Rattlin' Bog Homestead and Kennel

03/26/2026

If you are in the area and want a cool page to check out and follow, go give our friend some love at LilyFire farms. She's got some pretty cool spring farm things going on in Chili, NY.

https://www.facebook.com/share/18MMpgqZ4T/

Pasture-raised meats and eggs, plus farm classes and farm school! Come experience farm fresh with us!

03/26/2026

We got our title applications for the young stock!

The boys haven't made it into our horse of the week series yet, but they're coming up here soon.

I have a lot of people ask me about the adoption /purchase process for the mustangs. It's actually super simple. They have an auction site online under Bureau of Land Management, or you can visit any of their pop up events. There's one in Anneville PA coming up here which is the closest they usually get to NY (unless Vermont does one).

You can often visit these events, or if you're in the western states actually go to the BLM corrals to pick out a horse. Adopting is as simple as filling out an application and having fences high enough to house wild horses, shelter and a vet/farrier. If it's your first time, having a knowledgeable friend or trainer to help is recommended. Wild horses can be dangerous.

The adoption fee for the horses is $125. The sale price is $25! But as we know, the price is always the cheapest part of horse ownership whether they're $25 or $25k.

We hired transportation for the two young boys. The old ladies we picked up in a three horse slant the year before. They have to be open, step up trailers to run the stangs on. If the trailer is not correct they will send you home.

Voila! A year later, if you've adopted, the BLM sends these!! I'm very excited to have my stangs in my own name with their titles, since the DG girls were purchased outright. A vet has to sign off on the form, and they send the titles!

These boys are both Sulphur Springs, meaning they come from a genetic line of Spanish horses in Utah, and are typically dun with primitive markings like the zebra stripes and leg bars. Typically they're touted as harder to train, but I've not found that to be the case with mine. Sensitive and smart is the name of the game, and my favorite type of horse.

03/17/2026

For our horse of the week today we have the boy who took up the mantle after Osay passed away and has generally brought the equine side of the busness to where it is today.

Meet: Rune. AKA, Roony Tunes, aka Sandman, Aka, Chex.

Rune came to the farm 6 years ago when Jess decided to actually horse shop for a 'broke' horse. Rune was and to this day is the only horse that Jess rode while 'shopping' for a new partner.

We brought him home that night. Rune was incredibly shut down after having been through several auctions and brokers, and then shipped through the eastern states. He was worried, lame and a little on the thin side. Then, when he did come out of his shell... he bucked! He has a wave mouth from lack of teeth care. He would rear if you led him by the halter, and never mind catching him in the pasture. Might as well just re hang up the halter.

We found out after awhile that Rune was a cowboy-ed roping horse. He used to hate whips.

Now, 6 years later: Jess relies on him for absolutely everything. He occasionally has weird days but we take them as we go. Now he prefers whip to leg if he's sticky, (leg is too much pressure for him). He's the go to boy for roping, cattle sorting, catching loose mustangs, ponying, lessons and trails. He's done pony camps, clinics, has gone camping, tries his hand at dressage, rides bridle-less and ba****ck for Jess, and is estimated somewhere in his mid twenties now. We haven't found something this guy can't do.

And? I have a Happy saint paddy's day photo for y'all!! May your troubles be less. And your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door

03/17/2026

We sent Ciri the jersey to the breeder last November and she was covered AI in January. I managed to wrestle her to get a bit of 🩸💉 for her preg test and looky here ! It looks like we will be having a full reg. Jersey calf in October this year!

The bull used is know for throwing stocky calves with nice longer teat conformation, so we are hoping it balances our girl out a little bit in the little udder depo. 🥰

Fun fact : every preg test I've run with my cattle has come back faint like this but they say if there's even the slightest big of pigment in that line you've got a +!

Here's to hoping this baby breaks our bull calf streak. 5 bulls straight 😅🤞

03/09/2026

Jess's Summer 2026 lesson schedule is officially in construction!

About Jess: I specialize in a unique blend of Classical Lightness and Western Feel. With over 20 years of experience—from gentling wild Mustangs and restarting off-track Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds to reining, driving, and utility work—I bring a multi-disciplinary approach to every horse-and-rider pair.

I bypass the "demand stage" of riding to focus on the relationship and the biomechanics. If it’s bad for the horse physically or mentally, I don’t teach it. Period.

