Epona Mustangs

11/01/2024

Kirby says happy Halloween! 🎃👻

We carved pumpkins last night and I of course made Kirby’s namesake 😆 He is such a goober and thought the pumpkin made a pretty fun toy. Johnny wanted to make a cameo 😌

He had his first little ride today! I kept it brief, we just walked some circles but he was very good and relaxed, even licking and chewing with me up there. I’m very happy with how he’s coming along and excited to have him going under saddle very soon!

**tstarting

10/30/2024

my beautiful girl 🤍

this is overdue but i wanted to thank for making this necklace of cinna’s brand for me, i appreciate it so much ❤️

i miss my cinnagirl, i was looking through old videos of her and prince and they were such a perfect pair. it still somehow doesn’t feel real that i won’t have her back too when prince is with me again 😞

photo by Rhen Vega Photography

10/29/2024

10/23/2024

Western Kirby 🤠 VS English Kirby 🎩

Which style is your favorite for Kirby?

It’s been a minute since my last Kirby update!! Training has been slow due to no fault of his own… Florida was hit with back to back hurricanes and the round pen has only dried up enough to work in this past week. In the meantime, we were working on hoof handling skills (I’ve been able to keep up with his trims and he’s doing very well), leading into the barn, standing in the wash racks and getting hosed down, and spending some time in a stall!

He’s a very quick learner and taking everything in stride! He’s actually been one of my easiest mustangs to gentle and train so far. You can’t beat a Twin Peaks in my opinion 😂 I’m still filming for his youtube videos, I’m going to edit some more soon!

Yesterday he learned how to go over some jumps in hand, and he is a natural! Excited to share some of that session.

**tstarting

10/11/2024

had so much fun last Sunday with Tate in the Horses Healing Hearts mini derby!! Tate aka is ’s retired 4* horse, huge thank you to Elisa for the opportunity to learn on him! we were double clear but a pilot error (forgot where to turn) in the jump off slowed us down, but we still came in 7th. he was such a good boy though, Tate is always extra careful 😆

10/05/2024

Odyssey in an XC school a few months back! Can’t believe I never posted this. The video is even cooler!

I’m experimenting to see if videos or photos reach more people. It doesn’t look like my posts are reaching a lot of my followers lately, so maybe I can find a balance that works? Of course numbers aren’t the goal- the point is to share my horses’ journeys in a way other people can relate to (including ups and downs), and help me locate their perfect match when it comes time to send them off to continue their journeys with new people!

It’s also my goal to share how capable mustangs are in various disciplines. This 13.2hh little mustang pony has springs for feet and loads of talent!! It’s been really exciting to see this past year how many mustangs are excelling in english sports. Growing up I was the odd one out for having a mustang and now I see a small handful of them at pretty much any local show I go to- or I am at least met by mustang lovers who recognize the brand and ask me about whichever mustang I happen to be riding!

Let me know what y’all would like to see more of! And reminder that I post detailed training videos on my youtube so if you are looking for a lot more of an in depth look on my mustangs’ journeys, with the highs and lows, I have been consistently adding to Odyssey and Kirby’s training series!

Update on Kirby coming soon, he is doing very well.

09/25/2024

My sister has a super cool mare available, I have ridden her and she is a blast! ❤️

09/23/2024

missing her so much 💛

09/22/2024

Reposting because facebook cut the last few minutes of my video off. Odyssey is a 13.2hh pony that could be your next partner for eventing, dressage, hunter/jumper, mounted games and even has some western experience if you want to go that route! Odyssey is a BLM-branded mustang from Triple B, Nevada and has been out of the holding pens since February of this year. He has been under saddle 6 months so he is green but has a very solid, thorough foundation. Started over fences and jumping around courses, shown in the beginning of this video by my trainer Elisa Wallace Eventing. Super soft in the bridle and responsive to aids, great brakes. Has his own motor but is not hot. Odyssey has been to 7 shows this summer including starter 3 phases, jumper shows and the Mustang Classic at the Kentucky Horse Park. He travels well in the trailer and was great in his stall at his first away show. He is fast learner and tries very hard to please. Hacks out and can go ba****ck and in a halter. Great ground manners, fun to play with at liberty and knows some fun party tricks (lay down, sit, stands on pedestal)! Does all the domestic horse things, as he catches, leads, ties, loads, clips, bathes, wears blankets and fly masks, stands for vet and farrier, etc and he is a perfect gentleman for all of it.Looking for a confident rider that wants a fun horse to grow with. I could see him excelling in a lot of disciplines. He gets a lot of compliments wherever we go on his fancy movement and scopey jump! He is for reassignment through BLM it is a very simple process I can walk you through. Mid to upper fours, pm with inquiries. Reddick, FL

09/16/2024

Final Mustang Classic update!

