Day 0

This is where I'm going to record what happens as my relationship with Phoenix evolves.

 Who's Phoenix? He's an approximately 9 year old BLM mustang gelding. I don't know a ton about him at this point but I'm learning new things from him and about him every day. Here's what I do know about Phoenix:

 He was 3rd striker and accordingly, his most recent adopter saved him from slaughter. Unfortunately, the man who adopted Phoenix from BLM the last time didn't have time for him and/or couldn't afford him (or the 3 other horses he owned) and Phoenix was abandoned at the boarding stable where he was being kept. The owners of the facility are wonderful people, horse people, and I think they see the potential in this little guy so they've been feeding him and taking care of him for quite a while now in hopes of finding him a new family. They were able to sell the other 3 horses to new homes very quickly but no one seemed to want Phoenix. What I've been told (and seen!) is that given the state of the economy there are a lot of horses in need of homes right now; trained horses, horses with pedigrees that will demand little to no training from new families, perfectly wonderful horses whose current families just need to find them a home for a whole host of reasons. Phoenix has neither training nor pedigree.

 From what I understand, he's just too much work for most people to want to take on. Most people looking to buy a horse want a horse that they can ride and Phoenix isn't even close to ready for that! Most people aren't interested in spending the time and $$ it's going to take to feed and care for an animal that they can't ride until he's gentled. Even the few people who are interested in training up a horse are looking for... well, something else. So, Phoenix has been languishing in a paddock for the past year and more without being handled or worked with. His feet haven't seen a farrier in at least 2 years (they look surprisingly good for not having seen a farrier in so long but they're still in desperate need of attention), getting a halter on him is almost impossible and, he's pretty spooky about everything. He's basically wild.

 Here's where I come in.

 Being an equine enthusiast, (that is to say, I'm the girl -like so many others- who grew up wanting a horse, riding lessons, anything to do with horses, and never grew out of it) I regularly spend time on websites looking to see what horses are available so I can daydream about how awesome it would be to have this one or that one for my own. I haven't actively worked with horses for about 15 years until the past few months. Having a horse, being involved with them just hasn't seemed like it was within my reach so, for all that time I haven't. Recently, I found out about a really great rescue program called Horses of Tir Na Nog here in SoCal. I visited a few times to volunteer (and will continue) and it's phenomenal.

Tir Na Nog is great but it put "the bug" back to work in my mind and I have been looking for an opportunity to play a more active role in handling and training ever since. I want to ride, just like everyone else who's horse crazy, sure. But, right now I'm more interested in learning horses from the ground. I want to learn how to interact effectively and compassionately. I want to learn how to do all the things a trainer would do. If there's one thing that's a part of my life that I truly love, it's working with animals. Working with an animal, having the patience to see it through the rough spots and, eventually, to get to be a part of every little break through (and the big ones too!) is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Doing that sort of "work" is when I feel most at home in my own skin. It's when I'm most content and happiest being me. Developing the trust and respect of an animal is, to me, the best thing in the world. I've done it with all kinds of reptiles, dogs, cats, more reptiles... but I've always wanted to work with horses too. I know I have the patience I'll need (my iguana, for one, is a perfect example. It took me 2 years of patience and work to get him to the point that he didn't try to kill me -literally- every time I opened his cage to feed and clean and another couple of years after that to make him the 6 feet of scaly sweetness he is today). Horses are not however, reptiles with brains the size of a walnut and I'm fully aware of that so until this week, I'd resigned myself to continuing to look for the "right" opportunity to learn from someone, anyone, who could teach me and was willing... and to look at local for sale ads and dream.

 I came across an ad that had been posted on a local website about a week ago describing Phoenix and explaining that his current owners (the owners of the boarding stable) were just looking for a home for him but that they were willing to wait to find him the "right" home. I read the ad, ogled the picture of the cute-as-a-button little brown horse that accompanied it and was instantly enthralled. When I picture myself with a horse of my own, I don't see myself riding a beautiful Friesian, quarter horse, paint,thoroughbred or anything other than a mustang. I've always wanted a mustang. My first and longest regular contact with horses was with a mustang that I leased for a year while I was in the military. For that year I was fortunate enough to spend scads of time on a daily basis with and around a whole herd of mustangs and others kept as riding horses at the stable on the base I was stationed at and the mustangs, by far, were always my favorites. So, I kept going back, sometimes two or three times a day and looking for that same ad for a week to see if it was still up, and every day, it was. I contemplated responding to it but kept telling myself "No way! That will be too much for me, a novice, to handle. I can't afford a horse!" and yet, I still went back and looked again. Finally, 4 days ago, I bucked up the courage and responded to the ad. I explained that I wasn't sure that I was ready to own a horse but would be interested in leasing and working with Phoenix until either I decided to keep him for myself or a good home was found and asked if his owners would be interested in that sort of a deal.

 Then, I waited.

 The next day I received a reply from Phoenix's wonderful friend and current owner, Debi. Debi and her husband asked if I'd like to come out and Phoenix and so, that afternoon I went to meet all three of them. And that's where the story really begins.

 3 days ago, I agreed to a feed lease of an untrained, absolutely adorable (in personality and looks), wonderful little horse named Phoenix, met a bunch of new and really great people and began a twice daily trek of 40 miles (That's kind of a big deal for me. I normally only drive to and from work and walk everywhere else I want to go) to get back and forth to the stable.

 I'm getting a lot of help and great advice from other people and fortunately for me there are a LOT of them around the stable. I met a lady yesterday (I think her name is Kay; I'm really, really bad with names) who has trained BLM mustangs and has already taught me quite a bit who works at the stable and has offered to help any time I need some advice/guidance. Debi and her husband (Tom?), until recently bred, trained and showed (I think) arabians and they're helping a lot too. T has been a HUGE help already and I like them both immensely. Another lady, who also boards at the stable (I think her name is Pam) has also been very kind and welcoming and I've met a bunch of other people too.

 So, we'll see what happens! If you've gotten this far, I commend you! I hope you'll come back to visit again and see how Phoenix and I and the rest of the crew are progressing!