What a day! My very own daddy came with me today and it was fun! I brushed Freedom on the cross ties, did her feet and tacked her up. Today-I planned a step ahead! 

I coated the bit this time with corn oil from the feed room and brought a coffee can of feed into the arena for when we got there. I knew she'd need to get used to the bit and all that and eating treats would encourage her to-when my hand is on her nose to open up for the bit at a later time.

And so came the next stage of our training...I went a head and put my foot in the stirrup to get her used to my weight when...Daddy asked-; 'Why not get on her?' 

I was like...'Well, I'm not so sure she's ready for that just yet. I'd like to-but I don't think she's ready.' 

Daddy said. 'You won't know unless you try.' 

Fine. I stopped dead flat at Daddy and looked at him. "If you want to get on her-be my guest." I told him, letting him get on. 

Now look at this, my father got on her-she was fine-walking with her was a different story. The difference of weight on her back made Freedom want to rush forward, prance sideways and get skittish, but I did the 'whoas' and 'walks' again. It worked-UNTIL.

A horse in the stall beside her decided he wanted to make some noise in the party and she side-stepped really fast, and my father..(who has only ridden a horse maybe 4 times in his life....And only knows the basics of horse care...) My father slipped off of her back and Freedom stood quietly for a few seconds as there was no movement from him at all. 

For a moment-I thought he was frozen, hands gripping the cut back part of the saddle but no...He slipped off, no problem and she was okay too. That was interesting. So then we went back to the mounting block and this time....I got on. 

A few times, Daddy walked and led Freedom with me on her around the arena-stopping a couple of times. But then after the photos-I told dad, it was enough for today. 

Daddy said; 'But's not alot for her, you've only been doing this for an hour!'

I told him; 'Yes, but we don't want to put too much on her at once.'

'Just ride her for a while your self.' And Daddy unhooked the lunge line....Biggest mistake ever. 

Freedom took off running, bucking like she usually does when she gets playtime-obviously forgotten that I was still on her back and went straight for the corner where she stopped. I was like...Okay, well... 

TIME TO GET OFF. NOW.  

I had my left foot in the stirrup, ready for an easy slide down and my right leg swinging around to dismount when I accidently brushed her right side! Freedom took off like a bullet-throwing me on the ground and I fell, hitting my knee (my right one which recently had a surgery on it last December) full force. 

I got up, my knee hurting and not far away Freedom was looking scared, shaking-her behavior was like she was saying; 'Sorry, Ma...I got scared! I'm sorry...' I wanted to get back on her but then when I saw up close how scared she was, I knew.. That was enough for today. 

She is a rescue. 

She has been abused. 

Freedom has an untold past that we don't know about-so how can I force her if I don't understand? So, I went on as if nothing had happened-fixing the saddle so that the reins weren't like normal and were tied onto the saddle instead. I watched Freedom. She knew what she had done wrong. 

So, We took her to the cross ties with some trouble (especially since part of the hallway-we didn't turn the lights on so there was alot of shadows.) But brushed her, untacked her without further incident. Once in her stall-Freedom didn't go straight for the water like she usually does, this time she was alot more slower and calmer now that we'd called it a day....

Freedom is greenbroke now-but yeah; she still has some quirks we need to work out.

Today was pretty crazy, missing 3 buses and not arriving at the stables until 2:40 in the afternoon-the latest I have ever arrived there. Well-it was mostly because of Mommy came with me and well since we missed the first bus, we got hungry and decided to go to...

The Five-Guys Resturant! They recently built it in our mall, so we thought; 'Why not? We've never been there!' And it...Was. AMAZING. The food was so fresh, and it was GENEROUS portions and actually cheaper than if you bought a combo at a place like McDonald's 

The place had all fresh food, ingrediants where you could see them HAND-MAKE IT before your eyes and you could see that they bought from local bakeries for hamburger buns and from local farmers for the vegetables. I mean, what business is as good as that?! 

ANYHOO. As I first entered the barn and got everything set up for training with Freedom-my lovely girl nickered to me-a deep grunt at first and I was so happy. I took her out and placed her on the cross-ties. And she stood...Quietly. She very rarely pushed and when she did-I told her to back up. 

Even Ali helped out! She worked with Freedom by raking around her, talking on her right side with mom and signing, even parked the wheelbarrow and two pitchforks in front of Freedom's stall (which was right behind Freedom where she was on the crossties-you guys know how much she HATES having things behind her.)

Slowly, I brushed BOTH sides of Freedom, even brushing her RIGHT side! You guys remember how much she HATES her right side being touched! She even let me clean out her left front foot, but not her right one. Then, ever so slowly; I tacked her up with little difficulty on the cross ties...But the first time I placed the english bridle with the twisted wire snaffle on her...I was so scared.

