Day Five- Seven : May 16, 2012 - May 19,2012

 So two days in a row Ace got out while I was at school. The first time he pushed on a wire panel with his chest while in the barn area. One of my other horses, Levi, chased him all around the pasture so Ace cleared the 5 foot round pen fence to jump in with Harley. The next day he had me worried sick because he was chased through an electric fence (which he broke) and he was in a boarder's field with a horse named Tuck and a his donkey friend. On a better note all I did was walk into the area he was and he took a few steps to me and let me put his halter on and walk all the way back to the back pasture.

But besides getting out Ace and Harley have been doing so much better! I worked with their feet and picking them up. Harley is very touchy and so it was simple to get him to lift his foot up. Ace is much lazier so it takes more pressure to get them to do anything. With Ace's back legs he swings them out alittle and worries me that he might kick me acceidently but he seems to get better everyday. I have also started lunging Ace and Harley on a rope in the round pen and outside. They both go on nice long walks with me around the field now too. Ace learned how to trot beside me also, but Harley doesn't really like the idea so Im going a little slower with him there. I've been desensitizing them to myself also by jumping up and down around them. Its seemed to help some but they are so much more comfortable around me it doesnt really seem to do to much. They let me fly spray all over them and on their face every night so the mosquitos wont bite them all night.

Im sure we worked on more but thats all I can remember for those days.

Day Four: May 15, 2012

So again my mom picked me up at 3:00. After getting red and sunburnt two days in a row I smartend up and put sunscreen and a hat on before going out and seeing them.

Over all Harley did sssooo much better today. I can get him to hold still even better now and I gave him a lunging lesson. It was really muddy though so I didnt have him go around too much because he was slipping and slidding all over the place. He is much more respectful of my space than Ace is but he is jumpier. So instead of working on respecting my space like I did with Ace yesterday, I worked on desensitizing to my whip and my self. I jumped up and down beside him today also. I couldnt do it too much because it was really hard in rubber boots and made more noise. Harley did great though. Then I went ahead and tried to lunge him on a rope. Harley just yeilded his hindquarters and stepped back. It is hard for the him to get the concept. Poor baby was doing so well at side passing away and tiliting his head in beautifuly. The flys were very bothersome to Harley so I did his first introduction to fly spray. I jumped around a bit, but he wasnt bad at all! I was able to spray both sides of him, his legs and his rear.

I didn't get to work with Ace today with only two hours to spare. All of that time was needed to get Harely back into forward motion. All I did was halter Ace and fly spray him aswell. Im really thrilled about him today too though. I mean I didnt even work with him and he let me spray fly spray all over him.

 Harley choosing oats over hay.

 Fly spray!

 Ace's unique looking eyes.

Day Three: May 14, 2012

My mom texted me durning lunch to tell me that Ace and Harley were just fine when she went out to the farm to check on them. The day was long, especaily with me repeating everything about my new boys to all my friends and teachers. All I wanted was to hurry up and be with them. At 3:00 my mom came and got me early durning my study hall.

I was really sunburned from Sunday... and told my self in the car ride there that I'd get my sun glasses, sunscreen, and hat, but I was just too excited and eagar to go in the back feild with my mustangs. I left with out any sun protection.

When I got out in the back, Ace and Harley were much calmer than when I had left them the other day. I started with my round pen work again with Ace, and finally got him to go into a canter without Harley wanting to jump out again. As Ace rested I worked on desensitizing him to me. I got his head tilted toward me as I jumped up and down beside him holding him still and rubbing him at the same time. He did really well so I went to the next side. Since he was a pushy as ever I worked more aggressivly at getting Ace to move away from my space. Tapping his neck with the whip wasn't really doing any thing so I threw it aside and slapped my hands on his neck and cheek. At last he moved and started to get the idea. Then I started trying to back him up since he likes to walk right up and all over me. I tried tapping the air, rope and then his nose, but Ace just move to the sides. I found that tapping his chest caused him to back so he finally started to get it after tiring me out.

