Primative Markings on Wild Mustangs: Dun-Claybank Kiger Colt #477

Graying Dun or Claybank  Kiger
From Kiger -Riddle Mountain Oregon
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Happy Mustang, Lisa Wood's Shawnee, Challenge Painting#436

"Shawnee"
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
SoldPrints of Shawnee are available on
Fine Art America

Here is the story of Shawnee as presented by Lisa Wood's and was first told  by Lona Patton on the Wyoming Mustang Group in Facebook.

 According to her barely visible brand  this sweet gentle mustang mare was born in 1991 in the Agusta Mountains in Nevada. Shawnee subsequently went through an adoption auction at the Palomino Valley BLM Facility the same year. She was sold as a nursing foal with her dam. Her dam was aged at 7 years  at the time and was suspected to have been sold as meat as she was never documented to have been seen again.

Shawnee was passed from owner to owner. She was valued for her splashy pinto markings that Lisa told me in July, was called " Medicine Hat". In 1994 it seems Shawnee's life stopped and she was religated to a 12 foot by 12 foot enclosure by an inexperienced owner who regularly paid her board. " When I added my quarter horse to the boarding facility, the two became stable-mates. I got permission to work with her, but was warned that she was mean , ugly, stupid and untrainable." Lisa stated.

Lisa and Shawnee
Photo provided by Lisa Wood
and used by permission.

This didn't stop Lisa.  She worked with the mare.  Even though Shawnee's feet were abscessed and she had scabs over her eyes from lack of care and too many flies, as Lisa spent time and patience with the mare her feet became sound, her eyes healed, and her fear turned to willingness and her true gentle spirit emerged.
According to Lisa,  Shawnee had a strong maternal gentleness that helped her  formed strong bonds with humans and other horses. This mare thought to be untrainable was actually slow to anger and "seldom becomes alarmed".

Lisa convinced the previous owner to sell the mare to her for $1.

Shawnee has racked up quite a number of achievements:
In 2001  Lisa and Shawnee did  3,000 miles in cross country riding including  56 miles in 2 days across a BLM managed desert with no water.  According to Lisa, Shawnee showed no signs of dehydration or weight loss at the end of the challenging crossing. The trek that started on the west coast ended in Virginia.

"Once we arrived in Virginia, a fancy riding club invited us to join a fox hunt. Wearing my trail-beaten clothing, Shawnee her loud tri-color coat, we set off. Only as the first hedge appeared did it occur to me that the sport involved jumping. I clapped my hands over my eyes and prepared to meet the ground. Shawnee calmly stayed with the herd, and jumped perfectly. At the end of the ride, the hunt club members were seeking to replace their hunter-jumpers with well-behaved mustangs."

According to Lisa this wonderful mare is not only good with other horses and people but she is great with children and inexperienced riders as well. " I dont own her." Lisa told me, "She owns me! That is Medicine Hat Tradition" she pointed out.

A special thanks to Lona Patton who first shared the story of this mare. For those who don't know Lona, she is amazing Photographer in Wyoming. Lona is a dedicated mustang owner and works tirelessly to help find adoptive homes for wild horses and educate the general public in their care and training. Her daughter is also doing amazing things and is a credit to her mom. Thanks Lona! You Can see some some of Lona's work on her photography page: https://www.facebook.com/L.PattonPhotography

Reference Photography for this painting was provided by Lisa Wood.

Happy Adopted Mustang "Pony" Challenge Image #422

Natalie Slawson's "PONY"
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
SOLD

Happy Adopted Mustang Leeroy from Salt Wells HMA Challenge Image #421

Stacey Craft's Leeroy
4 by 6 Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
SOLD

Leeroy's story as told by his adopter: Stacey Craft: Leeroy is a 4 year old gathered in 2010 from the Salt Wells Creek WY. He was saddle trained by the Mantle Ranch in 2012 and passed over at the in person ranch adoption. I worked with the BLM and Steve Mantle and was able to get him shipped to PA where I picked him up and brought him to live in NY. Leeroy had and excellent foundation in riding and Thanks to the Mantles for the great job they have done on my boy.

Deer Run Road Mares Challenge Painting #391

Thousands of Wild Horse advocates were appalled and angry over the removal of wild horses from around the Deer Run Road Subdivision outside of Carson City, Nevada this past week end. They were appalled because it was so easy to remove the horses.

