Extreme Mustang Makeover

A couple of my friends are doing the Western States Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge. They drove down to California to get their mustangs a couple weeks ago and I got to go meet the new mustangs the day they came home. I probably forgot to mention it because it was the weekend I won my buckle. I was a little distracted. Did I mention I won a buckle? hehehe

Anyways, they have blogs detailing all of their adventures with their new projects. Juliane ended up with Midori's long lost sister who she named Sangria. She has the same little white sock, bay color and massive mane as my Midori. She seems pretty friendly and laid back for a supposedly wild, never been handled mustang. It sounds like she is taking everything that Juliane throws at her in stride. Jenny ended up with a fiesty little mare she named MissFire. Much to their surprise, I totally fell in love with her as soon as I saw her. She has the most adorable face and the compact little build that I love on horses. She was very shy, but curious. She wanted to sniff my hand so bad and kept trying, but she was very scared. She has been a bit more of a challenge then Sangria, but they are both coming along quickly.

The Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge is put on by the Bureau of Land Management and the Mustang Heritage Foundation and basically involves a bunch of mustangs, straight from different Herd Management Areas around the country. Trainers apply for a spot in the challenge and, once approved, are randomly assigned a mustang. They then have 90 days to get them gentled, broke and ready to compete against the other mustangs and trainers at the Challenge. Sangria and MissFire will be competing at the Western States EMM Challenge in Sacramento, CA in June.

The reason I bring all this up is that I got to see MissFire again last night. I still just adore her, she really is a cutie patootie. She also looked a whole lot smaller then I remember her! She can't be more then 14:1. All of my horses are between 14:2 and 14:3 though so I think she is just the perfect size. She is just a petite little thing to, short back, leggy, compact little build. She looks like she'd be athletic as hell and apparently has performed some pretty amazing acrobatics.

She was all saddled up last night and looking a little less wild. I played with her for a little bit and got to pet her neck and shoulder. I didn't push my luck any further back then that as there is a reason she got the name MissFire. She didn't like me in her face or patting her at all, but when I would work up her neck to scratch her face she sure seemed to love it and totally lean into it. Then she would remember that it was me scratching her and toss her head away. hehe She was super soft on the lead line, very responsive and respectful of my space. That was good, I really like my bubble. She was pretty protective of her bubble too though and it took her a little convincing to let this strange her person walk around to the other side. She did lots of dropping her head and licking her lips when she'd figure out I wasn't going to eat her. It was fun. I can see the appeal of the Challenge, though I'm pretty sure I'd never have the cojones to actually enter it myself. I can't wait to see how Sangria and MissFire progress and I'm trying to figure out how I can get down to Sacramento in June to watch them in action!