What I love about Dusty!!!!

Today was my last day as a Junior in highschool. I AM FINALLY A SENIOR!! I THOUGHT I'D NEVER MAKE IT THIS FAR!!! I'M SOOO HAPPY! :D It was an amazing last day, and I had a lot of fun. I go back to work on Sunday, so I have today and tomorrow all to myself.
When I got home after school today, I bogged around on facebook for a while then went and decided to saddle up little Mr. Dusty. He is a little over two now, and it's my goal place in the OkFQHR Stakes 2-Yo Pleasure with him:) Excited! Dusty did AMAZING for his first ride. I've done lots of work with him previously, like saddling him up, sitting on him, etc. He learned to give to the bit on the first try, so that was pretty easy for him. He learned soooo quick today, and by the end of our 10 minute ride he was walking and trotting circles, backing up and even trying to pivot!

For three years, the OkFQHR has had an essay contest for the youth. The youth member that participated in the essay and had the most LEAP points, won one of the Mulder Ranch foals, sired by San Dunit Two Peppy. I worked long and hard in 2009 to get up my LEAP points, through different 4H and OkFQHR shows and volunteering at the shows and what-not. I don't really remember what my essay was about, but I believe it was over the "Unwanted Horse" issue. I was sitting at school and I got a message from Kasey's mom saying "YOU WON!! YOU WON!!!" and I just about passed out. I ran to the office and called my mom, and she was just as happy as I was. The Mulder's called me up to go look at the foals, and I had my choice of 2 colts and a filly. They were about 6 months old and had never had any contact. I watched Bret Mulder get all three of them used to human touch, and he had an amazing perception of what each one's personality was like. The colt I liked, a tank of a sorrel, was just...dull. I couldn't get over his good looks though! I knew I wanted a colt, I already had 3 mares. The other colt was built like a funny Paso Fino, nothing like his brother and sister. He was much taller, and had way more personality then the other two. You could almost see him challenging Bret and he got used to the halter. I thought long and hard about it, and I finally talked myself into the funny little dunalino colt, and I am sooo glad I did. He might not have the good looks of most Foundation Quarter Horses, but he can one up them on one thing...brains. This colt learns so quickly. Once he learns it, it's there forever. He tries his hardest at everything, and even though he gets pushy sometimes, he is a total sweety. He loves to be scratched and loved on. He is just bound to be an awesome horse:)

*Sorry, these pictures kinda suck...my computer is being an idiot :(

Pro's:
First thing that my farrier ever said about him: "He's got really good feet!!"
Easy to bathe
Picks things up really quickly
Very playful with Rebel and keeps himself in shape
Really pretty coloring and is showing all the dun characteristics except for the shoulder bars
Very sweet, in your pocket horse.

Con's:
Second thing that my farrier ever said about him: "He's pushy!"
Doesn't believe in being clean.
Has personal space issues. He was born first, like Bret said, and grew up pushing the other babies around.
Not the greatest conformation...cough.....cough...
The dun qualities keep him out of the Palomino Association:(
The palomino part of him keeps him out of the Buckskin/Dun association. UGH.

Playing jump rope, and he never flinched!

Don't know what it is....but Dusty just LOVES Peyton...

Dusty right after a bath!!!

Dusty is a really great horse, even if he does look like a crack baby. He is still growing into himself and I'm giving him time to grow, not pushing anything on him. The show is in October, so I have plenty of time. I'm not sure yet what I have planned for him, but hopefully his 4 year old year, I will be able to take him to the AQHA World Show:)

What I love about Rebel!

I went on a random road trip yesterday. We woke up at 6:30 and drove about 2 hours to Jet, Oklahoma to dig up crystals in the salt plains. We got a lot of really cool ones!!! My dad did the same thing when he was little with his dad, and we buried some of my grandpa's hair in a hole we dug :')
Then, when I got home Peyton invited me on a trail ride. His friend, Cody picked me up with his old pick up and gooseneck stock trailer. Sassy is much bigger than cows, and had some issues fitting, so we had to do one of my no-no's and leave her untied, but she would've hurt herself if she had gotten tangled up. I really like how Cody drives with a trailer. Much smoother and calmer than my dad. My dad doesn't have an issue stopping for a light; with Cody we had to slowly run three red lights because they changed juuust at the right moment to where we couldn't make a safe stop with the trailer. Sassy did really good on the trail ride. She is very competitive I found out..Repo is NOT allowed to beat her at a race..It started off between me and Peyton "I bet my horse can walk faster than yours" then he started trotting, so Sassy did. They Repo picked up a lope, so did Sassy, then we just flew down the clear stretch of the trail :D It was awesome.

