| Our
band was small with about 20 mares and their babies, a stallion and a
couple of young stallions that kept to the fringes hoping to eventually
get a couple mares for themselves, but Samson kept them in line. Life
was good, the grass was green, water was plentiful and the predators
apparently were finding plenty to eat without trying to get past Samson.
Summer passed away and
fall with its cooler temperatures began as my dam started to wean me to
get me on the road to adulthood. Zoë, my mother, had christened me
Trouble, because I was very mischievous and was reprimanded quite often.
As fall turned to winter,
the grass became short and we had to travel farther to fill our bellies.
Then something called snow began to fall and the older horses all had
this worried look; but the other youngsters and I were having the time
of our lives. Running and playing in the snow was great fun with snow
flying everywhere as we slid down hills and frolicked in the white
meadows. Luckily we were all sleek and fat from the lush summer grass
and, in my case, from my mother’s milk, but lean times were ahead.
As quickly as the snow
came, it began to melt and we were able to graze once more in the low
pastures. Then in the early part of December, the snow came again and
snow became a way of life for the days and weeks ahead with drifts in
some places taller than I. Predators of all kinds were seen all around
us looking for something to eat, but between the older mares and Samson
they kept a safe distance. However, some of the very old did not survive
the winter. The snow-covered grass was hard to get to and what we did
find was very short and not very nourishing. Then one morning as we were
moving farther down into a sheltered valley, we spotted cut grass (hay)
in piles on top of the snow and we ate our fill. As we ate the hay, more
would appear, usually dropped from a large flying object. We didn’t
care how it got there, only that it came. The cut grass enabled us to at
least maintain without losing a lot of weight that winter.
Winter waned, with spring’s
warmer temps and growing grass on its heels. With the abundant grass we
would once again become fat and sleek in the lengthening days. All the
youngsters were in their yearling year and life was a blast, with plenty
to eat and lots of room to play and grow. Then the day came, as my
mother told me it would, the yearlings would be separated from the band
after we were all gathered into a large enclosure.
As we were herded into a
smaller corral, sadly we could see Samson and the mares running free
across the open prairie. But the sadness went away as fear took its
place when we were herded toward a smaller alley forcing us to move
single file. The fear slowly subsided as we were handled with great care
and soothing voices, but then it was my turn in the small darkened
chute. In a very few minutes, I was branded with the BLM freeze brand,
gelded, vaccinated and de-wormed, then it was over and I was out in an
open pen again with my friends.
A few days later we were
transferred to a large pasture that would be home for nearly two years
with an occasional trip to the small pens for routine procedures. It was
a wonderful time in the larger pasture with plenty of space to roam,
plenty to eat all the time and friends to share in the fun.
Early in my third year,
we were once again herded into the small pens where we were sorted into
three groups. Some of us would stay in Nevada, others would go to
Oklahoma and my group was headed to Illinois. We were part of the second
year of a program pairing mustangs with selected horse trainers and
showcasing the trainability and versatility of the American mustang. The
program, known as Extreme Mustang Makeover, culminates in Fort Worth,
TX, after horse and trainer spend 100 days together in getting ready for
the competition. We will be judged on condition, in-hand training and
horsemanship with the finals consisting of the final ten pairs doing a
freestyle routine.
On June 14, 2008, I met
my soon-to-be-trusted friend, Mr. Dale Lively, also known as Snap. With
a fresh hoof trimming and a new halter, I was loaded onto Snap’s
trailer for another road trip to Nauvoo, Alabama, a place I would call
home for approximately the next 100 days.
Sure I was scared,
apprehensive and lonely, this being the first time I was totally alone
with no other horses in sight. During the trip, stops were frequent and
the bonding between this man and I began as he would walk around the
trailer talking soothingly. Eventually, I let him stroke my nose and rub
my head and neck which felt really good. Also I learned he had changed
my name before we had even met to Uno. I couldn’t tell him my name was
Trouble, but Uno was okay with me since I was his first mustang and he
was my first human. My new accommodations were great, a cool, large box
stall in a large barn with a couple other horses.
My training began the
next day with Snap and I really getting acquainted. Even though we only
have a short time together, he did not hurry the process. He was patient
and schooled me slowly, but firmly, introducing me to a variety of
things that were all new to me. The first few days and the desensitizing
process were all to prepare me for our first ride, which was not a bad
experience at all as he guided me around the pen with gentle but firm
hands and legs.
We really began to become
one and my training began in earnest with all sorts of new and exciting
experiences. In the round pen, Snap had all kinds of scary things like
flags, barrels, logs and other obstacles to further my training. Soon
with these mastered, we were riding in the pasture, on trails, going to
horse shows, pole bending (I won $1.80), barrel racing, working buffalo
and competing in an extreme trail horse competition, winning first
place.
Time is about up as we
will leave for Fort Worth with the competition beginning September 18,
2008 at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center. I really hope we do well and
Snap is able to adopt me and bring me home because I really love him and
my home in Alabama.
Information on adopting a
mustang or a burro can be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Land
Management at
www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov
or 1-866-4MUSTANGS. Details on the Extreme Mustang Makeover are
available from the Mustang Heritage Foundation at (512) 355-3225 or
email Weslie Elliot at weslies@hotmail.com.
Dale Lively can be contacted at (205) 697-5334.
Don Linker is an
outside salesman for AFC. |
