Takoda Spanish Mustangs - Australias First Spanish Mustang Stud

Neosho - Australia's First Purebred Spanish Mustang Stallion

2011-03-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

Scouts 1st time at a surf beach - Noosa Nth Shore

Firstly, I must apologise for my extended absence. I have been spending the last couple of months having wonderful times with the horses. Scout is doing so well under saddle and we have been making regular trips to the beach, camping in the mountains and now I am starting endurance training with her. She is ridden in a halter and is a dream to ride bareback. She really never ceases to amaze me with her laid back demeanour and I am surprised at the fact that the more I ride her to more affectionate she is with me. She is incredibly sure footed and I am amazed at how she can avoid any hole or obstacle that I haven't noticed. She is agile and so much fun to be around. It seems she passes these traits on to her foals and with Neosho's gentle, sweet and wise nature they should have some very special foals together.

Neosho in training at Freehorse Farm

Neosho is finally getting ready to head for quarantine. He will be going into quarantine in April and flying to Australia early May. His training went exceptionally well and I am very eagerly awaiting his arrival so I can start getting to know him. He has gone from running with 17 other stallions for the past 7 years at the Cayuse Ranch with little human interaction to 6 days a week gentle training with Sus at Freehorse Farm for the past 6 months. Sus describes him as a very wise, gentle and noble soul. That was the impression I got when I met him briefly at the Cayuse back in June. He has a softness about him that is plain to see but he also has a depth and spirit to him that makes him a joy to behold. I am in the process of setting up a paddock for him around a house I am moving into next week. He will be right at the house which will hopefully enable me to spend time with him regularly and keep a close eye on him while he is settling in to the shock of all the changes of coming to a new country brings for him.

Sadly, Grey Feather won't be joining us here in Australia until 2012. She will foal at the Little Cayuse Ranch in New Mexico in July and we are all excited to see this little one. I hope to have her on her way by early to mid next year all going to plan!

Neosho at the Cayuse Ranch before beginning his long journey

All About Scout

2011-01-25T04:05:00.000-08:00

It is just short of 2 years now since Scout joined me here in Australia. I took a big risk with her buying her sight unseen and investing so much in her without even knowing if we would connect. It has been a huge learning curve for me over this time, finding my way with her, learning how to communicate with her and all the differences that the Spanish Mustang breed hold.

I have had many times of despair however they are hard to even remember now that we have connected on such a deep level. Scout has taught me more than I could ever have imagined and she has done it in her characteristic patient and grounded way.

I recently sent her to a trainer to have her started to saddle. I had done some work with her prior and had ridden her a number of times but lacked a confidence in my ability so decided someone else would be better to teach Scout what I felt I couldn't. Two weeks after her arrival at the trainer I received a phone call telling me to come and pick her up as the rain hadn't stopped and they had been unable to work the horses. After two weeks at the trainers standing in a stable and small yard with no training, Scout was less than impressed with me. When I picked her up she showed me that by sniffing my hand then taking off in the other direction and glaring at me while letting out a loud snort. She forgave me very quickly which is her way and with the help of my kind friends support telling me Scout was waiting for me to just trust myself and her ,I finally stepped up to the plate and the magic started.

Nothing could have prepared me for the connection and experiences I am having with Scout now. I am commitment phobic on all levels in my life and this does include my animals. The very special and patient ones plug away at me and breakthrough but that is rare and has only ever been achieved by my horse Sienna and my dog Storm. Scout seems to have been the next one to have broken through. What a gift it is to spend time with her now that we trust each other.

Today I took her on her first trail ride. I have walked with her often through the bush but never ridden her. She was amazing. She has probably only had about 15 rides and only about 4 of them with the saddle. She has never been at all worried by me being on her back, in fact she acts like we have been together for a long time and this is nothing new. I have not taught her much about travelling in a straight line yet and when we were first on the trail she was looking around and weaving here and there to start. I opened my hands and used my legs to ask her to travel in the channel I had created. I focused forward and immediately she cottoned on to what I was asking and strode out without faltering. She crossed muddy puddles, creeks and fallen trees. She climbed effortlessly up the steep rocky hills and came down the other side without missing a beat. The terrain was varied underfoot. There were sandy sections, clay sections, mud followed by sharp shale. Some areas of the trail are fairly rocky and Scout handled this all completely barefoot without a worry in the world.

I had become so scared to ride after reading so much from Nevzerov and others about it being something that is detrimental to horses. I agree that some horses don't like being ridden. Sienna is one of them and I respect that choice and don't ride her instead offering her a safe and loving home for her life with me. Scout on the other hand seems to revel in the connection and excitement that riding brings for both of us. Never have I felt this sort of joy when riding. Never have I felt a horse so accepting and willing to take a journey with me on their back. The connection feels complete when I am riding Scout and today I got that she feels that also. Early on when I was getting disheartened by not feeling like I was making progress with Scout, Leslie, Scouts previous owner told me that often the connection comes when you start riding these horses. I struggled with that thought and I have been reluctant to really take that step back into the world of riding horses for fear of hurting the animals that I hold so dear to me. I finally took the plunge and over the past week, the change in Scout has been incredible and very visible, not only to me but to my friends who have witnessed the change as well. Scout and I communicate with each other as if we are one now and even when we have different ideas about which way to go we always meet in the middle with no conflict or worry.

For years I have researched this breed and been attracted to the stories of these sorts of deep connections that other Spanish Mustang owners have with their horses. Today was the day that I could really feel the depth of all the time Scout and I have spent getting to know each other since she got here. There is no way to put it into words really. I am in awe of this horse and her trust and love for me. Scout has never been an affectionate mare, instead choosing to see that I am around then happy to move away back to the herd. She has never been to thrilled with being petted and fussed over. She is a proud, strong horse and I respect that about her. The last couple of weeks a change has happened in both of us. It seems we are both now ready to open our hearts to each other and she now seems to crave my touch and attention. If she glimpses me walking out into the yard, she throws her head up and calls out to me. She watches my every move now and takes a genuine interest in having me with her. She even accepts touch now with delight instead of annoyance.

Recent trip to the beach

I realised today that for only the third time in my life, I have allowed another being into my heart and soul and welcomed her to stay with me for life. In doing so, she has returned the sentiment in her new found openness and warmth.

What a gift it is to be owned by a Spanish Mustang!

2011

2011-01-03T03:26:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful start to this new year. I have Scout and Sienna at my friends place as the paddock became to waterlogged with the endless rain we are having. Scout and I are exploring a new side to one another. She is testing my commitment and is showing me that she really wants to work and discover new things. I had an hour long ride at the beach with her over the weekend. It was the first time I have allowed myself to trust her and finally move forward in our training. I realised that I had lost a lot of confidence over the past few years, always doubting if I am doing the right thing by the horse and this in turn has made it difficult for them. I made some big changes this weekend and Scout seemed to sense that.

I am really in awe of her and what power she has. We walked in the shallow ocean, Scout insisting on going one way and me finally stepping up and giving her direction. She has a large and powerful stride fitting for the noble horse that she is. She was not content to walk with my dear friends and their horses instead powering forward with a determination I have never felt in a horse before. She is an incredible mare that I feel I am only just starting to get to know. What an honour it is to be able to share this time with such a strong, confident and powerful being.

Neosho is doing very well in his training and is now being walked in the open paddock with longlines. His confidence in people has grown and he is starting to show his curious and playful side Sus tells me. He carries that same strength that I feel in Scout and I think the two of them will have a whole lot more to teach me and others about the majesty of this breed.

Grey Feather is craving human contact now which is wonderful to hear. She will have a sonogram at the end of January to determine if she is in foal. She is in very good hands with Donna and sounds content at the ranch.

Little Lacey is maturing so fast mentally moreso than physically right now. Negotiations are underway for a possible new home for her. Should it all go ahead, then I will be very sad to see her go however I could not ask for a better home for her. I believe strongly that horses will choose their person if given the opportunity and Lacey clearly did this recently.

I wish everyone all the very best for the year 2011. It promises to be a very exciting one for me and the wonderful horses in my life.

Below is current video of Neosho in training with Sus at Freehorse Farm.

Trust in all things....

2010-12-19T00:22:00.000-08:00

It seems that Scout is not meant to be trained by anyone else and I am now willing to step up and walk the path with her. I received a phone call from Wayne saying that he wasn't able to work with her due to the rain so after two weeks, I went and picked her up and bought her home again. It was a costly lesson for both of us but a valuable one at that. I have decided again to trust in my horses and allow our path to unfold without trying to force anything. I am slowly learning to just let go and trust.

Scout was a little cranky with me when I went to pick her up and she stayed that way for a day or so. I have made amends now though and she is allowing me back in again. Lacey is also back home again and she loved her time away. Her confidence has grown even more so (who would have thought it possible!!) and the mares are now setting some harder ground rules and firmer boundaries with her. She is learning that she isn't a foal anymore and new rules apply.

I was honoured to be part of one of the most incredible displays my horses have ever put on when I finally reunited them all. I let them all go and Sienna immediately spun her hindquarters at Scout pushing her up the hill and then I could feel this intense energy in the air as their excitement reach a crescendo and they all simultaneously lifted tails and took off at a gallop around the slippery, wet paddock.

I must have held my breath as I watched them move so fast on the clay ground. None of them even faltered and I longed to run with them however I was having a hard time just walking around let alone running as the ground was so water logged. One by one they pranced around me then leaped into the air squealing as they did so. Then they were off again for another few laps and each time they would pass me they would treat me to an acrobatic maneuver which made me laugh out loud to see the pure joy they were all expressing so clearly. I looked at Sienna and smiled and she pranced over to me almost in Piaffe, spun around so her head was at my shoulder and stood proud and tall snorting so loud the echo could be heard in the distance. I put my hand on her neck and said 'I know - you got your girls back. It is a happy time'. She put her head on my shoulder as I gave her a rub and then she rounded up the girls and took them on another final lap of the paddock.

What a gift it is to see them like that. They really have an intrinsic need to be in their little herd and it breaks my heart every time I have to separate them. I long for the day that I can buy a property for us and I can give them the stability that is so very important for their well-being.

I have been travelling a lot of late in pursuit of work and on these trips I am enjoying listening to my 'Path of the Horse' teleseminar series again. It awakens in me my true desire for the life I hope to build for my horses. I hope to remain open enough to hear them and be able to meet their needs to the best of my ability. They are my family and my teachers and I couldn't be more grateful for the joy and direction they give me each day just by being in their presence.

Sienna

Without Spanish Mustangs!

2010-11-27T12:39:00.000-08:00

Scout just before leaving for training

Life is feeling a little strange and empty right now without my Spanish Mustang girls in it! Scout is now in 8 weeks training with Wayne Williams. He was the Australian National Reining Champion in 2009 and he has trained a couple of horses for me in the past. He has a lovely, quiet way about him and the horses do really well with him. Scout needed some consistency in her training and I thought that she would really like the way that Wayne trains. Scout has a no nonense attitude with training and is very business like about it all. She likes clear direction and with my life the way it is at the moment I cannot give her that consistency that she is craving right now. She is really wanting to work right now which I must say surprised me. She changed dramatically after Lacey was weaned and now felt like the right time. I will start endurance training with her once she gets home. She is really going to love that as she is always eager to see what is around the next corner when we go walking. She is a very strong, brave horse with a huge heart and I am so excited to start this next chapter of our time together.

Little Lacey as curious and mischievous as ever!

Lacey is with my friends getting exposure to new situations without the cradling of the mares. She to seems to be loving the change. These horses really do love adventure and new situations. Lacey has 3 geldings to talk to over the fence and they all try to harshly put her in her place. She has been allowed to get away with a lot with the mares so this is a bit different for her. She holds her own though and is bonding up with the big quarter horse gelding in particular. She gets regular walks through the scrub, along busy roads and into the ocean none of which seem to worry her instead brightening the spark in her eye and fulfilling her need for stimulation.

I am very reluctantly offering her for sale from October 2011. It is a tough decision for me as she has been a constant companion since her birth. I sense from her that she would like to have her own person - someone who will give her a lot of time and adventure. With me having numerous horses I don't get to spend the time I would like to spend with her. She is a very bold filly that will have a huge future and I don't want to hold her back from that. Enquiries are welcome at this time and details can be found on our website http://www.spanish-mustang.com

Neosho is doing so well under the gentle guidance of Sus. He is a sweet and kind soul and that is very apparent when I watch the videos of his training. Sus is a very rare type of trainer and I am incredibly grateful to have found her. It seems that Neosho is winning the hearts of all that meet him with his big heart and open nature.

Grey Feather is fat and happy in New Mexico. Donna says she is really mellow and coming in each day for her pats and hay. It sounds like she could definitely be in foal but I will get her tested in another month or so to be sure.

Beautiful Kiowa

Sienna and Kiowa seem a little lost without their friends but it is nice to be able to spend all this time with them right now. I took Kiowa riding with my friends in the bush last week and she loved every minute of it. Kiowa is a true no fuss horse that is happy to do anything asked of her. I adore her and feel so lucky to have her with me. I like to walk some of the trails when I am out and I tie the reins around her neck and she happily follows behind me. If she lags back I can just whistle to her and she will trot up and rejoin me. She is a one in a million horse and I am having such a great time with her.

I will be taking Sienna and Kiowa for a week out bush with friends after Christmas. I think they will enjoy the change of scenery and they always seem happy to have me sleeping near them when we camp.

Well that is all the news right now. Today brings a long car ride out West to look at possible rental properties. Fingers crossed we find the perfect place for us all!

Update on Takoda's Spanish Mustangs

2010-10-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Lots of exciting news of late for Takoda Spanish Mustangs Australia. Here is a long overdue update!

Lacey

The weaning of Lacey is going far better than I could ever have expected and Scout is loving this new chapter in her life. She is located next door to where I am living and I take her and Kiowa out walking at least once a day. It is very clear that she desperately wants a job to do now. She is eager and responsive when we go out and yesterday she was reluctant to go back to the paddock. She seems eager for adventure and I am thrilled to get to know this new side of her.

I have decided that it would be best for her to go to a trainer for 4 weeks as I do not have the confidence to do her the justice that the trainer would. She has a strong need to understand clearly what is asked of her and she really wants some consistency right now. She will go to Wayne Williams for her training. He has trained a couple of horses for me in the past and the results speak for themselves. He lays a very solid foundation and gives clear direction in his training and I know this is what Scout is asking for right now. It will be hard for me to let her go however I will be visiting her every week during this time.

Lacey is doing really well and I have taken a step back from handling her all that much right now. She is living with Sienna who is a strong lead mare and seems to be priming her for the job in the future. I decided that I want to just leave them to it and not interfere for the next couple of months. I visit them twice daily to check them over and feed them. Lacey is looking fantastic and is bright and happy which is very encouraging.

Grey Feather and Sahara reunited at the Little Cayuse Ranch

Grey Feather has left Caballos De Destino Ranch in South Dakota and has gone back home to the Little Cayuse Ranch in New Mexico where she will spend some time settling in foal. She is booked to fly to Australia in March next year all going well with the pregnancy. She travelled really well on the trip back and was very happy to be reunited with her buddies. She seems to have a growing group of admirers in the USA also. She really is a striking filly and I am so fortunate to have her come and join us in Australia.

Neosho at The Cayuse Ranch

Neosho was transported to Free Horse Farm and handled the long road trip and ferry ride perfectly. He really is an amazing horse and I am so thrilled by his kind and calm temperament. He has had time to settle in and his training will begin this week.

Shadowhawk - 4 months old

We have another new addition for Takoda Spanish Mustangs named Shadowhawk. He is the colt born to Renegade Shadow x Little Dove that I visited in the USA this year when he was just two weeks old. He is a high quality colt with impeccable conformation and a bold and personable temperament. He will live with Leslie at Twin Hollows for the next few years while he matures. He is a really special colt that has a strong presence and grace about him even at such a young age.

