Without Spanish Mustangs!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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)