Archive for Mustangs

Cash’s left rear – Photo taken two weeks ago

Ten months ago we moved from dry, rocky southern California to middle Tennessee. I had done my homework and had conversed a lot with my pasture mentor Melanie Bowles (The Horses of Proud Spirit Sanctuary). Still I was very nervous. Our guys and gals had been living on hard rocky desert-like ground. All barefoot. Their hoof trims every eight weeks amounted to maintenance trims as they were wearing their hooves much like they would if they were in the wild. But they were moving to the soft (it turns out mushy) green grass pastures of middle Tennessee and we were being advised by many that our herd simply could not be out 24/7 on the “rich grasses” of this area. Read More→

Jun
11

Yippee! At Last! No More Excuses!

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Finally. Enough days of dry weather sandwiched together to get the grading done and get the pea gravel delivered and voila! We have a round pen. Kathleen returns for the summer (another yippee) in a couple of weeks – with her cameras – and then work with Noelle will begin in earnest. No more excuses. A Join-Up and a lead rope are in her future :). Meanwhile she will spend time Read More→

Cloud (on the right), mustang stallion of the
Pryor Mountains winning a mare

Ginger Kathrens’ motion picture camera has followed the life of Cloud since the day he was born – the day she named him – more than nine years ago. Across those years she has filmed three incredible PBS Specials on Cloud and his wild herd, but the latest one Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions (I call it Cloud 3 :) is truly the best compilation of the the most amazing footage I’ve ever seen that tells a story story so remarkable Read More→

Apr
26

Noelle Has a Sweet Spot

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Unfortunately it was a tick bite, but at least it served a purpose. I could give her something she loved. This became the routine for more than a week, until the bite began to heal and was no longer itchy. I immediately looked around for another tick…nooo, just kidding. Anyway, around here you don’t have to look far to find ‘em.

I love it when Kathleen comes home, camera in hand. I tend to forget about these sweet moments until I start browsing through her weekend of photos. I didn’t even know she was standing behind me when this next batch was taken. Read More→

You’ll love it. A short blog: Next Saturday, May 1 at 9pm Eastern (8pm Central, etc) Kathleen and I are hosting our first TeleWorkshop: A Crazy Little Thing Called Love. If you haven’t checked it out, please do: http://www.thesoulofahorse.com/Workshop1SignUp.htm

Also wanted to report our new The Soul of a Horse Fan Page on Facebook is now above 2000 fans. Many thanks to all of you who have become fans. If you haven’t and would like to, we’d certainly love to have you: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Soul-of-a-Horse/106606472709815 Oh, almost forgot… for reasons unknown Facebook decided to change Fan pages to Like pages. Somewhat less honest I’m thinking but if you’d like to be a fan, when you get there click “Like” :)

Joe

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Yesterday I spent the entire day uploading 77 photos of Noelle and Malachi to our new Facebook fan page for the The Soul of a Horse. I don’t think I have the patience to do this. And I know I don’t have the emotional stability to do it when it means going back through all the photos of our wonderful boy horse Malachi. But do it I did, buckets of  tears and all. The one above struck me hard. It was taken Read More→

Mar
16

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

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Pete'sHoof

Finally we’ve got the date set for our barefoot TeleWorkshop. Sorry it took so long. It’s called A Crazy Little Thing Called Love – or – Why Would You Ever Let Your Horses Go Barefoot? It’s not a “how-to” but rather a “why-to” workshop designed for people who are not yet convinced barefoot is the right thing to do, the loving thing to do. And for everyone who is already there but needs ammunition to ward off and convince all those friends and “not-so-friends” who think you’re nuts. This is a two-hour workshop with Joe, Kathleen, and Eddie Drabek, one of the foremost natural hoof specialists in the country, jammed full of facts, undeniable truths, and real-life experiences, with lots of Q&A after.  Send your farrier! Check it out.

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2009 was a tough year; full of struggles, change, and pain. And much to remember. But 2010 began with an awesome reminder of what our task on this planet is all about. Read More→

Dec
09

Words That Made My Day!

