[ty_tay]

AnnaROUaT
#4582

Name: Aiyana
Age: 10yrs
Breed: Mustang
Color: Buckskin
Gender: Mare
Markings: Overo, Blaze
Height: 14.2hh
Vice/Fear/Special: Kicks at anyone and everyone.
Notes:

[monochrome.]

General Information:
Name: Aiyana, pronounced "Eye-Ana" (Ani for short)
Name Meaning?: "Eternal Blossom" This name was bestowed upon this mare because I hope she will one day blossom in the perfect horse, and that our relationship will blossom into something beautiful.
Age: Ten years old. Her estimated birthday is June 4th, 2004.
Breed: Mustang.
Color & Markings: Buckskin overo with blaze.
Personality: Aiyana seems to be very eager to learn and a total sweetheart. She is very cautious about her blindspots, though, and does not trust people easily. She seems to pick concepts up very quickly, although you will have to reinforce the idea several times if you want it to stick. She can become upset and will be very stubborn when she's in one of her moods. She does not trust anyone or anything in her blindspots and will kick / buck / rear / run from whatever is in her blindspot.
Vices / Dislikes / Specialties {Weaknesses & Strengths}: This mare is very skittish when anything or anyone is in one of her blindspots. If you're in her blindspot, she will kick. Hard. Loud noises, as well as anything she deems frightening, will cause her to kick, rear, buck and kick a bit more. She often reacts without thinking, and will kick out at anything. It takes a long time to earn this mare's trust, but once you do she will trust you wholeheartedly. She has been rumored to run very quickly, but that has yet to be proven.

~*~

Notes:
I have not participated in the Mustang Makeover before, nor have I participated in this online version. Thus, I will make mistakes. I have flaws, as does every other human being, so please forgive me if I do something wrong. Notify me of the error's existence and I will do my best to fix it in the quickest possible manner. I am not the best artist, nor the best writer, but I will do my best. It does not matter to me whether Aiyana and I place in the top three, I would just like to be an active participant in this beautiful mare's training and care.

~*~
Index:
Looking for art of this mare?
Day 1 update? Right here.
Want to know what happened on day 2?
Here's day 3!
Looking for day 4?
Day 5 can be found here.
Need day 6? *click*
Want to read day 7?

[monochrome.]

Art:
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[monochrome.]

Day 1: {Arrival & Getting to Know Aiyana}

One thumb tapping the steering wheel nervously, my other hand found my way up to my necklace. The necklace was an intricate silver design of a horse's head and neck curved gently into a heart shape. I had received it as a gift this morning from my mother, as a congratulations present. My family and I had trained and rescued Mustangs for as long as I could remember, but this horse would be my first project. I was going solo with this horse, and I couldn't wait. "Nervous?" Jamie, my best friend and fellow horse breaker, asked. "A little. But more like excited," I said quietly, pulling my red pickup with double horse trailer in tow into the dusty parking lot. Jamie was experienced at the Mustang Makeover, this would be her third. I was counting on her to help me find my way around the crowded grounds. "I'm going to go find my horse, you should go talk to that woman. She'll know where to take you," Jamie said, gesturing to a woman standing at the edge of the parking lot. We nodded goodbye and went our separate ways.

"What's your name?" May, the woman Jamie had directed me to, asked. "Anna. I'm right there," I said, smiling and pointing to my name on a list of long names. "Ah, yes, there you are. Your horse should be in the far left paddock." May pointed to a path that led to the far paddock as she scribbled a check mark next to my name. I quickly thanked her as she wrote down my horse's number and made my way to the far left paddock. It was early, and the sun was just rising. Even the early hour hadn't stopped crowds from coming to see the Mustangs, the grounds were packed. I carefully picked my way to the correct paddock, head down.

"Oh my goodness." The sight of my new mare had left me completely speechless. All I could think of was how beautiful she was. When I had finally reached her paddock, she was the only horse inside. She had been in the back of the paddock, as far away from the pathway as she could get, her head low, staring cautiously at the people walking by. "Hey, sweetheart....I'm going to be working with you for a while, okay?" I said softly, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small sugar cube. The mare inquisitively stuck out her neck and meandered over to the fence line, watching me cautiously. She slowly reached her muzzle into the flat palm of my hand and munched on the sugar cube. Careful to stay to the side of her head, where she could see me, I gently reached up and stroked her neck. The mare stood completely still, waiting for my next move, and I withdrew my hand. "This one yours?" A man asked from behind me. I nodded and said, "Sure is. I think I'll call her Aiyana. Meaning, 'Eternal Blossom'. The man smiled and began to walk away, probably to his horse, but turned and said over his shoulder, "Sure is a beauty."