But Freedom accepted it the first time no probs then we went to the arena and figured-the bridle was too big and the bit was hanging on her teeth so we went back to the crossties and switched to a second bridle which is where Freedom started putting up a HUGE fit, but eventually let us put the bit in her mouth and all that. So yeah. 

Went to the arena and tied the reins on her saddle and my poor girl just stood there like...'What am I supposed to do?' So, I walked her around the arena and let her go where Freedom began to eat hay off the ground before I got treats out and she went crazy for them. 

I ran, and my quarter horse mare chased me down, trotting and cantering behind me before I gave her a treat. But then time was up and I placed her back on the cross ties, and took all the tack off of her-slowly brushing her... That's when I cried. I bawled because I didn't mean to hurt her and I didn't WANT to hurt her at all! I was afraid she was never gonna forgive me for this. I brushed her, petted her and put her blanket back on Freedom before placing her back in her stall to munch on tasty hay.

One thing that got me was that when Freedom had freetime, she stood like this-the PERFECT stance of a show horse! She stood so politely and quietly in a square with her legs neatly together. I was in awe when she did this. 

My girl, Freedom-is bound to reach limits unknown by any horse before her....

Today, Tinia-the president of the rescue association, HOP or known as Heart of Phoenix rescue sent me this picture...And this picture is the very first image of Freedom when they first got her from the stockyard and the abuse. 

I now understand why she doesn't like her belly being touched, why she behaves the way she does-it's because she doesn't forget. (Look at her belly in this image.)  Freedom remembers everything. She misses her son, she misses it all.

I now understand why she was so vocal the first few days she was here...And in my research it said when a horse bellows the way she did, it was as if they were trying to find another horse who was far away like saying 'Where are you?' but she heard no answer, no reply. Freedom heard no voice of her child.

I think to myself-how horrible it must have been, to be far away from your child, not there to comfort him, not there to cherish and love him-or even be there to lick his wounds and hear his stories. To not be there at the end of the day to be able to ask her own son; 'How was your day?' 

True, horses are different than humans-but I've seen horses interact with each other. They greet members of their herd, they nuzzle, they love, they spend time and even talk or argue with each other. They are a family, a close knit one. I am positive that there will never be a horse's story who has touched me quite like Freedom's, or even Duncan's. 

To those of you who didn't know...Duncan was rescued from a slaughter auction after his original owners abused him-and then he had been seized just in time before he was loaded into the truck to be sent to Mexico and he was taken on by the American Saddlebred Horse Rescue Association where then was adopted by Marlena Whitlatch.

This is her son. He looks just like mommy, no? He's only a yearling and my very  own mother wants to adopt him for her own. I want to adopt him too-because Freedom, wouldn't she be happy to see her son again?

He's young, but yes...It would be a dream to adopt him. But I have one greater dream that would be the icing on the cake of my dreams!

Please pray that my family and I get this dream to come true. If we win the powerball or lottery or somehow get enough money to buy a farm and start a rescue association in which you know-we could rescue animals at and the place would be a No Kill place. 

I would have a nice house, a state of the art barn and a kennel so that smaller animals like dogs, cats can also come and be rescued too! I have always wanted to and still do. Rescuing and starting programs to help others would benefit everyone. (Except the abusers. They shall be given a chance to change...And then if they continue-I'll report them happily.)

But I hope, I wish, and I dream....For this, a better life for us all....

OMG! What a day! I left a bit later than usual for the stables and arrived there to meet Cheryl and her grandson who were both having a blast there, but then I realized...Freedom didn't have her blanket on. I asked Cheryl and she said it probably fell off...I don't believe that honestly. But it could happen. 

ANYWAY....

Today I tried something different. I placed the saddle, saddle pad, girth and a german martingale on the railing and stuffed my pocket with horse treats...(which was a really really bad idea) Freedom could smell it and she is smart and really went after it, being pushy and all for a long while. 

But anyway, I placed the Saddlepad on her and she didn't even flinch now, then the saddle, and then I placed the german martingale on around her neck and tied the snaps onto the stirrup holes so it'd keep the martingale on if she decided to eat. I then tightened the girth on the left side...No probs. I started to tighten it on the right...She didn't really seem too thrilled with it and kept moving.

But anyway....I walked her around, she was fine. Then...I decided to go ahead and let her go free. Freedom decided to use this time to run around and buck and kick up her heels, the stirrups flying everywhere really but that was my plan in the first place. If there was an accident and the stirrups were hitting her belly, then she wouldn't be scared because now my girl could feel for herself that it wasn't gonna hurt her-just tap her.

