Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Breakfast is Served

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

Happy Thanksgiving with Winter Pictures

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

One Year Ago…

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.

A Room to Call his Own

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.

Playing Catch Up

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.