Because I Love You More

Indy_2011

By Jennifer Klitzke

I have always been passionate about the Spanish horse—anything with Iberian blood would do. Only I could never afford such a mount.

On a cold January 2012 morning, I was surfing Craigslist.com and light buckskin dun Spanish Mustang named Indian’s Legend (Indy) showed up in the results.

When my eyes first saw him, my heart leapt.

No, I didn’t need another horse, I already had four, but there was something about him.

The owner loved Indy, no doubt. Yet a single mom, working full time, and a full-time student, she was trying to hold her passions together when reality set in. She knew it was time to let Indy go.

Drop-dead gorgeous and the closest thing to Lusitano I’d ever be able to afford, I had to have him.

It took some savvy negotiating to talk my husband into the idea of another horse. It was easy for me to justify. Two of our horses were approaching their thirties, one was a rescue horse strapped with heaves, the other was a non-aerobic gaited horse. Indy would be about the same cost as a gym membership and I’d enjoy him more.

Loading him into the trailer, Indy’s previous owner’s heart was breaking. Her love for him streamed from her eyes as we drove away.

It didn’t take long to realize that Indy was exceptionally intelligent, bold and curious. He needed lots of variety to keep him from getting bored. He wouldn’t be satisfied with miles of 20 meter circles in an arena.

Indy was game for anything we faced. In the last five years he has made many life-long dreams come true in my grandma age. We took up trail riding, which led to trail obstacle challenges, which led to endurance riding. Then we took up stadium jumping which led to cross country and dressage shows, which led to eventing. Then we tried cow sorting followed by becoming a demonstration horse/rider team at the Minnesota Horse Expo. We even rode in a Mary Wanless riding biomechanics clinic. She has been an author I have studied for decades through her books and videos.

In our five years together, Indy earned Spanish Mustang Performance Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2015, 2012 Spanish Mustang Conquistador of Performance Award, and we achieved 2,000 trail miles.

my-spanish-mustang-1112-mary-wanless-clinic1
Mary Wanless Clinic (2012)
my-spanish-mustang-lake
Lots of trail rides (2012-2016)

 

2016 Mosquito Run
Endurance riding (2012-2016)

 

obstacles
Trail obstacles (2012-2016)

 

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping Stadium
Stadium Jumping (2013-2015)

 

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Water Obstacle
Steepleview Schooling Days (2013-2014)

 

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Log
Cross country (2013-2015)

 

Indians-Legend-Spanish-Mustang-Jennifer-Klitzke-2014-Dressage-D&G-Photography
Dressage Shows (2012-2016)

 

Indians-Legend-Spanish-Mustang-Jennifer-Klitzke-2014-Cross-Country-D&G-Photography
Steepleview Horse Trials (2013-2014)

 

My Spanish Mustang cow clinic
Sorting cows (2013-2016)

 

2016 MN Horse Expo featuring the Spanish Mustang
Minnesota Horse Expo (2015-2016)

 

Spanish Mustang Western Dressage
Western dressage (2017)

Only, I faced a cross road when family crisis interrupted our adventures.

On October 2014, after a family intervention, my Dad was admitted into a Memory Care Unit with Alzheimer’s disease. He was a genius in his own time–only 75 years old. The disease robbed him of his brilliant mind. Mom suffered two strokes trying to take care of him at home. Dad was out of control and Mom was at the end of her rope.

I gave up many weekend of Indy time to be with my Dad and Mom during this crisis. Working full time and caring for my family meant that my intelligent and talented Spanish Mustang’s life was on hold. This weighed heavily on me.

Last summer was hard in many ways. I watched my Dad slip away, and I watched Indy grow bored and frustrated. He longed for the adventurous life we once had—going places every weekend to new experiences.

I squeezed in a couple arena rides each week, but that got boring. Then I added obstacles, cavelettis, and jumps for interest. It helped, but Indy missed the life we once had and so did I, but there wasn’t anything I could do about the crisis my family was in.

In January 2017, my Dad passed away. Even thought I am relieved that he is no longer anguished by that brain devouring disease, I miss him.

Now Mom needs more help that ever. Still working full time, my husband and I help her on weekends through life without Dad to downsize 54 years of memories into a manageable living situation.

I looked ahead at this year’s show schedule. Last year’s best intentions didn’t get us to any shows except for the two virtual shows I recorded from home. This year wasn’t going to be any different.

Going on two years in Indy’s prime of life, it just wasn’t right for me to horde him for myself.

