Artista and I at our first 2 day shoot! We came in 2nd with some stiff competition!

Arty does it again!

Last Saturday Artista carried me to our second Ladies Level 1 win in Cowboy Mounted Shooting! We are now halfway to being a level 2 team! Next on our plate is the Louisiana State Championships! Wish us luck!

EMM 2010 Colorado

Robert and I are both doing the Extreme Team Mustang Makeover in Colorado. Keep track of our progress HERE

Snow in Texas!

Arty and Madeleine playing in the Snow!

We won!

Artista and I won our first L1 match on Saturday!  Hooray!  Unfortunately we forgot the cameras so I don't have much to share.  Stay tuned for more though!

Arty Shoots

November 2009 update

As many of you know, Artista is now in Texas! Last month some good friends of ours from Holland came to visit and Arty got to teach Jessica a little something about single action .45's and horses!

Artista Photo Update

Update

Hello everyone,
It has been a very long time since I've updated the blog. We spent two months this winter in Holland and just got back in time for the Holidays. The trip was excellent and to hear more about it check out our new website www.westernclinics.com
Anyway, Artista got 2 months off in green pastures while we were gone (his job was to make sure the two colts stayed in line) and when we got back it took me about an hour to catch him! The first day after I caught him and worked with him I was pretty worried about how much he had regressed. However when I tacked him up and rode him it was like he had hardly had a day off.
Now he is back to coming right up to me in the pasture as friendly as can be.
Madi started a new blog site dedicated to Mustangs so go and check it out and share some pictures and stories with her. The url is www.ourlandourhorses.blogspot.com
Talk more later
Robert

Hilarious Mustang movie

Why the American Wild Mustang is still better than a Ford.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPnVlIaFx-4

Mustang Makeover 2008 results!!

Hello all,
Sorry that I've kept you all in suspense the last week. I just got home from Texas and the event was a huge success! The pictures above are of the Horse Course and of the First place winner Mark Lyon.
Our first day was the in-hand portion of the event and we came in 9th place! (we even beat Martin Black :) We also scored almost perfect in the body conditioning! We only missed 2 points for several small nicks from the long trailer ride. So THANK YOU RBO Gold!! Also thank you Dan Chapman for making sure that Arty was always in tip-top health. On Saturday we competed in our under-saddle "horse course" and did great. For the course we were required to trot in, stop, and then lope two circles left, lead change, and two circles right. Arty was doing great until the right lead lope and due to my horrible nerves we ended up loping two circles to the right while on the left lead. oops! Next we had to lope into a chute (which he did great! most of the other horses spooked and had to trot or walk in), back through an L, go through a rope gate, cross a bridge, and jump a small cavaletti. The rest of our course was flawless and I couldn't have asked for more. We didn't hit a single pole, and he couldn't have cared less about the screaming crowds. For our 2 minute freestyle I loped him out of the course area and he gave me a nice sliding stop, did a few turn-arounds, and then marched back up on top of the bridge where he stood still and let me sit backwards and stand up in the saddle cracking a bull whip and shooting off guns. Then in the last 30 seconds we completed an imaginary mounted shooting pattern (we weren't allowed any props that couldn't be carried in on the saddle). The crowd loved it and we had a total blast! We ended up placing 16th overall and against some very tough competition! I encourage you all to keep your eyes on www.extrememustangmakeover.com to see when it will run on RFD (it isn't posted yet) and see the great jobs that the top 10 did with their horses.
The next day we prepped Arty for the sale. As we were getting ready, the trainers who went before us started trickling back in. Up until this point, we had just assumed that the horses would go for quite a bit of money and that it wouldn't be an option to buy Arty back ourselves. However, these trainers told us that the horses were selling for next to nothing due to the poor horse market (and probably the fact that it was located in Texas) and most of them were able to buy their horses back for under $1,000! We immediately ran to the BLM office and got our bidder number. The horse that went through the ring before Art sold for under $500 (while doing slide stops and turn arounds!) and so we were very hopeful that we could buy him for our budget of under $2,000. I rode him into the sale arena on a loose rein at a walk and didn't show him off in the slightest. And of course, the bidding started going crazy! Before I could even think to raise my hand the bidding was at $1500! I put in my first bid at $1600 and the MHF founder Patti Colbert stopped the bidding and sold him to me quickly before it could go any higher (thanks Patti!)
So now Arty is having a nice little vacation out in an irrigated pasture making sure our 2 year olds mind their manners. Madi will ride him at our next Cowboy Mounted Shooting match in Ladies Division 1. He is truly a wonderful addition to our barn and we feel so lucky to have him back with us.
We have also been given some great opportunities to help others adopt a mustang as well, so if you are interested in bringing home your own Mustang let us know and we can help you out.

Arty and I doing an exhibition in ceres ca for a CMSA (cowboy mounted shooting match)

Arty

Here is a picture of Arty taken by MHF or BLM before the competition ever even started. What a transformation!

