Sunday the 30th and link to video from mesquite

Got lots of yard work done today and then spent a couple of hours on Boozer riding him around the front yard and on all the obstacles.  He did pretty great.  Still tries to test every once in a while but that is to be expected.  He spent the day with us saturday at silverado for a special event and stood there tied like a champ.
Sunday we even put boots on his front and back feet and I figured he would pick his feet up and go on about it a little.  Nope, very uneventful.  Wondering if its the calm before the storm. LOL  He seems to not care about to much just a little spooky still.  A friend has told me about a big trail ride that is 100 miles and I am thinking about taking him on some of that one.  Time to get out and put some miles on him.
I started having the guys mess with him.  He still only trust me.  Virgil untied him after I rode him and then unsaddled him, took his boots off and took him to the barn.  Figured we would start changing it up a bit.  I have the link for a short video of him at the childrens rodeo in mesquite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xB0SY2JyJ8

mesquite children's rodeo

Boozer got to tag along wednesday and thursday to the mesquite rodeo in mesquite texas.  Over 5000 kids wednesday and 6800 thursday.  He took it all in stride.  He just perked his ears up ever time the kids would start screaming.  The only thing he did not like was the clowns big black wig, LOL.  He jumped about ten feet straight up when it came at him.  After the rodeo we went into the arena and let all the kids reach thru and  pet us.  He did great!!!  I even rode him in the arena thursday before the rodeo.  He did great.  A little scared of his shadow, LOL, but still did great.  Ill post video when I get it uploaded.

Day 18 First ride

Today was a great day.  Boozer got his first ride.  I know what your thinking, you've seen other people that are doing this and they were on their horses within the first week!
Ginger you say, you only have 3 months to get this horse ready, get moving!
Thats okay I say, I could of ridden him sooner but I wanted a GREAT FOUNDATION on him!   Ive worked Boozer every day.  I do not take short cuts.  I would rather lay a SOLID foundation that way he is SOLID for the rest of his life.  I dont want there to be any cracks later on down the road in his training because of something I took a short cut on.  I feel like the competition is to show the ability of the older horses to learn and retain what they have learned.
He is a very laid back horse but very reactive at the same time.  Please do not think that I am saying that the others are not laying solid foundations on their horses.  I am just saying that this is the way I know how to do it.  I have never had any training on how to train horses.  I read books, watched youtube and watched other people.  I took all that I saw and learned and put it into what worked for me.   Not every horse is the same, so obviously you have to change it up a  bit according to their personality.
I have gotten extremely lucky with Boozer and I thank God for giving me this opportunity with such a wonderful animal.  Here are some pictures of what went on today, and one from granbury!

Walking over the Tarp, 1st ride!!

At Granbury Rodeo!

The End of our 1st Ride!  Awesome horse!

weekend update

It has been a few days since I got to update.  Boozer went to his first rodeo in Granbury, my hometown Friday and Saturday!  He got tied in the back with all the action and did really good!  He controlled his emotions very well.  I think that having him around all that action was super great for him cause today was his first day to be saddled, even see a saddle.  He took it like a pro.  I wasnt going to get on him but since he was acting like it was no big deal I went ahead and jumped on.  He didnt do a thing.  I got on him with a saddle and bareback and he acted like I had been doing it for years.  I was so proud of him.  I didnt work him too long just because he was being such a champ about it all.  So I put him back up with extra feed to let him stew on it a little.  I will go back down a little later and see how he acts.  I will post pictures of him at Granbury when I get them downloaded.

Boozer with some scary stuff around him!

jumping onto him!

sacking out

Today and yesterday we worked on sacking out.  He did good, took a little bit but no big deal.  First sign of aggression that I got out of him.  He chased the bag with teeth barred and attempted to stomp that horse eating bag.  Caught me off guard just a little because he has not been aggressive at all.  Finally we realized that the bag was pretty mustang friendly and was NOT going to eat us.  After that we worked with some other scary things like a ball and swimming pool noodles.  After the bag those were not big deal.  Terry came in today and so him and Chris got to help desensitize Boozer a little also.  They got to play with the ball and throw it over and under Boozer.  Chasing that ball all over the yard was a work out!!!!  LOL  Boozer wants to be a soccer player I think.  That is all I have for now!

