This is Filou and Jacqueline

We are improving every day, but also at the same time

there are new things coming along, so the training never stops!

All together we can be two happy competitors, slowly but

steady preparing for Filous big moment!

I am wondering if there is any of you Horsepeople looking to

fall in love with a canine, if so you can let me now and I will sign you

up for a chance of rescuing Filou!, He is a very lovable dog!

Greetings

Filou and Jacqueline

Things didn't go a good as expected this weekend. Took Tuff to the arena, arranged to have a PA System there so that Kirstin could practice some stuff for a possible finals(which she didn't get to do) and Tuff decided that he was going to be difficult to say the least. He was acting full of himself and would not listen to anything Kirstin asked. She would ask for a trot and he would start trotting and then turn to kicking up his heels and rearing. So uncharacteristic of him and I'm not sure what to do about that. So any suggestions would be great. How do you train a yearling not to start kicking up their heels when you try to lead them at a trot??? He's a baby, they love to play, right? Then she would just try to walk him and he would try to run off with her. All this time and he has been so well behaved and 3 weeks before the show, he starts to act like a little toot! Should Kirstin do more lunging work before trying to work him in an open arena? Any tips would be great.

kkmustangs@hotmail.com

www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com

WOW !!!!!!!!! IT'S RAINING !!!!!!!! Ergon is very HAPPY and me too. It's been raining for about 2 hours, not the heavy stuff !!!!!! I have been looking for Sponsors. If there is anyone out their who wants to sponsor me and Ergon, just email me at wildjzbuzz@yahoo.com

Today I ran across a picture of Cool the day after pick-up and a more recent picture.
I believe this is what is called an "amazing transformation!"

What a task it has been to gentle, train and put approximately 300lbs + on a horse but we did it!

I have a new training assistant. No, it's not my wife. It's Rainmaker! I needed a horse to use and Rainmaker was the only one gentle enough to use to rope another horse. The buckskin in the picture is about twice Rainmaker's size, and he wasn't crazy about his first saddling or being roped, but Rainmaker made him like it!

Tess is coming along nicely. She has turned into a sweet, biddable girl who loves to learn. Unfortunately, I discovered she does have some physical limitations. I had noticed she was having difficulty with sitting straight so off to the vet we went. Thankfully it isn't her hips but possibly an old injury to her sacrum. Some physical therapy and supplements are in order and understanding what she can and cannot do will keep her in good shape. I have had my own injury that has kept me on the sidelines or on crutches which certainly makes dog training challenging! Regardless, we are making progress and I am seeing in her potential for greatness. I wish she liked to retrieve, but in time, maybe she will. I know I can train her to do it but it would be so nice to be able to play with her like most Labrador Retrievers I know!

Tess has accomplished the teeter totter and this week she actually jumped onto a ladder that was 12 inches parrallel off the ground and walked across it without hesitation. We have not had an opportunity to get any exposure to horses or a dirt arena but I have a contact now that I can line that up for next week. We'll keep you posted.

Karen & Tess

Today Dr. Schafer came out to work on Mr. Cool

Dr Schafer is a retired veterinarian who practices chiropractic and acupuncture on horses and all kinds of animals (even dolphins!) all around the United States. He has been wonderful enough to sponsor all three of my competition mustangs and treats my horses on a regular basis. Simply put Dr Schafer is a Godsend! His only fault is that he vacations in Colorado each summer so we anxiously await his return each August so everyone can get adjusted.

Cool had a few ribs out of place and was also in need of some acupuncture. All in all Cool did pretty well but he was not too crazy about the needles in his back and tried his best to reach around and get them out. Cool settled down after a while and did some pretty good yawning, licking and chewing.

When I rode the next day his lateral work was a little better on the side he's been having trouble with and I'm sure it will improve even more as he settles into his newly adjusted body.
I have seen remarkable results after having Dr Schafer work on both my own horses and my training horses and highly recommend chiropractic and acupuncture to anyone who wants the best for their horse.

