Argo's Journey

BLM ~ Kiger Mustang Demo at Equine Affaire

2011-04-09T09:40:00.001-04:00

How many of you have done this before?

2009-04-02T07:02:00.003-04:00

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. ~Author Unknown

I have. You have to love the insanity of youth.

Argo posts coming soon. Stay tuned.

Farewell Good Friend

2009-03-24T06:58:00.001-04:00

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. ~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie

Farewell Good Friend

Your road has been long,
For me, the journey to brief.

From the moment of your first breath,
You belonged with me.

You've guided me and protected me,
Always, have you been loyal to me.

Your heart always pure,
Your soul endlessly deep.

Know you were so loved,
and forever, your memory I keep.

You were and always will be,
such a huge part of me.

Go now and sleep,
and feel no more pain.

Find beloved Kish, and both of you,
wait there for me.

Godspeed and find your well deserved peace,
My dear loyal friend, a part of my heart, you will forever keep.

SkyBar's Kodiak Bear
December 28, 1997 ~ March 23, 2009

Dogs are miracles with paws. ~Attributed to Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

Kody and Kish playing Tug-O-War, 1999

Kody 2nd from right, 1999

Kody (in back) with his half sister, Akira, in 2000 at a GSD Specialty Show

Kody during the summer of 2005

Kody January 2009

Kish ~ Kody's ever loyal Dam, 1994 - 2000

Dearest Kish, protect him and love him, till I'm there with you both.

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ~Theodor Seuss Geisel, attributed

Silent Sunday

2009-02-22T08:13:00.001-05:00

Some changes

2009-02-20T10:54:00.004-05:00

Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Before I get into the meat of my post I wanted to give a quick update on Argo.

Well the weather is still unchanged, cold, snow, rain, mud.... well you get the point. Winter. Which means my time with Argo has basically been feeding him, breaking ice, and talking to him during my feed and watering activities. Rinse and repeat. His coat is in need of a serious brushing. Oh how I long for that day. As far as progressing on gentling, we are at a standstill. We have not lost any ground, but we have not gained any either. I am sure once the weather begins to warm up and I can spend more time with him, we will begin to progress yet again.

Keep thinking warm thoughts, that's what I am doing.

On to other things. If you have not noticed, I have been tinkering with some things here. I just changed the comments form. It allows for those with blogs to have their last post loaded into the comment form. I'm not sure if I like it yet. We shall see. Let me know your thoughts on it. Give me a thumbs up or down in your comments.

Also, you have probably seen the Unite, or Die Graphic to the right and have been wondering what the heck that is all about. If you click on it, it will take you to an outside link that will explain it better than I can. I want you to realize this is not a Republican or a Democrat subject. This is an American subject.

We are in precarious times right now and it will take everyone of us to get out of it. We can not be standing with our hands out waiting for our government to take care of us. That is not their role. We must understand and learn our history so that we are not doomed to repeat it. What our government is doing with our money needs to be highly scrutinized. Do you know that our Representatives and Senators did not even have time to read the latest pork handout, prior to voting on it? We need to be informed Americans. We need to watch what our elected officials are doing and letting them know how we want them to vote. Remember they are supposed to be representing us, not themselves and not just our Federal and State Representatives, but our Local ones as well.

So please take a moment and click on the Unite, or Die graphic. I think you too will agree with most all that is stated there, and if you don't, well this is America, where we still have the right to our own opinions, for now.

Silent Sunday

2009-02-08T07:06:00.002-05:00

Argo is a Steelers Fan Too!

2009-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

"I hated putting on that purple uniform, and I hated that raven bird. What really ticked me off is when we played Pittsburgh our whole stadium seemed to be filled with Pittsburgh fans." Tackle Orlando Brown, on playing in Baltimore for Art Modell's Ravens (1999).

Now you didn’t honestly think Argo would have been a Redskins Fan or worse yet a Brownies Fan did you? Nope he is definitely a Steelers Fan.

He even got dressed up for the day. His favorite Steeler is Troy Polamalu, he said they have the hair thing in common. He asked me to color his hair so there would be no mistake as to who he would be rooting for.

Argo and I know that Pittsburgh is destined to win. This is Super Bowl 43 and his favorite player is number 43.

He lives in Steelers Country what did you expect?

He asked me to post his favorite Troy Video.

"The tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is in winning and in playing good defense ... We’re proud to be a part of the Steeler Nation and we don’t want to let that Nation down." Dick LeBeau, Pittsburg Steelers Defensive coordinator

Fuzzy Wuzzy Argo and Other Rambling Tails

2009-01-29T11:32:00.007-05:00

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway. ~Mary Kay Ash

Well the weather just stinks, especially when you have a horse that lives outside 24/7. I wish I would have progressed to the point with Argo that he would be in the big barn so I could play with him in the indoor, but we work with what we got.

Time with Argo has been extremely limited due to bitter cold and working to keep him comfortable with plenty of hay and non-frozen water in his tub. I snapped a few pictures though during the sub zero temps. Sorry for the blurriness, it was cold and I had to take my gloves off to run the camera.

In other news with Argo though:

I have been working on getting that dang snap off of his halter. He is getting much more comfortable with the abominable snowman hands touching his cheeks, jaw and forehead. We have practiced with me holding the snap in my hand. The first 72 times he would back up the moment he felt my hand around the snap. He slowly became comfortable with it just resting in my hand while I stroked his cheek with my other hand. We are now up to him feeling slight pressure when I hold the snap. The first time he felt it, he quickly stepped backwards. I make sure he always has an escape from me. He feels safer and more confident in our sessions when he does not feel trapped. He now will hang out with me while I gently grasp the snap and hold it, so for now the snap remains.

What amazes me during our little sessions is the way he watches me with his eyes. I try not to stare into them, but it is so hard not to watch those huge windows to his soul. Each time I am with him, I feel another thin layer peel off of him. Little by little he learns to trust me a little more. As I stroke his forehead, I am amazed by the sensitivity of Argo. Just a breath from me and he reacts, not in a jumpy way, but I can feel his skin underneath my hand tighten and then relax. I have never been around a horse that is as sensitive as him. I now understand why my friend’s mare, Mystic does not like a stiff brush used on her. I always felt it was the princess in her, but now I realize it is her sensitive nature.

I began touching the area where his neck ties into his shoulder with a crop. This was quite comical to watch the first few times. Now though he has pretty much gotten used to it, almost to the point where I think he enjoys the scratching now. He is more protective of his left side than his right, so we start with the bad side and when he allows me to touch his left side, and then he gets his much deserved treat. He has quickly figured out that if he works with me, he gets rewarded, and the longer he holds out, the longer I will pester him. He is an extremely quick learner when you think about it. 17 years in the wild and then plopped in my lap, that’s a lot to overcome and he has been a shining example of how special the Kiger Mustang is. I’m not sure if I will ever adopt another one, but I’m not, not saying that I wouldn’t adopt one in the future.

I can’t wait till I can curry that coat of his and look at that tail, it will be so gorgeous when it gets a proper brushing, his mane is in wind knots right now, but we will get there, we have nothing but time.

Argo also has been getting more used to my dogs. My dogs normally in the past, always followed me into the stallion paddock, but since Argo arrived, they have not gone past the fence line. I worried he would be alarmed, scared, charge them, etc..., if they ended up in the paddock. I think they sense what could possibly happen and are respectful to Argo. That does not keep them from doing their antics outside the paddock though, which always gets quite the snort and blow from Argo.

I mean come on, what would you think if you had that charging out of the barn towards you at full tilt with the food lady and her red wheel barrow?

Not so Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Stuck!

If you have been reading and keeping up with Argo, you will know the significance of this picture.

Argo Receives an Award

2009-01-05T13:16:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, I received a note in my email saying I had been bestowed an award from a fellow blogger, Desert Horses. Cheryl Ann has a lovely blog where she details her life in southern California, (okay, I'm just a bit jealous) with her horses, dogs and family. I love viewing all the warm temperature pictures and I love her brand of humor. Thank you; I am honored to receive this award. I promise to keep up with the pictures and posting. :0

The rules for this award state that I have to pass it on to other blogs I enjoy. Gosh there are so many to choose from that I read as often as I feasibly can. Let's see…

From Hell to Heaven: Saving Argus ~ Katie's story of saving Argus from a life of neglect and torture is awe inspiring to me. Her way with words is just simply amazing. You feel like you are right there with her. I followed Argus story since almost the beginning of his rescue. I have cried, laughed and prayed more reading this blog than I have any other. Simply put, this blog is a must read. Currently, Argus is battling Pigeon Fever and needs all the well wishes and prayer that you can give him. He is extremely special.

Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind ~ If you want to laugh until you cry, this is definitely the place to do it. I adore her spin on everyday life. One of my favorite recent posts of hers was from over the holidays; Bom Chicka Wah Wah…, left me in stitches.

The Junk Drawer: Humor for the Masses ~ This by far is one of the most hysterical reads on the internet. One could literally spend days reading Kathy's archives and be rolling in fits of laughter the whole time. Must read, is the post about getting her father hooked in to the information super highway, titled Adventures in Tech Support.

Mugwump Chronicles ~ A fantastic read! Her blog is very insightful and causes me to pause at times with her words on the current horse industry. Her life stories keep you hanging on to every word. Her series, Me, Mort and Melinda Moline kept me wanting to read more. She is an amazing writer. Another favorite is when she writes about her experiences with the Big K.

Beautiful Mustang ~ A blog about a gorgeous Mustang mare who was adopted by Linda around the same time I adopted Argo. She like me has entered into the arena of owning her first mustang, I am sure Beautiful will not be her last though. She has offered many an encouraging word to me. She is a wonderful woman with a wonderful horse.

Please check out these wonderful blogs!

The instructions for the award:
Place the logo on your blog. Add a link to the person who nominated you; nominate other blogs for the award;
add links to those blogs; leave a message for your nominees; and give a reason why their blogs are cool.

On the Scenic Tour

2009-01-03T17:26:00.004-05:00

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

For some time now I have thought about where my life has been and where it is going. It’s funny how events can shape us if we allow them to. I had always had my life planned out as to where I was going and what I was going to do and for the most part, what I have worked so hard for and dreamt big for, has been achieved, not all, but most. My road map diverted and took scenic routes at times, but I managed to get back on track. I still have plenty of goals I want to achieve, but I am happy for the most part with what I have done with my life. No regrets, only experiences.

The loss of both my parents within the last 3 years has made me put a lot of things in perspective about what is important and what is not. Both my parents struggled to the very end with debilitating diseases. My mother, struggled her entire lifetime it seems. My father battled three forms of cancer for seven years, before losing his fight. Through it all though, they knew what was important; family. My road map went entirely off track when their health headed south. Some ridiculed me for my decisions in wanting to be there for my parents, but more encouraged me to know what was important; family. So I have been on the scenic tour for some time, some of it welcome, some not so much, during this time though I have learned a few things.

My children are growing faster than I expected them too. I guess I thought somewhere back when, that they would stay four foot tall and 10 years old. Much to my surprise they haven’t! I want to cherish the precious few years I have left before they leave to make their mark in the world.

I desperately love my husband. Not that I didn’t already or before, but I miss him when he is gone five and a half days a week now with his new job. I miss the smell he leaves of himself on the pillow next to mine. I miss him accusing me of my 492 looks when he has done something I do not approve of. I hate being the one to make the coffee Monday thru Friday now, he does it better. I want him with me so I can love him.

My horses really don’t mind, nor do they get ruined if I don’t ride every single one of them every week, so that I can have more time to do what is becoming more important in my life; family.

A simple phone call can be all it takes to make someone’s day turn bright.

A simple kindness to someone can mean more than you can possibly believe to them.

These are just some of the things I have learned on my little scenic tour.

I know this does not seem to relate to Argo, but in a lot of ways it does. He and I are more alike than I realized. He has been on the scenic tour since he was first captured in October 2007, and he is still trying to figure out where the map will lead him, as am I. Argo is slowly learning and accepting what family truly means. When his muzzle brushes across my jacket as he reaches for his grain, there is slowly becoming a greater softness in his eyes, an acceptance of me so to speak. A willingness to want to be with me; family.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T21:30:00.002-05:00

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

My hope for you is to have a wonderful New Year!

Christmas Greetings from Argo

2008-12-25T06:03:00.003-05:00

The God of Peace be with you all

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

2008-12-22T12:57:00.002-05:00

Every mile is two in winter. ~George Herbert

I have no room to complain about the weather, compared to others, but let me just whine for a little bit. I woke up to 4 degrees this morning with a -19 degree wind-chill. This makes barn chores really a chore. Okay, I feel a little bit better now.

