HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Another good ride!

We took Princess to the fairgrounds today. We also took Daunte and Dino. Daunte had never been there before. So first I Ponied Daunte behind Dino and then Princess. Then I got on Princess and Lisa got on Dino towing Daunte. Now Daunte is even more afraid of people on horse back than Princess is. So this was a very good trip for him too. We rode around at a walk for quite awhile then at the trot. Princess did great! A young boy came in to ride his horse. Princess and Daunte were quite interested in him, but when he would get too close they would try to hide behind Dino. They slowly got used to him. Then more people started showing up to ride. This was good as Princess needs all the exposure she can get. When the ladies starting cantering there horses I got off Princess so she wouldn't spook. I walked her and Daunte close to the ladies so they could get used to them. I then got back on Princess and our friend Debi P. got on Dino so Lisa could video our ride. I must have rode for over an hour and it was very pleasant. She is very responsive to the bosal. A rider came up behind us and she started to scoot away, but when I said whoa see stopped. I walked her for a bit more and called it good.

I Rode Princess

I took Princess to our friend Debbie's place. She has an indoor arena. Her friend is training an EMM horse there, so we got to see her. The mare is cute and tall. 15.1 hands. I think she said. Princess is stilling loading in the trailer really nice, but is getting a little worked up while we are on the road.
There was a boy riding when we got there and Princess thought that was very scary. She is used to seeing me on Dino, but another horse with a rider on it was another matter. She tried to stay hidden behing Dino so the scary thing couldn't attack her. After about 30 minutes of towing her behind Dino I got on her and Lisa got on Dino. She followed right behind him. We walked around and around for quite a while. Then we starting trotting. She didn't mind having me on her back at all. She was so focused on the boy on that horse. He left after awhile, but soon came back with another horse. She was scared all over again, but not as bad this time. I walked her over a blue plastic tarp several times and played with the big giant horse ball. I put it on her back and she didn't mind that at all.
Thank you Debbie for letting us use your arena.

Finally got out!

I took Princess to the arena at the fairgrounds today. She walked in there like she's been there a hundred times. She wanted to roll in the nice tilled dirt (with the saddle on). I did a lot of ponying behind Dino, riding beside her, and messing with her saddle while I was on Dino. Tied Dino up and decided to hop on her. I had a little problem on the left side getting up, she was real nervous. I went to the right side and I hopped right up on her, threw my leg over her and sat down. She didn't even seem to care. I spent quite a while just getting on and off. Then I tried to get her to move. She backs real nice! I was on her back for over an hour. I did a lot of bending her head in both directions. Trying to get her to move her front end. I was trying to get her to go forward, but she just wouldn't go forward. I was by myself, so I couldn't get someone to ride Dino. A lot of it had to do with me. I really didn't want to push her too much in that big arena. I didn't feel as safe as I would in my round pen. But, I am sure if I would have had someone else there riding Dino she would have followed him with no problem with me on her back. All in all, it was very good. She got to trailer again, got to go to the big arena and she just took everything in stride. If the weather is good enough maybe she will see the beach this weekend.

Princess goes out to play!

I let Princess out on the pasture yesterday with Daunte, so they could run and play. After a couple of ours I walked right up to her and caught her. She looked like she had a good time. Maybe with the roads clearing a little bit I can take her to the arena and ride.

Friends

With the cold weather we put Daunte in, so we put in with Princess. Now they are best friends!

SNOW SNOW AND MORE SNOW!!!

Day 14

Well, we had planned on going to our friends arena to play with our EMM horses, but the weather is not cooperating. Everybody canceled. We now have a foot of new snow. So... we aren't able to get out and work. I did get on Princess in the barn. She just stood there. I got on and off several times and see didn't even move. I am very anxious to get her to an arena so I can start riding her. I would be riding her at home if it weren't for all this snow!!!!

Day 12

We took Princess to the fairgrounds today. She is so brave! She didn't hardly spook at anything. I showed her the white plastic signs hanging on the rail and she just went to them and smelled them. Also she thought the white barrels used for barrel racing were very interesting. She smelled them for a long time. I then saddled her and ponied her behind Dino. We walked for awhile until she got the hang of it. Then we started trotting and she followed right along. Then I had Lisa step up in the stirrups on both sides and lay over her back. She shied away a few times, but like with everything that is new to her she excepts it the second time around.

Day 9

We went out this morning to check out the snow.

Day 8 Our first adventure out of the barn!