I was only kicked at once while trying to get Aiyana's halter on. It was my fault, though. I had crossed too close behind her and into her blind spot. Luckily I managed to jump out of the way and her hoof only connected lightly with the side of my calf. I clipped the lead rope to her halter and sent a text to Jamie. She responded quickly saying her new horse, named Trigger, was in the trailer already and she'd be by shortly to help me load up Aiyana.

It took quite a bit of work to get Aiyana in the trailer, but she had eventually calmed down and walked quietly in. After an hour's drive back to the barn, I opened the trailer door as softly as possible and crept in, staying out of her blind spots. She nickered anxiously as I backed her out of the trailer, but other than that she was completely compliant. "'Atta girl!" I murmured excitedly as I lead her into the empty paddock I had reserved for her. Slipping off her halter as quickly as possible, I hung locked the gate and let her run free around the paddock, watching her run, buck and rear like a young filly.

Once she had settled down a bit, I grabbed a book about raising and gentling wild Mustangs and sat in the lush grass just inside of the paddock fence. Aiyana grazed calmly, lifting her head often to examine her surroundings and sniff the wind. I occasionally glanced up from my book to find her staring at me curiously from a few feet away. Pulling a pair of sugar cubes out of my pocket, I offered them to her and she trotted over, crunching happily on the sweet treat as she withdrew.

I quickly finished the entire book, yet remained sitting in the paddock, watching my beautiful new mare graze contently. After a few minutes of watching her, I clucked softly, staring as she slowly raised her head and looked at me. Removing the remaining sugar cubes from my pocket, I offered them to her as she walked slowly over, nickering quietly. She grazed about a foot away from me until night fell..

"Anna! Dinner!" My mother's voice rang clearly into the paddock which held Aiyana and I. I slowly stood, making sure I wasn't in one of her blind spots or making and loud or sudden movements, and picked up my book. "Night, sweetheart," I murmured, slowly reaching out and patting Aiyana's neck. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch or pull away, but stood as still as a statue. I slowly left the paddock, closing the gate softly behind me.

Thoughts?:
Aiyana is responding well to Anna, calmly grazing nearby and not pulling away when touched. She will, however, kick when people walk too close behind her. She also trailered well and did not do poorly when reaching her new home.

[monochrome.]

Day 2: {Grooming and General Care}

I awoke bright and early the next day, wolfing down a breakfast of toast and orange juice while the sun slowly rose. Pulling on my jeans, I noticed a large bruise on one of my calves: a reminder of Aiyana's habit of kicking. Pulling my hair into a ponytail I raced down the hill to Aiyana's paddock. "Hey, Aiyana," I said softly, watching her ears flick towards me. Other than the movement of her ears, she remained completely still. I carefully opened the gate and let myself into her paddock, making sure to stand slightly to the side of her head. Pulling a sugar cube out of my pocket, I offered it to her with a perfectly flat palm. Her muzzle tickled my hand as she delicately took it from my hand and crunched happily. "Atta girl. Looks like you got dirty last night," I murmured, looking at several mud stains along her sides. "I guess somebody needs to be groomed. This'll be interesting."

I quietly let myself out of her paddock and into the barn, grabbing a grooming bucket from the tack room. It contained a simple rubber curry comb, a wooden soft brush and hard brush, and a hoof pick. I would eventually need to brush her face, comb her mane and tail, and apply fly spray, but getting Aiyana used to the brushes and pick would be enough work for the day. The barn hand, Tucker, nodded hello. He politely inquired about my new mare before saying, "Aiyana? That's a beautiful name, but won't it get to be a bit of a mouthful? Why not just call her Ani?" I smiled and thanked him for the advice, realizing he was right. "Ani," I murmured, trying out the nickname on my tongue.