On the home front, I have finally found a place to move to that will be a wonderful home for me and the horses. We will be moving to Kingaroy either the end of this year or early next year. The horses will have 160 acres to call home and I am hoping for this to be a long term solution to the ever-transient life we have had to live over the past 3 years. Exciting times all around !

Weaning a yearling!

2010-10-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lacey

I had tried to wean Lacey a couple of times over the past 6 months or so but each time was to heartbroken to continue the process and within a day they were back together. I wanted to let Scout wean Lacey herself however at 14 months old there is still no sign of Scout doing that and despite all the feed they are getting it is clear that Scouts body needs a break. I really don't like to have to make this decision for them as I do not feel it is my place however I had tried everything else to help Scout put weight on to no avail.

I went to the paddock with the intention of loading Sienna and Scout and bringing them home with me. I had put up an electric fence on a vacant block a couple of doors down ready for the process. I turned up at the paddock and the mares all came running down to greet me. Sienna is a real problem loader due to her troubled past and I intend to spend a lot of time working on that with her once we have settled into our new place at the end of this year. I have a friend that will be making me a trailer similar to the ones they use in the USA in that it will have two stalls so the horses have a lot of space and will not feel as claustrophobic as they seems to in a 2 horse straight load.

So it turned out that I did not have the length of time necessary to have Sienna load and I don't like to pressure her or me with a time limit. I did get her on the float however I did not want to shut the tailgate and take off. She needs more time to settle so I let her go again and loaded dear Kiowa who takes everything in her stride and takes on absolutely any task asked of her in a calm no fuss manner. Kiowa is an omega mare in that she is always bottom of the pecking order and gets mercilessly picked on. Scout in particular is very rough on her. She used to bite her daily in the same spot on the rump and chase her at a flat gallop around the paddock. One day I decided to intervene as I felt so bad for Kiowa and I found it fascinating to notice that Kiowa filled an essential role in the herd. Scout was very distraught not to have her there and was calling for her even more than Sienna and Lacey. I realised very quickly that they all, including Kiowa have a need for her to take up that position. If I leave Kiowa alone with Lacey then she is essentially the lead mare in that little herd and she is not at all comfortable with that role. Even when I have taken Scout out for a walk, Kiowa gets very upset to not have her there also. So I put her in the float and she waited patiently until I loaded Scout.

Scout contented in her new paddock

Scout and Kiowa have settled in very well to the new paddock and I have also seen Scout grooming Kiowa and vice versa. That is something I thought I would never see! Scout is handling the weaning process very well and has become very affectionate with me also. She calls to me and comes galloping down when she sees me and sticks to me like glue whilst I am in the paddock with her. This is quite a shock to me as she is a mare with a very distinct personal boundary. She usually values her space however that seems to have shifted for the moment. Kiowa is very relaxed also and I am very surprised at how well they are taking the change that I have so dreaded.

When I go to the paddock to feed Sienna and Lacey each day, Lacey will come galloping down and look at my car and the road waiting for Scout to return. I feel really bad for her and am looking forward to the day when they can all go back in together.

I am however really enjoying getting to know Scout all over again. It is wonderful to see her so content and settled in this new situation and I am loving the time we are spending together right now.

The Way Forward

2010-09-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Since returning back to Australia I have been anxiously looking for somewhere for me and the horses to move to. Still no luck as not many properties are happy to accommodate 6 horses unfortunately. In between all this searching and as a result of the changes that seemed to occur in me during my time away, my relationship with my horses has changed dramatically.

Initially on the day I returned I excitedly dropped my suitcase and ran into the paddock to call the mares down from the mountain. As always, Scout was the first to come galloping down and whinnied an excited greeting then stood beside me sniffing me and asking for pats. Sienna, Lacey and Kiowa came next and I was shocked to receive a very angry greeting from Lacey. When she recognised me she pinned her ears at me reared up and then turned away. This is the same angry reaction she gives Scout on her return whenever Scout and I go out for a little while. Lacey very much sees me as a mother figure and treats me that way and she seemed downright furious with me for leaving for so long. After a few days she was back to normal again and I found the whole process fascinating.

There is such a huge difference in the behaviour of this breed to any other horse I have ever come across. I am learning each and every day that I spend with my Spanish Mustangs. All the horses have seemed a little out of sorts over the past couple of months and I to am quite unsettled and anxious about finding the perfect place for us to move to. I had a shock encounter with my brumby mare Sienna a few weeks ago. I walked into the paddock to go and greet the horses. Scout walked over to me and asked for a scratch. Sienna is a strong alpha mare amongst the group and Scout is often testing and challenging her of late. This particular day as I was patting Scout, Sienna came over and Scout snaked her head and pinned her ears at Sienna trying to keep her away from me. It all happened so quickly and next I knew Sienna had spun around and was kicking violently. I received a solid blow to my arm and then another to the back of my leg as I ran away. I was in shock. In all the years I have had Sienna, even when she was extremely traumatised and wild after her capture and time at the doggers, she has never once shown me any ounce of aggression. I respect her for who she is and have made sure I do not take away that spirit that she holds so dear. It is for this reason that I don't ride her much. She seems to enjoy long walks we take together and if I get tired she is more than happy to carry me but I felt deeply sometime ago that this was not the path that would suit Sienna in this life. So she remains the strong herd leader and takes her role at home very seriously. I still am unsure about why I received these kicks from her however it was a wake up call to set some boundaries about allowing this sort of behaviour whilst I am standing with them. The next day I made the decision to place myself above Sienna in the herd and that any fighting that may occur must happen away from me.

I don't ever need a halter or lead on Sienna to communicate effectively and within minutes she was following my body movements and dropping in behind me, accepting me as leader. She now seems to appreciate my role in the herd and often times will follow me around the entire property staring mesmerised when I stop to do something. The mares all seem much calmer now and the aggression has subsided amongst them.

Just the other day I was patting Scout in the paddock and the other horses stayed back a respectful distance. This is a big and positive change to the usual clamouring for attention. One by one they laid down around me. First Lacey, then Sienna then I laid down and Scout laid down close beside me. We all napped together in the morning sun while Kiowa stood watch. After sometime Sienna got up and came and stood over me allowing Kiowa a turn to sleep. Scout was flat out beside me making soft whinnies as she dreamt, her big legs twitching as she ran over some imagined plains in her dreams.

Those are the treasured moments where I am deeply grateful for the trust and relationship I have with these horses.

Since I have changed my position amongst the herd Scout and I have come a long way. I have been doing more training with her and am amazed by what we are achieving together. I give her the option as to whether she wants to work or not by opening the roundyard gate and allowing her to go in or not. She knows this is where we do our riding and groundwork and most times she has chosen to participate of late. I continue to ride her bareback until we have perfected our communcation between us. She is such a joy to work with and the more we do together, the stronger our bond grows. She is a truly remarkable horse and I hope to get some video of our progress soon.

I recently took Lacey and Kiowa to the beach. We had a wonderful day and they both had a lovely time splashing in the sea. Here are some pictures taken that day.

Lacey exploring at the beach


Watching other horses arriving

Time to get wet

Beautiful Kiowa


Having fun!

Finish off with a good roll

USA Adventures Part 6 - Grey Feather and the Little Cayuse Ranch

2010-09-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

We started the very long drive back down from Minnesota to New Mexico via Utah! All up during the trip we drove over 10000 kilometres. It was quite exhausting but I had well and truly mastered driving on the opposite side of the road by then. We saw so much beautiful wildlife, stunning landscapes and of course horses along the way.

Grey Feather racing the feed truck

I was very excited to get back to New Mexico to see Donna, Jim and Sierra again and of course Grey Feather. She was more captivating and beautiful than ever and I spent a long time watching her. During the days I would do some work haltering her, asking her to yield her hindquarters, forequarters etc and of course just getting to know each other. She is very sensitive, intelligent and curious which was pure joy to when it came to groundwork. She is incredibly quick to learn and I have no doubt that we will go a long way together.

I watched one day when the horse trailer was backed into a space in one of the yards to allow the mares to get used to it. I was very surprised to look from the house to see Grey Feather loading herself into the trailer, standing then coming out a number of times. One of the other fillies, Josee was watching all this and came over to investigate. Grey Feather seemed to like her new audience and quickly lept into the trailer, then backed out turning her head to see if Josee was watching. She did this a number of times before finally staying in there and having a nap! Needless to say she travels very well!

I had a wonderful time at the Little Cayuse Ranch and am so grateful for the hospitality that was shown to us. It is rare to find people who open their home and hearts to strangers and this is exactly what Donna, Jim and Sierra did for us. The time spent there will be engraved in my memory for along time. I learnt a lot, laughed a lot and bonded with my beautiful filly.

Azor Neosho

During my final week in the USA I received an offer of assistance to help me bring a Cayuse Ranch stallion out. I eagerly accepted and after a few phone calls the powerful, kind grulla stallion I had admired the day I was at the Cayuse was set to join me and my mares in Australia.

This was more than I could ever have hoped for and I am thrilled to finally be able to offer future Spanish Mustang foals to people in Australia and New Zealand. The Spanish Mustang will be a powerful presence in Australasia. Scout and Lacey have thrived since being here and I am certain they have a huge future in this part of the world which will hopefully one day assist in the Spanish Mustang being removed from the critically endangered list. My hope is that they will be around for future generations to experience the depth and magic that a relationship with a Spanish Mustang brings anyone who shares a bond with them.

Sahara & Grey Feather

Sunset at the Little Cayuse Ranch

USA Adventures - Part 5

2010-09-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

I was extremely excited to go and meet Leslie at Twin Hollows and to see Laceys beautiful sire - Renegade Shadow. I bought Scout from Leslie in 2008 and we have stayed in touch nearly every week since then so it was very fun to finally meet face to face.

I didn't think it possible, but Shadow is even more spectacular than I could have imagined. I was so impressed with him in every way. He has a very sweet temperament and there is no faulting his conformation. I took my tools with me and gave him a hoof trim whilst I was there and he was such a good boy. This stallion really is a rare find. His second foal was born a few weeks before we arrived and this colt is all quality with a bold and people friendly nature.

Below: Storm and Rose

We spent some time with all the mares as well and they were all in beautiful condition and were eager for attention, particularly Storm, a lovely blue/black sabino mare and Rose, a very sweet and pretty white appaloosa mare. Rheta is a mare that I have admired for sometime and she was also spectacular to see. She is certain to produce an incredible foal with Shadow in the near future. She has a lovely soft and quiet way about her and is a beautiful, proud mare.

We decided to visit a couple more ranch's and Leslie kindly came with us to see Nancy at Free Spirit Spanish Mustangs in Wisconsin. Nancy was a delight to meet and I was very pleased to see her lovely stallion American Yellow Fox. What an impressive horse he is! We then went on to Zen Cowboys to see Wes and Janes horses. Hurrah, a smokey black 3 year old stallion was very eager for attention and he was kind and gentle and a wonderful mover. His full sister Lucita is a lovely red dun mare that I would have loved to have bought home with me! After we left Zen Cowboys, it was time to start the long journey back down to New Mexico to spend 10 days working with Grey Feather.

Our visit with Leslie seemed far to short and I hope to get back there one day soon. If anyone is looking for a stallion quality Spanish Mustang colt, I would urge you to contact Twin Hollows regarding Ronya, the colt born this year. Their website is http://www.twinhollows.com

The magnificent stallion - Renegade Shadow (Silver Shadow x Faith)

Ronya - Renegade Shadow x Little Dove

USA Adventures - Part 4

2010-08-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

We got up the following day and started our drive out to the Windcross Conservancy to meet Lucy. Eventually we found Lucy's place and I noted it immediately when I saw the zebra dun stallion Syndicated Copper in the front pasture. I stopped the car to take a closer look at him and he lifted his head and peered through his forelock at me curiously. What a sweetheart! He was with some lovely gelding and yearling colts and although I was eager to spend some time with them, we drove down the driveway to introduce ourselves to Lucy.

Lucy's mum was there and we chatted for a short time before Lacey pulled up and introduced herself then took us to see Dunsmoke Reno - grulla roan stallion and a young colt of his. The colt had not been on the property long and was still nervous however was warming quickly to Lacey. He is a very nice colt and I am sure will mature into a lovely horse. Unfortunately I forgot to get photos of him.

Then it was on to see the mares and foals. They were an extremely friendly group of quality horses and they all had a fondness for standing inside a giant metal pipe that was in the paddock. The fillys were eager for lots of attention and I had fun obliging them. Miss Chato was willing for a pat or two as well. She is a lovely mare from Caballo De Destino. We spent quite awhile in this pasture and it was very hard to drag ourselves away from these horses. Kitty Belle was incredibly sweet and she had an outstanding colt from Reno with her.

Lastly we visited with the lovely Copper and the geldings and colt he lived with. Copper has the sweetest, loving temperament and is such a gentle stallion. He also loved all the attention that we gladly gave him.

Lucy very kindly gave me some lessons regarding Spanish conformation and talked me through the bloodlines of alot of the horses. After a wonderful dinner with Lucy it was time for the drive back to the hotel. We reluctantly left that evening and then planned for our next leg of the trip out to see Leslie at Twin Hollows in Minnesota.

This mare is such a stunning horse that really got my attention!

Wild Flower (Chief Crazy Horse x Cat Ballou) and her 2010 colt by Dunsmoke Reno

The mares all waiting for a turn to have a nap in the pipe

Reno's 2009 colts and one of the geldings having a play

Syndicated Copper (Texas Pony Syndicate x Mexi Jo)

USA Adventures - Part 3

2010-07-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

My visit to Many Ponies in South Dakota was a delight. What a colourful array of Spanish Mustangs! Melanie and Marisa took us on a wonderful tour to meet all the horses. We visited the 4 stallions first and I was happy to see them all running together. I was very impressed with how MP Will Rogers is maturing. He has such a sweet nature also. Blue Gambler's first foals were very imrpressive and I am eager to see how they mature. Mister Sandman's attributed alot of colour this year which was a difference to all the buckskin duns he produced the year before..

Mister Sandman - Bright Chief x Nina De Cenzina

After seeing the stallions we went out to a beautiful large pasture to find the geldings. After a lovely drive around the property seeing some incredible views across the neighbouring properties, we found the geldings in the corner near the wooded area. They put on wonderful display which allowed for some terrific photo opportunities.

The geldings and colts

The white horse in the back of this picture is a stallion prospect and he has the sweetest nature. I spent a little while being investigated by him and then giving him pats and scratches. They were all very happy to come and say hello.

Levi, Ceasar & Baxter

Then after sometime with the boys weheaded on over to see the mares and foals. I was excited to see the foals, in particular a blue colt by Blue Gambler out of Bluebelle that I had seen pictures of.

On arrival to the mare pasture we were greeted by the very lovely and super affectionate mare Mirage. This mare is amazing and has to be a part of anything that is going on around people. She is adorable and I ended up with a number of photos like this due to her thinking she needed to be the centre of attention ALL the time and popping her head into frame.

The foals were so beautiful and I quickly spotted Bluebelle's colt and was VERY impressed with him. I am keen to see how he matures. He has a lovely shoulder and something about him really draws attention. Here are some of the many pictures I took of him.

MP Blue Gambler x MP Bluebelle 2010 colt

The other mares foals were beautiful also and here are some pictures of them.

Mister Sandman x Ghost Woman- red dun overo sabino filly

Mister Sandman x Butterscotch - red dun overo colt

MP Will Rogers x Dakota Dream Maker - black medicine hat colt

MP Will Rogers x MP Day Dream - blue/black sabino filly

Mister Sandman x Sioux Queen - Red dun colt

This filly is a stunning girl. She has such a lovely head and a sweet expression. Unfortunately I didn't get any great pictures of her.

Mister Sandman x Medora - bay overo filly

After spending sometime with the mares and foals it was time to thank Melanie and Marisa and head back to the hotel. We had a fabulous time seeing the Many Ponies horses and were looking forward to meeting Lucy the next day at the Windcross Conservancy to see more Spanish Mustangs.

