The Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge is an event that is coordinated between the BLM (Bureau of Land
Management) and the Mustang Heritage Foundation. Last year, 100 trainers had 100 days to train 100 Mustangs to
be the Best of the Best. The competition was unbelievable! This year, there are 200 trainers training 200 Mustangs!
The competition is fierce, and will show who's got the talent, and who doesn't.
This year, I am one of the chosen trainers. I went to Paul's Valley, OK on Friday, June 13, to pick up my Mustang. On
this page you will follow his training, from the time we picked him up to the time he goes to Ft. Worth. Stay tuned!
Management) and the Mustang Heritage Foundation. Last year, 100 trainers had 100 days to train 100 Mustangs to
be the Best of the Best. The competition was unbelievable! This year, there are 200 trainers training 200 Mustangs!
The competition is fierce, and will show who's got the talent, and who doesn't.
This year, I am one of the chosen trainers. I went to Paul's Valley, OK on Friday, June 13, to pick up my Mustang. On
this page you will follow his training, from the time we picked him up to the time he goes to Ft. Worth. Stay tuned!
We arrived at the BLM facility about 10:30 a.m. They loaded a few horses
before me, so we were waiting. Nemo was finally loaded into the chute.
before me, so we were waiting. Nemo was finally loaded into the chute.
Nemo apparently didn't like the idea of
being trapped in that chute....
being trapped in that chute....
Nemo apparently didn't like it when they tried to put halter and lead on him and
attempted to run for it! This was not the first attempt he made, but clearly the
most dramatic!
attempted to run for it! This was not the first attempt he made, but clearly the
most dramatic!
They finally opened the gate and let
him get into the trailer. The trip home
was pretty much non-eventful.
him get into the trailer. The trip home
was pretty much non-eventful.
Finally at home, he
settled in. At first, he
was sure the lead
rope that was
dangling around his
legs was going to kill
him, but he soon
figured out that he
was safe...
settled in. At first, he
was sure the lead
rope that was
dangling around his
legs was going to kill
him, but he soon
figured out that he
was safe...
We've made some progress. It's now Day 16. While I haven't worked with him every day, I have spent some good time
with him. I can now get him to whoa on command and turn and face me, he will walk up to me, I can hold his halter, rub
his cheek and rub him on the face between his eyes. I have been sacking him out by tossing his long lead rope over his
back and having it touch his back and sides. He has a plastic bag attached to his stall gate, but he doesn't seem to
care. He has learned that grain is a "good" thing! LOL He is still very reactive, but getting more and more used to all
the commotion around here...
with him. I can now get him to whoa on command and turn and face me, he will walk up to me, I can hold his halter, rub
his cheek and rub him on the face between his eyes. I have been sacking him out by tossing his long lead rope over his
back and having it touch his back and sides. He has a plastic bag attached to his stall gate, but he doesn't seem to
care. He has learned that grain is a "good" thing! LOL He is still very reactive, but getting more and more used to all
the commotion around here...
Wow! Time flies! It's now day 23, and we have made lots of progress! Nemo will now let me approach him without the
lead rope on him (I took it off on day 22). I can get him to lower his head just by holding my hand in the air. He will now
let me touch him on his neck from the front, and he FINALLY let me stand beside him and rub him on his shoulders and
back! He still gets frightened easily, but now, he doesn't always take off like a rocket - he sometimes will just take a
couple of steps sideways! He's getting there! He's starting to trust me. It won't be long now!
lead rope on him (I took it off on day 22). I can get him to lower his head just by holding my hand in the air. He will now
let me touch him on his neck from the front, and he FINALLY let me stand beside him and rub him on his shoulders and
back! He still gets frightened easily, but now, he doesn't always take off like a rocket - he sometimes will just take a
couple of steps sideways! He's getting there! He's starting to trust me. It won't be long now!
