I haven't had a whole lot of time to work with Henry, but he is coming along so nice! Nothing phases this horse. He is the most confident Mustang I have ever encountered. A plastic bag blew into his stall last week which he followed over to my feet. I picked up the bag and he smelled it and then started licking it! That seems to be his mode of operation. Anything new he must first lick to determine if it is edible ...LOL what a goofy horse. Today he wore the saddle for the first time and he was totally comfortable, but dissapointed that is was not something he could eat. I am so excited to see how this horse continues to progress...

Big Success

We had such a great weekend. The most important part is that I adopted Tornado on Sunday and now I can move forward to get him the help he needs. It was wonderful to see old friends and make new ones!

During the "Fan Favorite Smackdown" Lanny Leach was more than great. I'm pretty sure he had seen me practicing earlier in the day and chose to "challenge" me with maneuvers he knew I could do (: He is quite the horseman and friend. Many people in the crowd did not really understand why Lanny was riding his horse, but I could not ride mine. By a large margin Lanny won the vote with a resounding level of crowd applause naming him the "Fan Favorite." He was presented with a belt buckle and given a chance to thank the crowd. Lanny got on the microphone and told everyone the story of Tornado. He extend the buckle to me and said that he felt that I deserved to have it. I am so thankful and blessed to call Lanny my friend. He is a wonderful horseman. He and his family have become good friends of mine and I appreciate them more than they can know.

I could not have hoped for a better Mustang weekend. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it all happen!

Onward we go...

Tornado is looking great. Thank you so much to all those who have been supporting us through this entire process. I have been voted and chosen to compete for "Fan Favorite!" This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase this amazing horse and the journey we have been on together. Tornado seems to be showing improvement through his ongoing medical treatment. I hope that in the end I will be able to adopt him and give him all he needs for a full recovery.

Oh Henry!

My love for horses was really inspired by my grandfather Henry Nelson. He had 2 horses one of those horses was a buckskin mustang named "Buster." Horses were one of his greatest passions in life. During the 1950's my grandfather owned a Ford dealership. He told us that when he heard that Ford was coming out with a new sports car that he wrote in to the company and suggested that they name this new car the "Mustang." As a tribute to him and all that he meant to me I have always wanted to have my own mustang and name him "Henry Ford" after my grandfather. I have just been waiting for the right Mustang to come along. Finally Henry has come along and what a blessing he is! He is definitely an answer to prayers. He is my horse for the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth.

When I picked up "Henry Ford" it was obvious from the first moment I saw him in the BLM chutes that he was quiet, gentle, and kind. Not at all unlike Henry Nelson. He is so smart and willing too. I can't wait to see what lays ahead for us. After all the heartache I have experienced with Tornado I am more than ready for Henry!

Still my Beautiful Disaster

It has been a really tough day. I just got off the phone with the vet and got confirmation of his earlier suspicions. Not only is there significant infection in the bone, but also loss of bone density in his jaw. Surgery will be a big project and the after care an even bigger project. It would require the removal of problematic bone tissue and it cannot be closed surgically. Instead it must heal from the inside out. As if the news isn't hard enough, I also got a visit from BLM at my ranch today. They offered to take my horse back.

It is my responsibility to do the best thing for my horse. I don't yet know what that is, but I will find out. I want to get the x-rays sent over to a surgical center for an evaluation of the exact procedure needed and his prognosis. It will be at that point I can decide what to do for my little Tornado. But an educated decision is critical.

I am feeling really overwhelmed by all the things going on. He really is my beautiful disaster. My intention is to adopt him at the Mustang Makeover and raise the funds to have his surgery done. I am hopeful that we can raise the money and give him the care he desperately needs. If surgery will help him and he has a good prognosis then we will do it. If surgery will cause him more harm than good I still want to adopt him. I will do the best I can with what I've got. At the end of the day if I have given him my best I have to accept whatever the outcome may be. Even if that means to love him well and say goodbye. But for now we will move forward and pray for the best.

