LET HER BUCK!!

My Young Mule Stella
Has made it abundantly clear
That the Mountrain Trail
Obstacle Course just isn't her deal!

You may have met Stella
A freight train on the loose
With me taggin' behind her
Like a broke down Caboose!

You see BOLTING was Stella's
Preferred Mt Trail Skill!
She was SO lightening fast and
she would do it at will!

One Day Marilyn and Dee
With loving intention
Sat me down for a special Cowgirl
Mule intervention!

"Laine, Stella doesn't seem happy and neither do you!
You should both be having a blast,
You you look so Dang Blue!"

Stell the Mule is now out living her Dream!
She lives on a Ranch and will pull with a Team!

Oh? and the Team pulls wagons in Parades Did I mention?
And we ALL know Stella loves being the center of attention!

So now I'm introducing Shelby,
My new little grey mare!
Bless you Mark and Jan!
She's an answer to prayers!

Thanks to the Hoovers,
She'll get the most incredible Start!
A Team Hoover Education
Thanks straight from the Heart!

One day I was boasting to Mitch
about Stella's smooth start!
She never bucked or got humpy!
She sure did her part!

Mitch listened politely until
I ran out of air.
His slight cowboy smile said he had
some Wisdom to share!

He said.."The quiet ones that are easy to start,
Tend to blow up on you later
and Buck you Apart!'

"I'd rather have my rodeo worked out
Right up front!
That way I know what I'm dealing with,
I'll tell you what!"

So Lord I know I've been
Doubly Blessed,
But for the love of Mitch and JoLinn
I have one more request!

Lord, when Mitch gets on Shelby
for the Very First time,
Let her buck like a Hell Cat!
Give him a Rodeo Ride!

Lord, keep his seat in the saddle,
Please don't let him get hurt,
Don't Rattle his brains,
Or have him eat any dirt!

Just 8 seconds of crazy Lord,
We don't want a riot,
After that le the training be
easy and quiet!

Stella the Mules future in parades is so bright,
I miss her like crazy but
my decision was right!

I am looking forward to Shelby and I having fun!
And not having my equine
Bolt off at a run!

Team Hoover has blessed me with
incredible hope...
Maybi I CAN keep an equine
At the end of a Rope!

Today was really a weird day!  Mums and Dad came up to see me!  That part is normal!  They are always coming to see me, but today Mum has so much rain coming out of her eyes!  She was snuffling and blowing her nose alot.  Think she might have choke or something.  Anyway...pretty soon a Lady person and a couple of her get showed up.  She was really nice and I just loved her foals.  There was way too much talkin' and not enough treatin' for my liking.  Then a Man Person came to the barn!  I liked him right off....I even said it would be OK for him to come in my stall and pick up my feet!  Now THAT is a big deal for me!  There was some more talkin', Not enough treatin' and Mum was still raining.  I backed out of my stall like Mum taught me 6 or 7 times before I got some dang grain!  What the heck is going on around here today!??
After I had my snack, Mum came in with my halter.  Her eyes were raining like crazy now and her voice was all crackling.  She might have something wrong with her?  Anyway...she was putting my halter on and whispering in my ear!  She said..."Stella Loretta Moon!  You know that I love you with all of my heart right?"  I nuzzled up to her real sweet...I know she loves me lots...  Then she said..."You and I have had an amazing two years together...we have had so many amazing adventures and we have taught each other so much!"  I was kinda not paying attention now cause she was scritching the inside of my ear and I can't think much when she does that....but then she got my attention...she said..."These very nice people love Donkeys and Mules and they are looking for a beautiful proud mule to pull their wagons in parades and shows and for fun!"  Now My EARS went up and my eyes got big!  I LOVE DRIVING!  "Dads and I made a promise to you on the very first day we met...we would ALWAYS make sure that you were doing the job you love!  And you have always loved to drive!  You are still in Kindergarten, but this nice man can take you to college and you can Work the way you want to!"  Oh my EARS I was excited!!  Pulling a Doctors Wagon or a big restored antique wagon!???  Now Mums rain doubled and her hands were shakin' so bad she couldn't finish buckling my halter.  She gave me a hug and a kiss and said "Be a good Girl Stelly Belly and remember everything you've learned"  And then she was gone.  Pretty soon the Lady person came in my stall.  She was very nice and calm.  She walked me down the driveway to a HUGE trailer!  My horsie friends were all saying goodbye...but I was quiet and focused.  The Lady person asked me to walk up a ramp into a weird slot.  Never seen anything like it, but after a minute (and a bite of apple from the Man person) I got in! 
We drove for a little while.  I wasn't worried cause I know my Mum loves me and wants the best life ever for me...and I really like these new people.  Then we came to a stop.  The man person asked me to back out of the trailer. What?  Mum stock trailers me and lets me turn around to get out!  But I did it!  Now I am in a round pen enjoying a nice lunch!  This place is amazing!  Oh and guess what?  I can see two other mules and a couple of Donkeys too!!  I'm not sure what may happen next but I am very excited about my future!  Hope Mum comes to see me and that her eye rain has stopped!   I can't wait to see what happens next!  Do y'all think I can pull stuff for the new man person?

The first prezzie I ever got from my Mum was a Tarp and it scared me to pieces!  Not anymore!!  We are working hard everyday to make it to Nationals in November!!  Dedication!  We are gonna do our bestest!! chEARS!!

