Maeve the Mustang

14/10/2020

Bit of an update on Maeve!
She has been doing so well! I’ve put a few rides on her these last couple weeks and still cannot get over how much her demeanor has changed. She is so trusting and confident now. Two weeks ago I got on her for the first time in a MONTH (due to fires and smoke 😞) and she acted like she hadn’t had any time off! So proud of her ❤️I’m looking forward to this stretch of dry weather coming up to hopefully FINALLY get to take her on some trail rides.

21/09/2020

Haven’t worked with Maeve at all for two weeks and she is eager to get back to work! (Mostly for the treats, as you can see... (need to work on taking the hay cubes a bit more politely 🙄)) I had groomed both my mustangs and then turned them loose, not planning to do anymore with them, but they kept hanging around me expecting to do more, so I got the treat pouch and dinked around a bit with them. Not shown in video is the side passing, bowing, and getting on the pedestal! I’m honestly amazed that not only was Maeve (and my other mustang Rhiannon) doing all I asked at Liberty after weeks off, but she was eager to do it all!

19/09/2020

Maeve is back home safe and sound and is doing great! That said, we have unfortunately decided to withdraw from the Teens and Oregon Mustangs competition. Even though we did evacuate our horses, Maeve has still spent over a week breathing air between 300-599 on the air quality index, which is hazardous. Only as of yesterday with the rain has the air improved significantly. That said, I want to give her lungs adequate time to heal, so we cannot compete in a week’s time. This was a difficult decision to make, but Maeve’s health is my priority!

For the next few weeks, her training will simply consist of very light groundwork and some clicker training games to keep her engaged and motivated. We’ll ease back into riding after that! I will continue to post her progress to this page.

Are you wondering when you can return to a normal exercise routine with your horse? It is imperative to give your horse adequate time to recover from smoke inhalation before returning to an exercise routine. Airway damage resulting from wildfire smoke takes between four to six weeks to heal. Horses should return to exercise no sooner than two weeks after wildfire smoke has completely dissipated. While it is very tempting to return to riding as soon as possible, doing so too early can provoke the condition, delay healing, and compromise your horses performance for several weeks to months.

RETURNING TO AN EXERCISE ROUTINE AFTER SMOKE HAS DISSIPATED:
*Ideally, provide four to six weeks before returning to an exercise routine.
Week 1 & 2: Provide two weeks off. Your horse can be turned out during this time.
Week 3 & 4: Hand walk for two weeks.
Week 5 & 6: Walk and trot in the saddle for two weeks.
Week 7: Return to a normal exercise routine.

Please call our office at 541-207-8308 with questions.

Source: UC Davis

14/09/2020

Maeve is doing great at her temporary evacuation home! She was totally unfazed by the new environment and settled in right away. She is getting a bit bored, though, since she’s used to working everyday. I’ve hardly had time to spend with her due to hauling and caring for evacuated animals these past 5 days, but hopefully I’ll have more time to give her tomorrow! We will definitely NOT be working on anything anytime soon due to having the worst air quality in the world at the moment 😷 But this girl definitely needs some attention! This morning as I cleaned the round pen she and my other two are staying in, she left her food to “help out” with the cleaning and to hang out with me. She’s really into wheelbarrows for some reason (has been since I got her 😂), so pawing at and rubbing on the wheelbarrow was the highlight of her day! Even though she’s bored, I keep reminding her she’s lucky she’s got a safe place to stay for now!

11/09/2020

Evacuating. Maeve is safe 🙏

10/09/2020

We haven’t been training due to the smoke and spending the last few days hauling horses for others! We’re fine for the time being where we are in Oregon City but are prepping in case we need to evacuate the animals. We’ve taken in a bunch more horses which was really stressing my gelding out, but Maeve has been the best buddy to him right now! She is totally calm and gets along with all the other horses the best out of my three 😂 She’s the perfect mix of not a bit mare-ish, but also won’t take any of the other horses’ crap. She’s come such a long way these past few months and now that she’s gained so much confidence, she’s a very level-headed horse. Even during the crazy winds we had here on Monday, I rode her and she did great! She and my other mustang have finally become good friends, too, and mutually groom each other a lot ❤️

06/09/2020

Maeve started learning to bow today! No ropes and just positive reinforcement. Only took her less than 10 minutes to have it pretty much down!

04/09/2020

Rode Maeve with a buddy tonight to help her overcome her fear of other riders (thanks Brooke and Cody!) and she did great! We followed for the most part but towards the end she was fine passing Cody and letting him be behind her. We got lots of trotting in, some awesome stops, and a bit more cantering! She’s still struggling to pick up and hold a canter but she had definitely improved since last time. She also has been doing great to just saddle up and go our last few rides without needing any ground work before hand!

31/08/2020

Quick clip of her from Saturday. We’ve been working hard to keep her from stopping on her front end and here she nailed that stop!

