Joan's Natural Horsemanship

2012-01-12T17:03:00.002-05:00

Let's start with the basics...Learn how herd dynamics play an important role in how you train your horse.Learn how horses think. I specialize in problem solving, beginner horsemanship and colt starting.Feel free to email me with questions or if you want to book a clinic. I give huge discounts to barns or groups wanting to learn natural horsemanship skills.

Moved And Training In Michigan

2010-08-11T10:00:00.004-04:00

I have moved and am training horses in
Haslett, Michigan.
Got a problem horse?
Let's solve it!
Got a colt to start? Let's start it!
Need confidence? Let's get it!

Head Shy Horse

2009-04-08T08:36:00.004-04:00

Nevada Reign

2009-01-10T07:43:00.006-05:00

Introducing......... Nevada Reign

2008-12-16T11:20:00.004-05:00

New Arrivals

2008-11-14T06:00:00.003-05:00

Look at the new youngsters that I get to start and foundation. This is Kali and Kyle and they are Gypsy Vanners. They arrive the day after Thanksgiving from North Carolina. Their new owners are so excited and so am I! :) Don't they look sweet!

High Point Show Series

2008-10-20T06:14:00.008-04:00

On Sunday I was asked to help assist in a local high point horse show. I was thrilled to have been asked and the weather here in Florida has been beautiful so I told them I would help. After two classes and my input on who should win and why, the judge handed the reins to me and said, " you got it Joan, you go ahead and judge the show." So, I judged my first big show. It was so much fun, I loved it. I know what a well trained horse looks like and how they should move. The hardest part was being friends with so many of the folks who showed. The best part was a few horses at the show have been in my training program. I have got to tell you that they were always in the top two if not finishing first. I was not leaning in favor towards them either because the other two judges had no idea what horses at the show I had trained or worked with in the past and though I had the final say on the winner, they made sure I was correct. I could not have been more proud of them or my work. Yahoo! Just another way of confirming that Natural Horsemanship works!! Thank you God for that pat on the back!

And last but not least, I have made the difficult decision of not applying for the Mustang Challenge in Ocala, Florida in March 09. The main reason besides finances and sponsorship for my decision is because of my leg. I should have been on bed rest for three months, not training a wild Mustang named Blossom. But, I had to do it. I had to finish what I started and get Blossom to the point that someone could adopt her. When I got home from Texas I got caught up with my kids and house by taking two weeks off and not riding. Two weeks was not long enough and the doctor said I need months. So I got to thinking, if I got a 3 or 4 year old Mustang at the end of January and got bucked off than that could pretty much send my training career south for a long time if not permanently. Now, that's not to say that a horse in my starting and foundation program will buck or to give Mustangs a bad rap, as a matter of fact I have never had a horse buck on that first ride, but that's because I
was always able to take my time if need be. But with these Mustangs we are under the gun, 100 days from wild to mild. Mustangs are intelligent horses but I think I will sit this one out. :(

Thank You

2008-10-18T10:18:00.003-04:00

Thank you Ted from Brevard county.

What a nice surprise.

I did work extremely hard this summer to make it to the top 10 in the competition and I really appreciate your support!

Joan

Freedom Stables Anniversary Party

2008-10-02T07:18:00.004-04:00

This Saturday, October 4, From 2-6pm I will be at the Freedom Stable Anniversary Party doing a demonstration on horsemanship. It should be a very good time. Food, live music, and best of all HORSES!

Freedom Stables is run by pastors Jim and Gina Hage. They are a remarkable couple saving peoples lives through Jesus and horses. When I was asked to speak I thought about how much God has blessed me through horses and horsemanship and that now would be a good time to give back.

My demo will be on ground work. Sensitizing and desensitizing exercises that will help a horse from 2 weeks to a old adult. It is the first steps taken in my training program. The ground work establishes trust and confindence in the horse at the same time I'm establishing trust, leadership and respect.

Freedom Stables
500 S. Range Rd
Cocoa, Fl 32926

Take 95 to 520 exit, exit east on 520, take 520 to Range Rd, take a right onto Range Rd and Freedom Stables will be on the left.

Newspaper

2008-09-26T18:59:00.010-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Please look for Blossom and me in Florida Todays Sunday paper. They sent it to print Tuesday and it should be a good article on Mustangs and the Extreme Mustang Makeover.

I was asked by a friend, "Where do you go from here?" I have to tell you it feels pretty empty not going out and seeing Blossom's cute little face and hearing her neigh. But, I'm keeping busy....

I have had calls about horse training, but I really need to give my leg a chance to heal properly, so no riding for now. There is also a Ranch in Myakka, Fl which is a few hours away that has a large herd of Mustangs that I'm interested in going to visit....that would be really cool.

Good News...EMM emailed me and all the Mustangs at the event where adopted!
That's great, again they reached their goal: educating people about Mustangs,
entertaining people and saving the lives of more than 280 Mustangs! Yahoo!

Here is the link to the article..I would say that it is very accurate and it was well done. There was one little thing in the article about the most difficult part of training Blossom was putting weight on her back in a short amount of time. I think there was a misunderstanding. It should of read the most difficult thing about training the mustang was putting weight on my LEG in a short amount of time! I was not required to ride Blossom in the competition. Since vets and other professionals said she was much older than a yearling, I did begin the process of putting a saddle and weight on her back, which she accepted early on in the training program. I just thought if I was going to have a Mustang why not teach it as much as I can in the amount of time I'm allowed. Blossoms new owners will have a much easier time with training and costs when it is time to start riding Blossom :)

Thank you again everyone for your support and help!!!

the Extreme Mustang Makeover held last week in Texas." src="http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20080928&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=80926012&Ref=AR&MaxW=318&Border=0" width="105" height="70" border="0">
Mustang gets a makeover

Extreme Mustang Makeover Yearling Edition Round Up

2008-09-25T07:50:00.002-04:00

I want to personally thank everybody who made going to the Extreme Mustang Makeover a reality for Blossom and I. Without the hard work and dedication of local supporters in Brevard County it just would have not been possible for me to attend the event.

Thank you everybody who believed in me and my dream to tame a once wild Mustang.

CONGRATULATIONS to Valerie of Forth Worth, Texas for adopting Orange Blossom.
I'm sure Blossom is in a good loving home, will be handled right and will bring you years of happiness and that is all that I could of ever hoped for.

God Bless the Mustang Heritage Foundation, the world renowned clinicians, volunteers and all its sponsors that helped make this Extreme Mustang Makeover successful for the second year in a row and thank you trainers for your hard work and dedication to the American Mustangs. You guys are brilliant awesome people.