"Alrighty, sweetheart. Let's get to work, shall we?" I removed the curry comb from the grooming bucket, standing slightly to the side of Aiyana's head where she could see me. I placed the curry comb on the ground several feet away, watching as Aiyana eyed it warily. After a few moments of staring down the brush, she stepped forwards and sniffed it, nosing it around in the grass. "Good girl," I said, picking up the bush and rubbing it gently and slowly on her neck. Aiyana sidestepped away from the curry comb, afraid, but after I advanced with it once more and rubbed it in small circles on her neck she calmed down. I read that curry combing and brushing a horse felt similar to being groomed by a herd member, so I assumed that was why she responded so positively to the brush.

After repeating the desensitization process with the remaining two brushes, the hard brush and the soft brush, I slowly removed the hoof pick from the grooming bucket. "We'll start with your front hooves since you're a kicker," I said, placing the hoof pick on the grass in front of Aiyana. She pawed and backed up slightly at the sight of the strange new tool but continued to inspect it until she was comfortable with standing next to it. Leaving the hoof pick on the ground, I slowly walked towards her, staying where she could see me. Aiyana seemed to be comfortable with me touching her and standing next to her, but I had no idea how she would react when I attempted to touch her lower legs. Slowly reaching down, I ran my hand along her lower right front leg, watching as she remained relatively calm. Instinctively, she slowly lifted her hoof off the ground, and I removed my hand quickly, allowing her to drop it back down. I repeated this process several times, holding her hoof long each time. Picking up the hoof pick, I lifted her hoof and cleaned it, working as quickly as I could to remove the rocks and dirt trapped in her hoof. "You're such a good girl," I murmured, repeating the process on her front left hoof.

Aiyana's hind hooves were much more of a challenge. When I went to pick up her right hind leg she lifted it, as if to say, "Back up or I'll kick you." I obeyed, backing away until she seemed calm again. It took several tries before I could successfully lift her hind right leg and pick it clean with the hoof pick, but I was only kicked twice. I managed to dodge the first kick, but the second hit my shin. After another hour or so, all of Aiyana's hooves were clean and her coat was shining in the late morning light. I had already fallen completely in love with this mare and I'd only known her for two days. When I held out a sugar cube, Aiyana trotted over and quickly took the treat from my hand, nickering happily. "I'm going to get lunch, but I'll be back later, Ani," I said, slowly reaching up to stroke her forehead. Aniyana didn't react to my touch, instead standing completely still and watching as I left the paddock.

I returned to Ani's paddock as soon as I possibly could, eating lunch as quickly as I could, waving a simple goodbye to my mother as I raced out of the house. "Let's work on some halter training, huh?" I asked my mare, holding up a teal halter. Ani snorted and pawed anxiously as I advanced. Taking a deep breath, I stood next to her neck and looped one hand under her chin, grabbing the halter from the other side. Ani pawed once more as I slowly pulled the halter over her nose and ears until it was fully on. I quickly fastened the clasp and stepped to the side. Jamie had said this was the best way to halter-train a horse: just put it on and let them figure it out themselves. I didn't believe her, but Aiyana seemed to be responding surprisingly well to it. She trotted up to a fence post and rubbed the halter on it for a few minutes, before getting used to the light pressure of the halter and grazing calmy with it still on her head. I left it on her for several hours, removing it after the suggested two-and-a-half hour period was up. I was so proud of Ani; She was responding so well to all of the desensitization we had done today. I would have to repeat the process tomorrow, but she was learning so quickly.

Just before night fell, I returned to Ani's paddock, opening the gate slowly and offering her a pair of sugar cubes. Filling her water trough, I watched Aiyana out of the corner of my eye. She was standing a few feet to my right, staring calmly into the water trough, her nostrils opening and closing slowly as she inhaled and exhaled. "Night, Ani," I said, turning towards her and patting her neck.

Thoughts?
Ani is responding well to the desensitization of grooming tools such as brushes and hoof picks. She is also relatively comfortable with Anna and reacted positively to the halter. However, her hind legs are very sensitive to touch and her habit of kicking persists.

[monochrome.]