Many Ponies have a number of wonderful foals and horses for sale. Their website is http://www.manyponies.com

to be continued .....

USA Adventures - Part 2

2010-07-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

We hit the road armed with the trusty GPS and drove to Colorado. It was amazing seeing how quickly the scenery changed from the desert landscape to snow capped mountains. We spent the night in Durango then drove into Silverton and wandered around a few of the shops. From there we headed up to Grand Lake where I had stayed a few years earlier when I was travelling around doing barefoot trimming courses.

It was as beautiful as I remembered it being and we spent two nights there awaiting the road through Estes Pass to open. It was nice to take some time to relax, walk around enjoying the scenery and wildlife which included elk and moose. We were still suffering from jetlag at this stage and the altitude was also taking its toll. Despite this I enjoyed the Colorado Rockies immensely.

We drove through Estes Pass and were amazed at all the snow and the beautiful mountains that seemed to go on forever.

After a wonderful time in Colorado we then moved on up into Wyoming. I was so excited to finally be able to see the Cayuse Ranch and meet Josie and the horses. I spent a very memorable day seeing all the incredible horses that I had admired in photos for so long. Seeing them all in person in their vast home environment was awe inspiring. Josie knew each and every one of them by name and her passion and love for them was clearly evident.

I was thrilled to be able to see Grey Feathers sire and dam and her brothers that were also running on the ranch. Grey Feather has taken alot of traits from her magnificent sire I'Kkitsi Peta (Grey Eagle). She moves just like him and has the same powerful presence as he does.

I'Kkitsi Peta - Injun x Little Pacer

After seeing the stallions and their mares and foals we drove over to see the batchelor stallions. There are 18 all up and they are the replacement stallions for the herd sires that have either passed away or are older. There are some magnificent horses in this bunch and I was excited to see them all.

The first group we came across were a friendly lot. I was immediately drawn to a jet black colt that is a Payaso son. He has the sweetest temperament and was loving all the attention. Then we went on to see a 4 year old Rambler son and a Chato's Shadow son. Josie informed me the Rambler son is for sale and I looked him over approvingly. He is a very nice colt!

Rambler x Lonesome Oshoto (left) Chatos Shadow x Mountain Mist (right)

Next we came across a stallion who is a Chief Masada son. He was calmly meandering alone across the pasture.

Chief Masada son

We then headed further up the rise where a group of colts came running towards us being pushed on by a handsome dark grulla stallion. There was another lovely 4 year old Rambler colt amongst them who is also for sale. He seemed to have an inquisitive nature and his coat had an incredible golden shine to it.

Rambler x Wyoming Dusk

Also in the group was a beautiful Seqouyah son who had the same unusual blue colouring as his sire. He is a very beautiful stallion with fantastic conformation and I am eager to see what he produces in the future.

The dark grulla walked up to me and stood allowing me to pat and admire him. He was a powerful horse and I was really taken with him. I eventually walked away from him to go and see two grulla stallions further up the rise. I photographed the two grullas and walked in to start patting one of them. He stood lapping up the attention and then suddenly took fright and they both bolted off down the valley. I turned around to see the dark grulla cantering up ears back telling the two stallions to leave in a very clear manner. He chased them down the little valley and then quickly returned and stood very proud on a rocky outcrop. Wow! What a display and what an incredible horse. I thought to myself had I not have seen Grey Feather this handsome stallion might very well have been coming home with me.

Azor x Lonesome Prairie

Next we left and went on to see the yearling and two year old colts and fillies. There are some lovely horses there but the silver grulla caught my eye immediately. He looked so much like Grey Feather and Josie confirmed that he was in fact her full brother.

Grey Feathers brother (centre) 2 year old colt

After we had seen all the horses on the property I thanked Josie and Jim and reluctantly left the ranch with many fond memories.

A few more pictures of the Cayuse Ranch horses

Batchelor stallion

Grey Feather's dam - Prairie Feather with her new all white colt

Rambler - Chief Crazy Horse x Yellow Rose

A Rambler 2010 foal

Sundowner - Jack Slade x Esperenza

Still looking magnificent at 22 years old!

The Cayuse Ranch have a number of horses available for sale. Contact them for more information http://www.cayuseranch.com

USA Adventures - Part 1

2010-07-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

I left Australia 21st May headed for the USA in search of a Spanish Mustang stallion to bring home to Australia. After a very rough flight (mental note- never sit in the tail end of the plane!) I arrived in LA and stayed there the night before catching a flight out to Albuqurque the following day. In Albuqurque, I picked up the hire car and set out cautiously trying to get used to driving on the opposite side of the road. My lovely mother had joined me for the trip and was kindly giving me lots of encouragement as I gingerly started driving out of the airport. Her tight grip of the door handle relayed how I was feeling at the time.

At the last minute before leaving Australia, I had organised to stop by and stay one night at the Little Cayuse Ranch in New Mexico. I absolutely loved New Mexico and it stark desert scenery. Looking around I thought to myself what perfect country this was to raise horses on. The condition of the horses at the Little Cayuse Ranch confirmed this for me. On arrival we went out to the back paddocks to see some of the mares. I was awestruck at the presence and beauty of these horses. The Spanish Mustang just seem to command attention and these mares were no different.

Desi and Silver Wind rushing in to greet us

The mares were friendly and eager for attention. They were in wonderful condition and clearly thriving in this desert environment. Tundra, the beautiful yellow dun with the bald face, held back and assessed us from a distance. She soon decided we were ok and came in for a closer inspection. She comes from Seqouyah lines and has that beautiful conformation he stamped on all his offspring. She has an ethereal energy and a reserved way about her. She commands respect without even trying and I felt humbled in her presence.

Yellow Tundra - Seqouyah x Misprint

I then noticed a beautiful roan mare named Shawnee Moon. This mare is a pure sweetheart. She has a kind eye and the temperament to match. I stepped back and looked at her conformation. Stunning!!! She is a solid mare with a perfectly rounded hip and arched neck that allows easy self carriage. She followed us as we walked to the water trough, soft breath on my back, staying close behind me. She seemed to relish in the attention she was receiving and I was happy to oblige her!

Shawnee Moon - Azor x Lonesome Prarie

Then it was time to head back to the house and see the other horses. We pulled into the driveway and walked over to a yard beside the big barn. There were four horses in there, a dun overo mare, a bay roan mare, a chesnut sabino filly and a grulla filly.

I stared transfixed at the grulla filly and I think my jaw may also have dropped. She was absolutely stunning and her energy was light and magical. She was cautious and very sensitive but with a fire inside her that spoke of an incredible strength of character. It was immediate and without question that this filly was to come home with me. I did not even know if she was for sale at that minute but I did know that she was the one and never once faultered on that thought throughout my entire trip. She was not the stallion I had intended to bring home but life has showed me time and time again even my best laid plans will take a turn when instinct kicks in and the flow of my destined life's path steps in to take me on the journey that is meant for me this time around.

The filly's name is Grey Feather. She is cautious of people at first and likes to be approached quietly. She allowed me to stroke her face and I slowly moved down to her neck and gave her a good scratch which she seemed to enjoy. I watched her for a long time with the other horses. She was challenging Red, a lovely mare who was firm about her lead position amongst the herd. Grey Feather didn't back down and there were a few good scuffles happening amongst the pair.

Grey Feather - I'kkitsi Peta x Prarie Feather

I reluctantly left the yard and headed inside to get better aquainted with Donna, Jim and Sierra. We had a lovely evening starting with a wonderful home cooked Mexican meal. We spent alot of time talking horses and showing photos of Spanish Mustangs.

That night I didn't sleep to well as I was thinking alot about Grey Feather. I spoke to Donna the following morning about purchasing her and I then reluctantly left the ranch to start the long journey North.

Wonderful times

2010-05-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

I have been having such wonderful fun with the horses. So much so that I have been very remiss with my blogging. So here is a catch up.

I have now moved the horses back down to Brisbane as they will be staying with my friend whilst I am in the USA. They all travelled brilliantly and were so thrilled to be back again. The property had flourished during the time we were away and they now have over 40 acres of native grasses to keep them busy and happy for the time I am away.

I was unprepared for the amount of rain that the Sunshine Coast gets and the paddock the girls were in turned very muddy so I am also pleased to have them back on the shale mountain paddock to give their hooves a good workout again. They have been galloping up and around the mountain announcing to the neighbouring geldings that they are back again. The boys are as thrilled as they are it seems!

Since coming back I have started some work with Scout again. I had just left her be for the past couple of months. She seemed like she wanted some mental stimulation again so I asked her into the round yard and we played with some groundwork all of which she performed at liberty perfectly so I hopped on her bareback and was amazed at how soft she was to my aids now. I know I keep saying it but she has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. She is a soft and gentle teacher and she makes a very willing student of me!

Both Scout and Lacey started growing their winter coats in ernest about a month ago. I kept reminding them that they live in Queensland now and not Minnesota and perhaps that amount of hair was not necessary yet. The poor girls have been sweating through the heat of the day but I am sure with time their bodies will adjust.

Today I decided it might be nice to take Lacey out for a walk on her own. She has been following me around the property again so I figured she may like the change of scenery. She was understandably a little anxious at first walking close beside me and calling out a couple of times. She was very intrigued by all the signs on the road and the school bus that passed us. She walked on a loose line and followed my body language beautifully. She is such a smart little filly and although she has a very strong lead mare personality, she is a joy to work with as long as I stay soft and non-reactive with her.

I am really going to miss them all during my 6 weeks away. They are such an integral part of my daily existence and I am so grateful to have them share this time with me.

Gypsy Lifestyle

2010-04-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yet again I have moved house. I am now living up the coast for a little while until I can find the career path I want to pursue. I moved the girls up here and had to do it in two shifts which was not ideal. These mares are a very tight herd and get quite upset when one is away. I moved Sienna and Kiowa up first on a Tuesday. They were reluctant to load and I always find transporting horses traumatic and I am sure they must pick up on that. Once loaded they always travel well and I must annoy every other driver on the road by taking the corners very slowly.

Once we arrived, I unloaded the girls and put them in their new paddock. They were not happy! I know these horses so closely that it is extremely apparent to me when they are not 100%. Sienna was terribly distraught. She stood in the furthest corner of the paddock facing the direction of home which was 2 hours South. She is not used to traffic noise and there is a highway closeby to the paddock as well as a fairly busy road out front. I spent along time with them before going to my new temporary home just up the road.

Everytime I went back Sienna was stood on the same bare patch of dirt staring and whinnying in the direction of home. Sienna has huge expressive eyes unlike any I have seen before on a horse. She lost the spark that is usually visible to me in her eyes. She loses weight at a rapid rate when she is unhappy as well. I was frantically trying to get hold of a transport company to bring Scout and Lacey up as I figured that was the main issue for Sienna. I left 5 messages for the transport company I usually use, the last one begging for them to at least call me back and tell me they didn't want to do it. No response so needless to say they will no longer be my transport company of choice! I then found another lady that could do it but no time frame of when.

By Thursday I was desperate as I couldn't bare to see Sienna like that anymore so I drove back with the float and decided to attempt to transport Scout and Lacey myself. I was reluctant to move Lacey in a float when she was still so young (6 months). Some of these transport companies have a stall where the foal can travel loose with the mare and nurse or lay down when they get tired. As I was having no success organising this I thought I would get up early Friday and just see what happened.

When I arrived back to Brisbane on Thursday afternoon, Scout and Lacey bolted up to the float craning their necks to see if the other mares were still in there. I opened the float and let them investigate at will. They circled around it a number of times and then Scout stood whinnying for Sienna.

I got up at 5:30am Friday morning and loaded the haynets full of hay. Scout and Lacey were eagerly following me. I wanted to load Scout first but Lacey had other ideas and ran on feasting at the hay waiting for her. Well that was far easier than anticipated! Scout loaded nicely and I had them on faster than the other mares!

The test would be how Lacey coped with the movement. I started down the road very slowly and she put her head up, had a look around then continued eating. Scout was a little more stressed and kicked out once at the door and whinnied a little before returning to eating. Once we got on to the highway, Lacey stopped eating and looked wide eyed at all the trucks and cars passing by. She seemed more curious than frightened though and quickly returned to the task of eating. Once we were about three quarters of the way up to their new paddock, I noticed Lacey was getting tired. Her little eyes were shutting and her head was dropping. There was only another 30 minutes to go and she made it just fine.

I unloaded them at the entrance to the trails, across the road from the paddock. Sienna and Kiowa were still stood in the corner, heads bowed. They had not noticed our arrival yet. I got Scout and Lacey unloaded and then walked across the road with them both together. When we got closer to the paddock, Scout called out and it was like a lightening bolt to Sienna. She threw her head up and spun around breaking into an instant canter towards the fenceline, neighing constantly. Lacey locked onto Kiowa and whinnied to her 5 times in a row. Kiowa also came bolting over to the fence and I stood laughing at the chorus of neighing that proceeded. I took the halters off Scout and Lacey. Lacey immediately ran to Kiowa whilst Sienna came and greeted Scout in their usual, more serious manner. Then Sienna quickly got to the task of establishing her place as the lead mare and all is well again in their world and mine. They are perfectly happy if not a little bored sometimes as this paddock is small compared to the 40 acres they were on. It is directly across the road from a network of beautiful trails and they seem quite willing and keen to explore these.

Lacey loves the stable block. They have free access to it whenever they please. She is often seen in a guarding position at the front doorway

I fenced off an area that allows them to access the fresh, running water of the creek. This was there first time down there checking it all out

Heading up the track back to the paddock

Sienna relaxing and having a good roll

After the storm

2010-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a video I took of the girls enjoying life after a storm just passed over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbj4boTuXo

Lacey is growing up fast and is maturing into a stunning horse. She is still as outgoing as ever however is a dream to handle. I can trim her at liberty in the paddock now and she leads beautifully and ties up well. I am hoping to get her out of the paddock on some adventures soon as she craves stimulation of new things.

Finding the Magic of the Spanish Mustang

2010-02-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

Since my last post where I finally understood what Scout needed from me and what I needed for myself, our relationship has changed out of sight. I could try all the methods in the world but I still would have missed the point and that is to build the bond between us, trust her and myself and the rest just comes easily.

Since January I have ridden Scout a number of times at complete liberty in the paddock. Since that day I have had no problem at all with her moving out. She has an enormous walk and is a very smooth ride.

I have started taking her out walking each afternoon. Before when I would do this she would get very upset, calling for the herd and refusing to move sometimes. Since my epiphany in January, all that has disappeared. She will walk right beside me at my shoulder now matching my stride. Most horses I have walked have to trot to keep up with my walk however Scouts huge stride matches mine perfectly.

Another change that has occurred is since I have been spending more of this time with her she makes a point of leaving the herd wherever they may be and coming down to the front paddock each morning and night to stand near my caravan. If I don't come out she will call to me and she is satisfied to go back to the herd again once she sees me.

I was attracted to this breed due to all the stories I have read over the years from Spanish Mustang owners about the depth of the connection that is formed once they let you in. Well I feel like I am finally getting to know Scout and I am overwhelmed by all that she brings to my life. It is hard to adequately put into words the experience of sharing time with a Spanish Mustang. Scout demands I be honest with myself and with her. She will never be a push button horse and that is another point that drew me to this breed. She is confident about her place in the world and expects the same from me. When I realise that and find that place in myself she is soft and willing. She has an enormous amount of power in her which can only be felt once in her presence. I have seen her open up to a flat out gallop around the paddock and I am always gobsmacked to watch her on the occasion that she does this. She is a solid build horse however she has the endurance to go all day long and incredible cat like agility. What a journey we are having together!