2008-09-24T16:57:00.000-04:00

Extreme Mustang Makeover

2008-09-22T19:51:00.006-04:00

Wow, what can I say. Blossom and I did very well. We placed second in conditioning out of 53 plus horses. We made it to the top 10 and we were tied for 8th but recieved 9th. All that hard work payed off. I could not be more pleased with the results and compliments I recieved as a trainer from some of the best horsemen in the world. Chris Cox was the MC, Ken McNabb was a judge, John Lyons..etc...it was just to cool be judged by these people and have them talk to me on their level. I took a lot of pictures and will post them in a couple days...so please check back. I got really good scores (I think) from some top horsemen. John Lyons handled Blossom and said I had done a really good job!!! How cool is that!!

The next event will be in Ocala, Fl at Lynn Palms training center. Guess who signed up for another Mustang? That is right, me.

Mustangs are incredible. They can jump across fire, jump in the back of pick up trucks, spin, rope cows, dressage, cowboy mounted shooting, do tricks...etc..in less than 100 days.

Yea, competition was tough! Blossom was the real winner, she took me to the top!

Congratulations

2008-09-20T10:35:00.004-04:00

We are all real proud of you,
and hope your having the time of your life,
live it up.

Love
Your Family

The Extreme Mustang Makeover Results Are In

2008-09-20T07:55:00.006-04:00

Blossom and I made the top ten and placed a tie for 8th but the judges voted and we recieved 9th place. But you know what? That was alright with me. It was an awsome adventure and the competition was tough. I am honored to have placed in the top ten.

Time Draws Near For Me & My Brown Eyed Girl

2008-09-19T17:08:00.015-04:00

6:00pm Central Time
We are ready to rock and roll.
It is time to

SHINE!

We made it to the Finals

2008-09-19T07:33:00.027-04:00

Wish us luck, Today is the day Blossom and I have been training for.

WHOA!

2008-09-18T17:18:00.006-04:00

We are going on to the finals On September 19th!

MOM IN TEXAS

2008-09-17T06:44:00.002-04:00

HI,
WE MADE IT TO TEXAS. THE TRIP WENT REALLY WELL.
BLOSSOM IS DOING GREAT. SHE IS LAYING DOWN SLEEPING RIGHT NOW, AS I SHOULD BE TOO. IT IS JUST TO EXCITEING TO SLEEP. ALSO IT IS FREEZEING HERE. IT IS ABOUT 50 DEGREES.
I HOPE BLOSSOM DOES NOT TURN INTO A WOOLY MAMMOTH.
WE CHECK INTO THE EVENT THIS MORNING AND THEN START TO ROCK AND ROLL. I LOVE YOU KIDS!!!!!!

LOVE,
MOM

Tractor Supply Fundraiser And Show

2008-09-14T18:06:00.008-04:00

The fundraiser went really well at Tractor Supply and thank you again for everyone who came out and visited Orange Blossom, Thank you for the genuine interest and compassion for these Mustangs.

Everyone was amazed that in such a short time that a Mustang can be tamed. . I thought " wow " I've really done a good job. Until the horse show that is.....Blossom was so good when we arrived she tied to the trailer and got groomed. We put the show halter on a walked towards the crowd. She did great until I asked her to stand around quietly and wait for our class, which was starting in about ten minutes. Well.....she had different plans. Lets see...she reared several times, struck out and tried to bite me. I looked around at all the pretty long tailed horses with their shinning coats and shinning owners and opted to sit that class out because I did not want to ruin their show time that they had worked so hard for. I took Blossom to a private place and put her training halter on and starting sending her for respect and asking her for two eyes on me. When I felt control again, I took her back to the show area and she was really good. We went in three classes but did not win. I had the training halter on her and we were not exactly dressed like the others, but she did the patterns and I was happy about that. The judge came over and asked me about Blossom. I told her about the Mustang Makeover and she gave me several compliments. She said Blossom was well mannered and right after she said that, Blossom bit me. No kidding. I ignored it, and to the judges credit she did to and did not take back her compliment. I think Blossom knew what the judge said. LOL I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to take her to at least one big show even if it was out of our league. It helped us both.

Orange Blossom

2008-09-09T11:50:00.008-04:00

Did my temporary mom mention that I like to eat, eat, eat and then eat again?

Alfalfa hay and Seminole Grow Right are two of my favorites. She won't let me have as much as I want but

she gives me plenty and I appreciate that, so we are best buddies! You got food? You got a gentle hand? I will be your buddy too.

HELLO

2008-09-09T06:07:00.003-04:00

I just reviewed the numbers of stars, idols and legends. They don't add up do they? I'm sending out a big heart felt sympathy and prayers for all the trainers that have worked so hard this summer, the ones that are hanging in there, the ones who have made marvelous progress, the ones that for financial reasons can't make the trip and the ones that are saddened that they will part with these incredible horses in less time than we want.

I to have had a difficult time summer, I have made sacrifices like selling my round pen, selling my trailer (after the event) missing appropriate bedtimes for the children, having dinner on the table before 10pm , going over kids homework, weathering the storms and the list goes on.........but I would not have missed this journey for all the money in the world. It has been eye opening and very rewarding. The bond I have with my Mustang is pure joy and I know that God in his infinite glory has a perfect plan for all of us and our MUSTANGS!

God Bless You All,
Joan Fisher

2008-09-07T20:15:00.006-04:00

CARPE DIEM
I am a firm believer in making the most of time because it will go by weither you want it to or not, but I wish I could make time stand still so that I could enjoy having Blossom a little longer. She has been one of the funnest horses with great personality that I have ever trained. She is so honest and willing, not to mention that she is very pretty.
Sigh..... well the show must go on.....and I must say good-bye..... I love her and I will miss her .....God keeps telling me it will be OK......
Ok, I'll go cry now....... Get it out of my system before Texas. ;)

More Bad Weather

2008-09-05T19:08:00.003-04:00

No suprise we have bad weather again since I live in Hurricane Alley.
Hanna dumped a lot of rain and now Ike is barreling toward us. I can be a huge witness to the fact Mustangs have hardy feet, since Blossom has gone from wet to dry, wet to dry and wet again. Her feet still look great!

I don't think I will be able to do anymore training with her before we head out for Texas, so it's as good as it is going to get. Hopefully we wont have to evacuate for Ike, it is supposed to hit south of me, but ya never know with these storms.

I tried to take her to the beach, but the wind and surf was too high. The wind was blowing offshore and creating these huge swells, surfers dig it and I do to, but not for Blossom's first experience with the beach. Guys if you ever want to attract attention from a bunch of bikini clad girls, take a horse to the beach. LOL

Orange Blossom

2008-09-02T11:31:00.011-04:00

Blossom is ready for Texas! I Think! Can you believe I found a big orange?
I just had to stop for a picture.

Blossom is 15'1 and about 800 lbs.

