The Mustang Competition at the Wisconsin Horse Fest

The competition at the Wisconsin Horse Fair was tough, but I have to say that I was with some really good people. Really top quality horse trainers and everyone was willing to help everyone even though the competitive spirit was there, it wasn’t a hinderance or obsacle to camaraderie. It was a very good group of people who participated in the event.
There was a total of 33 horses and the top 30 were very well done. The whole experience was phenomenal. I ended up thirteenth, which was disappointing for me but was not due to the horse. It was due to the idiot on her back. Making wrong turns costs you points, but Kickstart performed nicely, just as I knew she would, so it was rider error not horse problems or anything she did.
Kickstart got as high of a score as you could on body condition. When I train a horse I train the whole horse, so with 3 months
of hard work her body condition really showed
off all the hard work she had put into the training. In the in-hand trail course we had a little problem because of my bad knee, so we lost some points there, but she did everything she was supposed to do.
In the riding course she picked up good, did her lead changes very smoothly, did her turnarounds well, went over the bridge without hesitation and side passing through the cones she did really well. In the free style she did lead changes, loping, moving her hip and her shoulder, had a tarp on her tail, side passed nicely, two tracking went well. The crowd was reall pleased with her performance, hooting and hollering and clapping., which did not bother her at all. I had been hauling her around the country to different shows, one in Mississippi and one in South Dakota and a few other shows as well so she was used to the crowds and the noise. A few horses had issues with the noise. Some of the trainers were able to prepare their horses for the noise and crowds and some were not, so a few horses had issues with the hollering and clapping in the auditorium.
I was not in the top ten, so at that point we were done except for selling our horses at the auction. That had me pretty blue, as we had developed a pretty close relationship and bonded well. To be honest, when I prepared for the sale I did not ride her through, I let her roll in the mud, I wanted this horse but she was not really in my budget. They handed me the mike to tell about Kickstart and I said ”She kicks, she bites and she ain’t worth a damn, don’t bid on her” Course I had to say it with a hint of a smile cause anyone who had seen the competition and had seen her go new better. People were laughing and clapping. She laid down and rolled 4 times in the process of me trying to down play her ability. She was very comfortable with me and with the environment.
The bidding started and it wasn’t long before it got out of my ability to buy her. I was heartbroken and walked outside of the pen when it was done, quite disappointed to have to part with her, I was pretty close to tears, as I had really bonded with this horse. I was standing there talking to TJ Clibborn, when one of my clients came up with the paperwork in hand and gave me the horse saying “Here’s her paperwork and here’s your horse.” What a blessing that was!
So now Kickstart is on a 30 day sabbatical and when that is done she will be trained for roping, ranch horse versatility and extreme trail, my plan being to make her my signature horse working with her to make her a well rounded horse.
I would like to thank Michelle, my wife and Emma, my daughter, for all their patience and support during this whole process of training and traveling with Kickstart. Addie for all her hard work, grooming and caring for Kickstart at the shows, riding her down and all the extra work she took on during this intense time of training for this event. The Meyers family for all their support and a special thanks to my very good friends TJ Clibborn and Tracy Porter for their support and friendship during the process of training, during the challenge and just for being friends.

Meet Kickstart! My special friend and partner in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. The climax for this partnership is this spring at the Midwest Horse Fair with The Midwest Mustang Makeover Trainer challenge.
Kickstart is a three year old bay mustang with a little white star between her eyes and she comes straight from the high desert in Nevada.
I named her Kickstart and she came by that name honestly. In fact, to name her anything else would have been unthinkable. Due to the unruly, snowy Minnesota weather, I was 2 weeks late picking her up. Another horse training friend of mine, who is also working with a Mustang, was kind enough to pick her up in Southern Illinois and haul her to his training facility in Wisconsin, where she stayed until I was able to shovel out of the snow and cold and get her picked up.
Our first meeting was a true challenge. But having worked in the past with mustangs I expected nothing less. It consisted of her coming at me with teeth bared and ears back. I didn’t surrender my ground, although I wanted to. My heart and stomach were in my throat. We ran her out of the barn and into an open round pen, where my job began.
I was limited on time to work with her and I needed to get her in a trailer and haul her home within a couple of days. We worked together in the round pen for quite a long time, to no avail... as her instincts were kicking in. Hence her name "Kickstart".
I finally had to resort to a hoolahand loop (back in the old cowboy ways), to get her caught. At that point I started working her back and forth, with pressure and release, until she understood what it was I was asking from her. I then asked her to move forward with pressure and release, until I could get a lead rope on her. I had to start working on her confidence in me.
Her whole underside was cake with dried mud, and I knew I had to get her somewhat clean to get a saddle on her, so we started working on some desensitizing techniques. By the end of the first day, I was able to lead her back to her stall and brush her as far back as her front shoulder. By half way thru the 2nd day I was able to wave a flag around, get a blanket on her back, and brush the girth area (using great care). By the end of the second day, I was on her back trotting circles in the round pen. The 3rd morning, I was in the open arena trotting circles and going over some obstacles. The late morning of the 3rd day I was able to walk her into my three horse slant trailer, quietly and calmly.
I have worked with a few mustangs in Idaho. in the past, and my experience has been pretty much the same with these wild horses. They show their emotions and feelings honestly, there is no BS in these guys. It’s actually a breath of fresh air compared to some of todays domesticated horses.
You will also be able to meet her at the Central MN Horse Fest in April and she and I just got back from the Mid South Horse Fest in Tunica, MS. We entered a trail challenge there and though we did not win, Kickstart did extremely well.

Kickstart Visits Horse Fests

We loaded up Kickstart and headed to Tunica, MS. Here second trip, this one really long. She did great.
This weekend we headed to the Black Hills Horse Expo. We will let you know how that turned out soon.