Pics & Video

Rest break on the road, Miyagi relaxes with Tiny in Amarillo.






Chris & Miyagi check out the obstacles the night before the show.




In Hand



We left Ft Worth about 6:30pm Sunday and hauled to Lubbock. We arrived at the horse hotel late, with tired horses. The horses went into indoor stalls with deep soft bedding. Miyagi must have REALLY enjoyed it because this is what we found the next morning. :D Kathy

Park It Miyagi!

Last night with Miyagi was just a blast. I fall in love with him everyday when I play with him. I can't believe how amazing he is doing. So despite the fact that a halter is not big on the Miyagi priority list of things to do, Miyagi's ground work has gotten fantastic. This horse is light as a feather. His confidence is growing everyday.

So new experiences with Miyagi. As I explore new parts of his body, he wishes to explore new parts of mine. Yeah, a little unnerving. I am trying to channel my inner Angi Keitel and trust that he isn't going to kill me during these moments of explortation!

Miyagi's biggest hurdle is his claustrophobia. There is nothing we couldn't do, if only I had 4 foot arms. I have heard about a video of him in the BLM shoot being picked up for his journey here that truly displays the deepness of his claustrophobia. I haven't seen it. So, that is what I am working on.

Last night I built a "parking space" out of toys. Then using the driving game, we parked Miyagi. At first he thought I was crazy. He flew through the tight cubby at lightning speed. It wasn't long though before he settled down, relaxed and stood inside. Then, again with lightning speed, he realized he was in a tight spot and off he went. This time though, he felt the ball and barrels all over his flanks. Wow, Miyagi's life flashed before his eyes. The coolest part was, he immediately looked to me. I love that.

Wasn't long before he was standing quietly in his special "parking spot". I think the special spot should get taller and tighter! Fun with toys we are calling our next adventure.

I LOVE HIM!!!!

The Miyagi Marathon

Last night was awesome! I met Angi at Lifesavers last night for our Miyagi marathon. It was late, and we were prepared for an all nighter! Miyagi was just prepared! It was awesome! I always preach in my workshops, be prepared for the horse that shows up....the horse that shows up today may not be the same horse that was in your hands yesterday.

Miyagi, bless his heart, had a break through. All my work was not in vain. Miyagi said YES last night. Yes, to being with me. Yes, to being touched by me. YES!!!!

He did say NO to the grape icecream. All though I don't know why, I rather enjoy them!

I see the light at the end of the tunnel. As extroverted as he is, the contridiction is that he seems to process things slowly. I think he just need to think.

For the first time, I felt Miyagi offer me his heart last night. I hear Pat Parelli say often, "feel OF the horse and he will FOR you". He felt for me last night. It was amazing. It was a gift. I was honored.

Miyagi's BLM Mug Shot

This is Miyagi's BLM mug shot. It is really funny. When you get on the BLM website and look at all the Makeover horses, they are looking towards the camera. Miyagi.....he is going away from the camera! Gee, isn't that interesting! I love him!!!!

Finishing up some work, then heading out to clean his pen and feed the little booger!

Tomorrow night, Angi is coming, and we are going to have a Miyagi marathon! I can't wait. I can't thank Angi enough for all her time and support!

I will definately post pictures and an update after the marathon so check back!

A Couple of GREAT Miyagi Days

Miyagi has had two awesome days and I am thrilled. So, Angi, she is such an amazing support, has told me to quit worrying about the halter thing so much, "you have done a great job with him". His ground work is getting better everyday, with a neck rope, his is so connected to me, and he tries so hard. So, at the advice of the great Angi Keitel, we are having some great confidence building sessions with me touching him. He always has had a hard time with me on the side of him. He wants me directly infront ALL the TIME!! We have been working on that and he is doing amazing. He is bending his head around and smelling me, checking me out and starting to relax with the whole idea. Angi and I have discovered, he likes to touch you before you touch him. Even on the side. It is cute, you reach out to touch his neck and he has to bend his head around and say "hey, wait a minute, let me check you out", and then you can touch him. The other amazing cute thing he is doing that I have never experienced before is as I work on different parts of his body, he wants to investigate different parts of mine. So cute. He is such a thinker. Like smelling my hand is no longer interesting to him, so now that I am working on his neck and withers, he likes to bend around and smell my elbow. CUTE CUTE CUTE! I think this horse is the most brilliantly smart horse I have ever met.

I wish I had pictures, but he also had an amazing time playing in the sprinklers in the arena. This is a "water dog". Miyagi LOVES water. He is constantly splashing and playing in his water bin. Loves the sprinkler and LOVES to put his face in the hose when you are hosing him off.

This horse is a joy! I am lucky to have the opportunity to know him.

Miyagi's Lesson's for Me

Arghhhh! That's how I feel today. I haven't posted in a while, just because I have been so busy. Miyagi is progressing in some ways quickly and in other ways slowly. He has worn the halter 2 or 3 times now. Definately not confidently. He is doing pretty well in his ground work even though he is not wearing the halter. This fact makes Angi laugh. Thank God for Angi! When I don't see things progressing, Angi comes in and tells me how much better he is doing. That helps. She also keeps reminding me how challenging he is.

He is challenging in some ways and in other ways not. I think that is what is so frustrating. The big thing he taught me today is, I have plenty of patience for him, but I have none for myself. I am so frustrated with me. I need to get over that. So here is what I am going to do for the both of us, LOL. I am going to make a list of what I am doing with him, and what he is doing well for me. Then maybe I can see the improvement myself.