5th Ride

2008-08-29T13:28:00.008-04:00

I took my 5th ride on Blossom today and she did really good. She has decided that she is already bored with her finals routine and would prefer riding around in the arena. She is a silly, silly Mustang. The hardest part about training Blossom has been to keep her from getting bored. She is so smart. I think she does things wrong sometimes just to mix things up.

Well another good day training. No set backs...... Have a great day!

I thought this video of a trainer on his extreme mustang says it all ! So I posted it.
It is so beautiful you may cry......

Back To Training

2008-08-27T12:04:00.004-04:00

Things are getting back to normal and I have started training again. I found all my props that had floated away and set everything back up. BLASTED my music and commenced to fine tuning my finals performance should we get picked. It is a cool performance....fast, light and fun. So I'm ready for that if we do well in the in hand course. I set up a in-hand course very similar to past challenges courses and Blossom is doing pretty good. We need to work on less hindquarter movement in the L as we make our turn..other than that, we have a pretty good chance. Well that is if they are just judging the horses and it's not all about showmanship and bling because I look down sometimes and at my horse and I don't always stand " all perched-up" that's what I call that little pose.

I did go to the other arena to check it out after the storm and see if it would be a good place to continue starting Blossom. Suddenly to my suprise,I was stopped by the Gestapo! Apparently their was no room in the park because all the horses that lost their barns during the storm had been moved there.
I tried to explain to the guy that I just wanted to use the public arena like I've been doing for years. He said they had a problem with people coming in and riding the horses that were in the evacuation barn. I told him I had my own horse to ride and I just wanted to use the arena, which by the way was empty and not even close to the 3 barns of evac horses. But this guy was just not having it. I'm not sure who the heck he was either, I asked him if he was a new park ranger. (I know all of them)
Oh well, some folks are grumpy.....I'll try another time...maybe tomorrow he will have resigned from his post and if not, that's Ok, I know she will make a good riding horse one day and I'm not required to ride in the competition anyway.

Clean-Up

2008-08-24T19:38:00.003-04:00

Clean up from the storm has been long and tedious. So much to clean...One gal at the barn lost her home to flooding. She is one strong cookie though, just kinda taking things in stride. I invited her to go to Fort Worth with us. I know she will love it. She is a trainer and very good with horses. She is now saying that in the midst of everything she just does not see how she will get away. I hope she has a change of heart, she would be a great person to have on my BLOSSOM team. I won't have any idea what to do when I get there, I will need some extra hands and eyes and an information informant. LOL

No training, yet! Well, I did go on a little trail ride. Yahoo! It did wonders for my soul.

Thank-You God!

2008-08-22T08:31:00.006-04:00

God I have trusted in you since I was a small child. You knew then that one day you would place a Wild Mustang in my care. You have blessed my journey so much. When I got hurt from riding someone else's horse and was broken hearted because I thought that I ruined my chances of training a wild Mustang, I prayed and trusted in you and you gave me a Mustang with a gentle spirit. When I later realized that I would have no income during the summer because of my injury, I prayed and you sent good people my way that helped without blinking an eye, When it rained and rained and I thought my training would never get underway you always left some sunshine in the day so that I could spend time with the Mustang. When the tropical storm came and everything flooded, I prayed my horses would stay safe and they did. You are an AWESOME GOD! Thank you for not letting me break my leg, thank you for sending Mona Webb and all her fundraiser ideas my way, thank you for Blossom and her gentle spirit, thank you for letting the water recede, thank you for the days of sunshine and for my sister who has always been positive and supportive about my horse crazy ideas and lifestyle. When I asked her to drive all the way to Texas with me to pick up a wild Mustang, you had the perfect words flow out of her mouth. "Your getting a wild Mustang?, when do we leave to pick it up?"

As the time draws near and all the trainers will come together for one cause, the American Mustang, please continue to bless our journeys, heal our bodies, give us patience and sound horses with gentle spirits.

Amen

Storm Update and Horses

2008-08-22T07:44:00.005-04:00

The new horse (Sport) has a dry stall and is fine. He has settled in and now does not care much about the wind and rain.

Blossoms stall is very wet and mushy. I will see how well Mustangs feet hold up after this all finally passes. She has been in continual rain almost everyday if not every other day since I picked her up in Texas in May, so her feet should be used to it. And by the way, her feet have always looked great, they were great when I picked her up from the holding facility.

I decided to clean up in the pouring rain even though it's flooding in and she has a dry stall for now.

Weather Is Better

2008-08-21T16:18:00.003-04:00

I think the worst part of the storm is over. It is possible that as it moves north that we get more rain from the outer ban. For now Blossom and the new horse are dry in their stalls. We moved them yesterday during the storm and threw storm waters to two separate barns but both are on the same property. I had forgotten about the abandoned barn at the end of the property we checked it out and it was dry. It was sunny for about 1 hour today and I was able to turn them out. The new horse was a little big eyed and snorting and walking really cautious. Blossom did not care about any of it. She marched through the water and was light, soft and responsive as I was leading her after having been in her stall since early Monday afternoon. Man, I love that Mustang! I don't know if it's all the hours I have put into her or just her breed but she really is a good girl. I think it's the breed!

At this point Blossom has done just about everything a horse can do in less than 100 days. However we have not had buffalo to chase! I'm still going to take her to the beach. (I hope)

Until later........

My Neighborhood & Barn

2008-08-20T13:51:00.001-04:00

Update On Storm

2008-08-20T10:04:00.004-04:00

I wish I could say it's 70 degrees and sunny in Florida. But it's flooding badly on the east coast and guess where I live? Some of my friends at the barn homes are flooding, I have been lucky so far, just a little bit of wet by the patio doors, but it's coming!

The horse's are standing in water, the barn has flooded and other horse owners have stopped by looking for drier ground for their supplies and horses. I hate to turn people down but really we don't have any available stalls and we are flooded too!

I will have to put training on the back burner even when it dries out around here because the horse community will need help getting put back together. I saw my neighbor stalled in the road as I was coming back from the barn and I pulled him to his house with my jeep. Then some guys came by and said there house was flooding and they couldn't get sandbags because of some county thing. Since my house is not flooding and I can get sand bags I called the city to have some delivered for the guys. A little while later I saw a city truck with sand bags drive by so I ran out the front door and out into the river but the sands bags weren't for me. Apparently I will see trucks all day long delivering sand bags and that I am on the list, but there is no need to stop every truck. Hehehe. The driver and I laughed about me chasing down the truck. You have to have a sense of humor about things and pray a lot. Makes life better.....

Tropical Storm

2008-08-19T05:29:00.008-04:00

Well, tropical storm Fay has changed my plans a little this week. For one thing the kids just got back in school yesterday and now school is canceled for the next two days. Kids are happy!

