The Mustang Diaries

There’s a new face in the training program, and he comes with 15 years of life experience, 12 years with his owner, and a whole lot of opinions about how humans should—and should not—run his life. Meet Sjoeka, a 15-year-old gaited Mustang gelding who has officially checked into my version of equine boot camp. Sjoeka was adopted by his owner 12 years ago, so these two have a lot of history together. She has stuck with him through the years, worked around his quirks, and given

Tis' the season of getting butts in trailers and off to their homes! Last weekend we said goodbye to another incredible mustang as Pecos officially headed back home to his family after nearly six months of training here with us! Pecos arrived in February; a towering, 16-hand, 1300lb, Devil's Garden Mustang with an even bigger personality. Beneath that massive, drafty frame was a horse that wasn't quite sure the world was a safe place. He was nervous, reactive, and always prep

If you've been following Mama Bear's journey, you know she hasn't been the kind of horse that checks milestones off quickly. In fact, her first two months here looked very different from what many people picture when they think of horse training. For nearly eight weeks, our focus wasn't on fancy groundwork or learning new skills. It was simply about earning enough trust that she would allow a halter to be put on. That may not sound like much, but with a truly wild mustang, th

Some horses seem to take the long way home, and Phoenix’s journey certainly didn’t happen on anyone’s original timeline. I first adopted Phoenix last summer, excited to bring this handsome mustang home and get started with him. Then came the government shutdown, which delayed my ability to pick him up. Once that was resolved, some internal issues with the BLM pushed things back even further. Then there was trouble finding transportation. So we waited. And waited. And then, fi

Some horses come into your life to stay forever. Others come into your life so you can help them become the horse they were meant to be for someone else. Penny, turned out to be the second kind. We adopted Penny when she was just two years old in September of 2024. Originally, she was supposed to become my boyfriend Joe’s horse. We had visions of the two of them growing together, but as Penny matured, one thing became pretty obvious—she simply wasn't going to be big-boned eno

Welcome, Lakota Sioux! 🐴 We're excited to welcome Lakota Sioux, our newest training student, who arrived at the farm almost two weeks ago! Lakota has hit the ground running and is absolutely SOARING through her groundwork. Her confidence, willingness to learn, and steady progress are a testament to the hard work and dedication her owner has already invested before arriving for training. Building a solid foundation on the ground is one of the most important steps in creating

Pecos has had quite the eventful couple of weeks here in training. Before his recent setback, he enjoyed a wonderful trail ride with his owner. It was a fantastic outing, and it was great to see the partnership they've been building continue to grow outside of the arena. Unfortunately, shortly after that ride, Pecos developed what appears to be a hoof abscess. Anyone who has dealt with abscesses knows they can be incredibly painful, and this one has certainly been taking its

Phoenix had another productive week, with several exciting milestones that continue to build a strong foundation for his future. One of this week's biggest accomplishments was his first full front hoof trim using all of the farrier tools and the hoof jack. For a young BLM mustang, this is a huge step. Phoenix remained thoughtful and willing throughout the process, showing just how much his confidence and trust have grown. Every positive experience like this makes future hoof

Phoenix's Weekly Training Update: Building Reliability Through Repetition This week with Phoenix wasn't filled with dramatic firsts or flashy milestones—and that's actually a very good thing. Some of the most important weeks in a horse's training aren't the ones where they learn something brand new. They're the weeks where we take existing skills and strengthen them through repetition, consistency, and thoughtful practice. Reliability is built in these moments, and that's e