I recieved a phone call today from Grace Foundation's vet about Punkin, the little mustang mare I had for a little while. I returned her to the Grace Foundation because she was having health issues. I heard today that Punkin passed away from a stone impaction. She had a stone in her gut that was causing her pain. Poor Punkin. When she was starving in the feed lot she must have eaten a lot of sand. She had the stone long before I got her.
I cried when I heard. Punkin had health issues the first day I brought her home. I was not able to help her anymore and took her back. Grace Foundation did everything they could for her. Between the grace Foundation and I, Punkin had a time in her life without suffering. She wasn't starving or being miss-treated, she was loved and safe ... and for a short period of time, she knew what it was to be someone's horse. Punkin and I had a bond... she was a sweetheart. I have decided to do a tribute to her at Expo. Stop by to see it. Hubble is carrying the flag of hope now for these poor mistreated mustangs.
Poor Punkin, if someone would have cared, she wouldn't have suffered starvation, losing a foal at a feed lot, and the other horrors she must have experienced. The Grace Foundation cared and rescued her. I cared and took her to train her for the Trainers Showcase at Expo to try and get her adopted. She showed me that if someone would have cared for her before she would have been an incredible little horse. She showed me her potential, such a waste and so sad.
Punkin is my motivation to join the effort to make a difference in these horse's lives... may her story touch your heart as it has mine.

We are 20 days from the HELP Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase at Horsexpo 2010. Do I feel Hubble is ready to step into the competition and win it? Nope. Nope. and Nope. Am I optimistic? Yes I am. Anything can happen. Break-throughs happen all the time in this business. Sometimes the light bulb just goes on. The thing that I am reminded of though is that this horse is a wild mustang. He is a wild animal. Can he adapt to domestication? Yes he can and he has already. But these horses require a special approach to training. One that takes time- at their time. A horse can only learn as fast as THEY can learn- not as fast as we decide they should learn. It is a "take each day as it comes" experience with Hubble. I have my goals for him but there are so many things that can interfere with those goals and confound them.

Hubble's health is a constant concern. I am very pleased to say he seems to be doing really, really well. The only thing I can visibly see that is problematic for him is his coat is itchy... he is constantly rubbing. I don't see any evidense on his skin that he should have any reason for this behavior. It could very well be he just enjoys rubbing- where in the herd situation he maybe would have enjoyed social grooming he now doesn't get that except from me when I come in to groom him.

I recently did a class on vices and included a segment on behavior of wild verses domesticated horses. We should remember we have to provide for their natural species specific behavior... so my grooming is replacement of social grooming in a herd for example. Providing ample, open feed rich pasture replaces wide open, fence free spaces wild horses enjoy. As we saw in Punkin if you don't provide for these natural species behaviors as closely as you can you will see behavior crop up as an indicator something is missing. With Hubble it very well could be he misses the social grooming of the herd environment.

How is Hubble's training progressing? Slowly. As mentioned there are always things that interfere with our plans... As a trainer I have to be able to remain flexible and spontaneous. The other day I wish I could have been Gumby- a horse in training pulled back and took my shoulder with him. Now my right arm is out of commission. I am having to adjust my training to using only one arm. And I have to be careful to protect that one arm and not over do it. This causes me to invest in "thought time"... I have to literally "take a break" and go and come up with a lesson plan that accomodates my disability. I've had to do this before- it is the nature of being a trainer. Accidents are just that- accidents. You can be as careful as can be- there is always the chance of an accident. Just like driving a car- you can be the best driver and then wham! out of nowhere comes another car that collides with you. I don't have the luxary of taking off time to heal- I have to heal on the job. It serves as a challenge to overcome- I do well with challenges.

Hubble has learned to give to pressure, among other things. He is a thinker and I have experienced that I have to give him time to consider things. The trick is to not give him too much time though. I'm thinking Hubble has some draft horse in him because he has feathering on all four legs like that of a draft horse. His bone structure reminds me of a draft horse as well. AND his brain is like the many draft horses I have worked with- S-S-L-L-L-O-W-W. I have found that Hubble can be shown things and left to consider them- when I come back he has worked it all out in his mind and does what I want. It is amazing how it works with him. Like teaching him to go into the stall. I spent quite a bit of time just getting him up to the doorway and to stick his head in there... that was the lesson. I had planned on getting him in it the next day. When I came the next morning there was no Hubble in sight. My heart kind of skipped a beat- his gate was locked... I didn't see any horse out walking around... Where was he? Then I saw him walk out of his stall covered in wood shavings. He obviously thought about it, invetigated and found it a good place to hang out. Now he is a stall rat. He loves his shavings and stall. This example serves as proof if you give a horse enough time to consider things- to think about something and keep the experiences positive- they may end up giving you what you are looking for.

