption is underway, and you won't want to miss it! 151 mustangs gathered from across the western states are ready to come home with you. Well...not all 151 with just one of you (although I'm certain if you've got the facilities we may be able to arrange something!)

The horse I've got pictured here currently has no bids on him. He's four years old, 15.1 hands, and was gathered from Coyote Lakes HMA in Oregon. That's where Quiet Storm was from! You should adopt him. Really, you should. And if you live in the northwest and need transportation, well...here I am, ready and willing to enable...as always!

What, you think I'm joking? Adopt him! He's lovely!

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "Self, what would you do with a wild horse?" Well, obviously you've not spent any time reading the Diaries here if you need to ask that, so go back and do your homework. Work cattle, trail ride, trot pretty circles at the horse shows...just a few ideas for you. You may also be wondering, "How the heck would I get the horse home when I don't live in the Pacific Northwest where Desperate can haul for me?" Taken care of:

Pick up options (by appt): Burns, OR; Rock Springs, WY; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Ewing, IL.

Other pick up options: Cottage Grove, OR (6/5); Longview, OR (6/11); Rutland, VT (6/12); Woodward, OK (6/18); Joseph, OR (6/19); Green Cove Springs, FL (6/26); New Freedom, PA (7/10); Springdale, AR (7/10).

See? No excuses. Adopt. Save just one.

Empire & Avalon

Just what is Darling doing?

Yesterday was crazy busy around here. At least for City Boy and Darling. City Boy worked on getting Surely's new hitch and brake control rigged up so that she's now ready to pull the SilverLite! And as long as the sun was shining, he figured he'd mow the lawn as well. City Boy and I have different ideas on this lawn mowing thing. We both like riding mowers, but he complains about the divets and uneven cut resulting from my version.

Darling's new charges are home. Avalon, a long legged filly who's got some silver hairs showing through in her new spring coat, is a bit unsure of all the goings on. She's tucked into the center stall with Dude alongside. We noticed that she wasn't much smaller than him, so Darling brought the tape measure out to see just how tall the wall between them was. Avalon's butt is level with the wall, which measured 54"...or 13.2 hands in horse speak.

Avalon is not impressed with her new situation

Empire is much smaller than her 'sibling'. We don't know if they're actually siblings, but they are from the same HMA; Murderer's Creek. I happen to love this HMA as it turns out some very athletic little horses...although little is the biggest issue once looking for adopters. The average adult measures 14 hands, which really limits the amount of potential adopters. But for those folks willing to look past their mutt like heritage and consider them for an athlitic partner, this could just be the horse of their dreams.

Empire is smaller in stature, but will make up for that with ability.

Empire has already shown herself to be a potential cowhorse. Let a dog or cat cross her path and she's latched on and following with keen interest. Avalon's long legs and gray color are well suited to a sport pony career, provided she's got the jumpability most mustangs are born with. Of course, Darling only has them for three months, so we'll have no control over what their futures hold.

Thought I'd share with you a photo of the amber eyed gelding from this weekend's adoption. I've dubbed him Shockwave. (You know I have to name the horses, even if they never come home with me!) This boy was stand offish towards people and crabby with the other geldings in his pen. Being small in stature (14.1, maybe?), he was hard pressed to find a home. Tom tells me someone in Burns was going to take him if he returned to the corrals. I hope so. Had we been able to place Dude, this guy would have come home with me for gentling. I just loved those spooky eyes! Although in this photo they got all nice and soft, didn't they?

My back is on the mend. Funny how drugs can make you feel so good, eh? I'm feeling pretty good this morning. Still smarts in a couple of places and lifting isn't in the near future, but at least I got chores done this morning. And Darling will be happy that she hasn't got to dress me anymore.

Be Still on Sunday...

This weekend was great! Although my back probably has other words to describe it's experience. I started out feeling pretty loose in the area of my tender ribs; I was able to walk and get around fairly easily; rest periods now and then during the day helped greatly. Friday night Darling and I stayed with our friends, Steve and Janice, who's property borders the Black Raven facility. A nice little walk across the fields was all it took to get there.