I sat on Rebel a few days ago (don't freak out at me, the vet said I can do that lol). It felt really nice being up that tall, and he gently walked around the pasture. I noticed something about his shoulder. The one that he hurt, and also doesn't use as much, is slightly concave when looking at it from above. But the right one, it's much thicker and built.
I pretty much told Peyton that Rebel is his if his parent's get his settlement. Peyton really loves Rebel, and well, Rebel loves anyone that will pet him. He mainly likes him because he is a big "doughball" and "goofball" and has that "duhhh" look about him. But he still loves him:)

So, this week it's REBEL's turn!!!:)

Mango died the week of Thanksgiving on a Monday, so I didn't go to school. It was a two day week so Tuesday was my last day for the week. On the way home from school, my mom told me about a horse that my uncle Terry had told me about. He was a paint gelding, and he just turned 4, that's all she knew. She said she knew it was way too early to be thinking about getting another horse and she knew that the hole from Mango was not going to fill any time soon, but maybe this horse could keep my mind on something else. We went and looked at him that saturday. He hadn't been touched by people in almost 2 years. He was a little thin, his feet a tad overgrown, but overall he looked really good. And TALL. I was excited that I could finally show paints with my friend Miche'la, but I was still set on Mango. We brought Rebel home for $500. I worked him on things as much as I knew how, but he needed an advanced trainer, severely. So I worked him to extent of my level, never trying too hard to push things on him that I didn't know how to properly do. Rebel was terrified of everything. I slowly and slowly got better with him, and through all of his health ups and downs, he always pulled through, until the bad knews, which I don't want to go through on the fact I'm already on the verge of tears..

Pro's:
This is literally the SWEETEST horse you will ever meet. My vet loooves him.
He tries his hardest
Stands still through the first half of his bath
Good for the ferrier so long as the wind isn't blowing
A generaly easy keeper
Loooves to run and play!
You don't have to worry about keeping him in shape. He does that himself.
Rebel is just a big, beautiful, goofy horse
He suure is fast!
Photogenic!!!
Loves to have his ears scratched.

Con's:
The obvious that he can't be riden.
Can't be shown in showmanship due to the limp.
His two front feet very greatly in siz, shape and degree due to the fact that he uses one leg more than the other
VERY spooky. He is a yummy horse and everything wants to eat him.
His akward favorite spot is his bellybutton. Everyone knows what that is close to on a male horse. Nuff said.
For some odd reason...he does not like the end rinsing off part of the bath. Everything else is cool, just not getting all the dirt off of him.

One of my favorite pictures:)

My friend Kasey riding Rebel...she looks kinda weird here, but that stupid saddle would throw you forward really bad.

Rebel and Dusty playing in the snow!!!

I love this horse to death..this horse is my baby. I never thought I would have to get rid of him, and I think I will be able to keep him until winter. I know it's bad to hold on to something that you must let go, but so many things have gone wrong in my life this past year, with the drama with the family, my grandpa passing away, not being able to ride Rebel, and what not that when I need a place to run, it's always to him. Rebel is like my solid foundation that I keep myself tied too. He may be poison for my heart, but I like the taste...

What I love about Rosie!

I did really great at the show this weekend!!!! 6th in Youth Mares Halter, 2nd in Reining, Barrels, Poles, and Western Pleasure, 1st in Stakes Race and Walk-Trot with Rosie!!!! Then with Dusty I did 2-3yo Geldings Halter, which he didn't place (he had no chance against those big huge guys!), then In-Hand Trail, which he did really good at despite my slip ups, and I don't remember the placings for that class:P
This week I am writing about Rosie!!!


When Mango passed away, I recieved Rebel, but he was obviously not ready for drill, I wasn't ready to quit, and none of the riders on the team wanted me to ride Dream because she is "Pyscho". My best friend's ex-step dad was trying to sell a horse that she used to own, so we inquired and we paid $1800 for her the following January of Mango's death. She was a little thin on the backside and had a huuuge grass belly. It didn't take long for her to get in shape though. She gave me a hell of a first year, taking away Reserve Champion Show and Speed Horse for the Sr. Youth at the OkFQHR shows in 2009, along with helping me get LEAP points in order to win Dusty (I love how all of my horses are connected in some crazy way..haha). Then 2010 was just as great, riding her in the AQHA Youth World Cup, World Show, and NRHA Futurity. I have barely used the halter she won for Freedom Riders Horse of the Year 2010.
From what I know, Karen (Kasey's mom) bought her when she was around 3, then had her in reining training off and on, then went to team roping. She took Karen to NFQHR World's in roping and handy ranch (trail). Rosie has had 2-4 foals, and was Kasey's drill horse for several years. Mango was in love with Rosie, when we were at a Rodeo together, he HATED to be away from her. But who doesn't love Rosie!:) She is the best 20 year old horse out there:D

Pros:
Really really good feet
Stands for the ferrier and baths
REALLY Fast
Total pushover..you can't get on her bad side very easy
Never kicks, bites, or squeels.
The main horse you can always depend on.
Rosie has done pretty much everything.
Great whoa and turns

Cons:
Rosie has the head the size of a warm-blood. And she is 14.3 hands. yeah. lol
Rosie does get a little hard mouthed when she knows it's time to go.
SHE'S A WHITE HORSE IN RED DIRT COUNTRY. Nuff said.
She has a thing about randomly getting hurt before shows.
All the other horses like to chase her around and she doesn't stick up for herself:(
Rosie can be a little hard to keep a good weight on in her older age.

A girl fell off of the back-up pony Sonny during one of our drills, and I just happened to be the rider behind them. Just saying. She made me so proud that day:)

Rosie grazin when she looks nice and is in shape!:)

Last year at Red Dirt Ride Drill Competition with my dad and mom! Gotta love the matching shirts...bahaha..