If you would like more information on equine chiropractic and acupuncture please contact Dr. Rick Schafer at (361)939-8379.

Thank you so much Dr. Schafer for your sponsorship, support and all you do for God's wonderful animals!

Rebecca here; EMM 08, GEMM 09, and EEMM 09 competitor.

Haven't been able to access the website until this evening so here goes: Big Mac and Small Fry are moving right along. I think I got two good horses. Both have great minds. Basics are covered now onto the riding!

Here's a couple pics I took from my cell last week!

Thanks!

Rebecca Rodden

Rodden Equine Training Services

www.roddenequine.com

PS: Anyone in the KY-IN area there is an adoption scheduled in New Castle, IN on Sept. 20th and in Ewing, ILL on Sept 11-12!

August 23. 09
Me Ergon and Trisha at the Rodriguez Arena. Doing Team Penning Check it out on my blogspot. Loads of PICS. or JUST check out me and Ergon's PROGRESS. We are just 21 days away.
wildjzbuzz@yahoo.com

Below is the link for an interview that my dad, Dale Lively (Eastern EMM 2009), and Miranda Dobbins (Youth EMM 2009 - Ft Worth) did on August 5 - I think they did an outstanding job!

http://www.myfoxal.com/Global/story.asp?S=10850142

I have learned over the past 2 years that the Mustang is an amazing horse! Good Luck to everyone and keep on blogging!

L4

If it seems that I have been absent for a while, since my last report, you are right. I came really close to bowing out. Samson and I ventured into public for the first time a week ago. It was a disaster...No focus. I couldn't find enough motivation in the world to get him to give me the time of day. The rest of the world was all he wanted, and I was not a part of it. I'd put a treat in front of him and he'd turn his head. I tried a toy...Same thing! If I could, after repeated cues, get him to sit, he sat with his back to me. I went home from PetSmart at an all time low. He was all about every dog at PetSmart and everyone else...Everyone else but me! I took him to Dog Scouts on Saturday and it was worse...Should I have expected anything else? If I could not keep him motivated and focused, all would be lost.
I tried a new tactic. I deprived him of ME. For next 48 hours we didn't work. He was in his crate, or in the yard for a potty break, then back in the crate. Monday night, I got him out and was all business. Any attention he got, he earned. He did great...but that was around my house and in the front acre. The test came today. We were back at PetSmart. He didn't quite get an "A", but he easily got a "B" and he fun doing it. We trained for 45 minutes. There were dogs, kids, people squeaking toys, employees on the floor restocking...you name it. He maintained a down for 4 minutes with an 8 year old squeaking a toy 10 feet away. His sit maintains were strong and focused. I had to repeat a cue or two, but for the most part...He did really well. He was back to the "adoptable" dog I'd grown to love. And to think, I came SOOOO close to pulling the plug this week. We have a saying in Search and Rescue..."Trust your dog, Stupid". If the shoe fits...

Rainmaker is doing great. We just use him on the ranch all the time and he does whatever we want. For his first trip off the ranch, we hauled him to Ardmore, Oklahoma for a working cow horse show. Obviously, he did not compete, he just kept the other horses company! He got used to turn back during the cutting and really liked it. Everyone who saw him was very interested and surprised by his gentle nature. While we were on our trip, we spent some time with a friend working on reining, I wish I had some pictures of Rainmaker running down that sliding track!

Kirstin's nephew, Daniel, is at the stage in his life that he has to hug everything. He loves Tuff, has riden Tuff and now he is hugging Tuff's leg. How cute is that????I wish Tuff was one of the older riding horses, because he would be a great horse to work with-so smart, willing, and wanting to please.

He even let Kirstin's brother check out his ears. He occassionally shakes his head, but no bugs just needing some cleaning. Notice Tuff's new pink halter. We did say that he was "Tuff-E-Nuff" to wear pink in memory of people like Kirstin's grandmother who died of breast cancer and in honor of all who are fighting the fight.

