Merry Christmas from the Koehlers & their Stangs!

TAZ is just a little camera shy, can't you tell. What a ham!!! He posed for the camera for about 15 minutes without moving. We primped and posed Kirstin and he just stood there. He loves the camera and the bright red Poinsettias that we used to get his attention didn't hurt. He's grown quite a bit this last year and is truly the most beautiful horse that I have ever known.


The model on his back isn't too shabby either. Kirstin and TAZ were made for each other and have the most incredible bond. It shows in the photo!

Just TAZ!!!!

His mane has gotten soooo long. It is almost hanging past his neckline.

The Koehlers & their Stangs wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Blessed, Happy & Healthy New Year.

Kirstin and Kryptonite

What a good boy Kryptonite is! Look at him standing so nicely...


But do you know what happens when a horse spies a flower on his breast collar.

He just can't resist the urge to check it out! Hmm what's this brightly, colored thing right here???

Nice color but doesn't offer much in the taste category.

Pretty decoration removed and horse and girl looking pretty as usual.

Kirstin goofing around with Krypt

I told you that Kryptonite was a very laid back horse. Kirstin can do just about anything she wants to on him, he could care less.

Jamie & Dynamite

Jamie is Kirstin's older sister and she is staying with us while her fiance is in training for the Navy. It's because of Dyno that she has taken up riding again. He chose her and they have become quite the pair.

Jamie & Dyno posing for their Christmas photo.

The girls riding around after pictures.

Dyno is a little buddy sour. He doesn't like Kryptonite riding away without him. We have since then separated the two so that it doesn't get any worse. But he is still a sweetie.

Kirstin's brother's band RyKo Wilson

Kirstin's big brother has started a band. Here is a cool shot of the group. Derrick(Kirstin's brother) is the cute guy carrying the guitar. He's lead vocalist and has a wonderful voice. The group has quite a few songs of their own and they are really, really good songs. They have a myspace and a facebook page, so go check them out. This was a picture that I(Kirstin's mom) took this weekend.

Photoshop is tooooo cool. This is from the same picture above, but just Derrick.
If anyone has suggestions as to how to get this group listened to by the powers to be, let me
know. They deserve a chance or at very least their songs do.

Kryptonite's new winter jacket!

Krypt wasn't too sure about the mysterious thing on his back. Putting it on wasn't a big problem, but moving with it on was. He froze after his first step. Almost as if to say whoa, what's that on my back and is it going to eat me. Kirstin started lunging him and for the first time ever, I saw Krypt lose it. He totaly freaked. But Kirstin has become so confident in handling horses that she took it all in stride, kept a hold of him and they eventually worked it through together.


It helps that Krypt trusts Kirstin completely. He knows that she would never ask something of him that would hurt him.

After about 5 minutes of Krypt not being to sure of his blanket, he now has no problems with the extra layer of warmth. Kirstin is riding him around with just the halter and lead rope. It is so cool to watch these 2. Krypt is so responsive to her and he loves to be ridden.

Krypt's newest trick-smiling on command!

Krypt says that he loves his new winter coat and says hi to everyone(especially Matt!)

Dyno gets his new winter coat!

Dyno also gets a new coat! He was much more accepting of the coat on his back, he was a little bit
bothered by it at first but it only took a few steps for him to realize that he wasn't getting eaten and that he was much warmer than before.


Dyno is a lunging pro. He is so easy to lunge and listens so well to Kirstin-look at the ear pointed at her. He stops on command and turns when asked. He strikes us as being really young. He still looks like a baby, but he is so well behaved.

How can such a big horse disappear in his field.

This is the view from outside our dining room window. I can always look out it to check on TAZ, but there are times I swear that he is hiding from me just to freak me out and make me come out to check on him thusly he gets extra attention. I will look and look and not see him and then I go outside to find this.......



exact same location just different angle. But he gets his attention and that's all he wants.

TAZ & Kirstin having some fun!

TAZ has the most beautiful mane. It now is past his neck line and has the prettiest wave in it.


Kirstin goofing off with TAZ.

TAZ getting a little kiss from Kirstin.

TAZ is such a big guy-look at the size of his head against Kirstin. He's the world's biggest puppy dog, at least he follows us around like a puppy dog. If anyone is out in his field-he is right there beside you, he just loves to be with people.

TAZ still has the most amazingly smooth lope and trot. Even in this old round pen where the sand is super deep. He's a little out of shape so Kirstin has been gradually increasing his work out times. But, he loves to ride-you put the saddle on him and he is ready to go where you want him to go. No questions, no balking just point me in the direction and I will go!

Still has a pretty good stop also. Notice the smoke in the background. Kirstin's dad was burning leaves-when you have 100 acres of oak trees-you have a ton of leaves. TAZ isn't fazed by fire, Kirstin can walk him right up to it. Look at that mane flying in the breeze.

Krypt & Dyno, Kirstin & Daniel

Kirstin & Kryptonite just riding around. Look at that no saddle. Kryptonite just enjoys being ridden. He takes on a whole new appearance when someone is on his back. He is so laid back and just goes with the flow. Daniel of course had to jump on with his Aunt Kiki. Daniel is our cowboy in training. He absolutely loves horses-already taking after his Aunt.

Dyno's turn with Daniel. He's probably wondering what the heck's hanging on his neck.

Too cute for words.

Daniel gets a kiss from Dyno.