Blossom was acting strange last night. I got a call from the barn and they said Blossom was laying down and would not get up. I panicked! Drove as fast as I could, when I got there, they had her up and in the isle of the barn. She did not neigh when I arrived, which is unusual and she was grumpy, which was unusual. I approached her, listened to her stomach and took her for a walk. It was not colic. (Praise God) but something was going on. Apparently she was going into a really bad heat cycle.

Sometimes young horses can have a difficult time with their first few cycles. Ok, well I can accept that, but that means her next one will be in Texas. So sorry all you trainers sporting good looking geldings, I will be bringing a sweet distraction to the event.

I did get a chance to ride her yesterday morning before the rain came and she is doing really good. But it is hard to stay out of her mouth when I ride because someone built the round pen with the posts to the inside by the two gate entrances and the arena is the same way.

I got tired of my knees and legs hitting the fence and began steering a little.
She is really light in the mouth and I would like to keep it that way. I want to start her right, so I will trailer her to a local arena where she does not have to worry about anything but moving those feet!

I have to go feed the horses! Have a good day!

Byrds Western Wear

2008-08-18T11:39:00.001-04:00

Update

2008-08-18T05:23:00.006-04:00

Well, it has been a good summer for the kids, however the little monkeys start school today and all I can say is hip, hip hooray!

The car wash went really well.
Blossom was a little bit pushy though. She would search people's pockets and take hats off and put just about anything she could in her mouth. I'm not sure why she waited so long to show this new enthusiasm for new things. I think maybe she is getting to much attention at the barn when I'm not around. It's like she is looking for treats. Other than that, she was an angel. I will post pic's soon.

I would like to say that I am this awesome trainer and look what I've done with a wild Mustang, but the Truth is, Blossom was just cool, calm and collected when I started working with her. I just got blessed, I prayed for a gentle spirited horse and that is what God gave me, a gentle spirited horse. Is this horse perfect? Of course not, she will test you. Is she silly? Yes, and she is very vocal. She talks a lot. Not with other horses or when we go to new places, but she talks to me. She neighs, sighs, nickers and just has to be involved with everything I do at the barn. I got a new horse in for training, well actually he's in for a tune-up. Anyways, Blossom is jealous of me working with Sport. It has always been just me and her. Now she has to share and she's not real happy about that. She still listens and waits for direction, but she is concerned about the new horse that now gets my attention when I'm on the property.

3rd Ride

2008-08-15T13:34:00.007-04:00

I took my third ride today on Blossom. She is going smoothly at a walk in both directions. Just squeeze, cluck and spank. She starts her walk at cluck and hopefully soon I will only have to squeeze. I felt like she was settled and I almost went for the trot but a thunderstorm rolled in fast and I thought to just end it on a good note. I will ride again later and maybe then we can go a little faster than a walk.

This afternoon I did try to trot and she would not stay in the trot. I will have someone flag us for extra forward movement. That should work until she gets the concept better.

The radio station gig this morning was a lot of fun, I was able to plug a lot about the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Makeover in Texas. People in Brevard county are learning about these beautiful animals and the heritage they represent.

Pictures of Blossom have the wrong dates on them, I have two little monkeys that
sabatage things and I can't fix the date.

Radio Station

2008-08-15T05:02:00.005-04:00

Good day...I will be on Melbourne's WIXC 1060 AM with Ted Turner this morning from 8-9 promoting Wild Mustangs and the Texas event. When I get back I am going to take my third ride.

WHERE DID THAT WILD MUSTANG GO?

2008-08-14T08:53:00.005-04:00

Blossom is that you?

2nd Ride

2008-08-13T10:38:00.003-04:00

First Ride

2008-08-12T19:33:00.006-04:00

This was the first time I used a saddle, I was just getting on and off bareback and sometimes I would sit bareback for a few minutes, but we never went anywhere.

Health Certificate

2008-08-12T11:09:00.004-04:00

I had the vet come out and do a health certificate on Blossom this morning. Blossom did not like us sticking the thermo to her so we went by the BLM's papers and the over all appearence to state the horse was healthy. Also, the vet did a run down for me on Blossoms teeth and guess what? It's time to ride, the vet says" Joan, this is not a yearling, she is three and then showed me step by step with the teeth thing. Wow, no more excuses not to ride her, look forward to pictures of our first ride.

2008-08-11T21:12:00.000-04:00

Byrds Western Wear Fundraiser

2008-08-11T15:53:00.004-04:00

On August 16 we will be having a fundraiser at Byrd's Western Wear, off 192 in West Melbourne. Stop by and say Howdy, get your car washed, grab a bite to eat and meet Blossom, the once wild Nevada Mustang. Bring the whole family and learn about our Mustang Heritage.

The fundraiser is from 9am to 1pm.

Blossoms Day Off

2008-08-10T06:00:00.002-04:00

This is what Blossom does on her day's off! The other horse that looks like Blossom is also Mustang and look at what a good boy he is. That little girl (5) canters that horse all over the place.

Getting On, Getting Off

2008-08-08T16:34:00.003-04:00

Today was rainy and muddy in most areas of the barn. So, I decided today would be a good day to get on Blossom. If she bucked, then I would just land in mud.
I got on and off bareback tons of times and she did not move around. She was very good. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to actually ride her around because of a horse related injury to my leg in June. No, it was not from my Mustang.. It just shows what a great horse Blossom is. I was able to train her with an almost broken leg. If your new to my blog, go back to the beginning and you can see that the inside of my thigh looks the size of a football. The accident tore all my muscle and veins right down to the bone. Ooch, hurts think-in bout it!!:) For now, I will just keep getting on and off her. Maybe in a few days, I will take a leap of faith and ride into the sunset, or atleast not into the fence. I can barely sleep at night thinking about riding that MUSTANG! It's so exciting. I absolutely adore that yearling (well 3 yr old).

Thanks for stopping by...................

Orange Blossom

2008-08-05T18:10:00.003-04:00

In hindsight I should of called Blossom, Awesome Blossom because that is what she is.
Florida has finally dried up from June and July's rain and I have been able to get down to some serious training. Blossom does obstacle courses (no fear), round pens, lunges, pivots, yields, moves away from pressure nicely, she is bendy and soft. She is so ready to start under saddle, I want to ride her. I'm afraid if I take that first ride then I will definitely not want to let her go. Blossom is one of the most personable horses that I have ever worked with. She loves to hear her name, she comes running and neighing when you call her, she loves to go places (and she's gone to a lot of places in less than 70 days) , she knows when it's time to rest or work. All this and she is only around 2. The deadline to decide if you want to keep your yearling is Sept 1st and it is coming up fast.

We are going to a barrel racing event and that should be real good for her.
She has never seen barrel racing and the way horses act at the gate. Knowing her she won't care.

Mustangs Rock!! Seriously, if your looking for a good versatile horse, get yourself a well trained mustang, visit Mustang Heritage Foundation for tons of Mustang info.