Hope everybody is doing well and no one has gotten hurt to bad. I finally saddled Kizer up last week. It went great! No buck no freak out except when he got his sturrip hung on the gate of the round pen. Other than that it was wonderful. I ponyed him with my mare Karma and we went all of our 40 acre farm. I think he really enjoyed getting out of the same old routine and seeing the rest of the place. Hopefully this week we will not have to be ponyed and can just ride with the group

I've emailed Randi about the webpage, maybe she can "fix" it, but we're having trouble too!

Is anyone else having trouble viewing the EMM blog. I can view everyone's blog but when I try to view the EMM blog I come up with a blank page that says done at the bottom. I can post through Kirstin's blog, but can't see the actual blog. Any suggestions please leave a message on Kirstin's blog www.kirstinsmustangmakover.blogspot.com or email kkmustangs@hotmail.com

Just got my blog up and running. Better late than never. It is Day 32, and Dillinger is doing great. We are under saddle with a collective walk, trot, and canter. You can also read more detailed entries from day 1 on my facebook page, "Hank Hepperly." The Daily Times is coming out tomorrow for an interview. Hopefully this will be good exposure for the EMM. Till next time.
Hank

We were afraid that this would be too tall for Tuff to get up on, but he gives it a try after watching Kirstin jump on. It was almost like he said, "Oh, you want me to do that, ok!"

He was so proud of himself after climbing this mountain.

www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com

Hi I am back on this site finally!

Filou is doing good !

We have a good time and he is a trusting

and loving dog, People only have to try

and communicate correctly to find this

connection and make it work!

Greetings

Filou and Jacqueline

Marshall has been a wonderful experience. He is huge, at times this keeps my heart pounding with excitement. Still a lot of work ahead of us.

What a great weekend both Kirstin & Tuff had. Started out Saturday evening when Kirstin & her drill team performed at the CCSP Rodeo. Kirstin was one of the lead horses for both the grand entry and the drill and of course trusty ole Trigger was fantastic. He loves to perform for people. They even competed in the barrel race. They did alright, not one of Trigger's better times, but he did great for not having any barrel training and competing against girls who compete on a regular basis at large rodeos. That horse has sooo much heart and he always gives 150%.
Sunday we decided that it was time for Tuff to get some arena time. He has only been away from the house once and he didn't get to do anything more than set in a pen at the arena. Today, we spent several hours there. Kirstin and Tuff worked on basics and then we set up a make shift obstacle course for them to run through. We had to use stuff we found there at the arena because we forgot to bring our stuff but it exposed Tuff to even more new stuff which was great. Kirstin worked a lot of trotting because Tuff isn't real quick to trot. Tuff was trotting great with the use of the flag stick so if push comes to shove, Kirstin will carry the flag stick with her during the competition. He did get a little excited while trotting and tried kicking up his heels which is one thing that Kirstin worries about most, but being able to get in an big, open arena helped build her confidence in being able to handle those situations and continue on. Tuff is an amazing little guy and shows so much promise, he & Kirstin continually amaze us. He is so laid back and easy going.
We are extremely lucky in that we have the use of that arena, we didn't take advantage of it last year, but I do believe that every Sunday that we can get out there, we will be there. If anyone else is interested, please let us know, it is open on Sundays for CCSP members use and we would be more than happy to have you accompany us there. It's on a high hill just off of the freeway so there is a lot of traffic noise and usually the wind is kicking up as well which is great exposure for these horses. It's located in New Braunfels which is in between San Antonio & Austin. It's a full size arena and I could even arrange for the PA system if needed. Just let us know.
Email: kkmustangs@hotmail.com
I will post pictures from today tomorrow from work so check them out tomorrow at:
www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com

