Saying Goodbye

Happy butts

At the end of September, I said goodbye to Calvin. I was planning on writing this post sooner, but I haven't been ready yet. Of course, writing this has been emotional, but he's sold to a great owner and it was the right decision, but nevertheless a hard one.

Selling a horse is by far one of the most difficult things for me as I don't just see them as commodities, but rather, they are my pets. Horses especially are so gentle, soulful, and adaptable the fact they even let us near them (much less ride them) is honestly amazing. I wish I could keep all of my horses that I've ever owned, but it's just not feasible.

Overall, the decision came down to what is the better choice not only for me, but for my horse. On the human side of things, I'm having to change jobs meaning more hours, stress, and financial obligation not to mention likely having to move out of state. Nothing is really certain, and therefore I don't feel right owning a horse when my own life is in a limbo state. Not to mention that I won't be able to give him the attention and care he needs if I'm focused on work.

Can we talk about how good he looked? I might have confused him for a fancy warmblood ;)

I put Calvin up for sale in August of this year with the goal of having him sold by next summer (2017) with plenty of time to find him the perfect home. Then, a couple came along looking for a steady trail horse since they were retiring one of their older horses. They fell in love with him and he sold in September. It was faster than I was expecting, which was bittersweet really. 

His new owners ride on trail exclusively. They have their own trailer and use it multiple times a month to ride with others in new places. This means Calvin will always be with other horses exploring new trails-- something he's very good at! They were so kind in saying how well trained he is, and really appreciate the slow work I have done with him. Really, they were the perfect fit.

Looking back I'm really impressed with how far he has come in the last three years I've owned him. He went from a scared, insecure baby to a steady trail and responsive dressage horse. He's matured and is truly an amazing mustang ambassador. Most people 1. don't believe he's a mustang and 2. can't believe how well-behaved and friendly he is when they meet him. I hope that he continues to be an amazing ambassador for the breed so that others will consider adopting mustangs as well.

Would I own a mustang again? Hands down, no question. I am a firm believer in the idea that "not all mustangs want to be domesticated," but I believe with the 45,000 in holding, a good amount are going to be exactly what I, or someone else, is looking for in their next horse. I know when I'm considering a horse again, perhaps when things are settled down in my life, I'll definitely consider another mustang for all the reasons I've said before.

For starters, amazing barefoot feet! And these are both fronts <3 (and at 4 weeks, not even freshly trimmed!)

As for the blog, I'm going to do one last post of our final ride together, then I won't be posting any longer. While his new owners do send me frequent photos, I don't feel right sharing them in public and want to respect the new owners' privacy. But thank you friends, family, and strangers who have followed along and asked us about our journey. I hope that some of you enjoyed the read and training progress (and random rants at times) we've embarked upon.

Top: fresh out of the pens (2.5 years old), Bottom: Sept 2016 (5 years old)

End of Summer Updates

I can't believe it's mid-September! Calvin has been up to his usual antics, being goofy, level-headed, and sometimes a bit too smart. We've been spending equal parts trailing, lunging, and doing arena work. His top line is looking amazing, I'll have to post conformation shots soon because wow. He's (finally) learning his leads and his transitions are looking better. He's in good shape, no longer looking pasture-puffy and you have to love that summer coat.

. 
Lunging with the chambon -- super enthused and wild

oh you fancy

Speaking of "usual antics"--I went out to the pasture to grab him the a few weeks ago and no horse. I was freaking out... thinking he'd hurt himself, or someone else's horse, so the barn management had to move him. That was not the case though as I found him in a stall, sound as could be, without any marks... very curious. Well, turns out that he decided to jump out of the pasture. He didn't clear it as the fencing was down in one spot, but at least he didn't injure himself in the process. Sheesh.

"I don't know what you're talking about mom--I would never!" 

One of the regular ladies came at night to find him roaming around the property (probably eating--let's be real). Luckily he's the easiest horse to catch. In fact, he's really more dog than horse and just followed them happily around until they figured out that he was probably my horse. They then put him in a stall because if by some off-chance it wasn't Calvin, they didn't want to put him in the pasture because... well... the others don't take too kindly to strangers. Luckily it was indeed Calvin and I arrived in time to stick him back in the pasture, after they repaired the fence of course.

