The Michigan Mustang Podcast

Amanda Lilley

• Jillian Manes • Episode 2

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0:00 | 1:06:43

For this episode I am interviewing my first in-person guest, Amanda Lilley! 

If you would like to reach out to me with questions or if you would like to be a guest on the podcast, you may contact me at:

 jmanes.equine@gmail.com

SPEAKER_00

Hello and welcome to the Michigan Mustang Podcast. I am your host, Gillian Maines, coming to you from Union Michigan. This is episode number two, and today I will be interviewing Amanda Lilly. Hello, Amanda Lilly. Hello. How are you today? I'm pretty good. How are you? Good. Do you want to talk about Mustangs for an hour? I absolutely do. Do you remember the first time you heard about Mustangs?

SPEAKER_01

I do. First of all, obviously, like spirit. That's that's pretty much everyone's introduction to Mustangs. But um, the first time I seriously thought about getting into Mustangs and all of that stuff was from a YouTube video by Sam Van Fleet. She had her how she got into horses story, and it ended up getting leading into the Mustang stuff, and I decided that I wanted to do that.

SPEAKER_00

I like Sam Van Fleet. Um I wouldn't say she's who got me into Mustangs, but she's definitely one of those videos that I watched. Actually, you're who I would consider the catalyst for me getting into Mustangs.

SPEAKER_01

I try to like promote them as much as I can.

SPEAKER_00

Obviously, I've had a couple. Right. And not necessarily like watching you and saying, Oh, I want to go get one. It was more since I went with you to the Mustang makeover last year, I networking. You know, just all the people that I met that weekend.

SPEAKER_01

It's such an amazing group of people, 100%. Like they the environment there is different than any other horse show.

SPEAKER_00

Totally agree.

SPEAKER_01

People are so much nicer than you would get at any other horse show. Like most places you can't talk to people. Like you people are not people are competing against you, not really trying to be your friend. Whereas I think at the Mustang series, it's very friendly and very supportive. And you know, even if your horses are having a meltdown, it's not a big deal because there are a couple horses having a meltdown and everyone's fine, but then everybody's willing to help. Right. Yeah, I mean, if anything goes wrong, people are right there trying to help you. Or if you forget something. Oh, yeah, for sure. It's such an amazing group of people. Like I've met so many amazing friends through that series.

SPEAKER_00

And it's really awesome. This is my first time showing with the Michigan Mustang series. And I same I feel just totally the same way.

SPEAKER_01

You know, that's people are so welcoming.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And they're just like, and they're so sweet to sit down and talk to. And hey, do you need help unloading? Or hey, do you need help loading? Or is there anything I can help you with? Right. Do you want me to fill your water buckets while you're putting your horse trailer away?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You know, they're just super sweet.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Everyone is just so friendly and like outgoing, even. Because like, even some, I don't know, if you weren't like the most like outgoing, still people are gonna come up to you. You don't have to go out of your way to go talk to people because people want to know you. It's just it's such a like a it's like a kind of a smaller community that everyone knows each other. So if there's new people, they're very quick to make you feel welcome.

SPEAKER_00

And I totally feel that because I am new this year.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So I I totally feel that. When did you get your first Mustang?

SPEAKER_01

I got her in 2023. Um I was 13. 13. I was 13 years old. Um, and it was it was through the obviously the Mustang series. It was when it was the still a tip challenge. Um, and it was she was randomly you got a list of horses, like descriptions of horses that you could pick through and make your top 10. Uh and at first I was kind of disappointed because she was not one of my top picks at all.

SPEAKER_02

And what's the name of this one?

SPEAKER_01

Frisada. Um, and I pulled up I got her from the Red Horse Ranch in Cosopolis. Oh, okay. And she was the skinniest, scrawniest, ugliest little horse in the pen. Like literally the worst looking horse in the group. And I was like, oh, yay, that one's mine. And she ended up being such an amazing horse, and um she's she's really cool. She this is sad for a podcast that I'm immediately going into this, but she did end up getting EEE with her new owner's end passing away in 2025, I think.

SPEAKER_00

So there would have been like two years between you getting her.

SPEAKER_01

Right, she was she was about to be three.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, she was only three.

SPEAKER_01

When she died, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, that's I bought her as a yearling. Yeah. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01

So that was really sad, but she was a really cool horse. And did you have to have a yearling since you were only 13? Yeah, so at that time it was the tip challenge. So all of the horses were ready picked for the youth and the adults. So the adults had, I think, three to five-year-olds, and the youth had yearlings. So they it was a pretty good group of horses, honestly. Um they, yeah, I mean, there was like there ended up being like 30 youth kids and like I want to say like 60 adults. Where was this competition? I'm still at the Ionia Fairgrounds. Oh, really? Yeah. So their first tip challenge was in 2022. I competed in 2023, and then in 2024 it switched from the tip challenges to the makeover the like the Michigan Mustang series because the BLM stopped funding tip challenges. Yeah. So Katie and Cody LePoint, they kept it going, which I'm so glad that they did because I mean that group again is so amazing.

SPEAKER_00

They are, they are really amazing. So when did you show in Kentucky?

SPEAKER_01

That was also 2024. Okay. So I had my second makeover horse, which was Callista, and she was my first uh I had I had one other client Mustang between Frisada and Callista, which was a two-year-old. So Callista was a three-year-old, and she I also my sister got a Mustang that same year, but I had bought her actually, I was also, I was 14 at that point, and was not planning on getting a Mustang. And I saw the America's Next Top Youth Trainer Challenge posted. This girl I know was competing, and it was like an in-hand event, but there was 10 people, 10 slots to do the first ever riding, like youth riding challenge for Mustangs. And I was like, I should do that. But I also wasn't allowed to get a Mustang that year because my parents didn't, my parents were thinking it was a one-and-done kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I signed up without asking for the and just I was like, well, what are the chances I get selected out of 10 youth in the whole country or whatever? It was down to the country? It was. Oh. Yeah. So I was like, well, what are the chances? I apply, get an email, you've been selected! And I was like, dang it, I didn't ask. So after I'm already selected, I walk downstairs to my parents and I'm like, hey guys, what are the chances I can do another Mustang? And they were like, why would you do that? I was like, because I've been selected for the American Sex Summit Turner Challenge. And that so you would have been 14 that year then? Yes. So yeah, I competed with her in Kentucky, was at the Kentucky Horse Park, competed with her there, and then went to the Mustang series uh in Michigan and competed with her there too. Um I ended up getting crap, I don't know. I want to say fourth overall in the in hand, and then fifth in the ride or something. In Kentucky? In Kentucky. Gotcha. When I got there, she had had maybe 30 rides. She did, and she had she was a really difficult mayor. She was a bunker.