Things Miyagi does well:
Round pen work - light as a feather, and very responsive.
Confidently looks at me with two eyes. He completely wants to be with me.
With rope around neck can:
Yield his shoulders, ground drive, disengage his hind quarters, and some times....back up
At liberty his draw has improved a lot!
At liberty will play with all the toys!
At liberty can play "put your nose on it"
Miyagi has an amazing focus
Can handle my stick touching him anywhere on his body (if only my arm was as long as the stick!)
Will follow me at liberty (as though haltered and leading) through the alley back to his stall (even past a herd of mares!)

Things Chris is doing well with Miyagi:
Being creative to keep his mind stimulated
I have done excellent rope work
Building his confidence with me on the side of him
Great work with his ears
..........

Okay, a very interesting thing just occurred to me as I am typing these lists. Isn't Miyagi's list and Chris's list the one in the same? We are doing them together after all. Hmmmmm, Miyagi may have just offered me another great lesson. I am gonna have to lick and chew on that one!

In the words of the great Pat Parelli, "It takes the time takes". I am such a believer in that. Now I need to practice it. I will probably be more relaxed and in turn will make Miyagi more relaxed.

I must say, this horse is the most brillant horse I have ever worked with. Which is why he is so challenging but is also why he will teach me so much!

With a Little Help from My Friends

Last night all three of us Happy Chicks were at Lifesavers playing with our horses. It is so awesome to be doing this with my buddies. In fact, I couldn't do it with out them.

With a little help from my friends, Miyagi finally wore a halter last night. It was awesome!!!! Thank you ANGI KEITEL!!!!!! You so rock girl!

I had done the prep work, he was ready, but darn it, I just couldn't breath. LOL, that's right, I was not breathing and Miyagi was looking at me like I was a crazy woman. I was.

Angi jumped in and put it on. THANK YOU!!!! And I burst into tears!

Miyagi did great, let me pet down both sides of neck, and starting leading like a champ last night! He was so relaxed when the halter came off and I slipped it right back on so that both Miyagi and I would know I could do it.

Finally, halter success!!!!

Thanks my friends!!!! For all the support and help!!!

Put the horse first! Miyagi says so!!!

I came into work early today so I could take a longer lunch and play with Miyagi. Unfortunately, I can't stay after work today due to an appointment.

I love this horse. He is going to remind me what I teach to our Happy Horse Academy participants. He is gonna feed me my own words. Don't you love that.

Anyways, it is hot today. At 12:30pm today when the sun was high, it was 105 degrees. It was also time for lunch and to play with Miyagi. When I went up to his pen to see him, he had this look on his face as if to say, "you have got to be kidding me, do you know how hot it is?" I hear ya Miyagi.

Since I have taken on this project, I have been so worried about time, I haven't been myself. I haven't even been going about this the way I normally would or even the way I teach people to do it (thanks Angi for pointing that out, LOL). Geez, it's amazing how we put pressure on ourselves. Every moment I have spent with Miyagi has been about accomplishing something. Accomplishing what I WANT! HUMMMMM, I am pretty sure I have told our students, "put the horse and the relationship first, your agenda second", hmmmmm!

Miyagi was right, it was hot, and I needed to put the horse first and my agenda, WEAR A HALTER MIYAGI, second. So, I hosed off Miyagi. He loves water! LOVES IT!!! Loves to put his face in it. Then I cleaned his pen and ignored him. Which drove him crazy. I loved it. He was like a little kid begging for attention. Nothing better than a wild horse begging for attention. Then, we just hung out. Yep, we hung out in the shade. Swatted flies. Stomped our feet, and hung out.

In the beginning, he was totally confused. Confused that I wasn't WANTING something from him other than to just hang. Be part of the herd. Be in his world. It made him uneasy at first. I think he thought I had some other motive behind it. But eventually he relaxed. Most importantly he relaxed in relative closeness with me. That is only gonna help me later!

Thanks for the lesson Miyagi. You know, that is how you got your name. I knew from the beginning you would be teaching me!

By the Way!!!! LOOK AT HIS MANE!!!!!! HELP!!!! That is gonna take some serious time, and product!

The Days are Blurry

I can't even tell you how many days I have worked with Miyagi now. They are all bluring together. I can tell you he is doing great! Doing great now that I have quit stressing about how little time I have before Texas and have just started getting to know him.

He is amazing. He desperately WANTS to be with me. He seeks me out and watches me as I do things around the ranch. He nickers to me when I go out of sight. He looks at me with the softest eyes.

He is letting me rub his face with my hand and the halter. A little touching on the neck is okay but dosen't thrill him yet. He is a thinker, a processor, which I love. He really analizes stuff. Me, the toys, my rope. He loves to investigate.

When he lets me touch him, he enjoys my touch, his struggle is how close it requires my body to be in order to touch him. We are working through it. If only my arms were as long as my Happy Horse Academy Joy Stick, I could halter him. Perfectly fine be touching from 3 feet away. Even lets me play with the happy string all around his neck, and ears event his front feet.

He is such a brillant horse. He is gonna make me work for that first halter, that's for sure, but after that, this guy is going to come along quickly. He already gives to the pressure of a rope, light as a feather. He has such try, such a huge heart and such a brillant mind.

Me and My Miyagi

Meet the Magnificant My Miyagi. I have been given an awesome opportunity to spend the next 68 days playing with this incredibly gifted, intelligent and playful mustang for the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Texas.

We are a little behind the game as I have only just started working with him. That's okay, he is magnificant and will teach me everything he needs. I love that about this horse.

We will be showing at the event, but not competing. This beautiful boy along with all the other Extreme Mustang Makeover horses will be available for adoption on Sunday, September 20th.

Miyagi deserves the best home. He is playful, smart, amazingly intelligent and a pleasure to spend time with.

I am setting off on an incredible journey with this horse. Not one I necessarily planned, but one I am excited and honored to be a part of.