Still the basics

Christmas has come & gone with New Years right around the corner. Topaz still has her Christmas lights up and they may stay. They give a nice glow to her stall. I haven't worked her as much as I had hoped but other obligations have come up. All in all it's been a great year! Topaz has been a joy. We're still with the basics but the kicking has stopped. After being home for 2 weeks she now has abandonment issues when I leave. She calls to me and hopes I'll turn around and stay with her. She even has left her oats to follow me, chewing and dropping oats the whole way! (ok - if it was up to her I would never leave & sleep with her at night!!) I will have to go back to work so she needs to adapt. We are very behind with the fencing so another horse is not certain, but we will try our best so Topaz has company when I work.
The weather has been yucky and there's lots of mud! I am not a winter person and already look forward to spring. Topaz seems to take it better as most mornings she has fun running all around the house. Usually when it warms up a little I spend time with her. (I also get up at 5am to feed her & turn her loose - then go back to bed) She is very loving that early, but I think it's the oats! She is starting to like carrots some which are a lot better for her than "cookies" Topaz is just not into "health" foods LOL!
Topaz, Dixie, Dean & I hope everyone has a wonderful and lucky New Year!!

Topaz -- not a fan of snow! Who knew?! Here, outside of Austin Tx. we rarely see the white stuff so it's not a problem. Last Friday the weather was nasty and they were calling for snow. I waited as long as I thought I could to let it "warm" up before Topaz & I started our session. As luck would have it as soon as we got started it began to snow. Neither one of us were happy but I thought it would be a good time to reinforce who was boss! Topaz did well. She didn't like looking through the snow but did every thing I asked with a minimum of discipline. She is now letting me examine all 4 feet without pulling away. The thrush she had is gone without the vet. I'll keep an eye on it when we have more rain. Advancing in her training is on hold until Christmas break. At that point I will be working her every day instead of just weekends. I expect we will make a lot of progress.
We bought a barn heater for cold nights. (is she spoiled or what!) I now use her cookies sparingly when she is VERY good. She would be demanding very quickly if she got one every time I worked her. Right now we are working on the basics, trotting, walking, standing, and manners. Kicking IS NOT ALLOWED. Topaz is learning this with a little help. She sometimes decides to challenge me and see if I can really make her do what I want. Yes I can! but it keeps me on my toes. Speaking of which, I was working her back foot when she jerked it away and stepped on my toes. Steel toed boots -- a good thing to have on that day! makes me think twice about working in tennis shoes as I have in the past. Lesson learned and no harm done whew!!
It's always an experience!

Issues!

Topaz and I are having a few issues. She has been more assertive than I would like, but there are a few reasons. We have had a deer die in the area. (the smell alerted us:( phew!) I'm sure the smell of death was not good for her. Also she is still having problems with her hind foot. The thrush infection is not entirely gone so her foot is a little sore. I think a visit to the vet for something more powerful might be in order. I am still working on her feet being put on the jack stand. It will be a while. It seems like we don't get any where for a while then all of the sudden we advance rapidly. Right now we are at the no where stage. Hopefully to move forward soon.
Also I should add that the reason we know it was a deer is that Dixie brought a piece home. A lousy way to start a Monday morning!!

I can't believe I have let this much time past with out an up date! October was really hectic at work. I hurt my back and had to keep Topaz's workouts to a minimum. Then I was working extra because of others being sick, but enough of that it's time to catch up on Topaz. Dean & I had Delts and Thetas out for a visit. Topaz did well considering she has never been around this many people in her life. It was a little more excitement than she needed but she stayed at the front of the corral visiting everyone. She didn't shy away at any time. She did nibble at a few shirts but no one was bit. Whew!! All in all everyone had a good time.
There is a web site that I go to a lot & I think anyone training horses would benefit from it. http://www.thinklikeahorse.org/ I saw how to file hooves by training the horse to put their foot on a jack stand!! how easy on the person that is filing!! So Topaz & I are working on it. Right now she can't understand why I want her leg to go forward onto the jack. We'll get there.
I also got a recipe for horse cookies. She isn't that fond of carrots or apples but the cookies are shredded carrot with applesauce. They aren't that good for her but wow she really likes them! I think they will be a great aid in training her to bow.
We also got a clean bill of health from the vet! He was surprised that she was worm free. It was the cleanest sample he had ever seen. Topaz has her next check in March.
Now that I'm caught up I will try to not let it go so long before next post. This Thanksgiving break we will put the siding up on the stable before it gets cold. Then over Christmas break we will put in the gates to get started on the front fencing. I really want Topaz to have more grazing area as soon as possible. Also we have to get ready for another one in May! We really have to get busy!!!

