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MUSTANG VERSATILITY
by Dana Lovell
Dana Lovell riding Raven, previously known as neck tag #1649
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I first met tag #1649 April 2014. A large, dark, whirlwind came loping down the alley and into the chute at the Burns Wild Horse Corrals. 1649 was my draw for the 2014 Extreme Mustang Makeover. He was captured in the Sand Springs, Barron Valley, OR HMA as a two year old in 2011. Makeover trainers have 100 days to tame, train and then compete on a previously "untouched" mustang.
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#1649 waiting in the chute to be loaded onto Dana's trailer at Burns Wild Horse Corrals in Oregon.
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I was instantly in love, exclaiming how "sexy" he was. I reminded myself that the point of this competition was to train these horses so they were adoptable and could go on to find their forever home. I named my Mustang Raven in honor of my mother who passed when I was 15. She was my biggest supporter when it came to my horse passion and riding. I was home schooled and my mother and I would visit a lake to take walks. She would talk to the ravens, "caw caw cawing" at them, and they would call back. At the time I was incredibly embarrassed, now it is a fond memory . |
Raven and I had our ups and downs. Infection in a wound put us more than a month "behind" and then we scrambled to "catch up". Raven and I spent hours upon hours together. As I taught him, he taught me more. Working with him was a bit like training a mule. His level of self-preservation was very high, just like a mule. Things had to be clear, make sense, and most the time I had to make it his idea. "Why do I want to walk over that tarp when there is all that perfectly solid ground around it". I was a better horsewoman and person because of the experiences I had with that Mustang. He taught me to slow down, think outside the box and really appreciate each accomplishment. I learned a new meaning of progress. |
Dana and Raven winning the 2014 Extreme Mustang Makeover Reining Freestyle
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Dana and Raven competing in a Reining Freestyle
The competition went as well as expected and then it was time for the auction. All the competing horses are auctioned off at the end of the competition. Trainers may also bid to keep their Mustangs, but my husband made it clear that wasn't happening. We had six horses and didn’t need another. My heart was heavy and my stomach in knots. I had a witty, informative speech planned but when the mic was handed to me I choked back tears and mumbled something about Raven being "a good horse". He was sold for $2,200.00, one of the high selling horses that day. I felt that a piece of my soul was driving away in the unfamiliar trailer.
Our goal is to share with the public that a Mustang can be an athletic, all around mount. I hope to change a bit of the stigma that the "range rats" have. The bond my Mustang and I share is unlike any I have had with another horse. I look forward to continuing our showing journey and putting a bright spotlight on what a Mustang a CAN do.
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THE MUSTANG FORTRESS UPDATE
Gretchen Loebel and Jennifer Loebel Knight
In the July Issue of Wild Heart Mustangs™, we had “A Family Affair” adoption of three Bureau of Land Management Mustangs from the Ithaca, NY Adoption held June 17-18, 2016. Gretchen Loebel and Jennifer Loebel Knight, two sisters and their combined families have been gentling and training their three Mustangs: Poppy, Buttercup and George at the "Mustang Fortress" in Massachusetts. Wild Heart Mustangs™ wanted to give you an update on their progress.
Mustang updates: 39 days out of the holding pens: July 28, 2016
Poppy appears to have overcome her fear of saddle pads. She even wore a saddle today (without a girth), Kate put some weight on her, and she learned that she likes to be hosed off.
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