We walked out of the barn and across the driveway to the horse trailer. I preceded to load her in, she gave one little pause and jumped right in. She was very calm. We did this seversl times and she was really at ease with it.

We then headed to the round pen. To get there we had to go through a gate and across a pasture to the pen. She was right at my side the whole time. Leading and focusing on what I wanted and not wanting to run or bolt away.

The round pen was a lot soggier than I had hoped, so I didn't get to do as much work as I wanted. We did some lunging and turning. She would stop as soon as I gave her the signal, which was body motion, voice and a little tension on the rope.

From there we Went to the riding arena. We worked on fore hand turns and haunch turns. Also some lunging. She only tried to get away one time. She always stops when the rope tightens. From there we went to the trail coarse. Which is in the pasture were the weanlings and our minature horse are. She was doing so good I just had to see how far we could go. The first opstical was the bridge. She walked up to it, gave one little hesitation and then walked over the bridge with no concerns about it. We did that several times. We then walked through some cones and then backed through them. Then we put all three opsticals together. No problems. All this time she had the other horses greeting her and watching. She just stayed focused on the task at hand.

I am always wanting to see how much more I can get out of her- we went to the pasture gate by to road. We stood there waiting for a car to go by. When the first pickup came by she wanted to back away, but came forward when I asked her. When she couldn't take it anymore she turned to run, but when the rope got tight she turned and came back to me. We went back to wait for another car. Each time she got better. I did that for an hour. It was fun! It was raining, but we just bonded. We just waited for cars, me with my arms over the gate with my head resting on them and her with her head resting on the gate right next to me. I sure wish Lisa had been around to get a picture of it.

If it doesn't snow too much tonight, I plan on her and Dino going to the beach on Sunday.

It was a wonderful 3 to 4 hour session that I spent with her that afternoon. She will make a kid a great horse. Her personality it very sweet, she wants to be trusting.

How Princess got her name day 5

How Princess got her name: The head wrangler at BLM said Our horse was a Princess, that she was very strong willed. She showed me that today. It took me quite a while to catch her. She was stubern and didn't want to do anything. I think she's board with the inside work. I did work on haunch turns and flexing her neck in both directions. I can't wait to see how this weekend goes. I will be working her outside and it will be interesting to see if she reacts differently.

DaY 4

I worked with Princess today on all her past lessons. Catching her, changing halters and picking up feet. I sacked her out and saddled her. I laid over her back with the saddle on. She just stood there and accepted it. She just turned and looked at me. I got more of a reaction from my wife then I did her.

Day 3

I lifted her front feet, brushed her all over and combed out her mane and tail. Clipped her nose whiskers and briddle path. Put on the saddle pad and Saddle. Tighted girth and walked around. Put a blanket on her and walked her around and put her back in her stall.

She is very willng and very excepting of everything. She does not shy from things put on her.

Day 2

I worked Princess today. I taught her to lead and to pick up her front feet . She got brushed, mane and tail got combed and I put a blanket on her. She leads in and out of her stall. She is very responsive and willing.

You can view all her pictures at: http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e127/stormyranch/Princess/

Day 1

We had a safe trip home. The mare walked out of the trailer and into her pen with out any incident. Kevin spent the next two hours feeding her hay and touching her nose. He also rubbed a wand up and down her pack and up her neck. He then got a hole of the rope and proceeded to teach her what pressure on the rope meant.
Later he petted her face all over and down her neck on both sides. He then left her a lone for a few hours. When he went back to her she responded to him right away and let him pet her face some more. He then started teaching her to move her front end by pulling on the rope. After about 30 minutes he left her alone for the night.

At BLM Corrals

Picking up my mustang

Kevin’s blog written by his wife Lisa

We arrived in Burns on Friday to pick up our mustang. We got our paper work and found out that we were getting a 4 year old mare. We didn’t have to load out until Saturday, so we spent a couple of hours at the corrals checking out our horse and spending a little bit of time with her. We met some of the other trainers and spent some time visiting with them. Then a few of us went to dinner and spent some more time talking about horses.
Saturday morning we headed for the corrals to load our horse. She came into the chutes a little reluctantly. Wendy, the corral boss said she is a princess (strong willed). We will see. So for now we will call her Princess.

It will take us about 5 hours to get her home. It is a beautiful sunny day so it should be an enjoyable ride home.

gentling a mustang

We are waiting to pick our mustang so we can start gentling him for the mustang challenge in Albany, Oregon in March