It's been too wet to work Topaz with the saddle. I really don't want to get a brand new saddle muddy then have to clean it! I did find this exercise ball at a garage sale for $4.00. Every one who asked me about it had a funny look on their face when I said it was for my horse. Hey, horses need some fun too!! Topaz is not sure what to think of it but will play more in time.
When she first came home I taught her to move over as she was eating so her rear end wouldn't be so close to me when I walked into the corral. The way she learned is by me making noise at her and then telling her to move her butt over. Okay, not the best phrase but it worked. Fast forward to last Friday. I was up on the railing trying to teach her a side pass. I had the cue whip and tried to get her to move over without success. Finally, after no response; I said "move your butt over" She moved to the fence immediately!! I had a hard time not laughing myself off the rail. I really do need to take more care on the phrases I use!!! I'm learning as well as Topaz so the next horse will benefit. Taking a lot more care of which words I use as cues!! LOL

Saddle time

This is the first time for Topaz to have a saddle on her back. She did really well! Of course she did have to taste it to see if it was edible. Next weekend I hope to cinch it up. I had her walking around some with it loose but didn't want to do to much in case she spooked and it fell off. We have had a fair amount of rain lately so her workouts are not as much as I would like. The corral turns into a mud bath. She spends as much time skating as walking!! She is great now with having her hooves cleaned. After she lifts the first one and I'm done with it, before I walk to the next one it's bent and ready to be lifted up. (even her back feet!!) She greets me at the gate every night. Unfortunately, Lucy; after 16 years, is no longer with us and the gate greeting is a little empty without her.
Topaz's training is going well enough that I am (at this point) planning to adopt her a companion in the spring. I think a gelding yearling. That will mean an on going blog training both of them. It should be interesting!

We went to Houston this weekend to pick up the next lesson for Topaz. It was kind of weird because I had to make an appointment for Sat. when a "saddle specialist " would be there. We had a hard time finding the place because there was no signage. I thought we were going to a store but it turned out to be a warehouse. The suite had the number listed but not the name. My appointment was set up for 11:00 (on the dot!) I was told on Friday when I called to confirm. I sat on the steps while Dean tried to call to see where they were. A guy showed up and said he was with Hilason so I went in to see what they had. He said the appointment was for 11:30 hence the mix up. It was overwhelming!! Racks & racks of saddles most of them treeless! He didn't give a lot of info but said look around and find one you like. He did come back with a list of saddles the size that I thought I wanted. I ended up with a bigger size because I liked the looks and I'm not sure exactly how saddles are supposed to fit. All in all it ended up a good day just kinda weird. I also got a saddle pad that has inflateable sections to keep the saddle off of Topaz and make it more "horse" friendly. It's a cool concept so we'll see how it works.
Also I worked her out of the corral and it went well!! We have had a lot of rain so the corral is a mud bath!! I decided to take her out of the corral and work her a little. It went very well. I actually worked her twice that day. She was confused at the start but soon fell into the routine. I didn't lunge her for long because she churned up the ground so fast. Good to know that I can work her out of her "space".