"Deer Run Road Mares"From Pine Nut Mountain HMA
5 by 7 inches Graphite on #110 Drawing Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
Original$75.00
Prints $35.00 each
For Information  email: info@llmartin.com

I have been told  by many wild horses advocates that in the wild, a wild horse does not even know what grain is. Generally, it takes weeks and even months to introduce it into their diets. According to the advocates some wild horses will never eat it. Wild horses do know what alfalfa is, and they do recognize some grass hays, however, for the most part, the diet of domestic horses is completely unknown to wild horses. In some instances a domestic horse diet is far too rich and will cause wild horses to founder or colic, both of which can lead to extremely painful lingering deaths.

So on the week-end of the Deer Run Road  removals by the BLM, while all the locals to the area were deeply grieved at the loss of their favorite band of wild horses, the rest of us were becoming more and more outraged. Outraged because we know that this is what happens when wild horses are fed over time and become tame.

Here in the East coast we deal with it all the time with our wild herds. Horses so tame from feeding and  luring to food,  that foals sometimes end up in the back of the cars of tourists and are kidnapped from remote areas. Horses are so fearless of cars and trucks that they just walk out right into the road and impede traffic or surround vehicles  begging for food or are hit, and sometimes killed,  because they jump out in front of cars.  Horses so unafraid of people that people are seriously injured when a wild horse kicks or bites at another horse while they are being petted.

This is so prominent on Assateague Island that  the National Park Service has put out a brochure warning people to stay away from the horses and what can happen: http://www.nps.gov/asis/naturescience/upload/HorseSafetySiteBulletin-2.pdf  It is out rageous that intelligent people ignor the warnings all the time.

Three of the Deer Run Road Mares.
The entire band often made trips
right into the city park at Carson City
in search of  food, according to one
local news source.

Thankfully we have private non-profits here in the East that work with managing entities to remove the most troublesome horses and put them into sanctuaries or if they are young enough, have them trained and adopted out. What is just as appalling is that many of the people who were complaining about the removal of the Deer Run Horses were claiming to be activists, yet had no knowledge of the history of their community, its wild horses or the laws regarding the protection of the horses.  Some, by their own admission, said they had really done nothing proactive to help protect those very horses and keep them running free.

There are laws put in place to assure the freedom of those horses. Unfortunately, many in the housing development ignored the law regarding horses on federal land.

Did you know that it is a federal crime to feed and pet wild horses that are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service? This is what the law says:

“It is illegal to feed, pet, or other-wise harass a wild horse or burro, individuals will be cited for those activities and the citations carry a minimum fine of $500.00 per incident.”

This is the band stallion.  The
horses are from the Pine Nut HMA
that boarders a development where
residents regularly fed the horses.

So if you have 10 or 15 federally managed horses migrating through your property to water or grazing and you start feeding them because they look skinny, You ccould be fined up to $7,500 every time you put out food for them. And if you are doing that every day twice a day for a year and so is everyone in your subdivision of 30 or 40 houses you could fund the entire Wild Horse and burro program for nearly 4 years. And that includes building permanent sanctuaries all over the country and getting them out of long term holding.

Ok,  is that not enough for you financially? Every time you feed or pet a wild horse, according to wild horse behaviorists,  you actually are acclimatizing it to humans. Wild Horses over time lose their fear and they grow dependent on humans for their food, shelter, and protection. However, because they are still wild they really don’t have any boundries of behavior, because they have no training or handling. They are going to look at their human providers and a source of security but they will do it from a horse to horse perspective. And they will keep coming back every time they are looking for food. Not only that they will cease the demanding activity of seeking food and water on the range and simply stay in the location because they feel secure and have an unlimited food source.

When they lose their fear of humans they also lose their fear of cars and trucks. That is when they start causing accidents. Wild horses will not stay near a road, highway or subdivision unless they are acclimatized to humans and feel safe and secure.  A little fact check for you.. once those horses cross over the boundary from the HMA to private development land they technically are not protected by the Wild Horse and Burro Act.

The horses were so friendly and curious that it was
hard to believe they were wild.

Because they are being fed they also will not run away when someone tries to capture them.

All of the local activists and advocates surrounding the capture of the Deer Run band were very sad that the animals were being removed. But Thousands of Advocates across the US and other countries were Appalled because 1) it only took one guy to capture the entire band of wild horses and 2) all he had to do was shake a bucket and they all walked into the trap.    And everyone of us who saw that news video had our hearts in our throats because we knew that if the BLM had not removed those horses ANY ONE with a truck and panels could have lured those animals into a capture pen and shipped them off to a slaughter plant and no one would have known!
Today, because it was the BLM that did the capturing, those horses are safe and secure in Temporary holding  at the Carson City Prison and they are going to be put up for adoption  on the 23rd of March 2013.

This not the best scenario but unfortunately it is the only option for wild horses that have been deliberatly tamed by feeding them against the law.