We have an old, new friend at the barn-- L. We've actually been friends for a long time, but only recently did she move her beautiful Arabian to our same facility!  Calvin is learning how to be the older, mature horse on trail and, surprisingly, is doing a really good job. Plus, I get to drool over her beautiful Arabian. It's great to have a friend who's willing to be adventurous with us.

Ol' reliable

It's not all rainbows and butterflies though. Calvin decided that this month he's going to revert back to baby-brain and start pulling back in the halter. He's never gotten free from this-- ever-- so I'm not really sure why he thinks sitting back and thrashing like an idiot is going to work. It also never happens for any particularly good reason (i.e. something genuinely scary happening). Lately though he'll back up for some reason (one time it was saddling, the other was using a sponge to clean his eye...), but the minute he felt that the lead rope was taught, he freaked the hell out in what I can only imagine to be OH NO MY LEADROPE IS TIGHT THAT MEANS I'M TRAPPED AND GOING TO DIE I BETTER THRASH AND ESCAPE.

Whoa buddy (not calvin pictured--same idea)

It's all over and he calms down in a matter of seconds, but those are definitely five-year-old mustang moments. As the owner of two other mustangs said, "you can take the mustang out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the mustang." Some days, that is definitely true.

Oh and we've been trailer training thanks again to L who has an AMAZING three horse trailer that she graciously let Calvin and I use to practice loading.  I've been consulting with other horse people, including L, and we figured out Calvin's trailer issues. He's not afraid of the trailer, perhaps a bit nervous, but really he just acts bratty because trailering isn't really what he wants to be doing. He's learned that backing out quickly gets him away-- well that ended the other day. I taught him that backing up=more backing up and going forward and into the trailer gets treats! He definitely figured it out and while he's not "swing the lead rope over his back and walk in" yet, at least he loads now. I'm just happy he's figuring it out --the little twit.

Always an adventure with the young horses-- but overall we're having fun. He enjoys people, doesn't seem to mind trails or arena work, and is happy with his pasture herd. It's not a perfect situation, but I'm finally happy with how things have turned out.

It's the little things 

(also look at that heel first landing... mmmm <3 )

The Ethics of Riding

This post is going to sound rambley.... because it is. I don't really have any answers to these questions, but all of these issues have been weighing heavy on me and I need to write it out. I'm launching into some abstract topics that I've been thinking about recently and just need to put them on paper.

It seems like much of the controversy with horse people revolves around the ethics of riding horses. Some people fall into the camp of bitless, some don't use spurs, shoe their horses, others don't use certain bits, or jump, or race, etc. etc. We get divided over these issues and what should constitute abuse. Are spurs abusive? chain bits? bits in general? We all draw the line somewhere in the sand, usually in very different places.


My point is, everyone defines what is moral in riding horses in a different way. Some people want a partnership as natural as possible (i.e. natural horsemanship) while others use horses to win prestige/money (e.g. racing). Nothing about riding a horse is natural though--horses simply *let* us ride them. So at what point do we cross the line between partnership to abuse? So if you use a harsh bit, but only gently touch it with the slightest of effort, versus someone who uses a snaffle but yanks the crap out of it, which is better? I had someone ask me why I don't use a hackamore and honestly, I said it's because there's a chain under the chin and I don't see how that's more kind than a soft rubber in the mouth. If I don't use spurs, but I have to kick hard to get my horse to listen, then is that really any better?




