22/08/2024
As if this has ever happened
Big Lake Farm EQ
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Horse training based on trust, empathy, and science: A solid foundation for all disciplines.
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Horsemanship lessons, gentled mustangs, c**t starting, problem-solving, goal-smashing.:)
19/08/2024
This gorgeous girl arrived for training yesterday, check out her brand! That is the prettiest happy accident I’ve ever seen in a freezebrand 😂. Prada is a 4yo mustang from Saylor Creek, Idaho. Melissa Davis Tripp she was brilliant for her first day of school 🤩
Pic of Reno’s nice normal brand for comparison
18/08/2024
Afternoon procrastination project…I hung the heart rocks I’ve picked up around the farm outside my tack room. (And some feathers from the crow family I’ve been trying to befriend forever, but I think they’re just training me, and also some mustang tags). This is my office 💜
11/08/2024
Hi friends, here is the link to help the 13 mustangs that were saved from northern MI. This is the worst neglect/abuse case I have ever heard of. Every little bit helps—Cady and Kody have a long road ahead of them getting these poor horses healthy again.
28/07/2024
Having the right tools for the job is so important. Here’s a quick video on finding a rope halter with the right amount of “feel.” You’ll be surprised at what a huge difference this makes in your groundwork!
28/07/2024
08/07/2024
When the hose comes out on a hot day, Willow’s gonna bring you her butt
03/07/2024
Every time
04/06/2024
We had a horse not want to be caught until Cheyenne Comerford took her sunglasses off the other day. So this is how she comes today
03/06/2024
Education vs Gentling 🤔
I look at training our mustangs as a two fold process...the actual gentling part and education part. I find that mustangs can have an education and not actually be gentled. They have be taught skills, but they are still afraid of people (even through they try to "comply").
These are the mustangs that have "skills" such as trailer loading, saddling, they may even take a rider. However, they are jumpy, snorty, spook easily, and they are unpredictable.
When unhandled they had a fear of the unknown with people. After handling, they have a fear of the known. Meaning, they know or they have learned that interacting with people is a negative and scary experience for them.
Our domestic horses grow up believing we exist to feed them. Our mustangs grow us believing we exist to EAT them. Please try to sit with that difference for a moment. They are not the same. We need to gain our mustangs trust and confidence so they KNOW we are partners, leaders, and SAFE to be around 💜
At SMA, we gentle all our mustangs at liberty using a positive reinforcement approach. This way they can honestly tell us when they need more confidence in an area, instead of just complying because they know they are snapped and can't get away. As our mustangs get gentled, we add the education part as they are ready for new experiences.
All horses start with different levels of fear and temperament so that will make a difference in how quickly they progress. However, we consistently develop mustangs that are confident and engaged. Mustangs that want to be with us and are eager to start their training season each day 🥰
I write this in attempt to encourage adopters to look for ways to help their mustangs develop into willing partners too 💖
Here is Lucky 45 days from unhandled 🍀
He LOVES his family! We are LUCKY have him 😉
03/06/2024
I had a great weekend of intensive learning and adventure down at Westfall Horsemanship with Stacy Westfall. I’m always amazed at how my lessons in horsemanship apply to my broader life. This happens all the time in boxing and martial arts, too—it’s not like I turn into a different person in the barn or gym or anywhere. I’ve found I have the same habits, beliefs, strengths, and limitations everywhere. (Hint: These aren’t just physical.)
There’s gold to be found in even the tiniest technical maneuvers. What’s not working? Why? Dig deeper.
🌟 One of my biggest takeaways from this weekend:
You can stay safe, and comfortable. Or you can get better.
11/05/2024
When your bucket list comes to you, it’s really something.
20/04/2024
I took my Queen B down to Stacy Westfall’s for some boot camp and mostly took pics of her foals 😂.
Stacy has been my teacher for 4 years now (that was fast???) and I still have to pinch myself every time I walk into her barn. I am so, so grateful to learn from her.
Well, I will be tomorrow. Today I’m just sore and my brain is mush. Riding with an expert is intense lol
19/04/2024
Last night we got to visit Micah’s 2022 TIP Challenge baby, Maybe (and we did call her Baby Maybe lol). We a big gorgeous monster she has grown into 😍.
We both got back in the truck and said immediately, we should not have sold that horse. 😂
Kathryn Meyer is the most perfect person for her though and she lives the most perfect horsey life. Thank you Kat ❤️❤️❤️
08/04/2024
Words of wisdom from Lovely Assistant Rachel Richard today. She said the horse was telling me this, it was a light hearted moment but I was like OH RIGHT 🙌
08/04/2024
We all have that one friend...
31/03/2024
These 3 love to line up like this 😂
Rowan from Adobe Town, WY
Rayne from Blawn Wash, UT
Apollo from Frisco, UT
They do this and judge me every day 🤨
30/03/2024
A busy day on the farm…
Katie Beth Chrismer and her mustang hauled in for a lesson, Katie started this mare herself and has done a great job!
