Day by day

I honestly thought I would be blogging more often. Seems like every time I come I am chasing kids, cleaning the house, or passing out. So goes the life of a wife/mom/equestrian.

Well, here is what you need to know to get caught up on Dixie.

I am spending lots of quality time at the barn, not cleaning, not dealing with other people or their horses, just me and Dixie. That is a big change, and as much as I loved being busy in California I love this more. Dixie does live in a big stall most of the day with a few hours of turn out.

Another big change. I thought this would be really hard on her (and me because I felt guilty denying her of pasture and friends) but it has proved the opposite.

Not only does she nicker when I arrive, her overall demeanor is calmer, quieter, and generally easier to work with (most days). She is a mare after all and if I take a few days off I can see it in her attitude. Not. Pleased.

We have been working on some new tricks, you may have seen them on our Facebook page. She can hand me the whip when I drop it. We are also trying to master the Spanish Walk. We are in Spain after all!

The final big change for us is joining a drill team. We will surely have more new on that in the future but suffice it to say we love it. I was on a drill team once as a kid and that is what I feel like every time the music starts up. I am so happy to have found another thing to do with Dixie.

Dixie has gone through lots of changes in the 4 years I have had her, but this is certainly the biggest and best yet. 

The arrival

September 6th 2016, Dixie has arrived.

We pulled up as she was being unloaded. I saw her ears from the trailer and knew it was her. Did she know it was me? True to character, Dixie was looking around, nervous, excited, and a bit distracted to say the least. She was lead to her stall and I followed behind. She looks skinny, but that could be expected after such a long trip. She had on a different (read: old and crappy) halter than the one I shipped her with (read: nice and protective with fuzzies) that gave her sores on the sides of her face. We asked about it, as well as the ulcer medicine she was supposed to have with her. Seeing as I am not speaking Spanish yet, I let my better half deal with that issue and I got in the stall with my girl. Within seconds of stepping into a nice big deeply bedded stall she was peeing a waterfall... seriously it must have been at least a minute but since the color was good (not too light or dark) I know she was decently hydrated.


I started scratching her, feeling the dirt and hair pile up into little balls on her back. She started happily munching on some oats. After she finished we took her to the wash racks where I gave her a little bath, she seemed to enjoy it as I washed away the dried sweat from her trip. I was waiting for that knicker, nuzzle, or some type of acknowledgment. I started rubbing her favorite itchy spots, she did enjoy it stretching her neck out and relaxing a bit more.











Then, like any smart horse person, I turned her out in a dirt arena. She ran around, I am sure it was the first turn out she had seen since being in Belgium in August. Just when I thought I saw her shiny coat starting to dry in the hot sun, she rolled. Oh yes, now she looks more like herself. She ran a bit more and then stopped, I thought we should bring her back into her stall to rest and avoid the sun. As I walked towards her she took off. Yes, that is surely my Dixie. In fact, I realized that was the greeting I was waiting for. You can take a horse away from their home, but you can't change their personality. There will be no sweet knickering (well maybe at dinner time) or nuzzling (I lost a diamond earring that way once) but a defiant, hot headed, powerful, mare. At least I know why I have such a strong                                                                       attraction to her, we are pretty similar. Just ask Anthony.



I will head back later today with Cowboy Magic in one hand and my brush in the other. She has 2 months of wind tangles in her beautiful mane that I have been dreaming of getting out. As soon as our pallet arrives (hopefully end of September) I will have my saddles and other supplies.

This is the start to our new life, I am constantly reminded we will always start where we left off. Guess that means it is time to get to work!

Getting there

Traveling halfway around the world takes a bit of time. For me, around 21 hours including all the airport security, switching planes, baggage, etc.

For Dixie, there are some other factors to consider. Mostly the stress of such a long trip. The longest haul Dixie has done was about 8 hours from Northern California to Southern California in 2012. For this trip, we needed to be strategic about each stop to ensure she had the smoothest transport possible.

Her trip began July 13th from Napa, CA where she went to LAX (about 8 hours in a trailer). She then caught a direct flight to Amsterdam July 14th and arrived July 15th. I have been told horses don't even know they are flying (how would they??) since the stalls are spacious and hay and water are supplied. Still, I am sure they know something is going on. For this reason, using some type of ulcer medication was recommended. I was able to have a friend fly as her groom and keep me updated with pictures.

After customs, she got a ride to Belgium (3 hours) to a relatives home (thanks Isabel!) where she could spend a few weeks on a grass pasture resting. Now the final stretch is approaching us. She left Belgium July 15 taking an air conditioned trailer to the South of Spain. It is a 2 day drive but they had to make stops in France for some other horses so arriving July 18th. She will then rest another 2 weeks at a stable while she waits for the last (and hardest) leg of the trip... the boat! The soonest we could get her on the boat will be September 3rd and she will arrive September 6th. From there, less than an hour to get to the final barn she will be calling home.

What a haul! I am wondering if she will be happy to see me. I will let you know if she turns her tail up or gives me a big kiss like a golden retriever!

Here she is after arriving in Amsterdam

  

Not so Spanish mustang headed for Spain

Welcome to my blog.

This is the story of a BLM Mustang named Dancing Dixie.
She was born in the wild on the HMA (herd management area) 'Nevada Wild Horse Herd' range near Nellis Air Force Base sometime in 2008. Gathered by the government on July 4th, 2009, she entered the holding facilities in Litchfield, California.

As the history of the mustang shows, many had Spanish bloodlines  that date from the first conquistadors. Texas A&M offers a DNA test using a few hairs to identify what origins your horse may have and I did get Dixie tested. She came back as a large mix of breeds, most notably the Belgian Draft, Akhal Teke, and Pony Type 2.

In 2012, she was selected for the Extreme Mustang Makeover. (Read more about what this competition is here.) After competing together, I bought her from the BLM and we began training for endurance.

We have had a number of demonstrations, races, and events to showcase her (and the mustang as a breed) to the public. (You can read about those adventures here.)

Join us on our new adventure in Tenerife, Spain.