Final post for a long while

Well after some discussion with my Mom we have decided to adopt Ombre Rose for ourselves.  Since she is only a yearling it will be another year before I can begin to ride her.  During this next year I will continue to keep her gentle, respectful and continue her on the ground training.  If she learns something really phenomenal I will post it here.  Thanks for following our progress.  I hope to have another yearling for the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Ft. Worth next year.

Day 92

Well I should be in Tennessee today but unfortunately I just got out of the hospital.  My appendix ruptured and I had surgery and a week in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics.  Rosie is available for adoption for $125.00 if anyone is interested in her.  If not I will be returning her to a BLM facility in Pauls Valley OK in a couple of weeks.  So very disappointed that we couldn't be there to compete she would have done very well.  Thanks for following our progress.

Day 84

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. Been down with a stomach bug.  Worked Rosie a little yesterday and today and she was pretty good for having almost a week off!  We leave for Tenn. in 5 days!!! Hope we are ready!!!  Will try to post pics tomorrow.

Day 77

In 2 weeks Rose and I will be in Tennessee getting ready to compete against 20 other youth and their yearlings.  Hard to believe I have had her for this long.  Seems like I just picked her up yesterday.  Getting more than just a little nervous.
I took Rose on a little road trip yesterday to see some friends and show them what she can do....kind of went through the required maneuvers and our freestyle routine if we get in.  They loved her of course.  She LOVES people!  
Just worked on basic stuff today to keep her soft and responsive.  The pictures below are from our trip yesterday.

Day 73

WOW what a day Rose had today!  If she acts like this in Tennessee we are gonna do really well!!!  She had been acting kind of counterfeit for the past couple of days and I was getting worried but today was awesome!  We were having a little trouble loping in hand but got that lined out today too.  Getting more nervous but really looking forward to our trip and competition!

Day 71

Thought I better review some things Rose learned several weeks back so we brought out the big green ball and practiced some jumps again.  Don't think I will include jumps in my routine but you never know when you may have to improvise.

Day 70

OH MY GOSH the competition is only 3 weeks away!!!  Butterflies are starting to flutter around in my belly.  Rose is really doing well.  We have all of our maneuvers down and she looks relaxed and willing when we do them.  Working on our finals program.....hoping we get in the top ten!!  Can't wait til the last minute and expect to wow the crowd and the judges so we are working on some really cool stuff.  Haven't taken any pictures in over a week.  I'll see if we can take some tomorrow.

Day 60

Today we started "2 a days".  With only 30 days left and 60 days under our belt I am going to step up the pressure on Rose a little bit.  I think she can handle it fine.  If not I will back off again.  She did side pass a couple of steps down the feed trough but it is so slick she stepped on herself.  I decided to leave that project for another day when I can figure out how to fix the slickness issue.  Continuing to fine tune our compulsory moves and verbal cues.

Day 59

Just got back from the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Ft. Worth.  What a great job those trainers did with their 120 day mustangs.  Learned a lot and really enjoyed all the events.  Got to see the film documentary Wild Horse Wild Ride.  Great story about some fantastic mustangs and their trainers.  Rose had a few days off while I was gone but we picked up right where we left off.  She really likes to learn new things and enjoys spending time with people.  Soaks up new things just like a sponge.  She amazes me every time I work with her.  Worked on more of our compulsory in hand maneuvers and side passing today.  Stepped right up in the feed trough and stood there wondering what I wanted her to do next.

Day 55

Rose got a day off today.  The wind started howling and the dirt was so thick I couldn't even find her pen this afternoon.  Too bad the wind blew those beautiful blue clouds away before they could drop some rain on us :(

Day 54

Rose had a great day today!  She had been resisting laying down a little but today she just said OK and down she went :) Did a lot of desensitizing to things while she was laying down.  Played peek-a-boo as you can tell by the picture ;) Doing much better with our in hand maneuvers. 

Day 53

Rose was a little stinker today.  Did not want to listen very well or try very hard.  Hopefully she was just having an off moment or a little tired from the trail ride this weekend.  She did really well at the ride.  Everyone loved her and thought she was just too cute! We worked on our in hand maneuvers and jumped some barrels today.  Put a slicker over her head and led her around and she did great with it!  Mom was having a hard time with the camera...needed new batteries so no pics of that yet but we will be doing lots more of that in the coming days.  Gonna post a couple of pics of her trotting and jumping over the barrels.

Day 50

Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time but I've been busy with school,etc.  Rose is really doing well.  She has gained some weight and her coat is shiny.  I've just about got her mane trained to lay to the right so everyone can see her brand.  Been keeping her shaded and her color is really getting dark...she is almost solid black now.  Took her to the state park and ponied her off of my other mustang Rainmaker for about 3 hours yesterday. She got to see and do lots of new stuff.  Tomorrow we are going back to the state park to participate in an ACTHA trail ride to benefit the Mustangs.  That will be good for her to be around all those other horses. 

Day 40

This is day 40.  Hard to believe I've had her this long.  She had a good day today. Lots of in-hand work. First time I've crawled underneath and kneeled on her.  She did fine.  This is also her first day to learn to back the "L".  She did pretty dang good for her first time.  Does better backing to the right.  Really getting broke :)

Day 39

Rose had a really good day today.  The clouds rolled in this afternoon and cooled things off so we worked on our in hand maneuvers quite a bit.  She walks and trots beside me really well now.  Still working on the lope but she is getting a little better every day.  Laid her down on both sides and she is going down much easier and much more willingly.  I think its because she can graze on some grass while bowing or laying down :)  Gave a bath, combed out her mane and tail and put a mane tamer on her to train her mane the other way so everyone can see her brand. 