Kirstin's mom
Priscilla

What a cool little dog...Oh, I can see why he ending up in doggie jail. I'm not saying there is no room for improvement, here. For example, he loves his toys and he won't share with any other dogs. I'm sure an assault charge, or two, or fifteen is in his rap sheet. That'll require a little management on his "forever" handlers part. The rest of the package will make it all worth while. When we picked him up, the scuttlebutt was that the Mustang Makeover trainers that were most successful, focused on horsemanship, not showmanship. I've really gone back to basics. Because he is such an athletic little guy, I was playing around with a scatter shot bit of behaviors involving various props. I realized, for the time we were given, I was doing too much. I have come to the realization, that quality is better than quantity. I may get the props back out, but not for a while. And, like I said in my first blog, my focus needs to be getting him a home. The rest will take care of itself.
Now, on another front. The hurricane season has started to raise it's ugly head. There are two storms headed this way from Africa. The larger of the two is expected to hit hurricane strength by tomorrow. Depending on landfall predictions, I could go out the door by the end of next week. That'll leave a mark on my training plan. I wonder if Samson can fit in my duffel bag? ...Just Kidding...

Today Wyat was ground-driven all over my proerty-we have 80 acres with trails all thru it. He is really getting the hang of it and his headset is coming along nicely. After that long walk, I took him back the the round pen for his eleventh ride. He is really starting to understand and trust me. The bugs were really bad but he still rode like a champ. Fly spray is one thing I have not introduced him to yet so today was a good day for that. After his wash down-very sweaty from all his good work, I got out the fly spray-I sprayed it first and let him get a whiff of it nearby, then I let him snip the bottle. He started shaking his head and snorting-it was hilarious. It was like he was trying to say "that stuff smells nasty!!!"
The other mustang Easy wore his saddle again today, was ground driven and is developing a beautiful headset. He is much lighter to the bit than Wyatt and has a nice soft feel. He just is a bit more nervous and I am going to do a few more days of work before getting on him. I believe this will pay off in the long run.
I have been able to put Wyatt out to pasture during the day when I am not working him. When the time comes for him to go back in his pen he catches up like a pro.
I am hoping to do this with Easy in a few days as he lets you just walk up now to halter.
It has been fun working with two mustangs as they are both so different.
Wyatt the big stout guy-like a bull in a china shop sometimes-and Easy the nervous little guy, ready to run if he had a chance.
Both learning rather quickly but in totally different ways.

A slight setback. But patience pays off or so I hear!! Thomas is having a rearing problem. Nothing like the black one trying to kill ya!! He is an athletic horse, with an unbelievable amount of Spirit and Pride!! Any suggestions?

Howdy ya all,

I am also having trouble loading pics. My blogspot loads just fine so you can check it out and see my new pics of Me and Ergon doing some sliding stops. Just check out my Blogspot at the right. Click on Jessica Frantz.------------------------------------>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

wildjzbuzz@yahoo.com

I'm still having problems uploading photos to the EMM blog, but not on Kirstin's own blog page so you will have to go there to see the newest photos. Last night she put a leather saddle on Tuff. He has worn an Albetta saddle which makes no noise whatsoever, so the noise made by the leather was new to Tuff, but he took it all in stride-no problems. Kirstin also introduced; with the help of her dad, the lasso. Tuff also was unaffected by that. I could definitely see him doing cattle work when he grows up.
I do have a question for you horse trainers. Kirstin is still having a difficult time with backing Tuff. He will back but it takes a lot of pressure on her part. She has tried many different methods, but nothing seems to really get him to back right away-she really has to pull on him to get him to back. Any suggestions would be great, he is such a great little horse, I would hate for him to be lacking on this aspect.
You can email Kirstin at kkmustangs@hotmail.com
See her most recent pictures at her blog: http://www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com/

Things were going pretty well with Tess but I have started to notice that she does not seem to be able to sit straight or to maintain the position without her legs sliding out to the side. She does better on the grass where she can get more traction, but I am worried that she simply doesn't have the muscle strength or hip sockets to hold a sit. I was hoping that a little weight loss would help the problem, but so far that hasn't happened. Not only is Tess having stability problems, but I am now limping around on crutches due to a possible muscle pull or strain. The exact reason for the pain hasn't been found yet but it certainly has put a damper on training, especially the heel work! Tess does love to train though and is becoming quite food motivated. She still lacks the trust of people and does not solicit any affection still. She is quite sensitive and does not handle any type of 'correction', even a simple "uhuh". Like, Bob we are going the slow and steady route and working on simple basics. There is not much animation in this old girl but she is a sweetheart even though she doesn't know it yet!