Day 3: {Halter/lead training and getting used to the stall}


"Hey, Ani," I whispered, opening the gate and entering Ani's paddock. She looked up from grazing and trotted happily over, nosing my pocket. "You're so smart." I said, laughing quietly, and giving her a sugar cube from my pocket. She snatched the white cube into her teeth and trotted to the far side of the pen. She may not be one-hundred percent comfortable with me just yet, but at least she knew who had the treats ready. Once she had finished munching on her sugar cube, I grabbed her teal halter from its hook next to the paddock gate, picking up a teal lead rope that had been hanging over the fence board in the other hand. "Alrighty, Ani. Today you're going to learn how to walk nicely on a lead, and then we'll get you settled into your stall. You can't stay out here forever."

Putting on her halter was no problem, Ani held perfectly still and didn't flinch when I pulled the teal nylon over her head. The lead rope, however, was a different story. A horse cannot see beneath its head, where the lead rope needs to be clipped on, so whenever I reached under her chin to clip on the lead rope, Ani would squeal loudly and gallop to the far end of the paddock. After several attempts, I managed to get it clipped onto the halter ring and was able to lead her around the paddock. Standing by her head, one hand holding her lead rope under her chin tightly and the other holding the slack, I was able to parade Aiyana around the paddock until she became used to walking politely next to the person leading her. After about an hour-and-a-half of teaching her to walk nicely, I unclipped the lead rope and removed her halter. "You did so well, sweetie," I murmured, hanging the halter and lead rope back on the hook next to the paddock gate.

After our halter-and-lead training session, I grabbed Ani's grooming bucket from inside the barn and quickly got to work. Ani wasn't frightened by any of the brushes or the hoof pick and even leaned into my touch as I curry-combed her, enjoying the feeling of the tiny teeth pulling dirt and dust out of her coat. Soon she was sparkling clean and I returned to the barn, replacing the grooming bucket.

Before I had gone to pick up Aiyana several days before, I had prepared a stall for her. A golden nameplate with the word "Aiyana" etched into it sat in the stall door's holder, and the floor was bedded with shavings. A salt block sat next to the blue water bucket, which was filled with crystal-clear water, and a full hay net hung nearby. Tucker, the barn hand, patted my shoulder from behind me. "How's she doing?" He asked politely. I smiled and reported Ani's progress to him, telling him about my success with her halter-and-lead training and her willingness to be groomed. He congratulated me and made his way over to the adjacent stall to change the bedding. "Alright, Ani, let's see how you like your new stall," I whispered to myself, opening the stall door and exiting the barn.

"C'mon, Ani. You'll like it, I promise." I said, tugging Ani into the barn. Her ears pricked up and her nostrils flared at her new surroundings. A gelding inside whinnied loudly at the scent of Ani, and she whinnied back. I let her look around and investigate for a bit before leading her towards her new stall. Ani, surprisingly, maneuvered herself into the small space with ease and didn't look at all frightened. I unclipped the lead rope and hung it over her stall door before shutting it. Ani sniffed about for a bit, kicking out at the wall twice, before calming down and drinking from the water bucket. "Good girl!" I said, opening the stall door, reattaching the lead rope and taking her back outside to her paddock. She wouldn't be in her stall often, only during bad weather or a long training session, but it was important for her to be comfortable in it anyways. I offered her several sugar cubes and a scratch on the neck before saying goodbye and shutting the paddock gate behind me.

Thoughts?:
Ani adjusted very well to her new stall and seems very comfortable in it. She did well with halter-and-lead training as well as with grooming. She is, however, still very sensitive about her blind spots, especially when lead ropes are clipped on under her chin.

[monochrome.]

Day 4: {Hair cut & Touch training}


I woke up the following morning bright and early, eager to begin working with Ani. My Border Collie, Whisper, followed me out to Ani's paddock. I shooed her away, Ani wasn't quite ready to come into contact with dogs yet. I did, however, plan to train her to get used to dogs at some point. Just not yet.

"Hey, Aiyana." I said, slipping into the paddock, halter in one hand and sugar cubes in the other. Ani trotted over eagerly, nosing my hand and munching on sugar cubes as I slipped on her halter. "Ready to be groomed on some cross-ties?" I asked, leading Ani into the stable and clipping her to some cross ties. Bobbing her head, Ani shook the ropes that held the sides of her halter, but stood calmly, except for the occasional pawing and snorting. I grabbed her grooming bucket from the tack room and quickly returned to where she stood patiently. Ani was very tolerant of all the brushing and combing, even letting me pick her hind hooves without kicking. "Good girl," I murmured as I fed her a sugar cube and pulled out a pair of scissors. I never pulled a horse's mane, most of the horses at my barn hated it, and I prefered to clip their manes. I let Ani sniff at the scissors for a few minutes before bringing them to her mane and beginning to cut.

