Rebel, the Ute Mustang

[mtnmollie]

Rebel was a red sorrel, with a roman nose. He was a little horse.
These " green as grass" horse people bought him for their daughter;
he was fine that summer, but after the winter off; he would buck.

I sized up the little red horse, sized up the Green owners, and
thought to myself; of course they can't ride him, but I can.
I bought him, for $300.00 or less.

I was cockey in those days.
Maybe you think I am cockey now...
oh but you should have known me then...

You'd say I've tamed down a bit. :D

Rebel was born on the Ute Indian reservation,
south of Durango, Colorado~
which is almost paradise...

These horses are tough as nails, go all day and their tempermant varies.
Some are hard to tame.
Rebel would explode, and 5 minutes later, you would ask the question,
what happened?
One minute we are riding down the trail, the next he is 7 feet away, grazing, and
I am in the dirt...

He was a Just- So horse.
He allowed you to make no sudden move, and no mistakes in training...

More to come...

[mtnmollie]

One day-

The day Rebel threw me faster than a person can think~
I put my leg over the saddle horn, and touched him with my spur on the shoulder. Not proper horsemanship, Rebel explained to me... :D

I began to ride him just - so -- proper after that. LOL>

He threw me so fast that day- I was on the ground and did
not know what had hppened.

What did Rebel teach me?
Push the horse out of his comfort zone, and he may hurt you...
try to always ask for yes answers.

Mustangs can be harder to train, may take longer...
and may be a Just- So horse ~ forever, like Rebel always was.

It was 3 years till he was good enought to sell to a horseman- and I thought that was a long time and a lot of work. But it was nothing compared to my Kiy.

[mtnmollie]

Rebel finds the perfect home...

He took me all over the trails in the San Juan mountains.
I have photos of him above Lemon Lake with Shadow, my bay Appaloosa mare. He bucked me off when my spur touched his shoulder on the Vallicieto trail...
Three years we traveled the mountains together.

In those days I would buy a colt, train him, sell him, and get another colt.
Rebel was not trained well enough for anybody else to ride until I put 3 years into him, then he was only good for a horseman. Who wants to buy an 800 pound roman nosed, skinny colt who is tough as nails and can go all day~
but you have to know how to ride ~ not intermediete- experienced - to ride him? Most experienced riders want to ride a pretty horse...
ego thing?

Well a fella came to look at him in the spring.
We caught him and Shadow out of a 60 horse herd, running on 400 aceres,
north of Ignacio. I tie him to the bumper of my Volkswagon Rabbit- and
saddle him. He starts jumping up and down bucking-
the car is jumping up and down- too...

The man who is looking at this colt to buy is yelling at Rebel-
which will only make the wreck bigger-
I'm wishing he'd shut up but I stay silent. :eek:

Rebel settles after his typical mustang fit and I untie him.
Well he hasn't been saddled since last fall...
being a mustang he probablly knew this guy was bad news...
he had never done this before but always expect the un- expected-
espically with a mustang horse...

I lead him for 5 minutes, because I know if I just get on and ride he will buck...
But I don't know how I know these things...

He rode that day just like Rebel.
Go whereever I ask at a walk...
Stand still to mount and dismount...
forward, and back; left and right-
stops every time...
Yes answers as long as you don't set him off...

"Day one in the round pen," and that's about all there is to riding a horse...
Of course we did not have a round pen, just a 400 acere pasture full of loose horses....

I lost a sale that day because of bucking at the car-
but that's ok because that was the worng match.

[mtnmollie]

Finding the right match

" My wrangler needs a lively mountain horse, to lead pack strings and dudes in Wyoming, on mountain trails all day at a walk."

Good. Perfect match. Mountain horses are hard to find, and if anyone owns a good one, they will never sell it. Most likely...

They come to see Rebel.
He is little, and so is the lady wrangler. Perfect match.

She runs him across the prarie, fast as a barrel horse can go-
run,mustang- run! Stop and walk,
lots of broke horses can't seem to manage that.

That' s all Rebel knows,
stand to mount, go forward, stay on the trail,
stop, wait-
and walk...

He passes her test.
I get a check for $800.00.
I release the brand inspection papers, and ownership papers when the Wyoming check clears my bank.

They can't haul the horse to Wyoming without papers...
everybody gets what they want...
except for the wait on the check clearing...

Well he could have paid me in cash- if he wanted that horse sooner... :D

[Cat]

Great story! Reminds me of my mustang Bandit.

[Gypsy Rose]

Great story, mtnmollie! Are there more of them?

[JackieB]

Great story, Mollie! I never could have ridden Rebel, that's for sure!

[doc_western]

wonderful story, mollie!! very fun to read:cowboy:

[JackieB]

It sounds like you've ridden all of your life, Mollie. I didn't start until age 40. I've learned to be an "OK" rider, but I really can't ride a horse that will spook really hard - I just don't have a good enough seat to stay centered for that first jump and then see if I can calm the horse down.

