Adopted....Happy Trails, Capri!

Capri has a home!  She was adopted by a wonderful, experienced horsewoman named Kimberly who does her own training and was looking for just the right horse to be a fun project and a life-long companion.  She saw the ad that I posted on craigslist, and immediately called me to let me know that she and Capri belonged together.  Have you ever had one of those moments?  You know, when you first see your horse, and you know beyond any doubt that it is meant to be yours forever and ever?  I've felt that way, a couple of times now, and this lovely lady felt that way about Capri.  She faxed her paperwork to the BLM, got approved lickety-split, and high-tailed it up the interstate for two hours to meet her new friend. 

It was love at first sight for both of them.  They checked either out from a distance, then approached one another for a first touch, then shared some time just breathing together.  Kimberly brushed Capri, played with her in the roundpen, and asked all of the right questions.  She spent two hours here, and there was no doubt in my mind that the two of them were a match.

With final approval from the office in Burns, Kimberly loaded Capri in her trailer and headed back down the interstate through rush-hour traffic.  Capri settled into her new home easily, and has a cute appy gelding for a friend.  Kimberly tells me that she is fascinated by Capri's temperament--that she has a kind personality and yet she is open to learning, too.  That is very true, and it sums Capri up really well.  She is mellow and gentle, but not a plug; she is smart and funny and sweet and will show her snazzy side when asked.

Capri, my friend, I wish you the best in your new forever home.  Work hard, play hard, learn well, eat lots of cookies, and do what you do best...dish out your love and kindness and show the world how wonderful mustangs are.

Mustang Metrics

The tack room is cozy and filled with good stuff

There are saddles and bridles and more than enough
I'm looking for something special tonight
Maybe I'll step in here where the light is so bright

My trainer says, "Hey, what're ya doin'?"
When it should be plain I'm doin' some shoppin'
English or Western, I just can't decide
Which do you think looks best on my hide?

My trainer says, "Hey, you look great in either"
And just last week I wasn't wearin' neither
That's how slick I am, and how fast I learn
Now, hop on, let's go, there's trails to burn

"Whoa, there, Capri," my trainer does say
"Haven't we got some more groundwork to learn today?"
Oh, brother, not more circles to canter and trot
Oh, please, oh, please, say it's not

I'd rather you hop on and go for a ride
Western or English, whichever you decide
"Soon," says my trainer, I'll be ready to go
I can't hardly wait, so please don't say no

I'm a good girl, and a fun-lovin' partner
If I've done something amiss I'll try even harder
The next time to please you and earn my reward
'Cause all I really want is to be treasured

I'm up for "adoption," whatever that means
Something to do with a new home it seems
Someone to love me and tell me I'm theirs
Someplace that will be my place for all of my days

Come meet me and pet me and play with me too
I'm easy to be with and I'm sure to like you
My manners are good, I'm easy on the eyes
Take me home now, I'll be your best prize

This poem is kind of silly, but really what can I say
I'm a gentle mustang and I'd rather be eating hay
Than get all poetic about this simple stuff
I think I'll just quit rhyming now, it surely is enough

A Busy Mustang

Capri, the lovely lady mustang, has been busy lately.  Her world has been expanding, so that when she is adopted and goes to her new home, she will already know that the world is her oyster and she is the queen wearing the pearls.

 Capri, busy meeting a new friend

Capri, busy learning to play ball

Capri, busy learning to work with a saddle and bridle

Capri, busy learning to stuff her face with green grass while bouncing around the pasture and staying away from the horse-zapping fence.

Such a busy mustang deserves a treat.  Don't you agree?

Adopt Me!

WANTED

One good-hearted person to take me home and love me forever.  I promise to warm your heart and bring you unlimited joy.

Sincerely,

Capri

P.S.  Please go to the How to Adopt a Gentle Mustang page for more information.

Six Weeks With Capri

Capri continues to take things in stride, and is really soft and easy to play with.  She comes when called and puts her nose in the halter, stands tied to be groomed tip to tail, picks up all four feet (a bit grudgingly yet, but we're getting there), and even let me cinch the pony bare-back pad on her this week.  Not bad, huh?

No More Baby Steps

Capri made huge progress this week, and has, I believe, turned the corner and become a happy, relaxed, willing, and eager partner on the journey towards becoming a gentle, civilized horse.  Just the other day, I led a reluctant Capri out of her pen and into the arena.  It took me at least five minutes to convince her that it was a good idea to go exploring and get some exercise, which gave me plenty of time to snap some cute photos.

 

Once she decided to leave the security of her pen, she relaxed and let me lead her around the arena in both directions, sniffing at everything along the way, and taking in the new and exciting view.  There was no snorting, no prancing, and no spooking at all, just relaxed forward motion, perky ears, and bright eyes.

 I really wanted to see her move, so I removed the rope and let her do what she wanted.  Well, all she wanted was to walk around slowly and continue with her investigation of her new surroundings.

The next day, I let Capri out to play, and play she did.  I didn't have my camera with me, but I had a great time watching her move.  She has a very fancy trot, a huge canter, and a blazing-fast, tail-in-the-air gallop.  We have barrels set up at the end of the arena opposite Capri's pen.  As I watched from the barn, Capri would gallop out of her pen, turn around a barrel, then high-tail it back to her pen, as if she had a 12-year-old kid on her back and they were aiming for a blue ribbon at the local gymkhana show.  It was the cutest thing I've ever seen!  After three or four rounds, she was all tuckered out and stayed in her pen to take a nap.  Barrel racing isn't my thing, but perhaps it's Capri's!