On to Argo updates:

First # 1

Last week was a bunch of firsts; they are beginning to come in steady streams now. Argo now fully expects to be hand fed each meal. He no longer looks at me when I come in and appears to think he is merely entertaining me. When I bring his meals, out the come in the form of the red wheel barrow, I take his bucket of goodies into the field and leave the wheel barrow outside the field which holds his lovely hay. In the past he would stand by the fence, longingly looking at the precious, red vision of beauty, and stand there looking at it and then looking at me. I would have to whistle at him and shake his bucket of goodies to get him to begrudgingly follow me to his shed for his goodies. Once there though, he would quickly forget about the dreamy vision of the red wheel barrow. He would gladly stuff his muzzle into his feed pan that I so willingly hold up for him and eat his meal. Only after we had our moments would I give him his hay. Now though for the past several days, he has watched me put the barn horses out to pasture, and he whinnies at me, as if to say "Hello, don't forget me!" Once the red wheel barrow and I get to his field, he waits for me to come in, to make sure I have brought the goodies, and then he turns away from me and heads to his shed. This, my friends is a big, dang deal! Argo has turned his back on me. Argo never turns his back on anything. Except for Flash, and I didn't blame him there. Flash is a bit impetuous and is kind of like the person we all know that talks incessantly and we literally tune them out. I digress though… Argo knows that by turning his back on something, he leaves himself vulnerable, 17 years of living wild has ingrained that into him. So what does it mean that he has turned his back on me? I did really over think this one. When you spend your days alone for 10 hours cleaning stalls and performing barn chores and playing with horses, you have way too much time to think about things. Again, I digress. My opinion on it is Argo has learned the routine, he knows the hay won't come until we have some time together and that he is only delaying the inevitable and hey, the abominable snowman, wrapped in polar fleece, really is not that bad, she brings goodies. This is a big milestone for Argo and I in my opinion.

First # 2, or should I say try # 64

Argo lost his 15 ft lead rope several months ago, but the bull snap was still attached of course to his halter. At first it did not bother me that it was dangling there, now though it has become an annoyance to me. Each time I let Argo eat from his bucket that I hold up for him, I attempt to touch the snap. Believe me when I say this it's not easy. I am currently on try 64, yes I'm counting, and I'm weird that way. First I started just touching it with my index finger on my left hand, while holding the feed pan. He would feel the change and quickly step away, but just as quickly comes back in for the goodies. And again I would touch it, until he would just stand there and let me touch it. Then we progressed to me cupping the snap in my hand, again he would step back and then just as quickly come back to me. So as I said we are on try # 64 of removing the snap. Maybe by try 100 we will have it off.

First # 3 or more like a progression of my thumb

While Argo has been eating out of his feed pan that I so lovingly hold for him, are you seeing a pattern here? I had begun touching him with thumb under his cheek. This of course was met with, "OMG! What was that?" very quickly though it turned into a tolerance of my thumb. It has gently progressed to four fingers and my thumb scratching his jowl and under his chin, which he is really beginning to enjoy, as am I. I now have progressed to taking my index finger and stroking his forehead while he is busily eating the goodies. I also have been able to touch his halter underneath his head and both cheek pieces.

First # 4 Kara sings to Argo

This morning as I was so lovingly holding Argo's feed that is now in a smaller bucket, I was so bitterly cold and just wanted him to eat so I could be done, Argo decided the smaller bucket was not to his liking. For several minutes Argo did his little dance, like a small child saying "No Mommy, I want the blue one, not the red one! (Insert whine)" My cheeks were on fire from the cold, but I did not want to give up, so I began singing Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Where is the sanitarium truck when you need one? Argo was priceless. I am sure you have all seen dogs tilt their head when something strikes them odd, well this was exactly what Argo did. Just priceless! He must have taken pity on me or just wanted me to shut up because he quickly came in and dove into the smaller bucket with the goodies. I continued to sing Christmas carols to him while he ate. He finished breakfast in record time. I was somewhat offended.

Circle of Life

2008-12-16T11:42:00.005-05:00

If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops. ~Kelvin Throop

Usually, I do not get this fired up about a subject that is not directly affecting me, but I guess, in several ways this issue does directly affect me. Below is an excerpt from an article that was recently published in the Reno Gazette Journal. Don’t get me wrong, I love my horses and I love Argo, but I questioned the need for him to be captured from the very beginning.

Plan to round up wild horses in Nevada angers some

“The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has started removing 1,480 horses south of Battle Mountain and plans to begin removing 450 more in January south of Gerlach, agency spokesman JoLynn Worley said.”

“Without the actions, she said, the animals could starve this winter because of extremely limited forage. The horses will be sent to a BLM coral just north of Reno to be readied for adoption or long-term holding.”

“We shouldn’t be rounding up any more horses until we resolve the issue of tens of thousands of horses that already have been rounded up and are in holding pens,” said Matt Rossell, outreach coordinator for the San Rafael, Calif.-based animal rights group In Defense of Animals.”

Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute based in Washington D.C., disputed the agency’s conclusion that an emergency exists. “They’re not starving, and they’re using it as an excuse to remove more horses,” Heyde said. “They can survive if we can keep our little fingers off them.” Worley said leaving the herds alone could cause large die-offs and damage rangelands.

BLM officials have said the agency faces a crisis because of the skyrocketing costs of caring for the horses in long-term facilities where the animals live out their days — some for as long as 20 years.

You can read the entire article here.

When is the public going to scream at their lawmakers and ask them to be more responsible with our money? Starving Wild Horses! They are not domestic. We already have an unwanted horse crisis as it is within the domestic horse population, why does the government feel the need to capture more to throw them into long term holding to live out their days.

I know this will upset some people, but unless you want to put all these Mustangs in your backyard, take a dose of reality. Wild Mustangs are a natural part of the eco-system. When they die they become food for another part of the eco-system, whether it is a predator bird, the Mountain lion feeding her cubs, or a coyote scavenging for remains, all the way down the chain to the horse decomposing into the Earth and replacing what was used. This is part of the natural balance of the Earth. The BLM has screwed up this ecosystem to a point where now they are going to start begging our law makers to give them more money to feed the mustangs in long term holding. The BLM is going to ask for a bailout during a time when none of us can afford to bail ourselves out.

Has anyone thought of what the impact to the other predatory animals in the 10 Western States is going to be with the calculated removal of the Wild Mustangs? I have done a quick bit of research on this. The Mountain Lion Foundation has been doing a study involving the lions in regards to their eating habits and Wild Mustangs. It has been found that the mountain lions are taking down mustangs for food. Furthermore, the Nevada Department of Wildlife is scratching their heads as to why they are losing Big Horn Sheep to the big cats. An excerpt from their predator management plan: “Wildlife Services will attempt to control resident lions if they are in conflict with bighorn sheep.” Hummm, do you think it could be because you are surgically removing a possible alternative food source? Also, what did you think would happen to the Sheep, they are also a food source for the mountain lions?

This same report talks about protecting Mule Deer from Coyotes. Another excerpt from their management plan: “A total of 148 coyotes were removed by various methods from the entire Wilson Creek project.” Want to know my thoughts on why the coyotes are being removed? Money that is received from hunters wanting to hunt trophy mule deer is the biggest motivator. Do you know how much an out of state tag costs for someone wanting to buy a license to hunt? $142.00. A state resident is charged $33.00. Factor in that a lot of out of state hunters use a professional outfitter to help them find a trophy buck which can cost at a minimum $4,000 to the hunter to use the outfitter. Hunting is big business; just ask the NRA or my husband on that matter.

To protect the bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and some grouse in this report, their submitted budget for fiscal year 2006 was $367,549. That’s not their total budget; this was for just eliminating/removing mountain lions, coyotes and ravens!

I’m not even going to get into the grazing cattle on this post. Suffice it to say, lobbyists are directing what our lawmakers are doing in Washington. For my thoughts on how the cattlemen are also pushing for the extermination of the Mustangs you can read my post on it here.

Follow the money and you will see the Wild mustangs are being exterminated because of greed and money. The government is not worried about the starving wild mustangs; they are worried about the money that they can line their pockets with, and the Wild Mustangs are in the way of that.

We all need to take action on this, even if you have no stake in what happens to the wild mustangs, mountain lions, coyotes or for God’s sake ravens, because the fact remains that the government mismanages our hard earned money every day and unless we start telling them how, when and where our money is to be spent, they will spend us straight into oblivion.

You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.

Breakfast is Served

2008-12-12T14:18:00.003-05:00

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. ~John Gunther

Mini goal achieved! Argo is really starting to enjoy the idea that I hold his breakfast up for him. Actually, I think he is enjoying it a little too much.

Humm..., it smells like breakfast.

It tastes like breakfast

Wait... I feel a thumb scratching me while I'm eating breakfast.

A content Argo after breakfast

How do you achieve a goal?

2008-12-09T11:58:00.002-05:00

Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer. ~Author Unknown

When I started on this journey with Argo last May, I had thoughts of how it should progress. My main goal has always been to be able to safely halter and lead Argo in a year. That was truly my only goal. Granted, I was not sure exactly how I would get there, but I read a lot and asked even more questions and drew upon the experiences I have had as well as experiences others have had when it has come to Mustangs. I know there are a few out there who have taken on the task of gentling a mustang of Argo's age, but there are many more who for whatever reason, have chose not to try to gentle their older Mustangs. Needless to say, there is no book out there for "How to gentle your Senior Mustang". If there were I would be the first in line.

I read some of the blogs from people who are participating in the Extreme Mustang Makeover, and I am just awed as to how quickly they are able to handle their mustangs. Now granted, they are much younger mustangs, but I am still in awe. I wonder though how solid those horses are at 100 days when the head for the competition. I know with my domestic horses, I would never be able to think them solid enough at 100 days, but that's just me. Good Luck to all and stay safe.

Some friends of mine thankfully think more about my well being than I do J and have given me some suggestions on working on the trust department with Argo. First, "Get off the damn' ground!" I know, I know, I was compromising. This morning went much better. He still does not trust the camp chair, so I am going to throw my cheapness to the wind and park the camp chair in the corner of his shed. This morning, I sat on a bucket to start (again a compromise). Argo likes buckets, they bring food. Then after he was comfortable with that, we progressed to standing. Well, after 3-4 minutes of Argo him- hawing and walking back and forth, he decided he could try to eat from his feed pan with me holding the feed pan AND me standing. What a sight. Argo had the "Just Spook It" look going on. All four feet splayed as wide as he could get them, just in case he needed to instantly teleport somewhere else. I at first had to look down and away from him for him to eat, and then in my "baby talk" fashion I told him how brave he was, and what a good boy he was. Nut house here I come. I then began to turn my head to face him just a little bit and he kept his head in the feed pan. Argo still had all four feet splayed out for an easy exit, but still had his head buried in the feed pan. That was until the scary Mountian Lion Barn Cats came strolling in to see what was going on. If you're unfamiliar with the story you must read it. Argo didn't realize the cats were there until they were already milling around my legs. "Just Spook It" came back to life and he took a jump backwards and snorted at the cats that were totally oblivious to Argo having a minor heart attack. They proceeded to use his newly constructed shed as their personal scratching post. Argo cautiously came back to finish his meal keeping one eye on the cats and the other on his feed. I am very pleased. Of course it does not take much to thrill me these days.

Some other advice I have received and will try out tonight is to hold the feed bucket on my hip. By having it in front of me, I am not letting Argo be comfortable. Horses, when they greet each other, do so at the shoulder, so by having the pan on my hip, I am offering a more comfortable position for Argo. I'm inviting him in as to taking an aggressive stance by having it in front of me. Once he takes a bite, then I will retreat a step and invite him to come to me again and then hopefully he will come and take another bite. Makes sense to me, and it is what I do with my Quarter Horse babies. I need to remind myself to go in baby steps with Argo. He might be a full grown horse, but he is wild and he had a lot of years to learn to trust his instincts. I need to remember that. The Post It note will be attached to my forehead tonight and thank you Karen and Melissa for the advice and keeping me safe. I think I will achieve my one and only goal, but I'm not sure if it will happen in a year.

So I ask this question; how do you measure your goals? What steps do you take in achieving them? Do you write them down or are they in your head? Do you get upset when you do not feel the timeline you have set is achievable, or do you just keep going at the pace you're going and throw the timeline out the window?

May I have my breakfast, pretty please?

2008-12-08T11:02:00.004-05:00

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."~Author Unknown

A friend who has a ton of wisdom and advice when it comes to Mustangs and more specifically Kiger Mustangs has mentioned that I need to push the envelope with Argo. She gave me some great suggestions to get started on. Such as, if Argo wanted his stipend of grain he had to take it from his bucket in my lap.

Well, Argo was not impressed with me and my small camp chair in his shed for several days on end, for 15-20 minutes at a clip, so I have had to compromise. I figured he was not comfortable with the camp chair for one, and I did not want to leave it in the shed for him to figure out and possibly destroy. It's a good chair, and believe you me they are hard to come by around here. Secondly, I figured out through trial and error, that he would come closer if I did not look at him directly. Well today we had a breakthrough moment.