If you come off of a horse like Rebel or Ricky way out in the wilderness somewhere, especially a mustang that knows how to live on its own, will the horse usually wait for you to get up and remount, or just continue on? Or is it really dependent on the individual horse?

[JackieB]

I tied Ricky to my trailer, he pulled back, lept forward and danced on the roof of my brand new trailer.


Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek: :eek:

[mtnmollie]

Yeah boy was I unhappy! :)

[Gypsy Rose]

I tied Ricky to my trailer, he pulled back, lept forward and danced on the roof of my brand new trailer. I was aghast. Horses dont behave that a way! Do they?

What shall I do? Untie him from my horse trailer for one- :mad:


Holy cow! If I'm visualizing that correctly, that would be too scary!

[Gypsy Rose]

Sometimes, change is good- there are many ways to train a horse, lol!

Who was this man that changed how you thought about training?

[mtnmollie]

"Who was this man that changed how you thought about training? "

That's a hook. You dont tell your skunk story all at once... hehe . :cowboy:

[Gypsy Rose]

:p Oh, weel- guess I'll just have to be patient!

[cloedoll]

Very neat story, thanks for sharing! =D

[Gypsy Rose]

Happiness is a well trained horse!

[Gliderider]

Mollie..You really should put them all in a book.

[JackieB]

I quit hackamoreing colts and began to train with a snaffle bit and found out real quick how a bosel will help keep a colt in camp or near to you on a trail.

Please explain. What is it about bosal/hackamore training that will keep a horse from running off?

Buster eats whenever we stop, too. He used to go out on two-week long elk hunting trips in Colorado every year. His owner at the time (my best horse friend who taught me most of what I know about horses) said that you have to allow the horses to eat whenever they can on those trips or they will never get enough nutrition climbing up and down in the mountains.

Buster doesn't make those trips anymore, but I still let him eat whenever we stop. He quits as soon as I tell him that it's time to go, so I don't really see a problem with it. I don't have to argue with him about it.

[Gypsy Rose]

I too, am curious as to how a bosal will keep a horse from running off- please share, Mollie!

[Gypsy Rose]

Now you've really got me curious, lol!

[FrogInABlender]

Mollie, you are a gifted writer and I sure enjoy your stories! :)

[mtnmollie]

Ricky would get stuck. I'm not moving and you can' t make me. I had a half appy mare Star that was like this too- because when she was very young I let this 'horse trainer' woman ride her and Star would quit on her and she would get off. So Star learned the fine art of stop, and not move, or resist. Sometimes when they get stuck- if you just move one foot it helps get them unstuck. I did not know that back then- though. I also did not know how to move one foot.

How do you win when horse is stuck? Would one get in a fight, whack his butt- spur him forward- fight and win? What about the horse who refuses to respond to a spur?

How do you protect the horses "want to attitude," create a partnership, train in steps, without force? No one was there to teach me. I had a long lead rope, and I tied Ricky to a tree. Ricky knows the rope is stronger than he. He pulled back, then moved forward. His feet were unstuck. It was a small battle, less engageing than whack it out with him. I did not crush his spirit. I used this method on him for 4 weeks, and then the Appy ride. He was a perfect horse on the Appy ride. Ricky made me look good. He was a no problem horse, yah know.

But today, I 'd get Ricky un- stuck by moving just one foot.

[mtnmollie]

Mollie, you are a gifted writer and I sure enjoy your stories! :)

Why thank you Frog. :cowboy:

[Gypsy Rose]

Wow! You have many interesting horse stories to tell! Many different horse personalities. You must have had quite a few over the years.

[mtnmollie]

ole Reliable

Johnny helped me start several colts that year-the year he rode my Kiy.

Travler is smart. I learned this when he was 3. We were crossing Bear Creek in the spring and the water washed him down stream. I tried to return to the ford. He could not walk upstream on the slippery rock. He told me this by balking. I tried a second time, for we humans are bull headed know it alls at times. Again he refused. I gave him his head to get us out of the creek his way and he headed for a bank I thought he could not climb. One step and he was out of the creek. Wow. Travler you have long legs.

Travler is smart. I learned this in Hungry Creek. Justa Dunn and I in the lead and we wove around the downed lodgepole across our trail. Travler following second found a better way. This shows a thinking horse, not a robot following on automatic. All the other horses behnd him followed his way - the best way. Oh- Travler is smart. You know, he had to teach me that, because I did not have a clue.

Travler is reliable. After his first 30 days at Johnnys I was told to keep this horse because he was a good mountain horse. Surefooted enough to go where Johnny did not ride a normal horse, and safe enough for Grandma. Anybody could ride this horse. He is old reliable. Johnny found my Morgans are surefooted and have great endurance too.

Travler had a train-able heart.
I started to apprichate this attitude in horses.

