Friday, October 22, 2010

Tennessee Makeover 2010

The inhand trail course and showmanship are over. Kirstin and Patriot did really well. Patriot just didn't want to back today. Go figure, it is always something. Kirstin was the only youth trainer that could call her horse to her in the catch and release. She walked into the pen after letting him go, stood there called his name and he came straight to her which the judge had told them at the beginning that would be bonus if they could do that. He did all of the course great with the exception of backing-he backed, but she really had to cue him. Ground tied for picking up the hooves, loaded right away into the trailer and trotted like a champ. Went over the poles without a single click on the hoof. Showmanship came and he wanted to sleep-trotted but not great, set up prefectly and stood like a perfect gentleman during the question portion, but Kirstin forgot to back. She thought she blew it. But, I think the judges could really see the connection between the two. It was very apparent that they had something that not all trainers share with their horse-a true connection. She made the top ten again this year and will once again be performing a free style routine tomorrow afternoon. We are so proud of these two!!!

2 comments:

D. Ward said...

A lot of the mustangs in these competitions don't bond with their owners either because of a lack of respect that the mustang has for the owner or because someone else did the essential work on the horse. Speaking of I'm starting to think (if things keep going this way) they should refer to the youth as contestants not "trainers". -_- I don't care what the rules say.

Sweet job getting your horse to draw to you! I don't think I saw that part; I must have been watching something else. Too bad I missed it! Last year the peope whose horses didn't come to them got marked down a lot. But since very few horses actually came I guess it wasn't a big deal this time.

Diane Ward

Kirstin's Mustang Project 2011 said...

Thanks Diane, Kirstin's mom here and I happen to agree with you about someone else working with the mustangs. The one condition we gave Kirstin when she first asked to be a part of the Makeover 3 years ago was that she had to do all of the work herself. We are there for emotional and financial support only offering suggestions when asked. After all Kirstin is the trainer and even though she might not be as advanced as others in her training methods, it is ALL HER! She has never had any formal training on how to train a horse, she is going strictly by instinct and learning more and more each year. I wish there was a little more that could be done about others training for the "trainer" but as you said it is in the rules. Kirstin takes comfort in knowing that she put 110% into her horse no matter how she does. It was great meeting you.
Priscilla Koehler