SPEAKER_02

That was good.

SPEAKER_01

Bronk. And she really it took a long time to get her over it. And I got to the Kentucky Horse Park and I wrote her the night before, and she bucked me off in the arena. She hadn't bucked me off in like a while. Bucked me off in the arena, and I was like, dang it. Hopefully, we don't get bucked off in the pattern. Which we didn't, luckily. What was your pattern? It was a ranch riding pattern.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Um, it was actually a pretty big pattern. Like it it wasn't an easy pattern, which, you know, she did fine. She was not bad, which was I literally the old my only goal was to not fall off. Which I didn't. So that was all it was good. Awesome. Um, and then we won the Michigan youth one that year. Nice. Which she had a couple more eyes and was better. Didn't buck me off at all. So that was good. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

But yeah. So since you've had several mustangs, how many have you had total now?

SPEAKER_01

Uh personal Mustangs, I've only had four plus my sisters, which I ended up mostly training. But client Mustangs, I've had, I think, 15-ish. Fifteen? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So done quite a few. Gotcha. Okay. And that's just the gentling. Because I've started quite a few undersaddle, but I don't really count them.

SPEAKER_00

Because it's kind of like any other horse at that point. So one of the things that I wanted to touch on with this podcast is like for new new musting owners, you've never had a musting before. What do you do to prepare to bring your mustang home? And so one of the questions I'd like to ask is what did you do to prepare to bring one or all of your bustings home? Like what is what is your checklist? Um, are you talking about like facility-wise or kind of? So, yeah, like we know we have to have a five-foot fence if you have a yearling. We know you have to have a six-foot fence if you have what over a two-year-old or a two-year-old or anything over 24 months. And you have to have a shed, you know, a three-sided shed, because we live in Michigan. Yes. Um, water, of course. But like food-wise, do you do you feed them by the way?

SPEAKER_01

I immediately introduce alfalfa pellets and um as soon as I can, I do usually throw them on grain because I've gotten bad luck in picking really skinny horses. I think I've only had one come to my barn at a good weight. So the other ones were all decently skinny, which they all had a pretty long drive. So I can't, it's not a problem or anything, but as soon as I can get them on grain, I do like to do that. Um, I I throw grain, I will offer grain the day they come home. Ish, kind of the next day. They get one day off. Um, but so like a checklist of what I would like to have is um obviously as long as the facility is set up, like that's the needs, right? But um, I like to have to prep for like training stuff, uh like a good rope halter, a flag. Um there's I like to have a breakaway halter. Once you get your rope halter on to teach leading, I like to switch it to a breakaway just because there's freak accidents that can happen. And also, if you leave a rope halter on too long, you can get like the knot marks, which you obviously don't want in our face. So um, yeah, so that stuff. Um if I was going back and getting my first Mustang, which when I got my first Mustang, I took a I did I went to a clinic with Katie and Cody, LePoint.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01

They hosted a gentling clinic that year, which I'm so grateful that they did, because I would have had no idea where to start. Um because I was 13 years old. Right, of course. So I was like, I had ridden for a while, like I started riding when I was five or something like that. So I ridden for like eight years, but I also was not good for a long time. When I turned 12, I could kind of ride ish. I trained a pony-ish, started to train a pony, and then I was like, let's get a Mustang. Because that's obviously the right move as a 13-year-old to get a wild Mustang. Well, unfortunately, they're cheap. They are very cheap. And my parents wouldn't let me get any other horse. So they were like, Yeah, 25 bucks. Sure. Let's do it, which we did, and I'm grateful that they did. Uh Mustangs completely started my whole business.

SPEAKER_00

So do you want to add a plug-in for your business now since you brought it up?

SPEAKER_01

Sure. It's AL Mustangs. Um, I have uh is I don't just train Mustangs, I train pretty much anything. I do a lot of problem horses, cold starting, obviously Mustang gentling, um, and then I am more like ranch reining focused. So all of that training stuff, but I also just can teach basics and getting horses safe and all that stuff. I do a lot of travel training. Uh I don't have at the moment a barn that I'm taking horses at. I used to. I don't anymore. So right now I'm just doing travel training.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, that's okay. Did you so when you got your first tour or when you were 13? Yeah. And you did the clinic with Katie and Cody. Did you take the horse that you got up there? Yep. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So as soon as we picked up, we hauled straight to Katie and Cody's barn. Oh, okay. And they had, I think, eight slots of people who could bring it. And there were four youth kids and four adults. It was like a three-day clinic with your horse that you just picked up, and in that three three days, I got Prizada haltering, bleeding, could pet her all over, pick up her feet. I ended up clipping her stomach because she had like really bad mud balls and mange, and she was really bad looking.

SPEAKER_00

The mud balls of terror.

SPEAKER_01

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And the yearlings always seemed to have them. Every one of them. So I had to clip her, and it was like day three, out of the wild. She let me clip her stomach, which was cool.

SPEAKER_00

That is cool.

SPEAKER_01

I was like, I don't She was very cool. That was a really cool horse. She. The only thing she didn't like was leave ropes. At first. But literally everything else, she she didn't care about anything. But the Katie and Cody gentling clinic was so good because they taught you really how to like get a good foundation on a horse. And not to keep yapping, which I guess that's the whole point of this. I'm welcome too. They also have uh they taught me, and it just it's a really good point of like if you are getting a horse, I know a lot of people want to give them a lot of time off of work right when you get them to decompress or whatever. In my opinion, that's not really the best move because it's more important to get them, like, yeah, they're gonna be under a little bit of stress when you're gentling, but if you can get them confident with humans as soon as possible, they're under stress for the least amount of time, in my opinion. Like they'll be nervous, obviously, learning how to handle being around humans, but um I mean, it's compared to like, yeah, for a week they're nervous of you and then they're fine, versus forever scared of you being next to their vet, right? So putting a little bit of pressure on them at the beginning is in my opinion the best way to do it. Obviously, are there are multiple ways and you can do whatever, but it's also beneficial for the horse in the sense of like if they got hurt, you can get vet work done and farrier stuff and all that stuff without um like having to put them in a chute or whatever, because a lot of people don't have that as an option, right? Um, so getting them haltered and at least leading-ish and touchable-ish is really important in the first couple days, in my opinion. But anyway, Kenny and Cody did that clinic, and I mean, seriously, I I owe all of the Mustang stuff to them because I would have had no idea where to go from there. Like I would have picked her up and I'm sure she would have been gentled, but not as quickly or safely as it was it happened.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, and it started you off well. Right. Because look at how many you've done now.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and it I I use the same method that I learned at the gentling clinic. Obviously, it changes a little bit from horse to horse, but that's still the method I use to gentle from for all of the mustangs I've started. Again, like it changes a little bit depending on the horse, but like the idea's the same.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, and that's cool. Yeah, so how old were your mustangs like when they were rounded up, or were they born and holding?