Well we're 2/3 the way there Texas folks! I don't know about everybody else, but I still feel like Memphis and I have a long way to go. On the other hand, I think back to the wild, rough horse that got here less than 2 months ago and grin...he has come a long way as I'm sure all of yours have as well.

We've spent 100% of our time on practical stuff--just getting broke. I have done NOTHING fancy, no tricks, nada. I will say that he's becoming a fine horse to have around. When it comes to Fort Worth though, we don't have any "wow" factor to bring with us. I have to admit, that's mostly due to my lack of creativity! :)

I took him to Bandera state park last week and rode for the first 2 hours alone, just Memphis and I, then met up with my mom and her gelding and rode for 2 more. I had so much fun I didn't want to leave. I couldn't be more proud of Memphis either. We rode some hard, rough terrain. He might have a little billy goat in there somewhere. ;)

I'm not having any luck uploading pictures, but I did make a couple videos of Memphis. If you go to youtube and search "Memphis Mustang Makeover" they will come up.

mcmillanshowhorses@yahoo.com

I am pleased to say my mustang is progressing very well. Today I thought he was confused as he followed me around like a dog. We got a good laugh!!

Me and Element waiting on the newspaper reporter, and trying to keep from getting too sweaty. more stuff on our own blog on the right. Sending a BIG SHOUT OUT to our followers Thank You for your support and comments We love U-Guys!!! robbie_daughtry@yahoo.com

Samson got his brain, today! (...Or, I finally got smart enough to figure which buttons to push.) We had a nice training session. Going slow with him has started to pay off. I really felt the need to push him because of time constraints, but have resisted the urge. I'm so glad I have. He is happy and much more focused. I am spending massive amounts of energy on a recall. (He is Jack Russell, through and through.) I've been using classical conditioning and targeting for recall behavior and word association. For the independent little cuss he is, I'm getting a pretty good response. Tomorrow, we are going to do our first leash work...We'll let you know. He seems very close to being 100% health wise. That is one hurdle I'm glad we jumped. I still believe he is adoptable. I have not seen anything close to a deal breaker where that is concerned.

I will download pics from today in a little while, and show something, But let's talk about the problem I am having...................I am jealous of everyone going to the beach, and we ain't there!!! LOL gotta love them mustangs, have fun and good luck to every-1 robbie_daughtry@yahoo.com

I don't know if everyone else is having problems uploading pictures or not, but I did. Kirstin and Tuff were very busy this weekend. It started out Friday evening with Tuff taking his first real trailer ride since bringing him home. We loaded him up with our trusty old gelding Trigger and off they went to Kirstin's drill team practice. It's about an hour long ride and Tuff was a champ. Kirstin didn't get to work with him there, but he stayed in a pen and took the numerous horses and kids carrying flags really well. He then loaded up in the dark(which Kirstin hasn't practiced) with no problems and made the hour long trip back home with no problems.
Saturday, Kirstin decided to reintroduce Tuff to the tarp. She had tried early on in training but Tuff didn't like it being up in the air. This time was different, he not only accepted the tarp flying around him, but he also wore the tarp like a cape with no issues at all.
Sunday, Kirstin decided to introduce him to the saddle. He won't be ready to ride for quite some time, but Kirstin likes to introduce as much as possible. He wasn't too sure about the saddle at first, but Kirstin took her time, let tuff chase(so to speak) the saddle for a little while and then put it on his back, cinched it up without any problems what so ever.
Earlier in the day on Sunday, Kirstin & her dad made a podium for Kirstin to add to her training aides. She has it painted and now all she has to do is add a rubber mat on the top and she will be ready to use it. Hopefully, Tuff will take to that as easily as he has everything else.

