Maybe it's true... maybe his mother really did eat locoweed while she was in foal with him.

I have been busy working with Echo, my special ed student. He's going to get trained but I just have to educate him in his own special and very slow way. It seems like whenever I start to feel he's hopeless the next day he makes a fool of me by being a good little horse.

Over the weekend, with the help of the product cowboy magic, I untangled his lovely mane with my fingers. It turns out he is very scared of the mane brush touching his mane. I brushed my own hair with it, let him sniff it and touched his nose with it. I did manage to gently brush his chest with it as I held on to his nose band telling him "no" when he tried to bolt. We have had two days of 'mane brush training' and have not made progress. He's still scared to death of it.

A few days ago I flipped the lead rope towards him and when it tapped his chest he leaped and grunted like he had be given an electric shock. I had already been touching him with rope and thought we'd progressed far enough that swinging the rope towards him would be OK.

I decided not to introduce scary thing's like ropes and brushes to his body till he was a bit more at ease with me touching him all over. He's fine when ropes and brushes touch his face. He's learned to hold me off with his nose. When I went around his head to his side I held his nose still to stop him from turning away...so being a bright little spark, he did the same thing to me. When I go to his side he hooks my nose in his nose hole to hold me still and away from his side. So we have a 'nose off'. It's a jolly affair though and it's hard to become mad at him. He's telling me he'd rather just kiss and eat treats. I've held on to his nose band and made him stand still while I put both my hands on him at the same time. One on his withers and one on his chest. I haven't managed to get further back yet because when I move a bit he bolts.

Last night I had to resort to singing him songs again. He really relaxes when I sing to him, so I make up little ditties about a magnificent mustang called Echo. Funny thing, Wildairo loves baby talk and really responds.

Speaking of Wildairo; he's so happy that the grass started to grow after the rains. It's the first time he has grazed on fresh green grass for years and he doesn't want to come in very often. I noticed he's not even cleaning all his hay up although he does manage to eat his oats.

It's good to see a horse out in the pasture again.


He doesn't get too far from the corrals. I watch him with the binoculars and I see his head shoot up after every few bites to have a quick look round for the BLM or farriers.

We are getting things ready for Echo in the little horse barn and corrals. We'll have to haul him over there because the idea of leading him over there is a ways off. It's a nice little wooden building. Brad thinks it was built in the 1930's or 40's. He thinks it's very inconvenient and would prefer a modern metal one. I think the wood makes it very cozy and homey. We have to re-roof it and paint it one day soon. I really hope Echo will go inside it.

Another ladies man.

Echo is not the only guy on farm who likes the ladies. I saw this fellow the other morning on the ridge overlooking our house.


He has girls..lots of girls.


Even more from his harem catching up in the meadow.


The message below is to Daisy and Molly from our cat Tommy Two Tone;

Echo gets a new girlfriend.

Sunday was Brad's birthday and his mother, Claudine, his sister Jadine, bro-in-law Dan and their dog children, Molly and Daisy, came over for a visit. Tommy Two Tone was kind enough to entertain Molly and Daisy by letting them chase him around the house. T2T can really run fast. Really fast.

Molly entertained us by showing how clever she was at helping herself to pizza from the kitchen counter. Keep in mind our house is animal friendly..in other words, there's nothing a dog or cat can do that hasn't been done before here. Our dogs, Bobby and Montie, took their guests for a spot of rabbit chasing. They even flushed out and gave chase to a Jack rabbit. It's only the second one I have seen in 25 years. There use to be thousands of them around here. So a fun time was had by all the pets.

I was pleased that Echo and Wildairo didn't go berserk like they normally do when they see people. It was Bran Muffin Sunday, so Wildairo got his Muffin. When I opened the gate for him to go out and play he wanted to stick around hoping to get another muffin.

Echo was a bit of a flirt. It turns out he really likes girls. I'm guessing that all the BLM people that worked him over were males. Echo was a bit shy at first.


Really shy.


My camera battery's went dead here. But Brad took this picture with his cell phone.


What Echo really wanted was a kiss and he got many.