My goal of the day was to get him to lead him out of the round pen and to the outside world for the first time. But to be sure he would listen to me I lunged him on his lead rope. He did great! I had to bump his head but he listend well and did little circles beautifuly around me going both ways. I felt he was ready but just as a safety net I put him on a 25 foot lung rope instead of his 7ft lead rope. I lead him to the gate and unlocked the two chains and opend the gate. I let him see it breifely before walking him around in cirlces infront of the gate and around the round pen. He want interest but wasnt going to bolt out. I stepped through first and let him follow me. Harley was busied with alfalfa hay while I led Ace around. Ace sniffed around and took a few bites of grass. I lead him back into the round pen did a circle and them back out. I waited for him to relax a bit but he really didnt. After five or so minutes I took him back in.

I hadnt worked with Harley yet and it was his turn at being in round pen for the night. I switched them and lead Ace in. He eyed at the tarp but with hay he settled some. Silly boy Harley wanted back in the barn with Ace and he pushed his chest against the gate even with the freedom of a 50ft round pen. I snapped his lead rope on and went to work with him. Right away he was really antsy. I tried to get him to stand still but as he spun aroun I moved with him round and round. He would not stand. I noticed a bump on his right shoulder that seemed to bother him. His legs seemed stiff. My mom told me his back legs were walking funny. I figured he must have hurnt himself and make him sore tring to get out. I left him at the best stopping place I could find even though no progress was made. That night I left hoping that being turned out would help strech out his legs so he could get a better start the next day. It felt like Ace was a mile ahead of Harley. It was a bitter sweet day with Ace's progression and Harley's digression.

 

 Harley following my mom around as she fills up his water.

 Ace now inside.

 Harley outside eating hay.

 

Day Two: May 13, 2012

I woke up bright and early again at about 6:30. I started right away with a warm up to me lesson and rub down. It didnt take long for me to move back to leading lessons again. They were both quick to pick up where we left off the last night. When I led Ace around he had a spot he didnt like going to. He gave me a little rear and stubornly gave up after a few minutes. Harley ...was always easiest with leading and he gave me no problems. It was Ace who wouldnt leave me and Harley alone. I began to get impacient and was more than ready to seperate them, though they are such good buds, for the training purposes, it would need to be done and today was the day.

My family finally came and backed the trailer to the loading chute. I was easily able to lead Ace right through the chute and up the stock trailer. He didnt like the center gate closing him off and with me still in with him he began to circle. Harely might have not taken this as well, but Ace was a good boy and didnt smash me in there and let me pass through him. Harley on the other had didnt need me to lead him in, I problably couldnt if I wanted because he just wanted to get back with Ace. He ran right in.

My mom drove them in the back and we unloaded them. Harely was to go into the barn area for the night so I caught him in the round pen and inched our way closer to the barn. Ace freaked in the trailer and had his front legs out and over the center gate. He was making Harley more nervous so we had no choice but to let him out too. Harley didnt like the noise that the the tarp wall was making in the barn so he pulled a little on the lead rope and did a few rears. I pressured and released him paciently and finally we made it in. I closed the gate behind him and took his halter and lead rope off. Then I went to work with Ace.

After letting them get use to there new surroundings for a few minutes I started round pen traing Ace. Harley didnt like the whip noise so I couldnt pressure lazy boy Ace into more than a slow trot. He caught on swiftly, though not perfect, as good as I could hope for a first drive and draw lesson. I worked more on his manners and getting out of my space.

Harley kept tring to get out through out the lesson with Ace. He'd rear and push his chest up aginst the gate and walls. I was nervous that he'd get out. He pushed the gate hard enought to where he took off a pannel to the round pen and nearly go out. I qucikly fixed the problem and reajusted the securness of the pannels.

My mom and dad helped me fill up there water and carry out there hay and oats. They love their hay and settled down a little. I left them for the first time to go home. It was Sunday and I had school the next day. All I could do was pray that nothing happend durning the night.

 

 They have their halters and lead ropes on.