SPEAKER_01

So I've had I wanna say three. Frisana was born and holding, Calissa was born and holding, my sister's horse was born in born and holding, and Vienna was born and holding. But Soraya was captured. She was captured when she was I wanna say a yearling, I think, or two. She might have been two. Um, but I've had a lot of most I think almost every single one of my client mustangs were all captured from like two to four.

SPEAKER_00

Have you noticed a difference between the ones born in holding and the ones born in the wild? Honestly, not a ton.

SPEAKER_01

The only thing is some of them test fences a little more if they're born in or I mean if they're captured. Uh a lot of them don't, but I've I had like one bordering test fences consistently, and I had like three captured test fences consistently. So I think that's the only thing I've noticed. And I also think that the holding facility they're brought to versus and like born in depend like it decides the differences more than if it's a holding facility versus not, because like Elm Creek, Nebraska, all of the horses from there are like much more the majority, I'm not gonna say all, the majority of the horses from there are much friendlier because they're socialized with people going there all the time into the pants.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. What ages were your mustangs when you adopted them?

SPEAKER_01

I had a yearling, three three-year-olds, and a four-year-old. And then I've had for client horses anywhere from like two to eight. Is eight the oldest that you've done? Eight's the oldest when they picked it up. Well, that yeah, that's what I was wondering. Yeah. I had a Mustang who had been passed around and all of that. I think he was like 14 or 15 and still not touchable or handleable at all. Okay. Uh so how did that go? He was an interesting one because I also think he was pride-cut. Oh. So he was really aggressive. And he had had like, I want to say six owners or trainers that gave up because he would he was me. He would like charge you and bite and kick and took it. He actually, I think it's taken took the longest for me to work through, obviously. But it still didn't take that long. It was like a week and a half before I got a halter on him. And then after that, he went pretty smoothly. Um he just wanted to like every time I tried to put a halter on him, he would try to strike out at me. Even after no, no. After after he was gentle, he was actually pretty chill.

SPEAKER_00

Like, he just needed consistency. Gotcha. Um so did you sell him or was he your client horse? He was a client horse. So then where where is he now? Do you know? Is he still with the same client?

SPEAKER_01

I think they sold him, but he's doing great. I think I I saw him on Facebook like two months ago, and he was doing great. So he's rideable. He's pretty cool. Um, he was really built cool. He was a big like bucks. I think he was like 16 hands. Oh, that's cool. He was a big that's why he was also scarier. Because he wanted to eat you and he was also huge.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But he was pretty. He was he had long mane and he was like a big buckskin gelding-ish, gelding-ish, pride cut out. But I think they I don't know. He he is great now. So maybe he just was acting stunny. He probably could have. Could be. But he was he was a cool horse once he didn't eat me anymore.

SPEAKER_00

So how was your your other oldest one that was eight? Tell me how that went. That one, she was easy.

SPEAKER_01

She was, I mean, it was just like any other horse. She just, I think she appreciated the domestic life a little more than some of the babies. I've noticed that. A lot of the babies are like, what are we doing? Like some of them are more curious, but a lot of them were like, What? Why are you what what's happening here? It's because they they were in holding facilities, they're just chill, whatever.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But like just kind of like baby brained. The eight year old, she was like, obviously not. Nervous, but I mean, she once she realized oh, I'm getting fed, and also scratches, she loved life. That's what I've noticed a lot. This is weird, but like if you scratch a horse's belly button, this is what I for a lot of the Mustang gentlemen. Once I can kind of touch them all over, if you scratch their belly buttons, most horses will be your best friend. They love it. Every Mustang, pretty much, that I've done that to, they love it.

unknown

Huh.

SPEAKER_01

I should try that on whiskey. You should. And I learned it from someone at the Mustang Series. I never learned, knew I didn't honestly know horses have belly buttons. Until uh this girl at the Mustang Series was like scratching your horse's belly button, and then I was like, what are you doing? She's like, I'm scratching your belly button. And I tried it and it works on it's like magical. Horses become very gentle if you scratch your belly button. They just will like love you forever.

SPEAKER_00

So that's cool. I just feel like that's the debate, like the last couple of months. I feel like it's been, oh, I don't want to get an older Mustang, or oh, let's get an older Mustang, and you know, I just was curious if there was a big difference between getting like a three-year-old versus a 14-year-old.

SPEAKER_01

I would say there's a bit of a difference in the sense of like, you know, they they have a little bit more time to have no interest in humans, right? But once they figure out their life is way better with humans, I notice that the older horses appreciate it a little more. Which is kind of cool. So it takes a second, like maybe it'll take a couple more days to get them gentle, but in the long run, that doesn't really matter. So it's dependent on what you're looking for. I like the maturity of an older horse, but also if you want to get into showing, uh, I show the ranch stuff. So if you wanted to take a Mustang to like ranch horse association, the only difference, like, in my opinion, is you have to go immediately to net granting versus uh flower writing in a snack hole. So that's the only difference, in my opinion, on why I would pick a younger horse if I wanted to do go that route, but for trail horses and all that stuff, I don't care, it doesn't matter. And the older horses, I think also it it kind of adds like a balance thing, so it's easier to also start them in the sense of like you can lope them a little bit better because they know where their feet are.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean that makes sense, yeah. And that's but that's for every horse that comes with life experience, right? So yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

I know a lot of people don't like to start older horses, like cult start older horses in general because I don't know, they think it's harder. I agree to an extent, it's a little it's it's harder to start an eight-year-old than a two-year-old, right? But that difference between like three or four and like six or eight or whatever isn't that big of a difference in my opinion. I I start a lot of older horses, and honestly, if you prep it correctly, it's the same starting a young horse, so it's not it's not a big deal in my opinion.

SPEAKER_00

Well, they're cool because they don't come with baggage. So yeah, they're eight, but they're they haven't been through three trainers.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. So if as long as you know what you're doing, it's it's the same in my opinion, basically. There's a couple smaller differences, but I've not really noticed like huge differences. Okay. Besides baby brain, obviously.

SPEAKER_00

So if somebody was to get their first Mustang per se, you wouldn't say, you wouldn't frown upon them saying, hey, I want to get a 12-year-old.

SPEAKER_01

Dependent on their experience with horses. I would say if they're not super experienced with horses, I think yearlings have the biggest difference between anything. Yearlings versus any other age are I think easier because you can kind of pull them around a little easier. And they also are babies, so they're like they've baby brain in a good way. The the horse, ironically, the the age that I would say don't get if it's your first Mustang is a three-year-old. Interesting, okay. Because they're they're big enough that they still can pull you around, but they have that really bad baby brain.