Anyone who wants to and cares enough about these horses to follow the BLM guidelines to keep them safe and healthy as domestics can qualify to adopt them. Keep this in mind , these horses had their freedom stolen from them, not by the BLM ,but by people who were well meaning and had no knowledge of  the nature of wild horses.

There are things you can do to prevent this from ever happening again!
 
Things you can do to help Protect Wild Horses in Developing Areas of North America.

Please Please Please do not feed wild horses!
Please do form a non-profit around your local herd to help place troublesome or injured wild horses And to help educate local people on the history of the herd and ethical wild horse etiquette. In those times when horses might need to be adopted, help with that as well. It would be of great help to form some sort of sanctuary to put horses who like the Deer Run Band could be kept safely and stay together.

Know the history of where you live near the herd.
Know the laws protecting the horses and why they are set up that way.
Help pass state and county laws that will fine those who feed wild horses. Make residences who feed the horses illegally liable for damages caused because they have caused the horses to “take up residence”
 Unify your Homeowner’s association to help keep Wild Horses in your Area Free by working  to Create pass through  zones for wild horses in your development and place signs and fences where needed. In a place like Nevada it is a fence out state. That means you have the right and the obligation to fence your development to protect local wild life from human intervention.
Work with Zoning entities to place mandatory Wild Horse and Wildlife zone areas into development plans to limit contact between people and wild life.
Work with the DOT and other agencies to create special wild life pass-through’s zones under or over major highways and high traffic roads. If major highways divide horses from water sources  work with local governments, state and federal governments, to help them to create special wild horse oasis so the animals will not need to cross populated, industrial or high traffic roads.

Remember if you own the property you can put most of these things into place by right of ownership with out breaking the law or harassing the horses.

You Can Help Wild Horses Remain Free and Protected.

Burros From New Mexico~ Challenge Painting #389

"Finding Shade"
New Mexico Burro Jenny and Foal
5 by 8.5 inches  Graphite on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$65.00 Original
$ 35.00 Prints
info@llmartin.com for purchase details

Burro From New Mexico Challenge Painting #388

New Mexico Burro #3
5 by 8.5 inches  Graphite on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$65.00 Original
$ 35. 00 Prints
info@llmartin.com for purchase details

Burro From New Mexico Challenge Painting #386

BLM New Mexico Burro
5 by 8.5 inches  Graphite on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$65.00 Original
$ 35. 00 Prints
info@llmartin.com for purchase details

Challenge Painting #377 Working Mustang All Purpose Pony

"Clara"
All Purpose Mustang Pony
Rides, Drives, Trails, Does Ranch Work.
8.5 by ll inches Graphite on #110 Paper
by Artist LindaLMartin
$130.00
Signed Prints available for $35.00
info@llmartin.com for more information

Challenge Painting #376 Working Mustang Ranch Pony

"Ranch Pony"
Gus and Colter Klett
8.5 by 11 inches Drawing on #110 paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$140.00
Signed Prints available for $35.00
info@llmartin.com for more information

Challenge Painting #374 Working Mustang Wendy Daze Competitive Trail Horse

Wendy Daze born 2004 from The South Steens HMA
Competitive Trail Horse
5.5 by 8.5 inches Graphite on #110 Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
$50.00 original
$35.00 Prints signed prints
info@llmartin.com to purchase prints.

Challenge Painting #373 Working Mustang Scout, Palomino Butte HMA

Scout
Pack Horse In Oympia National Park
Mustang Owned and trained by Beck Sibel
Scout is 4 years old and from Palomino Butte HMA
5.5 by 9 inches Graphite on #110 Paper
by Linda  L Martin
$50.00
Prints available for $35.00 each plus S&H

Challenge Painting #371 Cheddar Orphan Foal Owyhee HMA, Nevada

"Cheddar"
Orphan Foal from Owyhee Round up
8 by 10 oil on canvas
by LindaLMartin Artist
$300.00

Cheddar is a wild horse foal that was part of a round up being held during December 2012 and January 2013 to remove a number of horses off of the drought ridden range of the Owyhee Complex. The Owyhee Complex is a group of  Nevada Herd Management Areas(HMAs) that are managed under the Wild Horse and Burro Act by the Bureau of Land Management.

The purpose for the wild  horse round up is to  reduce the number of wild horses on the range and thus remove  the potential for irreversible damage to the already stressed range. According to the BLM The lowering of the number of wild horses, along with temporary suspension of the grazing allotments for private citizens will give the range a chance to recover as long as the drought lessens.

According to the gather records so far the majority of the horses brought in have had body indexes of between 3 and 5. Stallions being mostly in the 5 range and Mares and foals in the  3 to 4 range. The body index measures the health and well being of horses according to condition. It ranges from 1 severe starvation to 10 severe obesity.  Average scale for a domestic horse on good care or a wild horse on good pasture should between 5 and 7. 

