Sk8er Boi of the South Steens - T&OM 2023

19/10/2023

Update on Sk8er Boi (now named Azrael)!! He is still doing amazing in his new home! He’s doing great in training and his new owner Sarah has gotten to ride him 🥰🥰 On Monday he got his teeth floated and I was told he was a super good boy! Now he’s graduated to getting to wear a bit and so far he’s still being a rockstar. So glad to keep receiving such great updates on this boi 💙💙

23/09/2023

Look at the boi all English!!! 💙💙 He is absolutely loving it at his new home, and his new home is loving him!! I’m told he’s doing really well in training 🥰 and today I got to go put a ride on him and that definitely seems to be the case! He was a super good boy, especially since it’s been a few weeks since he’s been ridden and it was his first time English. We did walk/trot/canter and he was so good and even picked up his right lead (usually his harder lead) really well! It was only his second time cantering with a rider that direction. So proud of him and so thrilled with how amazingly well he’s doing!

09/09/2023

Hauled Sk8er Boi to his new home yesterday!! He settled in almost immediately 🥰 It’s an awesome place for him and he’s in incredibly good hands. It’s always hard to see them go, but I am so thrilled with his new home and am excited to follow along during this next chapter of his life!

05/09/2023

Overall scores are posted! Sk8er Boi and I placed 11th out of 35 horses! SO close to Top 10 lol. https://www.teensandoregonmustangs.org/trainers-horses/year-end-results/?fbclid=IwAR3LmikyDzBH4gjMSMYoxeITVtykux_JivMSrUj8QEm2iRQ8tWfqu3tEn0w_aem_AaXl2B5CGl3xcrM8GwHClP55aO-cLRp0t2yYZ_QmQYkMv2mYwI8v2Pk_jy_6nzbVs1U

2023 Mustang Adoption Challenge Results 2023 Mustang Trainer Showdown Results

05/09/2023

Our score sheets from our classes!! He did SO well in handling and conditioning!! He failed at letting Josh catch him though 😅 He’d never been caught by a man before and now I know that’s something to prep my mustangs for better in the future! Sk8er kept looking to me for help but I kept telling him I wasn’t gonna save him… until I had to go in and save him 🙄 He rushed up to me and shoved his head in the halter 🙄 Oops! But luckily his new owner came to see him tonight and he let her catch him with no issues 😅 But he did so well with loading into the big scary dark stock trailer!! And a perfect scored on his body conditioning too 😁

I’m also really proud of his showmanship scores! Showmanship is not my strong suit (for instance, I stood on the wrong side at the beginning of the pattern 😅), but Sk8er Boi still did SO well AND this was his first time showing! Very proud of him 🙂

Our trail scores were actually kind of lower than I hoped they’d be, but watching the video of our pattern back again made me not care about our scores because I’m still so beyond proud of how well this boi did!!

04/09/2023

Whew what a weekend!! I could NOT be more proud of this boi!! From being so calm and easy going hauling down and settling into a new place, adapting so quickly to being stalled and being in a high energy environment all weekend, to giving me his best during our classes despite both our nerves, to really coming out of his shell with all the new people who gave him so much love and attention. He came to the show still a bit stranger-danger-y, but only got more and more comfortable and confident by the end and really enjoyed all the attention. He is naturally so sweet and gentle ❤️

Sk8er Boi performed so well in our classes I still can’t quite believe it. We didn’t place top 10 (our division had thirty-five amazing horses so it was some tough competition!), but we had zero blow ups all weekend and only minor bobbles that cost us some points. I’ll post his score sheets soon! But what I am most proud of is how well he looked to me for guidance, and how when he listened and exhibited the training he knew, his confidence just grew as we moved through our patterns. I cannot believe this is the same horse who had regular dramatic blow ups and bolts as recently as June! Our first few months of training were rough for sure, but this guy has just blossomed into such a confident and willing partner who trusts and wants to please.

While Sk8er Boi and I didn’t make top ten, we did win a prize for being great ambassadors for the program! I was so shocked and humbled to have received this award, but Sk8er Boi truly is a prime example of what incredible transformations these mustangs can go through. I cannot thank Teens And Oregon Mustangs enough for all the experience and opportunities I’ve gained through being part of this program. Ever since I did my first mustang through it in 2013, I’ve been hooked on working with mustangs and have grown so much as a trainer with each one I’ve worked with. For anyone interested in challenging yourself as a trainer, I cannot recommend this program enough. For anyone interested in adopting a mustang, I cannot recommend getting one through this program enough. And anyone interested in learning more, I am always happy to share my own experience, so feel free to reach out! Teens and Oregon Mustangs really does change the lives of these horses and their humans.