I tried posting pictures here, but they won't load. They are posted on her blogspot so if you would like to see this amazing little guy go to:
www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com

Good evening

How is everybody doing ?

I've been taking Filou on daily driving trips and it didn't look

to good in the beginning, 

but now he starts enjoying his new airconditioned routine!

Here is a picture of him, can you see the spark in his eyes ?!

Greetings

Jacqueline and Filou

Cool did get a little more exposure at the beach than just waves and riding.

In Corpus Christi we have a small strip of beach where naked sun bathing is allowed.

Rarely do we encounter anyone, but as luck would have it on our way back a nudist couple asked if we could take their picture with the horses.

My friends who were riding with me quickly said that is a wild mustang, you need a picture with that one, so Cool and I stepped up.

Once again, Cool took things in stride, we got our pictures and off we rode.

I would like to challenge all the EMM trainers to top this for getting their mustang out there and exposed!

Well Cool went to the beach today for the first time and did awesome!

We started on line and he immediately went into the water like he goes to the beach on a regular basis. In fact he stepped over the line, spooked himself and managed to get loose but immediately ran back into the water as though it were a safe place to be.

Before long we were saddled up and headed down the beach with my friends Julia and Yvonne with Cool in the lead much of the time.

The only thing that bothered him during the whole ride was seeing people off in the distance, but by the time we headed back he was handling it much better.

All in all it was a great ride and I will definitely take him back again before the competition as he and I both enjoyed it probably the most of any of our rides.

Cool did get a little bit more exposure at the beach, but I will save that for my next post.

For more information or to follow our weekly blog you can log into my website at www.synergyhorse.com or my weekly Mustang Makeover blog http://lorriegrover.blogspot.com/

I just noticed how much Element looks like the mustang logo in this pic. robbie_daughtry@yahoo.com

Tess has finally recovered from her cough and is starting to come around. I see in her qualities that remind me of my service dog, Rock. She is starting to trust me more and seems to really be enjoying the time with a human now. She is offering behaviors of sit, down, targeting and following me. They are not quite on cue, but she is at least trying to please me! My service dog is nearing his retirement due to some health issues; could it be that Tess is successor material? Time may tell. If not, she will make someone a lovely companion!

Guten Tag

It is another great day, and Filou is starting to love his water activities

well, he looks like a retriever and so it will just be a matter of time 

till he will not come out of it, right!

Hope all of you are doing fine and are able to enjoy the time with our 

Training partners.

Greetings 

Jacqueline and Filou

Well, day six is here with my little guy (Jack Russell), “Samson”. We are making progress. He is on the tail end of a bout of swollen privates from last week’s neuter. He was very sore, but the swelling is subsiding and his raucous soul is starting to flourish! Rumor has it he was returned one time each from three adoptions. He is an independent little cuss…There-in lies the challenge. I figure my former Urban Search and Rescue dog, Kinsey, taught me a thing or two about dealing with a stinker like this. She went through four foster homes in five months. The longest she lasted with any of them was 48 hours. Almost a year from the date I adopted her we were sent to our first deployment, The World Trade Center, after 9/11. She was my partner at all the way through Katrina and Rita, and, along the way, she turned into the best house dog we ever had. Samson has a ton of potential and there are sparkles of attitude that remind me of Kinsey...A comparison I don’t toss around.
I’m using the clicker, right now, to lay some obedience foundation. I’ve got several props that I’ve used to train search and rescue dogs and I am using them to work on his agility. He goes up on many of the props without coaxing. I’m also teaching him to use a target stick. All these things I hope will give us some good foundation skills to build on. His attention threshold is not very long, but gets longer every day. He has never learned to learn. I’ve just got to keep my eye on the ball…Got to find this little guy a forever home. Anything else is gravy!

Good morning

Another hot day , but thats not holding us back to train our four legged ones, right?

Filou is really enjoying his time here at our Poloranch, he has plenty of new friends 

and the opportunity to learn swimming !

Yeah, right, swimming.