First off I want to thank the organizers for hosting the first english only mustang competition, I had a lot of fun competing in this venue!! It was a huge venture as there’s never been anything quite like the Classic before but I’m already looking forward to next year.

Thank you for all of the help with Odyssey, I have learned so much from you! And congrats on your extremely well deserved win with Zephyr!!

Thank you .equus and my sister Madeleine for the pics!

Unfortunately the environment was really overwhelming for Odyssey, it was his first away show and although he had been doing so well at the shows we were going to at home- and getting miles better with each show- it is very different traveling 12 hours and competing in the Rolex Stadium, it’s a lot for any horse especially one six months out of the wild!

After he had a hard time on dressage day I hoped I could make the rest of the show a positive learning experience for him. In our cross country after he slowed down to take a look but cleared the first jump, he took a hard left turn at the second and spun me off onto my feet. It was too quick to stay on, but the judges were kind enough to let me continue for schooling purposes. We cleared a couple more jumps but Odyssey took another hard turn at a particularly spooky fence and while I stayed on, that spelled the end of our round. We were allowed to jump a final courtesy jump to help him end on a good note before leaving the ring.

It was not what I was hoping as Odyssey is a stellar jumper and when he feels less insecure, he shows a ton of potential but when he gets overwhelmed the best I can do is try to support him and encourage him kindly. He got a lot of praise during that round and rewarded for every effort. You cannot ever fault a horse for being scared, only try to give them positive experiences.

In the afternoon for our show jumping, I had chosen to do the 12” option because he feels more confident over the lower heights. After trotting in the ring, I stopped and gave him a treat before showing him the jumps and starting our round. He was already so much more confident, the first half of our course went very smoothly! We had a couple spooks in the later half, where he got a little unfocused and worried about other elements in the arena and I could have done a better job at keeping his focus, but once I got him to the jumps he cleared everything boldly! Ironically he was least scared of the jumps and more worried about the judges and the cameras and banners. This showed a lot of progress because I know that once I can keep his focus better he will be rock solid. I gave him another treat before we left the ring, he is a very food motivated horse and loves his cookies, it helps him relax. I love positive reinforcement for helping horses like him gain confidence, the amount of times I’ve stopped and clicked and treated him after a jump or a hard maneuver has helped him so much!

I’m so proud of my boy and how he gained confidence that day, he is just a horse just needs more time and consistent positive experiences to help him feel like he can do it and believe in himself. I was so impressed with the caliber of horses brought to the show, so many quiet and well trained mustangs! It inspired me to try again next year using everything Odyssey and Elisa have taught me. Odyssey may not have fit into the makeover timeline, but he sure is badass little pony with a bright future. I’m proud of how far he has come, and how far he has yet to go. This pony has a ton of potential, I have gotten so many kind words about how impressively he moves and jumps.

Odyssey has taught me a lot and given me the opportunity to work so hard to become a better rider for him! I’m still learning but we have made good progress together. Every tough horse is an opportunity to improve and to practice patience and horsemanship! I will be sharing my rounds in my show vlogs with voiceovers giving insight on everything that went on.

I am very grateful for this experience, though I had hopes that we would be a little farther along by now, every horse is on their own timeline and I have more faith than ever that Odyssey will be a show stopping pony soon ❤️

09/14/2024

Odyssey had a wonderful warmup at the Mustang Classic and was putting in some of his best work but unfortunately was startled by the photographers in raincoats right before we went in for our test. He thought the one crouching looked like a mountain lion 🦁

He did well and was very brave to get the test done despite his nervousness. I am proud of how willing he remained despite his fear- poor guy was just very caught off guard and truly petrified! But he tried so hard and had some good moments despite his fear.

Disappointing, as I wish we had been able to show more of what we are capable of but we received a lot of nice comments from both the judges and spectators/fellow riders about his clear potential and talent- all agree he will be amazing when he gains more confidence! He just needs time and patience. I do my best to support him and help him believe in himself!

Regardless I’m enjoying competing and being here at the Mustang Classic, it’s always great to see my mustang family again!! I love mustang shows because of the friendly and supportive competitors. And it’s great to see all the english mustangs, there are so many exceptional horses and riders here!