Cheddar has blue eyes.

Horses who are found domestically  and habitually  to be in the 2 to 3 range are usually considered neglected and if  the owner has  not been providing food and water as well as medical care. An investigation including a measure or  prosecution might ensue to look after the needs of the animals humanely.  Horses who are at level 2 over a prolonged period of time tend to have irreversible organ damage. And if the horses slip down int the the rage of 1 on the scale they are not likely to recover.

I have been told by some Nevada wild horse advocates it is normal for horses in Nevada to drop weight in during the dry hot summers,  often down to body indexes of  2 or 3.  Older horses of course would find it difficult to gain and drop weight and might go through  the winter months under weight. However, according to them, the horses pick up weight again in the autumn rainy season. This year the drought was so bad on  parts of the range that those who dropped weight in summer did not have enough annual  wild grasses to feed.them. 

I am told that even though the BLM did bring out water there was not enough rain to bring the on sight streams and springs back to life. The size of the HMA makes it too large to do whole scale hay drops. A management technique that the BLM and a lot of advocates think would be a bad idea for the over all health of the horses. Wild Horses sometimes eat the rich hay to fast and too much. This sometimes creates fatal digestive issues and painful slow death by colic. So horses on hay for the first time need to be monitored. The logistics of  hay drops would be unimaginable.

Cheddar with his mother.
This photo was taken  soon
after they were rounded up.
Cheddar's mother was showing severe
signs of starvation. This mare is also
in winter coat, which under  normal
circumstances, make her appear
large and fat. All of  the mares
from her group seemed to be in
this condition. She  seemed to be
giving all her nutrition to her foal.

When Cheddar and his dam were brought into the gather site everything was fine. They settled in quickly. And according to the BLM  little Cheddar quickly endeared himself to the entire round up staff. They named him Cheddar because of his unusual color. 

Sometime in the middle of the  round up  one of the activists observing the proceedings decided to go after a restraining order to stop the round up until better "handling and humane procedures" could be put in place. Unfortunately, that restraining order meant that Cheddar and his mother, and all the horses at the temporary holding sight had to stay put. According to the restraining order no horses were allowed to move. They could not be shipped to short term holding and those who were to be released back on the range could not be released. 

My understanding is the BLM continued to feed and care for the horses until all the conditions could be  reviewed and met by the Judge's standards. Then the movement of horses and the round up was able to continue. The restraining order was in affect from January 5th until the it was ended 5 days later and the round up activities began again on January 11th.

These activities are all a matter of public record and are on the BLM website for anyone to look at. http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_programs/wild_horses_and_burros/Owyhee_Complex_Wild_Horse_Gather_2012/gatreports.html 



During that time period, the horses in the temporary holding area were also subject to sleet and snow storms over the 5 day period. It is during that time that the loading ramp and alleyways become covered if not used.  This is what led to the accident where Cheddar's dam slipped and fell. She was put down because of the injury.  Fortunately Cheddar  and no other foals were subject to danger. The BLM policy is to ship the foals separately from the mares to prevent the larger horses from crushing the foals or stepping on them. When they arrive at temporary holding the mares and foals are reunited.( Mares and foals are often marked at the sight before shipping with blue animal friendly non toxic paint with matching letters, So that each mare and foal pair can be reunited)

Cheddar's mother's circumstances, according to one eye witness source were a combination of the snow packing down in the alley forming ice after previous horses had been loaded, the mare being weak from malnutrition and her worry over the temporary separation from her foal. All pretty normal reactions even in domestic horses. The really terrible thing here is that  some people are going to fight over it and say if she had not been taken from the range she would not have left her foal and orphan. But the real truth is the mare's body index was at 2 already and with 2 more months on the range with no food or water it most probably would have meant slow starvation for both the mare and the foal.

I am not going to judge who was right or wrong here. But I do feel that everyone needs to know the whole story. The BLM did not create the drought situation. They are, however, charged by law, under the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971, to make sure that the animals are treated humanely and managed properly as valued historic icons of the the American people. In time of drought and fire, I do not think it is an extreme response in humane management, to remove a portion of the population of wild horses from the range. In fact it is the kindest thing to do.

As for Cheddar, he has a lot of people who know about him and who are fond of him. His story is sad yes but the ending will hopefully be a happy one for him. As of this week he is now in Orphan Care at the BLM Facilty at  Carson City Prison. He will be raised as an orphan and put through their program until he is ready for adoption.  What you all can do is help us to get the remainder of his herd mates that have not been released back to their HMA adopted when the time comes. As of today 140 mares and stallions who were in the best condition have been released back on to the range in to areas where there is enough food and water to sustain them until the spring rains and snow melt.