Once there, however, something happened. I'd been sitting in their big, overstuffed easy chair and somehow was lulled into believing I was healed. No pain at all, when something caught our attention outside the window and I sat forward and turned to look. POP! No clue what I did, but something in my back snapped loud and hard, and from that point forward things got a bit more difficult. Darling had to help me get my boots on in the morning..."You're not my mother...you're just some creepy old woman who's latched on to me" I heard her muttering from beneath me as I instructed her to make certain my pant legs were on the outside of my boots. Good thing I had her with me or I'd have been in a world of trouble. Wouldn't want my pant legs all bunched up around my calves, after all!

Put together by a committee

Lea cracked me up when she said this little roan mare was put together by a committee. She surely wasn't the prettiest girl on the block, that's for sure. But according to Wendy, one of the Burns wranglers, she was one of the sweetest. Bred, too, from what we surmised. No one was in the market for a long backed two for one deal, however, and the little roan, along with the others in this pen, are now being shipped back to the corrals.

There were definitely prettier horses to be had, although only 5 found homes. One was this lovely pinto pony. Four years old, not only did she have color, but she had a nice body as well. The darling little blond alongside her, however, was passed by and is also now on the truck with one strike against her.

Darling ended up bringing two fillies home for the YAY program. I'll post more on them later as I'm needing to get out and feed the horses. But first, here are the Sunday Stills...Barns! This particular barn was built by my great grandfather and housed Peter's Dairy for a number of years.

Looking up to the tiny windows at the top

A dark little doorway


Moo!
My cousin Tim still keeps an occasional beef cow here.

Darling climbs the loft that her great, great grandfather built nearly 100 years before.

Okay...I'm going to go feed now. And after that, I'm going to try to stay still this Sunday. Y'all have a good day!

Cowgirls Don't Cry

Steve Holt! had a close encounter with the hotwire...poor baby!

Monday was so beautiful! I hauled Sandy and Steve Holt! to the tree farm and took a short ride in the sunshine. Steve Holt! didn't turn one sweaty hair, and Sandy was only barely damp beneath his saddle after our 45 minute ride. And without a single sign of a cough after climbing the hills on Steve Holt!'s part, I decided it was time for him to get busy under saddle again.

Tuesday I hauled him to the riding club and let him play for a moment in the round pen before tossing his new saddle on and mounting up. Being not entirely stupid, I climbed on in the round pen just in case he had a lapse in judgment and decided to go all three year old on me after his month off. But no reason to worry...Steve Holt! was his normal self. Big trot, responsive, not goofy in the least, so I rode him to the round pen gate, opening and closing it from his back and continued my short ride in the arena. It didn't last more than ten minutes since I didn't want him too stressed. We jogged a lot, did serpentines, practiced some one handed circles. He was fine.

Wednesday morning I hauled back up and since the day before had been text book perfect, I didn't bother to start in the round pen. I led him into the arena, asked him to stand while mounting, and found him walking off as I stood in the stirrup. I thought briefly that this was a bad habit, and as my leg swung up over his back that thought was driven home...and hard...because Steve Holt! took a three year old mental break, ducking his head down to the right as he kicked his heels up into the air.

Had I been all the way in the saddle, the ending would have been different. But I wasn't. I was in the air and launched further by his playful buck. Somewhere in the air I did a somersault, something I'd never managed to do in my gym classes, but the landing was pretty similar. Flat on my back, I watched my boy lope freely to the other end of the arena where he stood admiring his reflection in the mirror.

D*#n horse. Okay, so I may not be entirely stupid, but obviously there was just a little stupid in there somewhere or I'd have been in the round pen again, or had reins shorter at the very least.