Yahoo!! Rodeo time

Last Friday while working with her hind feet Topaz got spooked by a clear plastic bag that was blowing in the wind on the property next door. I had a lead tied to her foot and didn't want that to slap her other foot and spook her more. The training of making her stand on command paid off! I had to remind her a few times to "stand" but it worked and I was able to remove the lead off her foot. Since she was still spooked by the bag I left her in the corral and went over to get the bag. She watched me the whole time as I brought it back for her to see. I waved it at her & let her sniff it then brushed it on her sides. She realized it was not a monster so then she had to try to eat it. Everything ends up being tasted!! I did take it back before it was actually eaten.
Later that afternoon (when she was out of the corral) she was laying down in the shade chilling. I approached her from the front where she could see me and sat down with her. Topaz made no effort to get up as I was sitting there petting her. WOW!

Last night coming home was a bit more interesting than normal! Topaz heard the truck and ran out of the corral across the yard. With a swift turn she came running to the gate but Lucy was also headed for the gate. Topaz seemed to dislike this and started kicking at Lucy with both hind feet!! Now, Lucy is 16 and not that fast so I was very concerned about her getting kicked. I was trying to stop Topaz but she kept going after Lucy. I yelled at Topaz to get her to stop and she decided to kick at me! I closed the corral gate the second time she ran in, the first I wasn't quick enough. Then her and I proceeded to have a work out!! I kept her trotting and walking around the corral on command until I felt she remembered who was boss. Not her!! This shows me that I can't put off working her outside of the corral any longer. She needs to learn her manners on the outside too! Tonight when I get home I'll be ready and not have a repeat of last night. We'll see how it goes.

Peek-a-boo

The training with the pink blanket continues. I'm very surprised that Topaz lets me cover her whole head! As you can see in the other picture pink is not her color and so off it comes. She does like chewing on it any chance she gets.
I've been unable to find a large ball. I guess it's too late in the season to buy one but I'll keep looking.
Topaz is getting used to my work schedule and now comes to the gate to greet me. It's a race between Lucy and Topaz to be the first to say "Hi" to me!
I'm now looking in to saddles. I think Topaz and I might both benefit from a treeless saddle, but I need to be more informed before I make that choice. I feel that She will take to the saddle well in the corral, I'm just not sure of her reaction outside of the corral.
Having her for 17 weeks and not training her every day I am amazed at how far she has come!

Pink blanket

I will be working some afternoons and nights so it gives me some time with Topaz. I haven't bought the large ball yet so we are still doing "Blue tarp 101" She is at the head of the class! Ok, she is the only one in class, but she is great. She will walk around the corral with it on her back. I have to keep her moving or she will pull it off and try to chew on it! To make things more interesting I added a pink blanket. After she sniffed it (and tried to eat it!) she let me put it on her back and walked around. I don't think pink is really her color but it's what I had on hand. She is very accepting and trusting to let me put things all over her body.
I haven't been working with her every day so it was a pleasant surprise to clean her feet today. She willingly lifted each foot as I asked with out using any rope. (of course it was probably the rocks she wanted removed!) While I clean out her hooves Topaz gets bored and invariably grabs the lead rope to chew on. Not good for my lead rope, but it seems to help her stay still. I pull it out of her mouth only to find it back in as soon as I'm busy with another foot! I might be fighting a losing battle with this one LOL
With the way Topaz is progressing I don't think I could have adopted a better "1st mustang"! It has been and will continue to be quite an adventure that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to try it.

We have worked on the "blue tarp" and Topaz has allowed it to be on her body almost every where. I even had it on her back and had her walk forward a step or two!! I am now back at work and the first part is Rush and it will keep me from training for a short while so no blogs. Check back in a couple of weeks because I have intentions of a new class - Large Ball 101. It should be a lot of fun and I plan to have pictures. So far her curiosity outweighs her fear of things. We'll see what she does with an over sized ball. (and I know she won't be able to eat it!!)

Topaz is now going to class. Today was "Blue Tarp 101" Blue tarps are not edible. Sniff a blue tarp it's still not edible. Lick a blue tarp it's still not edible. Front hoof balling it up it's still not edible. Hm! Hang it on the corral it is STILL not edible! What are blue tarps for? If you can't eat them then they are useless!!
We will work on this again tomorrow.