As another fun surprise, Sk8er Boi and I also won a new hay bag for best stall decorations! I didn’t even know there was a prize for that lol. Sk8er is wearing a bit of his stall decor in the pic here 😎🛹

The best part of the weekend is that Sk8er Boi has found an amazing new home with Sarah Sands. Sk8er Boi had a lot of interest and multiple people who came out to visit him over the summer interested in adopting him, but when Sarah first came out to meet him and told me what she was looking for in a horse as well as what her horse experience is, I really thought these two would be an awesome pair. When auction time rolled around, I was SO stressed because it’s just so hard not knowing where the horse you’ve poured so much of yourself into is going to go! But when I saw that Sarah was the winning bidder, I could not have been more thrilled!! This is obvious if you watched during the auction 😅 I’m so excited for Sk8er Boi’s future with Sarah, so happy that he gets to stay in the area, and so happy is back at my barn to get to relax for a bit before his move 💙

Thank you so so much to Kolu Westcott with Pet Portraits NW for sponsoring Sk8er Boi’s journey over the summer and taking incredible portraits of this gorgeous guy. The beautiful shots Kolu got of Sk8er Boi did an amazing job of showcasing this boi 💙 Thank you Kolu not just for your time and talent, but also for all your help and support over the summer!! It’s meant a lot! To anyone interested in getting beautiful portraits done of your horses or dogs, please check out Kolu’s work! She is amazingly talented and wonderful with the animals.

Thank you also to Searmi Park with Autism Mustang Alliance for lending me her truck for hauling Sk8er Boi around while mine’s been out of commission! This has been SUCH a massive help and I can’t thank you Searmi enough! Searmi runs an incredible non-profit with her herd of mustangs (which includes one of my past TIP competition mustangs 🥰 as well as a T&OM alum!) and I definitely recommend checking out the work they do at AMA.

Thank you of course to my parents, Benjamin Clifton and Joanne Joey Bixler-Clifton for all of your support not just with Sk8er Boi, but with all my horse endeavors! Your encouragement and support means the world to me. And thanks so much dad for all the hours of your help and effort towards fixing my truck 😅 Even though we didn’t quite get it back to hauling condition, we did our best 😅

And thank you to everyone with Teens and Oregon Mustangs for allllllllll the work you do to make this program possible. I am so blessed to get to be part of this program and watch how much it’s grown and expanded over the years to help more horses and people. The T&OM community is full of such supportive and dedicated people and I’m so glad to be part of it!

Thank you also to Sk8er Boi, who’s given me his whole heart over the summer. You’ve taught me so so much, buddy. You’ve challenged me, tested me, and pushed me hard to grow as a trainer. But you were never mean, never naughty. You were only ever scared. But watching you overcome your fear and choose to trust me has been more rewarding than I can put into words. I love you so much, buddy, and you will forever have such a special place in my heart 💙

04/09/2023

Sk8er Boi and I had an awesome last day— despite how all over the place I was emotionally!— and the best part is he found a WONDERFUL new home!! The icing on the cake was I got to haul him home with me and now he’s settling back in his familiar field for the night ❤️ He’ll be here for a little bit before moving to his new home, which isn’t too far away at all! I’ll post the full update tomorrow!

03/09/2023

Starting the big day off with some coffee!

03/09/2023

Brave boi!!

03/09/2023

Sk8er Boi got a well deserved roll and frolic in the rodeo arena this evening!

03/09/2023

Sk8er Boi’s trail go!! So proud of how well this boi handled himself! I tried to post this video last night with no luck, so let’s try again 😅

Sk8er Boi got nervous right before going in, but totally pulled himself together for the rest of it!! And even when he was unsure and scared, he tried his best to still do what I asked him too. His favorite part was definitely his freestyle!! He was very enthusiastic to get on his skateboard 😎🛹

03/09/2023

Getting his side passing down so well!

03/09/2023

Got on Sk8er Boi tonight for the first time this weekend and he was great! He felt a little nervous but totally kept his cool. I rode him over the bridge and through a bit of the trail pattern that was still set up and he was such a good boy!

03/09/2023

Sk8er Boi’s showmanship go!! We backed crooked and he didn’t stick that turn, but very proud of how well he did!! He stayed very soft, responsive, and polite the whole time 💙

03/09/2023

UPDATE: all the videos finally posted!