I stayed on the ground doing a mental checklist of my fall and the body parts that hurt. My ribs, my back...the inside of my right knee which had slammed into the horn of the saddle; that's where the pain was. The wind had been knocked out of me. My head? Hadn't touched the ground, thankfully. Thankfully from the center of the arena I had cell phone service. I don't in the round pen. But in the center, still sitting in the dirt, I called home and had my son come get me. I managed to pull myself up and get Steve Holt! tied to the rail, removing his bridle and martingale, and by then the Geek Boy was there and took the saddle for me. We left Steve Holt! in the round pen and he drove me home where I laid on ice for awhile; calling a friend to go pick up the horse and truck/trailer.

By evening the pain hadn't subsided so I checked into the hospital. The nurse asked if I wanted a wheelchair. I said no. She told me I didn't need to be tough...I wasn't a cowboy, after all, I was a cowgirl. I smiled..."Cowgirls don't cry, haven't you heard?" Eventually I caved and took the wheels; no way was I able to walk to the back of the building where they were taking me for xrays.

While I was barely functioning yesterday, the xrays showed what I knew deep down...just bruised. And with enough Ibuprofen there is little pain today. So the plan for the weekend remains the same.

What, you'd forgotten my plan? Wild Horse Adoption this weekend, kids! I'll be hauling down Friday, and the Youth And Yearling kids will be picking up their new babies Saturday along with 20 other mustangs being available. So, if you're in the northwest and not attending the Daffodil show in Puyallup, come say hello! We'll be at Black Raven Stables in Arlington.

Wild Babies & Steve Holt! on the Mend

Okay, maybe not too wild. I'm told the photographer had to fight them off in order to get them in focus! But these are a few of the yearlings that have been set aside for the YAY program. They'll be up at the Arlington adoption on April 25 where the kids will find out which one they get to take home.

Currently we've only got 8 kids enrolled in the program, so there may be a couple of yearlings left over for adoption! Y'all better come on out and say hello to me and bring home a mustang. You will not be sorry!

Some lucky kid is gonna get this cutie!

In other news...Steve Holt! got out for the first time today. I hauled him to the arena where I turned him loose to play...first time ever since bringing him home in December! Man, did he have fun, and not one cough! He ran full out several times around, with only a brief slow down as he passed himself in the mirror (one simply must get a good look at one's handsome self, you know!) He's on his way to mended, finally. I'll start getting him out on a daily basis to play and by next week hopefully we'll be ready to mount up and ride again. That ought to be fun after a month off!

Doodles and another EMM video

Wild Horse Adoption

April 25, 2009

Black Raven Stables

Arlington, WA

With Steve Holt! on hold, my focus has shifted to spiffing Sandy up a bit. We were to do a demo at a local Expo put on by the local dressage club, but Sandy has been laid off for so long that I'm not thinking it's going to work. Not that Darling hasn't been riding, but what I'm after is a bit more demanding. Plus he's needing his feet done and I'm not thinking I can get the farrier out quite that soon. So alas, a missed opportunity to show off some 'Stang talent. However, there is an Introduction to Cattle clinic coming up in another week; I'm thinking I'll steal Sandy away from Darling and use him. That's more his speed than the stuff I'd planned to show off at the Expo with Steve Holt!.


To help keep me occupied, along with playing a bit with Sandy again I've decided there's no better time than the present to start riding Dude...or Doodles, as I've begun to call him. There's something about his quietness that spooks me. I'm not sure what or why, but he's very watchful when I climb onto his back and since we know how high that little guy can kick up his heels, I'm just a bit on the watchful side as well! While Darling was riding Sandy yesterday afternoon, I saddled up Doodles and stepped up into the stirrup, first on the left, then the right, just to reacquaint him with the up and down motion of a rider. He was fine, so over his back my leg went. Again, fine.