Topaz is getting better with her back feet. Yesterday I thought I was going backwards because I had to use rope on three of her feet to lift them up. After lunging her a little I tried again. Her front two were fine the first back foot needed a rope but then the last hind foot she picked up for me without asking! WOW that was nice! I also stood beside her and asked her to back and she did it without any cues. She is really good at backing up.
When we have her loose in the 4 acres around the house she responds to the horn honking and goes to the corral for oats. This will be very helpful when she is loose in 15 acres. We are still clearing the front to put up fencing. We're almost done and should mark for posts today. That hasn't left Dean much time for Topaz so I still need to work on her accepting others working with her.

I thought Topaz was over the vet visit but not all is well. She wouldn't let Dean put hands on her past her head. She seemed to think he was going to give her a shot & hurt her. Dean had been able to pet her from the start. I was having him lift her front feet for practice when we found this out. It was almost a disaster! I had no idea she would become aggressive towards Dean! She tried to kick him with her back feet. Then when he went to pet her she was trying to bite at first but did settle down. I don't know how I am going to get her ready for the farrier or the next vet visit!! This will be quite interesting!!!
On a happier note all four feet lift on command without rope. She also knows how to back up. The training continues at a steady rate. In the afternoon I let her loose to graze in the yard. I stay out with her to keep her out of my flowers. She definitely knows the word NO!

Training is going well. Topaz has recovered from the stress of the vet & is now eating without foaming. I can now use a hoof pick on her back feet. Hurray!! I pick up her feet every day so sometimes after picking up her left front when I go to the right she picks it up before I even touch it!! i am still using a rope for her back ones but I can now hold them with my hands.
Monday she was "feeling her oats" and put on quite a show galloping around with quite a few rear kicks. I hope this will not be a regular routine once she is saddle broke! I'm not sure I want to be part of her "show"

Topaz is doing well. She will walk, trot, walk, and then stand with a minimum of pressure. Her front feet are still very easy but I'm still working on her back. The vet came out to visit and we found out Topaz does NOT like shots. She kicked both the vet and his assistant more than once. She was using her front legs to kick at them. She was also trying her best to bite them. J.C. (the assistant) was able to walk her some and pet her, but when the vet came near Topaz would get very aggressive and hard to handle. She actually nipped me for the first time. After they left Topaz ended up getting colic from the stress. I talked to the vet to make sure it wasn't the medication he gave her. He said to not feed her that night and watch to make sure it didn't get worse.
She is fine now but the missed meal has her back to gulping her food, so I'm back to square 1 with her mouth foaming. Soon I hope to have her back to eating slower.
I need to work on giving her oral medicine and try to lean how to teach her to relax for a shot. We have come a long way in 6 weeks but have much further to go to keep her healthy. She is SO worth the effort!!

Last Sunday was a first walk around the 4 acres for Topaz. She was very interested in being out of the corral. She got loose from me and ran around just for the joy of running. I had no trouble catching her. I took her around the fence line and to the cliff. I didn't want her to spook & find the cliff the hard way!
Since then she has been out about 5 times. She follows me back in to the corral when asked. She had a run in with a cactus today and had needles on her face, two just below her eye one in her nostril. I put her in the corral and put her halter on. She then let me pull the needles out! Even the ones right under her eye!
I'm working on her back feet. It takes a lot of patience and strength but I'm sure she will figure out that it's not that bad. I pick up her front feet every day and clean them out. I want her to stay in practice. All in all I think for 5 weeks training she is doing excellent and more than expected.

Another great day training! It is now easy to work her front feet. Topaz will lift them most times with very little pressure from me. I use the command "lift". I told her "lift" on her back hooves and she lifted them! I didn't hold them as this was the first time. Tomorrow I will hold them for a short time. It seems like I will be able to "pick" them very soon. We are in the process of securing the area around the house. By Sunday we hope to show her the fence line and let her out to graze during the day. I know she will be a lot happier out on those 4 acres than in the corral.