Searching for forward & finding something far greater

2010-01-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

What an incredible week this has been! From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs and the ecstasy that lies in all of that. I have been stuck in my life and therefore in my way with my horses. When I finally got on Scout for the first time with the saddle on, no matter what I did, I could not find forward. I tried everything I could think of and then called a friend for assistance. It was suggested I was being far to soft with all my horses and creating pushy, dis-respectful animals and I needed to be more assertive. So I used my energy and body language in the round yard at liberty to get Scout moving out. She ended up doing this well and I was instructed to jump on her and immediately use force to get her to move out. I was in a frazzle by this stage and following instruction's without thought. I jumped on Scout and put my leg on her hard numerous times and then used the rope forcefully to ask for forward. Needless to say, Scout was not at all impressed with this new change in my demeanour and nor was I. She told me in no uncertain terms by bucking me off (and who could blame her!). She was communicating with me on the same level with which I was communicating with her. The session continued with me jumping back on and asking again but getting nowhere other than feelings of immense pain, displeasure and total trauma that I could fail my horse in such a major way. I walked away bleeding and bruised on many levels.

The next morning for the first time since Scout joined me, she did not whinny to me when she saw me. At lunchtime as I sat outside she looked at me sideways, again without her usual whinny, instead turning her rump on me and walking away. I was shattered!!!

Through my greatest misery came my most important insight ever. I have often wondered what happens during the journey from childhood to adulthood. How do we lose that connection to nature that seems to happen without thought. No thought was given to jumping on my horse bareback and letting him gallop wildly across the paddocks, me whooping with joy without negative thought, just enjoying the moment.

I finally got that today and realised what I have been missing all this time. Reading endless books on what is right and wrong in how I should be with the horses, taking lessons from people to try to find my way again, begging the horses to accept me in a pitiful way as I pined once again to feel that boundless uninhibated joy that I felt as a child.

There is no right and wrong!!! There is only now and the celebration that lies in the moment. I realise how much horses respond to me when I am living in the moment instead of being stuck in my mind thinking about how to do this, what could go wrong etc. In that moment, I knew what to do! I ran into the paddock and down the hill to where the horses stood under a tree. The neighbours horses saw me first and startled slightly then quickly turned tails up snorting then joining me running along the fence beside me. When I got down to my horses, Lacey was already prancing around in circles tail up snorting. Scout calmly walked straight over to me and I leapt on to her back and she immediately moved forward up the hill. No tack to inhibit her, no halter to lean against, no saddle to restrict her, just the surging energy from my body to hers. I smiled as she walked out calmly, soon stopping under a shady tree. I sat on her back and groomed her mane, neck and tail with my fingers. She craned her head forward in pleasure dropping her ears to the side and then turned her head around to my foot and stood for sometime breathing on my toes till her eyes closed as if in relief that I finally understood what she was trying to tell me all this time. She is so sensitive to the energetic connection and needs me to be present in mind and body before she will happily work with me. When riding her at complete liberty like this she is extremely soft and will follow any slight direction from my body. She will try hard to understand what it is I am communicating to her as she has nothing to brace against. Without my usual uncertainty about how to ask her or what to ask everything just flows. No tack to inhibit us, just true connection and the ease that follows that.

Little Lacey

2010-01-14T02:48:00.000-08:00

I let the horses into the house yard to have a pick of the grass. I sit out there under a tree to work on the computer sometimes. I had some music playing from my laptop and Lacey found it very fascinating, She is growing fast and is an absolute joy to be around. She still loves people and in the hope of more pats, has often chased visitors car's down the driveway as they leave. She is an incredibly agile and sure footed little filly. I was walking up the steep back paddock to check the fences and the horses all decided to follow. There are some steep parts and it is all loose rock so it gets slippery to. Lacey comes down there at a gallop effortlessly clearing fallen logs on the way down. It is a great paddock to raise foals in as it will ensure she is able to handle that sort of terrain barefoot in the future. Here is a video of her in the house yard. She is nearly 5 months old now - how time flies. Oh and as you can see her mane still has not dropped. She is doing a great impression of a przewalski horse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHyfJF9iu0

Scout's First Saddle

2010-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today on an impulse, I decided to put a saddle on Scout for the first time. She handled the whole process in her usual calm way. I would have thought she had worn a saddle 100 times. I showed her the saddle before I put it on her. She sniffed it with mild interest then stood quietly. I had her standing free and she did not move off but just stood as I did the girth up. Here is a video of how it all went when I asked her to move out with the saddle on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJNzfQy7DT0

I am attempting to lift my energy when I work with her now and I am seeing more enthusiasm from her since I started to do that. She is becoming much lighter to work with and is very willing to learn new things. I cannot recommend this breed highly enough. Scout shows me such incredible intellect and she has fast become a very loyal friend.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

A belated happy new year to you all. This year promises to be a good one and things are moving full steam ahead here it seems.

I took Lacey and Scout for their first walk off the property together. Lacey loved every minute of it and was prancing ahead like a little deer. She is so pretty to watch move. My friends daughter was leading her and Lacey was incredible. With no pressure on the lead rope, she walked when Lani walked, she trotted when Lani jogged and she stopped when Lani stopped. This was only the about the fourth time she has had a halter on and she acted like she had been doing it for years. We took them down to the creek and let Lacey go. She investigated alot but stayed close by. Scout walked through the fast flowing creek completely unperturbed as I expected.

This year will be another exciting one as I plan to jet off to the USA in June to find the first Spanish Mustang stallion to bring out to Australia. I have a few lovely prospects to look at but as I have experienced in the past, these horses tend to choose you so I am excited to see what will come of it. I will be visiting many states including the Cayuse Ranch in Wyoming where it all started. It will be wonderful to see all the horses and to meet the people in the lovely Spanish Mustang community who have been so welcoming to me from the start.

I hope to also start Scouts qualification for endurance this year. We will probably only get 2 x 40kms done this season and then next season we will both finish our qualification rides so we are eligible for open competition. This is all dependent on Scout and if she seems interested to go this way. She enjoys our walks out and seems to want to know what is around the next corner. I rode her again in the round yard the other day and she was very good as expected.

I hope that each and everyone of my readers has a joyous 2010 filled with love and laughter.

Contemplation's

2009-12-26T16:45:00.001-08:00

I have been having wonderful times with the horses of late. So much so that I have not updated my blog since the Mel Flemming Clinic! I would have to say that this clinic was the most profound, eye opening clinic I have ever been to. Mel has an incredible way about her - one which I have not seen often. She seemed to me to be completely devoid of ego and totally open to the experience of further expanding her way with horses. She has a true gift and it was beautiful to watch her interaction with people and horses at the clinic. It is hard to adequately describe the experiences I had over the 3 days and perhaps doing so would take away from that somewhat. My experiences were unique and eye opening and I would highly recommend anyone seeking a deeper experience with your horse to attend.

Sienna did so well despite my initial fears. The biggest message I got from wherever these messages come from is that at this stage she is not to be ridden. I rode her bareback at the clinic however Mel made me aware of how the saddle (when correctly fitted) is better for the horse when perhaps the rider is not in perfect balance which I am not yet. It was my intention to start Sienna to saddle on the final morning of the clinic but I got a clear message that this was not my way forward with this horse. Sienna affirmed that for me in a deep and beautiful way. I could never have imagined our connection getting even deeper than it already was however it has in a profound way.

On returning home I started instead riding Kiowa to learn the new skills that Mel had taught me. I always like to give my horses a choice before riding and will saddle them without a halter in an open paddock. That way I feel they are totally free to express their desire to be ridden or not. I have taken Kiowa out 3 times now and each time she has come up to me to be saddled. She seems to thoroughly enjoy our outings and each time I feel I am getting to know her better. I feel a slight barrier in her that we have not been able to pass as yet. It comes on an energetic level not on a perceptable one. She seems to be holding herself back from connecting fully for fear of loss. She is an absolute angel to do anything with and for a horse that has had limited ridden experience she is a true delight. She has such a different way about her and although over the past 6 months she has hidden the childlike spark she showed so openly in the past, she is still her calm, gentle self in all dealings with me. I think that the guard she has built may have been caused by me having to move so often in the past 18 months. During that time she was moved 4 times into and out of different herds due to restrictions I had in finding a paddock for my horses to stay together. Seeing the impact this has had on her makes me even more determined to find some way to one day own my own property so my horses never have to experience that uncertainty again.

So back to Sienna, I had a moment after the clinic where I doubted the message I thought I had received. Sienna was quiet and willing for the most part in all our lessons together and she seemed to enjoy my company as much as I do hers. So I asked her to come into the round yard with me at liberty which she did. I showed her the saddle and she looked at it and looked at me. I put it on her and she stood nicely at liberty whilst I did the girth up loosely. I asked her to move with the saddle on. She showed a little unsureness at the new feeling however she still moved out as I asked. Then an interesting thing happened. The other 3 horses came running over to the yard, Scout and Kiowa looking very upset. They were putting their heads through the rails then tapping on the gate trying to get in. It was at that same moment I felt a strong feeling that this was just so wrong. I was almost in tears as I asked Sienna to me and removed the saddle and stood with her quietly for sometime. I have had her in my life for over 3 years now and always when people see what we are doing together and ask why she isn't started to saddle, I explain that she has not suggested that she is ready for that. This may change in the future but for now it seems she still isn't and may never be and that is more than fine with me. I do not have any of these horses in my life for the sole purpose of riding or what they can do for me. They are simply my family and my world. I take great joy in each minute I spend with them. I don't ride regularly as it has become secondary to the incredible pleasure provided just by closely living side by side with these animals. This is not to say that I am against riding, I am not at all and am enjoying the newfound experiences I am having whilst riding Kiowa. It is more to say that there is so much more to enjoy than just riding.

I was laughing with delight the other day as I walked out into the paddock after a storm and asked the mares to come walking with me. We went up the mountain, Sienna by my side at liberty while the other mares followed close behind. When we got to the top paddock I started running through the trees and up the next hill. The girls all bucked and snorted and played around me. When I stopped, they stopped and had a nibble of the new grass coming through. When I walked they followed. For me there is no better experience that I could imagine than having these mares choose to welcome me into their herd.

It has been a wonderful year filled with learning and welcoming Scout and Lacey into our little herd. Yesterday I walked with the mares around the front paddock. I started pulling weeds as I slowly walked around the track I have put in for them. I was doing this for about an hour and noticed the whole time Sienna watched me, ears pricked, mesmerised. Everytime I looked up at her she was watching me. It seems perhaps she is as intrigued by me as I am by her. Eventually she came very close and put her head to my back breathing deeply. How truly blessed I am to share these times with them.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time this year to follow my journey with my horses. I am very grateful for your comments and support. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with love and laughter.

An Incredible Gift

2009-12-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Sienna is a true soul mate to me. When I rescued her from the doggers back in March 2006, she was a deeply traumised, very wild brumby mare. I have taken her training extremely slowly over the years. I always wanted to work at a pace that suited her and did not take away from the incredible relationship we have built together. I have a deep respect and honour for her and have always wanted to allow her to hold on to the 'wildness' that makes her such a joy to behold.

Yesterday was a milestone. I have done some small rides on her however no more than about 5 minutes at a time. She still isn't trained to saddle as she has not indicated that she is ready for this yet. Today I went out with a friend - she rode her green horse and I walked beside Sienna as I usually do. I decided to hop on her and we had our longest ride ever. We did lots of long trots and cantered twice which she has so far never done with a rider. She was an angel the whole time and really looked after me. I feel so blessed to have her with me. I know it may not seem like much but to me it was the best experience I have ever had with a horse. After spending so much time building trust I feel so grateful to her for allowing me to ride her.

I am going on a 3 day Mel Flemming clinic http://www.melfleming.com.au/ this weekend with Sienna and cannot wait. I hope to improve my skills to a level that will be more tolerable for Sienna. She is an incredibly sensitive mare and I often feel very sloppy in my body language and body position when I am working with her. She is incredibly tolerant of my misgivings!

Here is some footage I took this morning of the liberty play we do together. She excuses my mistakes and sloppiness as a rider and teaches me each day how to be a better person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slNvBKhpodw

Venturing Out

2009-11-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

I have again altered the way I behave around Scout. She is a strong, independent mare who is happy to please if asked in a no nonsense, polite way. She is not to keen on touch and I finally realised that I am constantly invading this boundary by wanting to pat her. I thought alot about this the other afternoon when my lovely border collie, Storm was pushing my hand and being very insistent in asking me to pat her. I have had Storm in my life for over 10 years now and I adore her however she often invades my personal space begging for constant attention. It does get quite irritating to me as I have a strong need for respect of my personal space. It finally occurred to me that this is how Scout feels and this is why she tends to walk up to me, sniff my hand and quickly walk away before I play out my unconsious response to want to touch her. So I have been tuning in to her much more and feeling her energetic boundary when I enter the paddock. I will sit down at the point that I feel her boundary extends to and she will happily stay near me and have a nap. I had an arabian mare who was much the same in this way. I quickly learnt not to touch her unless invited and she was undoubtedly one of the greatest horses I ever owned. She would look out for me when I was riding her and when I was working other horses. She would always appear to supervise a training session I was doing with Sienna and on one occassion when Sienna took fright and I jumped off her, my arab mare quietly blocked her exit and sent her back to me. I feel that Scout will be one of these types of horses.

Scout and I took our first short stroll off the property the other day. She was alert and very soft and responsive the whole time. I only took her a short way up the road and stood with her so she could eat grass and get more relaxed about it all. The other horses were going absolutely crazy with her not being in the paddock. Scout called to them a few times but willingly walked beside me on a slack lead. A couple of cars passed and she did not flinch. After returning to the paddock, I let her go and after letting Lacey have a drink she left the other mares and followed me up to the house. I took that as a good sign.

I haltered her again the next day and took her out. I let her eat grass in the gateway whilst I took Lacey for a short look around outside. Despite only being haltered and led twice, she is very soft and easy to lead. She comes off the pressure instantly and walks with the rope slack. She didn't know which way she wanted to go first. She was alert and very excited, although somewhat nervous about the new surroundings. After she had been out for 10 minutes, I put her back in the paddock and she banged on the gate and pawed the ground asking to come back out. I didn't want to have to manage the 2 of them walking so I left Lacey there with the other mares and took Scout further away up the road out of sight of the property. The other mares galloped around calling Scout. Scout raised her head a few times however she did not call back as she had the day before. I let her eat some more and then we walked a little further. She was really enjoying the change in scenery.

Watching her over the past few months has taught me a lot about her personality. She is by no means a doting mother and has given up all baby sitting responsibilities to Kiowa my stockhorse mare who very willingly accepted the job. Kiowa seems to adore Lacey and is gentle and calm with her. Scout tends to go off alone a lot or stay with Sienna. She will find Lacey when her udder is getting full and prompt her to drink. Lacey will also seek her out to feed and then go back to Kiowa or take off on her own. They are both incredibly independent and I wonder if this is common with the Spanish Mustangs...

I also have started setting up a paddock paradise in the front paddock. It seems to be working fairly well so far and the girls have certainly been moving more than usual. I spread their morning and afternoon hay right around the track. I intend to setup all the paddocks to adjoin this track once this oppressive heat subsides a little and I can get out and do some more work.

Poor Lacey has really been feeling this heat. She has been a bit grumpy the past couple of days and I suspect it is due to her suffering with that thick coat of hers and the high, humid temperatures we are experiencing at the moment. As you can see she is starting to shed out however not as quick as I suspect she would appreciate. She is a slightly more golden colour than Scout. She has kept the white shading around her muzzle and flanks also. This afternoon I decided to start pulling the hair from her legs (she does actually like this) and I was pleased to find some lovely dun striping on her front legs. She does not have it on her hind and they seem to be shedding out a very light colour. The barring on her front legs is a slate grey. She really is going to be a stunning little filly in her summer coat. Her nose has healed up nicely and the only indication of the accident is she has grown slightly lighter hair in the impact area. The people in the USA were not wrong when they commented on the extraordinary healing ability this breed has!

.... and here's one I prepared earlier!

2009-11-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

I just uploaded a video I took awhile ago of Scout and Lacey. Enjoy !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRUOgbHAdHA

Playtime

2009-11-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Scout was very attentive yesterday so I decided to have a bit of a play with her. She is not at all interested in doing to much ground work. She gets it right then looks at me like 'Next'! I got on her the first time about a month ago. She did not even flinch.

