GUSHING.

I'VE always known my pony is awesome. I guess it's story time. Sit tight friends, I'm not good at short stories.

I adopted Cheyenne from a local mustang rescue. The rescue had taken in 2 fillies who had been adopted out and then turned out to pasture for nearly a year. The owner quickly realized he didn't have the time/knowledge to train the two fillies so he turned them back into the BLM (via the rescue) virtually untouched/unhandled. Fast forward, I came out to the rescue a few days after the fillies came in, and only 2 short days after I came out to volunteer they were being trailered up to a BLM Mississippi holding facility. Strike 1 for these 2 sweet fillies that did nothing to deserve it. (FYI BLM mustangs get 3 strikes *I believe, don't quote me.* before they are considered unadoptable... even if the "strikes" have nothing to do with the horse themselves.) The two were so sweet. Someone already decided they wanted to adopt the friendly of the two fillies, Mocha, a beautiful little bay with 4 black socks. "Ko-ti", the second filly, was a little more weary of people. She was afraid of being touched (but not terrified), afraid of being haltered, afraid of ropes, etc. Mocha was much more confident and already leading with no problems. My heart melted for little "Ko-ti". She was just a plain jane brown little filly, afraid and unhandled. She had little chance of being adopted if she was turned back in. So I made the craziest impulsive decision I've ever made. I decided to adopt her. ME, just green in the horse world myself, never owned/trained a horse, hadn't taken lessons in probably 8+ years... I was going to adopt a wild mustang.

Well as it turned out the lady who was going to adopt Mocha backed out. The woman who owned the rescue encouraged me to adopt Mocha instead of "Ko-ti", as Mocha had been handled much more & had a much greater affinity for people. But something about "Ko-ti" tugged at my heart strings. She was timid, but she wasn't unreachable. I got such joy out of each little step we made... the first time I could halter her without a 15 minute ordeal, the first step on the lead line, the first time she let me brush her, the first time she stood quietly when tied. I just didn't feel that same connection of sense of accomplishment with Mocha. So for two weeks I drove the grueling 2 hours round trip to see & work with my new pony. Every day was a new adventure, a new celebration. Finally I got her home, and the REAL adventure of my first time horse ownership/horse training began... and it's continued each day since! (Mocha's story ultimately had a happy ending as well. Thankfully she WAS adopted before being trailered to Mississippi. Unfortunately the lady who adopted her MOVED, and LEFT her on the property without informing anyone. Fortunately the lady who owned the rescue had her readopted to a great new home & she is doing wonderfully! YAY!)

OKAY. PHEW. If you've made it this far, congratulations! I just looove to gush about my pony & tell our story. So today I called the lady who owns the barn I recently moved Cheyenne to. She spent ten minutes telling me how wonderful Cheyenne was, how terrified she had been when I told her I was looking to board a mare (she has ALL geldings), and how Cheyenne had exceeded her wildest expectations. She kept telling me what an amazing personality she has, how she's never met an easier or better behaved mare, and how she reminds her exactly of the only mare she ever liked... the one she took to some grand prix something or other. She told me that EVERYONE who has come out to the barn has fallen in love with her (probably because she's such a lover... she will FOLLOW people along the fence perimeter & just give you those big puppy dog eyes until you love on her!) & she's even had two people ask if she's for sale!! WOW! I always knew she was special but I've always thought that was a mother's love, LOL. I've never had someone gush so much about my pony before, it felt wonderful! Especially coming from a horsewoman who REALLY knows her stuff. (She showed grand prix world wide)

Pony really has been just incredible out at the new barn. I don't want to jinx it by gushing about her... but I mean she has been so much calmer & more obedient than ever before. Certainly she's nowhere near perfect, but I can't believe what a HUGE difference having more space to run makes! She just LOVES it, she's so very happy. :) I'm so very happy she's happy. SO FULL OF LOVE FOR MY PONY! SQUEEEEE! Okay. done. Thanks for putting up with that. lol