He tried on his own the very first day, but was sinking like a rock .

Since then we have been practicing an guess what, he is still sinking, just not as bad so I guess 

we are making some progress here.

He loves to be brushed, so when it is time , our dogs are already standing in line to be first at the spa ! but guests first, right?!

Greetings

Jacqueline and Filou

Welcome to all of you dog trainers, I am so glad to see you here on the blog. Look forward to seeing some pictures of you & you dog. What a great thing that the Mustang Heritage Foundation is doing with both the Mustang and the dog. Can't wait to see ya'll in Ft Worth.

Thank You, Thank You very much. for your patience. We are finally current on the Robbie Daughtry blog over there --->, and will keep everyone posted daily. Good Luck to everyone Texas and Tennessee, keep up the great work. robbie_daughtry@yahoo.com

Tess is a 2 1/2 year old female black lab that was surrendered to the shelter when her previous owners had a baby. She has probably not had much of a relationship with a human because she is quite aloof at this point. I am hoping that lots of love, petting and treats will help bridge the gap! She does not like to play with toys at all so food and praise are hopefully the recipe for success! She will make someone a lovely dog once she learns to trust!

Karen Deeds in Ft. Worth

Hello to all the Wild Mustang and not so wild Mutt Makeover Contestants!

I have a nice young black male, who currently trains with me to have a better chance of being adopted!

There are a total of 10 Dogs in the competition . 3 Mutts will take the stage at the Finals in september. 

I am wishing all of you good luck, since it is truly a great cause , everyone who is involved and working with a Mustang or Dog is already a winner.

Hope to hear from all of you soon 

Best regards 

Jacqueline and Filou

We worked on a lot today, Ransom is just so willing. I love seeing how everyone is progressing these mustangs sure are quite trainable!!! Keep on keepin on everyone!!!!!

Here are a couple pics from yesterday.

See Ya - Fawn

Well we made even more progress yesterday. I put my surcingle on and got ready for a big blow up and it never happened! He did so well all he wanted to do was walk around in circles. He still surprises me more and more each day. We also took our first trip out of the round pen yesterday. He was glad to get some grass and had no issues leading on the lead rope. I think he was also glad to get in a stall last night instead of having to stay out in the round pen, he is really getting bored with it. I think we will try the saddle today.

Tuff showed off his wild side last night. I can honestly say that this was the first time that I ever witnessed this to the extent of last night. Kirstin always starts training out with a little lungeing, and occassionally Tuff will kick up his heels. But last night he was a wild bronc, kicking up his heels and running full speed. I heard Kirstin say to him, "OK you want to run, we'll run. When Tuff thought about slowing down, Kirstin said no you don't, keep going! He continued his wild ways for about 5 minutes, then Kirstin asked for a stop, changed directions....

and Tuff decided that maybe he should behave him self going this direction because behaving like a toddler meant a lot of work.

www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com

kkmustangs@hotmail.com

August 5. 2009

WOW!!! Ergon sure was hiped up today!! His hooves were greatly improved by going to the beach. We worked on neck reining today. He did left perfectly but right he just wanted to go straight. He was getting dull to leg pressure so I put on the spurs, I took it easy and he took to them perfectly. I even got him to do some sliding stops today. He did fantastic!! As you can see in the pic we need some rain. The only thing green are the weeds!! LOL!!!!!!! --------------->>>>>>

Please don't forget to check out my Blogspot at the right. I have some more great pics to share.---------------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>> IN THE RED.

This horse felt like the earth fell out from under him. Made me want to wave the slack and step in the right stirrup.

I think he's going to have a lot of cow in him. By the time we get to Murfreesboro he may want to order a steak!

Everyone is doing so great! I'm jealous :P I've tried to take my older BLM horse, Hammer, into the indoor arenas at shows; he hates them!

