Days 69-73 ~ Getting Excited!

Well, Lindsay actually got a day off Wed.. It was my husband's birthday and we had family in town. It drives me crazy not to be on her, but I know she appreciated the rest. I did still take her for a little hand walk to check out our visitor's and she was a brave girl.

Thursday it was back to work.. must practice, practice practice...She had thrown a shoe in her stall, so I had to reset it before we worked. She was good, even though she does still get a little tired of waiting on me...I do not drive nails in as quickly as some, but she hung in there and I got her re-set. No glue this time, just clips and nails.

We've still been working lots on our changes and we have times were we are super consistent with them...then lapse into little spells where we are not. When she gets tired it's a little tougher to get them each time and I have a tendency to want to just keep on and keep pushing. She's plenty tough and hangs with me, but I'm trying to be good and limit the amount of times I ask for her changes now. If she gets them a couple times each way I am good with that. She is getting that flying change left to right now which really excites me. Sometimes the hind lead will still lag, but she's gotten it clean quite a bit. Just the fact she is able to do flying changes clean at all at this stage still amazes me..it is a true testament not only to her "try" but also her physical talent, it just doesn't come that easy for many horses.

We've been popping over fences too here and there and she is very good at that. Very round and tight knees, that has certainly been an easy task for her.

We hauled out to a friends Sat and worked in a really nice, huge arena with incredible ground. We have been working on our stops and our dirt at home is just too deep. She stops great, willingly and with her hind end, but once she plants her hind feet she slides ~ 3 feet then sinks in the dirt and has to pop back up with her back end to finish the stop. We have tried to get our ground to pack, but it's simply to soft to really hold a slide, it's perfect for pretty much everything else I do...especially barrels which is wonderful, but the same dirt just can not always do it all. It was fabulous to have the opportunity to work on some better sliding dirt and I think it will help Lindsay learn she can float across this ground better. She still had a tendency to pop up after a few feet, but got better the more she got the feel of the new dirt. It's amazing how much ground really does affect a horse. It is very apparent in running barrels, but other disciplines as well. We can not expect them to give us the same ride in beach sand vs. packed dirt. They have to use their bodies differently to accomplish the same task. It's really amazing how well some horses can adjust to the feel of different ground, but they still have to be given a proper chance to feel it to be able to make that adjustment. I think working on this dirt will help her a lot, we'll see after a few more rides on it.

We had a low key ride tonight under English tack, lots of long and low...really practicing rhythm and consistency. We popped over a few jumped throughout our ride and she was hardly even sweaty when I stepped off. She was very relaxed the whole ride. I am trying to make a point to help her understand when I want her long and low and steady, versus when I want her more elevated and "reactive" so to speak for her stops and spins...and when we are going to be a little less reactive and work on slower maneuvers of her body, like turns on the forehand..backing through poles...opening gates etc. She is catching on to the different types of "feel" and degree of responsiveness I am asking for. It is very easy to wake her up and get her more responsive, so I have to be sure to not forget to continue to remind her that it is ok for her to be less reactive too.

We are getting so very excited about Texas in August! It is coming up so fast! We still welcome anyone interested in Sponsorships...no matter how small, anything and everything helps. It is going to be quite the expensive venture to get ourselves halfway across the country and back. I am so very thankful for those that have Sponsored Lindsay in the beginning... Ms. Jane in memory of Alex, Dr. Marcy, Dr. Burgess, Lindsay and Judy Miller....Triple Crown has provided Lindsay's feed and Soft-Ride has outfitted her with a fabulous set of boots. We are so thankful for each and every one of you. Without the support of our wonderful horse community and friends this would not be possible. We are just thrilled to have to opportunity to show folks how special and unique these wild Mustangs truly are.

They truly are an integral part of our history, not one of us would be here, living the life we are blessed to live without them. Their direct ancestors carried our ancestors across this great country..they fought battles and died for us, simply because we asked them to...they ran across the nation carrying our mail, many times running almost non-stop as the "Pony Express"...they carried heavy loads to build our rail-roads and were the primary means of transportation for all for many years. They worked our fields growing our food and herded the cattle we ate...the list of what the wild Mustang has given to us is infinite. They have shaped our heritage and history in every way imaginable. Now that they are seemingly not as prominent in our survival it seems some have forgotten what all they have given to us. There are now many more wild Mustangs roaming the west than the land can support. The Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) is such a blessing to us and to the Mustangs. They work constantly to create programs like this Makeover to promote the diversity and magnificence of these incredible horses and the aid in their adoption and support. By supporting these programs we are all supporting the wild Mustangs. The MHF and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) work to support the adoption of these amazing beings as well as support them in the wild. Without the MHF and BLM these horses would be extremely over populated and be forced to fight for survival and face starvation for lack of grazing land. I am so proud to be a small part of it all...I want to do anything I can to help the public become aware and give credit to these wonderful beings that truly shaped every aspect of our life....hopefully in turn we can make their life better, by giving them loving homes and by supporting them in the wild on the range.

If you would like to offer any help in Lindsay's upcoming travels this coming month please feel free to give us a call or drop an email. 910-471-2658 or high.cotton.horse.farm@gmail.com

We appreciate every one's kind words and support in this process. It truly is an amazing ride....also if you are interested in adopting or training a wild Mustang feel free to contact us as well. There are many really wonderful programs the MHF offers to help these horses find good homes. If you ever have one you will see what I mean. They form a bond with their partners like no other. It is as if they have a capability to trust that runs deeper than most. It is a true blessing to have the opportunity to develop such a relationship with such a majestic being.