Picture this, I am sitting on the extremely hard and cold ground, cross legged, with thick, clunky, winter boots and Carhartt overalls, (can we say accident waiting to happen when the overstuffed idiot gets rolled over because she has crappy knees and is too cheap to buy another camp chair?) with his big rubber feed pan sitting in my lap, and casually looking at a knot in the wood in his shed. Argo does this little pace, begging for me to just leave, but please leave the feed pan with my little itsy, bitsy bit a grain please. I sit my ground literally and just softly talked to him, telling him what a big doufus he is for being so silly and not just taking the chance, in my "your such a good boy" sweet voice. And then it happened…. With me looking at the very symmetrical knothole in a board, I felt his muzzle push down on the feed pan and grab a bite, and then of course him jumping back, like I was going to spring on him at any moment. Again, he is a sweet, big boy, but we have a ways to go in the trust department. I continued to calmly sit there as my leg began to cramp up, pleading him with my sweet voice, quietly to come back and take some more. All I have to say is Thank God he is a boy! His stomach won out over his mind. He came back and continued to eat the rest of his little meal, and I practiced slowly turning my head to look at him face to well, forelock. He jumped back once, but quickly came back to finish. I continued to talk to him telling him how good he was and what a big, grown up boy he was, all in my sweet, baby talk kind of voice. Good Grief! If someone had seen me, I would have been admitted to the nut house! I did manage to keep the tears in check. I couldn't imagine the leg cramping up and the frozen cheeks as well.

I hope to be able to get him more comfortable with this in the coming weeks and then add in my dressage whip to start rubbing him on his shoulder while he is eating. Maybe, I will spring for a camp chair too!

Sorry no pictures this time. I will have to try and do this when Morgan or Zared (I can hear the whining about the cold already) are home so they can take a few pictures of the stuffed marshmallow and her Big Doufus.

Happy Thanksgiving with Winter Pictures

2008-11-27T07:27:00.010-05:00

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

I just couldn't pass up taking pictures. I must admit it, I love snow. I hate the cold, but I appreciate the beauty that snow offers to the landscape around me.

And of course, pictures of Argo.

Bear with me while I experiment with different photo options.

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Argo’s First Pennsylvania Snow

2008-11-25T08:46:00.004-05:00

What is soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room. ~Ray Charles

Last Thursday, Western PA residents experienced their first measurable snows fall. I knew that Argo would not be any different, but I did have the thought go through my head that he was probably thinking "Is this it? Heck this is nothing!"

We are under a Winter Storm Warning as I type this. According to the Weather people we are supposed to get anywhere from 3-6 inches by tomorrow night. I have learned not to believe them. They get everyone in a panic. People rush to the store and buy enough goods to feed small armies for 4 months. My family and I lived in Iowa for 5 years, now that area can get some snow. When we moved back here I just shook my head at the lunacy of people racing around like they would never see the light of day until April, over a couple inches of snow.

It was fun to get some pictures of Argo though as the big, fat snowflakes were coming down, while he was patiently waiting for the food lady while she snapped some pictures.

Also, on the news front with Argo. Babe showed him that his shed will not eat him. He has been going in for his evening meal, and based on what I have cleaned up, he is quite comfortable in there for several hours.

In the morning last week, he was still in his shed when I came to feed him, so I quietly shut the gate. It amazed me how stock solid rigid he became. I imagine this was how he was when run into chutes and stocks. He did not move a muscle. I placed his food in, and he relaxed a little. I climbed up the gate as he stood there and for the first time was able to stroke his neck. The feeling was unbelievable. I felt the tears run down my cheeks, I know I get way too emotional when these little breakthroughs happen, but I am still in awe every time they do. To touch something Wild is just a thrill; to feel his muscles loosen under that touch tells me that he is accepting me. It is so amazing to me that a creature that lived his life in the wild for 17 years will stand here quietly in a 10x12 shed and allow this blubbering woman to hang over a gate to stroke his neck. When he exhaled, I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath as well; we both shared the moment and when he looked at me with those eyes I saw an understanding in them. His eyes speak so much to me, ever since I first saw pictures of him. I watch him and I learn from him as I hope he is learning from me.

The Mustang Problem

2008-11-21T07:05:00.006-05:00

It might be more worthwhile if we stopped wringing our hands and started ringing our congressmen. ~Author Unknown

Just a note: Scroll down to the bottom and turn the radio off, prior to watching the videos.

I had planned on a totally different post, but I cannot get the plight of the Wild Mustangs out of my thoughts. Argo could have so easily been one of the doomed mustangs. Through him, I have become very defensive of these “Living Legends”. The more I read the more questions I have.

I am posting a few videos that were not made by me. Some of them are graphic. Please, I advise you, do not let young children watch them before you have seen them.

For some history on their plight:
Wild horses were thought to be scourges of the land in the late 1800’s, they interfered with grazing areas for cattle in the western states, and Cattlemen basically had open season on the Mustangs. They shot them, tortured them and drove them over cliffs to their death. The cattlemen basically felt that they were eliminating pests and animals that were grazing on precious land that their cattle herds needed. Mind you most of this land was not owned by the cattlemen. A few horsemen saw the value in taming some of these wild horses and using them as ranch horses. Some even battled the cattlemen to protect the wild horses. Through those people who fought to protect the horses in the wild, the federal Government heard their heartfelt pleas and in 1971 the mustangs came under federal protection.
That law has been called: Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, Public Law 92-195, as amended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Public Law 94-579, and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978, Public Law 95-514.

Their objective was “The goal of the Wild Horses and Burro Resource Management program is to achieve and maintain healthy, viable wild horse and burro populations on the public lands.” * This law was meant to protect the wild horses and burros from harm and gave the BLM the authority to govern how the herds are managed.

Enter in a whole new set of problems though. I am a firm believer that whenever the government gets involved, even when they have the best of intentions, plans can go awry and the greed of men takes hold. There are several large lobby groups that have an interest in eradicating the wild horses and burros. In 2005, the law meant to protect the horses, basically started the wheels in motion for their demise.

The following video is one view. I don’t necessarily believe all that this group states, but it does provoke me to think about the different groups involved and do my own research. I implore you before you make any decision, do your research, and don’t just rely on what I have to say, or videos or what others might say. Do your own research.

I was unable to find exact numbers, but it is thought that anywhere from 4 to 8 million cattle are currently grazing on public lands, compared to 23 to 27 thousand wild horses and burros grazing on those same lands. The lobbyists for the cattlemen will tell you that the horses are destroying the lands and are competing with the cattle for food and water. I don’t believe this for a second. Cattle do graze differently than horses in how they pull forage, but you have wildlife out there as well eating off those same lands and drinking from the same water sources.

Statements have been made that the horses are starving in the wild. I have not found proof of that yet. I have seen pictures of mustangs in extreme stress after capture. That is totally different. The gather process can be very hard on a horse. Imagine being chased for several hours or days by a helicopter. The video below shows you the gather process. Take note of how sweated the horses are.

As of this point there are approximately 33,000 wild horses in holding pens, compared to 23,000 – 25,000 in the wild and nowhere for them to go except long term holding. Last year alone the BLM captured over 7,000 wild horses and burros. Why? They already have holding pens that are way over capacity. The cost to the BLM to feed and care for the horses in holding pens is approximately 27 million dollars a year. Folks this is your tax dollars at work. The BLM’s solution to this overpopulation was to euthanize them. I do not have a problem with euthanizing per se. The BLM has gotten themselves into a bind though and before they send 2,000 horses to their death, I want to know how they plan to prevent this from happening again. Obviously there are not enough homes to adopt them into, especially given the current economy, so why has the BLM continued to gather and capture wild horses?

Enter Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens,* she has offered to adopt and give sanctuary to 30,000 of the wild horses currently in the holding pens. Madeleine is a horse woman, a long time breeder of thoroughbreds. I appreciate her offer, I don’t know where she is going to put them all, but I think her biggest concern should be sitting the BLM officials down and asking, better yet, demanding, how they are going to prevent this from happening again.

The average life expectancy of a wild horse is 12-14 years. (There are exceptions to this obviously.) A yearling filly can become pregnant and produce a foal during her two year old year. Gestation is approximately 11 months. With that in mind one mare can produce approximately 13 foals during her lifetime, based on a 12-14 year life. There is a solution to this and it has already been put to use in some herds, mare contraceptives. “PZP has been successfully applied to control fertility and limit the size of several small populations of wild horses on eastern barrier islands since the early 1990s. Population-level field trials of an injectable, time-release, pellet form of PZP that will allow almost 2 years of fertility control with a single treatment are currently underway in many western herds. The Assateague team also developed noninvasive methods to assess the pregnancy rates of, and detect ovulation in, free-ranging treated and nontreated, individually recognizable mares by analyzing reproductive steroid metabolites in their feces and urine.”*

This contraception can keep a mare from producing a foal for 2-3 years. There are arguments for and against this idea though. Some say, not having a foal, can cause mares to become aggressive and damage the herd dynamics, others talk of the cost. I feel if the BLM is already throwing away 27 million dollars a year to feed wild horses in holding pens, the cost would be minimal. Remember as well, last November at the Kiger adoption, the BLM brought in approximately 95,000 dollars. What is that money being used for? Where is the accounting of how the funds were dispersed? Why can’t 1/3rd of that go to contraception use for the herds they claim to protect?

I don’t claim to have the answers, but I do have lots of questions and a lot of concern about government waste. I implore you to make your government answerable to you before they allow this tragedy to happen all over again. You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

The wild horses have no voice, please be their voice. Demand that the United States government change how they manage the wild horses and burros.

The above video was done by a young woman who visits the corrals often. To see more of her videos and link to her blog, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/sheepgirl66

*Cited works

Federal Grants Wire
Washington Post
Fort Collins Research Center

Links for further reading

The Horse

Voluntary Instinct

American Herds

BLM Quick Facts

The Curious Thing about DNA

2008-11-13T09:04:00.004-05:00

Curiosity is a willing, a proud, and an eager confession of ignorance. ~S. Leonard Rubinstein, Writing: A Habit of Mind

There has been talk going around the Internet of the need for me to DNA Argo, to satisfy others curiosity. I for one am here to say, not ever going to happen!

The following are direct quotes posted on the Internet that are directly related to the subject of DNA from Argo, and my decision not to submit samples of hair for DNA.

"I would be very curious myself to know if he indeed was your stallions sire"

"I'm just very curious and interested in this...I also wonder why you wouldn't have any intention of DNA testing him. Is it just because you cannot yet get hair pulled? I had my mare done.... she is a matriarch in the Kigers and has quite a history. I think she deserves to have her DNA on file for comparison reasons even though I do not expect to get any foals from her. Who knows how many babies she had out there in the wild?"

"I also hope that you might consider DNA testing at some point in the future. It might just provide clues about Kiger herd behavior, history and gentic influences may advance inclusion of grey in the registries. There have been several noteable greys in the breed, and they deserve recognition for their contributions."

My thoughts on the matter of DNA are: it is an invaluable tool to a breeder, whether it is to determine color markers or to verify parentage, this is in my opinion, is the only reason to DNA a horse. As far as the Wild Kiger herds are concerned: they are wild, part of the beauty of owning a mustang is the unknown parentage. Further, I have no plans of breeding Kiger Mustangs so therefore there is no need to DNA Argo. I have no care as to what his parentage is or what he possibly sired. I just truly want to give him a place in the world where he has no worries and can enjoy a peaceful, quiet retirement and be where he is truly appreciated for what he is; a senior aged wild Kiger Mustang. His color is what attracted me to him, when others scoffed at it, and then his soulful eyes pulled me in further.

The world is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet everyone has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the affairs, of his neighbor. ~Benjamin Franklin

The history of Argo that has been told to me thus far has been extremely interesting. Stories of the "Gray Ghost" abound in Oregon. Does his DNA have anything to do with that lore, absolutely not, so why on earth would I feel that pulling some hair would somehow complete me or complete Argo? Do you think he really cares? Why does Argo need to be put out there for dissection into an already hugely conflicted Kiger community? I have no desire to enter that arena. I have enough drama in my life as it is and I do not need to invite more of it into my life. The Kiger Mustangs never asked for or wanted the spectacle that surrounds them. Seven separate registries represent a breed of I believe less than 1500 horses. Why do you ask? Got me, no one can seem to agree on anything. Most of the Kiger registries will not even accept Argo, purely based on the fact that he is gray. The KMA though has accepted horses for registry whom aren't even Kigers, who were not born on Riddle or Kiger Mountain, but elsewhere, some even from states other than Oregon, because they had the desired color and markings. Go DNA those horses and find out who their parents were. The KMA is one of the registries who would refuse Argo registry solely based on his color. From their website:

To be eligible for registration in the Kiger Mesteno Association, there are several factors that are considered. First, the horse must be the offspring of a registered Kiger, or must have documentation that it was gathered from the Riddle Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) or the Kiger HMA. Secondly, the horse must then pass an inspection based on both conformation and dun factor, and must be one of the acceptable colors (Dun, Red Dun, Grulla, Bay, Black, Claybank and Roan). There are many Mustangs from other BLM Herd Management Areas, as well as other breeds that have the dun factor but are not considered a Kiger.