Today I was able to use a pick on both front feet!! Topaz is really learning fast. I will start with her back feet in the next couple of days. We had rain today which is something to celebrate! (We're in a severe drought) Topaz liked it so much she rolled. Mud caked on one side and on her back. I'll be brushing for a while! but at least I can clean her front feet now.
She has really slowed down on how fast she eats her hay. I think the regular feedings have helped a lot. I have a red bucket I use for sweet feed and boy does she run for that when she sees it!! I seldom give her sweet feed but she is really fond of it. I think if I ever need her to come to me in a hurry the red bucket will do the job!

Topaz is doing well with her training. She will stand still when told and I can walk around her front without her moving her feet. When I put the halter on her she will now stand still. I started with her front left foot and had a little problem getting her to pick it up but when I went to the right she picked it up with the lightest of touch! She continues to amaze me. We all love the greeting she gives us each time she sees us.
As you can see she is now styling with her name etched above the corral. She's not spoiled at all!! LOL

Topaz has a funny look because I am scratching her in a favorite spot. She has adapted well to her halter and lead. Although I did find out that she notices which lead I use. I have been using the blue one in the picture the most because it is the shortest. I have a black one I use for lunging that is longer. Well, when I wanted her to follow me using the black lead she balked. I put the blue one on & she was fine. I had to let her know the black lead was for lunging, but also for walking closer. She pays so much attention to everything around her. I know that it is part of her survival makeup but it is still amazing! She has the stand down fairly well. I am now picking up her front feet every day until she accepts it as the norm. It has been so hot here that I decided (with encouragement) to start her getting used to the hose for a bath / shower. This was her first time. The next day she played with the water more , trying to bite at the drops. We had a few people over for a BBQ and Topaz was quite a hit. She went up to everyone and let them pet her. She loved all the attention.
My mother-in-law is visiting from Ohio and checks on Topaz numerous times during the day. Topaz loves the extra scratching as you can see. Is that a smile on her face or what!!! (even her teeth are showing if you look close) Topaz seems to be one happy horse

Topaz is lunging on lead now, but at 90 degrees by 9am I keep her at a walk most of the time. By afternoon, just standing in the shade; she is in a sweat. I have started giving her only part of her morning hay before we have lessons. It's too hot to do much of anything after eating. Giving her the oats and a little hay takes the edge off her being hungry.
She is learning to "stand" on command even when I'm not right next to her.
I had some neighbors over to check her out and see what I was doing. They were very helpful in some info and thought I was doing the right things with Topaz. That was great to hear from someone who used to train and show Arabians!
They also thought she was a very good looking horse. I thought, so but I might be a little prejudiced!! ( just a little lol )

Topaz is learning to stand without moving her feet until told to, it's going well. She knows to move to the side when she is eating her feed to give me room to enter her stall. I was telling her to move over but now she does it on her own. Her favorite thing is to be "scrubbed" all over with her brush. She makes the funniest face!
"Bubba" was really "Bubette" and she is home. Her owners were very glad to have her back as she was bottle fed by them and a very special heifer. I was glad to send her on her way as Topaz is more than enough to work with.

Saturday night visitor

This really doesn't have much to do with training Topaz but was interesting to me.
Dean & I were coming home in the late afternoon when we saw a calf on the side of Hamilton Pool Road. It was grazing and we figured it would go back home. RIGHT!! We went 1/4 mile to our road, Fearless Treadway and 1/2 mile to our driveway which is another 1/4 mile. Dean put away some groceries while I started on some spray painting I needed to finish. About the time I was done Dean came down to the tractor shed to see how it was going. He called for me to look at something. What a surprise!!! There was the calf we had seen on the road at our gate. We let him in as he wasn't scared of us. Dean was sure he needed water and boy did he, 10 gallons worth! We are in the process of finding his owner but for now I named him "Bubba" I hope to make a phone call later today to return him. None of our close neighbors know for sure where he might have come from.
I need to add that Topaz is ok with him as long as he stays away from her hay!