"One of these things is not like the other ones..." I took Memphis to an AQHA show last week just to let him see the busy show grounds and ride around the crowds and in different pens. It was our first real outting besides the vet, and he was wide eyed and on sensory overload at first. I enjoyed showing him to my show buddies, most of which haven't spent time with horses like him. He got lots of attention! It was a great experience for him. He tied to the trailer like a pro, and rode GREAT in the warm up pen. Unfortunately, the indoor arenas had classes showing in them, and the heat kept anyone else from riding in the outdoor with us, but it was still a good start. He did get to cruise all around the indoor facility, and was outstanding.

Today he actually earned his keep. One of our steers stuck his head through a panel and got hung up. This happened last week, and I tried to use Memphis to get him out. He isn't afraid of the cattle, but he's much more comfortable pushing them when they actually move away from him, instead of flailing in place and trying to pull the fence down. Today though, he was solid. We rode right up on the steer, who proceeded to hop and jump and kick, and even sat on Memphis' front legs. He was confident and easy to handle, it was so nice! Unfortunately, we weren't able to motivate the steer to pull his head back through, so I had to get off and climb the fence to push him from there. Memphis ground tied 5 feet away from the flailing and screaming steer, and didn't move a muscle while I freed it. He's starting to feel like a real partner. I think he's going to make someone a great friend.

Tomorrow we haul to Bandera State Park to test out the all-hoof drive. ;)

Everyone's horses look great. I must say, Tuff is really coming into his own; he looks awfully pretty.

Also, Thursday the 17th, arrival day for Ft Worth, is my birthday, and I was thinking about having a little party at the stalls that night. Nothing crazy, but it'd be nice to celebrate and to get to know everyone at the show. Anyone care to stop by?

mcmillanshowhorses@yahoo.com/210-844-5694

This is Flash's first rub between the eyes in the round pen! He did awesome. He's coming around slowly, wish I worked at home!! lol You know where I'd be!

Today we went to a covered arena, just something new, felt a lot better than in the sun like usual. rode in a two horse trailer, and learned to bow. robbie_daughtry@yahoo.com

Welcome all of you new trainers, it is great seeing everyone's progress.
Kirstin is trying to pony Tuff. Trigger the horse she is using is normally a very laid back type of horse, but he is extremely jealous of the amount of time that Tuff gets with Kirstin. He didn't like having to pony Tuff. He kept swinging his hip at him and Tuff didn't help because he kept trying to chew on Triggers saddle pad. By the end, they both figured they better behave because Kirstin wasn't giving in to either of them.

Then Kirstin trotted Tuff through some of the obstacles that she set up. He is doing really well at the trot at a lead. Last year that was the biggest problem that she had with her yearlings.

Tuff is starting to really get the back. Here he is backing through a small opening.

Still working on the bow. Tuff did this very early on, but since then he isn't real keen on going down into a bow. Kirstin is determined to accomplish this before she gets to Ft Worth. Everyday I watch these two, I am more and more impressed. Tuff is such an easy going guy and loves to be with people.

http://www.kirstinsmustangmakeover.blogspot.com/

email: kkmustangs@hotmail.com

Stan and Jeff would love to hear from ya'll. Feel free to email us at mustangstan1@yahoo.com. We can trade stories and ideas.

After cracking the bull whip and roping the calf dummy now we are riding high in the saddle! I asked my wife to hurry up and take the picture but she was having too much fun watching me stand up there.....

Here we are on day 15 doing a little ranch work practice with a bull whip and roping a calf dummy. He took to both events very well. He has the makings of a great ranch horse. He has a lot of sense.

After a lot of ground work we thought it was time for the first "pony ride". He took it ok for a skittish horse. This is my wife leading us around in the round pen. The only issue we had was when he tried to get in in the saddle with her and it got a little wild and western for a few minutes with him bucking and bouncing off of the panels but it turned out ok. My wife wasn't too happy with the bruises on her back and arm.....lol

This horse has proven to be very willing and intelligent. He is still very skittish but has come a long way in just 7 days. He does not like to be patted on the neck but is ok with noise and rubbing. My wife has taken a lot of pictures of each step we have taken but we can't put them all on here!