SPEAKER_00

Like a teenager.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So they're stubborn and they have a little more of that attitude. That's the only age I would say no. If you're gonna get a Mustang, get a year two-year-old or something a little older. Three-year-olds. I like three-year-olds, I get three-year-olds all the time. They will 100%, in my opinion, be a little trickier than something younger or older.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. So my next question kind of ties into that, kind of. So, like whiskey was, I swear he trained himself through the night. Like he worked on something, and then if you quit on like a decent note, like, hey, I'm not getting it, I'm not getting it, we're just gonna leave it. Right. You leave, let him be for 10 hours, come back. It seemed like he's like, Oh, okay, I can do that thing that you asked me to do yesterday. Yeah. You know about it. Is that something that is is that a yearling baby brain thing, or is that like a Mustang thing?

SPEAKER_01

I think he just probably has a good mind.

SPEAKER_00

He has a wonderful mind.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was gonna say, because there are certain horses that are like that, and there are certain horses that forget everything. Like, Frizotta wasn't really like that. She was yearling. She just was like, if you left, she she picked up exactly where you left off. She didn't get better, she didn't get worse. That's a that's a good way. It's obviously better if they figure it out overnight and be like, oh, that could have been that that could have happened. I had a oh, you know Saraya. Yes. She was like that. Where if you worked on it and she you left her on a good note, she would be better. Callista, not like that. If you didn't leave it on the best note ever, the next day it would be worse. So it just depends on that mentality of a horse. I don't really think it's Mustang versus domestic age. Domestic.

SPEAKER_00

Um or age.

SPEAKER_01

Or age.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. I don't really think so. No, that's fine. I just was curious because that's something I've noticed. I'm I'm honestly scared to get another Mustang because whiskey has been so good.

SPEAKER_01

Your expectations are too high.

SPEAKER_00

Uh yeah, I guess well, I'm just scared it would go so bad because the first one went so well.

SPEAKER_01

That I actually have noticed is a thing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Like everyone, they get one really, really easy horse that makes them want another Mustang, and then the next one's really hard. And then usually it evens out after that, but I've literally almost every single person I've talked to has gotten an easy one and then a really hard one, like an obnoxiously hard one. Cause they go into it, in my opinion, this is what I think. They go into it with an ego a little bit. Because they're like, Well, I trained the first one great, and then the second one is like, whoa, I know nothing. That happened to me. I was like, for some of it's so easy, mustangs are so easy. Got to Calista, and I was like, oh, this is harder than I thought it would be. And then all the other ones are fine. Which also then it it it teaches you some skills to you know take into your next Mustangs, but it it make sure that you're you're staying humble.

SPEAKER_00

And I would, because I would be expecting it to be worse. Yeah, because whiskey was too easy. I would love to. I don't know that we have enough space, you know, and what yeah, I want to keep whiskey for the rest of his life. I mean, this is a 30-year horse. You know, this is you keep him forever because he's so cool. And he'll be so broke. He's gonna be so broke, but it's and he's gonna he's so adult amateur friendly. Yeah. I I mean I'm looking forward to getting him started under saddles because I think he's gonna be easy. Yeah. You know, while I'm st you know how I tie everybody, you know, kind of like a hitching post. Yes. And so he stands there because I pony him wherever I go. Yeah, he's gonna be so easy. And so then as I'm walking to take the older horses, you know, their saddles, yeah, I'll just throw his saddle pad up on top of him and or I'll throw their girth up on top of him and oh, okay, well, you're cool with it. Okay, I'll go saddle them. You know, he's he's just cool. He's gonna be so easy. And he's gonna be so fun. So I have a such fun time with him. I don't know that I'm gonna want another mustache because he he's gonna be wonderful. Right. I don't I don't want to get rid of him. Yes. That's that's gonna be like a forever horse. Right. Yeah, no, I think he's a cool horse. He's so cool. I got I got really lucky with that one. Yeah. He's so cool. So we talked about it a little bit, but what horse experience did you have before getting your first Mustang?

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, I had I had ridden for like eight years, but poorly. I had ridden poorly for eight years. Did you take lessons? I took lessons, but I just like once a week? Yes. So I rode once a week. And then when I was like 12, I kind of got a decent seat, and then I was I was at this barn, and they had this pony who came in for training, and he was this little snotty little like 13-hand half-way across who bucked everyone off. He was a little brat, and I kept getting put on him for lessons because I I could kind of ride, so I was like, Okay, they threw me on him, and he wasn't good for me at all. But then the girl was like, Hey, do you want to learn how to train a horse? And I was like, Yeah, of course I do, why not? And they were like, You should work on his name was Trigger. And I I learned how to teach collection and some buttons and to not buck people off. And I got a decent enough seat that I wouldn't fall off when he tried to buck me off. And then it was basically hit that horse that gave me the passion to train.

SPEAKER_00

Were you still only taking weekly lessons, or once you had Once they let me train him, I was doing it uh I want to say five days a week. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So they had had me just do the training on that horse. So But you didn't have a horse at your house. Nope. I didn't have a horse ever. I didn't I never had a my own horse until I got my first Mustang. Because we just we don't have horse property. We didn't have like it's expensive to have horses. It is, it's very expensive to have horses. So I anything I could do for free, I did. I did 4-H, rode people's horses, I would get on anything. And after Trigger, Trigger told me I had ridden some broke horses, so I I knew how to spin, I knew how to pick uh side pass, I knew how to, you know, do a hip syn. And I could ride a fly and change-ish. I'm a really broke horse, I could ride a fly and lead change, leg yield, all that stuff. Then I taught all that stuff to Trigger, which he was a really patient horse for me. I don't that was an interesting horse because he ended up being really cool when I rode it. Somehow, no, he would still bug for other people. So he just tolerated me, I guess, because I gave him enough treats, maybe. I don't know. That's what I like to say, but he rode really nice for me. Um, and then I was like, well, I should do this more. This is fun. Because his own owners ended up taking it back, so I didn't have him anymore. And I was like, Well, I should train. And I I started working for that same barn and training, like working on some of their training courses.

SPEAKER_00

So I would, you know, put first rides on some things, and um like tune-ups during the week in between lesson kids, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

So I'd do that, and then I'd also, if they had like a colt start, they'd just throw me on it and kind of pump or like lunge me around. Yeah. Um, or like I would learn how to teach buttons a little bit better. So I learned on trigger and they'd throw me on a client horse and ask or tell me to teach her how to pivot or whatever. So I worked on that for a little bit, and then I got Fervata. Um, which I was really blessed to have an opportunity to learn how to train that young. Because with a 12-year-old, you really because I signed up for the makeover when I was 12, picked up when I was 13. So 12-year-old having that many opportunities to ride training horses isn't common because obviously you can mess up horses. Do I think I should have been put on those training horses? Probably not, now that I'm looking back on it, but I'm glad I did. I'm glad I was allowed to do that, and I didn't mess them up. I I don't think so. I don't think I messed them up. I think I did a half decent job, and I think that if I did a bad job, they would have helped fix that. And now I have the experience to continue doing that.

