Mustang Mania 2023 - Part 04

 Oh my!  So much has happened since our last update.  We now have two mustangs.  How did that happen you might wonder?  Levi was coming along very nicely.  Then one of the trainers noticed he had some potential structural issues, maybe a club foot.  This can be problematic, especially since the goal would be to rehome him or use him for serious riding.  We talked with the people that run the program and they recommended that Sidney trade him out.  It was super sad, but everyone thought this would be best.  The morning we went to take Levi back to the corrals and pick up the new horse, we got a call from Sabrina, the owner of the ranch.  She asked us if Sidney would be willing/able to continue working with Levi.  She would cover his board and would help us rehome him when the time comes.  We quickly conferred and decided that was possible.  

We did go and pick up the second mustang as well.  This guy is MUCH different.  He is fast and very afraid of people.  He has shown no buck, kick or bite, but he is just very much keeping his distance.  Thankfully, the BLM put a halter and lead rope on him before loading him, or else Sid would not have a fighting chance.  She did manage to get his tag off and a few small touches, but this guy is going to take a lot of patience.  Most of her time is spent just being present with him.  Once she was able to get his tag off, she announced his name 'Harley'.  Why Harley?  When Sid was soliciting name suggestions, my dad suggested Scooter.  I thought, "no way".  He is way to fast for a Scooter...a Harley, maybe.  Well, it stuck.

I will admit there have been a few times when I thought we have bitten off more than we could chew with Harley.  That being said, I woke up the other day and had a revelation that this would be a great opportunity to teach my kids that we can do hard things.  I may regret that decision in a few months, when we are all exhausted and grades have slipped, but I really do think with a bit of teamwork from each of us, Sidney and Harley will do amazing things.

How is Levi?  Amazing.  For a horse that will likely be a companion horse, he sure has the personality for it.  He is the most loveable guy ever.  I have included the picture below for a few giggles and a reality check.  As I said, Levi is amazing.  It is sometimes hard to forget that he is a wild mustang.  He does give Sidney a reminder every now and then....

Here is the gang.  Sidney jokes that Levi is her domestic horse now:).

She put a bit in his mouth this week.  He was not sure what to think about having something in his mouth that he could not eat.  He kept licking his lips and flapping his tongue. 

This is a picture of pure joy.  Harley will be joining this trio before you know it.