31/08/2020

Bridge and teeter-totter!

31/08/2020

Through a box with a blanket in it

31/08/2020

Going through the tarp cave and crossing the mattress without a fuss!

31/08/2020

Having some fun with the water bottles full of marbles and going through the pool noodles for the first time ❤️

31/08/2020

Here’s her going through the water ditch again, this time without lying down!

31/08/2020

Our second attempt going through the water ditch 😂 thought she wouldn’t lay down a second time but I was very wrong! She’s such a goof

31/08/2020

Maeve had a busy weekend!

On Friday (lost track of what day we’re on😅), we went to McIver again and this time she went with a buddy. She did excellent hauling with another horse for the first time, even one she’d never met before who was about twice her size! I’ll admit, though, once at McIver she didn’t do as well as she had the first time we went. Her first trip out there she had done every obstacle without hesitation, but this time she was a little resistant at the first few. She also saw people on horseback for the first time and discovered a huge hole in our training! Seeing riders was terrifying for her 😅 I don’t have another rideable horse, and each time I’ve taken her out somewhere no one around was riding, so that was a first. She eventually settled down with it, though, and by the end of our time out there I got on her and walked and trotted in the round pen there and then took her out and walked her around the park.

On Saturday we rode in the arena again (this time saddled) and got more cantering in! She’s picking it up better now but still having trouble maintaining it. She was doing excellent at a walk and trot, though, and was very soft in the bosal. We worked on a lot of circles and figure-8s and she’s learning to bend really well. She also let me stand on her!

Sunday we attended a trainer day and, as I was anticipating, Maeve was a bit of a basketcase when we arrived since there were *gasp* other RIDERS there!! There were a bunch of obstacles set up but Maeve was wayyy more concerned about the other riders. After about an hour (🙄) of watching, she began to realize the riders weren’t out to get her. I ended up being able to get on her and walk and trot in the outdoor arena and, considering how frazzled she was at the beginning of the day, she actually did super well! And with the obstacles, Maeve did AMAZING! She did every one of the obstacles and only offered a little hesitation at some of the ones she’d never encountered before, like walking over a mattress. But she did that, the cowboy curtain, a tarp tunnel, bridges, teeter-totter, and more very well! Her favorite was the water ditch, which is usually the scariest one for horses, but Maeve went straight in and laid in the water! I had to get up right away though because she was fully saddled 😅 Overall, I’m very pleased with how she did! We had some rides planned with friends coming up to fix her fear of other riders, but otherwise she’s doing awesome!

27/08/2020

Rode Maeve again in the saddle tonight and trotted with it for the first time! She did excellent! I also introduced posting on her and she handled it really well. Didn’t get any videos or pics since it was pretty dark by the time we rode, but definitely will next time.

26/08/2020

My friend and I took Maeve on a trail walk yesterday! It was her first time getting saddled off property and she was great! She had a great time on the trails and didn’t hesitate at all going over logs or through bramble. She also carried my hoodie on the way back and wasn’t phased 😅 She’s definitely ready for a trail ride now!

25/08/2020

I have raffle tickets left for both prize packs if anyone’s interested! All proceeds are going towards Teens and Oregon Mustangs. Message me if you’d like to purchase some!

25/08/2020

I left both my mustangs saddled and tied while I got some other stuff done and came back to Maeve being a complete angel while my other one had broken free 😂 Maeve has been getting all my attention lately so my other one, Rhiannon, has just been getting to hang out in the field most days, which she doesn’t mind a bit! I finally have the time to work with both of them, but Rhiannon needs a bit of a refresher on her tying manners 😅 Good thing Maeve is a great role model.

24/08/2020

Day 79. Had another great ride on Maeve tonight! Walk, trot, and a little bit of canter again. It was her second ride that she actually broke a sweat during! We worked a lot on figure-8s, serpentines, and circles at a trot to work on steering without breaking down and she improved a lot since just yesterday. The barn was also busier today than it normally is, with people and horses coming in and out, but Maeve handled the distractions pretty well!

23/08/2020

Day 78. Here’s a bit of her canter!! She picked it up several times, but here is about the most balanced she was 😅 She was really struggling and unsure about picking it up with me on her, so this was after a lotttt of speedy trotting with me asking and asking, so we ended her with these few good strides. I think it clicked in her mind, though, so we’ll see how today’s ride goes 🥰

23/08/2020

Day 78. I am over the moon! Maeve and I had an amazing ride last night! I honestly haven’t been keeping track of how many times I’ve been on her, and unlike any other horse I’ve started before, Maeve and I have just been doing the smallest little increments of riding to build her up to this point. But last night I feel like was FINALLY our first “real” ride! I was on her about an hour and she did so well! She kept on the rail with no fuss, was relaxed and responsive, and the biggest thing was anytime she was unsure of what I was asking, she kept seeking me for guidance instead of getting anxious and frazzled. We got loads of trotting in and even got a few strides of a canter! We did lots of circles and figure-8s and she was soft and responsive. She never felt squirrelly, either. It was definitely the first time I really had fun riding her and she seemed like she was having fun too ❤️

22/08/2020

FINALLY got some trotting in yesterday and today! No buck or spook!

