It's been a busy week!

Wow what a week!  We got both the ponies sold and also Bells was confirmed sold this morning.  I still have her with me until her new owner can come pick her up, but she's sold.  
Training-wise, I put Bells and Bio out on the pasture for a week or so to stretch their legs.  I brought Whiskey in and started working with him again.  He wouldn't trot out for me that first day I rode him, so we spent a half hour in the round pen just trotting after we got back home.  I was riding him out to meet the kids halfway when they chose to ride home after moving cows.  I didn't have so much fun.. he was just a pain to ride.  We're going back to the basics and starting over.  
Yesterday we did lots of LFR and then I saddled him up.  Do you think I could get him to lope in the roundpen without a line on him?  Nope.. lazy as he could be.  I lit a fire under his tail and got him to at least break into a lope for a few strides.  I was not impressed.  He's very rude and has an "I don't have to" attitude.  Once I get him moving out better I'm riding him to town.  We also did lots and lots of flexing.  He was very stiff but got better.  Lots of desensitizing too.. he's a spooking thing still. 

Brad climbing all over Dodge

Inky was a basket case too yesterday.  With him I just did lots and lots and lots of desensitizing.  Going to have to keep that up.  He's just a wild thing.  He settles down considerably by the time we're through, but never "really" gives in.  Consistency and persistence.  We also worked on turning on the forequarters which he's fantastic at.  Just a light touch by his eye and he will cross over in front. 


Today I've only worked Dodge so far, but he's such a good boy.  Brad jumped all over him and then I saddled him for the first time.  I thought for sure he was gonna come apart, but no.  Not a hump, not a spook, not anything.  He just trotted off like he'd been carrying that saddle his whole life.  

Trotted off cool as a cumcumber

He thinks he needs a nap now.. lol 

I left him to soak and will unsaddle him later tonight.  We also worked on YHQ (he's really sticky on his right side), and a little yielding his forequarters.  He will also cross over in front with just the lightest touch by his eye.  

Video is up!

The video for MJ is finally up.. sorry all for the delay!  Pics from last night are below also.   Click here to see the video of MJ and the kids

MJ the pony videos and more pics :)

Hello everyone, 


I've had a lot of requests for more photos and a video of MJ so the kids and I went out tonight and got some for you.  

Silly kids lol

We should also mention here that we found out tonight that she is buddy sour.  She would not walk out for the kids when she was pointed away from her pony friend but would walk out fine headed back to her friend.  I gave the kids an over and under of sorts and they spanked her when needed (they usually just had to do it once) and she moved off fine.  She didn't spook when spanked at all.. just sort of meandered off.  You will notice in the first few videos that she doesn't want to move, but after we figured out what was going on we took care of it and she did fine. 

Race to see who can get on first

I just wanted everyone to be aware of this.  We didn't notice it before because her friend always came with us when she was ridden.  So anyway.. here are the pics and the videos.  
Thank you for your interest in MJ!  :) 

Laina's turn with MJ

Lane rides her in the round pen

The Kids' Progress This Week

All the kids progressed great this week.  Inky and Dodge City both made huge advancements and Cabio and Bells did great as well.  I'm very proud of all of them and how hard they try for me.

Inky

Inky got a little better day by day, going from scared to death and never been touched before to letting me scratch him all over and catch him without having to rope him.  I sack him out everyday and he gets quieter and quieter.  He's a wild thing still but he tries so hard.  I've introduced him to lunging for respect stage 1 and  I've desensitized him all over with my stick and string, as well as my lead rope and hands.  I've bounced all around him and don't slow my movements around him at all.  He needs to learn that I can move quickly around him and he's not going to get hurt.   I really like this colt.

Dodge City - Look at the dapples on this guy! 

Dodge City made the biggest advancements this week.  Although he doesn't like to be rubbed as much as Inky does, he tolerates it and warms up to it more and more.  I sacked him out really well with the stick, string, bandana and lead rope and I thought he was going to fall asleep on me.  I did have to rope him once but now he lets me catch him with ease.  I'm very happy about that.. lol.

Brad rubbing Dodgie down

I had Brad come in and do the Jefferies method with him and he did so good.  I was a little unsure about how he'd handle it, but he about fell asleep a time or two.  I was tickled!  

I put the suricingle on him after that and lunged him around a bit and he didn't even buck once.  I was sure he was going to come apart but he took me completely by surprise.
He is the most beautiful dappled buckskin colt.  Just a fancy looker.   He's come a long way in just few days from being a scared to death, reactive colt into a big puppy dog.  What a guy!

Baby Bio all grown up :) 

Cabio got jumped all over by Brad also (Brad was a tired guy this week lol xoxo) and was also saddled and left to soak.. He didn't buck at all either and I'm starting to think that there must be something in the water up here that the colts don't want to buck at all.. lol.  Cabio is almost ready for me to climb on.  He's going to make such a nice horse.  I'm so proud of him especially since he's one that I raised from a baby.

Then there's Baby Bells.. Laina and I started calling her Silly Filly cause she's just a little clown.  When we brought her home a month ago she was a terrified little ball of fight and now I can't keep her out of my back pocket.  What a little gem!

Laina and Bells

 Laina really likes her and those 2 get along so well.  Laina kept asking me if she could help train her and how could I say no with her being so gentle.  I had Laina crawl all over her and jump up and down on her and she quiet as a mouse.  If I had a saddle small enough I'd saddle her up and go from there but she's so small.. lol.  I might borrow Laina'a saddle and see if I have a really small girth, but I'm not sure if I do or not.


 She's still for sale but no serious hits yet.  I might just have to keep her.  :)
 

Laina and her Silly Filly 

On a side note, we are only days away from welcoming Katie Jo's puppies into the world.  Poor Katie has now hit the "waddling" stage and is more than ready for this to be over.  But then she'll have a bunch of lively puppies to keep up with! lol  She's sleeping in the house until she has them.. last think I need is for her to have them under the house where I have to crawl under there and see what she has.  No Thanks!  :)  

The August Sale

Well, Laina and I went to the August sale in Billings.  It was a barrel horse sale with a special offering of ponies on Sunday.  We only went on Sunday because I was only interested in the loose horse sale anyway, but we stayed for the ponies afterwards.
Cowboy sold in the loose sale and brought more than I thought he would.  He was the 3rd high selling horse that morning.  In turn, I bought a black yearling stud colt (thought he was a gelding.. oops), and a really pretty buckskin yearling gelding.

MJ the pony

Laina was armed with her 4-H money and bought herself 2 ponies.  MJ is an 8 yr old paint pony that's really gentle and broke to ride.

Sugar the pony

Sugar is a 14yr old shetland (?) that's leadline broke only.  I told her she could only buy them if she found them good homes, since she already has Charlie to ride.  She agreed and bought them both.



They are both for sale so if interested please contact us at mtmom77@yahoo.com.  She's asking $250 for Sugar and $400 for MJ.