Saturday, December 5, 2009

Let the Training Begin

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Trainers from around the northwest have braved the possibility of iced, snow covered highways and passes this weekend, traveling from their homes to the Wild Horse Corrals in Burns to pick up their new wild partner in hopes of competing, and possibly even winning, at the Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover.

I was not one of them.

I had decided several months ago not to compete this year, but to look for other events, such as the Extreme Cowboy Race, to set my sights upon. I really wanted to get the horses here broke, and Darling was looking forward to a year on Steve Holt!'s back, learning new skills. When I train for an EMM event, it becomes all consuming and eats up time that would otherwise be spent helping Darling along. Not to mention it's bloody cold in the winter!

So here I sit, no EMM horse in my corrals, and now that I've realized there's no Extreme Cowboy Race to focus my sights on, well.... what's a Desperate Horsewife to do?

Not that there isn't plenty to do with simply riding Sandy and hauling Darling to lessons, mind you. I just need something to focus my competitive energy on.


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Enter the Beautiful Wadatika. All told, I've probably only got two weeks handling on this mare, and it was hardly consistent; rather strewn over the course of about 6 weeks when she first came. So I'm pitting myself against the trainers from the makeover in a personal challenge, but without the stress of knowing I need to get out there despite lousy weather, or taking time away from the family, or when I'm sick (like today.) It's an effort to see how far I can get with a seven year old horse. A mare old enough that not a soul seemed brave enough to adopt her for fear of being stuck with an untameable, untouchable, eternally wild mustang.


Shall we see where this leads?

4 comments:

Pony Girl said...

YES! So exciting. Hope your toes are stayin' warm and that you feel better soon!! Poor ponies had nothing but mud to tromp through last week- now it's walking on frozen mud- not much better, sigh!

Paint Girl said...

That is so great! I am sure Waditika will come along nicely!
And as PG says, stay warm, and hope you are feeling better soon, so you can get back outside!

Lea and her Mustangs said...

I know people have that idea about older horses but its not true. They get it faster some times. I just can't go our and do anything. Today its 10 and the wind is blowing about 20 mph. It makes it hard to breath. The chores are difficult and I don't know what we would do without water heaters. I have to carry hot water to the chickens and the goat a couple of times a day. Hope you are better soon.

T.L. Merrybard said...

She has such a beautifully curious and intelligent heart-shaped top lip, I am sure she will come around really quickly. :)