SPEAKER_00

Well, that says a lot about your character, in my opinion, because I have kids, as you know, and like they just don't have the drive or the interest to do anything like that. Like, not necessarily horses, but the drive to do anything, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I was really stubborn as a child, very stubborn. I wanted a horse really badly. I didn't have any opportunity to have a horse, which is why I wanted it more, and I was like, I'm getting a horse. So I would pay for my parents' gas to bring me to the barn to ride as a 13-year-old. Um, and then once I got forzata, after she went to her new owner, because I had that was the deal with my parents, I'd get her, trainer, sell her at the end. So I don't have to keep having a horse because they didn't want me to have a horse. And I sold her, and after that, I got a couple messages on Facebook because I made a Facebook page to show my training with Frizada. Yeah. And I got a couple messages of being like, people being like, hey, do you wanna come put smiles on this horse? I'll pay you. So people started having me ride their horses, and that's I say that I started my business business at 13. So I started the pit page and started getting paid for it. So I guess that's pretty close to starting a business at 13.

SPEAKER_00

How far away was your first barn where that trigger was at? Uh from your house.

SPEAKER_01

About 25 minutes.

SPEAKER_00

So I mean it wasn't like it was a two-hour drive or anything.

SPEAKER_01

No, it wasn't bad at all. Um, it was the barn I was taking lessons out of.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, that's right, of course.

SPEAKER_01

So it wasn't it was not too bad a drive. As soon as I started making money though, my parents started charging me gas, which is kind of funny. But it's good. It is good because that taught me you builds. But and a sense of responsibility and a Right. So, and I had to make sure I was on time places and whatever. So then I started consistently doing client travel training and client horses. I also started working on in that barn, taking client horses there. Um, and then yeah, it's continued from there since since and it's been going pretty decent.

SPEAKER_00

So how many what how what are you doing currently? Like how many horses and training do you have, or how many clients do you travel to on like a regular weekly basis basis?

SPEAKER_01

I train about 10 to 12 horses a day, depending on in the summer.

SPEAKER_00

So a day? Yes. Oh my, okay. It's a lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's and they're all gonna be at different barns. There's like usually like one to three. Okay. Or one to four at a bar. So I'll go around. It takes a lot of time. I'm very glad to have my own car. I bought my first car at 16 on my 16th birthday, bought my second car shortly after to pull my horse trailer that I also bought. I bought a lot of things. That was the thing that I didn't notice if I was a teenager, like a young teenager that had some money, so I spent all my money. But then I also had to learn how you have to pay for gas to get places. So that's an interesting lesson that I've learned.

SPEAKER_00

But you also have to have a horse trailer to trailer your horses around.

SPEAKER_01

Right, exactly. So it's been I just bought another car recently, and I'm buying another for a truck. I'm upgrading my I have like an SUV and I'm turning it to a truck.

SPEAKER_00

Awesome. So that's good to hear. We're getting upgrades slowly but surely. I'm I'm glad to hear that because I don't trust my hair. No, I don't.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I don't trust it either. That's why I'm getting a truck.

SPEAKER_00

Good.

SPEAKER_01

It drives! And I'm driving it this weekend. It's hauling, this is the last weekend of its life. Well, with me. It's life with me. So it gets to haul one more time. Well, that's good. Yes. So client horses you're taking somewhere? I am taking, yes, a client horse to uh the ranch retreat. I don't know if you there's like a ranch retreat an hour and a half from here. Oh, and I went last year. This year I'm taking a two-year-old with 30 years. Hey, that was because that's smart. Get them broke. She's right, she's seen cows once. Okay. And it's like a cattle drive and then cow clinics. Oh, that sounds like fun though. It is so it was so fun. It was literally the highlight of my year last year. You should do that next year.

SPEAKER_00

Tag me in it and I will.

SPEAKER_01

You it's literally the best, the most fun thing you'll do all year.

SPEAKER_00

Literally. Because I I took Sid to a cow clinic in the spring. Yeah. It was cold. Yeah. Just because I wanted to try working on cows. And you know, Sid's pretty solid. Yeah. But I I've never I didn't know if he was gonna be okay with cows. I've never tried cows. He's never seen a cow with me. Right. And he was totally fine. You know, they they let loose all 15 or 20 cows, and because we were all at the other end, yeah. They just let the cows out and it's hang on, you know. Don't fall off. See how it goes. Right. And so the cows they rush out, you know, because they were penned up. He was totally fine. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01

You should do it 100%. It's literally the most fun thing you'll do all year. It's it's so fun.

SPEAKER_00

He doesn't mind pushing the cattle. So, like, if they're in the circle and you're trying to like you have one that gets out and then you have to herd work, I think it's called. You want to get them back in. Yeah, doesn't mind that at all. Doesn't mind pushing on the cattle. He does not understand the point of like the cutting. Yeah. Where you cut one out from the herd and then you do the the thing you see on TV. He's like, why? He's like, it it was with the cow. Yeah. So we don't need it to be here. He's not scared of cows, he'll push the cows, he'll go up and touch the cows. The chasing of the cows and trying to keep them away from the herd, he's like, no. He's like, leave it, leave it alone. Pretty much. I like him and I got into fights because it was I want you to go fast, and I want you to go fast right now. And he's like, no, no, I don't do that. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_01

Why would I do that? That's not fun. This is not really super mustang related, but the last year I went with a a different client horse, and it was this big mare. She was like, a big mare, and she I was like, She should be fine. She's seen the cattle a couple times. I brought her to the clinic, I sore a cow out, and then all of a sudden the cow stops and won't move, and she like almost runs into the cow because it won't move. And I was like, Why is the nip moving? And then it happened a couple times where the cows would just like stop going away from her, and I was like, What is happening? And the clinician's like, Your cow, your horse is like gentling the cows. Her her vibe is just like so calm that she's making the cows not like she's not cowie. You've heard cowie. She's like, whatever the opposite of that is.