The over 1,000 horses rounded up and that will not be  returned  to the range, will eventually be available for adoption. We as private citizens need to step up to the plate as wild horse  activists, advocates and just people who love horses and make sure they all have safe happy homes when the time comes.

Photo Images of  Cheddar and his family were provided by the BLM and are available to the public to use with the proviso that  they come with limited use and the express agreement that use of the images will not be used to criticize or undermine the activities of the Government agency.

This post was upated on January, 22, 2013: I spoke with the facility director this morning to see how little Cheddar was doing. Because of the interest and the many phone calls to the BLM he was keeping especailly close tabs on Cheddar's progress. Unfortunately little Cheddar passed away in the night." I was surprised to hear it," He said, " the foal was doing so well."  He and I agreed that the conditon of the mare was possibly a big factor in his failure to thrive.  " He was drinking his milk and seemed to be moving forward in everyway."

As happens sometimes when these foals who are so weak from malnutrition, they sometimes seem to improve and even play in the first week to 10 days. However, some of the internal damage is not detected. A normal round up where both the mare and foal are healthy and well fed they have a very high success rate of  survival for the foals if they are orphaned.

I join with all who were concerned with the foal's well being in expressing my sadness. 

Challenge Painting #369 Happy Mustang Adoption Maverick from Owyhee HMA, Nevada

"Maverick"11 year old Mustang from Owyhee HMA
4 by 6 inches  watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
$35.00

Maverick is an 11 year old mustang from Owyhee HMA in Nevada. He was adopted by
Tammy Bannister-Halsey when he was 4 years old.

This fellow, like many of the Owyhee horses, is at least 16 hands high. Originally in this part of  Nevada these horses were mostly in solid colors were used as remount horses and to pull light carriages, artillery horses and have the ability to jump when schooled. When I first started to paint them at the beginning of the Year I couldn't help but notice that they all seemed to be built like a cross between a Cleveland bay and a Clydesdale.  According to Tammy once gentled and trained these large mustangs are very good with children as well as adult riders.

Below is a photo of Tammy's Maverick at a show. This will give you a good idea of how these beautiful horses look when cleaned up. Also remember that  they come in a number of solid colors as well as pinto. The round up is ongoing due to the drought and deteriorating range conditions. Since these horses tend to be a bit larger than some mustangs they do require more food in the wild and feel the drought conditions a bit differently than some herds. A portion of the  herd is planned for removal and will eventually be ready for adoption. Please spread the word.

Photo Courtesy of  Tammy Bannister-Halsey
Maverick, Owyhee Mustang. Photo taken in
January 2012

Have you adopted a mustang  from Owyhee Complex? Email me at info@llmartin.com so I can include your horse in the Mustang A Day challenge.

Happy Mustang: Just a Little Patience 2001 South Steens HMA. HMA Painting # 344

"Just a Little Patience"
South Steens HMA
Occupation: Dressage
4 by 6 inches Original Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
SOLD

Today's Happy Mustang is Patience. She is about 11 years old. Patients was captured at South Steens HMA in Washington State. This beautiful mare has it all over most warm bloods in temperament and athletic ability. She is currently in training with her owner Kendra Kimbirauskas as a dressage horse. I will let her photos tell the rest of the story. The US Dressage Federation is located in my part of the country and Ive seen some amazing warm blood dressage horses. This mare just has all sorts of potential. Good luck Kendra and Patience, a very happy Mustang team.

Kendra riding her mustang, Patience, in a dressage test.
Photo provided by Kendra Kimbirauskas used by permission

Kendra and Patience in training.
 Photo provided by Kendra Kimbirauskas used by permission

Happy Adoption:Mustang Sally, Twin Peaks HMA, Painting # 338

"Mustang Sally"
4 by 6 Inches  Watercolor
by LndaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Mustang Sally is living proof that sometimes you need to keep on looking to find your perfect adoption match. Adopting a mustang isn't just getting a horse, its a learning process that can teach you more about you.It can teach you patience and what the true meaning of trust is.

Here is the story of Mustang Sally in the words of her owner Cherlynn Raffone:

"I have an 2005 bay mustang mare, gathered from Twin Peaks HMA(California) as a yearling. She competed in the '08 Midwest Mustang Challenge and came in 5th out of 50.

From their she was adopted out to a man in NY on Long Island, where I currently reside. He had her for only a few months and sold her. She then went through 7 different owners all saying she was crazy and too much to handle. Well here we are a 1yr 1/2 later.