This boy can flex and would make Clinton Anderson proud. Pick up the left rein and the nose comes straight back to your leg. Pick up the right and the same thing. Makes forward motion a bit trickier when their nostril is buried inside your boot, of course, but eventually we did manage to turn a couple of tight circles, and then a forward step or two finally took place. Five minutes of bending, 30 seconds of forward motion and that was it. Better to climb off once the positive connection has been made and live to ride another day than to press one's luck. Darling did get video but I'm not sure where her camera is at the moment and the darned kid went off to school (where is she when I need her??? What is so important about Algebraic equations, anyway?) But eventually it will make it here for you to see.

In the meantime, why not take a look at Jasmine Ison's finals ride on her gelding, Weston. Pretty horse, nice quiet ride and a lovely young trainer (just 18, if I recall!)

Mustang Needs A Home

Meet Joe.

Joe is a two year old light bay/rabicano gelding from Jackie's Butte in southeastern Oregon. He's roughly 15 hands, very sweet and wanting to be your buddy. He's pictured here being turned out into the bigger field for the first time with another horse, hence the drag line. He was completely willing to be caught, however, which is what I'd anticipated. He got along quite well with Dude, and he was nice to the sheep.

Joe was very willing to let us touch his face almost from day one. Haltering was a fairly simple feat. He's not too sure about having his feet handled, but he's becoming accustomed to me sliding my hand down those front legs and lifting them up. I can reach under his belly and rub where a cinch will someday be.

I'm in awe of Joe's movement. It's flawless...light, airy and floating. I put a pole in the round pen with him and had him trot over it a few times. Oh, my word! He just rounded up and I swear his toes barely touched the ground as he glided over it. He's one fancy moving little horse. If I had even half a clue about dressage or hunter training I'd be figuring out a way to keep this boy and train him, then sell him for a small fortune. Look at that cute face! With that soft eye, pretty profile and super movement, he's sure to go far.

But for some reason, no one wants to come and look at Joe. He'd had an adopter; a gentleman from the Seattle area who'd read about the euthanasia issue and wanted to save a mustang. He wanted a trail horse, and although I knew Joe's natural talent would be overlooked, I was happy to have found him a good home within days of him coming here. Joe stayed at home while I hauled the other two up to the fair for adoption. When I came home I contacted the adopter only to find he'd decided board was too expensive in Seattle.

So Joe didn't go anywhere. I've advertised him on Craigslist in two different regions. I've got his photo up at feed stores. I tell everyone I know what a wonderful horse I've got here...and no one comes to look.

Poor Joe.

If Joe doesn't find a home here soon, he'll end up back at the corrals. Any training, lost. All that potential, overlooked. It's a sad, sorry shame and a disappointing reflection on the horse industry today when a young, talented guy like Joe may end up in a long term holding facility on the waiting list for euthanasia while people are still breeding backyard horses with no talent or purpose. A very sad thing indeed...

All's Fair...

"Thing 2" sits atop Sandy while at the fair

The heat was nearly unbearable last week. I hauled four horses up to the Northwest Washington Fair on Sunday; Sandy, Firecracker, Duns and Magic. Sandy was there for display purposes only while the other three were up for adoption.

You may recall that Skittles was going to take Magic, the dark appy. But after a bit of thought she and her husband decided they weren't quite ready for a horse, and I must admit a bit of relief as I was beginning to question if this was a good match or not. Magic is a very strong horse, and in the hands of someone soft and gentle he had the potential of becoming a very pushy horse. So Skittles is disappointed, but we need to get her the right animal for her personality, and Magic needed the right person in his life as well.

So...unbearable heat. Four horses. The temps reached over 90 and I swear the humidity was right there as well. I did gentling demos with FC, Duns and Magic all week. Duns hadn't been touched prior to Monday morning, so people were amazed that by the end of the week he could be led around and touched. He's a timid sort, so he wasn't coming along as quickly as Magic who was letting me toss the saddle on and off his back by the end of the week.

Magic lets me scratch his withers and shows off his new red halter.

