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Dixie learning the Spanish Walk!

UC Davis Horse Day is October 13th and I am SO EXCITED to be a part of it this year! Mustangs will be the feature breed for the program and Dixie and I will be presenting a showcase of some very accomplished mustangs in the morning and then in the afternoon a talk about the differences in training mustangs vs domestic horses.  My mom is flying in from Michigan just to see me speak! I also have a few other exciting plans for the week including WYLENE WILSON coming to our area for private lessons, lay downs, and clinics.  If you have not read her article in Western Horse Magazine (June 2012) about laying a horse down, you should! Currently, she will be in Sonoma, CA October 11th and 16th. You can email me at mustangadoptions@gmail.com to reserve a spot.  

Dixie's first competition

 It was a much awaited weekend...Dixie's first competition endurance ride. When Jennifer pulled the trailer up to the barn Saturday I was so excited. We have been training for a few months now and signed up for an AERC ride in Gilroy, CA. They offered a 50, 25, and 10 mile fun ride. I liked the idea of having the word 'fun' in our division and thought that if I paced her correctly we could do it twice. Upon arrival, we decided to take a nice walk and get our horses used to the setting. Dixie seemed to know how it worked from the get go! She was as calm as any other seasoned traveler.

Jennifer took off at 6:30 for the 50 miler and I followed behind at around 7:30. Anyone that knows me will not have a hard time believing that I found the trail directions rather challenging. I was not too concerned because I planned on taking my time and doing it twice anyways. After the first 8 miles we came in for water and to check her heart rate...44! She was in great shape so we went out again for 11 more miles. All in all, she did perfect in every way. She even got all A's on her vet check! Jennifer came in at 2nd place for the 50 mile and Stella looked fabulous. It was one of the best weekends I have had and can't wait to do it again!

Jennifer and
Stella

Our beautiful view 

Robin Hood, the mustang who is in the Hall of Fame with OVER 11,000 competition miles at the age of 22!

On the trail!

Below is a picture of our vet card. We got ALL A's! Way to go on your first ride and overnight camping trip Dixie! I could not be more proud!

Hank has a home!

Congrats to Marialaina of Kick Back Ranch on her adoption of Hank. When I saw how both interacted it was as if they were just waiting to cross paths. It is so wonderful to watch something happen like it is supposed to! Easy and calm, Hank casually walked off the trailer and sniffed around. He was greeted by some new friends and after a sniff they all continued to show him the ropes. 

He is very lucky to be at such a great facility. Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC) is a non-profit organization. They specialize in gentling wild horses and burros, which are placed for adoption. They use natural horsemanship techniques to become partners with these magnificent animals. They are a legal Volunteer Service Organization to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and an authorized adoption agency for the State of Nevada Comstock Wild Horse Program and for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. If you need any help with your mustang or just want to check out what a cool place this is, click the link above! 

Mr Hanky

Let me first start off by saying that I did not name this cute little mustang. He came from the Virginia Range in Nevada. He is a beautiful buckskin gelding with a star, spot, and snip marking on his head. Originally trained at the Carson prison, he was adopted by a wonderful person that loved him very much for 6 years. Now 12 years old, his owner is unable to ride Hank and give him the attention he needs so she contacted me. I was happy to tell her that I would find him a home where he would be loved and ridden. He is a laid back guy, listens to cues and stops on a dime. I had a lot of fun watching him in his first big turn out with the others, you could see how much he loved it! He threw his tail up and pranced around like an Arabian!

"TIP"ping the double digits!

This Saturday marked my 10th mustang finding a forever home! Wild Card Ace was adopted by Colleen. I am so happy for them both and wish them lots of luck in their new journey. It takes a lot of patience and time to gentle a wild mustang but it takes more to turn them into a lifelong partner and friend! Good Luck Colleen, I am here if you need me :)

Hank needs a home!

He was adopted 6 years ago at the Wild Horse Show in Reno. Initially trained by the prisoner program and then professionally as a western trail horse. He is easy going in pasture with mares and geldings, fairly low on the pecking order. 14.3 hands and 12 years old. A great age! He is looking for someone who can spend more time with him as his current owner is older and unable to ride him consistently.  Please contact 530.723.2420 for more information about this sweet boy.