I had a little ride on her again yesterday. I cannot believe she has not been started yet. She is so incredibly quiet about the whole thing. Not the least bit phased. She seems to be saying to me, lets just get on with it. She is all business and no nonense.

As you can see in the video, I probably should be doing more ground work with her so she understands my cues when I am on her back. I am hoping to start taking her walking on the trails soon. I think she will enjoy the change of scenery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPYX6EqadbQ

Lacey also had her first halter session yesterday. After watching the video back, I think I could have been alot softer and more sensitive in some parts. She was so good though and was following me around after we had finished. She is going to be just like her mum when it comes to boldness and no-nonsense attitude.

http://www.youtube.com/user/spanishmustangoz#p/a/u/0/FQc1tXh9fyE

The videos were recorded by my housemates 10 year old daughter so they are a little bumpy but you get the idea :)

The rain finally came!!!

2009-10-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

The rain finally decided to visit us. We got 4 inches here a couple of days ago. Lacey was a little unimpressed by it all. We had a wonderful storm that lasted a couple of hours. I absolutely love storms and was happily celebrating by dancing in the rain. It was beautiful to see the lightening striking the surrounding mountains and the rain coming down in sheets. You really learn to appreciate rain when you don't have it often! I managed to fill every bucket and container I could find with the water coming off the gutters of the shed. So today, finally we have grass starting to grow again.

My beautiful arabian boys are now sold to a delightful lady locally. I could not have asked for a better home for them. They are going to be very happy running on 23 acres with 2 other horses.

Now I am back to 4 horses I can get down to some more learning. I have a clinic with Mel Flemming coming up in December and Sienna and I will be attending. It will be huge for her as she has never been away from the property without any of the other horses. I have decided to camp for the 3 days so I can be with her the whole time. It is going to be a fascinating time for both of us. She is such a unique animal with such a depth and grace about her. She often puts me in my place when she feels my behaviour is not sensitive enough. She has taught me so much and I delight in our walks together where she will walk beside me happily. I want to be able to communicate with her on a deeper level and I am hoping through this clinic I will learn to do so. I will also be talking to Mel about starting Scout early next year when Lacey is weaned.

All the horses are doing very well. They spend their days up the mountain which is all bush and the ground is very rocky so their hooves are looking fantastic. I am pleased I have the option to raise Lacey on this sort of ground. I am certain she will be a tough little number when she is older. She already comes down the mountain at a flat out gallop with her mother following close behind her. They are both extremely sure footed and agile. I hope to show Lacey what a halter is all about this afternoon. It should be very interesting!!! Stay tuned ;)

Beautiful Pure Arab Gelding for Sale

2009-10-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

This post is all about Reid River R-Goss. He stands at 15hh as a 2 year old and has beautiful, floating movement. He is by The Accolade out of Reid River Phoenesse. His registration number is G24685.

I was told by his previous owner that he got reserve champion at his first show out. He has been professionally trained to stand for halter classes. I however have no experience in this field so could not verify that myself.

His most outstanding quality is his incredible temperament. This horse is as soft as any I have ever owned. He is a truly sweet and gentle soul who will only be sold to the very best of homes. He is wonderful with all animals and people. He lets my 8 week old foal share his feed.

He is very easy to catch (he walks straight up to anyone he sees enter the paddock), floats like a dream and loads with ease, easy to rug and is a lovely sensitive horse to work with in general.

This is a very relucatant sale of a quality gelding with a unique, super sweet temperament. He is not highly reactive as you could expect with an arab. He is a pleasure to watch move around the paddock. He has great hooves and is easy to trim.

He is for sale to the very best of homes for $2000. Please phone 0458 040 878 for further details.

For Video please click the link below

Busy days and Horse Politics

2009-10-22T03:48:00.000-07:00

After the highs and lows of the past few months, I seem to have been welcomed into a lovely peaceful space inside myself again. I am so grateful for all the challenges and lessons life brings each day as they offer the greatest opportunity for seeking that eternal peace present inside and outside of us.

It has been many months now since we have had any decent rain here. The ground is hard and the grass is brown and now non existent in many areas of the property. My landlord has asked that I rearrange the horses to include rehoming some of them. I have been asked to only have 4 horses on the property and until the other day there were 8 here.

So the herd got an unwelcome shake up as horses were moved to different paddocks and one so far rehomed. The oldest mare left for her new home today where she will play nursemaid to weanlings on a 190 acre property. Arnie, the gelding that thinks he is a stallion, has returned next door to my landlords property much to the disgust of all the mares :) He really is a very popular fella.

Sienna and Kiowa have been placed up the mountain and as I type I can hear their occassional distant whinny echoing down to my little caravan to tug gently at my heart strings. I recently acquired 2 purebred arabians who will soon be looking for loving homes. Although I have only had them for 6 weeks, already I have grown extremely fond of them both. They are inseperable and despite always placing their feed buckets side by side they still often insist on both eating out of the same bucket. The oldest of the pair is 2 years old and he is a sweet, soft and loving soul. He really has the most outstanding nature and is a delight to behold. He loves people and follows me around begging for some attention. He already stands at 15hh high and captivates me with his grace in movement. His little brother is very similar however perhaps a little cheekier. He came as a colt and was gelded Friday. He got terribly swollen yesterday so he had to go under again today and be reopened and have more surgery. The poor little guy is a mess at the moment and must be in a lot of pain. This has made me very pleased that I mainly have mares as I am not certain I would ever want to put a horse through this process again. Despite all the needles and poking, prodding and spraying, little Bobbie is still as sweet as can be.

These lovely boys are now looking for a long term home, preferably together. I will be taking some pictures tomorrow and will add them to a post here for their imminent sale.

They are currently in a paddock with Scout and Lacey. Scout tells them in no uncertain terms that they are not welcome to near her. Lacey on the other hand decided that it would be a nice idea to eat dinner with them tonight. The boys both welcomed her and the three of them quietly ate with not even a raised lip or pinned ears at any time. As you can see from this picture little Bobbie has to gain some weight and coat condition. I have both boys on 3 feeds a day and they have really improved and Bob has even grown considerably in height in the last 2 weeks.

I am hoping that once all these changes are settled, then I can get back to spending some more time with Scout and Lacey. Lacey is as delightful as ever. Today I was quite exhausted after a big day in the hot sun doing various jobs on the property including fence repair and walking the 40 acre fenceline which is not as easy as it sounds as this whole property is on the side of a small mountain. It was most enjoyable and I can almost feel the excess winter kilos dropping off me! In the late afternoon, as the sun was setting I layed down in the front paddock and Lacey trotted over nickering to me then proceeded to enthusiastically lick my face and arms for a lengthy period. I am unsure if she has been told that she is actually a horse. What a delightful filly she is. She is certainly growing fast.

Can it really be this easy??

2009-10-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

On an impulse, I decided to do some more work with Scout today. She did all I asked of the groundwork with ease although little enthusiasm. We started doing some sidepassing which she picked up straight away as well. Then I hopped up on her again. She was a perfect angel. I lifted the rope into the air and tilted my pelvis asking her for backup. She turned her head to look at me. I stayed in this position whilst she thought about what I was asking. I find she prefers me to just wait whilst she works something out. If I up the pressure at this point she will get annoyed and brace. I did up the pressure slightly and she then turned around and bit the air near my foot - I took her point and I continued to ask politely. She took a small backward step and I dropped the rope and relaxed. I sat there for a short while and then asked again. She immediately backed up a couple of steps. Again I relaxed and gave her a rub. I then asked her to walk forward which she did happily. I passed the rope over her head and asked her to walk forward to the right this time. Again she did this perfectly. We then did another 2 steps of backup and she sighed deeply at which point I jumped off and gave her a good scratch (her favourite thing!) and took the halter off.

She is such a different horse to work with. I have no thought or feeling at all that she will react with a buck or rear. She is all business not only in this sort of training but in how she handles herself in everyday life. She will not exert any more energy than is absolutely necessary and it appears this also extends to my training with her. My flatmates daughter was there while I was riding Scout and she was shocked when I told her this was only the second time she has ever had me on her back. What an incredible mare and it seems Lacey is taking after her in her unbelievably laid back temperament. I have still not seen anything that makes Scout or Lacey jump and flee in fright like you expect from most horses. In fact if something seems strange to them it is customary for them to march right up to it and check it out.

Whilst we were training Lacey decided that she needed to have both our attention and started running full pelt around the yard jumping a fallen tree on each circuit around. She was running at a flat gallop and clearing the log with ease. Lets hope she doesn't decide to try that on the fences when she gets taller! She gets herself so excited when she is running that fast and having that much fun that she makes little grunting noises and squeals and whinnies with delight.

What a pure privelege it is to have these two extraordinary horses in my life.

Scouts First Ride

2009-09-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up with a distinct feeling that I should finally start training with Scout. The past few days she has been calling out to me whenever she sees me and she is following me around more. I like to trust these instinctive feelings when it comes to Scout. She is a strong and very independent mare who knows full well that she does not need people in this world to survive. She is not a horse that seeks affection (unlike Lacey who thrives on it). She shows her bond and trust is much subtler ways. She will allow me to do whatever I need to with Lacey and often she will actually leave Lacey with me and wander off for a moments peace without her. She respectfully shifts her hindquarters away from me when I walk past her at feed time and she will not touch the feed until I give her the ok.

I started her on a different homeopathic last week and have seen some very significant changes in her. She has softened slightly and seems brighter and more willing.

So this morning I got up walked out to the yard and went to put the halter on. She kept walking forward and positioning her tail to me for a scratch. I stayed at her shoulder and she then turned and put her head in the halter. She walked quietly beside me and when I asked her to walk in a circle around me each direction she quietly complied. I have noticed with Scout that if you ask her to do something like the circle work to much she will stop and look at me as if to say 'what on earth is the point of this!'. She nicely yielded her hindquarters and forequarters, she backed up softly and then I stood on the milk crate and clicked my fingers. She stepped forward and I laid on her. She moved a little so I slid off and we went back to the milk crate. This time she stood nicely and I got on her and gave her withers a scratch. She had a look at my shoes and then stood quietly completely unperturbed. She eventually walked around a little with me on her and I slightly tipped my pelvis and she stopped straight away. I got off and gave her a good tail scratch and hopped up from the other side. She stood still again unfazed and I called it quits after that.

It is hard for me to adequately describe the feelings I get when I am around Scout. She is a very wise, old soul and her intelligence astounds me. I feel that she is craving stimulation at the moment and I am so looking forward to her release from quarantine so we can go out walking each day. I think she will love being out on the trails. Her personality is so different to Lacey's. Lacey is very extroverted and wants to be a part of everything I am doing. She is bold and loves affection. She is healing very well from her injury.

Tumultuous Times

2009-09-24T03:22:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit hectic of late to say the least. Many changes are in the air yet again. Scout was tested a couple of weeks ago for CEM which would then allow her final quarantine release. I got a phone call from AQIS a week later saying the test was transported in the wrong medium and despite the negative result Scout needed to be retested when she was in season again. I was very frustrated at this news as this whole process has taken over 12 months now and still Scout cannot run in a herd or leave the yard she is in. My partner and I were due to move that weekend up to our new house up North. All our stuff was already up there as well as 3 of the horses so we were keen to get up there. I had a whole truck booked to move Scout and Lacey but all that had to be postponed. Then a couple of days following poor Lacey fractured her nose. I think she was kicked by Sienna. She was extremely sore and that afternoon the vet came out to x-ray her which confirmed it was a break. A few hours later that evening I was sat with Lacey as she lay with her head in my lap. She was really struggling to breath so the vet came back out to give her a steroid injection. Whilst that was happening I was holding on to Scout and she was extremely agitated. This is not normal behaviour for her. She is more than happy to let people handle Lacey and will keep a eye on her from a distance. She was pulling me all over the place and would not cooperate at all. Then just as the vets were about to leave Scout dropped and coliced. So she was tubed with parrafin and I decided to put a mattress in the tray of my ute so I could sleep beside them and keep and eye on them. Despite how stressed I was, it was a truly beautiful night laying with my dog beside me and my horses layed down on the other side. I will remember that night always and the feeling of wholeness I felt at being so close to the 3 of them. It was during that night that my dream of living a truly simple life walking with my horses was rekindled. I thought what more could I possibly want other than this.

The next few days also saw me separating from Rich. I have decided to stay where I am now and therefore it means moving everything I own back to Brisbane again for the fourth time in 12 months. The word simplify seems to keep being repeated in my mind often!!! I fondly imagine what it will be like just living with the bare necessities when I finally am able to live a nomadic life with my horses.

In amongst the emotional upheaval of my personal life at present a gift has emerged in the form of Lacey. I can honestly say I have never experienced any horse quite like her. Our bond was instant from the time she was born. She follows me everywhere and likes to sleep beside me when we lay down in the afternoon sun. She is a gentle yet outgoing little soul. She has bounced back remarkably well from the trauma of late and within days was running around being her normal self again. It is hard to put into words what I feel when I am around her. I was told that the bond you can form with a Spanish Mustang is a deep, unique and very special one but nothing could have prepared me for Lacey! She is pure joy and I watch her often when she is unaware of my presence. She will spend along time watching a bird sitting on the rail near her. I also watched her staring for a long time at some tibetan prayer flags that were blowing in the wind nearby her. She has a serene and gentle way about her when she is in those places. Just quietly watching the beauty and wonder that is apparent in the world all the time, if only we just stopped long enough to notice.....

Lacey has found her feet!!!

2009-08-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Lacey is just such a little character. She boldly marches up to me and licks my face and arms. She is very gentle and sweet and just loves to be scratched. Scout has eased up on protecting her so much now and is happy to let her do her own thing now.

Here is some video I took yesterday of a play session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_tqxWuhcSo

I couldn't be happier with this little filly

Welcome Scout's Honour to the World

2009-08-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

In the early hours of the morning, Indian Scout had a beautiful Spanish Mustang filly. I have called her Scouts Honour and her paddock name is Lacey. It was a dramatic entry into the world for little Lacey. I heard Scout whinnying about 3:30am and didn't think much of it as she often calls out to check where Sienna is at night. It went on for awhile so I got up and went out to check her. She was absolutely frantic when I got up to the yard. I went in to try to calm her down and noticed Sienna was standing nearby. I then looked down to see the placenta on the ground and so I to started to panic. I searched around the yard but no foal. I was very puzzled so I ran and woke Carmen up to come and help me. We both puzzled over what could have happened and why there was no foal to be seen but clearly Scout had given birth and was distressed. We searched farther afield and were shocked to find the foal leaning on the fence just before the dam some 50 metres away from the yard. It was q uite the struggle to get the foal up to the yard as she was a big, strong girl. Eventually we got Scout and Lacey reunited and they got to the task of bonding.

Scout is a very good mother although quite a tough one. It is fascinating to watch her teach Lacey the ways of the world. She can be a little rough on her at times for example if Lacey is to rough on the teat she will give her a nip or if she isn't listening to Scout she will promptly put her back into place. Scout is very protective of her and has changed in personality dramtically since Lacey arrived.

I am amazed at how tough and sensible this breed are. Lacey is an absolute delight and I cannot wait to get her and Scout settled into our new home. We should be able to move within 3 weeks all going well.

Here is a link to some video I took of Lacey's first few hours with us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmR9Y9zfUIM

Busy Times

2009-08-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy again of late. I am now packing up house again and Rich will be moving into our new place on Friday which is 3 hours North of where we are now just outside a place called Gympie. I will move up in a month once Scout has foaled and can travel.

We are so looking forward to setting the property up for the horses. I have somehow managed to get my horse herd up to 5 mares with 2 foals on the way. I was not thrilled at the idea of having Scout's foal raised without a playmate so I went out and bought a thoroughbred mare in foal to the arabian stallion Al Maheeb. She is due on the 9th October although her belly looks much larger than Scout's! She is a very sweet mare with a 'been there, done that' temperament. She has been ridden and cared for by a 10 year old girl so that will give you an idea of her nature. I will post some pics of her once I have picked her up and have her settled into our new home. Her name is Pride.