Stella the Mule wore her first bit at 20 months old.....It was a surprise to her when I slipped my thumb in her mouth and slid the Happy Mouth Straight bit in there and put her headstall on!  She mouthed and chewed for only a little while and then she was fine!!  Even though I was VERY careful each time I bridled her...she hated it every time!  I would like to ride her in a small Hackamore or a Bosal but realize that being Snaffle Bit Trained is part of her education!  So I found Happy Mouth Bits!  Instead of metal they are hard plastic!  (Hers is PINK of course!!)  After I used a VERY highly recommended "Mule Bit" on her in April she decided HECK NO!  No more bits for me!  Wouldn't even touch her headstall!  I gave it a nice break and over the past few weeks, this is where we are now!  She has some baby caps that are trying to come off so her teeth are bugging her.  That is why we did this exercise!  I want her to take the bit and hold it on her own...a little bit longer each time.  When I do bridle her in this manner (when I am IN the stall or arena with her)  she takes the bit,, lowers her head until her nose is on the ground and allows me to pull her ears under the headstall!  In the past I was creating a monster!  She would back and raise her head until I couldn't reach any more!  Nightmare!  I still remember being at an ACTHA ride a few years ago!  There was a woman with a very tall gelding that obviously HATED being bridled.  She fought and fought with that horse!  He won! She never did get to go on that ride!  I don't want that for Stella!!  It may not look like much...but she is doing great!  It is one thing to accept the bit and another to activel

My Gorgeous Girl Stella the Mule is such a HAM!!  She used to only go potty in her gravel run-out paddock.  I mean ONLY...she was SO Tidy!  She never went potty in the pasture so, as they say...CLEAN UP WAS A BREEZE!!  We moved her pasture about a month ago and EVERYTHING changed!  Now she poops at will along the fence line from one end of the pasture to the other!  And I mean ALOT of Mule poop!  It used to take me all of 5 minutes to scoop!  NOW?  It takes about 30 to 40 minutes!  (My arms are looking great BTW!) Even though it was feeding time, Stella followed me around the pasture.  She was so cute!  She tried to take the rake away from me!  She spent time just standing with me while I picked her pasture!  She got some treats and a lot of scritches!  Then I would pick a little bit more and then stop to spend time with her.  She backed to me with verbal requests and got some awesome butt scritches.  I scooped some more.  Then we just stood together "talking"...she was so relaxed and happy and content.  Then I scooped some more.  I was very content and happy!  My 30 minute pasture picking turned into well over an hour!  After a ten minute pause together, I focused on the last poo poo pile!  FINALLY I was finished!!  As I turned to pick up the fork, I heard a noise behind me!  I quickly turned to see Stella, manure wagon in her teeth, flip the WHOLE WAGON OVER!!  POOP WENT EVERYWHERE!!  I didn't get mad.  Not ONE BIT!  I was, in fact kind of touched!  You see, usually after I pick, Stella gets her grain and I drive home!  We all know how smart mules are!  She had just asked for an extra hour with me!  So I picked, and scritched, and loved on and treated and talked to my Sweet Girl while she stood right next to me as I cleaned her pasture once again.  She never touched the wagon again!  (Oh and she got extra carrots!!)  I Love my Stelly Belly!!

What a difference a year makes!   This was a pretty great run for us last year!  A year before this I wouldn't even got IN this arena!!  Yep it was bumply, but Mum and I were pretty dang it Proud!  The few obstacles after we passed the waterfall were kinda sketchy...but I HATE having that noise and water behind me!  We will keep working on it! Once I got a little ways away I was fine! Mum and I will be at the Fall Clinic 2012

I apologize! This is a rather long vid but I didn't have time to edit very much!  Mitch and JoLinn Hoover did a clinic in Olympia this past weekend and it was EPIC!!  I clearly realized that while I have taught Stella so much, I now need someone to teach me to continue to teach Stella!  And Mitch is AWESOME!!  She has NEVER backed through a pond before!  And he showed me how to ask her to do it!  He reads the people AND the critters in his clinics so well!  I don't think he taught Stella anything! He recognized that i had taught her plenty, but I had to learn to refine and reinforce it!  Nationals are just around the corner!  I want to make Team Hoover Proud!!

It was a VERY busy weekend!!  I got a new pasture!  Cotton Candy! And a new bracelet!! Oh and today I had some visitors!  Mum and I were working in the arena when the neighbors stopped by!  There were two ladies and a little girl!  Dang she was cute! She offered me a carrot and I was SOOOOO Careful to take it from her teeny tiny little palm!  Mum was SO proud of me!  One of the ladies said to Mum..."Gosh your horse is SOOOO Beautiful!  Is she bred specifically to have Donkey Ears??"  I didn't care so much about the Beautiful part of the compliment but DANG!  To be told that I have DONKEY EARS!!  Wow!  I felt like I had won the Miss Mule/Donk America Contest!!  Mum and I got to spend a little bit of time talking to some nice people about what a Mule is and what a Mule can do!  We love EduMulecating people about the awesomeness of Long Ears!! Oh and even though I had a whole lotta "I don't wannas, I was such a good girl today!  I was very aware that we had an audience!! So my Sidepasses were extra awesome!!   Hope you had a Happy Tuesday!

One of my goals with Stella is to keep her soft and willing!   Someone told me that there was NO WAY that Stella could learn to do things at Liberty with verbal requests!  I may not not EVERYTHING but I DO know that this translates to under saddle!  Just sayin'!