SPEAKER_03

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01

And I was like, there's no way. These just must be tired cattle. And I didn't say that really, but I was like, really? Like, whatever. And they're like, yeah. So they took their cow horse out, moved the cow, and it moved. And I was like, you, this horse calls the cows. Weird. I'm like, that's so funny. That is funny. So we'll see if that happens this year. What disciplines do you ride? Um, mostly like ranch. Like, I'll do like the ranchmanship, the ranch riding. I do it, I dabble. I have dabbled in writing and some of the calf stuff, but I mostly like to do the ranchmanship, the ranch riding, the ranch trail, that kind of stuff. That's cool. I've done I used to do English, which for a long time I jumped, but I don't get that anymore. Well, that's okay. I have decided that now that I cold star all the time, I'm like, I'll keep my mustard saddle.

SPEAKER_00

That's okay. That's fine. Do you so you're not currently competing with any mustangs then? Because you don't have your own mustang this year.

SPEAKER_01

Nope. Yeah, I had I have a couple different client mustangs that they asked me to show with the series, but this next series I'm judging. Oh, okay. Yeah. So can't show and judge at the same time. Right. So uh yeah, that'll be I I was gonna show them. Just I mean, I have quite a few client mustangs at the moment. Um, so they were like, you should bring them to the mustang series, which I was going to do, but I'm judging. So that'll be fun though.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I that sounds like a great experience. So when you've had Mustangs you know in the past, did you register them with an association like N-A-M-A-R, like the North American Mustang Association Registry? I did not. No.

SPEAKER_01

I have worked with a couple Mustangs and had their owners get into Ranch Horse Association, okay. But you can register Mustangs with Ranch Horse Association. So they could be registered under AR ARHA, which is the American Ranch Horse Association, Michigan Ranch Horse Association, no. M M R, I don't know, some abbreviation. Michigan Ranch Horse Association.

SPEAKER_00

So you can register them. It's RAM, right? The Ranch Horse Association in Michigan.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you're right.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like something in Michigan. I don't know. Yes. R H A M, you're right.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Um, yeah, A R H A and R H A M. Gotcha. But you can register Mustangs through that and get them actually like have like a set of papers. kind of thing. Which I've had a couple people do.

SPEAKER_00

That's what I do with whiskey. Just because I did you? With ranch horse? Not ranch horse. Oh uh the the M A M A R one. Yeah. Just because I have this thing with registered names. I love horses with registered names. What's his registered name? Sunshine and whiskey. That's so cute. After the Frankie Ballard song. Oh oh I know that song.

SPEAKER_01

Oh that's so cute. Wait, so what's your thing with the registered names? You just like to have them?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, because I've only had grade horses the last couple of years. Right. And I always grew up riding paints. Yeah. You know and paints have the fancy registered names. And so since being an actual adult with an actual and a horse owner I've always had grade horses that you can't register. And so I'm like I want to register my Mustang. Right. So that's I that's why I asked is because I registered whiskey.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Because I wanted to.

SPEAKER_01

Well that's fun. And I like to do registered names too that's the other reason I like ARJ. Because you can give them an actual register name. And then you have the ability to show them in those big shows of if you can get to the I mean depending on how you do what the Ranch Horse Association shows, you can get to the Ranch Horse Association world show. So you can show Mustangs at world shows like that. Okay. If you compete well. Right. There's a couple Mustangs at the uh ranch horse for Michigan that I've nice I know the people and they have done well. I think one of them what's her name? Olivia Hawes Olivia or something I've never heard of her. She's not really involved in the Mustang stuff. She's just involved with the ranch horse stuff. But has Mustang stuff with her Mustang. She has two Mustangs. But you should talk to her actually I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So then my next question moving on just a little bit do you see the Mustang industry growing inside of the horse industry in the next five years?

SPEAKER_01

I think if people go out of their way to compete with Mustangs I think it could. I know that there's a lot of shows that are opening up all breed classes that I've noticed Mustangs getting into. So I think that honestly the best way to promote Mustangs besides actually like actively doing it is just taking your Mustangs out and showing at bigger shows. Foundation Quarter horse for Michigan has all breed classes now that people can show Mustangs in uh obviously Retroce I just talked about buckskin I have a friend that's on the buckskin board and the Pinto shows. You can show in the Pinto World which I saw a girl also compete and win the something at the Pinto World with her Mustang. Was that Mary Kitts Miller? It might have been yeah she's cool.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah I listened to her on another podcast. Oh really I do I didn't know that she had a podcast. I don't think it's necessarily her podcast. I think she's a guest I think she's a regular guest every month.

SPEAKER_01

Oh that's cool. That is really cool. But yeah she someone I think it probably was her yeah just won something at the Pinto World show. So I think getting Mustangs out into bigger events more than just only Mustang focused things will promote them and I think I think that honestly Mustangs have kind of a bad bad reputation. Like locally here it's getting better for sure.

SPEAKER_00

But I feel like we're in a hot spot. I feel like right here in Michigan we have a huge hotspot for Mustangs.

SPEAKER_01

Yes 100% but like out of states a lot of people have like a just a bit of a bias against Mustang.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah I definitely see that.

SPEAKER_01

And actually the first person I boarded at her house hated Mustangs. Oh interesting so it was just like they are they're wild and crazy and dangerous and they never will not be and I'm like I don't think any of my Mustangs are wild or crazy or dangerous.

SPEAKER_00

I think after the first three days whiskey he's been wonderful.

SPEAKER_01

Right and honestly even my harder ones a lot of them three days isn't three days.

SPEAKER_00

Like once you have them for three days you're working them consistently they're pretty not like super like obviously safe blah blah blah blah blah but at least handleable oh yeah by multiple I and I couldn't believe that I mean whiskey was easy I mean so easy and it I mean it was awesome. Yeah but it's just one of those he's the most domesticated horse that I have.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Because he's he's those those younger mustangs I I do think that there is a difference a little bit because I think that Mustangs are actually more once they're gentle they're gentle. Like they have a very good natural mindset a lot of them obviously not all of them but like most of them that I've worked with can be really just same the other thing they're really good at is obstacles. Yes. Every single Mustang I've ever had even client Mustangs 100% of the time amazing at obstacles every single one.

SPEAKER_00

Which is awesome.

SPEAKER_01

Which is really cool like and because it's like once they gain you gain their trust they'll follow you over everything.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

And I have like a in all of my freestyles I have the same trick of like they all pop balloons like I make them walk on balloons and they pop them. And everyone's like how do you get them to like do the thing with their foot that like pops them like whatever and I was like they just do it. You walk them over the balloons and they decide that it's fun and then they pop them on purpose.