Mounted Shooting

2008-08-03T16:23:00.004-04:00

Wow, What a great weekend Blossom and I had. Today we did cowboy mounted shooting. Well, actually we watched. I had a guy lean over Blossom and shoot his gun off her back. Blossom did not flinch, even with a stranger handling her. Blossom knows how to sort things out and has a long attention span. I think she could go in any direction. I've done a lot of things with this Mustang and she's awesome.
She gets better and better everyday! She's got a great foundation and ready for that first ride. I hope whoever adopts her, treats her right and appreciates this horses true grit. I do!

If your interested in getting a good horse I suggest you go to the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Forth Worth, TX there will be hundreds of well trained Mustangs there or go to Mustangheritagefoundation.com. The Foundation has a trainer program. They can find a Mustang trainer and Mustang near you.

Tractor Supply Carwash

2008-08-03T07:44:00.003-04:00

Thank you Tractor Supply and everyone who worked so hard and made this such a cool event. People got to learn about Mustangs, touch a mustang, The Mustang Heritage Foundation and see how great Mustangs are. Here are some pics of the day, as you can see everyone worked very hard!! Thank You!!!!!

Sponsors For Blossom And Fundraiser

2008-07-30T16:43:00.008-04:00

Tractor Supply and Byrds Western Wear of Melbourne, Fl are helping sponsor Blossom.

On Saturday August 2, we will be holding a car wash and picture taking with Blossom at Tractor Supply on 192 in Melbourne, from 10am to 2pm.

Come out and meet Blossom, get a picture taken with her, view her wish list, get your car washed, learn about Mustangs and see how wonderful a Mustang can be.

Three Days And Finally She Step's Up

2008-07-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

Blossom On The Trail

2008-07-25T12:21:00.007-04:00

Here is Blossom on a Florida swamp trail. We have to take the road to get to the trail so the last picture of her she has no fear and she is saying, " I'm a Mustang and yea I own this road."

Blossom and Me

2008-07-22T06:49:00.005-04:00

Blossom and I have really bonded. I already have the mind-set that I won't be bringing her back to Florida, and it is going to be really hard to let her go.
Whoever adopts her will get a wonderful horse! I enjoy training this smart little (big actually) Mustang.

It's thunder and lightning right now and the weather channel is telling us Hurricane Dolly will be hitting southern Texas and Mexico. I feel so sorry for those folks, and especially Texas, I love Texas. If I did not live in Florida, I would want to live in Texas.

Well, that all folks..............................Have a good one.

Back At Home

2008-07-20T06:37:00.005-04:00

Blossom is back at her home base now and was real happy to see her Freisien
friend. They shared nickers over the fence line and Blossom went in her stall and took a nap. To cute.

We have the arena set up as I will want it if I make the finals. We will just practice our routine until we are doing it in our sleep. We had to build, modify
and suffer heat strokes just to get the obstacle built, but it's ready!!!

Blossom had Friday off and Saturday we put a saddle on and went for a long, long walk. Nothing scares this horse. I was walking in the middle of the road to keep cars from going by to fast and a big truck that did not want to slow down until it was on top of us. It did not scare her, scared me, not her.

What's the world coming to, when I can't take a Mustang for a walk in the middle of the street? :) Slow down people.......lifes short...enjoy the ride!!!!!!!

Still Raining

2008-07-18T06:49:00.004-04:00

Well next year I will think twice about training a Mustang during the summer months in Florida. Everything is soaked in rain!!!! It is real hard to train a horse in mud, electrical storms and all the biting bugs that come along with 15 inches of rain.

I forgot to mention yesterday when all the kids sat in the bleacher and I came out into the arena with Blossom, I began to introduce her as a once wild Mustang from Nevada and that little turkey Blossom dropped to the ground and rolled and rolled.

Blossom is hilarious, the kids all laughed and laughed at the Wild Mustang!

Harmony Farms

2008-07-17T18:15:00.005-04:00

Blossom and I had such a great time at Harmony Farms in Rockledge. The kids ranged in ages and all of them had an interest in the "Wild Mustang".

I heard when the camp director told them a "Wild Mustang" would be visiting, they all cheered but when we got there Blossom was not wild. She was cool, calm and collected. All the children got to love on her and scratch her favorite spots and Blossom was so sweet. Those kids loved her and she loved those kids back!

Blossom had the best ground manners but she did not want to do anything but stand around and be loved and look pretty. I was able to pull off a short Demo with her and move her around a bit but she was lazy about it. She has actually done that once before, she acted like she didn't know anything, so I taught her something new. Today was a lot like that except the new was having kids all at once love on her and I made the kids clap a lot.

Harmony Farms is a therapeutic riding school in Brevard county. Today though, the children were at regular camp and all rode well. I think at least one of those kids will end up with a Mustang at some point in their life.

Thank you Pam, Della and everybody that has helped with this Mustang, together we can make a difference in a Mustangs life. Save one at a time!

Donations

2008-07-16T20:21:00.005-04:00

I want to thank everybody that has been so helpful in getting me and Blossom ready for our big event in Texas. With out the help of friends, family and strangers I would not be able to do this. If anyone would like to sponsor or help out with cost's your donations and time would be very, very appreciated. Our Mustangs are in a fragile plight right now, I can't save them all, but with your help, we can save one at a time.

Thank you,

Joan Fisher

Rain, Rain Go Away

2008-07-15T21:43:00.006-04:00

I live in hurricane alley so all this rain is helping keep the hurricanes away so I'm thank-ful for that, but otherwise it stinks! Go rain in California and Nevada where they desperately need it.

There is about 3 inches of standing water in all the working areas and common areas of the barn. The only place that is dry land is right in the middle of the round pen which I call the island.

So, I walked blossom threw the "rivers" to the island in the middle of the round pen.
She stayed in the middle and cried. Every time she thought I was leaving and leaving her on the island she would neigh louder. It broke my heart, but I had to clean her stall. I would never forget my Blossom on an island, but she doesn't know that yet.

We have spent time taking walks out on the road to get her used to traffic and let her feet dry. (Her stall is also nice and dry)

We have an exciting week planned, rain or not, we will be visiting Harmony Farms a riding facility for hadicapped children. Harmony Farms has done wonderful work enriching the lives of children here in Brevard county through horsemanship. I know Blossom will enjoy the outing too.

I will be taking Blossom back to her home base barn on Friday. It will be good for her to learn that she can leave home, go places and return to a place called home.

Under Saddle

2008-07-13T08:46:00.004-04:00

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Little Blossom Wants To Play

2008-07-13T08:28:00.007-04:00

It has rained every afternoon in Florida since June 5th. It would be nice if it would stop for a little while!

Blossom had her feet trimmed this week and she was so good for the ferrier.