What We Do Here:
✨ The Essentials: Mastering the walk, trot, and canter with a balanced, truly independent seat.
✨ The Masters: We combine the "feel" of natural horsemanship (Ray Hunt) with the precision of the classical masters (Nuno Oliveira and Baucher's second). No "get on and go" here—we focus on the why behind the movement.
✨ Versatility: From Horseback Archery and Roping to the ultimate test of connection: Ba****ck and Bridleless work.
✨ Real-World Ready: We get off the rail. You’ll learn to navigate uneven terrain, small jumps, and practical horsemanship that will translate outside the arena.
✨ The Connection: We teach you to read the horse’s mind and body, not just pull on their mouth. As lifetime students of the horse we prioritize questions! If we don't know- we'll find out together.

THE DETAILS:
🗓 When: Summer 2026
📍 Availability: Strictly limited spots. Evening and weekend slots are top priority.
🎯 Who: This year, I am focusing on serious riders who are ready to commit to their development and their horse’s well-being.

Ready to find your "feel"?
Message the page or get in touch with Jess directly to secure your spot on the build list. Let’s ride.

Note: I am happy to travel within 30 mins of Bergen, NY if the rider has a horse and would like instruction within their location. Prices vary.

A horse is a mirror to your soul. Sometimes you might not like what you see. Sometimes you will." — Ray Hunt
"Hands without leg, leg without hand." — Baucher
"If you do it by force, it is not the art of riding, it is something else." — Nuno

03/07/2026

Boy, do we have a horse of the week for you!

Meet Jelly Bean Kash. This beautiful girl is our most recent acquisition through the Moore's kill pen (the same place we pulled Gonzo and Ginger). She is supposedly bred (2 for 1!). But moreover- she is the cousin of Osaycanu Kash, Jess's heart horse.

We decided to pull her when we lost Polaris in memorial. We rescued Gonzo back in 2020, after losing Ozzy, from the same killpen for the same reasons!

It's a full circle moment with this girl, who we are affectionately calling 'Bea'. She's another example of lives being used to their fullest and discarded, but in an entirely different way! She was an Amish cart horse who just missed the slaughter truck. We have no idea what the baby will be. But, we are nevertheless SO excited that this girl is in our barn.

She came home on Monday March 2nd!

She is catapulting the year of the horse for us with foal watch and re feeding. Jess is so excited to have another baby in the barn, as Brier and the 'stang boys hit their two year old stride and come closer to being ready to ride. Having let Rookie go to a new home (who, by the way, love him!) gave us the opportunity to save Bea.

We have no idea what the future will bring but we are embracing it with hopeful, open arms and lots of love in our hearts.

02/28/2026

Up til now we've been chatting about the horses who came and stayed due to some reason or another. We wanted to audible and highlight one who was intentionally born on farm and will stay because he means too much in every sense of the word. Orion's life has been simple, easy and he's spent it with us.

Orion's Aetos. Pinto Morgan fresian. We owned his mom for years before we decided to cross her with a gorgeous local Moresian. At the time, we were unaware that Polaris had N/PSSM1. We only knew she had weird lameness issues and Jess wanted a foal with her mind. Also can't discount that she was frame and a dun carrier.

When Rion showed up, he wasn't exactly a strong driven c**t. Jess taught him to stand. Helped him nurse the first time... And when Polaris left the stall she had to teach him how to climb over the skirt board to get outside. It thunder stormed an hour or so later... Jess had to go out and literally lift him over the door to get him back inside because he couldn't sort it out.

Rion has turned into the prettiest little pinto Moresian gelding; though little might not be the term because he's one of the taller horses in our herd. He's happy go lucky, a wonderful 'jester' who doesn't seem to bother himself with hierarchy. He was a simple start for Jess. The first ride she got on him, walked five feet and got off... She let him go wander and he took off bucking down the far end of the arena, then came back and stood like 'k got that out of my system'. Despite his joker personality and more woah than go self, he is aware of his rider and careful of everyone on the ground. Jess hopes to get him into mounted archery this year.

Orion is an example that, while we do have a lot of misunderstood equines, not EVERY horse here has a broken past. ;) unfortunately Orion did also inherit Polaris's PSSM1.

02/21/2026

Since we are on the topic of mustangs: meet "Devil's Garden Delilah".

This girl is a special one. She was born and bred in the wild of California, lived for TWENTY-ONE Years there before she was rounded up and shipped. Could you imagine? Spending your whole life into your seniority in one place, living one life...? For two decades! Only to be removed from her world and sold off. Pregnant.