SPEAKER_00

Right. So so I have a side story with whiskey. So you know we'd had him for a while yeah and I had we finally let him out with everybody else you know and because I had I had to beef up the fencing to make sure he wasn't going to get out.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_00

And so I beefed up the fencing let him out with everybody I probably sat there and watched him for two and a half or three hours like just because I was nervous and worried and put him out in the big pasture which we'd had him for a while. It was overdue. He needed to go out right I just I just was procrastinating on turning him out with everybody. And so turned him out watched him he was totally fine no issues and then left went home because I bored you know yeah and then the barn owner calls me and she's like um your baby horse is out and oh my gosh probably I've been gone for a half hour I was only gone a half hour he gets out you know the second you're not watching him of course and so she go so I'm all worried about it did he take down the fence I hear I thought he ran through the electric fence now I'm all worried about it I'm like are the other horses out no just just yours so I'm like well what did he do he found the one section that wasn't hot and went in between the two hot wires and scooted through the not hot wire you know the the one that was touching something somewhere and it is so funny. And my barn owner you know doesn't mess with him she doesn't go out there she doesn't feed him she doesn't interact with him. You know yeah he's on her property but she doesn't handle him and she said I I'd left his halter on just in case something happened. Right. You know for the first three days you know I'd left it on just to leave it on. And she came up to me and she's like I'm pretty sure even if he didn't have a halter on I would have been able to halter him and like this is a a wild mustang. Right a wild mustang you had just turned out for the first time got through the fence and was like I like the grass on the other side. Right. You know she went right up put a halter on or put a lead rope on his halter and walked into the round pen and that happened with Saraya.

SPEAKER_01

She got out the first time I got a call like oh my gosh she's out she she had been gentled for five days she was still in her six foot fencing she smushed a panel jumped the panel smushed it got out and she had a breakaway halter and they walked the barn owner walked never interacted no one else had interacted with this horse. She'd been gentled for five days they walked right up to her grabbed her halter put the lead rope to her and she was fine and I was like okay thanks like I don't I'm glad but like she just was like never seen anyone except me up close and she let someone walk right up to her and catch her out in the middle of nowhere or like out in an open woods which her friend was still in her pasture she didn't go that far but she like they said when she got out she took off down the driveway and then turned around and came back. So I mean it was great that she didn't actually really get out but like oh yeah. But she walked right up to the person and was like pet me. Yeah I mean whiskey they want pet.

SPEAKER_00

They want to be pet. Yeah whiskey whiskey is such an attention hog I mean he anytime somebody's like oh look he's cute he's like oh you think I'm cute let me you can come pet me he's like come here yeah right now yes please that's exactly how this okay so off of that little tangent what changes would you like to see happen in the Mustang industry over the next five years?

SPEAKER_01

It's a hard one um I think I think if if there were more clinics like how there was when I got my first Mustang because there hasn't been really a clinic like that since so it was really nice that I got into this. Right. If there were more clinics like that I think that that would be really beneficial for Mustangs because I think the worst part about like the Mustang reputation is the fact that a lot of people get them without knowing anything and then see they they just think that they have to sit in the pasture with them on a chair and wait for the horse to come up to them which is not really gonna work and it's honestly going to create unsafe behaviors on the horse. So if there were more clinics and explanations and videos and all of the things of the initial processes of gentling and I think clinic specifically because hands-on work is different than watching it on YouTube. Correct yes um so you can know exactly what you're doing wrong because a lot of times people watch the videos and then they try to do it but they're not in the right position and they don't see the horse like read the horse's expression and all the things the same as if they can have someone else who knows what they're doing a little bit better telling them what they're doing wrong and what the horse is feeling and all the things. I think if there were more gentle in clinics and all that stuff it would be very beneficial. So I would like to see that happen in the future. As soon as I get a property with Mustang set up I would want to do Mustang gentling clinics for the public. Hey that'd be awesome. I think that would be really even free like obviously the clinics if if people are bringing horse my property we have to be paid but if I pick up a Mustang I would be more than willing to have people come out and watch like have a designated time slot of like like auditors. Right exactly and so I can kind of explain what I'm doing in person so they can kind of see it up close and personal and the actual like all of it and any questions I that people have they can ask while I'm doing it. Yeah and that's awesome. So I think if that happened more I think that would be really beneficial for the Mustang community. I also think this one's just because I'm nosy I really would like them to do a better job live streaming all of the busting events. The Michigan ones would be it would be really cool to have those live live streamed but also like the big ones I they started doing it a little bit better but even like I don't think the magic was live streamed besides in a Facebook group. Gotcha I think if they did like bigger live streams that would be really cool.

SPEAKER_00

That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_01

Well they did the horse network one for the Kentucky horse park and the Las Vegas ones that was really cool because you could go back and look at the videos too. Gotcha okay yeah that's so that if they did that more I think that also would be cool.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Well that's just because I like to watch them no no that's fair. The what I was gonna say was if you if it's a new Mustang owner yeah the one thing is find somebody in your area like reach out to you or reach out to somebody somebody local and don't be scared to ask questions and like if you if you have a Mustang and you're stuck like don't be scared to reach out because right like I had had whiskey for three days and I had reached out to one of my friends that lives right here local and I'm like can you just come and see can you just come watch me yeah and I'm like can you just come watch me and see if I'm doing all the things right correctly yeah and so she came out she you know she watched me and she's like how many sessions do you do with him a day and how long are your sessions? I'm like I do three sessions a day and they're about 20 minutes 20 minutes to a half hour per session. Yeah. And she's like don't let up until you get the response you want. Right. And like that blew my mind. You know it's like oh because I you know I'd give him a break or give him a release anytime he gave me something close to what I wanted. Right.

SPEAKER_01

It's like no if you want to go pet him you stay there and you try and let him pet you know try to pet you know and then Yeah you can do mini releases which is what I tell people is you can give as many releases as you want to like take a couple steps back. But don't actually if you have a goal for that session unless there's a complete like there's a reason okay it's not gonna happen this session if you have a goal it's okay to have a big goal for a session as long as you're willing to take the time it takes and give many releases so the horse is still engaged and also read the horse to see how like if they are still engaged. Right. That's the only thing of like if you don't know how to tell if a horse stopped paying attention because there are certain points where you can kind of like blow a horse's mind of like they're not gonna learn anymore for that. They need a break.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_01

But a lot of times that doesn't happen like a lot of times you just are like well that was close.

SPEAKER_00

And that's what I was doing. I just oh he did he was close to what I wanted I'm gonna give him a break and it's like no keep pushing right like I that's that's the key I was missing was no you go keep pushing. Yes. And after she came out and told me that and like watched me for I don't know an hour. Right and I mean hour tops maybe even only a half hour I was totally I didn't yeah because we were set we were old right I mean he was wonderful.

