A big catch-up

September 26, 2010
I'm catching up. Unfortunately this year I didn't go to Reno because Blossom bruised her foot (an abscess) so we've had to wait a while but everything is going to be OK. In fact this next week I'm going to be able to ride Blossom according to what the vet has said is OK. She hasn't been ridden for over two months so I'm going to basically re-train her. It'll be a lot of work but it'll be worth it. I've had to wrap her foot and do Betadyne soaks. There's also been a LOT of stall cleaning because her hoof had to be kept dry and clean. But I've been walking her and she's had some occasional treats of grapes and leaves from the vineyard around the barn. Shhhh--don't tell!

News from Madeleine Pickens

September 17, 2010

I signed up to hear about Madeleine Pickens' project to save mustangs. Here's her letter with the results:

Dear Our Fabulous Wild Horse Supporters, 

We are SO excited to FINALLY announce the best news we have had to share with you in over 2 1/2 years!

OUR MUSTANGS ARE GETTING THEIR SANCTUARY AND HAVE THE BLM’S SUPPORT!!!

Over the past three days, I have been to meetings in Sacramento and again in Washington, DC.  I’ve met with BLM Director, Bob Abbey, Deputy Director, Mike Pool, along with the Wild Horse and Burro team. The BLM has officially agreed to support going forward with the development of the wild horse Eco- sanctuary for the horses in holding! Also in DC, I met with Congressman, Jim Moran, who had already given his blessing, but is submitting legislation to members of Congress on behalf of these wild mustangs. We are so thankful to him and his staff for their efforts on the wild horse and burro issue. All the meetings were fabulous and we could not be happier about the news!

This final acceptance by the BLM this week was the hurdle we had yet to get over. We are so thankful for the opportunity to start our Pilot Program with 1,000 horses, and we aim to get all 36,000+ horses in holding soon after. This action by the BLM shows great leadership on the part of Bob Abbey and Mike Pool for taking a stand for our beautiful mustangs and accepting the solution we have offered. Saving America’s Mustangs gives our sincerest thanks for the monumental cooperation on the part of the BLM for an alternative to the holding pens.

This is a truly a dream come true and I’m thrilled to share this news with all of you!! Let the rejoicing begin!!

Very Sincerely,

Madeleine Pickens and the (*cheering) Mustangs 

www.savingamericasmustangs.org

My trip to Idaho and Reno--before@

August 8, 2010

I'm going on a trip to Idaho on Friday the 13th. We are going to stay at my dad's friend's house in Ketchum (in Idaho). After our trip to Ketchum we are going to go straight back to Reno and meet Blossom and Tracee and stay in Reno so we can compete in the Western States Wild Horse & Burro show. I might not make a couple of posts while I'm gone.

Blossom's first injury

August 8, 2010

Before the adventure trail ride I told Tracee that I thought Blossom's right hind leg was sore and she said that she might look at it after the trail ride. So after the trail ride Tracee noticed and said that when the vet came we would show the vet. The vet was coming to do Blossom's coggins test anyway. A coggins test is basically just a check up test so that Blossom can cross state lines (for Reno). So the vet saw Blossom's foot and said that her foot was bruised because the top of the foot somehow got smushed down and was curling under. So they sedated her and put a big wrap and bandage on. Then they told me to give her some medicine in her lunch and dinner and also to keep the foot wrapped and try to keep it as clean as possible. And that I couldn't ride her for a week. So after a couple days Tracee noticed that the bandage was getting really dirty and it was kind of wet. And then we took it off and put a diffferent wrap and put a boot on so it would stay clean. Then she was kept in a stall,  not an outside paddock.  It did stay clean; every couple days we would soak her foot in some minerals and change the wrapping.

So on Saturday the 7th I rode her in a group lesson and she was fine and she was sound, which means she was all better and walked and trotted fine.

An adventure trail ride Part 2 (final)

August 8, 2010

After the vulture and dead coyote incident we kept going on our trail ride.

I'm going to describe about a hill that everyone loves to go on and whenever anyone goes on a trail ride they wish to go up the big hill! So the big hill is a hill (obviously!) behind a winery called Ehlers Lane Winery and surrounded by vineyards. It is a steep hill where you usually canter or gallop up which everyone loves to do because you get to go really fast with your horse. OK. So now that I have explained to you about the big hill I'm going to finish my story.

