He’s arrived!!!  All 14 hands of him.  The sorrel gelding from Jackson Mountains Nevada is tucked into his stall (Thank you Dave and Katie Barton for opening your facilities for me!) for the night and I couldn’t be happier. 

When he ran down the chute at the Canon City holding pen I noticed his animated action and got excited.  He’s little but he’s big, if you know what I mean.

I told him tonight that until a name can be selected that I am going to call him Big Man.  He’s got that kind of personality.

The Universe answered my plea.  I have a horse in the barn that is smart, gentle, talented and solid.  He has the classic build of a mustang.  A noble head, low croup. nicely conformed femurs, pasterns and ample cannon bones.  He is going to be one comfortable ride.  And he’s brave!

Within minutes of loading down the chute he settled into the trailer, content that life was about to bring him the adventure he’s been dreaming about.  He rode quietly and he even let me pet his butt without crouching or cringing.  He regarded me with is big brown eyes softly as if to tell me that we were already friends.  He even came to eat hay out of my hand.  He stopped shy of letting me just pop a halter on him, preferring to make me be patient.

He tried to undo the snap on the gate.  He also tried to undo the chains on the panels.  Then he looked up and down every inch of his run and picked up the halter I had laid on the ground and tossed it around.  “New toy!” he seemed to say.  Amazing.  Only in our family for 5 minutes and he already figured out that latches on gates can be tested…fortunately I had put a clip on it, and that panels are chained together but possible to alter…silly humans.

Within minutes of unloading him he had explored the stall and run, drank, pooped and eaten.  Not an ounce of fright in him.  He’s curious, in charge of his neighborhood and very very mannerly.  I crowded him once just to see what he would do and he calmly looked at me as if to say, “Must you really be so rude?”

Then he let out a soft whinny, calling to the horses across the aisle. 

Is it possible to fall in love so fast?!

He stood well while I approached him, only hesitating a couple of minutes before cocking his leg, relaxing and letting me know I was worthy to pet him.  Oh it was sweet!  He wuffled me and stood at first nervously, then relaxed and licked his lips, swallowed and sighed.

He unloaded at 4:30 p.m.  By 6:30 he was brushed all over, including his head and his legs.  He stood quietly, almost asleep.  Hand gentle and that was with neighbors coming over to ooooh and ahhhhh, the stable hand crusing in and out with the 4-wheeler and horses, banging and clanging as he fed and cleaned, and with Kirk and his brother standing over us filming the entire event!!!  Amazing again!

I’ve worked hundreds of mustangs.  He is by far the best and gentlest horse I’ve ever worked!  A heady experience after ShoGun. 

I love ShoGun dearly but he made me work for every inch of our relationship.  ShoGun is an insecure omega.  Training him for his extreme mustang makeover event was….well….and event in itself.  But he’s my boy and I love him dearly, lips, teeth and all.

This horse is Omega but with all the right qualities.  He isn’t insecure at all but he also isn’t alpha.  He is a social butterfly that has manners and loves to be rubbed and massaged.  He took to that right away. 

His hooves are a mess, but with Kirk’s brilliance and farrier expertise, that will be remedied immediately.

We have about 75 pounds to put on him but that will be a done deal by  next month.

This horse is the kind of horse that is going to be loved by everyone and able to be ridden by anyone.  He’s got that wise old look in a 3 1/2 year old frame.  Big, wise Man…I’ll whisper to him tomorrow.  But then I’ve got to find him his real name. 

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