I read an article on pulling manes and *spoiler alert* -- it's painful for the horses. Anyone who has pulled a mane could have guessed this. I used to do this with h/j horses and while they always looked uncomfortable, some protested more than others, I just figured it was mildly uncomfortable. So, now I don't do it-- nor do I shave whiskers anymore because I do think they serve a unique and beneficial purpose, but I used to shave them all the time on my h/j horses because well, everyone else did it.  I learn new things and will change my behavior as I'm always striving to do what's best for the horse.

mane pulling

I would love for Calvin to listen to my every command without a bridle, spurs, etc, but to me this is a fairy tale.  So I train a horse in dressage, but this isn't what the horse really wants to be doing. Calvin honestly would rather be in his herd 24/7 in the wild. It's a relationship I guess: the human feeds, grooms, provides a home and the horse "earns" it by working and therefore it's morally justifyable? I don't know, I struggle with this. Sure, I could ride him without a bridle or bit in an arena, but the minute I get on the trail I want the security of an emergency brake that the bit provides.

Horse people have all kinds of opinions on every topic and really-- I think it comes down to using the form of least resistance that works the best for your specific horse. So we do the best we can with where we draw the line in the sand and instead of being so quick to judge others and where their line is... we should be educating ourselves and being curious as to why others believe what they believe. Then we might actually learn something instead of being stuck in the "this is how we've always done it" frame of mind.

I think we're fooling ourselves though if we think that riding horses is in any way natural for the horse and we'd be better off accepting that it's selfish -- we enjoy it -- and some of us just want to make it the most enjoyable for all parties involved so we justify it in whatever way we can whether that's soft bits, no spurs, etc.

May/June Chaos

I have a number of deadlines to meet within the next few weeks so I won't be writing as much until probably the end of June. However, I'm still seeing Calvin but only once or twice a week. Some updates & our plan for the next couple of months:

1. Calvin loves the pasture
He's made a group of two close buddies-- the chestnut gelding and a bay mare. When I go to work him, he's exhausted. Pasture life still blows my mind-- horses are so much more calm vs. living in a stall-- it's like I'm riding a 20 year old horse.

2. Feed & Soundness:
Calvin's doing well on the alfalfa with no further sign of allergies or issues. I don't like that there's minimal variety to his diet and I think I may supplement with beet pulp or perhaps buy a bale of grass hay to feed sometimes. Calvin also is sound 100% and staying that way, we really dodged a bullet there.

3. Longe, Lunge, Lounge
My primary focus is Calvin's top-line and developing muscle around his spine. Slow and steady progress and I can see the improvement. So far I've been doing about 10-15 minutes lunging warm-up with the chambon before riding, or some days I'll just lunge and not ride.

Looking slick

4. Fly season
I bought a gallon size fly spray and proceeded to spill 1/4 of it in my car thanks to it's shitty cap. Now my car smells like poison and I'm pretty sure it's shortening my life, but Calvin will be fly free so there's that.

5. Plan for the future:
I like to rotate months of harder training with months "off" work for horses, especially young horses. I personally think it's the happy medium between hard training babies and not starting a horse until six years old. Plus, I think they're happier to come back to their "jobs" with some vacation thrown in. May was light, June will be lighter, and training will pick back up more heavily in July.

Finally, Some Good News

After Calvin's injury, I decided to try alfalfa again. I had this feeling-- something didn't add up since he's been on alfalfa his whole life up until a year ago. I decided to move him into the big pasture, where they only feed alfalfa and he gets about an acre with a few other horses to see how it would go and I figured worst case, I put him back on orchard.

Calvin was stall bound for about 10 days and it was a long 10 days, he had so much pent up energy and was taking it out by being so bratty: chewing, pawing, stomping, not holding his feet up, spooking, etc. Basically being a five year old. Now I realize why we used to drug the h/j horses so they would just stand still or walk calmly after being confined, unfortunately I did not possess any tranquilizers to make my life easier.

I moved him into the pasture and right away he starts running and playing with the other horses. I wish I had video of him with one of the geldings, but it looked like something you'd see in the wild with them rearing and play-biting each other--but I just couldn't stop watching.

"Catch me if you can angry paint mare!"

The first week of any new pasture involves establishing pack structure. This means he gets chased off, bitten, or kicked while he tries to figure out his place in the hierarchy. It can be hard to watch, so the first week most barn owners are nice and will feed/water the new horse separately until they are integrated. Calvin is used to this and luckily knows how to stick up for himself well enough to sneak some food/water when the more aggressive horses aren't looking, nothing like growing up wild to learn how to survive.