The emo boi with his emo hair 🖤 Sk8er Boi has been doing SO well this weekend!! I’m super proud of him and even when he’s been getting nervous he’s been trying his best to be a good boy and do everything I’ve been asking of him. It’s gonna be SO hard to let him go tomorrow!

I’m trying hard to upload videos of his trail and showmanship classes, but Facebook isn’t cooperating 😅 hopefully I’ll get them up soon!

31/08/2023

We’re here and settling in!

31/08/2023

Getting these red clay stains out was no joke 😭 Spent over an hour scrubbing him down!! Sk8er Boi was a saint though and so patient ❤️ It helped that I let him eat the whole time 😅 Now he’s all cozy in his PJs and tucked away in his stall for the night! We’ll head down to Eugene tomorrow late morning!

30/08/2023

I’m supposed to get this thing cleaned by tomorrow?! 😫😫

29/08/2023

BREAKING NEWS!!! We FINALLY got our very first canter under saddle 🥳🥳🥳🥳 Here it is!

He could not have handled it better!! I’m so glad I waited until I could tell he was good and ready, but man I’ve been dying to ride his canter! With the competition fast approaching, I was worried we might not get to that point in time. But Sk8er Boi was doing phenomenal tonight with everything I was asking of him, so we gave it a go and I’m so glad we did! Super proud of this guy ❤️ He’s gonna make someone such an awesome and fun horse. Wish I could keep them all!

29/08/2023

He’s a Super Boi as well as a Sk8er Boi 💚💚

28/08/2023

Fun morning session running through lots of practice showmanship patterns! Finished off by getting to climb around on stumps and rocks outside (which he prefers to practicing showmanship…). These last few days we’ll be doing a morning and evening session to prep for the competition! Tonight we’ll practice our freestyle, which I literally JUST put together 😅

27/08/2023

Well…. we ALMOST got our dental done today 😅 Sk8er Boi was great and calm with the commotion and new people handling him UP UNTIL the needle came out for sedation. He really didn’t spook too bad, but enough that the dentist didn’t want this to turn into a training session which I completely understand since he had an entire barn full of horses to get done. And I didn’t have the foresight to have any dorm gel on hand 🙃.

We could’ve twitched him or rushed him through it, but with Sk8er Boi’s temperament I knew that’d likely just work him up more and I’d rather have him have a positive experience to set him up better in the long run. Knowing him, this is exactly the situation some R+ training will work best in. Last time I dewormed him he threw a little fit at first, but we did some clicker training and in less than 5 minutes he was letting me put the dewormer tube in his mouth super willingly dozens of times. Wish I worked on doing some prep with a little poke on his neck beforehand (Mustang Maddy has a great video on working her zebra through her fear of needle using this method!) but I didn’t think of it 😅 But Sk8er Boi didn’t stay amped at all and was calm being handled by these new people afterwards and stayed in the barn watching all the other horses get their dentals done.

But no dental for him today! So… sorry to his new adopters but this one’s on you 😅 I’ll do a little R+ work with him to get him ready for the sedation next time, but with the competition right around the corner I can’t say it’s gonna be out priority lol.

27/08/2023

Some pics from today and yesterday!! We packed a lot of hauling and exposure into two days!

On Friday Sk8er Boi hauled out to a friends barn, and it was his first time hauling alone with the divider and he was completely fine with it. He unloaded at my friend’s barn where we were just stopping to pick her and her horse up and got lots of pets from everyone there! We then loaded back up and headed to another barn to play around with obstacles and ride in a new arena! Sk8er Boi was so calm and willing here! He met lots of new horses and did every obstacle super well! We practiced showmanship as well and it was really good for him to get that practice in with a lot of other horses around doing their own thing. I rode him there too at a walk and trot and he was amazing! I’ll post of few videos later but wish I had taken some more! We then hauled back to my friends barn to drop her and her horse off, where Sk8er Boi unloaded and loaded AGAIN. So in total, he loaded and unloaded four times yesterday!

Today we went to the Trainers Day in McMinnville hosted by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Posse! We had lots of fun and Sk8er Boi did every obstacle, including some new ones like walking over mattresses! He was a little more nervous here because there were tons of horses, but he still handled himself really well! Didn’t get very many pictures here, though. He was hesitant to get back in the trailer on the ride home, but given it was his sixth time loading in 2 days when he hasn’t been hauled barely at all all summer, I didn’t blame him! He didn’t take too long to get in though and hauled quietly the whole way home! We’ll practice loading this week when he doesn’t have anywhere to go. Next time we’ll haul will be to the competition 😳 Can’t believe we leave in 5 days!