Scout is coming closer to foaling now and I am nervous and excited. Her belly is rock hard and I imagine she must be feeling quite uncomfortable - poor darling. I checked her again this morning and she is already starting to develop an udder. She isn't due until the 27th August but I suspect she may go early.

She has been a delight for me lately. At feed time now all I have to do is stand tall with my shoulders square and Scout will position herself very politely 2 metres back behind me and wait very patiently for her food. She learnt this cue very soon after arriving here with me but she would still be to close in my space when it came to feeding time. She is now moving out of my space when I assert my energy more much like my more sensitive horses do. I am shocked at how quickly she learns. You show her something once and she remembers.

I have watched how Sienna has to sometimes escalate her dominance with Scout to a point where she was more assertive than I have ever seen her with another horse. The two have formed a very tight bond now but Sienna will often have to put Scout back into her place.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the politics that will emerge when I reunite my herd together again. I went to see Kiowa at my friends place the other day and I am so excited about her coming home soon. She has so much character that she leaves me laughing and gazing at her in disbelief. My friend told me that she thought Kiowa was bored there now. Soon after she made that comment Kiowa decided it would be fun to chase the dog's all over the paddock (needless to say, the dog's weren't real thrilled at the idea) . During the chase Kiowa would squeal with delight and buck and snort. Once the dog's had gotten out her way then she continued to leap up and down on the spot squealing and kicking. She has such a childish exuberance about her and before I even met Scout I suspected that Kiowa and her would bond strongly. I am hoping that my prediction is correct and they can entertain one another. I think Kiowa will enjoy having the foals around to play with also. Her games remind me of the glee and delight that foal's tend to show in play. Just that pure joy at being alive and expressing themselves in a way so unique to horses.

My Greatest Teacher

2009-07-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Scout is a very unique horse in so many ways and I am still feeling my way with her. She is going to teach me so much about how to be a better horse person. I have been puzzling over how to manage her of late. She has been a little pushy and has not been wanting to be with me so much. I am so used to working with very sensitive horses as they tend to match with my personality better. Scout is different in that she is bold and grounded. In the past I would have labelled a horse like her dull but I learnt a valuable lesson with her that this is certainly not the case.

I have noticed in the work I do with her that if you ask her with anything but softness she will indeed immediately brace and become dull. She is teaching me to be softer and more polite than ever before. She is truly a wonderful mare and when I ask her with absolute softness she will immediately try to work out what I want of her. She also has a need to understand why she has to do something. This is a trait that is also making me have to rethink my training so she sees a purpose in what I am asking of her.

She is the bravest horse I have ever come across. When the dogs all rush to the fence to bark at her and Sienna, Sienna runs away whilst Scout bravely saunters over to them to watch them. The cars don't worry her at all and in fact anything that in the past I have had to take time to introduce slowly to other horses, Scout just boldly marches forth to investigate.

She is now heavily pregnant and it should only be about a month till she foals. This foal is going to be something very special. Renegade Shadow, the sire, is maturing into one of the most exceptional Spanish Mustangs I have seen. I am also very excited about finally being able to have Scout tested and released from quarantine once the foal is born.

Rich and I have decided we will move out west and start up a horse retraining and sale business. This is a dream I have had for sometime now and I am pleased that soon it will become a reality. We have some big ideas in the pipeline for this business and for setting up Australia's first Spanish Mustang stud.

Deeper Experiences

2009-07-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been quite remiss in my blogging of late. The past month has been full of changes in my life for which I am forever grateful. I attended a 5 rhythms dance weekend retreat with Deva Nanden. It was a truly transformative experience for me and I also met a wonderful man named Rich down there who has taught me so much already and introduced a profound amount of love and enjoyment to my life.

The retreat opened up my heart to a level I have never experienced before. This has been very helpful for me in my finding a new way with my horses. Rich is also teaching me a great deal about what the horses crave and what they respond to. He has no horse experience at all however as I suspected he connects very well with them and they enjoy being in his company. He has a quality that I have rarely seen before in that he seems to walk through life with his heart wide open. The animals sense this and are drawn to him.

We had a wonderful experience the other day. We spent a long time mutual grooming the horses in the morning sun. I noticed Sienna walk over to Rich and drop her head. She half closed her eyes and went into a space where I felt her energy change. Rich and I sat down beside her and closed our eyes. It wasn't long until Sienna layed down beside us. I have often done this in the past with my horses. I enjoy napping in the morning sun with them. This time felt a little different. The energy was more intense and I could see something deeper was happening. Scout had also come to join us and soon after she layed down groaning under the weight of her very large belly. I watched as Sienna ears went from pinning straight back then flicking forward, her nose crinkled up and she grabbed the ground with her teeth and bit down hard gripping the earth like this for sometime. I turned to watch Rich whilst this was happening and he was sat in a meditative space, eyes closed with tears rolling down his cheeks. This soon passed for both of them and they went into a more peaceful space. I laid back listening to Scouts heavy breathing and looked up into the sky. I noticed a beautiful wedgetail eagle gliding in a circle directly above us.

I spoke to Rich about the experience soon after and he said he felt Sienna was releasing alot of grief. It was a truly beautiful moment.

More on Scout in my next entry!

The Meeting of Two Strong Minds

2009-06-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got the yard at my place approved for quarantine and Scout came home. I was unsure about how she would go float loading as she had been through so much to get to Australia. I need not have worried though. I led her up to the float and she said no once to going on. I stood with her comforting her, centered myself and then walked on and she followed without hesitation. She travelled beautifully for the short trip home.

I unloaded her and put her in her new yard. She was fine whilst I was with her but when I would leave she would panic, call out and canter around the pen (which says alot about her stress level as she rarely expends this much energy unless absolutely necessary). It was a restless night for both her and I. I could hear her throughout the night and my heart went out to her.

I contacted AQIS - quarantine services and asked for permission to put another horse in with her. A few emails later and permission for my brumby mare to join her was granted. Sienna, a brumby mare I rescued a couple of years ago, is a sensitive horse with people however she is a lead mare and she can be very expressive in her dominance at times. She is an extremely special horse that holds a strong place in my heart. She would be who I would turn Scout out with eventually anyway so I decided that she may also be the best one to help her calm down.

Here is a video of the introduction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSWDJQ6M2x4

As you may notice in the video Scout has developed a skin reaction. This area of Queensland is terrible for Queensland itch and I thought that she may have developed it already despite the fact that it is not really the right time of year for the biting insects to be bothering horses. I sat with this for awhile and looking at the hives appearing on her body I decided to contact my homeopath. I would consider my homeopath to be one of the best. She is an incredible woman with a wonderful gift. I wrote her a three page story on Scout's symptoms, emotional issues and journey so far and she is now receiving a remedy to help. I am already seeing improvements in her wellbeing. She is also scratching less and her skin seems a little better also.

I am so thrilled to have these two incredible mares right here with me. Scout is really settling in now and I am starting to see different sides to her personality as she continues to relax more due to having Sienna around and getting routinely fed 3 times per day. Whenever she sees me walk out of the house, I am greeted with a very enthusiastic neigh. She is far more affectionate now and I tend to have her and Sienna attached to my hip when I go into the yard with them.

Yesterday morning when I woke up, I wandered out to the yard and stood with the girls. The mist was still clinging to the nearby mountains and the air was crisp and clean. Sienna greeted me in her lovely way, sharing warm breath with me then placing her cheek against mine and sharing a loving gesture. Scout nickered to me and came over standing close and looking into me with those incredible eyes of hers that express so much. Time ceases to exist in these special moments. The simple joy at exchanging unconditional love through connection with these horses feel's like the most wonderful gift I could ever have dreamt of.

Learning to Communicate

2009-05-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

After many ups and downs of late I am finally on a more comfortable path with Scout. The path we are on also seems to appeal to Scout. Although I am still reading a lot of materials such as Mark Rashid, Linda Kahonov and Carolyn Resnick, I have chosen to take aspects that appeal to me and move forward with my horses in my own style. This will be a style that allows me to feel pleased with whatever has happened when I leave the paddock each day. It is in no way conventional and I will be forever learning but I will be able to sleep soundly at night knowing I have in no way pushed my horses where they don't want to go.

All this came about after a long conversation with a long term friend of mine who also happens to be one of the best dog trainers in this country in my opinion. She has renewed my confidence enough to get started and so that's what I have been doing.

So on Wednesday I went to the paddock to see Scout and decided to work on asking her to pick up her hooves. She does not respond comfortably to the pressure/release way of training so I decided to use treats to train with. I have many years of previous conditioning with horses to unlearn and I found myself put my hand on her leg and when this did not elicit a response, I lightly squeezed her chestnut slowly adding more pressure to absolutely no avail. I stepped back and reassessed. One point in my personality that I am thankful for is that I have A LOT of patience when it comes to animals and at the moment I have a lot of time. I put these two points together and moved ahead with this in mind. I approached Scout again, this time lightly placing my hand on her leg and I waited. We stood like this for a little time until she started thinking and trying to work out what I was doing. Eventually she lifted her foot and I immediately rewarded her verbally and by giving her a treat. From then on things seemed to flow easily for a while. She knew what I was asking and as I was asking politely she was happy to oblige. Once she was comfortable with this then she started testing to see how lenient I would be when it came to earning the treat. I was asking for her offside front hoof which she gave me and then promptly started pulling away and pawing at the air. I stood back allowing the behaviour however not rewarding it. Next time round she stood nicely and gave me her hoof therefore earning her treat. I left that session there and intended to do the same the next day.

On arriving at the paddock the following day, I thought to myself that I was still a bit uncomfortable with having a halter on her to do this training. It is a strong desire in me that my horses have free will to make a choice as to whether they feel like training or not. So I have decided to proceed for the time being at liberty. That way Scout chooses if and when she wants to be with me for training.

I approached her and asked for her leg which she gave me nicely. I had not yet worked on the hinds and I progressed to asking for this. She was not overly thrilled with the idea and walked away. I turned my back to her and allowed her to leave. Within seconds she was back again asking for a tail scratch. I again asked for her hind foot which she lifted and I rewarded her with the rub she had asked for.

There have been times during these sessions over the past few days where Scout would push on me at which I would respond by simply walking away and leaving her alone. I went for a walk around her paddock with her watching me very intently when I turned around to head back over to her she let out a little whinny and came to stand beside me.

We are also working on a cue where I raise my hand and she comes to it. My brumby has learnt this and I find it a wonderful way of asking my horses to come to me particularly at a distance. The difference in training this way with Scout as opposed to the way I trained my brumby Sienna, which would be considered by most to still be very gentle however she didn't have the absolute freedom of speech that I am allowing Scout. If Sienna decided she didn't want to do what I was asking, I would allow her to leave and circle me in the roundyard until she decided that what I was asking was the better option. This took away her free will and freedom of expression. I no longer feel comfortable with this method of training. I sometimes see the resentment that Sienna now has if I politely ask her to do something. I can only put this down to the fact that I have not been sensitive enough in our past training and I intend to attempt to change this with her also. I have a strong bond with Sienna but I know life could be even more comfortable for her.

Here is a link to a video my friends daughter kindly recorded for me yesterday. It was going to be a video of what we are doing training wise but a sudden unexpected rain shower came through. It shows some snippets of what we are doing anyway.

My goal is for Scout and I to create our own language which is comfortable for both of us to live by. I feel we are on our way.

Honesty Brings Connection

2009-05-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the teleseminar series from 'The Path of the Horse' in my car all this week. It is full of so much wonderful information that I am finding very helpful. We have had a huge amount of rain this week and the roads were flooded preventing me from getting out to Scout till late afternoon. I thought I might not make it out there at all with how severe the flooding was. Whilst I was doing all this driving, I was also listening to the CD and letting it all sink in. When I finally made it out to Scout she was eager to be fed as always. I fed her then turned my back to her and leant on the stable looking out to the mountains in the distance and enjoying the sound of the river rushing just down below her paddock.

I began to think about the things that I had heard on the CD. I looked inside myself at the feelings I was having regarding Scout and my need for connection with her. Rather than trying to change these feelings or trying to act on them at all I merely went into a space where I looked at them without judgement. I watched what was going on for me from a meditative space and in that moment Scout left the stable walked around to where I was leaning and turned to face me and watched me. She moved close and positioned me at her shoulder and turned to look at me again. I started rubbing her and we stayed this way for sometime. I think I am learning how best to be with her which as it turns out is equally comfortable for both of us.

Reassessing Self, Life and Relationships

2009-05-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a little while since I last posted. During that time I have been assessing a lot of things about myself and my path with horses. My journey with Scout has pointed out a number of things so far. The main one being that we have not truly bonded. She has only been here a few weeks so that is to be expected. The main epiphany in all this though is that I am always trying to get things right for the approval of everyone else in my life - horses included. This is off-putting for both people and horses and it sometimes makes me inauthentic.

Scout is always excited when I arrive at the paddock as I bring her food and this is her most favourite thing. When I sit somewhere else in the paddock that is not near the feed area, she will watch me intently for sometime but has chosen not to yet venture down and connect. If I am up by the shelter she will stand with me usually hinting to get her food or asking for a rub.

I have no doubt that I will bond with her and very strongly, however the last week has been such a learning experience for me through the realization that I was misreading the situation and that I was not worthy in Scouts eyes. This bought up a lot of old fears that I have not looked at deep inside myself. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of confrontation.

Yesterday was the turning point for me. I asked my trainer friend to come and do a lesson with her as I was severely blocked in my mind when it came to Scout. Number one: She is a dream come true for me and I am placing immeasurable value on getting everything right with her. Number two: She has cost me a years wages so I have placed a monetary value on her in my mind which also makes me treat her differently. Number three: I am focusing on the differences of the Spanish Mustang and the unfamiliarity on where to start with the relationship forming process that I keep doubting and questioning everything I do. The end result - Scout said you are not a worthy companion and has blocked me.

In my eyes - the horse is ALWAYS right. Scout is showing me all my insecurities smack bang right there in the forefront of my mind and I have to look at them and work through them before our relationship can become honest.

So anyway, my friend came and asked what I wanted to achieve and I was a bit blank as to why I had asked him to come. Eventually I said that I would like him to just work with her and I would stand back and watch but I did not want him to have to be hard on her. What happened throughout the lesson was extremely difficult for me. Gavin had to get extremely hard on Scout in order to get what he was asking for. He said she is a stoic mare and she will take a lot before she will give. Without going into detail, within 15 minutes he was sitting on her back with her not batting an eyelid. I was given a stern talking to for making her dull by allowing her to get away with too much and be pushy. I took this all on board and came home my mind working overtime. I understood all that he was saying however my heart was telling me (as it has for sometime now) that none of that way of training is right for me or my horses. There is a better way to achieve these things and in the end is that submission really what I want to achieve? I like my horses to maintain and grow their self esteem and personality not the other way around.

I then came home and talked to my good friend Carmen about all this and that night we sat down and watched the DVD 'The Path of the Horse' . I had watched it a couple of times previously and am always deeply affected by it as I am when I watch my Klaus Hempfling DVD's and Nevzerov also.

I made a decision to honour myself and my horses and to follow this path only. I have been wavering in and out of this thought process over the past year or more. The main reason for the inconsistency being - what will everyone else think? I have received some strange looks from friends when I discuss the way I want to be with horses - no pressure, no riding if they choose that, just a true mutual love and honouring of what is needed to give them a full and happy life.

I am going to be true to my heart and follow my instincts on this one. It will not be an easy road as it means re-learning everything and starting from scratch however I have had some amazing experiences with my horses, the type that I will remember for a lifetime. Interestingly all of these incredible experiences have not been riding but connecting with my horses from a childlike space.