Sunday workday

I got back today, sunday, from the rodeo in Lindale Texas.  The rodeo went pretty good.  I got to ride Magi, one of the horses Terry gave me in her first rodeo.  She did great all 3 nights, I am really proud of her.  I left wednesday and got to work with Boozer a little throughout that day but was mainly getting the trailers and horses ready.  I was very very anxious to get back home and work with Boozer.  I could not sleep all weekend thinking about it.  The minute i got home I was down in his pen.  We did all kind of fun stuff today.  Trailer loading, obstacles and more.  The picture shows him following me up onto the porch.  Seems that when we laugh at him for some silly little thing he does he also finds it amusing and does it again.  I will post some more pictures when I can get them uploaded.  This weekend will be Boozers first rodeo in Granbury Texas, my hometown.  We are SUPER excited.  

Day 3

Today was another good day.  Just doing ground work and bonding!  Oh and the dog you see in 90% of the pictures is Jasper.  He is an Australian Kelpie.  It was cold and rainy today and the pictures were taking with my phone so they are not the greatest!  sorry!

Bonding time

shake right

Shake left!!

working the ground left

working ground right!

1st day to really work with boozer

Yesterday was a really great day!  Chris called around and asked for sponsorships for me and Walden's Farm and Ranch in Millsap gave me something I have been so needing for quite some time.  They sponsored half of a brand new round pen for me and Terry sponsored the other half.  I love my sponsors, thanks.

New Round Pen

The other thing that happened yesterday is that I got to work Boozer in that round pen.  He did absolutely fantastic.  He is extremely intelligent and athletic.  I am so happy with him.  Dale Moulton came and helped me get him going.  He is an excellent horsemen that I look up to.  His skills are beyond supreme.  He also not only is sponsoring me his experience, he sponsored me his feed, Thrive. www.thrivefeed.com .  I already have my other horses on thrive and they will never eat anything else.  I could not be more pleased with how this is turning out.  I am super excited that I have started this journey, and already the people that I am meeting that are supporting me are tremendous.  I am very grateful and I thank God for the opportunities that he has placed in front of me.  I was unable to get pictures yesterday, but here is one from the day we brought him home.

Me and Boozer

Thank you 

Chris 

Terry

Dale Moulton

Walden's Farm and Ranch

Well, here he is Boozers Last Call!  His name came from Terry.  Terry's favorite horses name was Boozers Last Call, so in memory of his favorite riding horse we named the mustang that.  Thanks Terry for your sponsorship and encouragment, it is greatly appreciated.

So we got to Pauls Valley at 11 to pick Boozer up, no wait at all.  Filled my paperwork out and loaded him right up.  We stopped to eat on the way home and we all stuck our hands in the trailer to see if he would come up and sniff us.  Sure enough he did, he said hello to all four people that stuck their hands thru the trailer.  We get him home 4 hours later and unload him.  Within an hour I am already petting his head neck and back.  I am super super excited about him.  He is curious and athletic.  I cant wait to start really working him.  We pretty much just let him settle in today.  All the other horses on the place were excited to see a new addition also.  The pig, llama, horses and dogs all came to meet him.  I will update as more happens on him.  The real work starts tomorrow.

the week I pick up the mustang

Well the week is here! This is a week of preparing myself mentally, and preparing the ranch. I am speechless cause I am nervous! HAHA!
I will say that the last week was good. I sold two horses to make room for Primo. Selling my horses is hard. Izzy and Boo were two out of three horses given to me to train and sale for extra money. I have had them for over a year. LOL, its hard when you put a lot of work into them and then have to sale them. I got SOOOOO lucky. I sold Boo within 4 hours of putting her online to a really great couple that lives 9 miles from my house.

Then I put Izzy online when we got back from the waco ranch rodeo. She sold within 10 minutes, literally, to a couple and their kids that live 6 miles from me. I had been praying about those horses. I didnt want them to end up going to someone that was going to abuse them or a horse trader. I am very pleased with their new families, and I can visit.