Ok, now we're into day 24. A lot of progress from the day before! I'll just have
to keep plugging away and try to get there faster! Worked with a blanket today.
to keep plugging away and try to get there faster! Worked with a blanket today.
If you would like to be a sponsor for Nemo, just
contact me. Thank you to the following:
Sharon Villilapando - $100
Ginny Fox - Donated use of her truck to go get
Nemo
contact me. Thank you to the following:
Sharon Villilapando - $100
Ginny Fox - Donated use of her truck to go get
Nemo
Ok, it's been a while since I've posted pics, but here are some really great ones! Once Nemo decided he could trust
me, we started making progress rapidly. He still won't be in the saddle by show time, but we've gotten darned close! He
will now hand me his front feet and let me pick up the back. I think we're on to ground driving!
me, we started making progress rapidly. He still won't be in the saddle by show time, but we've gotten darned close! He
will now hand me his front feet and let me pick up the back. I think we're on to ground driving!
And now for trailer loading! After he loaded several times, I enclosed the slats, loaded Dawn behind him and we went
for a little ride. He acted like he'd always loaded in a slant load trailer! I was so proud of him!
for a little ride. He acted like he'd always loaded in a slant load trailer! I was so proud of him!
Nemo was doing so excellent right before we went up there that I got a little absent-minded. The day before, I groomed
him really well, evened out his tail, and even had the farrier trim his front feet. I was so proud of him! So, the next day
we got ready to load him up by cleaning the trailer good and putting in new shavings. Big mistake. He had never seen
those clean pine shavings before, and doesn't do well with new things right off the bat, but he did settle down and
loaded for me. I closed the slant (because I was supposed to take 2 other horses with us) and then, to be nice, tried to
hang a hay bag for him. Another big mistake - he had never even seen a hay bag before, and now this big thing was in
his face! He panicked and tried to go backwards, well of course he couldn't, so he started kicking and bucking in the
trailer. I took the hay bag down and closed the escape door and waited for him to settle down. He seemed to be ok, so
we moved the truck and trailer to go load the second horse. As soon as she stepped in the trailer, all hell broke loose
again. Nemo started kicking and bucking, trying to rear up (luckily he was tied), so we took the horse out. Nemo wasn't
settling down very well this time, so I decided we would not try to haul any other horses with him. Problem now was that
he had gotten the slant half off it's hinges so it was hung and I couldn't get it loose! I drove around and backed my
trailer into my small arena where I could keep him contained and opened the escape door. He seemed to relax as soon
as he could see in front of him. I unhooked his lead rope in case he tried to jump out (it was still tied) and he just looked
at me, so I untied it, hooked it back onto his halter and coaxed him out of the escape door! He jumped out and then
looked at me like Whew!
I put him in his stall for about an hour to let him chill. We then took out all the new shavings, removed the slants and
reloaded him. He loaded well. We went to Ft. Worth.
When we got there I was relieved to find that our stall was on an outer edge, but at the center of the building. There
was a drive-through right near his stall so I asked for permission to drive through there to unload him (by now he was
still very distraught). When I explained the situation to them, they asked if I wanted to adopt him. I said yes, so they
said "He's yours!". We ended up putting him in another area altogether, in a bigger cattle-type pen where there wasn't
so much commotion. He did very well there, and I went to see him and work with him several times a day. On Friday
morning while I was there feeding him I heard a call over the intercom "Will Renee Ilse please come to the stall office".
Uh-ho! Didn't know WHAT was up, but went to see. They needed those cattle pens for some incoming horses and
wanted me to move him. Where we were going it was not going to be easy, so I used the truck and trailer to load him up
and moved him to where he needed to go. This was right in the middle of all the noise and commotion, but by this time
he had had time to settle down a bit. Now, however, he was in a 12 x 12 stall.
I left him there the rest of the weekend, and when folks came by I explained to them his situation - that he was just going
to take longer than the other horses. Everyone was very understanding, and he got used to folks coming to his fence
to pet him and talk to him. By the end, he was actually walking up to them and enjoying being petted.