"weeeee! space!"

Within the first 15 minute he hit it off with an old chestnut gelding and they enjoyed antagonizing each other. However, the other day I arrived and he had a girlfriend he was sticking with, so cute!

Calvin's new friends

Oh and did I mention his hives have completely disappeared? I put his allergies on the back burner due to his hoof injury, so my only guess is that it was the wood chips in his stall that caused him to break out and not the alfalfa.

I can't even tell you how relieved I am, this seriously simplified our lives SO much and I am so grateful it was an easy fix!

Hoof Injury

Calvin stepped on a rusty nail type object in his pasture. I noticed it only because he was dead lame walking around his pasture while I was cleaning. I looked at his legs thinking maybe he got kicked when I saw this huge metal thing sticking out of his foot. The fact he even lodged this in his foot is really impressive.

Wtf is this metal thing even? If anyone has a guess let me know, no idea how it ended up in his pasture.

I pulled it out, which the vet later advised against should this happen again as they prefer to Xray and see how far in it went. It wasn't in far, but right in the center of his frog and did penetrate enough to draw blood.

R foot after soaking (hence odd color), puncture in central suculus of frog, blood is coming from an accidental poke from the scissors when cutting the duct-tape bandage (bad mom, sorry calvin!) 

His leg was swollen from walking toe-first for however long that metal thing was stuck in there. Also, his tendons were swollen and hot from inflammation. All this being said, he was as happy as a clam following me around, eating, and drinking normally.

The vet advised us to soak his hoof in epsom salt, bandage, and monitor for change. She said puncture wounds are dangerous and if any internal structures were hit, the chance of infection is high and he would rapidly decline. However, she suggested not to worry (haha okay), but to just keep an eye on him, keep things as clean as possible, and confine to stall.

 He got some painkillers as well to take the edge off. Funny story about the painkillers-- the bute I have is powdered citrus flavor that you sprinkle on their food or mix with feed. The vet originally advised to mix with applesauce, but he would *not* eat it. I tried everything and he could detect that damn bute in absolutely everything-- even straight molasses! Next time I'll have to use a syringe... stupid horse doesn't know a good thing when he smells it.

To Calvin's credit, he stands very well in a bucket! He could be a model for Epsom Salt at this point lol.

We kept this course for a week and thankfully he did progressively better and was able to bear weight on his leg with some minor swelling.

Day 3: Puffy R hind

It's been a little over a week and now he's back to probably 95%. I'll give him a few days off of riding, but his w/t/c is sound. I will put him back to lunging (and *maybe* light riding) on Monday, but he got the "all clear" from the vet. Even though he's clearly accident prone, it could have been far worse, so I'm really very thankful that he's okay.

Bonus picture: Calvin's foot stuck in the hay net, no joke, one day after he stepped on the nail. He's also barefoot, so he really is a special kind of snowflake. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

+1 for hobble training so when your horse gets his leg stuck he doesn't freak out, but instead just looks at you helplessly

Favorite Horse Products

Having owned Calvin for a while, I've noticed that I've fallen in love with certain horsey products. These aren't the average horse items, they are the *game changers*. These are the products I find myself always using, and sometimes taking for granted, because they're that good. Basically, can't-live-without horse stuff.

I'm sure I'll add to this list later and obviously the products that are mentioned are things that coincide with Calvin's level of training. Hence, this won't be a completely inclusive list, but it's what I'm using with Calvin at this time:

1. Nathe bit

This was such a painful purchase because there is not a cheaper generic brand that works as well (the herm sprenger duo is close, but shaped slightly differently). The black rubber mullen mouth I started with was just too big for Calvin who has a fat tongue and low palate commonly found with mustangs.

This bit is tapered to be thinner in the middle and is so, so soft. He is now super responsive and sensitive in the mouth, which is saying quite a bit because he's not a naturally sensitive horse. That being said, it may not work for horses that don't like tongue pressure of any kind.