Mustang Alternate

I found an alternate Mustang to ride. Yes it has four wheels instead of hooves but it has a freeze brand on the left side of it's neck! Check it out we will be raffling this golf cart off at the Norco Makeover to help raise funds for "Heart to Heart Equine Rescue." Art and Cheryl Zanini, owners of Best Golf Carts in Bloomington, CA have provided the cart as a way to raise much needed funds. If you are interested in participating we are selling tickets for 1/$5, 5/$25, or 25/$100. All the money raised will be used to help cover our extensive month to month expenses and to help to save more horses.

Since Cheryl and I started the rescue in October, 2009 we have rescued 10 horses and have gotten 7 of them adopted out to wonderful homes. We want to continue the work, but we need help. The financial and time commitments are met primarily by the two of us and it is tough to maintain! Anyone who would want to get involved or for more information on raffle tickets I can be reached at (909)238-6626. Or join our Facebook group "Heart to Heart Equine Rescue"

Obvious Conclusion

I had decided try to continue training Tornado in a halter and bareback. We have to use a loose fitting halter because a bit will cause him extreme pain. If he does blow I don't have much control in the halter so I have been riding him bareback. The idea is to slide off if things go South. It was a good in theory, but not so much in acutality. I can't very well correct bad behavior without a bridle or saddle. Training like this works out great if your horse never tells you "NO." Unfortunately I got a big "NO" yesterday and it came in the form of a good jump in the air and several strong bucks that came out of nowhere. I slammed into the ground pretty good and smashed my face on a small rock. Fortunate for me the helmet visor helped protect my face. Thank GOODNESS! The obvious Moral of the story is that it is unwise to start an unpredictable mustang bareback in a halter.

The Answer

I see so much potential in Tornado and it just hasn't made sense that training him should be so difficult. He is kind and willing so why the explosions? Yesterday I learned why we have been having so many problems. Since the first day I got him home I had noticed an injury to his jaw area and I've been treating it ever since. I had the vet out to take a look and he believes Tornado has a serious problem. The vet suspects that it's an old jaw fracture that will require surgery. We will find out the exact cause next week with x-rays, but it's abscessed and appears that infection has set into the bone. I am so dissapointed, but at least now I know why my sweet horse has been so explosive. This has complicated things, but I still want to try to continue on the best we can.

Cowgirl Up!

Today I decided to give Tornado a break and work him light. When I sat on him bareback from the rail he felt confident and relaxed. It seems that all the work with plastic bags and potato sacks is paying off. I decided to go for it and rode him for about 30 minutes at walk. The best part was that he seemed content to have me on his back and the ride was wonderfully uneventful (: I am so proud of him and of myself for that matter. On average I have worked with him twice a day with only 4 days off so far. It's felt like I've been trying to build a mountain with one grain of sand at a time. I have probably put in the same amount of hours on Tornado thus far that I had into my first makeover horse from start to finish! We have a long way to go, but at least we are on the way...

Beautiful Disaster!

It's that time again. I must be a glutten for punishment because I have taken on not only the Norco Mustang Makeover, but I have also signed up for the Texas Makeover again!!! My Norco horse is at this time a beautiful disaster LOL He is by far the most work of all my makeover horses, but also my favorite. Yes I must be crazy! Our journey so far has been perplexing to say the least. He is sweet, kind, and he follows me around like a little puppy dog. He is a happy boy as long as I don't ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do, then the teeth and feet come flying AAAHHHH! He wears the saddle, bridle, ground drives, fense work is great, I can rub him all over with a plastic bag and he lounges nice with it hooked onto the saddle. Then get the same bag and put it in front of him on the end of a lounge whip and he violently rears and strikes. Yes I'd love to ride him.... like NEVER!!! Truth be told I would love to ride him, but I'm not sure that I would live to tell about it. I have actually sat on him no less than 30 times from the fense, but still holding on because when he blows it is mucho ugly.

Tornado has a difficult time with a moving human on his back or type of weight shift for that matter. I have been putting potato sacks in those plastic bags that he loves and tying one on each side of his body to simulate the weight shift with something questionable on his back at the same time. It has been quite the process. At times I have felt like I am trying to build a mountain with one grain of sand at a time. Not only is he figuring out there is nothing to fear, but that fighting is pointless and way too much work!