But yet it has been proven several times that they have allowed what has been termed "Found Horses" (horses who have been gathered from HMA's other than Riddle and Kiger Mountains) to be accepted into their registry all because they have the right color.

*Note: I have no care either way about the Found Horse issue; it is a non-issue to me. The issue has been literally beat to death and is for people other than me to debate it. I only present it as basis for Argo's exclusion from registry, based on color alone.

No, I will not submit Argo to be the Kiger Communities' sacrificial lamb. Neither he nor I ever signed up for that. I saw a horse that had been ripped from his only home, the wild, at the age of 17, because from what I believe was the greed of breeders worried about their precious dun color being diluted; that being a big part of the reason he had been gathered. I hoped and prayed someone would take him home at the adoption last November. I could not stand by and wonder what his future would hold if he would have stood day after day in long term holding, reduced to a mere number because of human greed. I will certainly not feed into or continue that greed by allowing him to be put under a microscope by pulling hairs so that others can satisfy their own curiosity.

So, in closing, I am sorry that I may have offended some readers, but I have been tremendously offended by the words written about Argo and me, about what I should be doing and what a travesty and shame it is that I will not DNA Argo. To the Kiger owners and Fanciers out there who appreciate what they have without the need to delve into what others should be doing, Thank You for being you.

Argo Gets a Girlfriend

2008-11-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Flirtation: attention without intention. ~Max O'Rell, John Bull and His Island

Well, as I had posted in my Catch-up post, I was to be bringing my broodmare, Babe, home from summer pasture. Babe came home on the first of November and on Sunday she got to meet Argo. To say she was not impressed is an enormous understatement.

Babe is a grand old girl at the age of 16. She has given me some of my finest horses. She is a "No Fluff, No Muff", kind of mare, the perfect horse for me. Babe started out her younger years as a bareback bronc horse, traveling from Rodeo to Rodeo for several years, before coming to me at the age of 7, after being rehabbed by a dear friend. She has for the most part been the foundation of my breeding program. Believe it or not her sons and daughters do not share her love of throwing their rider and then trying to snuff the life out of them, hence why she was cut loose from the Rodeo string.

Babe is what every barn owner wants and desires in a herd leader. She has a commanding presence to her and is a wonderful mare for the other horses to look up to. She is fair in her dealings with squabbles, but will not spare punishment for those horses that need a good butt whooping. Just a flick of her ear and horses' stop and rethink what mischief they thought they were going to get into. Babe has also been a fantastic mother. She teaches her foals to respect her and humans, and puts a good willing mind on them as well. All of these traits made her the perfect choice to be a pasture mate for Argo during the winter months, while I continue to debate how and when to introduce Flash into the pasture with Argo.

Argo, once he saw Babe in the pasture was stoic in a sense. He basically wanted to see what she would do. Babe walked in, glanced at Argo and kept walking past him like he didn't even exist. I think if Argo could have, he would have shrugged his shoulders, as if to say "so what, she's a chick!" That was until she went to his hay, now you're messing with Argo's stomach, and he does not like to share. He marched right over there and told her off! Kind of. With a half hearted kick that he gave, he was quickly reduced to shrugging his shoulders again as Babe squealed and double barreled at him. Then as if she could care less about his hay, she walked off. Poor Argo…. Later in the day though the two of them were working out the hierarchy of a herd of two, Babe not allowing to be pushed and Argo willing to share his hay.

Babe has also happily shown him that the shed in his paddock is not an evil, Argo eating black hole, but a fine place to dine on what the food lady has lovingly placed out for breakfast.

Yes, Argo is pleased with himself, as Malarky and Flash seethed over the fact that he was seen smooching a girl.

One Year Ago…

2008-11-07T13:17:00.009-05:00

Sometimes even to live is an act of courage. ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters to Lucilius

Happy Birthday Argo! I have made November 7^th Argo's Birthday. This date represents so much. Even though he had already been gathered the month before and his world had been turned upside down, he had courage to survive the un-survivable. As of today, Argo is 18.
The Kiger Adoption weekend started in Hines, Oregon, November 7^th, 2007. Approximately 125 Kiger Mustangs were available for adoption. Argo was there, waiting, watching, and being the quiet, soulful Kiger Mustang that he is.

This is Argo, shortly after he was captured in October.

Argo during the adoption in November, thank you Angela for the picture.

Argo was the oldest Kiger offered for adoption. The next oldest ones were 7 years old. Argo was the only gray. The rest were Duns, Grulla, a couple Bays and Black.
95 Kigers were adopted that weekend. The starting bid on all the horses was $125. The highest bid on a Kiger was $7,800. Those 95 Kigers sold for a combined dollar amount of approximately $95,000. The average price would have been around $1000. The 16 Kigers that were not adopted were offered on an internet adoption in January 2008. There were a few Kigers that were also gathered, but not available for adoption due to health reasons. All 16 horses that were offered on the internet adoption were adopted. Argo was not offered in that adoption. He was by then considered a Sale Authority Horse.

Argo in December.

Argo in May once he arrived here in Pennsylvania.

Here is Argo today.

Argo was offered up in a special Email bid in February. The people at the Burns facility saw something special in Argo that a lot of people missed in November. His structure was the same as it was after the gather, structure never changes, just flesh. In fact, you can see his excellent conformation in the picture after his capture. His strong hip, short pasterns, great neck set and beautiful slope to his shoulder.
I still feel strongly about the fact that he should never have been gathered, only because he was gathered for the wrong reasons. Greed and money, is what I believe, forced his capture. Ron Harding who was influential in the protection of the Kiger herds had often called Argo, "Baby" as a youngster, and had stated that he should never be gathered and offered for adoption. He felt strongly that Argo had characteristics that needed to be passed on to future generations of Kigers, regardless of his color. It was thought for years that he was a claybank, but even when it was realized he was gray, he stayed with the herds. Ron Harding unfortunately is no longer with the BLM. I believe if he had been, Argo would have never been gathered and offered for adoption.

Through Argo, I have met some of the most dedicated and amazing horsemen and women, I am truly thankful for them. Some I have never met in person, only through e-mails or over the phone, have we conversed, but their dedication to the horse shines through. Keep inspiring others to stay on the true path.

I am thrilled though, given Argo's options, that he found his way to me. The journey that he and I have embarked on is one like I have never experienced. I have never before owned a Mustang, let alone one who had been in the Wild for 17 years. He has shown me a side to myself that I had never known was in me. He has taught me patience, perseverance, spirit, and protection. His voice has become my voice. The wild mustangs all over the Western States have no voice, save for the dedicated people who truly appreciate their spirit, not the ones who bicker and fight and will continue to scam and lie and tell half truths to the unsuspecting person who only wants to realize the dream of holding the lead rope of a living legend as it steps off their trailer and into their soul.

Updates on Dell's injury

2008-11-06T05:14:00.004-05:00

If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill

I want to thank everyone for the concern and well wishes for Dell.

I felt it was not fair to Argo to post here about Dell and his updates, so I have started a new blog for Dell and his injury updates. Hopefully, I will have time to post about other things going on around the farm.

The new blog is SkyBar Farm Stuff.

A Room to Call his Own

2008-11-03T08:58:00.003-05:00

Well done is better than well said. ~Benjamin Franklin

Back in February, when I was informed that I had the winning bid on Argo, my eyes surveyed the landscape outside my window, frozen tundra period, not very conducive to building anything. I knew in my mind what needed done, but with 'Ole Man Winter bearing down, and Argo being a surprise to my husband, I figured it best to wait until the weather was more conducive to a building project. Well February, rolled into March and then quickly fell into April.

Since August '07, the club I belong to, the PNHA, Inc., had been planning a huge event for the Western Pennsylvania area, called the Horseman's Extravaganza that was set to for the end of April '08. I was very involved with the planning of this event, and it literally took up most of my time, coupled with caring for my father who was battling cancer, and had moved into my home, caring for my children, husband, horses and business, life was just a tad hectic. I truly believe my husband; Jeff had felt I had abandoned him. He also during the month April was busy installing new hardwood floors in my living room and dining room as well as painting those rooms.

In May, I pleaded with Jeff that I needed a shed built inside the round pen. He of course gave me an incredulous look of exasperation. For months, he had dealt with a wife in mourning over the loss of her father, who threw herself into planning a huge event and hid in her barn daily from early in the morning till late at night, to keep from totally coming unglued at the seams and falling into a depression like she had never known. To say he was miffed was a huge understatement. I had not been easy to live with over the past 9 months. He did his best with the short amount of time he had and built Argo a very temporary shelter. I tried my best to be as pleased as possible for his effort, but the look on my face and of course the words that came out of my mouth were not kind. He promised me to build something better. I immediately said "When?!!?" Jeff said "Soon." I kept nagging all summer long. Jeff took a new job that takes him out of state Monday thru Friday and leaves him a day and a half on the weekends. He just kept saying "Soon." Well, push came to shove and "Soon" finished up this past weekend. Jeff, Zared and a friend Jerry erected a very nice 3 sided wood shed for Argo to call his very own. He has light panels installed along two sides, to let in natural light, so it is not dark. He has his own, real wall feeder, instead of a feed tub on the ground, and best of all, I have a gate on the front of his shed, so that Argo and I can really begin working together. For months, it has been on his terms, which is what he needed. He needed to know he could walk away when he felt confined; he also needed to know that I was not a threat, and all this time he has worked out in his head that he has a routine and I believe he enjoys it. Now though, he is hopefully going to learn to accept me in a new way. I am excited and yet cautious as he and I take yet another step in our journey.

The finished product! Thank you guys so much. Now just to convince Argo it's safe to go in.

Argo Meets a Visitor

2008-11-02T11:57:00.003-05:00

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer

The last weekend in September, Elizabeth Graves came to the area to instruct a clinic. I met Liz five years ago and have considered her a mentor since then. She has a warmth and love of horses that just pours out of her. Liz had seen pictures of Argo back in April and offered me lots of encouragement and advice. Liz also has spent time watching and interacting with herds out in the wild.

At her clinics, I have ridden one of my young Quarter Horse mares, Romey, who is very special to me. Through her and Liz, I overcame a lot of fears that had snuck into me a few years ago. Liz helped me to be a partner with Romey and I am forever thankful for that. Three years ago I was ready to sell her; today she is one of my favorites to saddle up. Liz opened my heart and Romey opened my soul. Liz wouldn't let me give up on Romey. She knew I had it in me to overcome my anxiety; I just had to believe it too.

Romey and me in September

I was extremely excited to have Liz visit with Argo. After this year's clinic, she had a little spare time to make to the quick trip to my farm. She entered the paddock, and Argo immediately was interested. Liz has a way about her that horses are just drawn to her. She gave him his space and she became small. Argo was curious, she took a step forward and then another and he just watched her, those ears of his just locked onto Liz. I was pleased to see pretty much everything Liz did were things that I had already been doing with Argo.

The pictures below tell more of the story.

Playing Catch Up

2008-10-22T09:31:00.003-04:00

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

I apologize for the huge lapse in posting. Life has been … busy to say the least. A lot has happened in my life the past few months and unfortunately it does not appear it will get much better any time soon. I have attended a few clinics, show season went into overdrive and my young reining colt, Dell, received a nasty injury to his hock that almost caused his demise. Dell is now 9 1/2 weeks into his recovery and has had to remained tied in his stall the whole time. What a trooper. Finally, my family and I are moving. My husband's job is moving us to the state of Indiana. This is a major upheaval for us. I will quickly update Argo's life thus far… I will expand on these more in the days to come.

Argo's lead rope came off. The rope just disintegrated. At first I was worried about it, but it has not changed anything in how we interact.

Flash and Argo have become best friends. They were grooming each other through the round pen panels daily. Such a neat thing to watch.

I decided to open the round pen gate to allow Argo the entire paddock. I was concerned he was beginning to lose muscle tone. It took him almost two weeks to finally realize he could just walk out. Now that he has, Flash has lost his turnout with his buddy. I'm not ready to chance putting them together just yet.

We are rapidly working on upgrading Argo's shelter so that I can confine him a little better and get him more comfortable with me in a smaller space.

Argo still will come to us as long as it is on his terms. He still will eat out of our hands and even allow us to scratch on his cheek.

He is still amazing to watch. Now that he has the whole paddock, he enjoys running around as he watches my lesson students ride in the outdoor arena. He is quite breathtaking.

Gnats and Argo do not get along. Next spring he will go on Palatec to eliminate the itchiness. Do to rubbing and itching, he has lost a good portion of his mane. He is still gorgeous though.

Argo is dealing with the season changing into fall and too quickly into winter. I think he is thankful and wondering why he has not seen snow yet.