Well, stupid me. I went a head and placed her on a lunging line and went ahead and tried to lunge her. She took off running....Right. I went back to get her and brought her back and lunged her again this time much more calmly which was alot better than the first time...

This is the rope we had in her mouth for like a bit and she accepted it without hesitation. I was so shocked. She mulled it in her mouth and didn't fight it at all like an unbroke horse would have...Not only that-Freedom let me rub a short whip on her neck and even on her right side! How awesome is that? She didn't even freak.

About a half hour later-I took Freedom with the intent of taking everything off in her stall (And avoiding the cross ties...) But then Cheryl had a great idea. Why not take all the stuff off of Freedom ON the crossties? See how she does with it. 

So I did, latching both sides of the cross ties onto her halter and my lovely pregnant girl stood....quietly...For me...And she didn't move nearly at all as I took off everything and even...Get this...Freedom even let me pick up and clean her feet! I cleaned and scraped out her hoof! I was freaking out now like, IS THIS REALLY MY HORSE?! 

Oh my goodness! What news! I am VERY sorry to say that since last Friday I've been sick and unable to get online long enough to update the blog however I've so much to write down! 

On Friday-my mom and I went to the stables and stayed there for a while and didn't get home until about 5-ish at night when it was dark and I was way too tired to update anything...

Saturday...I was sick. I wanted to stay in bed and sleep but my mom and aunt forced me to come with them and my cousins for a day of shopping! Boy was I so happy to be with them!

We adopted this little beauty at the animal shelter and I named her Angel after the fact she is all black with a tiny white spot on her chest in the shape of an angel wing. And before this however...I bought a headstall, all leather and manmade for 10 bucks at the fleamarket! 10 bucks! I was so happy! The image up above is her wearing it with a nose band I made of nylon rope. I also found there...

THE most beautiful black leather saddle set! A western saddle-just my size! It was all beautiful and untainted black leather, tooled to perfection and covered with silver conchos, comes with a saddlepad, matching black leather tooled headstalls, breast collar and reins. All for 250. You can't get a deal like that...Not even online. I REALLY WANT IT! It'd look sooo good on Freedom!

Today was amazing!

Freedom wore...A...SADDLE. That's right! A SADDLE! TWICE! 

She wore a saddle with and without her blanket on. This one was without which was the second time she wore the saddle WITH the girth! YAHOO! Freedom today even wore the new headstall I bought her at the fleamarket as well!

Freedom was awesome today, only spooking once with the barn dogs but as I let her have fun-my girl decided to CHASE those dogs down herself...Saddle on her back or not! It was almost as if she was like...'Forget the thing on my back! I want those dogs out of here!'

I fed Freedom and Duncan their own individual peppermint sticks from their Christmas stockings (that I painted their names on of course....) 

Also today...Freedom mastered the whoa and walk vocal commands. 8D So happy about that.

Also...Her ribs have filled out and she is looking alot more healthier and happier since she's been fed the pregnant mare supplements and veggie oil! BIG THANKS to Tracey Goforth for her amazing advice, The Foal Club and Frost Fang! All of your advice has gotten her to this now! 

Tomorrow's plans are to get a saddle with stirrups on her and use a halter and lead to drive her perhaps. It won't be easy...But it's something I have to do! 

I must say that there is not much I can say or give hint to on how...interesting and crazy today was except to begin with the bus that was to take me to the transit this morning broke down. Oh yes, it broke down. And to my amazement-the adults onboard didn't seem stressed or grumpy...They made fun of the situation and enjoyed it. Soon, I found myself enjoying it as well. 

Well, today was quite the impressive one! Mom and Dad decided to come with me on the intent of seeing our friends at the barn-but they never came today...So..We worked with Freedom on the saddle pad, getting used to strange people, sounds and the works! 

Today, marks Freedom's FIRST day outside! She really did have a panic fit at first in the outside arena, rearing at the ups truck, the sound of the gate closing and other things but after a while of walking her...She calmed down and began to eat like there was no tomorrow of grass. 

If there wasn't mud in the arena-I would have let her have fun outside but there was that and the remainments of a bon-fire they had on Halloween for their annual spooky stories as well as some other tools I wish wasn't there but that's none of my business. It's their property and I respect it. 

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone! First off, I want to say thank you to all of our heroes-the firefighters, the police, the soldiers and especially the soldiers who defended our country and still do to this day. Thank you, Papaw and all my uncles and family members for serving our country and giving us freedom. 

It's not fair....Today, I was supposed to go to the stables and work with Mar on training Freedom but....My mommy sprained her ankle really really bad and she couldn't walk on it at all today. I stayed home all day because I wanted to take her to the doctor's but well....