Another great training day! Topaz works well on lead and is now learning to let me pick up her feet. I am working on the front ones first. When she is comfortable with her front I'll start on her back feet. Her right foot is much easier than her left, but I was able to get her to lift both about 8 different times. I walked her around in between to let her relax and learn slowly. Soon I hope to be able to file her hooves.
I always start her sessions with a good brushing, which she loves, and end with brushing. I want her training to be something she looks forward to without using treats.

Yes! "Cowboy Magic" did work on Dixie, Woo Hoo!!
It's been a few days since I posted and a lot has happened. I bought a traditional halter and put it on her with no problem. (this was last Saturday) When I trotted her around the corral I could tell it bothered her some so I left it on for a couple of hours. I had no problem taking it off. The next day she walked away every time I showed her the halter. It was a rough morning for her work out. It did end on a positive note. I gave up on the halter, worked her without and it went well.
Monday went well, no halter, just going over her turns, stops, and trotting. I used the traditional halter to adjust the knots on the other halter and decided to try it on Tuesday. WOW!! I was SO impressed! Topaz not only accepted the halter, she walked on lead. I had her spinning both directions, doing figure eights, and going whatever direction I led! She also was stopping with the lightest tug of the lead! I couldn't have asked for a better training session. Topaz got extra scratches and even a little sweet feed at the end.

Trust

I decided to work Topaz without the halter until I get a new one and she did great. I have her walking on command and stopping when I stop. We need to work on turning as she wants to turn 90 degrees instead of 180. I went out in the late afternoon to groom her for a "photo shoot" but no photos were taken. In the process of getting my brushes she decided to roll. Then was comfy enough that she just lay there. Here's the cool part - she let me walk up to her and scratch her without her getting up!! Horses are vulnerable when laying down as running is their escape from any danger. Topaz was showing a complete trust in me, that I wouldn't hurt her! I was so surprised she was that confidant in me!! We have come a long way together in such a short time. I hope I can teach others how great mustangs are and maybe save a few more every year.

Training continues

Training is going well. Topaz accepts the halter with no problem and I have been able to get her to move a little on lead. I can't seem to get the knotted halter to fit right. It still seems to have too much slack and moves all over her face. I will get an old fashioned flat halter to work her until I figure out what I'm doing wrong with the knotted one.
We had her tested for worms and she had a few but the vet said not enough to worm her. Yeah! I am not looking forward to worming until I get this halter issue fixed.
Topaz has been eating hay so fast that she foams at the mouth, but with feedings at regular times (3 times a day) she seems to be slowing down.
Topaz has been great with all the noise we have created except when the chain saw was started up. That spooked her big time! I stood in between her and the noise and that seemed to help. We will be working with the chain saw a lot until she is calm with it.
Today I'm starting day 12 of her training. It's hard for me to believe how far she has come.

Yesterday was a big step in training. I put the halter on for the first time and it went well. It is a knotted rope type and I need to adjust it but she let me put it on and take it off very easily. Next comes the halter and lead rope. I don't know if that will go as well.
I picked up some "Cowboy Magic" as a mane detangler and it is awesome!! It gave her mane a beautiful sheen and made it so easy to comb. I'm going to try it on Dixie who is part chow and forever tangled.
I also picked up some natural fly repellent. I thought it smelled nice but when Topaz smelled it she raised up her head and drew back her lips. She did let me take a rag and apply it on her and it really helped.
We got on line to find out how to estimate her weight and came up with 668 lbs.We needed to know her weight to know how much feed she should get. If you were to ask her it would be much more, she is such a chow hound and eats everything! She is 14.2 hands. Not a small yearling at all. I don't know if she will get taller but if not she is ok as is.