Argo enjoying all the grass in the paddock.

And then there were two....

2008-08-08T07:29:00.005-04:00

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. ~ Raymond Lindquist

When I made the decision to adopt Argo, I had to quickly decide where to house him. My facility houses about 23 horses at any one time. Of that number, three are mature stallions. Housing stallions, mares and geldings on a 20 acre farm can be a challenge to make sure everyone is safe and sound.

One of my stallions, Flash, suffered a serious injury six years ago. He fractured his shoulder and elbow in a freak accident. He found himself relegated to stall rest for a year, and then he was allowed a small paddock for a few months and then was allowed the flattest pasture I had, which believe me in Western Pennsylvania is no easy feat to find. Flash has had a long recovery and has come through it like a trooper. Through that time he has had pasture mates from time to time, whether they are geldings or bred mares. This past winter though I had no companion for Flash to share his field with. (I strongly believe stallions should have daily turnout and if possible have a pasture mate. They are herd animals, not solitary creatures to be locked up.)

Well back to Argo, the safest place to house Argo was going to be in a round pen inside my stallion paddock, Flash’s pasture. Now what to do with Flash…. I obviously could not put Flash in the same field with Argo for some time. So I made the tough decision to stall Flash for the long haul. Flash is an extremely special stallion, not only in temperament but in his courage and will to survive. If any horse could handle long term confinement Flash could. While Argo has been residing in Flash’s pasture, Flash has been relegated to the indoor arena and weekly riding under saddle, glaring at the stranger living in his pasture. Flash has once again though enjoyed hand walking and grazing. This time gave me an opportunity to appreciate Flash in a whole new light. He has become a handsome, mature stallion who easily adapts to the environments he is presented with.

A couple of weeks ago, I began to notice a longing in Argo’s eyes. He does not give the other horses much of his attention, but I catch him watching them when they are not paying attention. I used this want for companionship to help me with him, to connect with him so to speak. As my previous post explained, I had a major success with Argo.

I felt it was time to introduce Flash back into the pasture, to give them both the opportunity for companionship. Of course, my brain went into overdrive as I thought of all the horrible things that could happen. Would Flash feel he would have to challenge Argo through the pen? Would I watch Argo draw on his wild instincts and forget he had a 6 foot panel in front of him? And the debate went on in my head for several days. Finally, I made my mind up and put a 22 foot lead on Flash. My plan was if things went badly I would rely on Flash’s obedient nature to listen to me no matter what, and pray that all the intelligence I have seen in Argo would hold true. Well I don’t know what I was so worried about. Flash did his normal, puff up like a peacock, to impress Argo. Argo unthreatened, looked at him and blew at him as loud as I have heard him yet, but it was not an alarm blow, it was a “puhh!!! That’s supposed to impress me?!” Argo then turned on his heel and walked away. Oh the look on Flash’s face was priceless. He was infuriated, hurt and blown away all at the same time. Flash has always felt a need to announce his arrival to the other horses as he walks into the barn, and after one of his bellows you could hear a pin drop. Well, Argo was not impressed one bit and Flash was totally put out.

I took the next step and unhooked the lead from Flash’s halter. Typically, I never leave a halter on, but under the circumstances I felt I should if anything were to happen. As soon as Flash felt my hand leave the halter, he took off like a bullet to the round pen. I watched and waited. Flash began to circle the round pen like a hungry lion. I watched Argo’s ears and body movement. Argo never wavered and never changed his stance. He kept his rear end facing Flash the whole time and never once did he acknowledge Flash was even there. Flash of course, not to be ignored began to snake his head toward the ground. This is a typical stallion behavior when a stallion is trying in earnest to get a mare to mind him. Again, Argo ignored all of Flash’s stallion behaviors and began to eat his hay. I watched Argo some more and was pleased that Argo was not threatened by Flash’s antics, nor did he feel a need to challenge Flash.
Argo basically was non-impressed by Flash and Flash quickly tired of the fact that Argo was not going to bow down to him and went off to graze in his pasture.

Flash spent the night in the field and I watched a new calm come over Argo, a satisfaction so to speak. Flash spends every other day with Argo now. When Argo sees Flash coming out to the field, he calls to him, as if to say “Where have you been, we have so much to catch up on.” Flash will answer, but not in his normal announcement of his arrival, with his puffed up chest, but in a whinny that says, “The food lady said I had to stay in to give you some space, but man do I have some stuff to tell you about what happened in the barn.” Flash and Argo will hang out together catching up on gossip for a while and then they go their separate ways. Argo off to eat his hay, and Flash off to graze. Usually, Flash will come back to hang out with Argo several times throughout the evening. They both seem content with each other.

What I have observed with Argo is he is very comfortable in his own skin. He is not at all rattled by a younger, testosterone pumping, teenage stallion. He is very stately and exudes wisdom. I think he enjoys bestowing his knowledge on a younger horse, someone to share his stories with. Flash also enjoys having someone to talk to; I’m sure he points out all the mares to Argo and tells him who his favorite is and asks Argo for advice with the ladies.

I sit back and watch my two boys gab to each other and I think how courageous they both are in their own unique ways. Flash showed courage as a two year old with a severe debilitating injury, he never lost his cool during confinement; he came back from it and was put under saddle, again courage to try something that no one thought possible for him, he never argued, just tried to please. Argo has shown so much courage, he has had his world turned upside down in the past year. Everything he knew is gone, but yet here he is calmly and quietly dealing with what life has handed him, and flourishing. He has so much to teach me and Flash and he seems happy to do so.

The Human Factor

2008-07-31T07:55:00.003-04:00

“Use your gifts faithfully and they shall be enlarged; practice what you know, and you shall attain to higher knowledge.” ~ Matthew Arnold

This quote felt so appropriate to how Argo and I are learning together. I have found I do not need to be perfect with Argo, not to say I still don’t try, but he seems to trust me more when he sees me make my little mistakes. Mistakes such as not respecting his space soon enough, or moving my body at just the right time. My timing with my horses’ has never been one of my strong points. I constantly struggle with it and I strive to improve it daily whether in my riding or my ground handling with a horse, it has gotten worlds better, but it is always one of those things that need improvement.

Our time together has been pretty much spent under his favorite tree during feeding time. He taking his hay from my hand and getting more comfortable with it each time I offered it. Very, very rewarding to me, here is this animal that for 17 years knew no human, he was independent, the patriarch of his herd and absolutely had no need for a human being. His life was known in the wild, he would live or die by decisions he made in a split second. Repetition was not the normal way of life for him. The only thing he wanted in the wild was water, food and his herd. Why would he want the companionship of a human? Humans captured him, branded him and took his freedom away. Well here we are two months later and he is seeking companionship with a human. Eating out of her hand so to speak and he allowed the first stroke of a human hand across his cheek last week. Oh my, did the tears flow from my eyes and form a pool in my lap, as I touched a part of the wild. I was breathless as I watched Argo’s eyes through my own tear filled ones. Such understanding and wisdom is in those large windows to his soul. I watched him look at me, he wanted to be there, wanted the companionship of this human. I was deeply honored and humbled.

I think of how the BLM is now faced with the decision of euthanizing wild horses that have been captured and are in long term holding. They have come to this decision, due to the large cost increase in hay and availability of land to keep them on. I said several posts ago that the BLM is a double edged sword. I understand the position they are in. I don’t like it, I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand why they feel this is their only option. I strongly feel that Argo, had he not been adopted, would have been one of the first ones to see a needle. The thought of it makes me shudder. God’s hand steered Argo and I together way back in November when I saw the first pictures of him and his eyes spoke volumes to me. I had my reasons or as some will say my temporary insanity, and someone else had a reason for Argo. For that I am truly thankful.

Several years ago and several times since, I said to a friend who owns two Kiger Mustangs, how I would never own one. I most certainly admire them, and their abilities, movement and beauty is breathtaking, but I told her I did not think I could work on a day to day basis with one. Their brain works different I told her, than that of the horses I have worked with. I felt I would never have the patience to work with one, nor would I want to. I was perfectly happy being on the sidelines watching her work with hers’, helping when needed and being “Show Mom”, watching her realize goals she had set for herself and her Kiger mare. They have done fabulous by the way and she has every reason to be extremely proud of her accomplishments. It has been a long road with several bumps along the way, but the partnership between horse and human has been one of patience, devotion, trust and hard work. Some people who own Kigers will never realize that and it is shame to think how they willingly are missing out on one of the most important parts of having these magnificent animals in our lives. The Kiger Mustangs truly are a horse like no other. They are a gift to us and I am beyond thrilled to be learning with Argo and letting him teach me how that special mind and heart work.

Argo last week. His ears tell the story.
He is listening and thinking.
What are we learning next?

Seeds of Faith

2008-07-07T12:06:00.004-04:00

“On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey and it is the greatest property.” ~ Buddha

The above photo of Argo was sent to me by Suzy Johnson. She took this last November at the adoption in Burns, Oregon. Thank you Suzy!

Just so everyone knows, I have borrowed a tripod from a friend to video my evening time with Argo. Most of it is us staring at each other, but every time I pull the camera out we get a few moments of interesting video. I will compile it all and then edit it into to one video. I’m hoping to have something in the next month or so.

Never in million years would I have thought hand feeding a horse would be such a rewarding experience. Over my 25 plus years with horses, I have rescued quite a few horses that were fearful of people, had been neglected and/or abused. I took my time and learned from them the importance of touch. I have always had an extreme compassion for these horses. It is from most of those horses my foundation in learning how to live with and care for them was learned. Argo, though never abused or neglected, is quite similar in some ways and a perfectly clean slate in others. I learned at a young age that every time we interact with the horse, we are training him. Whether it is right, wrong or indifferent, they are learning from us. I guess in knowing that, I try almost too hard to make sure everything I do with Argo is correct.

When I sit with him in the evening, he will step back if I move my hands. He is not worried about my legs or my head turning, just my hands. My answer to this was to offer good things that he likes with my hands so a few weeks ago I began offering my hand to Argo while he was eating. At first he snorted and backed up and I just kept my hand there about six inches from his food. He became used to it after a while and even managed to get a little closer to my hand. After a few days of just my hand being there, I had hay in my outstretched hand. I had no illusions of him actually taking it, but I wanted him just to be comfortable with my hand. I did this with him for about three nights. On the fourth night, my husband came into the barn and asked if I had given Argo his evening hay. I replied I hadn’t yet; I was still working on barn chores, so he offered to take out his evening meal.

Now just to give you a little history on my husband, he was raised on a dairy farm, his experience with horses did not start until he met me. Jeff is a very gentle man when it comes to the horses. He has been invaluable to me when I have a difficult mare in for breeding, I can always trust that he will be on the end of the lead with that mare and talking to her and being kind, but yet firm when needed. He always has been good with the horses in our care, sometimes a bit naïve, but always gentle and never has he even thought of manhandling a horse, like some men do. He rides about once every two years and I really wish during those times that osmosis would work with two people, who sleep in the same bed next to each other, but my senior stallion, Malarky is very good to him and Jeff appreciates it. Jeff is not in the barn on a daily basis, but he does help when needed.

Anyway, back to the night in question. Jeff takes out the evening meal. He knew I had been offering my hand with hay in it, and he decided to do the same, but instead of giving the hay to Argo and sitting next to it, Jeff sat on the hay and offered a handful of it to him. I guess Argo was not impressed, but Jeff just held it out there for him. After a few minutes Jeff casually dropped it a few inches away from him. Argo happily reached down a picked it up. Jeff did this a few more times with him and then to Jeff’s surprise on the 5th or 6th time of offering the handful of hay, Argo took it from his hand. I wish I had been there to see it, or at least have the video camera set up to “catch the moment”. Jeff hand fed hay to Argo for a few more minutes and then on the last handful Argo’s lip brushed over Jeff’s thumb. I guess the “touch” was just too much for Argo and he stepped back from Jeff. Jeff again just dropped the hay for Argo and he eventually came back in and took the hay.

When Jeff came back into the barn and excitedly told me what had happened. I couldn’t believe how extremely jealous I was that it was anyone but me who had had that first moment with Argo, but I was. I did my best not to let it show to Jeff. He was so very proud oh “His” moment as he should have been. It made me sit back and think though as to how perfect I try to be with Argo, and here comes Jeff with no significant experience in training a horse, just a gentle nature about him and Argo takes hay from his hand. Ughhhh!

I am extremely happy to say though, that for the past few days Argo has begun taking hay from my hand, it has been extremely rewarding to me. I know I have said this before, but looking into Argo’s eyes, there is such wisdom there. I am so honored that he decides on a regular basis to share space with me. The seeds of faith are slowly sprouting.

The 15 Foot Rope

2008-07-03T23:09:00.005-04:00

First, I apologize for the huge delay in posting. Between horse shows, barn work, home improvements etc... I have had no time to sit and just write. My thoughts have been scattered and I have been unable to put words to paper.