So after we passed the vultures and kept going on our trail ride we passed under huge trees and let the horses nibble on some pears. After that I was very excited because Tracee asked me if I wanted to go up the big hill. I was kind of nervous so I thought about it for a second and said sure because I wanted to go up the hill and before I said anything Tracee could kind of tell that I was nervous and so she reassured me and said that it was physically impossible for horses to buck up hill and horses really can't rear up hill either. So now I felt a lot better about going up the big hill and in about 5 minutes we were right there turning around the corner to go up the big hill. There was something inside me that made me be nervous but my adventurism took over.

I thought I would be cantering and galloping up the hill in no second with the wind in my face and my hair blowing but Blossom just trotted up the hill peacefully and quietly but also she went really fast so it was still awesome and very fun! And then we turned around because we were going to back down the other side next to the winery but there were scary noises that the horses were scared of so we just thought we wouldn't take the risk and we went down the big hill---which I never had done before (I think). And they just walked down the big hill because if they trotted or cantered they could trip and hurt themselves because it's so steep.

Then we went back home and I got off and thought to myself, what a wonderful trail ride. I'd do that anytime. I was also thinking what a great story I can tell!

An answer from Congressman Mike Thompson

August 2, 2010

Here's an email I just got back....wonder if I'll hear from the President?

Dear Charlotte:

Thank you for contacting me regarding wild horses.  I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with me. 

On July 17th, 2009, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (H.R. 1018) by a vote of 239-185.  I supported H.R. 1018 that amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act by prohibiting the slaughter of wild horses and burros and limits the circumstances in which these animals could be removed from the land they inhabit.  Other provisions of this legislation would expand the number of acres available to wild horses and burros to 53.5 million acres. 

The Restore Our American Mustangs Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for further consideration.  I will continue to monitor this issue and keep your comments in mind as the House of Representatives considers future legislation related to wild horses and burros.

Again, thank you for sharing you thoughts with me.  Please continue to contact me on all issues of importance to you and to our district. 

Sincerely,

MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress

Help save Mustangs!!!!!!!!

August 2, 2010

Right now the BLM is herding up lots and lots of mustangs. In the next month there will be more horses in captivity than there are in the wild. what a disgrace. To help stop the BLM from rounding up mustangs you can send a letter to the government either directly or through Madeleine Pickens' website. Madeleine Pickens is trying to establish a sanctuary for mustangs on 1,000,000 acres in Nevada. She's asking people to send letters about this which she will deliver by "Pony Express" to Washington DC this next week. Please help if you can.

Here's where you go to send a letter:

http://capwiz.com/madeleinepickens/utr/2/?a=14619476&i=1234&c=

here's the letter that I sent in:
Dear President Obama, Secretary of the Interior Salazar, Director of the
Interior Abbey, Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer and Representative
Thompson:

My name is Charlotte Smith. I am a 10 year old girl; I live in northern
California (specifically St. Helena in the Napa Valley) and I have a mustang
named Blossom whom I 'adopted' a couple months ago. Before Blossom I
'adopted' and rode a strawberry roan mustang named Sparky. I take lessons at
Sunrise Horse Rescue (in St. Helena); this will be the second year I'm
competing with a mustang at the Western States Wild Horse & Burro Expo (a
big show in Reno in August). 

I am trying to support mustangs as much as possible so that they can keep
roaming wild.  I have a blog called www.mustangmemoir.vox.com where I'm
writing about how I'm training my 5 year old buckskin, Blossom.

I am a supporter of Madeleine Pickens' proposal to build a wild horse
sanctuary in Nevada and to rethink the gathering of wild mustangs. I do
understand that this is a very complicated issue and I also believe that the
wild mustang symbolizes the American spirit and that we should do everything
possible to keep that spirit alive. My government spends a huge amount of
money on many things---finding the money to make Mrs. Pickens' proposal
happen would seem to me to be money well spent not only for today but for
future generations of Americans as well.

Don't we spend lots of money on national parks and monuments? Isn't this
just as important or even more?