I also put a full saddle and bridle set on her this week. She was also very good.
There was no buck, she was a little faster in the round pen than usual, but I saw that as a good sign that she will move out. I will remind you that I won't ride her, but the new owners will have a well started horse and they will not have a difficult time finishing out her training.

Blossom Likes Her New Place

2008-07-08T20:51:00.004-04:00

I moved Blossom in a thunderstorm today and she was ok with it all. She handled it much better than I did.

I used a round pen three times today and got so much accomplished! She side passes and is doing great at the obstacle course. I think I need to be a little bit secret about my Mustangs progress. I saw where a trainer taught her Mustang to bow and so now I have to teach my Blossom to bow, I won't have another trainer have one up on me!!!! heheheheehe

I can't wait until tomorrow to see my Mustang. Have a good one!

Blossom Side Passes

2008-07-07T16:22:00.003-04:00

Today was like any other day working with a horse in training. I got Blossom used to the first few steps of walking latterally. She will cross over her front and back legs walking sideways. It is not super graceful and I did not want to teach her that yet. I had to because it seems that she has forgotten everything else I have trained her. She did not want to back up, I tried to bathe her and she rolled, she dropped right to the ground during her bath. It was funny but a bad habit. She wouldn't run or trot in a circle. She wouldn't pay attention to me in the areana, she would stop and eat the dirt. Now a Mustang is the last horse that I would crack a whip at and scare them to death and go backwards in the trust issues. I just decided that if she was not willing to do something that she knows how to do than I would teach her something new and it worked. She now has the foundation for the sidepass. As a trainer I'm not concerned that she had a bad day. It is ok to take one step forward and two steps back when training a horse. It happens all the time. Tomorrow she is going to a busy barn for a week. They have a round pen that I will utilize all the time, her not wanting to run has to change and thank gosh I have almost 2 months to change that!

Blossom Under Saddle

2008-07-05T16:58:00.011-04:00

Great News, I put a saddle on Blossom today and had her walk and trot with it on.

I wish I could say that it was a real rodeo and just the most thrilling thing to watch. It was so uneventfull that I swear I saw her yawn. That's good actually that she started so perfectly, I'm sure the first ride taken on her will go smoothly for her future owners. Really the only thing that I 'm concerned about with her behavior is that she hates bugs. I mean really hates bugs! If you want to see a rodeo, watch her reaction to a bee or horse fly. She looses it! She gets very angry at the bug and does not pay attention to anything else. What am I going to do you ask? I'm not sure, this is the first time ever I have seen a horse react like this to a bug. Will she grow out of it? Maybe. I don't ever want to be on her when a bug lands on the wrong spot though. Her little display of not liking bugs has not happened when I was handling her but she has left two other people quite concerned about bugs. I will call or email a few other trainers to see if they have any suggestions. There is a product you can feed your horse that discourages bugs from landing on your horse, but I try to do all natural. The ferrier is coming back tomorrow, I will let you guys know how that goes. The quality of my pics and video are very amatuer I know, but it is not easy training the horse and being the one to take pictures. As a matter of fact most trainers would think I was nuts to video and train at the same time. Well, I must be nuts! Oh, look at her fancy USA freezemark.

Under Saddle

2008-07-05T16:58:00.008-04:00

Under Saddle

2008-07-05T16:58:00.007-04:00

Message From The Foundation

2008-07-04T18:48:00.003-04:00

...from the Mustang Heritage Foundation

In the midst of all the email and information you receive, we want
you to know how much we appreciate

your support and how thankful we are for the freedoms we all
enjoy.

We are especially thankful to our supporters, fans and trainers
and their famiily members who have or are currently working to
protect our freedoms in our armed forces.

We thank you for your service.

Have a wonderful Independence Day!

Happy 4th Of July

2008-07-04T07:09:00.004-04:00

Thursday was rainy, so I just worked on Blossoms feet inside the barn.
Everyday she does get better at picking up her feet and keeping them up for longer periods.

Today looks rainy too, we have decided to not haul Blossom around in the rain. Not that it is bad to haul horses in rain, I've done it a thousand times, but if I have a choice not to than I take it.

((((((((HAPPY 4TH OF JULY))))))))))))

Pictures Of Oyster

2008-07-02T21:59:00.003-04:00

Front and back leg view of oyster on a horse.

Farriers Visit

2008-07-02T07:29:00.003-04:00

My buck off from not doing ground work last month has prevented me from moving forward with Blossoms feet. In order to teach a horse to have their feet trimmed or shoed you have to go through several steps. You don't just dive in with your hands and head putting those body parts in a dangerous situation. You have to bend your legs, bend over and pick up the horses foot and a lot of times a horse will strike out with their leg to prevent you from picking up their foot. They are afraid to give up their footing, so you go slow and take your time. You have to have a lot of patience. Please don't try this unless you fully understand that equine activites can be hazardous to your health and if in doubt, call a professional. Here are my steps.

I put a halter and lead rope on the horse. I then take him to an area with no grass but with soft footing. I take my handy stick and attempt to rub it on the horses legs everywhere. Some horses freak out and move around, others stand still. I keep the stick on the horse no matter where the horse moves to and when the horse stands still I remove the stick. That is conditioned response. The horse soon understands that if he stands still the stick goes away. When he is used to the stick I move onto using a soft rope
and put it around the horses leg and pull the leg up, and yes, there is moving and kicking at this point sometimes too. Over a period of time the horse will stand there with the rope around his leg and his leg off the ground. I then get rid of the rope and start using my hands. I start rubbing his legs and feet with my hands to get him used to hands touching that area. Then I squeeze his oyster, no joke, there is a part on the horses leg, kind of like a callous, called an oyster. Squeezing it makes him lift his foot. Then I see how long he will hold his foot up in my hands. After all those steps are complete, I emulate the ferrier by putting the horses foot between my legs and holding with my thighs and pretend like I'm working on the foot by tapping it, cleaning it, etc...

Since I have a lump the size of a softballl on the inside of my left thigh I can't do the final step to help my ferrier stay safe and do his best he can do. Good news though, you are allowed to have help training your Mustang, I don't want to because it is a personal journey for me, however I broke down and hired my ferrier to train her to pick up her feet. So thats what we did yesterday
just kept picking and holding those feet. Our next visit is Tuesday and we are hoping to trim her feet then.

FYI: I have been told over the years that the oyster on the horse dates back to prehistoric times.
That at one time the oyster was part of the horses hoof when prehistoric horses had split hooves.

Have a great day!

Ground Work

2008-07-01T06:35:00.003-04:00

All the things that I have done with Blossom so far is called ground work. In my training program no matter what the horses age, I put them through a lot of ground work and take them
all over town so that they have a been there done that attitude. Ground work is a way to make your first ride on the horse safer. It is a way to see just how much control that you have over the horses body parts. Like his feet, head and neck, hind end, barrel and shoulders. Some horses complete the ground work in a day, some take 30 days, it just depends on the horses temperment and how well they handle pressure. Blossom has done wonderful. Her ground work was completed in a short amount of time. I enjoy working with the Mustang!