An hour later, Ani's mane was shorter, the stable's floor was covered in hair, and Ani looked perfect. I offered her a sugar cube, which she took happily, before returning the grooming bucket to the tack room and leading Ani to her paddock.

After lunch, I went back down to Ani's paddock. "Ready for touch training?" I asked, offering her another sugar cube. Ani bobbed her head impatiently and trotted across the paddock playfully. "Alright, get back over here," I said, grinning. After haltering her and tying her to the paddock fence, I stood slightly to the right of her head, where she could see me. I began touch training by running my hands over her neck, where I knew she was comfortable with being touched. No reaction from Ani. I praised her before moving to her withers and back. When I touched her back she shifted to the left uncomfortably, but after I withdrew and then touched her back again she remained calm. "'Atta girl!" I said, giving her another sugar cube for allowing me to touch her back. I then moved onto where her girth would eventually be, a very sensitive spot for a horse, and Ani lifted a hind hoof, a warning. "Ah ah! No kicking, Aiyana," I corrected, using a stern voice. After three tries and warnings, I was finally able to touch her girth area without her raising a hoof. Several sugar cubes later, I repeated the process on her left side.

"Now for your legs," I said nervously. I knew Ani's hind legs were sensitive, so I had saved them for last. Standing where Ani could see me, I ran my hands down her front legs. No reaction from the mare. "Good girl!" I exclaimed before moving towards her hind legs. As I bent down to touch her hind left leg, she kicked out with her right. "No kicking, Ani!" I corrected, attempting to touch her hind leg again. This time she let me, only shifting uncomfortably away from my touch. After I repeated the process on her hind left leg I stood and smiled. "You're such a good girl, Ani." I praised, petting her soft muzzle and feeding her several sugar cubes.

I had several hours before I needed to return to the house for the night, so I grabbed my favorite novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and made myself comfortable in Aiyana's paddock. She grazed peacefully nearby, and I soon found her less than a foot away from me, munching happily on some sugar cubes that I had left on the ground for her. "If you keep eating sugar cubes like that I'm going to run out," I said grinning at my new mare. She nickered happily and trotted around the paddock playfully. Noticing how dark it had gotten, I checked my watch and stood. "Night, sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow."

Thoughts?:
Ani did very well with cross-ties and having her mane cut. Her girth area and lower hind legs are sensitive areas to touch. Ani is good at giving warnings before she kicks, though, which should help make her kicking manageable. She seems to be warming up to humans and her personality is revealing itself to be bubbly, playful, and happy.

[monochrome.]

Day 5: {Round penning}

Early the next morning, I found Aiyana galloping around her paddock, bucking and rearing with joy. "Good morning!" I said, grinning when Ani came trotting over to me and nosed my arm energetically. She seemed to have warmed up to me, or at least to my sugar cubes. Laughing, I handed her a small white sugar cube and slipped on her teal halter. "Let's get started, Ani." I walked her around the paddock several times, correcting her when she pulled ahead or lagged too far behind. Once I was sure she was paying attention, I unlatched the paddock gate and led her towards the round pen.

My plan was to train Ani to respond to verbal commands. The problem with verbal commands is sometimes the horse will respond to somebody else's voice while their rider is asking them to do something completely different. My goal was to teach Ani to only respond to my voice commands. Today I would be teaching her simple gait commands such as Walk, Trot, Canter and Gallop.

After unclipping Ani's lead rope, I let her explore the round pen for several minutes before beginning today's training exercise. Snapping the whip on the ground behind her and making soft clucking noises, I got her into a walk. "Walk, Ani. Walk," I said, trying to enforce the idea. Ani walked around the round pen several times before stopping to graze. "Ah ah ah! No, Ani, walk," I said sternly, snapping the whip behind her. Ani kicked out at the whip and took off around the arena at a gallop. "Walk, Ani!" Once Aiyana slowed to walk and held it for several minutes I gave her a sugar cube and patted her neck. "Good girl. You learn so quickly!"