An adventure trail ride Part 1

August 1, 2010

I was about to bring Blossom to the arena when Tracee told me to tack up Aaragon, the horse that she was going to ride, while she finished her breakfast. So I put Blossom back in her stall and I quickly tacked up Aaragon and brought Aaragon to Tracee and went & got Blossom. Then eventually we both got on and started on the trail. There are vineyards surrounding the stables and around the vineyard there are different little trails that we have discovered. So when we set out we went around the front vineyard first. Then there is a back vineyard and alongside of it by the outline there is a ditch going along the whole side at the back of the back vineyard. And so we were going on the other side of the ditch; we crossed from the back vineyard over the ditch to the other side. But there was a walkway part where you can step over instead of having to jump over the ditch (which we don't do). So when we were going over there, there were two huge huge vultures that were perched on top of a vineyard post. And then we saw in the ditch a dead coyote and it looked recently killed (like that morning). When we were going by both horses were kind of getting scared and nervous and then they bolted for a second off...but we turned them around quickly so they could see what was going on so they wouldn't get scared. Then after when we were walking away from the whole situation I was asking Tracee why they were getting scared. Then she said horses can get scared of the smell of death and they also got scared because the vultures flapped away right behind them. So we turned them around so that they could look at what was going on because they couldn't just walk away and ignore it; they need to see it and know what was happening. That is the end of an adventure trail ride Part 1.

The results of our first show

July 26, 2010

Blossom's first show was at the Napa Valley Horseman's Association on June 26, 2010. It was pretty much successful 'cause she didn't spook and she was very good in all the classes. It's pretty unusual because this was the first time she had ever been to a show. Some horses could get scared and freaked out because they might feel claustrophobic with all the horses and people waiting to go into the show ring....she didn't! She was very good because she didn't get scared at all. I figured out that if she had been born in the wild she might not have been as calm and willing. Even though I didn't place very well it's fine because we still had fun and it was a good learning experience. The classes that I entered in were halter classes (where you walk your horse doing different things on the ground, showing your horse) and the lead line (a class where I was the only one in it and my trainer led me just to make sure Blossom didn't get too 'high' and that was actually good because Blossom was starting to get a little nervous so it's good that Tracee was there to help me control her). 

My placings were first place in the lead line class; 2nd place in one halter class and 5th place in another halter class. In another post maybe not the next one I'll tell more about the show.

A project of mine

July 24, 2010

Have you heard of the St. Helena Family Film Festival? My friends and I made a video during the Family Film Festival about neglected horses and mustangs and how mustangs need more room and about how to adopt them and also about Sunrise Horse Rescue. So I'll show you the YouTube video: here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtorZPsu6HM

Trotting on the trail

July 24, 2010

Today I rode Blossom in the arena for a while doing different trotting activities. Then she told everybody else (not riding) to get their horses and that we were going to go to the apple tree. I was the only one riding out there. Tracee took a horse named Tara (yes a mustang) and the other girls took their horses. This was my first time on the trail without someone walking next to me (and Blossom). It was really fun because on our way to the apple tree there's a big ditch where it goes down and comes back up and then goes down a little bit. It was really fun because she trotted the ditch kind of fast because she didn't want to get left behind, even though Tara was the only one in front of her...and everyone else was behind her. 

Then to go back to the barn, we went the long way and went all the way around the back vineyard to go to the barn instead of just passing by the other horses' stalls to get to the barn. Tracee told me to trot and pass Tara and go a little farther up ahead so I did. It was really fun. I felt proud because I knew that Blossom trusted me so much to leave the herd from somewhere that she had never been before!

Also at one point there was a big spot where the vineyard was taken out and there are these big trailers (not horse but almost twice the size). Blossom and Tara and Dusty figure-eighted them; I also trusted her a lot because there were these two big, scary, echoing and kind of close together trailers. Then we went back to the barn and I got off and groomed her and took her back to her pasture. 

What a big step!

Flag football on horses

July 20, 2010

Have you ever played flag football? well guess what I never played it on foot but the first time I played it was on horseback! Sunday night I played flag football with my friends and my trainer. There were 3 people on my team; my team was the yellow, the other team was blue. Flag football is where you kind of have a belt around your waist with colored ribbons with one color ribbon on each side. You pass the ball (not throwing it), just handing it, to your team mates and you can only hold the ball for 10 seconds and you try to get the ball into the goal, but the other team can stop you by pulling off your colored ribbon (it's just velcro). 

This game is kind of hard because the horses get really close and could kick or buck at each other. So I was really trusting Blossom a lot and she was trusting me a lot to do the game together.

It was all fun, even though my team wasn't really winning but that didn't matter and sometimes we did get scores. We had a fun time because some of us would do funny things and we would all laugh together. I loved it even more because for the first time I cantered for the very first time although it wasn't on purpose.