He really likes girls because they smell nice, have soft voices and their hair comes in entertaining colors and styles.

Echo didn't seem to mind new people at all. Wildairo did very well too. (Brad told me when he was moving hay about he was wearing chaps like the farrier wears and Wildairo went nuts).

Monday I had a really successful day with the horses. Wildairo kept showing up with big weeds in his mane. He must have found a weedy spot to roll in. I had to hold his halter to untangle them and he leaped up the first time. Both front feet off the ground. I never let go and gave his halter a jerk and yelled "NO". He looked at me and calmed right down. It was like he said, (Cockney accent here) "Alright then. 'ow about a quick kiss"? He's such a big dope with me. He'll have an all out fight with the farrier but will let little short me boss him about.

Echo really has turned the corner. Wow! When I can get my lips unglued from his face long enough we really make progress. He wasn't letting me anywhere near his left side before. Monday I stopped that nonsense. Every time I tried to go to his left side he'd turn away to protect it, because every one knows that's the yummy side of the horse..lol. I just held his nose and wouldn't let him turn. It's easy now he's no longer the explosive Echo. I can stand by both sides now and touch his back! I can only reach so far back though because the latest little Echo rule is that I have to have one hand on his halter. I can't use a rope. Hand only on halter while touching his back. Oh, and only one hand at a time can touch his back. Also he has a rule that prohibits me from touching his freeze brand. I'll let him keep those rules in place a few days then I'll pop a apple chunk in his mouth and send those rules off to the same place his wild horse card went.

More training.

Echo and I have made huge progress as far as catching him goes. Even on his worst days I can get him to face me then allow me to approach and clip his lead rope on. We have such a long way to go though. To get him ready for halter breaking I am working at getting him use to having a rope dangled about his head. (I put his breakaway halter on in the chute weeks ago). I have to go slow because he was very flighty and not to long ago my hair blowing would make him bolt.

He's not on the lead rope in these cell phone pictures. I had to rub the rope on my face and sniff it before he believed it wasn't a snake.





Echo is not head shy but is very frightened of anything touching his body. When the rope gently touched his body he was very nervous and ready to bolt. This is something we have to work on.


We are moving the cattle about to different areas to graze before they are put in the feedlot area for winter feeding. Dandylyons follows us then the other all tag along as well.


Wildairo may loose access to the pasture because I'm afraid he'll chase the cattle through a fence.

The Horse Shouter.

Monday I had a bit of a step back with Echo, but it turned out more than OK.

I didn't work with him for two days because it was so cold and when I walked into his corral on Monday the old Echo was back. I saw that wild look in his eyes right away and I think the high headed snorting may have given it away as well. I reached for him and as soon as my hand touched one of his whiskers, which were on high alert, he bolted. I was mad! Very mad. I decided I'd had enough of it and was going to put a stop to his shenanigans once and for all. So I did.

It took a lot shouting, but it wasn't random shouting because I had a cunning plan. I kept approaching him. (Keep in mind it's dark and the corral is full of thick dust that he's kicking up). Soon as he started to turn his head, I said, "No". Then he turned his full body sideways to me, I yelled, "NO"! When I was faced with his tail end... I attacked. I was stoked. I was mad. I was pissed off. I threw my arms both up and went' PSST' really loud. He'd take off around the corral. And so we continued for awhile. Every time he spun to face me I'd approach again, he'd start to turn away and I'd tell him "no" and reach for him, then he'd turn sideways and I would yell very loud, "NO", then he'd show me his bum and I'd go after him with a loud "PSST". In the dark and dust it was hard to tell how close I was to him and I'm glad he's not a kicker because I was in the danger zone more than once. Well, this went on for awhile till he got pretty scared and ended up begging to be kissy friends again. I knew he was mine when he lowered his head and covered me with warm horse breath when I approached. I didn't touch his halter but gave him a little kiss on his eyelid and walked away. When I was sure he wasn't going to bolt I took his halter and moved him about. I let him go and repeated it a few times. If he started to look away I told him 'no' and he face me and let me touch him. I was every so pleased and boy was it exciting.