Yielding Hind Quarters

2008-06-30T16:35:00.003-04:00

Blossom Round Penning

2008-06-30T16:16:00.003-04:00

Blossom In The Round Pen

2008-06-30T15:00:00.003-04:00

You can see in one of these videos how Blossom is what I call a lazy horse, not real lazy but a little lazy.. I am asking her to canter around me and you can see a lot of head tossing and tail swishing because she doesn't want to run. However, in the wild I bet she would run. I won't push this canter issue with her because of her young age. She is changing directions and stopping when I ask and that is respectful and that's what I really am looking for, a respectful horse. The other video is of me moving her hindquarters away from me at liberty, it's called yielding the hindquarters. It is so important that you have control of the hind end of the horse. That is where they get all their power. The fact that she is staying with me and I have no rope or halter on her and she is moving away when I ask is perfect!!!! Thank you Sue Stetson for letting us come over and play. It was a nice warm welcome and a beautiful place to train.

A Little Information

2008-06-29T16:01:00.004-04:00

I had originally thought Blossom was 2 years old at least. But I've gone back and recalculated the oldest she could possibly be is 1 yr and 8 months. I have new pictures of her pulling a barrel and wearing a few rain ponchos. She obviously did not care about either one. I did it as a way to desensitize her to scary items, though she was not scared. I just asked her to walk around with the stuff . I won't ask her to trot or canter pulling anything heavy because she is young. The things I will be working on this week with Blossom are: round penning and backing up in an L shape. I will also be visiting Wickham park on July 4th with Blossom in the riding arena. I have contacted a Mounted Shooting group in Daytona and asked them if I could bring Blossom to their next event. It would be good to let her stand around in a stall with people watching, trying to touch her, and guns going off. That would be a great intro for her as to what it will be like in Fort Worth. Their is a show in Tampa at the State Fair grounds that I'm looking into too. I also want to take her to the beach while she's in Florida.

On this fourth of July, remember our American Mustangs who also represent America and freedom.

Cowboy Way

2008-06-29T13:48:00.002-04:00

Cowboy Way

2008-06-29T13:39:00.002-04:00

Cowboy Way

2008-06-29T13:23:00.002-04:00

Blossoms First Show

2008-06-28T16:43:00.006-04:00

Blossom and I went to a dressage schooling show in Vero Beach today at Atlantic Crossings Equestrian Center.
We did not enter the show, we just spectated. Blossom was well behaved. She did not neigh or paw when she was tied to the trailer, nor did she try to walk faster than me. She held her head down and walked right by a lot of things for the first time. Blossom did shy just a little the first time the audience clapped. She also got scared when we were walking along a tall white fence with a friend and her dog leading the way, when a huge 17 + hands dark warmblood walked by us. I think the size of the other horse and the rider on top, plus her feeling trapped by the fence and dog in front made her a little nervous. She felt trapped and tried to flee. I got her back under control and she put her head down and we walked on. She could of jerked me around, ran my friend and her dog over, and just caused all kinds problems, but she didn't. Her emotional level was easy to bring back down and she drew on her thinking side of her brain and decided to trust me when I told her no," you can't flee." Blossom was pretty brave for hanging out with those great big huge horses today. They were all 10 times her size, she probably couldn't figure out why all the horses were all busy doing something yet they weren't together in a herd.

Wild Mustang

2008-06-27T05:53:00.003-04:00

This is Blossoms first Bridge and she did so well.

Training her has been slow this week because of morning and afternoon thunderstorms but none the less, she is right on schedule.

Blossom At The Park

2008-06-26T11:48:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that time has gone by so fast!

Blossom had her day at the park and did very well with all the new sights and sounds, except when my friends donut was gone. She really liked the treat!

I might add that you really should never hand feed your horses treats. I did it because I can correct it properly if Blossom becomes pushy or nippy because she is looking for treats. I will add that I don't want to have to correct it later so I won't be hand feeding her treats anymore.

Park Pic's

2008-06-26T07:45:00.003-04:00

Zoom in on Blossom in the picture of her at the shoreline. It shows how pretty she really is!

A Great Day

2008-06-24T21:27:00.003-04:00

Blossom is coming along nicely. Things that she is doing consistantly are backing,
crossing things, walking poles, walking around cones, walking and trotting between barrels, dragging a tarp, wearing a tarp, dragging a barrel, crossing water, bathes, clips and trailer loads.

Right now Blossom already knows the manouvers that she will need to know at the show.
She is still a little picky about her feet, however the ferrier is not coming out until July 1st and that is plenty of time. It has been a slow go for teaching her to lift her feet because of my leg, but she lifts her feet when I say up, it's keeping them up and still that is a little difficult but she gets better everyday.
I'm not concerned. It will eventually happen.

We have been going on outings and she will be at her first show in Vero Bch this weekend. Not in the show, but as a spectator.

I'm suprised at how much this almost 2 year old has learned in such a short time.
She is controlling the speed in which I teach her and she is fast!

I need to get her used to crowds now. Any suggestions?

Have a good one.

Extreme Makeover

2008-06-23T06:48:00.003-04:00

Pictures Of Canter

2008-06-21T06:10:00.002-04:00

Blossom did a lot of rearing and silly stuff. She did not want to canter, but she did!

Trailer Loading

2008-06-20T20:39:00.002-04:00

Getting Great Help

2008-06-20T19:59:00.010-04:00

I want to thank two former horsemanship students of mine. Juanita Lunn and Sue Stetson. You guys payed attention during your sessions with me for sure! Sue lunged Blossom with ease, Blossom was soft and supple at the walk and trot. Blossom did exactly what Sue asked. And Juanita stepped in for me when Blossom was being, well, a Mustang and she demanded Blossom move her feet, even when Blossom clearly did not want to move. I'm proud of my students! Your horsemanship skills are fantastic! Thank you so much for helping me when I'm hurt and need some extra help.

Sending Exercise

2008-06-20T11:16:00.005-04:00

Blossom is sending well and she even did a little roll back!

Trailer Loading

2008-06-20T10:17:00.003-04:00

Friday

Blossom did her first formal trailer loading and she did so well. With-in 10 minutes she was going right in. I had two plans for trailer loading should she
be resistant. Plan A was that I offered her to step into the trailer by moving one foot at a time. She was allowed to go around and make mistakes, I simply corrected her and put pressure on her to move one foot at a time towards the trailer. I taught her to move one foot at a time on command last week and it payed off. Blossom walked right in and I did not have to use plan B.

