Least Resistance Training Concepts Project Activity Album Salt Lake City's Activities OLYMPIC WILD HORSE & BURRO PROJECT Part Twenty

Sharron Evans' report for 12-22-01 It's about time for us to have a work day that helps us remember why we horse lovers here in Utah haven't already loaded up our trailers and headed out to live in Florida and California with y'all! Saturday was a beautiful sunny day on about a foot of crunchy snow where we met to work with all the Oly boys and girls. Present were Janet, Cliff, Nancy, Leilani, Sharron and Russ. I started off on a long luvin' session with my favorite girls, Rosie, Fancy and oh-so-preggars Belle. I was quickly smashed into a furry burro sandwich by Rosie and Fancy and good grooming was had all-around. Then I spent a long time with sweet Belle, trying to ease her stretched-out tummy and get all her other scratches. She hummed and leaned all of her now considerable weight on me, we had a delightful mother-to-mother commiseration session. Meanwhile, Leilani fetched Frosty, Nancy got a steadily improving Mo and Russ spent a couple of hours working with Jack. Janet and Cliff were our official clinicians on this workday, patiently (as always) teaching us beginners on the details of working with hooves, on knowing each horse's individual progress and guiding us in learning how to help them move forward. They are really great teachers and communicators, we have all learned so much from them. One of the things we are working with the horses on is blanketing. Our sessions with each horse consist of deep grooming and hoof picking, then reviewing most of their basic skills they have learned: leading over a course, backing, yeilding, horn-honking!, etc. Then depending on the horse's level of progress we might start on something new or reinforce something that they might not be completely comfortable with. The BLM has asked us to have the horses blanketable, and this is a good idea for a couple of reasons. Although we would not blanket horses normally as it impedes their own ability to grow the warmest coat possible, where they will be during the Olympics is probably at 10,000 ft. altitude and subject to extreme and sudden conditions. Also, most horses in cold climates are blanketed during trailering to combat possible stress-sweating/chilling cycle. We want to be sure we have prepared our Olympic horses for their future owners possible desire to blanket so their first experiences will be positive. Additionally, it helps keep the horses in the 'learning mode' so they each always have things to learn in sessions to keep them interested and teachable.

Sharron with Spirit Russ and Jack Nancy and Mo Leilani and Gator

All 9 of our boys have now worn some level of blanket and are calm with it, some only the saddle blanket and some the full winter-weight and size blanket. They've been taught slowly and calmly, and I've been surprised at how well they are all doing with it. Jack has been the last to come around, having many trust issues, but he is starting to do well and learning to like the attention, and with Russ' and Cliff's patient work with him, he was being lead with the saddle blanket and being very relaxed. We continued to work with all of the rest of the horses, what can I say? They are all making progress, they are friendly and beautiful, they will make great ambassadors for wild horses and gentle methods.

Sharron's report for New Year's Day, 2002 What a fun way to ring in the New Year, almost the whole Utah crew spent the afternoon working with our 12.99 (pending imminent birth of # 13)burros and horses. Janet and Cliff, Nancy and Phil, Russ and Sharron and newest LRTC member our daughter Lorraine, Leilani and her grandson all came out and helped. Leilani worked with Magic and Gator, who we've decided is the official gate-keeper since he's always right there as we go in or out of the corral (pick me, pick me!). He, Frosty and Dusty seem to be the class clowns. (Hmm, one from each original mentor group from CA and UT...) Janet asked us to give special emphasis today on cleaning and checking hooves, and Cliff did trims. Magic and Gator look similar in color, both flashy blacks with varying white trim, but vastly different sizes with giant Magic and his Percheron-type appearance. They are very cute together, the gentle giant and the court jester. Russ spent his afternoon working with Jack and Mo, and they are both beginning to make great progress. Jack seems now willing to extend his trust, and they had a great session today with grooming, all of his hooves cleaned, easy acceptance of the smaller blanket and then finally comfortably wearing the heavy full-sized blanket! His eyes were soft and responsive, it's so great to see trust replace fear in these guys. Mo also had all of his feet worked with and wore the blanket and generally has become people-socialized. Lorraine, who is 16 and an accomplished rider but has never done training with an unridden horse, worked with Dusty and Spirit and had a great day. Now all of the talk here is mustangs doing dressage, eventing, 4-H, etc! Cliff trimmed Spirit's front hooves, both horses put on saddle pads, blankets and carried jackets as the day became warmer. Nancy worked with Moose, who is doing great and will even let her pull the saddle blanket over his head! I worked with Frosty who is always fun and smart to interract with, he loves learning new things. He wore the heavy blanket all cinched up, he leads and lunges in it. He shied when the big blanket was pulled over his neighbor at the grooming station (Gator) but then he smelled and inspected it all over and decided it was okay. We had some visitors drop in to see the celebrities and Janet took them in to meet Yogi who walked right up to socialize (especially since Janet, his 'mother', was there). He's doing really well. BEST PART OF THE DAY: being seriously SQUASHED by 3.99 furry winter donkeys all needing major itches scratched and donkey luvin'. Poor Belle, big as a house, NEEDS to have that baby! Then we haltered up Rosie (also looking suspiciously large in the belly, Spring Baby?) and Fancy and they got deep groomed and their hooves done, they were hilarious with their deep, gravelly brays. Those two are such a pair, impossible to resist. Can anyone out there think of a better way to spend New Year's Day? Happy New Year to all! ... The Utah Crew Continue to Part Twenty One Return to Part Nineteen Meet the SLC Animals! Meet the Knightsen Animals!

The Gang - Working Sharron having a heart to heart with Belle Russ whispering in Jack's ear about that nasty blanket on his back Nancy playing "peek-a-boo" with Moose Everyone catching their horses The burro pile Leilani with Magic

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