Day 28

Last day of summer, so Pilgrim and Magic were loaded up in a trailer and we headed to Houston, Texas for school!  When we made it to houston there was just enough time for our neighbor to meet the new recruits and for Pilgrim to mow the lawn!!!  My brother wasn't to happy about that one :) Pilgrim also meet stinky sewage tank!  It was the first thing that horse has ever been scared of...though I would be too when it smells that bad.  Pilgrim also had three little dogs and a stray(off lead) come up to him barking all around him...I guess he thinks dogs don't exist?  I don't know...it really confuses me how one little horse has the will power to hold his ground when there are 4 dogs barking at him...well I can say Pilgrim will be a good horse for parades!  He has proven his worthiness and I'm really going to miss spending afternoons with him...looks like it's all early mornings and late nights from now on!

Day 27

Today we worked on alot of stuff....bowing, standing still, flying objects, guns,  picking up his feet, laying down, and lunging.  Oh and one time...I was standing on Pilgrim's butt and when somebody texted me!!! Pilgrim didn't seem to mind a bit.  We went for another dip in the lake today too...Pilgrim really likes water.  Oh I almost forgot! I was walking Pilgrim by the dogs and our Border Collie ran out an started barking right beneath Pilgrim!  And I couldn't beleave my eyes, that horse didn't flinch, didn't get scared, it was as if the dog wasn't there!  Some things in this world still confuse me, like a wild mustang, not fazed with a dog near his crotch...something in this world are just mind boggling!

Day 26

Today we had the farrier come out and trim Pilgrim and Magic's feet, they did AMESOME!!! Some of our horses go crazy when we have the farrier come out...but not them, they stand like little angels for our farrier Jason to trim them.  And then afterwards I layed Pilgrim down in front of the farrier, when I saw his eyes get big I knew I had caught his attention.  I was so proud of my little boy!  The farrier said "you got him pretty well broke"  but that's not good enough for me!  He's going to be a super horse by the time I'm done playing with him :) well something like that...later that day we worked a little more on lunging, he'd gotten a little lazy on his loping so we worked on really that and getting the right lead when I did it(he started crossfiring the first couple of times)  He's a good a horse...and I know he'll make a great horse for someone out there :)

Day 25

I went to go get Pilgrim and it started raining again...but by the time we walked back to the house, the rain had ceased.  Pilgrim's doing really well on pivoting today so I tried to get him to speed up a little while doing it.  Then I saddled him up and work with pulling stuff.  He didn't care about it at all...even when the log was underneath him! I was pretty impressed with his willingness :)

Day 24

There was rain in Texas! So I didn't get to do much with Pilgrim...but that's okay.  He deserved a day off.  But when I went to go check on him, I whistled and he came right to me.  I was so proud of him :)

Day 23

Today we worked with blanks.  At first I started outside the pen, wear he could get used to the sound.  He didn't even flinch so I got a little closer, and closer.  To the point were he let me shoot the blanks near him no problem.  I was really impressed with how he handled the blanks noises.

Day 22

Today Pilgrim and I got some help from Diane Sanford.  Diane Sanford is a horse judge that came out and gave us some pointers on how to show our horses. We tried on a new kind of halter, trotted through cones, learned the quarter system on where to stand when your horse is being judged, worked on squaring up the horse, backed up through a complicated shoot, and Mrs. Sanford even taught me how to teach Pilgrim how to sidestep.  Pilgrim's coming along really nicely, though I think he was a little tired and cranky from the long day he had yesterday at the Ranch Horse Clinic.

This is Jennifer and her mustang makeover horse Magic getting help from Mrs. Diane Sanford...that horse did really well for Jennifer today.  And Jennifer was really proud of his performance too!


The mustangs are both coming along very nicely! I think even Diane Sanford was impressed with how broke our two little mustangs were! Her help sure gave us a boost on our training.  I had know idea how to show a horse, or what to wear while doing it.  For two tired horses, I think they are putting out a great name for America's wild horses.

Day 21

Today marks one month with  Pilgrim! We went to a ranch horse clinic and Pilgrim did great! I layed him down and petted him for a long time.  I also stood on his but and flipped the lead line over his head a dozen times.  I think all the cowboys were impressed, our pastor said if he stood on his mare like I did with Pilgrim, she's buck him off.  And then during the prayer...my sisters horse Magic...well he layed down and took a nap...then the preacher said after the sermon...well I've never put a horse to sleep during a sermon before!  Later Pilgrim also layed down and took a nap...they were pretty worn out.  But they were pretty impressed with our little mustangs.

Day 20



Sorry the picture is so dark! The camera was having a lot of trouble, it's actually like 4pm in the picture.  But there were huge clouds overhead so it kind of overshadowed my pictures.  Pilgrim is the brown horse following my horse Rascal.  We were in the lake a long time before the camera came to take pics.  And then when the camera got there...Pilgrim would get into the water! He wouldn't even follow Rascal like he'd been doing all afternoon! It was so funny! I guess he just doesn't like his picture to be take...even though we have hundred of picture of him at this point!