Now that my arm is goofed up I am going to have to forgo some of the training for a time. We'll go to the round pen and move on to some other exercises in that environment that will contribute to that foundational training I am trying to put on him.

Last Sunday we did a photo shoot of Hubble. We walked all over the property- a totally unknown and new environment for him. He was calm, quiet and actually seemed pretty bored with it all. I was pleased.
View the photos below.

I want to give those of you a heads up that have been following the progress of these mustangs that I will be available to meet and speak with you at Horsexpo at the HELP Rescue Me Trainer's Challenge. I will also be assesible at Hubble's stall. Just look for the Christa Petrillo Total Horsemanship Stalls by the HELP Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase area in the Dog Pavillion building.

A Very Hard Decision...

I came to a conclusion about Punkin Saturday... It has been coming for a few weeks now. I will be returning Punkin to the Grace Foundation- regetably.
As written previously Punkin suffers from a behavior called cribbing. The cribbing causes ulcers- or visa versa- which came first? When I picked Punkin up from the Grace Foundation Rescue I immediately noticed she had a watery manure- an indicator of serious problems. This has continued over the course of time since I have had her with some improvement intermittantly. But the cribbing has only continued, worsening with any demands put on her for training. Punkin is kept in a 20 x 30 paddock with a stall... this is not to her liking. She clearly needs pasture but that is not something I have open for her at this time.
Punkin's training has gone remarkably well. She is a very sweet horse, personable and cuddly. She really tries to please and does everything asked of her. She is very smart and figures things out almost immediately. A trainer's dream! She has been on trail rides and has been to a show... just goes right along with the program no matter what it is without displaying any kind of an opinion about anything. Just a pleasure to ride and be with... BUT! When her ulcers act up she is NOT a happy camper. She hurts. Saturday she helped me understand this.
I have had her on ulcerguard and probiotics and herbs to help her heal. Her manure was looking satisfactory- "cow pie stage" to formed "apples" - which is an improvement. I decided to work her. At first she seemed fine and we went through the exercises... but then she hit a point where I guess she just couldn't take it any more and she exploded. She became a full on bucking bronc- I mean head between her knees completely arched and full kicks out! I have riden some "broncs" in my day... but Punkin? She takes the prize! THE worst bronc I have ever sat. Once she stopped and I got off and examined her, I realized she was in distress from pain. I could see her sides cramping and hear girgles in her abdomen. Boy did I feel bad! She hadn't given me any signs of discomfort prior to getting on her...
As I thought back over the episode I have to admit I was a bit shaken. I literally had no control. Disengaging didn't work. And there just simply wasn't time to try a whole lot of things... it all happened in a flash. In analyzing it all I have some insights to offer those of you who struggle with this kind of behavior. First of all don't ride a horse that bucks and broncs! NEVER get on a horse that has the potential of ending your life. I don't care how tough you are. There are reasons why a horse will bronc and buck and until you figure those things out you best stay off. In Punkin's case I know she has an ulcer problem and I am familiar with her work ethic- willingness and cooperative and a resistence to spooking (in other words she has a good mind)- so I knew her situation was brought about by pain. Most of these broncing-bucking situations are borne of pain. Bucking is generally caused by three things- either pain or fear or incomplete training. Figuring out what the problem is, is a process of elimination. There is a pressure points examination you can do that will indicate problem areas on your horse. Often times it is the saddle fit that is the culprit. Sometimes it is remnants of a previous accident- tendon problems, muscle damage or maybe even fractured bones in the spine. If you have a bronc I would reccomend getting a vet out to examine your horse- and preferably a vet familiar with acupuncture that understands the pressure points and what they corelate to in your horse's anatomy. (i.e.- digestive, liver, spine, fetlocks, etc.)
For future "awareness" as to what to do if you should find yourself in a bucking situation: Realize you have two choices- bail or ride it out- actually three choices- ride it out if you can and bail if you can't. I chose the later but ended up not having to bail at the last minute. Taking my feet out of the stirups told Punkin I was getting off and she stopped. I told you she was smart! Not mean. If you decide to stick it out you better get that hind quarters disengaged immediately. In Punkin's case I couldn't get it disengaged. Which was an awful feeling- I basically had no control and she was in a complete pain-panic mode. When she began to rear is when I made the decison to bail and kicked my feet free- because if she went over I could have broken my back or neck or worse - died. I was calculating my departure when she came to a complete halt on her own. Everyone should know how to do an emergency dismount. My first trainer I ever had was Lise Von Uhlit- and that was the first thing she taught me to do. Know how to get off safely. In any event- sticking it out or bailing- both options are hazardess to your health so as I said before- never get on a horse that you don't feel safe on. And always wear a helmet!!!
I had been struggling with whether or not to return Punkin. Prayerfully considering all things I had decided to try to continue with trying to improve Punkin's health condition and to train her. Saturday's episode showed me this case is worse than I realized and I am simply not able to provide, nor afford, the specialized care she is in need of. The ulcerguard alone costs $50.00 for a four day supply... The Grace Foundation is better able to provide for long term care for her as my care was only to be through June. They have an on site vet and pasture. There is no reason to continue to postpone the envitable. Punkin will have all she needs at the Grace Foundation and I feel good about the gift of training I have given to her. She now can exist in the human realm where previously you couldn't get near to her. I am confident she will have a good life- I satisfied I have done my work well.
I am disapointed that her health is problematic for her. There is no telling how damaged her body truly is- Who knows what her past existence has been- If she were kept on a pasture where the only thing to eat was star thistle for example she could very well have severe scarring in her liver. (She was found in a starvation state...) That alone could cause her to continue to have serious health issues for the rest of her life. It is such a shame to me that such a wonderfully minded horse would be ruined in that way... and all the more reason to educate people... Punkin will serve me as my motivation for what I do- which is to educate others. This has broken my heart- I really, really liked this horse!
I encourage those of you reading this to consider taking my Total Horsemanship Study Course classes. I teach about things such as this and all things encompassing horses- I make it extremely affordable at only $10.00 per class. To learn more about educational opportunities that I offer, I invite you to visit my web site at: www.christapetrillotraining.com or email me at: christapetrillo@hotmail.com.