We have had our ups and downs, but now its just up up up. I love this horse so much! She gives me strength and faith. She is an amazing trail horse, rides english/western, works cows, does barrels and poles like its her job. She loves to jump. She is that great all around horse that everyone wants. I'm proud of her and what she stands for. I'm honored to say I own an American Mustang."


Blogger's Note:
Mustangs are easy to adopt, simply by meeting the requirements set down by the BLM. The most successful adoptions are the ones where the person adopting the horse asks questions and even takes instruction or advice from others who have successfully adopted and built relationships with their horses. 

Give yourself a head start in learning how to work with wild horses using natural horsemanship methods and networking with as many mustang owners as you can. This way you can  share you successes and learn from each other's mistakes. Don't expect that one class or session will get you there, because each wild horse is different, with different experiences in the wild, during  and after capture. Your job is to learn your horse, while he learns you and to build trust and understanding while you do it. It wont always be easy but the rewards are amazing especially the first time that wild horse comes to you  to let you touch him because its his idea.

Every day I hear testimony after testimony of how fun wild horses can be. They not only have skills of independent thinking and living in social units but they translate that fun into games with you that develops a bond like no other. 

Adopting a mustang also helps with the growing problem of too many wild horses that are no longer on the range. Once a horse has three strikes, meaning they have been offered for adoption 3 times they are then designated as a three strike horse and shipped to a Long Term Holding Facility(LTH) These facilities are also known as sanctuaries. In these sanctuaries as many as 5,000 wild horses run in freedom, with in the confines of a ranch.However, all the stallions are gelded and the herds are kept as same sex groups that do not reproduce.

The horses can be purchased in groups by approved individuals. Sometimes a trainer will offer to purchase a trailer load of these horses directly from the facility or simply buy one or two Sale Authority horses to bring home and invest time in. However, most are never seen by the public again  because they are warehoused on private property. Once a horse enters  LTH they become invisible, unless you know their registration number or their brand. They can be found via their brands. 
Please considerer adopting a wild horse and take the time to learn how to handle it, building  a relationship with them. In this way, one by one, we help protect the wild mustang horses that are in captivity, while we are also protecting wild horses in the wild..

If you would like more information on Adopting a wild horse please go to the BLM adoption page: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/adoption_program.html

If you live in the Mid-Atlantic States on the East coast of the US and are already a successful adopter or would like to network with other successful wild horse or burro adopters  feel free to message me here or join us on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MidAtlanticWildHorseProject

To have your horse painted for the Mustang A Day Challenge contact the artist at: llmartisticservices@yahoo.com

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting # 303 Burro #2531

Burro #2531
5 by 5 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
SOLD

Burro #2531 is part of the Eastern States Internet adoption That started April 11th and will end on April 25th. 
 All bidders must be approved before they are able to bid on the available horses and burros. You can get information about this burro and 9 others and how to qualify to adopt through the BLM sight:
https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/horse.php?horse_id=5123

 ***
Here is the information as provided by the BLM.:

Burro #2531 Ready to Adopt
Photo provided by the BLM

 Sex: Gelding
Age: 8 Years 
Height (in hands):
Neck tag #: 2531  
Date Captured: 09/26/09
Color: Gray   
Captured: Slate Range (CA)

Burro #2531 Ready to Adopt
Photo provided by the BLM

Notes:
#2531 - 8 yr old gray gelded jack, captured Sept 2009, in the Slate Range HMA, California.
This burro is currently located in Canon City. For more information, contact Lona Kossnar at 719-269-8539 or lona_kossnar@blm.gov.
 
Pick up options (by appt): Canon City, CO; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Piney Woods, MS.
Other pick up options: Rutland, VT (6/15); Unadilla, GA (6/23).
  
  
The opening bid is $125.00        
You must be approved to bid
***
This is your opportunity to own an amazing piece of living US History.  Personally I think he is a very cute boy and doesn't even begin to look his age.He has a lot of potential for the person wanting to take on a gentling and training project for the summer.

If you are interested and have never adopted I suggest two things: 1) read the requirements and then 2) locate a Tip Trainer near you to guide your through the process and the training.

Tip Trainers can be found through  the Mustang Heritage Foundation: http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org
Requirements and available horses can be found on line at the BLM On-line Adoptions site. http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/adoption_program/facility.html

Mustang A Day Challenge Painting # 298 Megan Jones' Nevada

"Nevada"
4 by 6 inches  Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$35.00

Megan sent me some amazing photos documenting the training of her Mustang Nevada. I suppose I could have done a traditional head portrait of him. But I was thinking back to my younger years with my own black horse and sitting in the pasture while he grazed just being together.

Its more amazing when you think that this beauty of a black horse with his white blaze was wild and has had less than 18 months of training when he arrived at Megan's home.