"Let's try a trot now." Picking up the whip again and returning to the center of the round pen, I said, "Walk, Ani. Walk on, girl." Ani walked around the round pen for a lap before I snapped the whip on the ground, asking for a trot. After a few seconds Ani picked up a smooth trot. "Good girl, Ani! Good girl trot!" Aiyana snorted happily and I allowed her to trot around the round pen several times before slowing her down and offering her a sugar cube. Looking at my watch I realized we'd been training for almost two hours, and Ani looked exhausted. "That's enough for today, sweetheart. Let's get you back to your paddock."

After a quick, uneventful grooming, Ani relaxed happily in her paddock, sleeping peacefully. It was only noon, but with all the training we'd done today I wasn't surprised that she was tired. I left a few sugar cubes next to her water trough, which I filled up with the hose, and said goodbye to Ani for the day.

Thoughts?:
Ani is responding well to round penning and can walk upon command. She will learn how to trot on command tomorrow, and the day after canter.

[monochrome.]

Day 6: {Round penning} [Day is short due to limited time online]

Alrighty, Ani. Let's get going," I said, opening Aiyana's paddock gate and leading her to the round pen. Picking up the whip from the hook I'd left it on the day before, I asked Ani for a walk and then a trot. "Good girl, Ani. Now canter." I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and snapped the whip on the ground behind her until Ani began cantering smoothly. Her canter was beautiful, rocking back and forth rhythmically. I watched, transfixed, for several minutes before asking Ani to trot. When she responded to my verbal cue I gave her a sugar cube and a pat on the neck. We worked for several more minutes on cantering before moving to a gallop. "Gallop, Ani!" I said, snapping the whip behind her. Ani continued cantering around the round pen before dipping her head. "No, Ani!" I said, but I was too late. Aiyana kicked up her heels and snorted loudly. "Ani. Gallop." I said sternly, not backing off with the whip. When Ani didn't respond to the sound of the whip snapping the ground, I gently tapped her back with it, which immediately got her galloping. "Good girl, Ani. Good girl gallop," I said, keeping her in a gallop for several minutes before letting her back down to a trot. I had Ani switch directions before repeating the training sessions, praising ani when she responded to my voice commands.

After about three hours I clipped the lead rope back onto Ani's halter and led her to her paddock. I groomed her as she grazed, but it soon began to rain, so I clipped her lead rope back on and took her to her stall. She did not seem phased by the small space and soon fell asleep, after a few nervous circles. As I turned to leave she nosed my arm and I smiled before giving her two sugar cubes and opening the stall door. "Night, Ani."

Thoughts?:
Ani has learned voice commands for all of her gates and is responding exceptionally well to round penning.

[monochrome.]

Day 7: {Round penning} [Day is short due to limited time online]

Ani and I began work earlier than usual the next day, I had her trotting around the round pen before the sun rose. I needed to get lots of training done today, Ani was progressing quickly and well and I couldn't wait to start desensitizing her to tack.

After having her walk, trot, canter and gallop around the round pen several times in both directions using only vocal commands, I let her slow to walk. "Ani"I said, and Aiyana began walking towards me. I praised her quietly and offered her a sugar cube, which she took eagerly. "Let's work on turns, shall we?" I pulled two lunge lines from the hook on the wall and clipped them to the sides of her halter. I had Ani go to the fence and begin trotting clockwise around the round pen. After a full lap, I pulled on the inside lunge line gently. Ani, eying me suspiciously, turned towards me. "Good girl!" I praised, offering her a sugar cube when she turned fully and came trotting towards me. Sending her back to the rail, I had Ani turn several times before having her switch directions and teaching her to turn the other way. She was a bit tighter on her right than her left, but most horses have a better side at turning. I spent more time on her right side and eventually she was supple on both sides.

I didn't teach her the vocal commands, "Right" and "Left", but those would come later. For today I was just pleased with how much progress she was making. I gave her a quick grooming before turning her out into her paddock. I didn't have much to do the rest of the day, so I spent it in her paddock, reading and playing with Aiyana.

Thoughts?:
Ani has learned voice commands for her gaits and knows how to turn. She cannot turn as well to the right as she can to the left, but with a bit of work she should be supple on both sides.