2. Effax Lederbalsam (conditioner) & Ledercombi (cleaner)
This was one of the brands recommended to clean my specific saddle by the manufacturer, but I use it for all my tack now. The ledercombi is non-greasy and I like the little spout so I don't waste tons of it and it really cuts through the dirt and grime, which is great because I'm not the most diligent about cleaning my tack (bad!).

The conditioner though is what I'm really smitten with. When I first got my saddle, it was a stiff sucker that squeaked. I conditioned it with this and oh my gosh it made it so soft, slightly grippy, supple and the squeak disappeared. Same thing with my cheap dressage bridle, a few treatments with the conditioner and I had a noseband that actually bent! A little goes a long way and the smell you either love or hate (smells like a waxy honey to me, but some people hate it). Living in a dry climate, this stuff has been a life saver for my leather.

3. Mohair/Alpaca cinches & girths

Soft, low maintenance, long lasting, and good for sensitive horses. They're more common among the western crowd, but if you search you can find some for dressage & even h/j. The more you use them, the more horse hair they collect and the softer they become. Just make sure to get 100% mohair/alpaca and not a blend of synthetic which can cause irritation for some horses.

I use an alpaca cinch for Calvin because I found it on sale. I wasn't sure if it'd be as strong as mohair as alpaca is softer, but after a year of weekly use there still isn't any indication of wear. I'm just waiting for my cheap fleece dressage girth to finally give out so I have a reason to get a mohair dressage girth.

4. Rope Reins

I bought the extra long Yacht rope reins for trail and have zero regrets. Soft, low maintenance, and super long (12 feet!) for when I let Calvin graze and don't feel like getting pulled over his neck. Turtle clips make taking them off/on simple (especially for times when your horse is a brat and you need to have an impromptu lunge session...) I also use them for dressage since it's near impossible to find long dressage reins for whatever reason.

Calvin doesn't seem to mind the metal on metal noise of the turtle clips on the bit, but some horses might be sensitive to this in which case they are removable.

5. The Ultimate Hoof pick

You may be thinking "really, a hoof pick... and for $20?" Yes... this thing has changed my life.  Calvin is a disgusting boy who doesn't seem to mind standing in his own poop/mud/you name it often leaving me a disgusting job. Yet all of that is no problem with this pick. Rocks, mud, etc. all come out with little effort and doesn't get all over my hands. The hoof pick itself is large and if you have small hands it might feel too big. If you know you have small hands, they sell a "junior" size that is probably a better fit for you.

6. Biothane tack
You can read about in-depth in this blog post--long story short: it works and it's easy.

7. Diatomaceous Earth
After a recommendation from my previous hoof trimmer to use No Thrush to treat mild thrush, I read the ingredients and noticed Diatomaceous Earth (DE) was listed. I had a huge bag of DE at home from trying to treat fleas/ticks the natural way on my pup (ticks it worked, for fleas it worked... to a point) and using it on my plants to keep ants/other bugs away. No Thrush wasn't cheap so I wondered if using DE alone would work on Calvin's mild thrush.

DE under a microscope: fossilized algae!

It did.

Finally one shortcut that paid off--No more expensive thrush treatment as I can purchase a giant bag for $20! I apply it with a stiff brush all over the hoof and it does a great job of drying up any moisture. However, it does have to be applied to a dry hoof, so keep that in mind if you decide to try.

8. Renegade Hoof Boots
Last but not least, the Renegades. Due to Calvin living on soft footing and not in a rocky pasture, his feet have become wussy, so now I have to use boots when going over super rough terrain vs. when he's in the wild and living on the rocks.




I haven't used the Renegades to their full potential (ahem, a real endurance ride, but many others have with great success!), but we have hit some intense trails with zero problems. There was a bit of a learning curve on my end to find a way to fasten them to where they fit properly, but after that I haven't had any issues. Calvin didn't even notice boots on his feet, nor did he notice when one came off at a canter and was swinging around his ankles (see reference to user learning curve). Plus, I think they look so badass, I always get comments on them, and they come in all kinds of colors!

Love us some elevation

Super rocky? No problem for the Renegades!

So that's it for now! I will update this list as time and equipment gets updated, but those are my favorites so far!