Megan adopted Nevada at the CSU Mustang makeover in 2010. He had been aged at 4 years by the BLM but seemed younger to her. From Megan's Facebook Page: " I can't say enough Good things about Steve, the trainer that took him on for the EMM(Extreme Mustang Makeover). He is like no other horse I've ever worked with . He (Nevada) stepped up on this obstacle the very first time I asked him to . He's just incredible ."

When I was a child they were still force breaking wild horses. Gosh, they were force breaking almost every horse. And some of them were so scared that they were never safe to ride. Others were so severely injured that there was nothing left for them but to be put down. Some grew to hate people and would literally fight to the death rather than submit. It was a rough time for horses and for the people that tried to "break" them. Breaking is pretty much what they did, too. Bones and spirit of both the men and the horses is some sort of conquering war that enslaved the animals until they were useless, in some cases, and the men so crippled they were useless too.
  

 In the 1970s the University of Maryland began an experiment that would eventually revolutionize training for those who accepted it. It was, at that time, called trackless training or gentling behavior modification. Those of us who adapted the method to use in training were not generally accepted for using it.. But the horses learned quickly to trust and to follow. Those horses that the method were applied to were very safe mounts, in my experience. Trainers that used it also were ridiculed and harassed for using the methods.. as "it was for circus horses and trick ponies" the critics said. When I experimented with it I discovered that you could start the babies young. It was unheard of for a whole farm of young horses in training to never learn to buck. No horse I worked with at the time did after being handled gently and constantly using the method.

Now this new breed of young trainers is amazing. The first day off the trailer and less than an hour on the ground these new gentle trainers  reach out their hands to wild horses, not to dominate them but to gain their trust. Trainers that are leaders to the horses, in both movement and language that the wild ones understand from being on the range and running with a herd. This new breed of Mustang trainers capitalize on the wild horses' experience from the beginning life when they heard their dam's first wicker and nuzzled their side for nourishment, to follow a leader..

Nevada in full tack on the
obsitical Course. Photo
Courtesy Megan Jones

There are many philosophies for the new more effective training methods, even many variations. Most of these accomplished  Modern Mustang trainers make a relationship to the horse that does amazing things in a very short time. Sometimes its as short as 60 to 90 days to start a green horse. And the really successful trainers know that they do not limit themselves to one training method or philosophy, but use what ever the horse they are working with needs to accomplish willingly what needs to be done, because of that trust. It all comes down to this:That amazing first touch, where the completely wild horse realizes that he wants you to be that close and craves it when you scratch that special spot on him.

Looking through all the photos that Megan sent me and the ones she has in her album on Facebook its not hard to tell that the relationship is not only there but its solid and steady. When I was growing up, and later teaching and training with horses of my own I often told my clients this: "If a horse trusts you he will do anything you ask to the best of his ability." From what I have observed through Megan's steady documentation, Nevada and Megan have that kind of relationship. Its a beautiful thing.


Mustang Adoptions are coming up again on the Internet. If you are interested and have never adopted I suggest two things: 1) read the requirements and then 2) locate a Tip Trainer near you to guide your through the process and the training.

Tip Trainers can be found through  the Mustang Heritage Foundation: http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org
Requirements and available horses can be found on line at the BLM On-line Adoptions site. http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/adoption_program/facility.html

"Night Riders" with Robert and Watson Challenge Painting #106



This week with Watson(Robert Carlson) and Tango (Madeleine LeClerc)  We have a painting of Robert and Watson.



"A Very Useful Horse"

8 by 9 inch watercolor
By Linda LMartin



In an effort to  steadily work toward the Ft Collins Makeover where both horses will be up for adoption. Team R&M Performance Horses Spent some serious time doing a variety of activities under the lights.  Not only did they bring the two Ft Collins horses, they also brought several horses in  different levels of training including one of their new TIP horses and Their Tennesee Extreme Makeover winner Artista.

In-sync
Photo by Amy Spivey
Used by permission

Because Makeover  events are held underlights in an areana with strange people and horses, its important especially to aclimatized the horses to  noises and lights and of course the shadows that make every thing normal in daylight seem frightening to some horses. Night work become as much play time as it was serious work.



Saddling up
Photo by Amy Spivey
Lighning Bug Creek Photography
Used by Permission



To read more about Robert and Madeleine and their Ft Collins Makeover Horses training for the June event go to their Facebook Page for 2011 CO Mustang Makeover with R&M Performance

The amazing reference photo and the photograhy on this page are provided by Amy Spivey of Lightning Bug Creek Photography. I found out earlier that she is running a photography special for the month of May. Amy is a very special photographer in that she is able to capture the passion and the intimacy in each shot she shares.

