Dennis:
The last third of this journey is upon us. Rainbow has really come up in her riding however with the tremendous heat she is battling a fungus between her front legs and up over her loin so she is getting a break from riding for a few days. She is enjoying cool baths and the soothing comfort of aloe Vera plant some tea tree oil and rose ointment treatments. I thing she thinks life in this day spa is pretty good right now. Today Lance and I are putting our thoughts together on what we will do for the free style part of the finals. This creative type thinking is a challenge in its self. Mental focus and a positive outlook are persevering and the enjoyment of learning from these horses, the situations we have experienced and the wonderful people that we encounter along the way far and above tower over any bit of resistance that we face in this process. It is a process that develops trust, courage and overall personal character.
Lance:
We are now on the final part of our journey with the mustangs. It’s hard to believe that just 73 days ago we were picking up our mustangs. The horses and I have changed so much in these past months. They have gone from being wild horses to horses that now have a bonding relationship with us. Starbucks, my mare has went everywhere with me. So getting in the trailer is a daily experience for her. The neat thing about it is she has no anxiety on wondering where she might be going because of this. She loves to be around people and is always the first one to greet you in the morning. Knowing that we only have 27 days left until we take them to Sedalia is becoming more real each day. All of the final details must be polished out on these horses. The competition is a very high stress situation for the horses if they are not prepared for it. I believe that we have done our best to prepare these horses for what is to come.
With this short period of time left we must stay on track ourselves. We need to stay focused on our end goal and realize what it is going to take to get there. If we fall off track then all of our hard work will be forfeited. I am eager to use these final days wisely and strive for the best that I can possibly be.
Ride Your Picture,
Dennis Cappel & Lance Dixon
Trainers