I fondly remember taking my Arabian mare Jade to the beach for a few days in winter. I spent hours walking, sitting and being with her in the paradise that is the Noosa North Shore beach. It is quiet there in Winter and she was the only guest horse there. I took her down the beach this particular day and it was deserted. I took the lead off her and we walked together freely for 3 hours. She would never stray more than 10 metres from me and when we got to the river mouth where the river meets the ocean we ran together me laughing and then jumping into the water. Jade joined me in the play and splashed me, laid down in the water near me and then we walked back to our accommodation on a deserted beach lit by a full moon.

These are the experiences that make my life whole. Unplanned moments of pure love and joy - uncomplicated by fears and thoughts. This is the path I hope to continue on with my girls.

Scout's First Hoof Trim

2009-04-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

I phoned my trainer and friend, Gavin yesterday and spoke to him about trimming Scout. I have trained in barefoot trimming and am a stickler when it comes to keeping horses hooves trimmed every 4 weeks. I was very keen to have Scout trained to stand for trimming so we could get started on realigning her hooves. There is only minimal work to be done but nevertheless sooner rather than later is better in my opinion.

I had started teaching her to pick up her legs. She wasn't overly thrilled with the idea and turned around a couple of times nipping at the air near my butt!! This only happened twice and then she would stand and give me her feet for a few seconds.

Gavin is also a very good barefoot trimmer so he played the farrier role for me yesterday. He can pick a horses personality within seconds of working with them. He came in picked up her foot and she stood nicely for him to trim that one. She played around and pulled a bit with the next foot. Gavin said that she was not reacting at all out of fear so I was not to let her take a single forward step. If she was fearful there was no way we would have blocked her like this.

She danced about and pulled a bit and then stood like a lamb for the rest of the trim. She learns so quickly that it astounds me. I have been playing a bit with her lately just backing, sidepassing that sort of thing and she picks things up immediately.

Golden Scout

2009-04-26T03:05:00.001-07:00

Scout is now doing really well. The diet she is on has kicked in faster than I have seen with any horse and she is truly glowing a beautiful golden colour. Her coat is incredibly shiny now and she is loving her new diet. Here is what she is currently getting:

She starts with a small handful of Copra to disguise the third of a cup of slippery elm powder in. This has a couple of cups of freshly brewed chamomile tea added to it. This is her favourite thing now and she polishes it off.

She has to wait 20 minutes till she gets her next course to give the slippery elm a chance line her stomach. She is very funny to watch during this time as she strides up to the fence where her feed buckets are sitting on the other side and looks at them then looks at me. She will then walk over and stand beside me, touch me with her nose and walk back over to the feed buckets wondering why I just don't seem to be getting the message and how could she make it any clearer!

After 20 minutes she gets her chaff which is a mix of lucerne, barley and oaten chaff (a small handful of each) . To this I add 1 tablespoon of brewers yeast (to deter the biting insects prevalent in this area), 1 teaspoon of organic seaweed meal, 1 teaspoon of macrobiotic sea salt, 20 ml apple cider vinegar and finally a herbal tea made up of peppermint, dandelion leaf, rosehips and garlic. I brew this fresh each morning for her and add it to the chaff. She also gets a capful of a special herbal nervous rehabilitation mix which helps calm her insecurities about being alone.

She gets a biscuit of grass hay split between her morning and night feeds. I was kindly given a hay net made out of a tennis net which has slowed down Scouts eating somewhat. I put extra rhodes grass hay in this (which she is not overly impressed with) but it makes her work harder trying to pick all the lucerne out and separate the grass. She is such a smart girl though. When I first put the net in there it took her all of about 20 seconds to work out that if she grabbed it with her teeth and shook it or pawed at it with her hoof, then all the good lucerne bits would fall out and she could eat them first.

I am very surprised at her change in coat and temperament. I have seen amazing changes in horses after 3 months but never this quickly. She was very healthy before she came to me so that may be why she took so well to the herbs and they impacted her so quickly.

Here is a picture of Scout taken yesterday.

She is overweight so I have had to cut down her hay so she does not put anymore on. Due to her colour, it is hard to pick up in photos just how shiny she is at the moment.

I have started working with her a little on hoof trimming, ground work and that sort of thing. Within minutes she was yielding her hindquarters, her shoulders, backing up and circling with very little encouragement needed. The only thing I have noticed is that she is not happy when she sees the halter so we are working on that. Really though, everything with Scout is just so simple to work through. I have never yet come across an easier horse to train.

I have had a number of friends come and visit her lately. She prefers it when people just ignore her and she can approach them and sniff them all over. It doesn't take her long at all to come and investigate someone new. She is not keen on stranger touching her face though.

There is a very tame magpie that lives around the property Scout is on at the moment. When you call him he will fly in from a tree and come and sit in the stable or paddock with us. He is just a delight and it seems Scout has taken to him also. I saw her the other day following him for a bit whilst he was picking for worms in the paddock. Then today I noticed he stayed on the ground right beside her whilst me and my friends were lavishing our attention on her. He was tilting his little head and looking up into her face and she would step carefully so as not to trod on him. I will have to try to get some video of them together. It is very cute! Here is a picture of Billy the magpie

Joyfully Reaquainted with Sienna

2009-04-23T03:08:00.000-07:00

Since moving into my friends place, I am also now living with my brumby mare Sienna again. I have been spending time reaquainting myself with her. She just blows my mind every minute I spend with her. I have not really had much at all to do with her over the past 6 months. She has been running in a 40 acre paddock with her favourite gelding. They have a true love affair going on - it is very sweet to see them together.

I decided it was about time to give Sienna a bath, dematt her mane and trim her feet. I put her in the roundyard and decided to see where our relationship was at. She has never been thrilled about me touching and pulling at her lovely mane and who could blame her. I hated it when I was a child too! So I was prepared to have to put some of the foundations back in place. I took her halter off and started by asking her to follow up which she did beautifully. Everything I do with her is so incredibly subtle as she is one of the most hyper-sensitive horses I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I started pulling, cutting, untwisting and brushing out her very long mane. A couple of times she flinched slightly but never tried to leave me. Then it was time for a wash with some water and apple cider vinegar (she had developed a bit of Queensland itch and this seems to help soothe it a little). This was her first ever wash and she was a unsure about it. She left me once and did half a lap around the yard before facing up and bringing herself straight back to me. The rest of the bath went without a hitch.

Now it was time for a good hoof trim. She has always been ok to trim but does overreact when her hoof is on the stand and has on a few occassions reefed it off sending the stand flying and further frightening herself. Today I trimmed her at liberty and she was better than ever before. I only have to look at the foot I want her to pick up and she will hover it in the air for me. She pulled a little when I started trimming the first hoof and I quietly asked her to leave. She did a lap of the round yard and then trotted back in positioning herself right near the stand. The rest of the trimming was a breeze.

She actually seemed grateful for the attention again. I decided it was time to take her out again. My friend rode bareback on Arnie the gelding and I walked Sienna along with her. We walked down to the trails with no icident. When we got to the creek, I decided to jump on Sienna as it was to deep to cross without getting very wet boots. I hopped on her and she stood still until I asked her to walk on with a forward tilt of my pelvis. I usually hop off once we have crossed the creek however today I felt so connected with Sienna that I decided to see how we went. Well she was amazing. She was listening to all that I asked of her and was not even feeling the need to stay at the speed Arnie was going. I forgot that she has been taught to stop when you place a hand on her neck and each time I put my hand on her mane to steady myself she would stop dead. What a gem! I quickly got used to her stride and narrow body and was able to find my balance centre and keep my hands off her body. That was the longest ride we had ever done together.

I got off and walked the last couple of kilometres home with her. My friend took Arnie for a canter up the driveway when we got home. I waited till she was well out of sight and then hopped back on Sienna and she happily trotted up the drive at exactly the speed asked of her. I am very conscious of how she will react to me after I have ridden her or any horse for that matter. It always feels like the greatest privelege to have such a noble creature allow me on their back that I want to make certain I am not overstepping any boundaries. Sienna has been more affectionate than ever this afternoon so I feel that perhaps we have renewed our connection stronger than ever before. This is not to say that I intend to ride her again, if the moment arises I may well do so however it is up to her in the end.

I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with these marvellous animals. Right now I feel like I may explode with the happiness I am feeling. I have a renewed and much stronger connection with Sienna, I am incredibly lucky to be able to spend time twice a day getting to know Scout who is turning out to be a deep and incredible horse and yesterday I found out that my beautiful arab mare Jade who is living with a friend of mine will be coming home in the next few months or so. My heart will be singing to see all my girls running together by the end of this year.

Settling In

2009-04-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been much kinder on Scout and I. She is doing well now and is settling in more each day. She is eating well and I think I may have managed to coax her into eating all the good things I have for her. She is getting a mix of oaten, lucerne and barley chaff with freshly brewed rosehip and garlic tea poured over it. She gets this twice a day and she just loves it. Today I started adding a little seaweed meal and brewers yeast to it. After some good advice from Leslie, I have managed to trick her into eating the slippery elm powder by mixing it in with some rice pollard and copra. It is crucial that she gets the slippery elm into her belly as it will create a soothing lining for her gut. Once she has eaten it she has to wait 20 minutes before I can give her the rest of her feed. She was most annoyed about this new development. She kept walking over to the spot at the fence where her chaff was, turning to look at me and then at the chaff again. She then walked over to her empty feed bucket gave it a nudge, looked at me then back at the fence where the feed was. She is so expressive with her communication. It is such a delight to witness.

Yesterday, Gavin my horse trainer friend, came to the property to work one of the other horses. He dropped in to see how Scout and I were doing. She was sticking to me like glue that day. I walked over to the fence to talk to him and she followed right beside. I stood with my arm across her back whilst talking to him and she stood happily. I took a few strides back and she did the same. Gavin mentioned that I would have to start setting some boundaries for her soon as she would start to get too pushy. There have been no signs of that sort of behaviour from her at all. In fact, quite the opposite. She has become more respectful than the first couple of days she was here. Now when she stands with me or if she walks past me and goes to stand behind or beside me she will always swing her hindquarters away. When she wants a rub she does not stand all over me, instead she positions herself beside me and cranes her neck over my way a little, looking at me with her large liquid eyes.

The only area I have had to put a boundary on so far is feed time. I like all my horses to stand politely and wait before eating until I tell them to. She loves her food so I thought it important to have her acting safely when it comes feeding time. When she tried to take the food while I was still standing there, I stomped my foot at her and gave her an intense look. She tried again and I turned my back on her, stomped again and raised my leg back a little. She took a few steps back and waited politely until I walked away. Now, everytime I feed her she stands and waits until I walk away. I thought surely it cannot be that easy! Usually it takes horses a few repititions to learn this but not Scout. She is so incredibly smart.

I am also working on teaching her to give her feet for trimming. She is not thrilled by this but also has not shown a great level of resistance either. I will work on this each day this week and hopefully will be able to trim her front feet soon enough.

I also put the halter on her the other day and asked for a few simple maneuvers. I asked for hindquarter yields, shoulder yields, backup and to walk and run with me coming to a dead stop when I did. She did all this very easily and without hesitation. Never have I come across an easier horse to work with.

Here is a view of Scout's paddock. Her paddock is the one on the left with the large shelter. There are 10 horses in the paddock opposite and they spend alot of time at the fence watching Scout. Interestingly, three of the horses in that paddock are imported Gypsy drum horses. They were imported from the USA and they are the ones that spend most of the time staring at Scout and she at them. I was talking to their owner the other day and said I reckon they feel at home recognising each others accent ;)

Scout beginning to emerge

2009-04-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Scout has been improving steadily over the past couple of days. I was really stressing about her illness and eventually sat back and realised that I wasn't operating in this process how I would with any other horse. So I pulled her off all the anti-biotics and am now treating her herbally. I have had outstanding success doing this with horses over the years even to the point of completely healing a severely fractured pedal bone.

I spent a few hours looking through all my books and phoned my equine herbalist down in Sydney. I made up a mix of slippery elm to soothe and line her gut and also bought some pot set yoghurt to get the good bacteria back into her system. I also made her a rosehip and garlic tea which I poured over some chaff for her.

Brimming with confidence I drove up to the paddock and Scout trotted over whinnying to me. I presented her with this array of good food and she stuck her nose in the bucket curled her lip up, repeated this then gave it a little taste. After tasting it she picked up the bucket and threw it as hard as she could in disgust. Hmmmm...... this wasn't going to be as easy as I had anticipated.

I attempted it again the following morning but this time just with the tea on the chaff which she loved thank goodness. Then I thought I would put some probiotic powder into a piece of apple. She took this and ate it leaving me thinking I had her tricked. I had forgotten she is a spanish mustang and the next piece she spat at me!

So for now she is getting the herbal tea, chaff and rescue remedy which she is really enjoying. I will add the other bits gradually once I can work out how to do it. It seems she is already proving to be much smarter than I am :/

She has certainly bonded strongly with me and follows me everywhere I go. I was playing with her yesterday and running around the paddock with her trotting close beside me. She got upset when it came time for me to leave and trotted to the gate, stared at me for awhile, realised I wasn't coming back in so she tossed her head at me and trotted off to call out for the herd next door.

Her personality is really coming out now she is feeling better. Everyone is asking me if she has lived up to my expectations. She is so far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. She is all I could have ever hoped for and so much more.

Just look at that lovely neck!

More Dramas for Poor Scout

2009-04-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

I had planned to spend the afternoon relaxing with Scout yesterday, just sharing space with her. When I arrived she was grazing in the paddock looking content enough. I took her food up to the stable and she appeared within seconds to see what was on the menu. She ate her simple breakfast of grass hay and barley chaff with a handful of oats. Minutes after finishing this she started showing the all too familiar signs of colic again. She lay down 4 times and started sweating and curling her lip. There is no mobile phone reception at the paddock so I ran up the long driveway and leapt in the car to drive to the vets. I used a different local vet this time and was very pleased I did.

I drove back to the paddock and ran into the stable to see how Scout was doing. She was standing in the corner sweating and curling her lip up. The vet sedated her, gave her another dose of paraffin oil this time also with a large amount of water to follow. She had bloods taken for more testing and was given an injection of pain relief. I was feeling so very sad for her by this time. She must feel like a damn pin cushion with all the needles she has had.

Quarantine requires that mares be preg tested within 7 days of arriving at post quarantine facility. The vet did this whilst she was sedated and found a very lively foal in there. It wriggled and kicked at the intrusion of this strange arm entering its little haven. I was so relieved to hear that the foal is alive and well. The vet discovered that Scout seems to have a worm burden. When he pulled his arm out there were 9 little red worms on his glove. We were both surprised as Scout had been regularly wormed before she came here and she was only just done 4 weeks ago in quarantine. She has just received another dose and I really hope that it will do the trick to get rid of them.

After the vet had gone I sat with Scout for another hour before heading to my new temporary home. Friends of mine have offered for me to live in a caravan on their property whilst Scout is in quarantine. It means I am only 20 minutes drive from her so I can dash back and forth as often as is needed.

At dusk I decided to go back and spend another couple of hours with Scout to see how she was doing. I negotiated my way up the drive by torchlight and when I entered the paddock I heard Scout whinny and she came trotting over to me and stood very close to me. I walked up to the stable with her following very closely at my side. I spent a few minutes rubbing her all over then wandered out into the paddock with her following close beside me. We remained like this for sometime until she finally relaxed enough to eat. The nights are very hard for her as she cannot see the other horses and gets very insecure. I am pleased that she feels she can trust me already when she is feeling stressed.

Finally Scout started relaxing and grazing. I walked away to have a look to see if she had passed any of the oil. After a few minutes she gave a frantic whinny and I nickered softly to her as is my standard way with all my horses. She cantered up to me and again stood very close. I sat down near her and stayed with her like this for another hour until I felt she was content enough for me to leave.

I have been feeling pangs of guilt today at having put her through this whole process. She is just the sweetest horse and I am flawed by her brilliant temperament. I can hardly believe she is bonding with me so strongly despite the needles and vet visits! She shows absolutely no sign of disdain at all. What an absolute privelege it is to be able to share time with such a special horse.