Tomorrow we have arena cross country in the morning, and show jumping in the afternoon! Fingers crossed we can put our best foot forward and show all the hard work we’ve done. But however it goes, I’m proud of my pony who was wild at the end of February and missed a good chunk of the training period when I was injured. He’s handling his first away show like a champ, comfortable and relaxed in his stall and around the very busy show grounds ❤️

Thank you for finishing his braids when I ran out of time 😆 and congrats to her and on their beautiful tests with top placings! 🫶

09/13/2024

As I get ready for the first day of competition at the Mustang Classic, I remember the mare that started it all this very day. September 13th five years ago I arrived at the Oklahoma holding pens to pick up my random draw for the youth makeover, a bay filly from Silver King ❤️

Growing up with a horse and training her from scratch is truly the most special experience 🩵

Cinna grew from a scrawny yearling with no energy to a beautiful, brave, independent mare. Being a part of her transformation inspired me to help more mustangs and Cinna showed me the bond you can build with them, how willing they are and how I can always strive to train softer and more compassionate to the horse.

✨

09/12/2024

One year (and a couple days) ago at The Fort Worth Mustang Show with the best boy, Talos 🔥

It’s always fun to see what pops up in my memories this time of year, September is always a packed time for mustang trainers!!

We arrive in Lexington, KY for the Mustang Classic today!! The first day of competition is tomorrow. I’m really excited to compete with my pony and have a good time ❤️

09/10/2024

Meet Odyssey! 13.2hh pony that could be your next partner for eventing, dressage, hunter/jumper, mounted games and even has some western experience if you want to go that route! He is the perfect pony size I am 5’3” and have been his main rider since March when I started him under saddle, and riders taller than me have ridden him with ease. Odyssey is a BLM-branded mustang from Triple B, Nevada and has been out of the holding pens since February of this year.

He has been under saddle 5 months so he is green but has a very solid thorough foundation. Started over fences and jumping around 70cm courses. Super soft in the bridle and responsive to aids, great brakes. Has his own motor but is not hot by any means. Odyssey has been to 4 starter 3-phases and 2 schooling jumper shows. He travels well in the trailer and is very good with new environments and showing. He is fast learner and tries very hard to please.

This week Odyssey and I are heading to Kentucky to compete in the Mustang Classic which is an english mustang makeover where we will compete in dressage, show jumping, and arena cross country.

Great ground manners, fun to play with at liberty and knows some fun party tricks (lay down, sit, stands on pedestal)! Does all the domestic horse things, as he catches, leads, ties, loads, clips, bathes, wears blankets and fly masks, stands for vet and farrier, etc and he is a perfect gentleman for all of it.

Looking for a confident rider that wants a fun horse to grow with.

He is for reassignment through BLM it is a very simple process I can walk you through. Upper fours, videos available for serious inquirers. Reddick, FL

09/05/2024

Super nice horses available!!

09/02/2024

in love with these photos by Rhen Vega Photography, she did an incredible job capturing Cinna 🤍

i promised to tell her story but what i wrote proved too long for instagram, and so did the video i made. it’s up on youtube, with the written version as well. i wanted to share all of cinna’s story, from the very beginning, with all the roadblocks along the way, and how this beautiful mare changed my life.

the long and short of it, for those who have not been following cinnamon from the beginning, was that malnourishment when she was in utero in the wild was the most likely cause of her premature arthritis which was already developing when i got her as a yearling. she was sound and had a good quality of life to give her time to wait and see what she did because there was hope that her pasterns would fuse and she would be perfectly fine to live out her days, but things started looking worse and it became apparent that was not going to be the case, so i let her go last month.

i miss my cinna girl, i may not have been able to see her much the past year but knowing she was out there and we’d be together again one day had always brought me comfort, i basically grew up with her and prince. it’s been hard knowing she’s gone, even though i know she is at peace.

08/07/2024

i’ve always listened to cinnamon and when she was happy, lively, and full of fight i did everything i could to give her the best chance. i always listened to the vets and got many different opinions and we gave her five more happy years. she got to live her best life in a field with friends and was always the first to start playing and enjoying herself.

tragically the time came when cinna told us she was getting tired… there was for a long time hope her body would have given her more years but it was not doing as we’d hoped and so i made the decision to lay her to rest in her home in texas and i said the hardest goodbye, to my best friend.

thank you to Crista and Annika for taking exceptional care of Cinna these past 9 months and taking her and Prince in when you did. i was so grateful to know my horses were in the best hands. and i can’t thank you enough for helping me through this hard week ❤️

and thank you Camille for being there with me, you’ve been a part of cinna’s journey from the start as well as the reason i got into mustangs/makeovers, you have always supported us snd cheered the loudest when we performed for the last time in the makeover ❤️

i was able to visit her for her last two days and we made sure they were good ones. she got spoiled with many treats, scratches, hand grazing and was very peacefully laid to rest surrounded by people who loved her. cinna had a way of charming so many hearts of horses and horse-lovers everywhere she went and her story moved a lot of people. she had so many rooting for her to have the best outcome, it is just so unfortunate the circumstances of her birth gave her only six years.

i will write more about cinna and her story when we get the photos we had taken of her last morning.

rest easy sweet cinnamon.

