BeBe

This is an e-mail I recieved from another Mustang Owner.

"This is my BeBe. She is 13hh & 10 years old now. Bebe loves to go were i go. I will have her till the end of her time. She came out of the BLM in Nevada. She has done gymkhanas & playdays with me & loved it. I have more horses, but there is nothing like my BeBe. "

Mustangs in Reining

Melissa Scott adopted a yearling Kiger stud from the January 2000 internet adoption. Sombra is now a Mustang Ambassador that has been invited to the Kentucky Horse Park every July for the last four years. He also represents the BLM at adoptions and Equine Fairs throughout the east. Below is Melissa’s story about her first National Reined Horse Association competition with her wild mustang, Sombra.

"To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The past two and a half years have been spent with Sombra working on a solid foundation. After all the schooling and riding I felt that it was time to challenge Sombra and myself in a competitive show ring atmosphere, and what better place than a National Reining Horse Show. Saturday morning started very early. I was up at 4:00 a.m. and out feeding and cleaning stalls by 4:30. We loaded Sombra on the trailer at 6:00 a.m. and left for an hour and twenty minute trip to Roan State Community College in Harriman, Tennessee, where the Tennessee National Reined Horse Association Mid-Winter Slip ‘n Slide Reining horse show was held.

Upon pulling into the parking lot, I became very intimidated by the very large nice trailers parked around the barns and arena. The show was scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m. I didn’t have much time to fill out paperwork, tack up, and warm Sombra up. I was a nervous wreck. It was getting close to show time as we entered the large indoor arena. I entered the Green Horse class, the second class of the morning. This is for horses that have not yet earned National Reined Horse Association money. Sombra was the only horse in the class that was competing for the first time. There were five horses in all.

Sombra and I were second to compete. The pattern assigned for the class was number 10. Everyone took their turn and waited for the final scores and placement. I was so very excited when I thought I heard that I tied for third. When I realized I had actually tied for first, I was very surprised and very happy. We had the option to run the pattern again or flip a coin for first place. We decided to flip the coin. I called heads and won!

My score was 62.5 with 70 being a perfect score. In conclusion, it was a very rewarding experience. I feel the most important aspect of Sombra’s performance was his calm and willing attitude through the entire pattern. He performed all maneuvers slowly and correctly. Some of the other horses had more talent, but were not consistent in maneuvers and overall performance.

An interesting thing happened while I was at the event. Another competitor made a comment that I should cover up Sombra's BLM freezemark as a mustang would never be allowed to place well. I guess we proved him wrong. Mustangs do not specialize in one specific discipline, but can hold their own in many different endeavors and get the job done."

By Melissa Scott

**Source: http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/news/winter2005/sombra.html

Another Dressage Superstar!

Pictured above is Leviticus aka "Levi" a nearly 17hh BLM Mustang from the Black Rock Desert in Nevada (owned by Ann Spencer). Levi has competed with Patty Cochrane all the way through Prix St. George. On multiple occasions they have shown at high levels against Warmbloods and other "typical" Dressage mounts and came out on top. They score consistently between 60 and 72% on their tests. Levi is truly a great example of how versatile the Mustang can be. There is a Mustang out there that matches everyones taste, from a 13hh childrens mount to the 15hh Reiner to this 17hh Grand Prix Dressage horse.
Congratulations Ann, Patty, and of course Levi on your wonderful success!
To read more please see the following website:
http://www.iceryder.net/levi/index.html

Margarita

I am especially proud of this Mustang Success story because this mare Margarita started her training with us! After only a few short months of gentling and training she was purchased by Beverly and her family. Beverly's teenage daughters rode her for another few months and now she is the horse that they put their beginner friends on to ride! They ride her in Gymkhanas, Playdays (she won the Ribbon race at a Playday put on at our ranch), and now even for vaulting! Margarita is a loved member of Beverly's family and we are so happy they have made such a wonderful team.

New Mustang Documentary

http://web.me.com/mestengoette/ReinFree.org/Mestengo_PREMIERE.html

Mustangs to take part in Obama's Inagural Parade!

This is a notice that was recently forewarded to me by e-mail. How exciting that our Nations horses will be taking part in the most American ritual of all!