A Friendship is Formed

2009-04-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

Finally after seven long months, I picked Scout up yesterday. She had a long journey and is still a bit bewildered by it all. We pulled in with the horse float and I could see her in the distance - a striking buckskin colour against the grey sky. Nothing could have prepared me for just how stunning she is. Pictures just do not do this horse justice! She exudes a very gentle and grounded energy and has a beautiful presence.

One of my friends that came with me to pick Scout up, walked over to her and Scout whinnied to her and showed her alot of interest. Sonia looks a little bit like Leslie (Scouts previous owner in the USA) and I think she thought Sonia was Leslie from a distance.

She loaded easily and floated very well for the hour journey home. The whole day it bucketed down with rain so I locked her in the stable for the first 24 hours as the ground was so wet and slippery out. My friends and I stood talking for awhile in the stable with Scout and I noticed that she had rolled 4 times and was sweating somewhat. She was ravenously hungry when she came off the float so I can only assume that she didn't get much to eat in the 24 hours prior to me picking her up. That combined with a long truck ride had caused a mild bout of colic. I called the vet out and she had awful trouble nasal tubing her. I was horrified at the discomfort the process was causing Scout. This was the last thing she needed. Finally the vet got the task done and after dosing her with parrafin oil she took bloods to ensure everything else was ok.

I decided to try to spend the night in the stable with Scout in case anything went wrong. She was stressed due to all the changes and she couldn't see the horses in the neighbouring paddock at night which stressed her more. She was much calmer when I sat with her. I lasted till 1am before heading home due to the weather being so bad and Scout every hour or so nudging my pillow (which was my backpack). She knew there was an apple in there and wouldn't let the idea go that perhaps I would give it to her!

I got up early this morning and headed back out to the paddock. The vet had called me and said that her bloods suggested she had a change in white blood cell which suggested infection so she was to be injected twice daily with antibiotics. I was really worried about this news not only from the point of view of Scouts health but also this was not the best way to start our relationship off - me needling her twice a day!

I decided to drop in on my good friend and horse trainer Gavin to ask him to come out with me. We arrived at the paddock and I was quite surprised at the change in Scout. It seemed she had appreciated my company the night before as she came straight over to me asking for a scratch. I had established the day before that she loves a good neck scratch. She stood with me happily and Gavin said to use that opportunity for injecting her. He suggested I have her head turned towards me and reward her with a rub. Then to scratch her neck and poke my finger into the area I would inject then scratch her again. Then no more procrastinating put the needle in and rub her once it is done. Well she did not even blink, flinch or try to move away. She stood like an angel for both needles and this afternoon when I went up to the paddock to give her the 3rd needle I didn't even have to put a halter on her. This mare is just amazing!

After the shots, I opened the stable and let her into the paddock. What a pleasure it is to watch this horse move. Despite the slippery ground she was a picture to behold. She has a beautiful action and just seems to glide above the ground.

I spent alot of time with her today - just the two of us. Alot of horses can be pushy when you find their favourite itchy spot but Scout just politely places herself a respectful distance away from me tilting her neck toward me waiting for me to start rubbing her.

After lunch I went back to the paddock to spend some more time with her. She was in the stable and seemed pleased to see me. I sat with her for awhile and then realised how tired I was so laid back on her hay pile to have a nap. Not long after that she laid down beside me and we rested together for awhile. I am completely in love with her already.

Later when we walked back into the paddock, she was reluctant to graze until I sat down and she came over and ate the grass around the area I was sitting, always making sure she was facing me and occassionally coming close to sniff my boots.

I still have a sense that she is not feeling 100% so I will be keeping a very close eye on her and spending as much time as I can with her this week in between moving house. It has been a busy weekend!!!

Well it is safe to say that I am officially addicted to this breed and completely in love with Indian Scout.

Acknowledging the other horses in my life Part 2

2009-04-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

SIENNA

On March 2006, after seeing an advert for a dun brumby mare possibly in foal that was due to be dogged that weekend, I picked up the phone and bought her sight unseen. The biggest dilemma came when trying to find someone to bring an unhandled brumby down to my paddock. I finally found a person willing to do it who had a cage trailer that they transported wild horses in. I had no choice and had to use them as no other company would touch her and she had to be out within days. So I had a yard ready and waited eagerly that afternoon for her arrival.

She turned up a few hours later and it immediately sunk in the huge task I had taken on. However, I was smitten from the first time I layed eyes on her. The people that bought her down were experienced with brumbies but said she was the wildest they had handled. They backed the trailer up to the yard and she exploded out of there, her snorts echoing across the valley. She pranced around the yard, eyes rolled back in her head in terror. My heart went out to her immediately.

Sienna on arrival (she was 6 months pregnant in this pic)

She was to be one of my greatest ever teachers and still is to this day. She had been captured with her mob in Grafton and transported up to Queensland. She had a buckskin filly foal at foot but the filly died after being given prime lucerne at the dogger yards. The rest of the mob were dogged except her and another mare. No wonder she was so traumitised!

At first she was terrified of the feed bucket and would not eat during the day. She would clean up all her hay at night though much to my relief. I was keen to get her recognising mixed feed so I could worm her with worming pellets.

I started her training almost immediately as I wanted to let her out of the yard as soon as possible. I taught her to face up by putting pressure on when she would flee and stepping back from her when she would face me. Just raising your eyes to look at her would send her off so it was a challenge. She learned very quickly and still to this day is the smartest little mare I have ever known.

After her being there a few days, I took my arab mare Jade into her yard to show her that horses acutally do like people. Jade was very disinterested in her and just wanted to hang out with me. This intrigued Sienna so much she forgot her fear and walked up to us. Jade then promptly told her to back off and then lowered her head to my chest. The look on Sienna's face was priceless! She could not believe this horse actually wanted to be with a human over another horse.

The next day I had some yard panels delivered and decided to extend Sienna's yard so she could get some grazing. Whilst I was doing this Jade came over and tapped her hoof on the gate to Sienna's yard asking to be let in with her. So I let them hang out together for awhile whilst I put the panels up. She soon got bored and tapped on the gate to be let out again. I let her go and Sienna forgot herself and walked right up beside me. She quickly fled again but it was a start.

I would go into her yard everyday cleaning, changing panels and talking to her whilst I worked. She was starting to become relaxed in my presence and would face me watching what I was doing with curiousity. Within a week, I was asking her to come up and sniff my hand which she did nervously. I would take Jade in there each day and feed her in there which then prompted Sienna to finally try to eat out of the scary bucket. Within a couple of weeks she was following me around the yard still keeping her distance. I would sit next to her at feed time as she quickly became food motivated, and I would hang my hand in the bucket as she ate. She got used to brushing her mouth against my hand and was becoming much calmer with my presence.

My biggest breakthrough came after having had her there three weeks, I decided to take Jade in as I did often. I stood with Jade having a mutual grooming session. I was scratching her tail back and neck and she would enthusiastically use her lips to groom me back. Then I suddenly felt Sienna's nose behind me. Without looking I stretched my hand out and rubbed her face. She then started licking my hand and arm. This went on for about ten minutes and it was the breakthrough I was waiting for. I stood with tears streaming down my face at connecting with such a wild spirited animal as she is.

Soon after this, I turned her out with the other horses into a 20 acre paddock and proceeded to work with her in open pasture so she would not feel unduly pressured and was free to leave at anytime. I had deeply instilled the facing up with her and this was very valuable when working with her in a paddock situation.

This picture was taken a few months after her arrival. A much happier, healthier girl!

Sienna would take great interest in all that I did with my other horses. When I was trimming hooves she would always come over and stand a couple of metres away watching intently all that I was doing. She was like a sponge for knowledge and it was plain to see she was enjoying her new life. She started out at the bottom of the herd but as her confidence grew so did her place in the herd until she was lead mare and still is to this day with any mare that is paddocked with her. Interestingly though, her instincts always makes her submit to a gelding. I like to keep my mares paddocked with a gelding when possible to simulate as natural a herd structure as possible.

I took her training very slowly at the start, doing everything at liberty at first then finally introducing the halter after she had been with me for 4 months. Throughout the whole process of getting to know one another, we both showed each other no force or aggression.

Then in August she had a beautiful little smokey black colt. He was born bold as brass wanting to investigate everything he could. She was protective of him at first but gave that up realising that he was taking no notice of her. He continued to get more dominate and one day reared up and struck me in the stomach. He was getting far to much handling from the people in the neighbourhood and needed to understand some boundaries. I decided the herd would be the best to teach him that so turned him and Sienna back out with the other mares and gelding. Baron, my gelding at the time, chased him around the paddock for a few laps. All the mares then went in and formed a protective circle around him. It all calmed down very quickly and a very respectful little colt emerged in the coming weeks.

I named the colt Bandit and had alot of fun with him before I sold him when he had turned 9 months. I was worried about how Sienna would react with him leaving. I had weaned him very gently. I had him and Sienna paddocked side by side so they could still be close when they wanted to be. I had by that stage taken on another gelding who I put in with Bandit for the weaning process. Bandit was purchased by a lovely local girl who also took the gelding for company for Bandit. When it came time for Bandit to be loaded onto the truck, Sienna stood at the fence and then turned and took the mares up to the back pasture without looking back. Never a whinny or a backwards glance. I think she was glad to see the back of him!!!

Bandit grew into a beautiful brumby and is a curious, althletic and delightful colt who is very well loved.

Sienna progressed on beautifully and today will lie down when asked, is super soft and responsive to handle and is just a delight to behold as she glides around the paddock in her own spirited, graceful way. I had a trainer do some work with her and he commented on her softness and intelligence being unlike any horse he had worked with before. We went for a ride up the mountain one day. He rode Sienna bareback and gave her her head to pick her way up the steep rocky trail. At one point she stopped and would not move and we discovered a small hole in the ground. Her instinct for these sorts of danger is amazing. She was at a level where she would respond to the slight movement of your pelvis. She would slide to a halt, back up etc just with a very small cue. I saw a change in her throughout this time though which unsettled me. She was losing her spark, that glint in her eye, that depth of character and spirit. I stopped her training soon after that and went back to walking the trails with her and the other horses. At the moment, she is running on a good friends property until I can find my own place and have my horses all back together again.

For anyone interested in learning more about the brumbies, please visit this wonderful organisation www.savethebrumbies.org

ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO TILL I PICKUP SCOUT!!!!

Acknowledging the other horses in my life

2009-04-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

KIOWA

It is a stunning day outside today. The rain is falling heavily and the clouds are low and clinging to the mountains. Here in Australia when it rains, I am incredibly grateful as I know all to well the harsh reality of life when there is little water available. This has been a rare and wonderfully wet summer and everything is green and full of life.

I have been spending alot of time over the past couple of weeks getting to know Kiowa - an Australian stockhorse mare I rescued from the doggers a year ago. This little mare is an absolute joy to behold. She has a truly childlike personality and despite a rocky past, she seems to find fun and great interest in all that life has to offer. She is always bottom of the pecking order in a herd and even a gelding that had never in his life been able to dominate another horse, succeeded in being able to do so with Kiowa.

I spend a great deal of time sitting and watching my horses as a way of getting to know them better. Over the past year watching Kiowa, I have seen an amazing character emerge. Although she is always easily pushed around by other horses, she never seems to take anything personally and instead hops out of the way when asked, happy that she has a place and knows it well in the herd.

She is only 5 years old and ended up at the doggers due to an injury to her front fetlock sustained as a foal. I traced her brand and contacted her owners to find out all I could about her. She was on and off lame her whole life. When she was sent to the breakers and from what I could gather, she was lame when he worked her. Needless to say she associated any form of riding with distrust and pain. She was lame when I got her home but after I gave her a barefoot trim she trotted off sound. I was a bit amazed at the rapid change in her. I continued to trim her every few weeks and she put on the most amazing display after her fourth trim. I let her go back to the herd and she turned, looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and flew off at a flat gallop. She galloped straight for the herd stirring all of them up to join her and off they all went. They galloped across the dam wall, down into the gully, up the other side then into the open paddock where the older horses then settled. Kiowa continued to gallop in circles while I watched on in awe laughing with her as she ran. She then galloped back over to me and circled me prancing and bucking with glee. This whole display went on for quite sometime and it is one I will never forget.

This past few weeks I have been housesitting for a friend and I bought Kiowa along with me as my friends mare and Kiowa had an instant connection when I bought her here a few months ago. So much so that Kiowa jumped a fence to go in and be with Gypsy. This was much to the disgust of my lead brumby mare Sienna. Whilst here I decided it was time to start really getting to know Kiowa on a more personal level. I have been taking her walking about 4 times a week to assist her hooves with the movement they need. She seems to enjoy this time out as much as I do. I have felt little desire to do much riding with her. After gently working through her fear issues regarding a rider, I have ridden her bareback a few times over the past 12 months but it still does not feel right for me to be there so for now and perhaps always - we walk.

Here are some pics I attempted to take of her this morning. I have to try to hide from her to get a good pic. As soon as she sees me she has to be right there wanting to know what I am doing, asking for a scratch or a play.

Spotted already!

'What are you doing behind here?"

I gave up after this one as all I could get were an ear or eye investigating me and the camera.

Scout is on the plane

2009-03-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

I received word from quarantine yesterday that Scout had been clipped up ready for travel. She needs to be clipped as she had a very good winter coat and she will be coming to warm weather and sunshine here. They said she was very good for the clipping. She seems to me to be a very level headed intelligent mare. I cannot wait to work with her!

I bought a new ute the other day that can tow a float so I am considering driving down to Sydney to pick her up when she is released in 3 weeks time. It is the road transport that makes me more nervous for her than the plane really. I think I would feel better if I had control over how fast we drive and how many stops we make etc. It will be at least a 13 hour drive each way minimum.

I am still on the hunt for a decent block of land to buy before she is released from final quarantine in September. Everything in my price range is out west in dry country. I prefer this sort of country for horses anyway. They develop better hooves and avoid the problem of Queensland itch.

Indian Scout's Long Journey Begins

2009-02-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across the Spanish Mustang a number of years ago when I was looking at rare breed horses. Since that time my desire to import one to Australia has never wavered. The intelligence, toughness and strength of nature of these horses struck me deeply. I fell in love with a lovely colt last year when visiting Sharon and Tim at Rainbows End Farm. That was my first encounter with these magnificent horses and it certainly didn't disappoint. It was a pleasure spending time with such fine horses and Sharon's knowledge was invaluable to me as I start to learn as much as I can about the breed. I cherish that initial encounter with Utah Blaine and the friendship I have kept with Sharon since visiting. I have continued to get to know other enthusiasts and have been impressed with their kindness, willingness to share their knowledge about the horses and openness to invite me to come and stay if I ever get back to the USA.

Leslie from Twin Hollows Spanish Mustangs contacted me a couple of years ago when I first started enquiring about the horses. She emailed me pictures of her herd and I was taken by a pretty dunskin mare named Indian Scout. It just so happened that late last year, I managed to sell my land and business and therefore could afford my first Spanish Mustang. Soon after this Scout came up for sale. I contacted Leslie and purchased Scout who was then put in foal to Renegade Shadow. Finally, after 4 years of hoping, waiting and saving, I am fortunate enough to be bringing out the first Spanish Mustang to grace Australian shores.

This process has been a huge one and I am so grateful to Leslie for all her hard work, patience, knowledge, advice and friendship over the past five months.

Once the decision had been made to bring Scout to Australia then the arduous process began. It would take 5 months for Scout to be fully vaccinated to Australian standards and therefore be approved for travel. Poor Scout has had numerous vaccinations and ultrasounds over the past few months but had remained calm throughout it all.

Last week Leslie said goodbye as Scout was loaded onto a truck to start the long trip from Minnesota to the quarantine facility in LA. Blackshire's delivered her without incident to Monty Roberts 'Flag is up' Farms where she is now spending her three weeks in quarantine before she flies out to Australia on the 21st of March.

I am told that she is in good hands and is eating and drinking well. However, I don't think my nerves will settle until she arrives at her new home.