Argo is doing great and we are making wonderful progress. I will post details of it in the days to come.

Some people have asked why he has the 15 ft. lead rope attached to his halter. I thought I would try my best to give reasons to this and my observations of the absolute necessity of it. If anyone has more to add to the benefits please feel free to post in the comments.

When I was first told I would need a rope on him, I assumed a mere catch rope like I put on for my weanlings. Four to six feet usually suffices and this helps to teach them to give to poll pressure without getting them in trouble and getting themselves hurt. Have you ever tried to hold back a yearling that is adamant that he or she is going to go where they want and you can either come along for the ride or just sit in the dust? I did years ago, and I learned then the value of a catch rope. By stepping on it while doing their own thing, they learn to not have hissy fits and panic attacks when faced with the pressure of a halter. The catch rope is a very useful tool.

When the BLM told me the rope needed to be 12-15 ft long, I did question their wisdom as to the length. My first thought was what if he wraps it around two legs and falls? What if he somehow gets it caught around the panel in the pen? What if it wraps around a tree? And the questions went on through my mind. The BLM did insist that it must be a cotton lead and not a poly type lead and because they have done this much longer than anyone, I went with it. Hence the 15 ft cotton lead Argo now finds attached to his halter.

Why is it still on? This has been asked a few times now. I cannot tell you how invaluable this rope will be in years to come with Argo. I will list the accomplishments Argo has made with his rope.

1. Learned poll pressure from stepping on the rope several hundred times now. At first he jumped at the pressure, and now it is “old hat” to him. He just sighs and takes his foot off the lead and tosses his head to get the rope out from under him.

2. Dragging something heavy behind him. Have you ever felt what a 15 ft. cotton rope feels like when it is soaked through from rain and mud? Argo has and I am sure he would tell you it is like dragging around four concrete blocks.

3. Desensitized on all four legs. Argo has managed to wrap that rope around them one at a time and all at the same time. Again, he calmly sighs now and extracts himself from it. I am sure if he ever were to get caught in a fence he would not panic and make his legs look like they have gone through a meat grinder.

4. Cinch and saddle tightening. This one had me in stitches actually. Argo had rolled and when he got up he found the rope wrapped around his barrel almost where a cinch would be. Of course this resulted in a bucking fit for about a minute. What amazed me with him was how quickly he assessed the situation and corrected it. He stood there looking at his barrel and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He actually thought back to how the dang rope had gotten there in the first place and he got down and rolled until he was satisfied it was off of him. This rope has also been across his rump as well and his reaction has been a calm swish of his tail to remove it. He amazes me as to how quickly he can assess a situation and make a decision that 99% of the time has been the correct one.

5. A play toy. Argo has become quite enamored with his rope. There have been a few times I have caught him carrying his rope around in his mouth. When he realizes I am watching him he quickly drops it out of his mouth as if to say “That is beneath me! You didn’t just see that. It was only a figment of your imagination.”

Argo’s long lead rope has been quite the educational tool. He would never have been able to learn so much with just a four foot rope. I must also make it clear; his rope is not meant to “catch” him. I’m not sure when it will come off, but we get closer to its removal each day.

Quiet Sentinel

2008-06-15T08:23:00.004-04:00

Well, it has been one month since Argo stepped off of the trailer and into my heart. So many emotions have come over me in that time. I still have thoughts that the BLM should have left him on the Riddle HMA. I don’t want anyone to misunderstand that I am not thrilled to have Argo with me, I am, but I can’t help but wonder what captivity will do to Argo’s spirit. I never saw him in the wild, so I can’t say with certainty that it has or will change, but I have been told by several people that he eluded capture in previous gathers, what does that mean to him?

He has adjusted extremely well to his life here with me. He waits at the gate for me to bring his hay, he quietly watches me clean his pen and scrub his water barrel. He follows me at a distance wondering what I will leave behind for him.

I sit with him in the evenings as it has become “our” time. I am slowly planting the seeds of trust with him. I don’t know how long it will take, but I am patient.

I can’t help but think though what it would have been like to see him on the Riddle HMA. Was he a fierce protector of his herd of mares? Was he a leader to the herd or did he let the mares do the work? I suspect the answers would be yes, he was the protector and he was a leader to his family. I have looked into his eyes and I know there is a rich history there. I think he has cried over loss and enjoyed quiet times and simplicity, as well as enduring the never ending struggle to survive.

So where does this leave Argo? I would like to think he is satisfied with his life. He doesn’t have to travel several miles a day for food and water. He has the company of Zachary, the little sorrel pony, who is the closest in distance to him. He watches the comings and goings around the farm. He has a strange woman who comes in several times a day, she talks to him and sits and watches him. Sometimes he shows interest in what is happening around him. Usually, he is a quiet sentinel, watching and taking it all in.

Argo Breath

2008-06-04T21:41:00.004-04:00

Argo and I are working on a bond, slow as it may be. In the evenings while Argo is eating, I usually sit and watch him. I have been sitting near a panel of the pen and then each day slowly closing the distance between He and I. Well, Monday night, when I brought his evening hay out and placed it in his normal spot, I sat next to the tree which is about a foot away from his hay. Now keep in mind, when I say “I sat” it was more like a crouch down using the tree to brace my back. I have really bad knees, two surgeries on my right knee and one on my left knee. Needless to say, my knees are unreliable at times.

I was hesitant to sit all the way down. Several thoughts were running through my head as Argo was eyeballing me waiting for me to leave so that he could come and eat. Argo was standing about 10 feet away from me “blowing” quite loudly telling me to leave so that he could eat. Good grief what was I doing?

The thought passed through my brain, that he could take my not leaving, as a form of aggression on my part. Again back to the bad knees, if he were to say “charge me”, I would have no chance of getting out of the way if I would have sat down all the way, so there I was crouched down with my back against the tree, making sure my knees were in the most comfortable position, but yet easily (as well as could be expected) be able to get out of the way with out killing myself. Thinking to myself, this is crazy, I should just let him be and sit where I normally do. Then I looked at him, looking at me and his head was down to my level about six feet away. He was still “blowing” but not as loud, and his ears were forward. So he made a decision (hunger) and crept in to get a bite of hay. He took a bite and jumped backwards three steps. I didn’t move, nor did I look at him. I just ignored him. He came back for another bite, reached down took it and only took one step back.

I could see him out of the corner of my eye, studying me. His ears always stayed forward. His eyes were full of expression. The curiosity in him is amazing to me for a horse his age.

I continued to ignore him as he continued to eat his hay. He kept “blowing” very softly, still not totally comfortable with my being so close. I talked to him quietly, saying his name, telling him about my day. He watched me as he chewed his hay, as if he understood my babbling words. I looked at him as he ate and longed to brush him, he let out a large sigh as I was watching him.

I sat like that with Argo for some time until my knees could no longer hold up to the pressure. I finally gave in and just sat on the ground next to Argo’s hay. He looked at me as if to say “I was wondering when your knees would give out.” He never moved while I adjusted my body to a more comfortable position. I was turned kind of sideways to him, still in my somewhat “ignoring him” position, and that’s when it happened. Argo reached towards me and I felt his breath on my arm. Not a sniff, but an exhale. I looked at his eyes and they were warm and every so curious. No fear in them, just desire to figure me out. It took every fiber in me not to reach out to him, to touch his soft nose. I held back he is not ready yet. This is what the BLM people meant when they said let him come to me.

I just continued to sit there and get my emotions under control. I felt tears roll down my cheeks. If someone would have said to me that I would have gotten emotional over a horse breathing on my arm a year ago, I would have looked at them like they had grown a third head. Argo is a very spiritual experience; he is working his way into my soul.

A History of the Kiger Mustang

2008-06-02T07:37:00.003-04:00

I apologize for the lack of posting the past few days. I have been busy doing research and horse showing over the weekend. I felt I should try to give a history of how the Kiger Mustangs came to be and why they are so different than other mustangs found in the western regions of the United States. My hope in posting this is that people who are unfamiliar with the Kiger Mustang will maybe begin to understand why I am taking the much needed time to gentle Argo.

BTW, Argo has been doing great; he is becoming more comfortable with “little people”. Mikayla helped me feed him last week at her lesson. He didn’t "blow" near as loud or as often as he did the week before. He is also getting more comfortable with me pushing a wheel barrow in and around his pen. He had gotten very comfortable with the muck bucket being drug around, but it was harder on me, so I started with the wheelbarrow early last week.

Most of what is written below has been cut and paste from various sources. I have given credit references at the end. If you find credit has not been properly posted, please email me and I will correct it.

The BLM Wild Horse Program

There are over 1,000 wild horses roaming within eight Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in the Burns District in Oregon. You can find colorful bands of wild horses scattered throughout the Burns District’s eight beautiful HMAs: Palomino Buttes, Warm Springs, Kiger, Riddle Mountain, South Steens, Heath Creek/Sheepshead, Alvord-Tule Springs, and Stinkingwater.

Oregon's wild horses are feral. Feral means domestic ancestors turned wild. Wild horses and burros adapt well to captivity. The natural structure of a family of horses is the band. The dominant stallion is the boss. His role is to protect his band from danger and increase his harem of mares and foals. The band is led in its daily routine of grazing and watering by the lead mare.
Once excess wild horses in Oregon/Washington are gathered from the range, they are brought to Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility for preparation for the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse Program.

Wild horses are shy creatures and must be approached with caution. Wild horses run instinctively when in danger, but a stallion can show aggression when he fears his band is being threatened. When searching for bands of wild horses, stud piles are the first sign of horse activities. These large piles of manure are territorial markings left by rival males. Recent horse activity is determined by the freshness of these piles.

Riddle Mountain HMA

This HMA is located eleven miles east and south of Diamond, Oregon on the north side of Steens Mountain. The herd size ranges from 33 to 56 horses of varying colors such as dun, buckskin, grulla, bay and brown. Horses range from 14-15 hands high and 900-1,000 pounds and rely on native bunchgrasses within sagebrush and juniper cover for their diet. The herd area covers 28,000 acres of rugged, high desert country with extremely rocky surfaces divided by deep canyons, rim rocks and plateaus. Water sources include perennial streams, natural ponds and springs.

Kiger HMA

This HMA is located eleven miles east and south of Diamond, Oregon and contains Kiger horses of various colors including dun, buckskin, grulla, bay, brown, and red dun. The herd size ranges from 51 to 82 horses, with animal sizes ranging from 14-15 hands high and 900-1,000 pounds. The Kiger horses rely on native bunchgrasses within sagebrush and juniper cover. Their herd area covers 27,000 acres of rugged, high desert country with extremely rocky surfaces divided by deep canyons, rim rocks and plateaus. Water sources include perennial streams, natural ponds and springs.

The BLM manages two special areas in southeastern Oregon for wild horses with Spanish Mustang characteristics. The two areas are located in the Burns District and are know as the Kiger and Riddle Mountain Herd Management Areas. These two HMA’s were created so that a natural catastrophe would not wipe out the whole population.

A Brief History of the Kiger Mustang

No other horse in America is quite like the Kiger Mustang found on Steen’s Mountain in southeastern Oregon. Most wild horses are of mixed influence and characteristics while the Kiger Mustangs possess many characteristics of the original Spanish Mustang. The word mustang was derived from the word mesteno, which meant “unclaimed sheep" in the Spanish language and later came to mean "wild" or "unclaimed" horse. Mustang came about as an English language slang term for mesteno.

The Spanish Mustang was a part of early American history, having roots in Native American history, and is the horse that helped settle the west. At one time it was thought to be extinct on the range. Since the Kiger Mustangs may well be one of the best remaining examples of the Spanish Mustang, their preservation is extremely important.

The Kiger Mustang exhibits physical color characteristics know as the "dun factor" which were also common to many of the horse the Spaniards reintroduced to North America in the 1600's. Color classifications of the dun factor are: dun, red dun, grulla (mouse gray), buckskin, and variations of these colors. Markings on animals with the dun factor include dorsal stripes; zebra stripes on the knees and hocks; chest, rib and arm bars; outlined ears; the top one-third of the ear on its backside darker that the body color; fawn coloring on the inside of the ears; bi-colored mane and tail; face masks and cob-webbing on the face. The less white these horses have, the stronger the dun factor. An individual horse having the dun factor may have many but not all of these markings.

Kiger Mustangs have the physical conformation of both the tarpan and oriental hotblood horses from which the original Spanish Mustangs came. Their eyes are wide set and prominent. These animals also have distinctly hooked ear tips and fine muzzles. They are indeed a unique breed of wild horse. Management of the Kiger herd was directed toward animals that were easy to adopt out, and the demand for Kiger mustangs always far exceeded the supply. Kiger mustangs were the first mustangs that were adopted out by competitive bidding. In spite of those efforts, many retained primitive characteristics, and after decades of management, even today one can find Kigers that look like the Sorraia horse, the most primitive horse in Iberia, and an ancestor of the Lusitano and the Andalusian.