At last a name

It was one week ago when we adopted a wild mustang and have now, after much consideration we have a name for her. Topaz. Dean thinks some people take less time naming their baby than we did naming our horse!
Her training is going well. I have put a rope around her girth, neck, and legs. She doesn't seem to mind any of that so the halter is next. She still doesn't like to trot around the corral but I don't see that changing. She's fine if it's just a walk but more than that is too much like work! She is very inquisitive and follows me around the corral when I'm cleaning it up. She also calls to us when we step out of the house. At 6:30 she believes everyone should get up and she calls to us to let us know. Who needs a rooster I have Topaz!!

The last two days have been a little "off" as Tuesday I had to report for jury duty (it was cancelled) and Wednesday I had a Dr. appointment. That meant the last two mornings I couldn't work with her. On Tues. I did get her to trot around the corral for a while and as you can see she needed to "rest" afterward. She is just not into this exercise thing!
The high lights of the past two days are that I am able to brush down all four legs. I can brush her forelock, and have been able to put a rope all around her body. I tossed the rope over her neck, withers, and hind quarters. Also around her front legs. I am introducing the halter in stages. She has tasted it and it has been over her neck. I still need to work on her face.
Dean is also able to pet her including her forehead which is the most difficult spot. She is coming along faster and better than I had ever hoped! Very soon I hope to be able to let her out during the day to graze in the 5 acres that are fenced around the house, but first comes the halter & lead.

Day 2 on the training we worked on brushing. I have combed out her mane and can brush her front legs down to her knees, half way around her belly, down her back and flanks. I haven't combed out her forelock but I am able to touch her forehead.
Dean ran the compressor putting the last 3 roof panels up. The noise startled her but didn't scare her. She came out of the stable to see what was causing the noise. When Dean was using the palm nailer she flinched but didn't bolt. Then she came out of the stable and looked up at the roof to see what was going on. So far nothing has been so bad that she didn't want to check it out.
When I get in the corral with her it's really hard to remember she's wild! She is very mellow but extremely curious about everything!

Lucy and the horse have become very good friends!
Yesterday the first lessons went ok. I tried Jay O'Jay's method of round penning. While I could trot her around the pen and change directions neither her nor I were happy with the way it went. We both worked up a sweat but didn't to seem to connect. I did manage to touch her on the neck. Later in the day I went back to the corral and took a brush in and brushed both sides of her neck. Then in the evening I brushed her neck, back, and down her front legs. All of this while I made sure she didn't crowd into my space. All in all a positive first day!

First look

The first picture is of a buckskin that has zebra striped forelegs (you can't see them in this photo) The second is a sorrel (in the foreground) At the start the buckskin was my first choice to adopt. After 3 hours of observation the buckskin is no longer in the running. She shows the potential to be a very striking horse, but her temperament is a little too alpha for my first one.
The sorrel is now in the # 1 spot. I have 4 more that I'm interested in and will try to spend more time observing them tomorrow morning before the auction.
The sorrel let me pet her nose as she checked me out so that's hard to top, but one of the contenders is a light sorrel with blond mane & tail and 4 white stockings. She is a lot smaller but very nice looking I just have to watch her a little more for temperament evaluation.
There are a lot of nice geldings but I was really thinking filly for the first one.
Tomorrow I'll know which one is mine when we load it in the trailer!

Duncan Ok. we're on our way

Well....it's time. We didn't put on the siding or install windows and one corner of the roof still needs 3 panels but the horse will have a comfy stall. The other half has hay and feed.
We leave 6:30 tomorrow to pick up the trailer in Bertram at 8:00.
Viewing of the horses starts at 4:00 and ends at 6:00. Friday viewing starts at 8:00, then the auction for adoption starts at 10:00. I plan to use all the viewing time checking the yearlings to see which one would be best for me.
I have spent 14 months preparing for this and I can hardly wait to see what I end up with. It is truly (for me) a dream coming true!!

Countdown

I have 2 weeks left to finish the stable and get ready for the arrival of my mustang. May 28 I will be in Duncan Ok. to choose which mustang is right for me. On May 29 I will adopt and bring home a living American icon, a wild mustang!
Once I have it home I will try to post daily updates even if short. This will help me keep a record of the training for the future mustangs I hope to train and find homes for.