June Updates

I realized that there is only one more day left in June, and I had not updated the blog since the Expo. 

Wow, how time fly's! 

Let's see, since the expo I was given the chance to work with Trixie (now Augie) while her new mamma is away wrangling out of state. Her owner, Alex had worked with her a lot and was able to mount up but not move forward. So, we agreed that her time with me would be spent working in saddle. After she settled back in (all her buddies were glad to see her) we began to work on "forward" motion. After about 1 session, she really understood what I was asking. You could almost see her brain working! She remained calm and steady in everything she does, as we all thought from the beginning, this is a fabulous mustang!

Ok, this is not exactly a mustang, but nonetheless it is where much of my time has been spent lately. Hades, a gorgeous Friesian, was purchased by a wonderful new family and I am continuing to support them in training and lessons. I have ridden Hades for almost a year prior and am so glad to see he has gotten an incredible home. After he works, he loves to get turned out and romp. This horse will buck and kick and bolt when free but under saddle, he is a perfect gentleman. He truly has the qualities of a perfect family horse. Not quite the same price tag as a mustang though... I don't think I will have the chance to own one of these guys any time soon! 

Sacramento Horse Expo

Well the horse expo was a success! Big thanks to Amy Dumas for inviting us! Thanks to the Carter family, Conny and Brandon, and Aspen and Justin and of course my amazing fiance Anthony for coming to support us! Dixie and I showed in 2 breed exhibits put on by the BLM. There were 5-6 horses each day that showed the variety and versatility of the American Mustang. We rode in english attire as well as bareback during each demo. When she wasn't in the arena, Dixie stayed in the breed barn and had a stall right in the middle of all the action. She had a lot of visitors pass through and more often than not, they said how sweet she was. We also got quite a few compliments on her delicate features and sleek coat. I was proud to show her off! It was too hard to choose my favorite pictures, so I included them all. Enjoy!

June 8-10 Mustang's in Sacramento!

Join us at the Horse Expo in Sacramento June 8-10!

Dixie, Anthony, and I will be in the breed barn and the BLM booth.

Can't wait to see you there!

Competition is over, now the fun begins!

Usually once the adoption happens, the blog gets kind of quiet. I have to wait for another trip to Litchfield or an adoption event before I can post something interesting. Not this time... since Dixie is a permanent fixture, I will still be sending out progress updates for everyone to watch her grow and learn. In fact, she already has a few new tricks...

Thank you Justin for showing me how to lay a horse down. I was able to learn how to make it the horses idea instead of forcing her. She was not a huge fan in the beginning but certainly accepted it and quietly laid down after some practice. She seemed more relaxed after the work session than before which is always a sign that you are doing something right!

Since I have not had a chance to ride her in an arena (or anywhere with nice flat ground) it never occurred to me to try flying lead changes. Saturday we hauled her to a friends facility and got to use the huge indoor. As I watched Anthony ride her in circles, my eyes got wide as the two of them effortlessly switched leads back and forth. I asked him if he was asking for the switches and he just shrugged, guys!!! Of course I had him do it again so I could record it. Click here for the YouTube video.

Extreme Mustang Makeover Norco 2012

May 18-20 2012 Norco, CA

Thank you Stephanie Guinn and Lori Bristow for the AMAZING professional

 pictures you shared with me!

The makeover in Norco was a blast! I can't thank everyone enough for making it such a great event for the trainers, mustangs, and fans. I saw lots of old friends and met plenty of new ones too! Anthony and I even got challenged to compete next year in a "couples edition"! 

As for the actual event, Dixie was pretty high strung. The 9 hour trailer ride down, new terrain, 33 horses, and lots of people added to her stress levels. I was proud of her, even though she didn't compete as well as I knew she could. Isn't that how it always happens? We think that Dixie was really trying to tell us that she wanted to come home (instead of getting a new home at the auction Sunday). 

So, Sunday morning when I walked her into the auction arena I was holding my bidder number. I had made it pretty clear that anyone looking at her was going to have to go through me (and Anthony!) and we even "decorated her" with paint. There were 3 other bids on her, but we managed to beat them all and bring her back home! I am still waiting for those pictures to surface! 

From the first day I saw Dixie, I knew she and I would get along really well. Anthony said it is because we are both similar, we both have lots of energy and are always ready to go!

I think he is right ;)

Last week before EMM Norco 2012!

One week from today we will be in Norco, getting ready to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. It will be a challenging show and it is important that I demonstrate everything Dixie has learned in these past 90 days for the judges. I am pretty excited to see the judges are Dr. Robert Miller, Bill Enk, John Black, and Judy Wright! Those are some big names in the horse world!

We have one more weekend to get ready and I plan on taking advantage of it. 

Dixie makes a friend

Anthony got a chance to come out and see how Dixie has been doing. They took a nice walk in the pasture and even though Anthony is much taller than I am, he didn't look that big on Dixie. She is a really nice size for just about any rider. Dixie had lots of energy, as always and would have been happy to ride all day. She is a great mustang that seems to really enjoy being around people and will surely love whoever adopts her at the event. I can't believe it is only 2 weeks away!