More to come about Hubble... Stay tuned... :-) Take a look at the before and after photos further below...

Yesterday I spent some time with Hubble. I gave him a much needed bath and then worked him in the round pen. This was his actual first real time getting worked in the round pen. We had visited the round pen previously- several weeks ago- but I realized he was too weak to work at that time and decided he needed to be built up healthwise before we could get to the training. You won't believe how he has come around! Pictures tell the story! He actually looks pretty cute! His bald spots have filled in with hair- good nutrition does wonders along with the product "Well Horse", which is derived from a plant resin grown in the Amazon that you apply topically.

I have to do a short commercial here for Well Horse because I am so impressed with this product! Within two days of applying the Well Horse topically Hubble had hair! Magically! even his bite and kick scars are all gone! You can learn more about this product at http://www.well-horse.com/. You won't believe the photos they have on their web site! Amazing!

Back to Hubble... His coat has not only grown in and his dry, brittle hair shedded out but he now has a slick shiny coat that has "chrome"! He glistens in the sunlight! I can only attribute this to two things- One God and two, all the nutrition and care I've been pouring into Hubble. I have Hubble on a good quality Oat Hay and on Oat/Alfalfa cubes processed by Harlan Feed out of Woodland. Harlan Feed does a careful job of providing a quality product consistently. I highly reccomend them!

Okay, another short commercial- Harlan Feed has been providing feed for my horses and my client's horses since the day they opened. Harlan Feed takes pride in producing, manufacturing and supplying customers with a consistent product from a trustworthy source. Providing a high quality agricultural product is not only the focus of their business, it is their heritage that stems from the creation of thier family farm back in the early 1850's. There just aren't better people to deal with! I'm so fortunate to have them closeby and enjoy seeing them on a weekly basis! Great people! Great product! Believe it or not they are a highlight in my week - such friendly people... And... Hubble is fortunate because the product they produce is making him healthy!

I also have to give credit to the quality, organic herbs that I have been feeding to Hubble. I retail the herbs so this is my own commercial moment :-) .

Petrillo & Petrillo began recently in answer to a call from clients (and my own need) for a high quality bulk herb source for our horses. I have been feeding and studying herbs for years to a great deal of success. I have many stories to tell where herbs have made the difference in rehabilitating an ill or injured horse. (watch for my herb web site coming soon to a computer near you) In Hubble's case I needed to build up his blood. When my vet, Nancy Martin, DVM, examined Hubble she commented that in her estimation, considering his starvation and parasitic load, and other visible signs presenting, that he was blood deficient or anemic. The photos show his condition- imagine 100 times worse in person. He was weak, lethargic, he had bare patches of skin where the hair had fallen out in clumps, his coat had signs of fungus, his eyes were glazed over not to mention all the bones poking out... he was the "poster boy" of starvation. I knew his liver needed support and his immune system- just every system of his body needed support. I gradually began Hubble on herbs and now, today, he is on 25 different herbs and is glistening with improved health. For him to come so far in just 30 or so days is nothing short of miraculous. I have written about herbs and taught about herbal remedies with horses to my students and I practice the same. If it is something you would like to know more about I would be happy to discuss it with you. If you have a need to buy herbs I can accomodate your need. You can contact me for further information by either emailing me at christapetrillo@hotmail.com or by phone at 707-688-4358. Again, watch for my herb web site coming to a computer near you soon!