Sunday morning I went bright and early to load him up before all the people started showing up. Luckily I could back up
almost right to his stall. When he stepped out of the stall, he kind of jumped the little rail at the bottom and slid on the
pavement, but he settled down for me right away and walked quietly right into the trailer. I was so proud of him!
So he's home now, and I have continued to work with him. It's been crazy around here for the last couple of weeks,
though, because we had the county fair in Seguin and I had to be there for most of it, and then last week I had surgery.
He's been kind of on vacation since we got back, but as soon as I'm feeling a little more active we'll get back to work!
him really well, evened out his tail, and even had the farrier trim his front feet. I was so proud of him! So, the next day
we got ready to load him up by cleaning the trailer good and putting in new shavings. Big mistake. He had never seen
those clean pine shavings before, and doesn't do well with new things right off the bat, but he did settle down and
loaded for me. I closed the slant (because I was supposed to take 2 other horses with us) and then, to be nice, tried to
hang a hay bag for him. Another big mistake - he had never even seen a hay bag before, and now this big thing was in
his face! He panicked and tried to go backwards, well of course he couldn't, so he started kicking and bucking in the
trailer. I took the hay bag down and closed the escape door and waited for him to settle down. He seemed to be ok, so
we moved the truck and trailer to go load the second horse. As soon as she stepped in the trailer, all hell broke loose
again. Nemo started kicking and bucking, trying to rear up (luckily he was tied), so we took the horse out. Nemo wasn't
settling down very well this time, so I decided we would not try to haul any other horses with him. Problem now was that
he had gotten the slant half off it's hinges so it was hung and I couldn't get it loose! I drove around and backed my
trailer into my small arena where I could keep him contained and opened the escape door. He seemed to relax as soon
as he could see in front of him. I unhooked his lead rope in case he tried to jump out (it was still tied) and he just looked
at me, so I untied it, hooked it back onto his halter and coaxed him out of the escape door! He jumped out and then
looked at me like Whew!
I put him in his stall for about an hour to let him chill. We then took out all the new shavings, removed the slants and
reloaded him. He loaded well. We went to Ft. Worth.
When we got there I was relieved to find that our stall was on an outer edge, but at the center of the building. There
was a drive-through right near his stall so I asked for permission to drive through there to unload him (by now he was
still very distraught). When I explained the situation to them, they asked if I wanted to adopt him. I said yes, so they
said "He's yours!". We ended up putting him in another area altogether, in a bigger cattle-type pen where there wasn't
so much commotion. He did very well there, and I went to see him and work with him several times a day. On Friday
morning while I was there feeding him I heard a call over the intercom "Will Renee Ilse please come to the stall office".
Uh-ho! Didn't know WHAT was up, but went to see. They needed those cattle pens for some incoming horses and
wanted me to move him. Where we were going it was not going to be easy, so I used the truck and trailer to load him up
and moved him to where he needed to go. This was right in the middle of all the noise and commotion, but by this time
he had had time to settle down a bit. Now, however, he was in a 12 x 12 stall.
I left him there the rest of the weekend, and when folks came by I explained to them his situation - that he was just going
to take longer than the other horses. Everyone was very understanding, and he got used to folks coming to his fence
to pet him and talk to him. By the end, he was actually walking up to them and enjoying being petted.
Sunday morning I went bright and early to load him up before all the people started showing up. Luckily I could back up
almost right to his stall. When he stepped out of the stall, he kind of jumped the little rail at the bottom and slid on the
pavement, but he settled down for me right away and walked quietly right into the trailer. I was so proud of him!
So he's home now, and I have continued to work with him. It's been crazy around here for the last couple of weeks,
though, because we had the county fair in Seguin and I had to be there for most of it, and then last week I had surgery.
He's been kind of on vacation since we got back, but as soon as I'm feeling a little more active we'll get back to work!