Today was fun and exciting, too, but in a different way.  Capri spent the day turned out in the arena, and when I was done with my barn chores this evening I went in to play with her.  She let me walk right up to her and snap the rope on with no bribe, which was a first.  I rewarded her with lots of scratching, petting and praise.  When she spotted the carrot in my pocket, I rewarded her with that as well.  I reached for the rope halter and slipped it on over her web halter, which is something she learned for the first time yesterday.  I brushed her left side, then moved to the right side, which she has been protecting from me.  She let me pet her all the way to her flank, so I picked up a soft brush and she let me brush her entire right side, including her belly, butt, and legs.  She received lots more praise for this, and she looked just as happy as I felt.  I returned to her left side and went to work on her tail, which is almost tangle-free now.

Capri has been getting used to the rope being on her body and legs this week, but tonight she was really relaxed about it, so I did some heavier desensitizing with it.  I rubbed the rope all over her, let it dangle on her other side, and dropped it in front of her several times.  None of that fazed her, so I used the rope to pick each of her front feet up, and took a little "walk" using the rope on one pastern to gently lift and direct that foot forward, while leading her and asking for normal steps with the other foot.  It's a great way to teach the horse to give me the foot, because they learn that as soon as they give it to me and do with it what I want, they get it back.

Capri is making everything seem easy.  Her disposition is so nice and mellow, and she is so gorgeous and lovable, that working and playing with her is not only rewarding, but relaxing.  I'm having a great time, and I think Capri is too.

Getting Groomed

Working Capri with my own 15 foot rope is so much more productive than using the 8 foot drag rope that she came with.  My rope is obviously much longer, which gives me and Capri more confidence.  We can get close to each other or farther away, and she is able to move freely on a longer rope.  My rope is soft in my hand, and it is clean because it hasn't been dragged through the pee and poo for a couple of weeks the way her drag rope was.

Because of the confidence inspired by the longer rope, and Capri's new love of carrots and peppermint treats, I was able to groom her yesterday.  I started by scratching her neck more vigorously than I had before, which she really enjoyed, then I picked up the extra-soft finishing brush and groomed her entire left side with it, including her face, belly, butt, and lower legs.  She is squeamish about me being on her right side, so I just brushed what I could reach of it while standing on her left.  Capri was trying hard to relax, but needed the reassurance of familiar petting and scratching every few minutes, then I could go back to brushing.  When her body was clean and shiny, I went to work on her mane using a large, round mane and tail brush.  She had one extra-large witch's knot half-way down her mane where her itchy spot is.  I've observed her scratching that spot with her rear hoof, which was the cause of the snarl.  Multiple ropes of hair combined to make this huge beast of a knot, and I couldn't quite work it out on my own, so I sprayed Laser Sheen all over, under, and through it.  She was fine with that, so I sprayed the rest of her mane, too.  By this time she was enjoying herself and really seemed grateful for all of the attention.  What pretty girl wouldn't?  With the Laser Sheen loosening up the snarls, I was able to work everything out with my fingers.  As I did, I noticed that the hairs on the very inside of the snarl were a strange gray color, which turned out to be dust, or possibly sand, from the wilds of Oregon.  When I undid the last of the tangles, the hair released this dust in a small puff.  At the same time, Capri released a heavy sigh, as if she was letting go of her old wild self and letting her new, domestic self take over.   I brushed her forelock, too, and removed a snarl there that had been driving me nuts.  Her tail is horribly tangled, really a solid mass, so I am saving that project for a day in the near future.

Horses who have been putting up with me for a while know that I insist on them letting me give them hugs and kisses.  My own gelding, Louie, raises his face to mine automatically every night after I give him his grain so that I can give him a smooch on the soft place between his muzzle and his cheek.  River is learning, too.  But Capri knew nothing of hugs and kisses until last night.  Once she was groomed, and we'd played with the rope a bit, learning to lead, back up and return, and yield the hindquarters in both directions, I was so pleased with her that I just couldn't help myself.  I had to give that precious horse a hug and a kiss.  And you know what?  She let me!  A gentle squeeze around her neck, then two little kisses on her closed eyelid, to seal our new partnership.  Such a sweetie-pie, and so incredibly beautiful, is Capri.

Rope Trick

Old Rope

No Rope

New Rope!

She Likes Carrots!

I've been putting chunks of carrots in Capri's hay, hoping that she would develop a taste for them.  At first she avoided them, but eventually she began to nibble on them.  Today she ate four large pieces that I left on her afternoon flake.  This pleased me, so I offered her pieces from my hand.  Apparently that pleased her, because she gobbled up a whole bunch and asked for more!  I played with her halter and rope while she munched on her carrots, and she looked very happy and relaxed.  Later, she let me pet her muzzle for several seconds, with the only reward being the petting itself and sweet talk from me.  We're definitely turning that corner!

She Likes Me!

Capri welcomed me with a nicker today.  She saw me walk through the barn, and as I was heading toward the arena she made the happy sound that we all know means, "Hi, how ya doin', and would you mind throwing me some hay, please."  Yes, it was snack time, but today marked the 18th afternoon snack time, and the nicker was a first.  The nicker alone would've satisfied me, but Capri had more to give.  I carried her hay into her pen and set it down, then offered her a handful while scratching her neck.  I've been wanting her to relax enough to let me continue to scratch her neck while she eats freely from the pile, and today that is exactly what she did.  I've also been wanting her to let me get both of my hands on her at once, and she did that too.  But you know what I've really been wanting to do?  I've really been wanting to untie the string around her neck and remove her number tag.  And guess what?  She let me do that too!  Thanks Capri!