17/08/2020

From her bath today!

17/08/2020

Haven’t posted in a while but Maeve has been keeping busy! Monday was our first ride in the saddle and she did great! Then the next morning was our first ride off property and she handled that very well too! She actually walked out a lot nicer in the arena than she does in the round pen at home. We kept it just at a walk both times since I was 1) gonna be in a wedding and 2) scheduled to climb Mt. St. Helens, so I couldn’t afford to come off her 😅 But now that those things are out of the way, it’s time to start riding more seriously! I’ve also started riding her in a bosal rather than just the halter and she is sooo soft in it!
She also got her first bath today and was perfect! She even stood ground tied for most of it.

08/08/2020

Day 63. Another little ride on Maeve yesterday! Getting a lot more confident at a walk and getting better at bringing her head down for stopping and backing.

04/08/2020

Day 59. Didn’t get a video tonight but Maeve did great during our little ride! She was walking out a lot more confidently and we had a lot of big sighs and licking and chewing 🎉 I rode her for about 20 minutes just at a walk, with lots of flexing, whoaing, backing, and steering. Super proud of her!

03/08/2020

Day 58. Babyyy steps 🎉

03/08/2020

Yesterday, my other little mustang was doing her best to distract Maeve, but I was impressed Maeve stayed as focused as she did! Before I started filming, Rhiannon (other mustang) was absolutely TEARING around outside the round pen, bucking and rearing and all! Maeve still responded to all her cues!

31/07/2020

Maeve got adjusted today and did amazing for the chiropractor! This was the first time a total stranger handled her this much and she did way better than I was expecting. She enjoyed it, too! The main thing was that her lower back was out, but the rest of her was looking pretty good. Now she’s feeling good all over! We’ve been working pretty light all week up to this so I’m excited to get fully back to work with her 😁

29/07/2020

Day 53. Worked a little on feet again tonight!

29/07/2020

Quick Maeve update since I haven’t posted in a few days!
She has become buddies with my other mustang (well, they tolerate each other at least 😅) and my gelding and got the weekend off due to the hot weather. She didn’t really appreciate that like I thought she would and whinnied whenever she saw me (she’s too smart and likes to stay busy!). So we went back to work last night (once it cooled a bit) and she was great! She also stood tied in the round pen while I worked my other mustang in there and that didn’t phase her a bit.
Unfortunately, we still haven’t had our first official ride yet because her lower back is out. I was suspecting this was the case for a bit now, but last night it was really showing. Chiropractor is scheduled to come Friday to adjust her, though, and hopefully we’ll be good to go then!
Also, confession time 🙈 I hadn’t asked Maeve to pick up her feet since the first week, which was when she really blew up and took days before she was okay with me even just petting her legs again. But then Friday I tried again (and honestly, she’d been ready for me to try again for a while) and she blew me away with how on board with it she was. In a mere 2-3 tries, she learned the cue “foot” and hands me her foot without needing to apply any pressure and let’s me hold onto it until I set it down. She learned this on her front left and the cue immediately translated to her other feet. I’ll be sure to get a video to post of her doing it!

25/07/2020

Day 48. There was a deer a bit in front of us and she was too distracted by that to really care about the teeter totter.

25/07/2020

Day 48. First time over the suspension bridge!

24/07/2020

Day 48. Yesterday we took Maeve to McIver, making it her second outing so far. She was AMAZING!! We did everything in-hand and she nailed it all! I was impressed since really all we’ve done with obstacles at home is the small pedestal I have, tarps, and ground poles. But here she did the balance beam, teeter-totter, suspension bridge, went through pool noodles, did a small water crossing, over logs, and went up on a bigger pedestal. She had little to no hesitation with any of them! The scariest one to her was the pool noodle bridge since I’ve yet to ask her to walk through anything, only over things, but after she went through it she was fine going through again. Even with that one her hesitation really was nothing compared to other horses I’ve brought here! She also loaded up and hauled great, both for coming and going, and she handled seeing all the strange horses in the parking lot really well, too. Videos to come 😁

21/07/2020

Day 45. Asked her to pick me up from the fence for the first time tonight!

21/07/2020

Day 45. Tried asking for her to get on the pedestal from a distance (and while she was wearing a cape!). Didn’t take long for her to figure it out!

21/07/2020

Day 45. 100% expected her to blow up but sometimes this girl surprises me!

21/07/2020

Day 43. Tried asking for her to pick me up while at the arena. She did it (even though there were a bunch of distracting geldings on the other side of the fence 😅)!! I was not about to mount her here (did not feel like dying), but glad to know she was prepared for me to!