Sasha and Apollo (remember Brother?? That’s him!) laid down an awesome video for the American Competitive Mustang Club 🥰
Holly Blais hauled her spicy girl in for some groundwork help and made great progress 💪
We got a gorgeous newbie in for training and she settled in like she owns the place 😂
And Rowan and I hauled out for a little adventure…more on that later 😉
26/03/2024
From our Friday group lesson last week 😂
When we worry about where our horses “should” be, or what we as riders should be able to do…we miss all the treasures in the current moment, AND deny the progress we’ve already made.
(And…When I catch myself Should-ing, I also ask myself, have I *really* put in the work to get us there?)
16/03/2024
New girl in for training, Skye. She is not a mustang but is unhandled and very No-Touchy. Settling in quietly 🥰
14/03/2024
New guy Mylo is here for college. So is his handsome mirror friend 🥺
13/03/2024
Oh no 😂😂
13/03/2024
First trim for this (formerly!) wild one, Ember. She’ll be ready to start under saddle soon but I don’t even think about putting weight on their back until their feet are balanced up, and I don’t do that until they’re comfy standing like this for it. Good job, Ember 💕😍
25/02/2024
Sunshine naps with a guardian 🥰☀️
13/02/2024
A quick visit from my bff Amy Williams, who got me into horses at age…8? Amy, I blame you for *gestures everywhere*
Besties get the big horse 🤣
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Videos
Having the right tools for the job is so important. Here’s a quick video on finding a rope halter with the right amount of “feel.” You’ll be surprised at what a huge difference this makes in your groundwork!
When the hose comes out on a hot day, Willow’s gonna bring you her butt
Lovely Assistant Rachel cruising around on her mustang mare, Luna. 🤩 Rachel spent the winter learning how to start horses with me, so she could start Luna herself. Horse training through the winter in MI is no joke, but Rachel’s commitment never wavered. She ALWAYS showed up and put the time in (and helped me stay motivated when my toes were frozen too 🤣), and now she’s enjoying the results of her hard work, developing Luna into a solid citizen. I’m so proud of these two ❤️
I’m having trouble posting updates but, our runs went great this morning, we had a lot of fun, we saw some beautiful scenery, AND Gus got adopted, which was the whole point of all of this! Micah got 2nd in our race (they actually recorded us as tied for 2nd, but I don’t know why—I have a pic of her crossing the finish line from waaay behind her 🤣🤣) and she was super proud of Gus being awesome in a totally new situation.
Here we go!
TIs the season, for roans to looks roany again. Their winter woolies are brown and black and the silver waits underneath!
Mr Gus on his daily “old man walk,” as micah calls it 😂. He is only 5, not old, but he has an old soul and will wait at the gate to let us know it’s time for his walk. Gus will be available in a few weeks!
I slept in this morning and turns out I was actually perfectly on time
Happy New Year 🎉
Gus is from Arizona and is not acclimated to MI winters yet, so he gets to wear pajamas. I didn’t mean to order this color but it’s nice if you want to see him from space.
Mr Personality
Pumpkin just left for her new home—I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy and sad at once! Yes it hurts to let them go, but this is why we do it. There are still over 50,000 mustangs in holding facilities. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this little horse’s journey out. Congrats Tracie Warblow and family 💜 I’m so happy for you and Pumpkin!
This is Brother, my guy from the TN TIP challenge last year. He’s still here, and he still does this evvvvvvery morning
This post is old news now, but it’s taken me quite a few weeks to wrap my head around it (and I’m not even sure if I really have yet😂). With the loss of Jedi, I was out of the MI TIP Challenge. Obviously not my biggest concern in the moment but, still disappointing. I’d made a ton of progress with Jedi and was excited to compete with him, especially here in Michigan. I sent a quick message to the competition organizers that morning to let them know I was out and why. Welllllll of my fellow competitors, Joni Adams, had also had to bow out of the competition due to *gestures at all of life* and was looking for a home for her competition draw, a little 3yr old filly. That same day, Joni cleared it with the competition organizers to give me this filly so I could still compete, and even delivered her to me the next morning. It was a lot to process in 24 hours 😬😂 So, here is Pumpkin! Her first time in the indoor arena, meeting the horse in the mirror, lol! We have been working double-time to catch up and she LOVES it. I’ll post more about our progress but she is really thriving. I’m super grateful that I still get to go the tip challenge, and happy to help another mustang find a home. Pumpkin will be available in August. 😊
Absolutely gutted to share that Jedi had to be euthanized this morning. I went out early to take pictures for our 30 day progress report for the TIP Challenge and found him unable to walk. We are not sure why yet, assuming freak accident, but his body is on its way to msu for testing. I worked with him late last night and he was completely perfect and awesome. To say I’m crushed would be an understatement—this horse has had a remarkable impact on me in a short time. I’m so thankful for the time I did have with him. Jedi was completely wild one month ago and now feels like a friend. Even when he was completely helpless this morning he still tried to follow me, and showed no defensiveness at all towards me or the vet as we tried to help him. This horse was 100% heart. My phone is full of videos of him walking up to me like this to say hi or following me around and I’m grateful for that. Miss you friend. 💔
Hey friend
Home sweet home. They probably don’t need the teeter totter in there just yet haha
Here we gooooo
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