SPEAKER_01

He's like oh yeah that's the push I needed right and it's it's pushing into your horse's comfort zone but not past your horse's comfort zone. Yeah so you can make them uncomfortable that's like you can make a horse uncomfortable a little bit you just don't want them to be like freaked out right you have to you have to watch that line of like hey this they're not gonna learn if they're never uncomfortable. If you if you're only ever doing what they're comfortable with then they're never gonna learn all the way because they'll never fully be comfortable with every random thing.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_01

So you have to teach a horse to be okay with being uncomfortable and not blow up. That's a lot of the issues I have like I have a lot of problem horses for training a lot of times I'll go work with them and the their biggest problem is they have never learned how to handle being uncomfortable. So every time they're uncomfortable they blow up because they never were taught hey you I can get into your boundary and make you uncomfortable a little bit and then back off and it's not the end of the world.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_01

That's so consistent and not even just with Mustangs with every like horse. Right. That's where a lot of problem horses come in so just that's a big thing for Mustangs though specifically is that's a that's why people are like oh well I don't want them to be nervous like I don't want I don't want to put the halter on yet because like what if they're not ready try you can kind of tell once you try right and you can get closer and closer and closer and then eventually you'll get it on. But if you if you're like well I'm not even gonna try yet because whatever go for it yeah go for it. Right. Um obviously tuning like if you know kind of the idea of what you're doing if you have a Mustang I hope that you kind of have an idea of what's kind of what's happening a little bit.

SPEAKER_00

Alright so let's get into our this is what I'm going to call our exit questions. So this is questions I plan on asking everyone regardless of like their horse experience. Right. It doesn't necessarily have to connect back to what we've been talking about throughout the podcast. Alright so what advice do you have for someone wanting to get their first Mustang uh we kind of covered it a little bit but seek help.

SPEAKER_01

If you if you are not 100% confident again it's no problem to go reach out to someone even online. Because if you're local right everyone friendly everyone wants you to have success with your horse. Everyone wants you to have a good experience obviously people love like the Mustang community specifically wants you to love your Mustang. Oh yeah so they want you to get another one right they want you to there's the saying of Mustangs are like potato chips you can all have you can never only have one.

SPEAKER_00

Well I feel like the Mustang community is is constantly pushing be like get another one out of holding this one well right go get another one out of holding.

SPEAKER_01

Right because I mean it's just it's not changing the lives of every Mustang but it's changing the ones out of the ones you're getting out.

SPEAKER_00

That correct I did a bad job saying no no that's fine that's it's the same thing with like the dogs and the shelters.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah same thing you're not changing everyone's life but you're changing that's the world it's you're not changing the whole world but you're changing the world of that animal. Correct so I think obviously that that's where there's a lot of hate honestly of rehoming bustangs I've noticed people are like you need to keep it because it has a bond with you. That's where you get into that territory of that's unhealthy for the community you can't keep every horse you get.

SPEAKER_00

No.

SPEAKER_01

And I do that I I re-home like I get them safe enough that I would be comfortable letting anyone handle them and then I give them a good home. I set them up 100% for success in their new home but if I kept every Mustang I would only be able to get one. Right. Yeah like I couldn't keep getting horses out of holding and getting them into homes and every single Mustang that I've got out of holding into a new home has 100% been totally successful and I get updates all the time of being like this is the best horse ever like I love them. They're never leaving which is what that's the goal. That's what I'm like see if that horse was just left then they would just still be in holding doing nothing with its life. Right. Versus being loved in a home where it's healthy and especially with a lot of mine coming in skinny they're all up to weight and doing phenomenal.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Alright what is an equine best practices that you do in your barn or with your horses like something unique to you that you do every time you go to the barn or you know like certain way that you trailer load or certain things that you feed like a certain thing that is like unique to you where you're you know you do all the time. Good question.

SPEAKER_01

Um that one I didn't think about before. Let's see I okay this is a stupid one that's the amount of people who don't pick their horse's feet every single time they work them especially Mustangs is a lot. And I feel like if you're not your horse a lot more handleable. Like if if you're wondering why your horse won't stand for the farrier but you also only pick up their feet for the farrier or like the day before so you can pick them out make sure they're not gross for the farrier that's that's a big thing. Like that's fair. I think handling a horse the other thing is I handle every horse like it's broke. Um I and if it's not then I keep working like I I just act like nothing's a big deal. So if if I grab a saddle pad and they have seen like I've thrown a saddle pad on them before obviously not the first time introducing it. But even if they're like ah it's a pad I just kind of act like it's no big deal like I'll toss it around and make sure they're not scared but I I don't raise my energy. I think that's a big thing. I actually lied I have one that's really good. Okay. Every single I tell like every and I've told you this too okay every client I've ever went to their house softening lateral softening this is my best practice every single horse that I get on the first thing I do is pick up their nose pick up their inside shoulder and do lateral circle lateral softening circles that's it that's my one every it will make a horse a hundred times broker if you can pick up and do a nice soft lateral softening circle it it helps every single thing it helps with collection it helps with their spins it helps with just riding better steering better I do it on Colts because as soon as they can walk truck canner I start working on lateral softening it helps every single thing under saddle and even on the ground because they just become softer and rounder and get off the halter pressure better. Like it that's what I do. Less dull less dull yes I mean it literally changes it's also a good thing of if your horse gets freaked out you can pick up their nose do a lateral softening circle and they'll start thinking about you again. Right. So it's like an emergency like a one range stop basically kind of so and right from a lateral softening circle if you kick your leg back a little further you're in a one ring stop. Right. So that that's my best practices I'll stand by that every time every horse is just lateral lateral softening what horse related bucket list item do you have?

SPEAKER_00

Oh like for disciplines well anything like errand I want to do trick riding okay I think that would be really fun at some point in my life. Well that's cool. That's that's my bucket list.

SPEAKER_01

Hey that's awesome and that's different that's not even something I would have thought of I thought about it all the time I'm like I should just buy a trick saddle which is unsafe and not hard so I'll I'll do lessons this is not advertising doing unsafe things.

SPEAKER_00

Well you could always do it on like a hay bale or something.

SPEAKER_01

Right yeah I was like what if I just like get on a horse and just throw a turk saddle on and hope for the best but I'm not gonna do that. So don't does seem a little dangerous that's a little dangerous but I at some point would like to take a trick riding lesson.

SPEAKER_00

That sounds awesome. What is your favorite color of horse? Chestnut yeah chestnut mares are my thing yeah um is there a Mustang topic you would like to hear covered on a future podcast episode not specifically I would love to hear Katie's episode though that that one I'm excited to hear. That will happen she already said yes great I just got to schedule a time with her yep that's that one I'm excited for. And then last question do you prefer mares or gildings?

SPEAKER_01

Mares a hundred percent but I love a good mare.

SPEAKER_00

Yes I feel like I knew that I knew the answer to that yeah but yeah all right well thank you for being on my first in person interview thank you so much for having me