Monday-Thursday Sessions

2008-06-20T05:30:00.002-04:00

Blossom is learning new things daily and is sure having a good time being an almost 2 yr old. She is doing exactly what is expected of her. Through all this training she has never been mean or tried to bite me. Most youngsters at one point in training will try to bite or nibble on things to test what things are. Yesterday when I was picking up her feet, she turned her head and I could see from the corner of my eye that she was up to something. Sure enough here came the first nip or bite. I timed it perfectly and she was dicouraged from biting me by running into the back of my hand. Was she suprised? Yes. Did she over react to my hand? Yes. Will she try to bite me again? Not likely. I had been waiting for her to try and chase me away with a bite. It is normal for her to have tried it. Most younger horses will try it a least once.

We started canter on the lunge line. She is a bit dull and lazy. She absolutely just wants to walk and trot a circle. Asking her to canter takes a lot of pressure and she shows a lot of resistance. When she is running she drags me around the areana and I have to hop on my one good leg. I stay with her though and keep pushing her forward. I don't care if she drags me to LA, eventually she will run in a circle because it is less work than dragging me around.

I say dull and lazy because when she decides not to run anymore (drag me around)
she stops and protests. When I ask her to move out she rears and stands her ground.
It's actually silly, her thinking she will get out of work by rearing up. Not so,
she's learning I'm the leader when it comes to who's feet moves first.

So twice I was reminded that she is a Mustang with her rearing and little bite. I'm excited! It makes it a lot more fun and challanging. A friend is supposed to email me picks of the cantering in a circle. When she does, I will post them.

Have a great day!!

A Great Week

2008-06-16T05:51:00.005-04:00

This week was very exciting for Blossom. She had a lot of visitors and showed people how well behaved she was. Several different people handled her, groomed
and lunged her. She did very good. She was patient with everybody.

It is amazing how Blossom is able to sort things out in her mind, how she is able to understand what you want even though you may not be asking her to do something the right way.

I enjoy the quiet place that she is at right now, however I have decided to move her to a very busy boarding barn. A barn that has a lot going on all the time. I'm doing this because I want to see how she adopts to new enviroments and people.

In Texas she will be in a crazy, fun and busy enviroment. This is Florida's off season for showing. If anyone local knows of shows, game shows, dressage shows or fun shows in and around our state, please shout out! The more exposure to different things she gets, the better she will be.

Thank you friends, family and clients for visiting.

Orange Blossom

2008-06-13T08:34:00.013-04:00

I'm not sure they gave me a (((Wild Mustang))), Just look at my baby girl !!
And yes, I'm getting attached.

Trail Obstacle

2008-06-13T08:34:00.012-04:00

These photos are of Blossom walking thru a little trail course. She is going under the tarp, crossing poles and crossing a tarp. When I train a horse, I also like to have an assistant (when I can) handle the horse. What good is a horse that only the trainer can handle? Right!

Lead Line Exercise

2008-06-13T08:34:00.004-04:00

Walk And Trot On Lead Line

2008-06-13T08:34:00.002-04:00

These photos are Blossom learning to bend in a nice circle on a lead line at a walk and trot.

Respecting My Personal Space

2008-06-13T08:21:00.008-04:00

June 1

I mentioned before Blossom liked to be to close sometimes. In the photo I am teaching her that I have my own personal space. I am now sesitizing her to my handy stick. She is learning that sometimes my body and stick are also saying,"move those feet away". She is welcomed to come into my space when I ask, but otherwise she needs to stay a few feet away until I ask her to do something else. I spent some time getting her used to the handy stick before I started the personal space exercise. To establish personal space, I stood in a safe position in front of her and wiggled the lead line, escalating pressure until I finally tapped her with the handy stick on the chest. When I tapped her with the handy stick she rocked back and I released pressure and rewarded her. I Let her think about it and did the exercise again. I did the whole process again. This time she stepped one foot back and I released pressure and rewarded her again. Eventually she was taking several steps back and is now to the point where I can just wiggle the lead line and she backs. Yahoo!!!

Letting Blossom Know My Handy Stick Is Not Scarey

2008-06-13T07:54:00.009-04:00

June 1

My hany stick is a tool that helps in my training program. It is a way that I can
touch and move a horse without being to close. It is an extension of my arm,
that keeps me out of harms way when I first start working with a horse. In the picture I'm rubbing it on her to desensitize her to it. She did not like it at first because she has not been handled much in her life. Now, it does not bother her at all. I can rub any area of her body with it and I can swing the rope on the end of the handy stick all over her body. This is key to starting a horse. They must be able to be touched everywhere. It is called desensitizing. Later in life, when someone puts a saddle on her back and gets ready to ride, it won't matter what kind of saddle, girths or straps that are hanging off the saddle because she was desensitized
to it. You can't just do it once, even if she passed with flying colors, you need to desensetize your horse often.

The Tarp Lesson June 6

2008-06-13T07:54:00.002-04:00

This is where the pictures will seem out of order. On June 6th I took Blossom into the riding ring and introduced the tarp to her for the first time. The photos will be in sequence (I hope)

The Tarp Lesson June 6

2008-06-13T07:30:00.002-04:00

This is the finished result. Blossom enjoys wearing her tarp!!! (LOL)

The Vets Visit

2008-06-10T11:48:00.007-04:00

The vets visit went really well. He knew about the Mustang Heritage Foundation and what the trainers goals are. He liked my Mustang and the way we were able to handle her already. Because I'm hurt I was unable to assist him. He went in her stall and went right to work with giving her sedation so that her teeth could be floated. We waited for 20 minutes and the shot had no effect on her at all. He was suprised at how rugged Mustangs are, how they can take a lot. The second shot worked just fine.

My Blossom is current on everything and has a clean bill of health!!!

The vet and I spoke for a while. I like him, he is personable and good at what he does. If your from Brevard county and need a good vet email me and I will give you his name.

The next step in her care is to call my farrier whom I also adore. Blossoms feet
look good, and it will probably take me a few more days to make sure she is really ready for the ferrier. I try really hard to be kind to my vet and ferrier. I make sure horses in my training have excellent manners before I bring in another professional to work on them, and they really appreciate that!

Back to training!!! Have a nice day!!!

Learning New Things

2008-06-10T06:50:00.003-04:00

June 1-9

Blossom is already used to her new residence and settled nicely. Her new best friend is a Freisien. You should see them making eye contact over the fence line when she has free time. She gets along well with other horses which is a huge bonus.

This week Blossom learned how to cross over different objects, pick up all four feet,
ground tie, pivot to left and right, lunge in both directions, sending exercises,
ground pole crossing, bathing, walk when I walk, stop when I stop, back when I back and you can wiggle the lead rope and she will back up for you. She also puts her head down for haltering. She's Awesome Blossom!!!!

This little Mustang has had only about 10 days of training and already has passed some horses that have been in training for months. Yes indeed, the Mustang is an
incredible breed of horse.

Today the vet visits. I will let you know how that goes.