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A day doesn’t pass that we don’t receive several beautiful emails from folks who have read the book, the blog, a newsletter, or been on the website and been moved by something we’ve said or done. These words are what make it all worthwhile. The juice that keeps our wheels turning and keeps us fired up about what we do. And keeps us ever Read More→

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Sometimes I have to haul off and slap myself.

Seriously.

Something to force the brain to stop racing around like a crazed maniac and take a deep breath. To pause and smell the roses. Or at least look at them. How many times in my life have I closed my eyes and dreamed of the above picture? And here it is. Part of our life. And I’m fretting about how far behind I am and how much I have to do. Read More→

A federal district court in Washington DC has granted a  Summary Judgment Motion Against Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar et al forbidding removal of the West Douglas Herd of Wild Mustangs from their range in Colorado. This could be huge for all mustangs.

In the case of Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Coalition vs Ken Salazar, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, Read More→

Categories : Mustangs, Wild Horses
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Patience is not a concept I’ve had much contact with in the past. Like so many homo sapiens, I’ve always wanted everything to happen right now. I think it’s genetic. The shortest distance has always been a straight line. We humans tend to be that way. Especially in this millennium of instant gratification. But since my introduction to horses, I’ve come to learn Read More→

Jul
21

No More Salt Blocks

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I have never been licked by a horse before. Lots of sniffing, nudging, lip nibbling, and just hanging out close by. But never a full-blown, full-tongue lick on the arm. Especially by a mustang who’s never even had a lead rope on. Until yesterday. Kathleen and I (and ALL of the dogs) were sitting in the play pen Read More→

Jul
11

Keeping Your Head

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Patience has never been my long suit. And the ability to panic at the least little thing seems to be embedded in my genetics. So maybe you can imagine what was going on in my tummy the morning that Noelle, our unhandled wild mustang, decided she would take a walkabout out in the free world. Read More→

Jul
03

Noelle Helps Us Rise from the Ashes

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For those who wonder whether horses grieve let me assure you that they do. Noelle’s demeanor has changed completely since the loss of Malachi. She wanted – needed – companionship and I was the only one around. We helped each other. Consoled each other. Reassured each other. And the net result for both of us has been Read More→

Jun
28

We Enter the Blogoshpere

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In an effort to keep up with the 21st Century, Kathleen and I have leaped headlong into the world of blogging with this, The Soul of a Horse Blog. The object is to make the blog everything that our newsletter has Read More→

Jun
27

Thank You so Much!

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Kathleen and I want to thank all of you who sent emails and cards of condolence, prayers, and warm thoughts after the tragic death of our beloved Malachi. I must admit to you that I have so far only read the barest few of the hundreds that came in. But we intend to read Read More→

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MalGator-5-25cr350 Our Hearts Are Breaking

On the evening of June 3rd, exactly three months from the day of his birth, we lost Malachi in the aftermath of a violent thunder and lightning storm that knocked out a power pole on our property. As we piece together what happened, a fleet of huge power company trucks climbed our driveway that night which passes right by Noelle and Malachi’s paddocks and stalls. These gigantic loud monsters Read More→

Below is a portion of a chapter from my next book, which might give you a hint as to why we adopted Miss Noelle, who was pregnant with Malachi when we brought her home.

I was astonished when I learned that we were at risk of losing America’s wild horses. How could that be? These horses are not only a living laboratory, as a group they are a legendary icon of Read More→

Categories : Mustangs, Wild Horses
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May
05

Quite a Morning Adventure for Malachi!

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What a spectacular morning! Malachi really stretched his boundaries on his at-liberty walkabout. Although today it was a race-about. He had never ventured farther than Read More→

Our canine superstar Benji, Oprah’s favorite onscreen animal, has never had anything to do with our other horses. Not even sweet Cash. Along comes our unhandled pregnant mustang adopted from the BLM Dec 10. Malachi was born on March 3 and from the very first day Benji was taken with him. Maybe because Benji was adopted from a shelter as well Read More→

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This photo was taken at 3 weeks old, but our boy horse is almost two months now (see below) and is definitely proving every day that deep down every horse on the planet would prefer to be in relationship than not. Born of two wild unhandled parents he is completely unafraid of people or other horses. Perhaps too much so. I’ve brought everyone from the herd Read More→

Mar
21

Spending Quality Time with Malachi

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I’m writing this on the 17th day of Malachi’s life, but this photo and all the ones below were actually taken on his 12th day. I’m spending so much time with him and Noelle that I’m sorry to say I’m having trouble keeping up with everything else, like photos, newsletters, even email. By the way, all the fantastic photos you’ll see in this journal entry Read More→

Mar
11

Malachi – The Soul of a Horse Continues

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Malachi’s 8th day on the planet.

Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament of the Bible. In Hebrew the word means messenger, and in the Book of Malachi the message is that change is coming.

Malachi intended to write a book about change.

I didn’t.

In fact I didn’t set out to write a book at all. Kathleen and I were just trying to figure out how to keep and care for a small group of horses that had somehow landed quite unexpectedly in our front yard. We were asking Read More→

Mar
03

Morning Surprise – It’s a Boy!

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We’re giddy. Last night everything was normal. No liquids anywhere. And this morning there he was. And mommy is very much a mommy. And very protective. This morning I couldn’t touch Read More→

A friend asked us if we had a name for the foal yet. We said no, and he said, “Well, the mom is Noelle. How about Foelle?” I threatened to send his email address to all of y’all :)

Today was a good day. Perhaps not the best day Noelle and I have had, but still good. And Kathleen did take some photos and video. It was an unseasonably Read More→

Feb
18

Omigosh y’all! Noelle is bagging up!

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Day 60 – Dr. Matt was here this morning and pointed out that Noelle is bagging up and will probably foal within the next 30 days… at least two months before earlier predictions!

Holy moly! The best laid plans and all that. Did I ever tell you that this is our first, as in FIRST, experience with birthing a foal, never mind one from a mustang who has never been touched (willingly) by anyone but me! Gleep and gulp! Even this morning when Dr. Matt got too close Noelle had to leave my side.

Since the last note I have been able to rub and scratch on both her right and left sides, down to the withers and down the leg to the knee. This morning on her right I even reached down her side toward her flank, and down her spine a bit. And I’m cleaning out eye boogers on both sides ?

I’ve begun a bit of halter desensitization, putting just the weight of my hand on the halter loop. At first, of course, she pulled quickly away. But the first time she didn’t she was instantly rewarded with a bite of hay. Now she rarely pulls away and – on occasion – she’ll even drop her head a bit, or give to a slight tug to the right. Again, instant reward. A rub, a good word, and a bite.

Today I’ll begin trying to approach and get approached without hay in my hands. And we’ll begin a new supplement for mama and baby.

Now, to shake off the sudden onset of tension and pledge to embrace whatever happens and deal with it at the moment. As you’ve heard me say before, God has obviously never felt obligated to let us know what’s in store. He does keep things interesting.

Joe

This morning Kathleen said to me, “Do you realize that you’re always saying, ‘I wonder when I’m going to be able to do this or do that with Noelle.’ Just a few days ago you were saying you couldn’t wait until you could scratch her on the neck. Seriously, just a few days! And here you are scratching her neck, her chest, her leg, her ear, her face and are you satisfied, even just a little bit? Have you taken a moment to just sigh happily Read More→

Day 15 with Noelle, our new pregnant Mustang who had never been handled before arriving at our place is coming along beautifully. Today she and Benji actually “joined-up” completely on their own. They sniffed noses and touched each other. Unfortunately we didn’t have a camera in the paddock at the time, and the funny thing is that Benji won’t Read More→

From the journal January 3, 2009 – On the evening of December 20th, 2008, we arrived home with my Christmas gift from Kathleen, an untouched pregnant Mustang adopted from the BLM in Reno, a six-year-old buckskin lady who chose us – well, chose Kathleen. I had missed her completely in our survey of the 150 or so mares in the five-and-over pasture at the BLM facility the week before.

Just imagine being the very first person ever to be touched by a wild Mustang, and being the first person to touch her foal. Shivers skitter up my spine every time I think about it. Two horses Read More→

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