I don't know if Hubble will be able to be presented at the HELP Resuce Me Trainer's Showcase at Horsexpo June 10-13 or not. It is up to Hubble. A horse in his state can't be pushed. I've gained ground with his health and I don't want to risk setting him back for the sake of a competition. If he handles the training then we will continue to progress- time will tell. I am committed to Hubble and to see him through until he can be riden and exist in our human world as a trained horse. The gift I give to Hubble is my way of giving back to God what he has given me as an ability. I can tell you it brings me great gratification to see Hubble succeed- every step... His success in overcoming starvation and the hardship in his life is my success- Enjoy the photos of his recent bath!

I've been pretty busy with daily training, giving lessons and even held a Trail Clinic last weekend. I squeeze time in for Punkin and Hubble.

Two weekends ago I took Punkin to a schooling show at Ranchotel in Vacaville. It was an extremely positive experience with her. She is quite the little horse! So smart and very willing. I have some photos of her in the warm up arena. On one side of the arena were some hiker/bike trails. Every once in a while a bicycle would come along from "out of nowhere" and she would be startled but held it together and kept her frame. At one point a couple of young pre-teens came galloping- I mean a full gallop- into the arena and went around and around and around. When they first came into the arena they came up on her backside... she stayed in her frame and held it together. I was pretty impressed! Ranchotel is situated alongside I-80 and she handled all the big rig trucks and heavy weekend traffic really well. There were people and horses and excitement everywhere. The loud speaker would go off with some announcement and she didn't react to it at all. For a firstimer she was a pro. I was proud of her. She was exposed to a variety of things and all in all she handled it like a seasoned show horse! I think she has the potential to be a fantastic horse for someone who can keep her in a pastured situation. She is a confirmed cribber and does NOT do well in a paddock or stall situation and in my opinion never will. She needs to be out on a large enough pasture to where she won't get bored and where she won't feel confined and stressed. I am regretful that I am having to turn her back into the rescue due to her excessive cribbing. She has ulcers due to her cribbing (something that goes hand in hand) and apart from being expensive to treat - ($50.00 for a 4 day supply) I can't work her when she is experiencing stress and ulcers- it only makes her physical condition worse. I don't have an open pasture appropriate for her. I feel good that I have gotten her to a point in her training to where just about anyone can ride her that has experience. The Grace Foundation has pasture that she can be kept on... and hopefully either they can use her in their riding program or they will find her a good home. She is EXTREMELY sweet and personable! This is what breaks my heart with her. She has stolen my heart. She always gives me hugs and buries her head in my chest and just stands there pressing her head into my chest- so cute! If only she didn't crib...
I am disappointed that I won't be able to compete with her at the Help Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase at Horsexpo. Maybe next year with a horse that isn't ill?

Hubble is my Hubba-Hubba man... He like Punkin is personable too... don't forget he chose me? He really likes the interaction and seems to enjoy his grooming time and the long walks we take around the ranch. Hubble has been quite ill since I first brought him to the ranch from the rescue. He was only 750 pounds- starvation condition. He was low man on the totem pole with bite and kick marks over almost every part of his body... so it was no wonder he was thin- he'd been chased off the food; plus he had a heavy parasite load. He's in "heaven" now. He gets good groceries and I'm building his body internally with good nutrition through high quality hay and supplementation with vitamins, herbs and grain. He is healing. His coat has begun to grow back in and he's gained a considerable amount of weight. The other day he actually "looked" at me. I could see in his eyes he actually was "seeing "- he had awakened to life! Up until now he has felt so weakened and poorly that he has had this sort of glazed over look about him. I am hoping he will feel good enough next week for me to begin his training. We'll take it slow- short periods and mostly walking... We'll progress at his pace. He still has a very long way to go to a healthy horse state.

I had hoped to have taken two horses to Horsexpo but it doesn't appear Hubble will be at a point to where I would consider him healthy enough either. We'll see- we still have a month to go. If he isn't well enough to go I would like to continue with him over the course of this next year and bring him back to the Help Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase next year and present him fully rehabilitated and trained- as an example of how far these horses can come back to... and to demonstrate there is always hope. I have documented Hubble's condition through photographs and video footage. I'm hoping the Grace Foundation will see the value in my idea and allow me to do this with him. If you would like to see this let us know... your support and interest means alot to me and to the Grace Foundation.