 Harley resting on Ace's shoulder.

 The boys napping agian.

 In this photo you can see some personality that these guys have. They both love to chew eachothers halters.

 In the back field now in the roud pen, trying to seperate them.

 To make it less stressful, instead of just trying to drag Harley in, I used hay to show him the way.

 Now seperated, you can see Ace's faded star that consist of maybe seven white hairs.

Durning a leading lesson, Ace decides to roll.

Day One: May 12, 2012

So my morning started early, just a little after 6:00 am. Of course Harley and Ace were in their corner between some cement blocks. They were a little weary at first but warmed up again quickly. I feed them. I started with desentitizing them to the whips string and I let it go all over there body and legs. Harley was most comfortable with me only by his head, so I used calm ...boy Ace, who was much more trusting to stand by Harley's side. I decided to bring out the rope halters. They were already very fond of the whip. Ace and Harley love rope and strings. So the rope halters were easy for them to like. The only problem was they liked them too much. As I rubbed the halter on Ace's head and around his nose all he wanted to do was chew on it. When I went to Harley same thing, except Ace was right there chewing it too. I wasnt planning on putting the halters on at the first introduction anyways so I decided to give them a quick break and go check out the fields to see if we could load them back up and drive them in the back if the mud was dry enough. I had left my rope halter on the other side of the fence, but by time i got back Ace and Harley had it in their pen. It was on the ground chewed nearly completly through. I frowned and went to pick it up. I got a lovely suprise when I picked it up, all wet with warm pee. They just stood and watched me with a semi amused look in there eyes. I stomped away to clean it. But boys will be boys right?

I continued to work with them through the day. I ate my meals and snacks in a fold up chair in the middle of there pen. When one of the farm dogs came down she went in the pen. Though I tried to shoo her out, Ace and Harley spotted her. They started to follow her, even past the wheel barrow. After that there was no stopping them. They moved all around investingating the whole pen. I couldnt get them to go into their shelter so I had a trail of coastal hay leading into it with the grand prize of a big flake of alfafla hay. They were weary at first and would take a bite and walk back out but they soon calmed down. Harley didnt like me in there with him and even though Ace was okay, when ever Harely would run off so would Ace. With my handy whip I progessivley made my way closer and to were I could rub them again. Harley kept wanting to walk off so I swung the whip string around his back and followed him around the pen. When he would stop I'd keep it there and rub his back and sides. This became the breaking point and Harley was finally won over when I found his itchy spot under his chest between his front legs.

That afternoon around six or seven they took a nice long nap. I had worked with the halter several times but with them napping they were not worried about chewing the halters so I was able to slip them on and off. I tried to let them know what I was doing but they had long day and were out. First Harley and then Ace. I took my shower and came out to find them still sleeping the day away. I made my dinner and sat out watching them. When they finally woke up Harley shook his head. Thats when he noticed the halter on his face. He kept shaking but when it didnt come off he trotted around. Ace of course followed. Then they noticed thier hay and the halters were long forgotten.

As the sun was setting I clipped on Ace's lead rope and let him drag it around. I was suprised that he didn spook or jump back when he stepped on the rope the first few times. He was very pacient and moved his head side to side to relive the pressure on his face. By late dusk I was leading him around and yeilding his hindquarters a bit. He was really pushy but I left yielding the forequarters lesson for the morning since it was late and I was tired. I still had to work with Harely too. Harley caught on quicker than Ace with the lead rope. (I didnt want them both to have a rope around them at first at the same time.) Harley is very soft with pressure and didnt pull me around as much as Ace did. I was proud of them. Very tired, I went to bed eariler than I thought I would at eleven. Ace ame and vistied me in my cott a few times in the night since I put hay under the shelter again. It wasnt a comforatble sleep and it was cold, but I had my long awaited mustangs there, so all was worth it.

 

 The morning revealing a new out look on life for these two mustangs.

 Rubbing Harley's back.

 Ace and Harley resting their head on eachother.

