Stubborness, Courage and Confidence

A documentary was recently filmed about the Corollas. I had a small part in it alongside Matoaka. She had been good most of the day. Not acting up too bad for a young horse put in a strange new place with strange horses without her pasture mate. She is stubborn. She isn't willing to be defeated by others and doesn't tolerate being pushed around. I know this and it isnt a trait I like.

While filming she had walked up to Steve and tried to bite him. He showed her that he wasn't having that. This caught her off guard. Some strange man just tried to be the boss over her. I had feared that kind of embaressment and she did it well. When asked to lounge her or move her out my response was she won't do it so how do you expect me to do that. Steve wasn't happy with that. Eventually she gave in and trotted around for him. I still am impressed with Matoaka's next accomplishment.

One of Steves most fearless, confident and couragess little riders mounted Matoaka. I held my breath tight hoping she wouldn't bolt. Matoaka does well with desensitizing and every motion like that. She had never had a person on her before but I knew Riley would be one that could handle it like a pro. Although I was sure Matoaka would bolt. Matoaka stood still. She eyed me every couple of minutes to make sure it was ok. She was tense and rigid. When Riley was up and over, Matoaka and I both released our breath like we had been holding it for forever.

I was so glad that Matoaka didn't act all crazy. Riley has done this tons of times and she gave it no second thought. Courage in people is hard to find sometimes. We at Mill Swamp have a rare kind.

I know Matoaka didn't act polite and as Steve said our relationship was that of twin sisters. I was still impressed with her. Some think it shouldn't have been us doing it because they could do it better. Probably, but they aren't us so sorry about their luck.

The documentary will be awesome. Everyone had a part and did a great job. The Corollas were pretty amazing themselves and hopefully this will one day get them recognized more.

Stand

As I have said before the Corollas have been around for centuries. They inhabited the beaches before we even knew they were there. They set foot in the sand before our feet ever did and they swam before we knew what swimming was.

I hope that when I am old that they will still be there. I hope that the generations of horses will be spread along the beach. Showing us just what it took to get where we are now. They stand for a bit more than people think and hopefully the breed will still be standing years and years from now.

I did not take this picture, someone else did. This little Corolla foal is probably just learning to stand.

Picture Perfect

Abuse... Doesn't sit well in your mind does it? Slaughter...Not a pretty word is it? Mustang...Land stripping parasite you might think right?

WRONG! All of it is wrong. Claiming to do what is in a horses best interest or the breeds best intrest in order to help your money flow or to keep people happy isn't right. That would be like rounding up all of the people who are not the vision of what people think is perfect...and killing them. Kind of like the Holocaust. No one is perfect. It is impossible to be perfect.

Herds of mustangs are rounded up yearly. People say that they will be adopted out and find good homes. The truth of that is that not all of them will find good people...the rest don't find people at all. They get taken to the slaughter house instead.

Clouds herd is a descendant of the Banker ponies. As of September 1st they will be rounded up to a herd size of 70. The ones that get rounded up include older horses, mares, and foals. They don't want to be killed in a slaughter house. A herd size of 70 will genetically kill these animals also.

What goes through someones mind on deciding that this is the "right" thing to do to any horse? Everyday horses are lined up to be killed. Why? People have gone materialistic. Horses serve no purpose to them. They don't want people finding out about this kind of stuff...that's because they don't want to ruin their image and they realize that it's wrong.

They want to create something picture perfect. The fact is that nothing is picture perfect. Our mustangs are more picture perfect than a show ring, professionally trained, inbred, thoroughbred. Our horses stand for something. Hate us and look down on us all you want and think your so much better and could show our horses up but your no better than us if you think that gets you somewhere and I bet your horses mind frame has been warped by your own.

Took this pic myself. A friendly little green snake who was about to shed his skin. Our horses can't shed their skin or image or reputation.