Pictures from the Trail Obstacle Clinic

Hello all,
I know that it has been a long time since I've posted, but we've been so busy getting ready for Texas, etc. We've been working quite a bit on the requirements for the in-hand and riding course at the competition as well as turn arounds, side passing, backing, loping off from the walk, speed control at the lope, simple changes (we nixed the flying changes- too much too soon), neck reining, and guiding. Arty has been doing very well and I am very proud of the progress that we've made together. We are leaving for Texas the day after tomorrow (thursday) so we will see you all there!
Below are some pictures from our Trail Obstacle clinic on Saturday. For a full run of pics check back later on our website www.extremetrailhorse.com and click on Extreme Trail horse Pictures.

Extreme Mustang Makeover 08 trail obstacle clinic and gun acclimation!

Hello everyone. Artista and I will be conducting a Trail Obstacle clinic on saturday the 6th of sept.Starts at 8:30am but be here by 8am.The cost is $100 per horse and rider and proceeds will go to helping artista and I get to Texas for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, as it is 4400 miles round trip.
On the following day we will also be conducting a gun acclimation clinic to safely and effectively get your horses introduced to guns and gunfire as well as talk about gun safety around your horse.
There will be an additional cost of $50 for those that paid the initial $100 for saturday. If you are only interested in the gun acclimation then the cost for the single day on the 7th of sept will be $75.

Please RSVP ($25 deposit)as there is limited space.
This is another way you too can help artista and I to get to Texas.
Thanks For your support.

Trailer Trouble

On our way home from Dunnigan on Sunday our Trailer came up with a very flat tire. We were able to safely pull over in Williams and a wonderful mechanic from Colusa saved the day by coming out on a Sunday evening to fix it.
The event solidified a sneaking suspicion that we have had for some time now... our trailer is not in good enough shape to make the drive to Texas. If anyone has a horse trailer that you wouldn't mind lending out (or trading us) from September 10-25 let us know! We would prefer one with living quarters so that we could save on some hotel costs, but let us know what you have.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting,Gymkana, and the Extreme Trail course at the Runnin I ranch

Hey everyone,
We've been super busy the last few weeks so my posts have been pretty sparse. The weekend before last we took Artista to a Gymkhana held by Happy Trails Horse Club at the Redding Rodeo Grounds to get used to all the action. It went really well and by the end of the evening Arty was thoroughly introduced to running children, galloping horses, loud speakers, etc.
This weekend we took him to another Gymkhana held by the Desperado's Horse club in Orland. We won a couple of thirds and a fourth place ribbon. Arty was a big hit and has decided that he loves little girls. The following day we trailered down to Dunnigan CA to the Running I ranch for a California Range Riders Cowboy Mounted Shooting practice. Artista did great and I couldn't have asked for more. After the practice Arty and I gave a demonstration and everyone had a chance to come up and pet on him (which Art loved of course). The Running I has an awesome extreme trail course and so I also used the opportunity to introduce Art to some of the obstacles, including the teetering bridge.

Chico News and Review

Chico News and Review . http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=699963 is a link to the story.

It is really important that everyone take it upon themselves to act on behalf of the Mustangs. please go to http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org/join.php to donate directly to the Mustang Heritage foundation. Please do your part! If you make a donation please let me know and I would love to put a shout out up on the blog.

RBO Gold

Hey everyone,
I want you all to take a minute to check out the transformation in Artista's coat and body condition. The first picture was taken within the first few days and this last picture was taken yesterday (scroll down and check out what he looked like in the first few posts and then in the most recent posts). Artista has been receiving RBO Gold Rice Bran Oil for horses for the last 4 weeks (we couldn't get him to eat grain for the first week :) and already you can see a huge difference. We first noticed it when a few bald spots from the range started growing back in. The new hair that was coming in was almost a different color than the old hair. It was deeper hued, shinier, and overall healthier. Now his whole body is shiny, soft, and looks great. When we first got him he was also hollow through the belly and hip areas (he had been in the care of BLM and getting regular feed since October, so it wasn't lack of hay), which you can see a little better in the first couple blog posts at the bottom of the page, and now his body has transformed amazingly in just this short time.
I really believe that this is an amazing product! I couldn't be more pleased with the results I see, plus my horse is not hot and it is extremely affordable!
If you are interested in trying out a bottle for yourself go check out www.rbogold.com or call me at 530-356-6073
The best part is this company is local (Arbuckle) and by using their product you are supporting a small local business as well as helping to boost our local economy instead of sending your money out to some huge corporation where the money disappears altogether.

Artista follows me wherever i go. He knows my voice and rather stay next to me than a horse!

Extreme Mustang Makeover 08 Day 2 at Growneys

Hey guys, check out the new noseband! Kit from Reynolds Ranch and Supply gave us a great deal on it. She has been a great help and supporter to Artista and I, please stop by and let her know how much we appreciate her!

Hi everyone.This horse is a little bad ass! I love this guy!