 On their way to say hello to me, Ace paused to nudge Harley's shoulder.

 These two adore eachother. Here you can also see how thin Harley is.

 Here is where I put their halters on.

End of a good day.

Pick Up Day- May 11, 2012

Friday , I woke up at 6:10 am in an Oklahoma hotel. It took my parents way to long to get moving but by 8:30 we were finally at the Pauls Valley facility. However it turned out on our paper work way back in Febuary we put that we'd pick up Saturday. So they told us they didn't know if they could get ours today but if they had a break they go in the back feild and get the...m for us. I was a bit suprised by a few other people at the pick up. They told us to park next to another Saturday trailer. I honestly thought everyone would be very friendly. However people mistaked us for cutting infront of them and they kept coming up and going on about how long they had been waiting and they didnt appreciate us 'cutting'. So my dad was pretty mad and my mom wasnt a happy camper either. Besides that it had been stormy and cloudy all morning with never ending rain. I supose that kind of put some people in a bad mood too. I must admit I was kind of depressed for a while. Sure we were there but after hours of waiting in the rain, soaking wet, I still hadn't got a gimps of my boys. It seemed like trailers were moving along, but more people kept coming. I thought we'd never get out of there. By time they finally decided to load us, we would have been two hours down the road. I was so thrilled I didnt bother with my umbrella I just stood and looked for them to come. I was utterly shocked at the little time it took them to get my colts. They made it seem like the horses were way out in the back field. Nope. It took the fellas maybe three or four minutes at most to bring my two out! After the long wait, I couldnt complain but still... I decied not to halter my colts and to keep the tags on. I did want them seperated in the trailer but I guess my mom didnt tell them and right away Ace and Harley leaped right in.

So the trailer ride was also miserble. The rain never stoped all through the state of OK and through north Texas. Ace and Harley were soaking wet from the rain and cars splashing them. Every stop I'd go out and check on them. They'd be huttled together shivering. Ace didnt really care too much for me, but Harley was quick to sniff my hand every time I put it to the trailer. While going down the road from my seat and through the window I could see Harley pulling and playing with Aces tail. The drive was about eight hours.

When we finally arrived a storm was on our tails. It seemed like it followed us all the way there and back. We had just enough time to unload them in there temperary pen (I couldnt use the round pen and the barn we build because there was too much rain and mud for the truck to pull the trailer back there.) Five minutes later it poured down rain. Ace and Harley acted as if they were glued to eachother. They pushed thier butts and sides so close to one another that they looked like one creature. When the storm left about 15 min. later I went ahead and started putting out hay. Once my parents and other audience left me for the night I was free to work with my new baby boys. Ace and Harley were never scared of me just cautious. But after along trip they were hurngry. With food I was able to pursaude them I was their friend. I stayed up past midnight working with them in the dark. I was able to pet their fore heads and rub them with with the stick all over theire bodies. Since I couldnt seperate them I was suprised by there progress. It didnt take more than a little time and they were relaxed with my presence.

I had my cott right there under the shelter. The little boys were too nervous about a wheel barrow blocking a water line to go past it and visit me durning the night. They kept to there corner the whole night, not daring to go past the evil wheel barrow.

 

 The famous Extreme Mustang Makeover truck.

 Ace ready to be loaded.

 Finally loaded and ready to make the 7-8 hour trip home....in the rain.

Just unloaded with the storm following us back from OK. Ace and Harley are glued to eachother.

May 4, 2012

Wow, I can't believe how quickly time has past! (Thank goodness!) This day marks just one week left until pick up day! One week from now we will have Ace and Harley down here in Texas at last.

So this weekend I am working on the final touches to the round pen to make it less inviting for jumping over. We are also putting the last few boards up on the barn area. I will put up pictures once it is done. Mean while I have some drawings to share. In my notes I have sketches all over of my two colts. I also did a chalk pastel of them a few weeks ago. They aren't my best works but I love them regardless because they are of the mustangs. <3

 Harley and Ace horse playing in a field of lush grass.