Happy Birthday to Me, Her Name is Capri...

...and if you'd like to adopt her, there is just a small fee. And a BLM contract, of course. Isn't she cute? Yes, today is my birthday, and tomorrow this little doll will be in my gentling pen and we will begin getting to know one another. I can hardly wait! Capri is 5 years old, 15 hands, and has been in the corrals at Burns, Oregon for 18 months. She is from the Palomino Buttes Herd Management Area, same as Siesta, and was gathered at the same time.

Capri has a very refined look to her, with a nice long, smooth stride. I have it on good authority that she is significantly more beautiful in person than in her photos, as these were taken while she was still in her winter woollies. I have to wonder if Capri and Siesta are sisters. Capri is a darker color, and a little less Arab-looking, but they bear a lot of similarity to each other, and they both have the cutest little golden mustache on their upper lips. I'm thinking that it is a family trait, as it doesn't show up on all of the Palomino Buttes horses.

But whether the two mares are related or not, I know that they are two different horses with different personalities, likes, fears and reactions. I don't know what I'll do differently this time, but I have some experience now which will surely come in handy. I'm looking forward to enjoying all of the "firsts" again. First sight, first feeding, first sniff, first touch, first softening of her eye. Mustangs are so much fun to work with. There's a deep, emotional side to them, related to leaving their wildness behind, that makes gentling them very rewarding. Earning the mustang's trust, and then her respect, is an honor and a responsibility, and so is training them to be civilized, solid citizens. Siesta turned out great, and so will Capri!

Adios, Siesta

They say all good things come to an end.  My time with Siesta has ended, but her leisurely life of domesticity is just beginning.  You may have read an earlier post that mentioned a plan to send Siesta home on June 11th, via a BLM adoption event in Ellensburg, Washington.  That plan was foiled by the outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus-1, a nasty illness that was responsible for the cancellation of nearly every horse event in the Western United Stated for a period of several weeks.  Thanks to the helpful people in Burns and a very cooperative mustang trainer here in my town, we were able to arrange a ride home for Siesta yesterday.  

The trip was a long one.  It usually takes 10 hours, but do to a snafu it took almost 16 hours.  Siesta, bless her, was a very good girl and is now in her forever home.  Her adopter, Barb, is very happy with her and reports that she is settling in gradually, in typical horse fashion.  She'll have a couple of days to recover from the trip and get acquainted with her new people, then it will be time to advance her training and begin to earn her keep.  I was able to say goodbye knowing that I had given Siesta my whole heart while she was here.  I feel proud of her and proud of the accomplishments she made while she was with me.  I have to confess that the tears I shed yesterday on her behalf were not happy ones.  I felt like a chunk of my heart had been torn out and fed to wolves, but today my emotions have moved toward happiness and the wonderful memories of Siesta are keeping me company.  Soon Barb and Siesta will have a hard and fast bond between them, and nothing could make me happier.

This is my last view of Siesta.  As you can see, she's terribly upset about being left behind!  The gentleman that hauled her for us let me put her in one of his grassy pastures the night before the trip.  Siesta had very limited grass while with me, so this was a huge treat for her.  Adios, Siesta, and happy trails.

River Saves the Day

My neighbor, Rick, whom I work for and ride with, and I took River on her second trail ride last Saturday.  It was a gorgeous day, with beautiful clear skies and real summer-like heat.  Our favorite place to ride in the summer has amazing views of Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and the North Cascades.  The trails are fun but not too challenging, and are enjoyed by as many mountain bikers as horseback riders.  There is a huge, glorious, grassy meadow that we love to canter the horses through.  The meadow is on a gradual slope, so when we get to the top the horses are too tired to be silly.  Rick and River followed me on Buddy through the meadow, and she did really well.  Cantering under saddle is still kind of new to her, so having a big space to practice in was perfect.  For most of the rest of the ride, River led while Buddy followed.  She took each new trail eagerly, and really enjoyed all of the ups and downs and twisty turns.

It was a three-hour ride, and our plan was to make a big loop and return to the parking lot via a trail that we fondly refer to as "Bear Boulevard," because last year we encountered a bear there (no harm done, funny story, tell ya another time) and we often see fresh, steamy bear sign.  Just before Bear Boulevard there are a couple of itty-bitty bridges to cross.  River is not afraid of bridges.  Not big ones, not medium sized ones, and certainly not teensy ones.  But on this day there was no way, and I mean NO WAY, that River was going to cross that first little bridge.  We even tried to bypass the bridge and ford the itty-bitty creek.  Nope.  The obvious conclusion was that there was a big, nasty mama bear up ahead and River was saving our silly hides.  Or maybe I'm being generous and she really is afraid of itty-bitty bridges.  I guess we'll find out next time!

Warmer Weather

I love my Carhartt jacket.  It's purple, with a soft, fuzzy lining, deep pockets and a hood.  It was a gift from my husband and kids this last Christmas, and was very much desired by me.  My last Carhartt was the standard-issue baby-poop brown, and a men's style.  I loved it, too, but this new one is wonderful.  

Today I'm going to wash my beloved jacket and hang it up with my other winter woollies, because today, if our local weatherman is right, marks the first day of a real, lasting, warming trend.  We are kissing La Nina goodbye! 

The grass is growing, the chickens are fat and sassy, and the garden is beginning to flourish.  My youngest daughter and I each enjoyed a fat, juicy, pea pod yesterday, a sure sign of spring.  Now if the horses would finish shedding, that would be a sure sign of summer!