Wow, that's fantastic! I can ride my other horse, Hammar, bridleless in the pen, but I can't go above a walk; not and maintain control :P Kirsten looks so happy!

Everyone knew that this was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time. Kirstin finally worked up the nerve to try riding Taz bridleless. She slowly worked up to this point. For weeks she has been practicing riding Taz without holding onto the reins and this weekend Kirstin decided it was time to try this for real. Taz did a great job. Stops were a little on the slow side, but he eventually stopped each time Kirstin asked for it.


Kirstin had to slowly work up to removing Taz's bridle. She started out with just a halter and reins, then she removed the reins and eventually removed the halter. The expression on her face says it all. She was amazed that Taz did this so well. It will be awhile before she will try this outside of the round pen but she was so excited that she was able to accomplish this.

Oh my, great news about the billionaire! Is she really going to buy 1 million acres?!?!

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. We've been busy with school and things. Haven't tried to ride Nine in weeks :(

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/11/19/wife-of-billionaire-t-boone-pickens-plots-to-save-wild-horses-from-slaughter/

This was the highlight of the day-Kirstin getting to ride with Mark & Christian. Here is a picture of the two horses standing next to each other. There will be a ton of other pictures from this clinic posted on Kirstin's blogspot: www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com check them out.

Here is a picture of Kirstin & Taz tracking the calf. From what I understand, this is to get the horse to understand that he is suppose to be following this calf. After this exercise, they move to mirror the calf to prevent the calf from getting by. Kirstin & Taz did really well considering Kirstin hasn't ever worked cattle by horseback. Taz had been exposed to working cows by Careen so that helped.

Here Kirstin is mirroring the calf to keep the calf from getting past her & Taz. Mark was on the other side of the calf keeping her from going the other directions. They did this exercise for a little while. Mark had made a comment about Kirstin's horsemanship because she put the horse first, he said when training always put the horse first, in competition is when you put the calf first. That made Kirstin beam from ear to ear.

Here is Kirstin at Mark Lyon's clinic that was held this weekend. This was a very informative clinic on working cattle. Since Kirstin had very little experience working cattle by horseback, she really learned a lot. The best part was that she got to see Careen(Taz's trainer) again and Careen got to see & ride Taz again. The clinic was great, saw a lot of EMM trainers there.

Here is Kirstin & Careen. Careen is riding Taz. Careen is training the horse that Kirstin is riding and wanted to see how she moved. Kirstin had so much fun at this clinic. More pics to come.

i cannot believe it is almost thanksgiving, as most everyone knows i did not make it to Texas with Rio Gato. it probably was a blessing, as most everyone knows that i broke my pelvis and hip last year. i was not healing right and went back to the doctors and found out that i have 3 bulging disks. with riding thru the fall the more back pain i was having. i just finally got thru with doctors and am starting with rehab to get healed. this has been great for Rio Gato due to the deep flight instinct that he has. the saddling issue still rises ahead from time to time, but has made a connection that the saddle really does not eat him. he just wants to be one of the gang. he stays very close to me and has my interest at heart. we were chosen to go to the women luv horses competition the first of December. we are going to that and we are representing the mustangs. that was very hard for me to make this decision, due to not being able to get into all the competitions due to my injury i have had and that i am healing from. he is an extraordinary horse and we have already started the adoption procedure for him. this horse does things in quarter blocks. everything has his time frame and has been very interesting in the training progress to get him solidly grounded due to his flight tendency. the training has to be 100% to accomplish or he will tell on you. he is very conscious and knows that i am hurt and goes very slow during all transitions of riding. he loves to works cows, and i have already started to working him in the round pen as a ground horse (pony horse) to start other colts. he is being ridden english and western. my nine year old daughter rides him with a halter. i am going to do a ground show at the womens luv horses to show what he does with me if i fall etc. this goes against his character due to being a bossy attitude. it has been a very neat experience that this horse treats me with respect due to my injury and not being able to move fast at all. we will blog again after the women luvs horses. please contact us if you have any questions. if you can join us at the city of industry for this women luv horses event. look up the www.womenluvhorses.com this will be a great weekend.

Rebecca,
not me on Florida, nowhere to keep another horse! We have raised our total of horses to 15 with 10 being mustangs! Grass is not doing well either after Hurricane Ike. I would love to do it though....not sure about training to ride in just 100 days?? Just never done it! I hope you go....you seem to do so well and you have the perfect facility for it! Let us know how Bu does in his first show...I know he'll do well--look who trained him! When you say rescued appaloosa is this one a mustang too?
We'll be going on a country trail ride for "Christmas in the Country" first weekend in Dec, so I'm working with my 4 yr old to "bomb" proof him to the sounds he'll encounter with trail riding....we've only been on two and he did pretty good on one, but didn't like the second one! Lots of loud music and wagons...so that's my this month project!
Let us know how you do in dressage.....

Hercules will be a pet and trail mount! He is a good guy. He arrived in Florida yesterday. They are thrilled with him.

I have a few projects.. I am showing Bu in his first dressage show in two weeks, I have a rescued appaloosa I am starting, and then my regular training horses....not sure about the Makeover in Florida....I know I need to decide soon!

You?

He looks great! I found my old jump bat and a crop today, so maybe soon I will try your tip. I want to get back to Nine just standing when I get on, first, though. He bucked me off twice the other morning!