24/08/2023

Some clips showing off Sk8er Boi being such a gentleman for grooming, saddling, and mounting! Stay to the end to see how his sidepassing is coming along under saddle 😁

This guy is consistently so easy to handle for all the basics! Head shyness has been something that’s been tough for him to get over, but how he handles being bridled now is SUCH an improvement from even just a few weeks ago.

23/08/2023

Great morning ride on this guy! He was a perfect boy all morning, being sooo soft and responsive on the lunge line and continuing that by being great under saddle! We worked on a lot of circles and he’s getting so soft and beginning to bend nicely. He stops just off my seat and voice cue and is almost backing just off my seat too. He has sidepassing under saddle down SO Much better and is getting very soft about that, too. I love how when things click for this guy, he’s so responsive and light.

Can’t believe we have just a week and a half left together! We have a nice full schedule, planning to go to a friend’s place on Friday to play on the obstacles there and in the river, then to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Posse’s trail course Trainer Day on Saturday, then he’s having his dental done Sunday morning, then nothing but competition prep the rest of the week! Excited to make the most of our remaining time together. I’m gonna miss this guy so much!

22/08/2023

Sk8er Boi and I aren’t the biggest fans of it being dark early now 😭 We often do a session before I go to work, but this morning he thought it was tooooo early. He nickered to me the whole time I walked up to get him but didn’t want to get up 😂 I let him hang out for a while because he was being so cute just wanting to lay there and get scratches, and when he finally got up he did the most dramatic stretches. But afterwards we had a great session!

22/08/2023

Here are some clips from Saturday!

21/08/2023

Pre-Bidding is now open!! SO many incredible horses for adoption this year! Sk8er Boi is Lot 56

20/08/2023

Sk8er Boi and I had an awesome time at Cynthia Fisher’s for the last day of trainer’s week yesterday! I’m incredibly proud of how well Sk8er Boi handled everything as this pretty much was his first outing. I’ve said this in another post, but shortly after pick up day my truck broke down and I haven’t found a replacement truck yet, so I haven’t been able to take him out much. Usually I try to take my mustangs out with me everywhere! The only time I hauled Sk8er Boi was 1) pick up day and 2) moving him to the barn he’s at now 🙈

That said, Sk8er Boi honestly couldn’t have handled hauling better yesterday! He loaded right up even with another horse already in there, hauled quietly, and unloaded flawlessly. I was anticipating he might want to rush out of the trailer, but no he waited for me to grab him and waited for the cue to back out and then backed out and stepped out calmly. I was so pleased with him!

At Cynthia’s, Sk8er Boi did EVERY obstacle in hand! This included lots of pool noodles over head and on legs, bridges, teeter totter, water box, trash box, gate, flag, big tires, a back through obstacle, side passing obstacles, trot poles, and more. One thing I love about working with Sk8er Boi is even when he’s unsure, he still has so much try and willingness. He’s never tossed his head and refused an obstacle with any attitude, he keeps soft and sometimes just needs a bit to investigate and then he’s fine. The water box and the trash box were two that he had to investigate for a moment, but after going through each once he was a pro.

He was doing so well in hand that I got on him and rode through several obstacles! This was not only his first ride off property, but his first ride outside of the arena! Full disclosure, I fell twice (oops! I’m okay!) but these were really not Sk8er Boi’s fault as I was ba****ck and with all the grooming and his recent bath this boi is SLIPPERY as heck. Plus with having a sciatica flare up at the moment I haven’t been able to have as sticky of a seat as I used to (so many excuses! I know 😔). The first fall was a leap off the tires (he went right up there! Good boy!), but coming off the tires unbalanced me which in turn made him unsure and I came off 😅 He didn’t even really spook— it was mostly just me not having the seat to guide him then. The second time happened when we went through the green pool noodles which I already rode him through twice with no issue, but this time he unexpectedly shot through and I came off again 😅 Got right back on and rode him through again and he was fine. So oops! Just wanted to put that out there for transparency!

But I rode Sk8er in the round pen at a walk and trot and he was great!! Had a great stop and back and was moving off my seat and legs nicely and being soft in the bosal. Super pleased with his first ride off property despite the falls! We rode over the bridge, over poles, through the pool noodles, and over the tires. Afterwards, Sk8er Boi was a teeny bit hesitant to get back in the trailer, but after like 30 seconds of hesitation he loaded right up and hauled home and unloaded just as well as before.

Super proud of this guy! He has come SO far! I’ll post more pictures and videos soon. All the last pictures were taken by Cynthia.

We have two more outings planned before the competition and I’m so excited to see how he does with those too!