Kiger Mustangs were discovered in 1977, during a roundup by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Beatty’s Butte, located in southeastern Oregon (Harney County) in the United States. During the roundup, it was noticed that among those horses collected from the area, there was a group with similar color and markings. Testing was done at the University of Kentucky and the DNA showed close relation to the Spanish horses brought over in the 1600s. It was agreed that these horses would be separated from the other horses and the BLM placed two groups in different Horse Management Areas (HMAs) to preserve the breed. Seven horses were placed in Riddle Mountain HMA and twenty in Kiger HMA. These two HMA’s are fenced in to prevent interbreeding with other Mustangs.

The Kiger mustang herd is the most uniform wild herd in the West. They are an "established breed", that is, breeding true for generations to a certain type. Many of today's existing Kiger Mustangs can be traced back to a single stallion named "Mesteño", whose name means "stray" or "feral" in Spanish.

The Kiger Mustang typically exhibits Spanish mustang conformation and the grulla individuals often the coloring of the ancient Tarpan. The convex head, typical for the original Iberian horse, can still be found, although many nowadays have a straight and some even a dished profile. Kiger mustangs are 14 hands and more, and when raised under domestic conditions can mature to 15 hands. The neck is arched like the typical Iberian, with a throatlatch that allows them to easily bridle up and tuck in their chins. The withers are pronounced and long; the croup is sloped. The chest is narrow but deep with the typical sloped shoulder. The Kiger mustang's legs and feet are sound and durable. The cannon bones are usually on the long side, and the movements are that of the Iberian horse, with considerable knee action.

Among Kiger mustangs are horses with the same DNA type as the primitive Sorraia horse -- this is the only wild herd in the West with individuals like that. With the rest of the Kiger mustangs, the same Iberian genotype is found as in other wild herds of Iberian descent.

The Kiger mustang HMA is hilly and rocky, and demands a sure-footed horse, with tough hooves. The Kiger's hoof walls are extremely thick. It is incredible how they can fly over rocky ground at a full gallop that domestic horses could hardly negotiate at a trot!

Kiger Mustangs, as a rule, are agile and intelligent, with the stamina and surefootedness seen in many feral horse breeds. Bold and with lots of "heart and bottom" (a term for courage and determination) but gentle as well as calm, they are ideal for pleasure riding as well as trail, performance, endurance, driving, and many other situations that an athletic horse is desired.

References: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/wildhorse/kiger.php
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/wildhorse/index.php
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/wildhorse/herd-manage.php
http://www.kigeranne.com/Mares-2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiger_Mustang
http://www.horseshowcentral.com/flex/kiger_mustang/258/1

Argo's Training?

2008-05-28T03:21:00.003-04:00

I have found a surprising misconception among people when it comes to Mustangs. People have asked me why I have not touched him yet. Why have I not asserted myself as the alpha? Why have I not done round pen training with him because he is in a round pen, was that not the purpose for him to be in one? Why don’t I just work him like I would any other horse?

Though I have limited experience with Mustangs that have been gathered and hence very little human contact, I feel I have had a basic understanding as to how one would approach such a horse and begin the gentling process. Argo is not the typical Mustang. Generally, the BLM adopts young mustangs under the age of 5. They have adopted out older ones, but the norm is the younger ones. There is a reason for this. They are easier to gentle.

Argo is not the typical Mustang.

First he is a Kiger, in my limited experience that alone sets him apart from other mustangs from different regions and HMA’s in the West.

Second is his age. He was gathered at the age of 17. I am not even going to pretend to imagine or know what his experiences have been. His age alone will be my biggest hurdle, asking him to trust me, when all of his instincts are telling him not to.

Third, would be the stallion mind, which also can be a roadblock to some degree, but also most likely, my way in to his mind. Stallions by nature are lazy. I should correct that and say the mares are the ones to be the first line of defense when it comes to possible predators. They are the alarm system. When they feel threatened by a predator they will alert the herd to any danger. You see this in most animals in the wild. Take lions for example. The lioness does the hunting while the lion lies back under a tree and naps. He only shows true aggression when his pack is under attack or another male comes around to maybe challenge him. Stallions pretty much share the same philosophy. “Call me when you really need me, but it better be important!”

It has totally baffled me as to how everybody has an opinion as to how I should “train” Argo. I try to handle their opinions with respect, but it is beginning to become very frustrating to say the least to explain my take on how Argo should be gentled. The ones giving the opinions have either no experience with Mustangs or their experience has been with them after they have already been gentled. Their experience has been in domestic horses. They have stated though that they will “Show me how it’s done!” Or I have been told that I must be “afraid of Argo and that’s what is holding us back.”

Let me be the one to say I am not “afraid” of Argo. Argo and I have found a working distance relationship that he is comfortable with. He is learning to trust me. In his mind I am the predator, my duty to him is to show him through respect that I am not that predator. This is part of the gentling process. He is not like a 2 year old colt who has never had a line drawn in the sand and is pushy and belligerent, and needs to have a good “whooping.” Argo is very respectful, never has he shown me his hind end, because in his world, you never turn your back on a predator. Argo watches everything I do with curiosity, learning while he is watching me, learning to trust me, learning that I am not the conqueror, but a possible friend.

So Much in Just One Week

2008-05-24T10:13:00.004-04:00

Well, it has been one week now since Argo stepped off the trailer and into my heart. I never thought so much could happen in one week. Argo and I have gained a lot of ground this past week. More than I had hoped for. He is extremely calm and takes most events in stride. Watching him study events that happen around him really gives one insight to how his mind works. You can see the understanding process in Argo and it is raw if that makes sense. He is pure instinct, but yet he is still willing to try and be a part of my world. It is very rewarding to me.

There is a debate going on in my head. Even though the BLM people told me to let him approach me, I am struggling with that idea. Yes, I do want him to approach, but I also do not want him to think he is the boss or Alpha over me. I believe it will be a very fine line that I will have to draw when that moment comes. He has 17 years of experience defending his mares from any threat. Granted, he has no mares now, but I am sure he will want to defend something, that something possibly being his pen, or he may feel that for me to become part of his herd, he will need to push me around. I’m not sure as to when that day will happen, but I am watching him and learning from him.

My experiences with the stallion mind have taught me to never try to predict what is going to happen next. Always have a contingency plan, and always be ready to use it. I prefer to work with them over the mares. I know certain mares who would lay their life down for their owners; I have never experienced that yet with the mares I have had. I hope to one day, but my boys and I have always worked very well together. We have earned each others respect and they have been willing to go that extra mile for me.

My senior stallion, Malarky has shown this to me time and time again. He currently is dealing with arthritis in is his knee. We didn’t know about it until just a few months ago. When we radio-graphed his knee, I cried at the damage done. He has worked his butt off for me for the past 7 years without complaint. Never has he taken a bad step or tried to say no to something I have asked him to do. Now mind you he is lazy, most stallions are, but he has a lot of try, and he would never refuse to move out for me, even in pain.

How does this all relate to Argo? I want to earn his respect, as he will earn mine. I feel his mind will be similar to the stallions I have worked with, but yet vastly different. He has pure, raw instinct, but he is still a horse. I believe if we build our relationship on trust and respect, that we will form that bond.

Argo and I have being doing a sort of dance. I walk forward, he stands his ground. I take another step and another, pausing between each one to allow him to digest what is going on, until he takes a step backwards. I take a step back and he thinks about his next move and he usually takes a step forward, if not I take another step back and then he takes his step forward. We look at each other and take each other in, and then I step forward again, he thinks about what to do and I just patiently wait for him to relax before I move again. One step at a time I keep telling myself that is how this will happen, one step at a time. No rushing, no forcing, just patience and lots of it.

Argo Meets a Little Person

2008-05-23T00:15:00.002-04:00

I have a very young lesson student, Mikayla, who is 6 years old. She is absolutely horse crazy. I have been instructing her for a little over a year now and she is like a little sponge. She absorbs everything I teach her. I am extremely proud of what she has learned over the past year. She has learned parts of the horse, parts of the saddle and bridle. She knows and says the chemical names of the wormers and all the different parasites they kill. Needless to say she knows more than most adults who have been around and worked with horses for most their lives. The one thing Mikayla has struggled with is the different colors of horses. She knows them all, but Gray still stumps her. I have shown her pictures of flea bitten gray, rose, gray, dapple gray etc… and she struggles with gray when presented with it.

Anyway, Mikayla has known about Argo coming for some time and the excitement had been slowly building. Her mother showed her the first video of Agro and Mikayla was hooked. Now she asks to watch the video everyday after school. Well Thursday was her weekly lesson and she was very happy to be able to see Argo up close. So off we went hand in hand to the paddock. Mikayla was wearing a very bright pink jacket, which Argo noticed right away. He gave a very loud “blow”. I actually had not heard him “blow” that loud for the past few days. He was quite alarmed. I explained to my young student the need to let him digest and understand what he was seeing. As we got closer to the pen he became very curious, but yet was not going to take a step towards us just yet. Mikayla and I just sat next to the pen while Argo studied us.

Mikayla asked all kinds of questions, “Why had I not brushed him yet? He is muddy and she would be happy to brush him, and she would like to pet him, why couldn’t she pet him yet?” And it went like that for a few minutes while I explained what “wild” meant. The whole time Argo just studied Mikayla, totally intrigued by her, but yet still wary of the bright pink jacket. We moved closer to the pen and Argo stood there calmly watching us. We got to the pen and he took a step towards us. Mikayla exclaimed “He likes me!” That was too much for Argo he took three steps back. I explained to her that we needed to be calm and not raise our voices when Argo is unsure of something. That instruction lasted about 3 seconds after he took a step again towards us, and Mikayla was so excited and he stepped back with less force, but he still just was not sure of her. I then asked Mikayla what color Argo was and without even a pause she shouted “Gray!” I was so proud.

Argo by this time had realized there really was no threat in the little alien who had a big voice, but he was not going to come any closer for fear of the voice getting louder. I told Mikayla that was enough for today, that I’m sure each time she sees Argo his response to her will be better. It just takes time. She of course thinks that will happen next week. I wish I had the concept of time that children have.

What I love about Mikayla is being able to see the absolute joy on her face, such as today when she first saw Argo in the flesh and exclaimed how beautiful he was. She is just absolutely thrilled with anything horse and I hope she never loses that.

I have new batteries finally for the camera so I promise new pictures for tomorrows post.

I Was Sleeping Here...

2008-05-22T07:48:00.001-04:00

I am just giddy with excitement.
I went to take Argo out his midday meal yesterday and I expected to see him standing looking at the girls up on the hill and what I found was him laying down. Not flat out, but with his legs curled underneath him and his muzzle resting on the ground. I immediately panicked thinking something was wrong, so I started softly saying his name. “Argo….Argo…. Hey honey, you okay?” No response.
Now I’m really worried. I raised my voice more and said “Argo!” He looked up at me nonchalantly as if to say “What? Can’t you see I’m sleeping?’ He slowly got up, no big rush, and just stood there looking at me with his hay down on the grass at my feet. He moved over to where I place his hay usually and looked back at me like “Well are you bringing it in or what?”

With my heart back in my chest, I thought of what this meant. I truly did not expect to see him lay down for a nap this soon. I figured he would not trust the environment enough to be able to do so. So, I feel Argo thinks the farm is safe enough and he is comfortable enough to risk the possible danger of laying down for a short snooze.

Sorry Argo. I will try not to interrupt next time.

Mountain Lion Barn Cats

2008-05-21T10:27:00.002-04:00

I have become so ingrained in my habits with horses over the past 27 years that I have fallen into a routine, as have most of the horses I have known. Routines can be bad though as my family and friends can tell you of my minor/major issues I have had over the past few years, with a few horses and my knees.

Mundane things like barn cats running around my feet anticipating a scratch or food is part of barn life right? Well not to Argo. I knew the dogs would look like a threat to him, that was obvious, but barn cats? Who would have thought?

I went out to his pen this morning with his hay and the cats were following me like dogs would follow their master. I never gave it a thought. I placed his hay down, and I watched his attention divert from the hay to something else, I turned to look, and it was the cats, which had followed me into the pen. I had to laugh and giggle. Argo has probably experienced mountain lions of some sort I’m sure, but to see the look on his face and the very loud “blow” he made at the barn cats, was just priceless.

I could just imagine the thoughts racing through his head. “OMG their not the size of a mountain cat and their claws can’t rip like a mountain cat. Maybe their baby mountain lion cats and have just not grown up yet.” I didn’t know what to expect him to do next, so I cautiously moved back towards the gate, the whole time talking to him softly, until he diverted his attention back to me and he gave another loud “blow” as to alert me to the baby mountain lion barn cats because obviously I was not aware of the danger in front of me. I told him again softly it was okay. Now mind you, the cats were totally oblivious to the potential danger they were in, and they slowly milled around and out of Argo’s pen as I went through the gate. I think Argo was totally exasperated at the fact that the cats were following me. Again, the look on his face was priceless. I kick myself for not having the camera. The cats quickly tired of the paddock that Argo’s pen is in and went off in search of field mice. It was not until then that Argo relaxed and went to his hay.