When I went in his corral Tuesday he leaped away and I threw my arms up and went 'PSST" really loud. To my amazement he turned around quick and came to me. WOW! I didn't quiet expect him to learn that quick. He's awesome.

Today, Wednesday, I walked into the corral and went right up to him. I had Brad approach him in the corral and he stood still because he knows the meaning of 'no' now. He let Brad touch him and after awhile wanted to interact with Brad by fiddling with his jacket.

I can touch his right side but he's very nervous about his left side. I ran my hand down his right leg to his hoof. He was pretty scared but he stood there. I didn't even try his left leg because he's still a bit touchy on the left side of his face. He's a lovely horse. Very intelligent and sweet. Sometimes you just have to forget about whispering and shout at them I guess.

Echo becomes the Leading Man.

During our leading lesson something must have clicked in Echo's little horse brain. Maybe it was that he finally understands what his job is. All along I think he was worried he was dinner. He also doesn't like to scare himself and always seems to learn from his mistakes. He was letting his breath out in big sighs and really relaxing.

Wildairo, who came in from the pasture to watch the whole thing, called him a Dope on a rope!


During Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays lessons he was following behind me like a little pack pony. We were working in the little pen where he feels safe. He was so responsive that I was glowing and thinking I've never handled a horse like him. Then we tried leading in the big corral and he was a real sweetie, following behind as we walked around and around. This was because we were training by moonlight and he's much calmer at night. I think it's because he is not so horrified of seeing a human right next to him. In the daylight he's a bit different.

Yesterday we had out first daylight training in the big corral since he acted stupid.


After awhile he decided he wasn't so keen about following me about and planted his feet. I have to keep unbalancing him to get a few more strides out of him. I'll have to make things more interesting for him.

He would rather stand there and get kisses.



Brad showed up to feed him and he stood still without acting silly. The bald spot on the side of Echo's face is where he sticks his head under the fence to eat spilled hay.


Echo's not tied. I just put the rope through the fence.


Notice he doesn't bite the apple. I've trained him not to bite into anything I'm holding. I break bits of carrot for him and give him chunks of apple that I bite off.



We are working on standing still when I approach him. He starts to take off and I have to tempt him with a apple. Soon as he faces me and my fingers touch his face he considers himself caught now. This is HUGE for Echo.

Dandylyons's search.

Monday the cattle were sorted and the calves sold. In the ruckus Dandylyons, uncharacteristically made a break for it. Brad let her go. I knew who she was looking for and it was heart wrenching. She doesn't understand. She went to all his favorite places.





She thought she wait here at the bottom of the bluff.


Bobby thought she'd wait as well because she doesn't understand either.


Dandylyons didn't like the idea of hanging out with a dog and let Bobby know.


Bobby thought it could be a good game but Dandylyons wasn't in the mood to play.


Although I raised Dandylyons from birth, she doesn't eat treats but loves back rubs. I gave her some water and a back rub.


Brad took our picture under Foxsun's apple tree. I love Dandylyons and she knows it.


On a brighter note; we kept this lovely heifer calf called Sparkle.


And Wildairo is a handsome devil!


But the big news is Echo has decided to turn in his WILD HORSE CARD!

Dandylyons saved the day.

Sunday it was very windy here which made the dust blow. Leaves and small branches blew off the trees and made a mess.

Here's Dandylyons all by herself.


As I took the above picture, Tommy Two Tone ran outside and started chasing leaves and things as they blew across the lawn.


He was very difficult to catch. Soon as I'd bend down to pick him up he'd scoot off. Bobby had to help me catch him by working him towards me through the shrubbery.

We had to bring the cattle in because the calves were to be sold on Monday.


I rode herd in the jeep. A steer made a break for it and I headed him off but as I spun the jeep around the blowing dirt came in one window and out the other. The jeep was just full of dirty dirt. Dandylyons started to wander towards the horse pasture and I think she was looking for Foxsun. I drove up to her and pointed towards the corrals and told her, "Go on Dandylyons" and she turned and went into the corrals. The herd, who had been stampeding around in every direction in the dust storm, followed her. Thank goodness for Dandylyons.