Jim Camden
Staff writer
December 9, 2008

Mustangs that were running wild less than two years ago will be part of next month's inaugural parade for Barack Obama.
The formerly wild horses are part of the U.S. Border Patrol's mounted unit,which operates out of Colville, Metaline Falls and other Inland Northwestlocations.
The unit received an invitation to bring eight of its mustangs to Washington, D.C., next month to march in the parade with the agency's honorguard and bagpipe and drum team.
For the unit, the invitation represents a chance to show off a successful program that blends environmentally friendly practices and criminal rehabilitation. For the horses, it represents a long journey from runningwild on federal land to marching down the broad avenues of the nation's capital.

For More information please see

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/12082008.xml

Jill and Gypsy compete in Dressage and won the USDF All-Breed Dressage Award for Mustangs in both Training and First Level (they are now schooling 2nd :)

They also Trail Ride (competitively with NATRC), are Ambassadors for the Mustang Breed and performed at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento CA in 2005, perform at liberty, as well as Carriage Driving.

Check out their website at:

http://www.jillandgypsy.com/

Cash the Cow Pony

These pictures were taken at a friends ranch when Cash had only 8 rides on him and was 2 1/2 years old. We were helping to bring in a herd of nearly 100 head of cattle and we came to a place where we had to herd them through a small gate. Cash and I were part of the group that was supposed to catch the herd and make sure they did not pass the gate instead of going through it.

Just before the herd reached us a few cows split off from the group and the other riders with us took off to catch them. Meanwhile Cash and I had the entire herd of 100 cows mooing, bleating and rushing towards us (if you have never been on a cattle drive, the sound is deafening). Poor Cash was so intimidated that his whole body shook! I reached down, stroked his neck, and told him "easy." Bless his heart he held the line and pushed every single cow through the gate by himself!

Truly, once a Mustang puts his trust in you they will do anything and go anywhere. Many other colts I have started would have left me in the dust to push the cows in myself.

Spotlight on Endurance

Char Antuzzi competes each year in the Tevis Cup Endurance Ride, riding a mustang named Sir Galahad who was rounded up with other wild mustangs by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management."I like the mustangs because...the day they are born they do an endurance ride," Antuzzi said.Many horseback riders pick Arabians because they are born in the desert. But mustangs are, too, and they have survival skills that allow them to expend the least amount of energy possible and stay alive, Antuzzi said. "Because they always have a reserve, they'll never run themselves into the ground," Antuzzi said.
They can also recognize danger faster than many other horses, she said. On one trail ride, Sir Galahad stopped, his ears perked up and he started quivering. Antuzzi did not understand why he would not go anywhere until she saw what lay in their path."Around the bend there was a pack of coyotes," Antuzzi said. "And the horse behind me was clueless."These equines stay aware of the dangers in the wild and sustain themselves water hole to water hole, she said. Nine-year-old Sir Galahad has covered 1,000 endurance miles, finishing 15 minutes past the cutoff two years ago and earned his buckle last year. Riders earn a Tevis Cup buckle if they complete 100 miles in the time allotted."Mustangs are consistent," Antuzzi said. "They don't go fast, but they trot up a hill, down a hill, over logs, through creeks. They just maintain this forward momentum."by Tanya Roscorla, who can be reached at tanyar@goldcountrymedia.com. http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2006/08/01/news/top_stories/03tevis1.txt

*Source: www.mustangs4us.com*

US Marine Corps Color Guard

The US Marine Corps Color Guard uses Palomino Mustangs EXCLUSIVELY!

**source: http://www.mustangs4us.com/ **

Welcome to the Blogsite for Mustangs

Hello Everyone,

I have created this blogsite to help publicize the value of the American Mustang. My goal is to encourage people to not only adopt Mustangs, but to realize what kind of horse they can have if they invest proper (or professional :) training and handling in them.

If you have a success story(ies) about you and your Mustang (pictures too!) I would love to post them here.

Please help us spread the joy and appreciation of the true American horse... The American Mustang.

Thank you,

Madeleine

Please e-mail stories and pictures to madeleine@extremetrailhorse.com