I just stood there watching him for a few more moments reminding myself that routines will not do Argo or me any good when it comes to things that I tend to take for granted. Maybe I should put a post-it note on my forehead reminding me of that little tidbit.

A Whinny for Your Thoughts?

2008-05-20T21:56:00.005-04:00

What was I so worried about?

I have been nervous about the first time Argo would see the barn horses out in their pastures. I own three stallions and I have18 mares and geldings here. My property is bisected by a road, so the lay of the land is such that I have 4 pastures across the road from my barn and house and I have two very large pastures on the barn and house side, along with Argo’s paddock kind of smacked dab in the middle of the back side of my property. He has a view of all the pastures. The mares currently stay on the barn side and the boys are across the road.

Well, I had decided this afternoon was it, the horses were going out, and the sun had been out long enough to dry the fields out so that there would be no fear of horses sliding down hillsides. I got anxious though as to how best to let the horses out.

I finally decided to have my son, Zared take my senior stallion down the road first, who would pose the least threat, (he is a big sissy), and then let a field of mares out, then back to the younger stallion, and his pasture mate, then a few of the geldings then another field of girls and then the last of the geldings. I waited by the pen to see Argo’s reaction with baited breath.
I didn’t know what to expect. When Argo first heard MaIarky’s shoes hit the road his ears flicked to the noise, once he saw him though, he pretty much turned his back on him.

Okay, one down, 5 more fields to go. The first group of girls went out next. They went tearing up the hillside bucking and carrying on. Argo moved towards their side of the pen and pretty much just stood there. I was worried he would pace, scream, or try to climb the pen, something. Nope, he just stood there. The only thing moving on him was his ears, they were moving like a radar antenna, one ear moving independent of the other ear.

The next stallion, Dell, came down the road with his buddy, Titan. Argo did not even dignify him Dell with a look, much to Dell’s dismay. Dell stood at the fence hollering for Argo to just take a peek at him. Nope. Nada, Not gonna happen.

Argo at this time had gone back to munching hay. Then a group of geldings went out, no change in Argo. Then the last group of girls went out. The pasture this group goes into is further from Argo than the other mare pasture, so I figured we might get just some ear flicking. We got more than that, the girls went tearing up the hill and I watched Argo, again he moved to the side of the pen closest to them and his head came up high, ears erect and he “whinnied”. I was blown away. I was so excited. I started jumping up and down telling Zared, “Did you hear that?” Argo whinnied! He’s happy! Well, Zared burst my bubble, and said”Yea, so?” And then just to reaffirm to me that my first instinct was right, Argo “whinnied” again. I turned to Zared again and said “See he is happy. He just said so!” Zared just smiled with his goofy grin and said “Okay Mom, he’s happy.”

Poor kid probably is thinking his Mother needs a shrink now.

Argo’s “whinnying” to the 2nd group of girls, seemed to me like he was saying “Ladies…, Oh Ladies, see the gentleman in the paddock down and to the right?” And I got to love my girls, they all took pause and looked at him, it was only a moment because they live with 3 stallions already, so it’s no big deal to them, but I could tell Argo was pleased with himself. He stood in the sun and just basked in his glory.

I should have known better, I shouldn’t have been so worried. Horses, Argo knows, that’s what he is comfortable with. People are the unknown.

Oh Ladies!

Look! They Like Me

Just for fun I threw a quick video together of Argo's reaction to the girls.
You can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTcxZy7m5g

A Day in the Life

2008-05-20T07:28:00.008-04:00

Argo and I are getting into a routine which is good. I bring his hay to him 4x a day and each time he acknowledges me with a “blow”. Each time the blow is a little later in coming and a little less in strength. He gets a little closer to me each day. Of course it could be he would just like to eat sooner as opposed to waiting for me to leave. We are at about a 4-5 foot distance away from each other currently. I have been told to let him come to me, so I respect this and am just happy with him getting comfortable with me being in the pen with him. How I long for the day to just feel his coat underneath my hand, and to be able to stroke his face. I am being patient though at letting him decide when that will be. Patience has never been one of my strong suites, as my husband and children have so often told me. So this is good. No one probably thought a horse would be the one to teach it to me though.

I am still just mesmerized by his movement. He is about 15.1 in height, but his bone is huge, but it does not make him look clunky, it fits him. It is part of what makes him so impressive. He is like a horse from my dreams as a child. The horse that the prince rides in on to save the princess, only Argo is better. Okay, I’m becoming snobby. I’ll work on toning that down.

A friend who owns several Kiger Mustangs sent this to me.

She wrote it several years and dedicated it to all Wild Stallions.

A Stallion's Song

His mane and Tail

billow in the wind

as a flag of freedom

which rules his heart within.

He hears the thunder in the sky.

The range calls out his name

to dance that wild dance of freedom,

hoof pounding earth,

and then again

as the dust rises up to follow him.

His band is his prize

won over time

from battles fought and lost

by others of his kind.

Wearily watching

for that fateful day shall come,

the day of challenge

to never be denied.

Yes, another shall come

to take away his prize.

Aged and wise,

scarred from the battles of life,

his purpose lies deep within,

to preserve his kind

till the end of his time,

when another shall conquer him.

Melissa Scott

Dec. 10, 2001

Rain, Rain Go Away

2008-05-19T13:24:00.003-04:00

I am convinced Argo thinks I have brought him to “Rain Hell”.

It has rained since Thursday. First it will pour and then the sun will come out blazing, then the clouds will move in again and it will rain some more. Just as I think the ground may start to dry out, it downpours yet again.

Pennsylvania is known for its clay dirt and it takes forever to dry out. With the temperatures being below normal the past few days and no hope of seeing 70 until maybe Friday, the ground will be muck and mud all week.

Poor Argo, I know he has spent time in the rain, and I don’t want to wuss over him. The BLM people told me to make sure not to spoil him, but good grief the weather will just not give this poor guy a break.

Even in the rain though, Argo stands regal and proud.

Waiting for the sun to maybe peek out and and warm his back.

Number 8117

2008-05-19T06:52:00.004-04:00

Was that all he was or is?

I look at his ID tag that the BLM gave me, and I have mixed emotions about it. It signifies so much of what has happened to Argo. His capture from the wild, the only world he knew for 17 years. I don’t know whether to hide it in a drawer, or hang it proudly. I have moments where I wish the BLM had never included him in the gather.

I know they are only doing their job, and there are some fantastic people who work at the BLM, from Craig and Joe, to Randy and Karen. I know there are countless others who I have never spoken too, but I know they are there. The BLM though is a double edged sword so to speak. Their job is to manage the herds and keep the numbers to a level that the HMA can handle for the amount of horses on it.

I have to wonder though as to why a horse, Argo’s age would be stripped from the land he knew, only to be put into the world he finds himself in now. I can make guesses as to why, but I look at his big bone and his strong hip and his graceful movement and think why was he not left on Riddle to pass on these traits to the next generation. One of the biggest flaws I see in a lot of the Kiger Mustangs, both captive bred and the gathered ones the past few years, is the lack of the very best traits Argo has. It is a shame, not only to the genetics that Argo could have offered, but to his lifelong home.

So for now, Argo I am sure is wondering what on Earth has happened to his life since last October, as he watches the “Food Lady” come in to his pen carting a muck bucket and fork to clean up what he has left behind, and “blowing” softly at her asking when the next meal will be brought.

Sunday Morning Musings

2008-05-18T08:44:00.004-04:00

So many thoughts are just rolling around in my head today. I meant for this blog to be a place to post news of Argo’s milestones, but I believe it is going to become a place for me to put my scattered thoughts. So bear with me and I will try to make it all make some sense.

I knew way back last fall when I learned of Argo being captured that my heart ached for him. He had survived all those years in the wild only to be gathered into a holding pen to find out what his fate would be. Did he understand what had happened to him? What his future would hold? Did he think past the moment?

I watch him in his pen outside my indoor arena, and I long to know his thoughts. Does he wonder what goes on in this big white box that he looks at? Does he think this is better than a holding pen, or does he long for the ranges he called home?

I never thought I would be one of those people who would feel like God had touched them deeply in their heart with the presence of an animal, but that is how I feel when I am around him. In just 2 days Argo has managed to make me a blubbering idiot. Tears form just watching his grace and beauty, even in the pouring rain.

He is a sight to behold! And he does ask that you recognize that in him, I must emphasize that he does ask though. He has a surprisingly calm demeanor. Watching him move with such power, but yet lightness is just breathtaking.

It’s funny how quickly horses form opinions of people. I own a boarding facility and the horses here know me as the “food lady”. When the owners’ struggle to get their horse to come to them in the pasture, they look for me and I stand at the gate and the horses typically come in anticipation of food, unless they have just been turned out after a meal.

Argo, I feel has already formed this opinion of me. Last night, which would have been his 4th time he had seen me bring his hay, he stood in the middle of the pen, and “blew” at me. Kind of like he was saying “Where the heck have you been? I have been out of hay for a whole hour!” I again had tears in my eyes. I was honored that he recognized me and at least told me he did. I opened the gate and we did our mirror image of each other. He circling right, I circling left to his shelter. He stops about 5 feet away from where I place his hay, and waits for me to walk back the path I had come. He then heads in to eat his hay. As I get to the gate, I look back and he is watching me as if to maybe say “thank you”, and then he “blows” again, but much quieter this time. I want to believe it is a “thank you” and not a “get the heck out of here and leave me alone!”

I have noticed since Friday he has different tones to his “blows”. I’m not exactly sure what this means, but I would hazard a guess that these sounds are what the herds use to talk to each other, whether it be an alarm, daily discussion with other herd mates, or any various issues that might come up in herd life. I would feel it would be similar to whale songs and how they communicate with each other.

I am anxious to see his reactions to new things. He has not seen my dogs yet. I have four and they are all large. I am sure he will see them as a threat, so I have been keeping them in the house and/or barn. He has not seen the barn horses yet, out in their fields, which he has a view of all of the pastures. It has been raining here since Thursday night off and on and the pastures are soaked. So maybe tomorrow if things start to dry out, he will see the horses turned out. He has seen motorcycles and cars from the road below him and he is aware of them, but not spooked. He “blows” quite loudly at them, as if to say “There take that!”

I will finish for now as my head has seemed to have emptied out most of the thoughts that I can somewhat put together in sentences.

A Journey has Begun

2008-05-17T21:11:00.010-04:00

For those who do not know what a Kiger Mustang is, I will give you the short version. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has two management areas for a small herd of Mustangs that stood out from the rest. Kiger and Riddle HMA's. These horses are well known for their dun coloring.
Ever see Dreamworks animated movie, Spirit? That movie's main character, Spirit, was based on the Kiger Mustangs.

Anyway, every 3-4 years the BLM gathers horses from these two HMA's and offers them for adoption to the public. This past October a gather was done, and in that gather, a stately gray, Kiger Mustang stood out from the rest. He had been seen years before in previous gathers, but had been turned back out. He now was 17 and offered for adoption. An adoption was held in Burns, Oregon and people from far and wide came to bid on the Kigers. Old Gray or Big Gray as he came to be known as, was looked at and photographed, and passed over for adoption. From what was said, people were worried about his age and being wild, some worried about his color, which years ago was probably thought to be claybank dun, and now is showing to be gray, and others yet probably did not recognize the absolute regal beauty of the stallion standing in front of them.

What was in store for Big Gray? Long term holding pens. Thankfully, people at the Burns facility watched him and recognized his calm demeanor, and offered him in a special e-mail bid adoption.

I had seen pictures, people had taken when they were at the adoption, and his eyes spoke volumes to me. I himmmeedd and hawwweeeddd for weeks thinking about what the impact would be if I were to put in a successful bid. I sent in my application to adopt and was approved. I thought some more, talked to friends who had Kiger Mustangs, those who had come from the wild, the captive bred ones and I looked long and hard at the one standing in my field, who is owned by a friend. My mind was made up and I placed my bid.

Well, I won the bid. Then it kinda hit me what had just happened. Holy Cow! What was I thinking? Well, when my sanity returned, I thought through it as logically as my non-logical brain can and calmed myself down. I have handled and owned stallions for years, even though I realized this would be different from anything I had experienced before. Shipping was arranged and now the wait started.

Well the day finally had arrived and Argo came from Oregon across the country to Western Pennsylvania. I cannot thank the BL M people enough who helped with my many questions and inquirys, sent me pictures when I requested them and dealt with my hectic schedule.

Here is a link to a video of his arrival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sIBb9m88Ss

He is setteling nicely. He is an absolutely amazing animal.

I will post more tomorrow when I am not so tired