2018-2024

07/27/2024

Kirby 🩷 week two update!!

Training has been a little slow due to the weather, it has been storming a lot in Florida ⛈️ so we have missed some days, but that’s okay! There is no timeline and Kirby is adjusting to domestic life well. It’s nice to take it slow anyway ☺️

As well as picking up all four feet, Kirby can wear a saddle pad and has learned basic groundwork body control, as well as desensitizing with the flag and ribbon wand. He’s a quick learner!! He’s learning how to cuddle and likes scratches under his chin. He’s pictured on the first slide expressing when he got confused during halter training on day one, but he quickly figured it out and that was the one time he reared.

The first three videos in Kirby’s training series are posted to youtube for all those interested in watching, the third one went up this morning! Thank y’all for the support on those!!

07/20/2024

Always so exciting getting a new mustang in 😁 Kirby is doing very well one week home!! Despite missing a few days due to weather, Kirby already leads, can be groomed all over his body, and picks up all his feet.

I know y’all love pickup videos, those are always everyone’s favorite on youtube! They’re fun for me to make too, and I tried something a little different with the editing on Kirby’s, it’s out now at the link in the comments 🥰

Planning to vlog this one’s journey too, maybe not as extensively as Odyssey’s, I will see how much interest there is! I’m still uploading Odyssey’s videos, we’re onto the riding phase which is really fun to share all the things I do to get them super solid under saddle.

This is the picture of him that drew me in on the online corral!!

07/13/2024

Say hello to my newest project!! This is my May internet adoption win, I just picked him up Thursday. He is a 5 year old gelding from Twin Peaks, CA (I know, I know) listed as 15hh. I’ve decided to call him Kirby 🩷

Edit: I love the Twin Peaks herd, the joke is that I get so many of them! He’s my 5th one and I’ve loved every single one

I’m excited to get some more weight on him after his long haul, he already looks a bit better on his third day home! He seems like a sweet and goofy boy, he will be available later on with training under his belt. I’m enjoying working with him ☺️

06/26/2024

back in the saddle after 3 weeks 🥳

feels good to ride my makeover horse again!! last week I received great news from the doctor about my MRI. nothing was torn in my knee!! I just have a massive hematoma in my knee that is slowly going to go down on its own. this is the best case scenario!! from the amount of swelling the first doctor I saw thought I had torn my ACL, but thankfully that was not the case. I was cleared to start riding! I am already feeling much better, the bruise eventually faded (pic in one of my recent posts) and most of the visible swelling has gone down.

it’s been so hard not riding my makeover horse… now we are back on the grind 💪 thankfully Elisa and Meghan could ride him some while I was out. I rode Fledge first to see how I felt riding again. today Odyssey did really well after a week off and a very light month for him ☺️

he is turning into quite a fancy little pony!! we will be working hard to bring our A-game to Kentucky this September!

06/13/2024

Odyssey having a green horse moment back on ride #4 🫣

I’m almost caught up on editing his training videos, I just posted the one where I hit the dirt! It was totally a moment where he said “I want to go back to my friends!” and then looked at me like, “why are you on the ground?” but he never did it again.

In just over a week I’ll finally know what went wrong when I injured my knee! I was hoping against the odds it would be back to normal by now and I could say it was just a bad bruise, but it’s still not quite right 😕

Thankfully Meghan and Elisa have ridden Odyssey, I have some videos to share of them riding him next!!

I don’t want my other social medias to become nothing but me promoting my youtube videos, but sadly I don’t have much other content to share on here except throwbacks 😆 I work hard on editing my videos to share the reality of working with horses. It can’t possibly go smoothly all the time, and this was a good example! My channel is close to getting monetized, which is a cool milestone I’ve been working at for a while!!

**tstarting

06/12/2024

Second ride on Odyssey video!! I also showed how I taught him trailer loading.

06/08/2024

Odyssey learning how to jump on day 29!! He makes such a cute shape over the fences 😍 We took all three of our mustangs to the jump field to teach them together, mustang training is more fun with friends!

Today I uploaded a video showing how I taught him to jump on the ground, as well as how I prepared him for his first trim!! There’s a lot of important steps that go into making a mustang’s first trim a safe and smooth experience, and Odyssey demonstrated it perfectly.

No new news on my knee injury, I’m able to walk better now that the swelling’s gone down some more. But it is still purple 😳 I miss riding so I’m occupying myself catching up on my youtube editing 😂

**tstarting