[Gypsy Rose]

Good horses like that are worth their weight in gold, lol!

[medicine hat]

bravo! well done! your descriptions of all these horses (and people!) are reminding me of traits in horses (and people) I have known, too~

[mtnmollie]

Travler- spring Lolo canyon ride, 2007.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee150/mtnmollie/IMG_2092.jpg

[mtnmollie]

Mollie sitting on the hill while Travler eats grass and waits; as we take a break.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee150/mtnmollie/IMG_2087.jpg

[mtnmollie]

Travler is reliable. After his first 30 days at Johnnys I was told to keep this horse because he was a good mountain horse. Surefooted enough to go where Johnny did not ride a normal horse, and safe enough for Grandma. Anybody could ride this horse. He is old reliable. Johnny found my Morgans are surefooted and have great endurance too.

Travler is ugly. His head is to big, his body too narrow- big boned, skinny ,tall, just like the horses in the pictures in 1905, with a cowboy on them. Travler is an old piece of history. He is our best horse to use with someone who has never - ever ridden, but wants to go to the mountains with us. Sometimes ugly is beautiful, it depends on what you are looking for. He comes from an outfitters Morgan string, a 3 generation outfitter. He looks just like his dad, the old Morgan stud. I wondered why they had that long backed Morgan stud horse, with an un-morgan look. Now I know. I have not one but 3 of old Morgan studs last colts. Every one is old reliable. Sometimes ugly has value. What is your goal? What is ugly anyway? Travler flunks the horse beauty contest everytime. I did not buy him for halter class though. We have a job to do, me and Travler. Go to the lost secret place where no one rides and come home safe. Sometimes I ride with people on beautiful horses who kick, and buck or can’t keep up with me and Travler. He is a jewel, my jewel; a one in a thousand that I could never replace.

[mtnmollie]

Travler came home from school and said , “Dugh. I must be pretty dum.” What happened to you? Where is the light in your eye? At cowboy school they make the horse go in the water and over the log by force; kick and spur tell you win. I get my horse in the water and over the log with out a fight. I learned that from my Arab mare Cally. Spank an Arab and they just come more undone in the head. An Arab trainer told me Arab’s are smart. He said you must become smart too, to train an Arab. Cally would not cross this little tiny ditch. We circled round and headed for home. She crossed. That was not a big problem to solve; how can I make my horse want to cross the ditch? Ray Hunt calls it making your idea, his (the horses) idea.

I was kind to Travler and he lost his dugh I’m dum automatic robot brain. I freed his feet and his mind with kindness. And when unsure like in Bear Creek, I let him decide.

Justa Dunn, my go forward at a fast walk Arab- QH mare put her head down. Took one slow step. What the heck? I just sat there- mystified. We did this again and over again and again. It took forever to travel the four or five steps across that draw. I came back on another horse that day, riding this circle. She was belly deep in a bog. Again and again, until I thought we ‘d drown in mud. So that’s what Justa Dunn was up to. My horses are free to use their brain when I ride. They know where the quicksand is- they can find the best crossing, not I

[mtnmollie]

Mollie and Cally and Tex (Texas Ranger)

with Ruby packing in. (Kiy is tied to Ruby's tail.)

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=65&pictureid=2573

[mtnmollie]

My friend went to a class with one of those clinic guys who charges too much money. She learned go forward with less. No kick or spur. They can feel a fly after all. Well how the heck do you ride then, I wondered? I went home and quit thumping on my horse so much. I did not think I thumped really at the time. I thought I was normal or being kind. I don’t thump anymore, because after all my horse can feel a fly. My horses became more responsive. My horse got smarter too.

I have not spanked a horse across a creek in a very- very long time.

I bought Cally (my Polish Arab mare) at the sale barn, saved her from the dog food man. She was foundered but we put a mustang trim on her and she became sound again.

One day I tried to croos a small ditch near home but she refused. How do I make her want to cross? We circled around and headed for home, and then she wanted to step across. I just had to think a little bit. :)

[JackieB]

Travler is a magnificent horse! He looks beautiful to me!

[mtnmollie]

Thank you ! :)

[Gypsy Rose]

The most beautiful horses in my mind are the ones that are willing to work with you, such as Travler. The ones that can think, and you can trust to keep you safe from harm.

I almost learned the hard way one day what could happen if I didn't listen to my horse.

I love your stories Mollie! Keep them coming!

[mtnmollie]

Rebel the Ute Mustang, and other horses I have known continued.

Rebel, plus or minus Ricky , minus Rosie and the Hackamore lesson, (stories deleated) Travler, Cally and the creek.

I always write my outlines last, LOL> :cowboy:

When I sit down to write I never know where I am going, like a trail ride.

I think I told you about Dee Dee. Dee Dee was a good -bad horse.
Maybe she's on Kiy's thread? Or maybe another D board? :rolleyes:

I have sometimers. Sometimes I remember.
Sometimes I forget.