Both geldings and Firecracker found new homes. FC's new mamma is wonderful! Years ago I used to work with her and she just happened to be at the fair and fell instantly in love. I spoke with her yesterday and she told me she looks into FC's eyes and her own eyes fill with tears. Magic has gone to live with a therapist who'll be using him in her practice. And Duns, our timid two year old, has found a 13 year old girl who's just as sweet and quiet as he is. He's staying here until her dad can get the panels set up. She came to visit him last night and it was the first time she was allowed inside the pen with her new horse. Duns saw me hand the rope over to her and rather than looking and trying to follow me, he walked willingly behind his new girl.

I can't tell you how pleasing it is to know that all three horses have found such wonderful homes that fit them so perfectly! Despite the heat it was a very good week with a lot of public education on the adoption process and three horses in new homes.

Simply Magic

The new boys are settling in around here. I've been having so much fun working so hard out on the trail with Jet and Sandy that I've not spent much time behind the camera lens photographing them, sadly. I thought about hauling my camera out at feeding time this morning as the sun hasn't quite poked it's sleepy head up over the hill yet and the lighting is fantastic...but some little skunk head borrowed my camera yesterday and left it in the trunk of City Boy's car...which is now 50 miles south of here. So no new photos. Yet.

In Molalla, aside from getting into trouble for hauling four horses home, I also met up with a friend from a northwest forum named Skittles. Okay, that's not her real name, but it's what she goes by online, therefore it's what she shall be called here.

Skittles wanted a horse, and for some reason all my romantic talk of mustangs had her thinking she absolutely MUST adopt. And of course, being the friendly enabler I am, I was more than happy to help her out in that endeavor. We spent the better part of Saturday morning moseying up and down the alleyways between the corrals looking at the horses. Her husband was partial to darker colored horses, as was she. They also preferred geldings, and they wanted something stout.

We found a super little yearling gelding, but decided it'd be a couple years before he was ready. But up in another pen of geldings stood a chunk of a brown three year old. He had a few nicks and dings from the other horses and was definitely the bottom of the pecking order in this group of four. Darling had liked him Friday night and Saturday morning told me that if I was getting the bay, that the brown really needed to come home with us as well because they were best buds. So when Skittles and her husband saw him and liked him, Darling was quite happy.

Skittles and her husband named the gelding Simply Magic, and he's been sent home with me for 30 days of gentling. Magic is not a hugely tall horse, but there's no doubt as to the drafty influence; this boy is mammoth! Huge shoulders, humungous hiney, and heavy neck. Thankfully he has no clue just how big he is or he'd steamroll right over me. As it is, he shares with Sandy a bit of timidity and isn't too eager to get up close and personal.

The goal for Magic over the next three weeks is to get him relaxed and easy to catch. He wants to be my buddy. He wants to be brave. But he hangs back and prefers to stay safe inside his bat cave, aka stall, rather than joining me outside in the sunlight. He has, however, learned to give to the pressure of the lead and is now following me, although a bit reluctantly, around his pen. Last night he was brave enough to let me touch him, even outside of his bat cave.

Trouble with a capital T

Oh, we've got trouble.

Right here on Carpenter Creek.

With a capital T that rhymes with me,
that stands for Molalla!

Okay, so here's what happened this past weekend. Or before, really, as that's where the trouble began.

I was ready to drive down to the adoption when City Boy informs me that my truck isn't fit to drive that far. Maybe, maybe not, but why risk it? He's been waiting for a part and it's been on backorder. He'd forgotten this was the weekend I was going to be gone, and me...well, I'm the world's worst communicator and hadn't said anything of late about going. So when I thought I'd be pulling out on Thursday, it ended up on Wednesday I was calling the BLM in Oregon in a panic over what I was going to do without horses for my gentling demos at next months fair.

I love my BLM! I'm going to print up a bumper sticker saying that, because the head of the wild horse program there told me he'd haul the horses for me. That's right...from the southeast corner of Oregon to the northwest corner of Washington. Who says those folks aren't caring about the wild horses? I love my BLM! Still, they said, they were very short handed and could use all the help they could get, so was there any chance I could drive down in another vehicle?