15th Annual Wild Horse & Burro Expo

Kirstin's dream finally came true. She got to post the colors on one of her Mustangs. She has always wanted to be able to that. She feels that as the American Icon, the Mustang should be the
one bringing in the American Flag. She rode Kryptonite for the posting of the colors and he did a wonderful job especially considering that this was his first time to participate in a drill like this. Kirstin was so proud of him.


Kirstin & Kryptonite did fantastic at the show. They didn't place in any of the halter classes, but once that saddle went on, they were a force to be reckoned with. They placed 1st in the Youth Trail Class, 2nd in the Youth Western Pleasure class, 5th in Barrels. They won Champion Greenbroke of the entire show and also won the Youth award presented by the MHF for high point MHF horse. Not too shabby for the first show for both of them. Kirstin has never competed in a horse show like this. She had no idea what to expect when she went into the arena for Western Pleasure and this was the first time for Kryptonite to ever run barrels. The Trail course was a piece of cake for Kryptonite. They were the only ones to sidepass while opening & closing the gate, his leads were spot on and stops and backs were great.

Kirstin's sister also showed Kryptonite and placed 3rd in the Adult Western Pleasure class.



Kirstin & Kryptonite with all of their ribbons.

Kirstin & Kryptonite waiting for the placing in the Western Pleasure class


Kirstin & Kryptonite opening the gate during the Trail Course.

Kirstin & Kryptonite during pole bending. They didn't place due to a broken pattern. Kirstin said he was just going to fast and couldn't make that last pole. But they would have placed pretty high if that didn't happen, Krypt was booking it.

These last 2 are of Kryptonite's first ever barrel race. He really seemed to like barrel racing. His time wasn't to bad 23 seconds. Not bad for his first barrel race.

Kryptonite bringing it home. He is a really fast horse.

By the end of the show, everyone there knew who Kryptonite was and they knew his story. The BLM folks were great about exposing the Makeover and what can be accomplished with these horses in a short time. They were all impressed with Kryptonite and his behavior. I can easily say that he was one of the best behaved horses there. Nothing spooked him.

We were planning on taking Dynamite also, but at the last minute he wouldn't load in the trailer. We tried for a little while to get him loaded, but he just wasn't going. I didn't want to push it and make trailer loading in the future even more difficult. Kirstin just has something else to work on. She'll get it done. Time and patience is all it takes, both of which we didn't have Friday evening when we were trying to get him loaded.

Sunday when we got home, the two girls hopped on our other two horse, Trigger and TAZ and rode them down to our neighbor's house for a birthday party. The 2 little girls who Kirstin babysat with over the summer were having a birthday party. The 2 horses were the hit of the party, both giving "pony rides". Both of them were as expected perfect gentlemen and the people at the party thought that TAZ was the most beautiful horse they have ever seen(and he is!) Kirstin even got asked to start working with our neighbor's horses so that his little girls could start riding them. Of course that made Kirstin's day.

Wild Horse & Burro show

We are leaving this afternoon for the Wild Horse & Burro show that is being held in Belton, TX.
We are taking the 2 new Mustangs; Dynamite & Kryptonite. Kirstin is super excited, she is
posting the colors at the show with a couple of her friends from her drill team and she is bringing in the American flag. Another dream of hers coming true. Plenty of pictures to follow!

Kirstin & Tuff make the local newspaper

Check out the article our County newspaper did on Kirstin & Tuff-E-Nuff. Pretty good, they misquoted a couple of things, but all in all they did a great job. You can even leave a comment on
the page if you would like.


http://www.wilsoncountynews.com/article.php?id=24916&n=agriculture-today-local-girl-dedicates-mustang-finals-to-breast-cancer-awareness

Dyno's turn with the flag!

Kirstin and her older sister worked with the flag with Dynamite. As you can see he wasn't in the least bit bothered by it. He also looks great carrying the American Flag, doesn't he?

After the work, came the play. The 2 girls went for a long, leisurely ride. Here they are coming back from down the road. I went outside to snap this photo and all I heard were the two of them singing at the top of their lungs. Jamie is holding up her phone which is playing the music they were listening to while they rode. Too funny, but I love to see the 2 of them getting along so nicely. Horses are the best medicine for just about anything including sisterly friendship.

Kirstin & Kriptonite

Kirstin is detemined to carry the flag on a Mustang. She has to post the Colors at a playday in November and would love to do so on either Kriptonite or Dynamite. As you can see Kriptonite has no problem what so ever with the flag. It was a little unsure at first and took just a couple of steps back, but Kirstin kept talking to him, reassuring him that he was alright and look at him now. She let him chase the flag around for a little bit before waiving it around his head. "Chasing" a scary object is less scary than the object chasing him, so horses seem to accept it faster.

No problem going over the rump.

And her final destination was on his back carrying the flag at a lope and being able to control him. He did great in the round pen, soon we will take him to the arena to see how he does in a larger more open area. Kirstin was beaming from ear to ear.

Kirstin & her nephew rides Kriptonite.

Anyone who has read Kirstin's blog knows that her nephew who is only 15 months old can not pass by a horse without riding him. He loves horses and calls all horses KiKi which is his name for Kirstin. We took him out to meet the new horses and of course we heard him throw a fit until he got to ride. Kriptonite was a perfect gentleman keeping his pace slow while Kirstin took Daniel for a ride.


Daniel gives Kriptonite a hug for the ride. Isn't he cute!!!