Lowering the Head
Photo by Amy Spivey
Lighning Bug Creek Photography
Used by Permission

Please check out her page on facebook for more information about her photo special. She can do event  photos, portraits of children, landscapes and of course horse and animal portraits. As a mom, a horsewoman and a mustang owner she is uniquely qualified to bring her special charm to each photo she takes. And she will gladly accomodate groups.http://www.facebook.com/LBCPhotography

"Luck of the Draw" with Madeleine and Tango Challenge Painting #101

Madeleine and Tango "Luck of the Draw" 

Training for the Ft Collins Mustang Makeover



"Versatility"
Tango and Madeleine LeClerc
8 by 10 inch Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist



Madeleine LeClerc is training the mustang Tango for the Fort Collins Makeover in June. Tango is showing some possible characteristics that would make him not only a great trail and pleasure horse but he has some athletic ablitity that suggests dressage as well. 

Madeleine is part of the R&M Performance Horses, The partnership of Robert Carlson and Madeleine LeClerc. Roberts horse for the same makeover evernt is Watson. Each week leading up to their compitition, I am alternating a painting between Tango and Watson

Each mustang makeover event, sponsored by the Mustang Heritage Foundation, is a bit different. In this makeover event the trainers are give 100 days to train a mustang from the wild  and take it to show case compititon so that the horses can be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  The goal is to put a lot of basic training and handling into the horse so that they can be assessed for thier potential, handled safely and then specialized later.



Madeleine and Tango  working on the bit.



All the horses are  what horsemen call "very green" when they reach the auction stage. Meaning that a beginner or intermediate rider cannot begin to find the mustangs useful unless there is addtional training put on the horse and the rider.  It is Madeleine's and Robert's job to expose the mustang assigned to them, to as much as possible so the potential adoptor can see what the horse might be best suited for.

Added to the challenge is that each of the horses is matched up to the trainers in this challenge in a blind number assignment, so that until the number is revealed and matched to the horse; the trainer really has no clue what his horse lookes like, its personality, its athletic ability or where it came from spacifically.

The interesting thing about mustangs is that  because of the historical circumstances surrounding the release of domestic horses from time to time into the original Spanish indigeonous stock, the horse could exhibit any trait introduced by  European settlers. 



The  training of the horses for  the compititon takes this into consideration by the type of tests that are set up. There are certain basic things that every horse must do to make it safe in any circumstance. Then there is the free style part of the exhibit that allows the horse to show case its spicific abilities and unique experience. This can be anything from draft horse, to gaited horse, to thoroughbred or arabian to any other purebred horse brought in by European settlers, plus other more American developed breeds like horses that drive such as pacers or trotters, to cattle horses with short little burst of speed gaits like quarterhorses, and even horses that might have potential as dressage horses, hunters, endurance or polo ponies.



Madeleine and Tango working on trail
obsticals.



The  trainer opens up the possibilites through assessing the horse, then  builds a freestyle program that would showcase those special tallents that could be developed into a competive edge, or a great service animal or a wonderful family pleasure horse.

It is important to notice that again, these are just the beginings of training. Keep in mind that some of these disciplines take years to polish. More importantly to the new owner, is that a wild horse has some special needs, because it not only is a horse, but it is a horse that learned to think for its self in the wild and learned to problem solve.*



This is the reason that R&M Performance Horses offer as part of the adoption package additonal training for the new owen to put polish on the horse and train it for the specific needs of the owner. Robert said it this way: " We want a successful happy partnership for every horse we train, but also our reputation is on the line." Robert and Madeleine want the best of their horses and the best partnership for the person who adopts them.

You can read more of Robert's and Madeleine's training blog on facebook:

2011 CO Mustang Makeover with R&M Performance

Also for those who would be interested in learing how to start a Mustang R&M Performance will be offering a two Day seminar: Supreme Extreme Mustang Starting Clinic on May 13th and 14th

You can also link in and contact Robert and Madeleine at their website:  http://www.westernclinics.com/



Robert and Watson



Side Note: Wild horses arent nearly as dependant on humans, thus an example might be that if  you are late to the barn and the horse is out of water, a horse raised in captivity will wait until you get there to give him water. A mustang will try to figure out how to get to the water and give himself a drink. This might mean he already knows that the water comes from a faucet and that to get to that faucet he has to unlatch his stall door. You can imagine the rest. It has also been reported that since mustangs have the herd experience that not only will he get water for himself he might make sure the entire barn has it too.

While this can be comical there are times that it might be really inconveint for an ower when his mustang hasnt bonded with him into a working partnership. Putting in the extra training and miles will give you a common history and help you bond so that you have a dependable life time Mustang friend.