City Boy, with what I decided must have been a sigh of resignation, said I could take his car. And so Darling and I were off on Friday morning, making our way to the town with the funny name that's fun to say. Molalla!


Tom, the manager from the corrals, has hand picked a pretty bay gelding that he thinks I may like. A nice moving horse and a little bit curious. He's got silver streaks in his mane and tail which make him a rabicano. Yes, another funny word but much less fun to say than Molalla! I had to agree; Tom has good taste in horses. He pointed out a couple others that he liked and Darling and I pulled out our shopping list and began to make a short list of horses we liked.

Tom handpicked this lovely bay rabicano for me.

The plan was to wait until after everyone had an opportunity to take the horses they liked at Saturday's adoption, then we'd select from our short list of 4 horses. There were several that we liked; this year's 'crop' was good. Lots of big behinds and sloping shoulders, things this quarter horse person is drawn towards.

Red dun gelding has lovely blond streaks in his mane (why is it on the other side?)

One of the geldings on the list was a 2 year old red dun. It's always difficult to judge just how tall the horses are when they're in the pens on uneven ground, but our assumption was that these boys were all 15 hands and up, and the dun looked like he was roughly 15.1 with a back end just a wee bit higher. I anticipate he'll end up over 16 hands when he's fully mature.

There was a short, stocky bay who reminded me of Dude. Another bay had a very sleek body. There was a splashy looking sorrel who had a sabino pattern and looked a little bit drafty. So many horses...so little room! This was not going to be easy.

But that's not all.

No...that's not all.

I'd received a panicked email from Stephanie, Quiet Storm's owner, just a couple days before we left. She was in a difficult spot and they'd decided that they needed to place all three of their horses in new homes. She was really struggling with this decision, and I couldn't help it...I had to help. I told her Quiet Storm could come home with us.

But wait! Now I didn't have my truck and trailer. So I called the BLM again and they said..."No Problemo!" (City Boy does not love my BLM...and he's not very happy with me, either, as I managed to leave out that little detail...)

While there, we met with Jenifer and her husband. They live in southwest WA and we'd met online. She'd wanted a mustang, and in fact had considered Cricket. Jennifer fell for a very nice tank of a horse, a 3 year old with some Appaloosa traits. I knew there was no way I could bring home four horses, so we decided that Jennifer's boy, Quiet Storm and the bay would be who came home with us.

Jennifer has named her boy Simply Magic

Darling was beside herself with joy at the thought of her best friend coming home. I told her we needed to find her a new home, that we couldn't keep her, but I'm not sure she understood just how soon that would be. While there we spoke with a woman who thought Quiet Storm was just the cutest thing. She was looking for a pony for her son. There was a farrier there giving demos; he knew the sister of this woman and vouched for their love and good care of horses. It seemed like a great fit. Darling cried and resisted. The woman told us she was running to town and we could think about it.

It was so difficult. Darling was sobbing. Pleading. Calling her dad (who'd forgotten his phone at home) to beg him to let her bring her baby home. But in the end she managed to pull herself together and we called the woman and told her she could buy Quiet Storm. The woman was thrilled, but Darling went to the car with red swollen eyes and refused to speak to me.

Happier times from last fall

With Quiet Storm having a new home, I decided to go ahead and grab a third horse. Not the plan, surely not the space, but since one was already spoken for I figured I may as well grab the other and see if I could get it adopted out as well. The adoption was over, the paperwork was in hand and the three horses were on their way through the loading chute when my cell phone rang...

"Hi...I hate to do this, but I've decided this was an impulse buy. I really can't take your horse. I really need to be able to have my son ride before I buy...I'm so sorry...please tell your daughter I'm so sorry for putting her through this..."

And there I sat, three wild horses in a trailer and Quiet Storm in hand. And a smiling Darling. And a heart filled with dread because, well, let's face it; I was pushing the envelope with three horses, and City Boy was not going to be happy about all this...and I can't say that I blame him.