Day 38

Sorry I haven't been more diligent in my posts but been really busy lately.  Just been doing lots of ground work and desensitizing with Rose.  Really having to work on her loping in hand.  She gets nervous and tries to run off but is slowly getting better.  I trimmed her feet the other day and she did great.  Had to do more sacking out with her today.  If she has days off she forgets things and uses the reacting side of her brain instead of the thinking side.  Time is sure slipping by quickly!

Day 32

Geez it has been a while since I posted.  Days 28 & 29 were a review of everything she knows up until now.  I gave her the weekend off and today we did a brief review and then started a few new things.  She decided she was afraid of moving barrels today so we worked on that until it was no longer a scary thing.  Worked on lunging at a walk since she always wants to trot.  Did some more ground driving but this time through barrels, cones and over the bridge.  Drug half a tire so it wasn't so heavy for her. Tomorrow a whole tire and then more weight each day.  Put a fly mask on her for the first time today and she did fine.  Laid her down with it on and Mom drove the 4-wheeler past her head several times to desensitize her to loud noises while laying down.  I think she enjoyed her days off because she acted more interested and willing to do everything I asked today :)

Day 27

Worked on lunging in hand, more desensitizing, working with her feet, bowing, etc. Tied the buoys to the saddle and trotted her around with those flopping around.  Laid her down with saddle on today for the first time.  She doesn't especially like laying down but when she gets there she loves to just relax and let me rub on her and doesn't really want to get up.  Did some ground driving again today.  She is getting quieter about everything we do now.   

Day 26

We practiced some more bowing and laying down today.  I taught her to shake her head yes and no.  She caught on to that really fast.  I also sent her through some swimming noodles to get her used to more scary objects.  The picture that looks fuzzy is her shaking her head no.

Day 25

Rose learned how to bow today.  She also laid down and let me sit on her and rub her all over.  She sat on her butt briefly before I let her up.  She trusts me and I am so thankful for that!

Days 23 & 24

Took Rose on a road trip to Van Horn, TX to meet the family.  My Grandparents were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.  Had a great party and of course everyone fell in love with Rose.  She tolerated the trip really well.   Came home today to a river flowing down our road.  We got 4.7 inches of rain while we were gone on top of the 1.2 inches we got on Thursday!! WOO HOO!  Lots of water in our pond for her to swim in.  Forgot to take the camera so no pictures of our trip :(

Days 21 & 22

Hard to believe I've had Rose for 3 weeks.  She has come a LONG way!  Took her for a trip around town and to drop another horse off yesterday.  She is loading and unloading like a champ now.  It rained last night and filled our pond.  At first Rose didn't want to get in the water but after just a few minutes you can see how well she LOVES the water.  We had fun swimming together!

Days 19 & 20

Worked on trailer loading again today.  Gotta have her really good at loading for the competition.  Yesterday we spent more time on the bridge.  She is still not liking it much but I at least got her to walk across it and stand on it instead of trotting or jumping across.

Days 16-18

Day 16 we worked on loping in hand.  She does much better to the left than right so we are working on getting both sides equal.  Day 17 she had her official first day off!!  I think we both needed a break.  Today she met the big green ball and did really well.  I bounced it all around her, over her and on her and she just stood there.  She was watchful but trusted me.  Also worked on crossing noisy bridges today.  She was more concerned about the bridge than I expected her to be but for her first time she did great!

Days 14 & 15

Took Ombre Rose on an overnight adventure to the San Angelo State Park.  She tolerated riding in a slant trailer really well.  Stayed totally calm and relaxed in her pen even when I rode away on another horse.  I used my Mom's horse to pony her at the park.  He breaks in all the new colts or even helps with problem horses.  Nothing bothered her except when I had her tied to the trailer and Mom opened the cabin door next to her.  She sat back a little but calmed down pretty fast and then just stood there looking at us.

In my spare time I train outside horses too. This is Lucky.  He is going home this weekend.  The only thing green around here is mesquite.  That dry patch in the background used to be a lake :(

Day 13

Helped a friend today so sure didn't have much time to spend with my horses.  Did get Rose saddled with a light weight barrel saddle so I can drive her better through the stirrups.  I was using a bareback saddle and it kept slipping off to the side.  She wasn't quite sure what to think about those heavy stirrups banging her ribs but we made out alright.  She is acting a little arena sour so I may pony her in the state park tomorrow.  That should make her happy!

Day 12

Sorry about the poor picture quality but it was getting dark and our camera does not do well in low light situations.  Rose had an amazing day today.  Teaching her how to ground drive.  Caught on really fast and even got her into a trot!  Stopping and backing well too.  Gonna teach her Gee & Haw tomorrow ;)

Days 10 & 11

Rose continues to do great but she reminds me every once in a while that she is still a wild horse at heart.  That's fine because she is doing so much more so much sooner than I ever expected.  I am lunging her over, under and through lots of obstacles just to get her more broke and used to things.  Today I rubbed and jumped all over her.  She just stood there. I also put my bareback pad on her and let her wear that a while.  No problem at all.  She spends lots of time at the patience pole every day.  I want her to be able to stand still wherever I put her.  A good horse is a tied horse.

Days 8 & 9

Didn't get any pictures but Rose learned how to jump barrels yesterday.  She was nervous at first but then turned into quite the little jumper.  Today she met Mr. Tarp and turns out he's not such a bad guy after all ;)