Pilgrim did much better with the electric shaver too! He let me shave all of the wiskers around his eyes.  Though he's taking the idea of the razor slowly, he trusts me enough to put a sharp vibrating thing on his face! He did so well with picking up his feet too! It overall was a great day for him! So as a reward for such good behavior, I let him out of the pen.  Tonight he's eating grass on 800 acres with his newfound friend Rascal(pictured above) and his buddy Magic.



Day 19



Finally got a picture of me standing on Pilgrim!  He's doing wonderful! For the horse that used to ignore my presence, he sure has come along way.  Now the second I go near him, he stops what he's doing and walks over to me.

We had a lot of fun with jumping the log today.  He really is a people pleaser when he puts his mind to something!  He's been wonderfull with everything I've tried with him.

My sister sat on Pilgrim and we got some really cute shots of her.  He's growing on me and my sister's a lot more than I planned on getting attached to.  He's a good horse, with a very proud trainer!  Can't wait to show my friends in Houston how great of a horse he is in a week!

Day 18

Pilgrim had an easy day today.  We worked on lunging and his feet this morning and then I let him loose for the first time since we got him.  And guess what he did? NOTHING! He could've ran around 800 acres playing and swimming with his buddy! But instead the two horses, Pilgrim and Magic followed my sister and I around for a long time! When I went back to check on them, them were standing by the water, sleeping. This was also the first day I stood on his butt! He didn't seem to mind very much.  I sure wish I got a picture of it though...

Day 17

Today we went to the church again.  Little Destiny(7yr old girl) and her little sister wouldn't stop talking about Pilgrim.  So we went outside and i got Pilgrim to lay down for them in front of a crowd of people.  I think everyone was pretty impressed with him.  I think they liked it when I sat on his back too!  No pictures...but the church is having us show our mustangs at a Ranch Horse Clinic this sunday so that should be fun!

Day 16



Pilgrim meet the electric vibrating razor! He didn't care for it very much, but he calmed down after a little while.

Pilgrim layed down for me again.  He's doing a lot better!  Earlier in the day he let me lay him down without a saddle.

My little sister Kathryn wanted to sit on him, he didn't seem to mind very much.

Even my little sister Virginia wasn't afraid to sit on Pilgrim's back! He's doing great! I never thought my mustang would be this fun to train!

Day 15



While I was touring A&M this morning my siblings tied up Pilgrim to teach him how to stand still.  That and try to get trucks to honk at them as they stood by the front gate :)

When I got back, I saddled him up and worked on bowing.  Once he went to a bow we went a little further today...he layed all the way down for me! And didn't get up untill I qued him to.

Day 14

No pic's of Pilgrim but here's my sister's makeover horse Magic bowing for her! That horse will do anything for that little girl.  I have some tough competition.  Even though I don't have a picture of him doing it today, I got Pilgrim to lay down for me! He did wonderful! That and he turns 8 steps each direction on his hindquarters now! I'm so proud of my little Pilgrim!

Day 13

Pilgrim really enjoyed the water! We had a blast awimming in it!

Pilgrim doesn't mind me sitting on him, so I climbed aboard!

Pilgrim is learning how to bow! His first day bowing and it's looking pretty good!

So this moring we took Pilgrim and Magic to a Texas Youth Ranch Rodeo Competition! They were a big hit among the younger kids and sure enjoye d me sitting on his back.  One younger girl rode up to me and said " usually horses that young aren't that halter broke, i saw you sit on him, that was cool!" and everybody wanted to pet him! He put a good name out for the mustangs that's for sure!

Day 12

Pilgrim is an amazing jumper! At first i thought he would just climb over this huge log...as you can I was way off.

This is the highest point on the fallen tree, he had to get a running start to get over it.  But when he did...he cleared the jump, no problem.

Pilgrim's doing fantastic! He even let me sit on him! I'm so proud of how well he's coming along.

Day 11

Pilgrim and myself, posing for the camera.

Pilgrim really likes the water, so we practiced lunging through it!

Pilgrim doesn't seem to mind the four-wheeler's very much so I had him loping beside the four-wheeler with me.

What is this horse afraid of?  He walked right through the tarp, even pushed the tarp with his nose a little!

My little sister and her mustang makeover horse Magic! She's teaching how to ground tie!

Pilgrim and I went for a little jog today, he's doing much better at staying by my side as we trot & lope.

Day 10

Today Pilgrim did wonderful! He loped in both directions around me very smoothly! I was so proud of him! Later when we went to Church I took Pilgrim and my sis took Magic with her.  A little girl named Destiney really liked him! She walked him around the arena for a long time and he did great!  Also in the arena, Pilgrim and I practiced going over barrels that and Pilgrim learned how to lope side by side with me! He even did a sliding stop! Pilgrim and I had a really good day today!

Day 9

We finally came back to the ranch!  At first I was a little skeptical about catching him because my horse Maverick herded to them other side of the pasture.  But sure enough he let me walk right up to him and stood perfectly still as I put the halter on him.  He even climbed on my dad's big tractor tire for me!  Though he was a little worried about the fourwheeler's he let me lead him back to the house on the fourwheeler.