Delilah has been the one to encourage me to ask, "is it ethical?" Is it ethical to train a 21 year old horse who's evaded humans her whole life? Is it ethical to move her thousands of miles, take a baby and rehome her?

For me? That answer was nope. And to be honest: it took me some time to get there. I don't think it ethical, but where do horses like this go when trainers don't step up? Slaughter. Backyard barns where they're neglected. People get hurt. Auction after auction. Etc.

So, Delilah lives here, and we take every day as it comes. I sponsor her retirement because I can and I feel that it is ethically responsible to be here for her. You see, I've gained something from Delilah; not only did she foal when she arrived, but she has also been teaching me and the herd what it means to live a life wild. She's a unique soul- ancient and knowledgeable.

At now 24 years old Delilah is a soul in my barn that I deeply enjoy but perhaps might never know. The question she poses every day - do we throw them out when we're done with them or don't perceive value? And I'm not just talking about horses here. Whether it's an old horse, an aging employee, or a used-up resource, our society struggles to value things that don't have a clear output. We see this in veterans. We see this is people not willing to make an effort to understand the other side of an argument. We see this in countries. Leaders. Races. And yes, animals such as dogs and horses.

How much imagined or ascribed value does it take for us to decide that what we've taken/lived/experienced is enough to breech that 'I will be here for you' mentality? We live in a world where it's nothing to throw out. An opinion can be polarizing. A life can be lost in the shuffle.

How do we come to terms with the reality that life is precious? Whether it can do for you...or not.

I am the only constant Delilah has known since being pulled from the wild. I brought her here, I provided a home for her foal, I did what was necessary and I think in small ways she shows me what that means to her. Additionally I know what the world would have in store for her outside of my barn. I've been told countless times what the world sees in a horse like her. It's all over the place. "Untrainable" "sketchy" "old" "useless" ... So here she stays. Because here at the end of the day I see a horse as beautiful as a sunrise and as dangerous as a thunderstorm and she'll only be here a fleeting while in the grand scheme of the universe. To me: she counts.

02/15/2026

Tango met the big herd today! Demi is the only one who really took interest 😅

02/14/2026

Meet the Herd: Wokini (Kia)

If you want to understand the heart and soul of The Bog, you have to meet Kia. That chesnut in the field with the brand. Formerly known as Sierra, she’s a Nevada mustang who came to me through the Equicenter in NY.

When I began working with Kia in 2023, she was a classic example of a horse who had been trained but not reached. She had been considered handle-able since 2021, but the reality was a mare full of distrust, frustration, and a massive amount of no. She was incredibly head-shy and a one-person horse in the most guarded sense of the word.

Most people see a lot of horses and assume they all get a cookie-cutter version of care. Kia is the proof that they don't. Because she was soured and frustrated, I threw the traditional training timeline out the window and tailored everything to her nervous system.

We used Positive Reinforcement (+R) in the field—no pressure, no cross-ties, just choice.

We worked on haltering just for the sake of taking it off.

We moved to liberty lunging where the focus wasn't on work, but on communication.

Most importantly: Kia learned that her no would be respected here.

When a horse realizes they have a voice, they stop screaming. They start whispering. And eventually, they start listening.

Today, Kia is the matriarch of my mare herd. She is, in essence, a domestic pony.

She puts her nose in the halter when I hold it up.

Instead of pulling on the line every time she feels pressure she follows like a puppy.

She ties without fuss.

She doesn't need to be sedated for foot trims.

She seeks out butt scratches and treats.

She adores my children

We’ve progressed to backing her with a focus on partnership rather than performance.

Kia is the love of my life and the horse that sharpens me most as a trainer. She doesn't let me get away with being lazy or unobservant. She demands that I be better. Working with her takes a lot of mental effort that most other horses just don't cost for me.

When people count "heads" from the road, they don't see the years of patience it took to get a wild Nevada mare to volunteer for a halter. They don't see the psychology required to ask a soured, misunderstood horse to be a partner.

Kia isn't just a horse I "have." She is a horse I am honored to know. I think, in fact, she would claim she owns me—not the other way around. She has a home for life in my barn, whether she’s a "productive" member of the team or just a beautiful, hay-burning pet.

02/11/2026

Tango seems to be quite content with Orion. They're only a year apart (Rion is younger). Tango is a "explore the world with my lips" sorta guy. Rion has dealt with Demi so he's happy to nibble back. I suspect these two are a love story in the making 🤣