Here's the story: we were playing flag football and the other team had the ball; most of my teammates were on the other end trying to get the ball but I got left behind so I turned around and because we were all kind of excited she started to canter to catch up with everybody. Everybody saw and told me 'good job,' but that was a totally different canter than I've ever felt so I thought it was bucking, but it was an actual canter. I felt really proud of myself & my horse.

Our first canter

July 20, 2010

Today in my lesson I did different things including figure-8-ing jumps and doing different courses. Our main course that we did was where we would canter in the beginning, trot over a couple jumps, pick up a pole that was sticking out of a barrel and ride over with it to a different barrel and stick it in the barrel. Then we would go over more jumps and then halt next to our red mounting block. 

Maybe that doesn't sound like much to you but it was really fun for me and the other girls in my lesson. I liked it the most because it was the first real time I actually cantered on purpose. For me, Blossom's canter feels long and not rocking but smooth and clear to see what lead you are on. A lead is which side the horse is cantering on, so whichever leg is out front and always staying out front. So it was easy to tell that she was on the inside lead (you should always be on the inside lead).

And the canter also felt like a real mustang canter, not like a little show pony canter. It felt like another horse at the stable's canter---Dusty, who is also a mustang. The hard part is I don't know how to explain how it looks ('cause I didn't see it). She was very good the whole lesson but especially when I picked up the pole and when I cantered. I think those two actions were the highlights of my lesson. Also today when I was going to get Blossom from the pasture she trotted towards me. It made me feel like she really trusted me and loved me because also during the lesson my trainer pointed out to me after I moved the pole how much she trusted me.

A "Green" Horse

July 10, 2010

So now I am training my horse that was green...and it has truly been the best experience of my life so far! If you don't know what "green" means, I'll tell you. It doesn't mean the color; green means a horse that is untrained, usually not halter-trained and most importantly, a horse that hasn't ever been ridden. I'm very happy and proud that I was the first person to ride Blossom. I think that she and I have a big future ahead. I feel like things are going too fast and if things could just slow down a little bit.

Moving on (pretty hard)!

July 9, 2010

Before I got Blossom I leased a mustang named Gator but I called him Sparky because of his wonderful personality and strawberry roan color! Last year I went to this mustang show (I was telling you about) I won two big belt buckles (the size of my face!!) I was really proud because this kind of thing doesn't happen too much. I had a wonderful and great relationship with Sparky that was valuable and I wanted to be kept for ever, but one day Ann, his real owner (Ann let Sunrise Stables take Sparky for awhile but wasn't clear if she was ever going to take him back so I rode him and formed a tight relationship) called my trainer, Tracee and said that in the next couple of days she would come and get Sparky!!!!!!! That devastated me, I couldn't stand it!!! But during the course of the next couple days I spent basically the whole day with him. But then that day came when I was riding him and Ann's big red truck pulling a trailer came into view and Tracee told me to keep riding him because Ann was early, so I did but eventually I had to get off and Tracee had Sparky touch noses with his friends as a way to say good-bye. I pulled my tack off and put it on the rail and walked Sparky into the one-horse trailer which was very nice, clean, air-conditioned,had food and water in it. I watched as the trailer drove away. I stepped onto the little hill to watch the trailer drive all the way down the long driveway. I started to cry but wiped the tears and went to put my tack away in the barn. There I cried for awhile or until the lesson in the arena was over. Now almost every time I think about him I start to cry and I can't keep my mind off him!

About Mustangs! She is one!

June 24, 2010

My horse's name is Blossom / Ginger (we're still deciding but probably Blossom)

She is a 5 year-old mustang who was born in captivity.

For those who don't know what a mustang is, 

it is a type of horse that was brought in from the wild and adopted.

ALL mustangs have a brand that says US then numbers and letters in a code.

The Western States Wild Horse & Burro Association (http://www.wildhorseandburroexpo.com/) 

gets mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management and adopts the mustangs out. 

Every year this association puts together a show in Reno

and our barn, Sunrise Stables, has 4 mustangs including Blossom. 

 We go to this show mostly every year.

How It All Started

June 18, 2010

Hello everyone I am a 10 year-old kid who lives in Northern California. My name is Charlotte. I have been riding since I was 3 years old (7 years). I have always adored riding and always rode different horses but a couple months ago I was devastated when my horse who was very close to me left. My trainer and my mother went half an hour away from my house and found me a 5 year old buckskin mustang. Together my family and I decided that we would buy the horse. This blog is going to be all about Blossom and my adventures.