In the last few years, Indy’s previous owner had graduated from college and married. We have kept in touch since I bought him, and she asked if I ever needed to part with Indy to let her know. I watched how much fun she and her family have had riding their Spanish Mustangs through mature forest around their home year round. It is the life Indy came from. A life he loved and a life I can’t offer him.

I contacted Indy’s previous owner and asked if she would be interested in buying him back. She was thrilled to be reunited with Indy as her very own again.

Saying “goodbye” to the Spanish Mustang who made my dreams come true felt like another death, but I love Indy more than to see him waste away in boredom because of my busy life. I have deep gratitude in my heart for the five years we shared. I want Indy to be happy and in his element.

Nothing brings me greater joy than to see Indy go back to his first home whose owner loves him like I do and for Indy to live the trail horse dream.

Loading Indy into the trailer, my heart broke. My love for him streamed from my eyes as the trailer drove away.

Because I love you more, Indy. Because I love you more.

Return to Eventing

my-spanish-mustang-first-hunter-show-fences

By Jennifer Klitzke

Jumping and cross country: recently we made headway after an unexpected break. You see, my Dad has been terminally ill. Ever since his fatal diagnosis in since October 2014, my zest for competition has lost its zeal, because time with my family has been priceless.

At the same time, my Spanish Mustang, Indian’s Legend (Indy), hasn’t been himself. He loved the exciting variety we had experienced together: traveling to dressage shows, cross country venues, hunter jumper shows, trail obstacle challenges, cow sorting events, trail rides, endurance races, and more each weekend. I think Indy has been getting bored at home doing the “same old same old.” So I took him on a trail ride at Sand Dunes State Forest, then a Novice Endurance Ride at Crow Hassan Park Reserve, then an endurance-style trail ride at Rum River County Park the last few weekends between visits with my Mom and Dad. It seems to have added more HAPPY to his demeanor.

Then I saw an advertisement for an affordable starter through advanced eventing clinic not too far from home. “Affordable” caught my husband’s eye and “starter-level” caught mine, so I entered Indy in our first eventing clinic. It was our first time jumping in over a year and our first time doing cross country in nearly two years.

Excited and apprehensive, we traveled to Woodloch Stables in Hugo, MN to ride with Lisa Fergusson, a talented and successful event rider, trainer, and clinician.

Arriving I was surrounded by 17 hand Rolls Royce horses as I unloaded my pony-sized Spanish Mustang from the trailer. Fellow riders were friendly and complimentary—especially Lisa, our coach.

On Saturday, we began with stadium jumping. It was an easy start: one cross rail followed by another. Then the line was finished with a vertical. “No problem!” says Indy. Then we added a liverpool followed by a vertical plank. Again, Indy said, “Bring it on!”

We finished our session by riding a full course of cross rails, verticals, double oxers, planks, and the liverpool. The most challenging part was if my grandma brain could remember the 11 fence course.

Lisa was a great encouragement and said that Indy’s eyes lit up with HAPPY as he jumped the fences. He as gentle, enthusiastic, intelligent, and seems to love this stuff!

Lisa offered great tips such as keeping my shoulders back before the jump and landing with my weight in my heels.

The next day we had a private dressage lesson followed by a group cross country session.

Indy trot

Lisa gave us many helpful tips and exercises to improve balance and strength. I asked her if Indy traveled on the forehand. She thinks it is an optical illusion because at a trot his wither is level with his croup and he tracks up in his foot steps. She said he is even more balanced at a canter where his wither rises up higher than his croup. He cleanly moves through upward and downward transitions without falling apart. Lisa encouraged me to ask for more jump in the canter to engage and strengthen him more from behind.

She said riding him straight up and down gently sloping hills at a walk and trot or lunge him on a hillside to help him develop this hind quarters and find his balance naturally. We have the perfect hills in our back pasture to try this out.

While riding in the arena, Lisa suggested to add three ground poles placed four feet apart to trot over and two or three poles placed eight feet apart to canter over. This will help Indy build strength and balance as well. It will also break up the monotony of arena work.

The most important insight for me is to teach Indy half halts from my body and not from the bit. When we tried this in my lesson, Indy responded immediately to my body aids and he didn’t gap open his mouth. Lisa believes that Indy has a sensitive mouth and may be resenting the bit contact. This is very insightful. She also suggested trying a double jointed bit or even a non-metallic Happy Mouth bit.

my-spanish-mustang-052414-water-obstacle

There were three of us in our cross country session and it began at the water complex. Oh, how Indy loves the water! We had lots of practice riding in and out of sun and shade jumping over logs and through the water complex. It was great fun and Lisa said that Indy had HAPPY written all over his face.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Log Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Then we moved to the back course where we worked over a bank, ditch and more logs. I had the opportunity to work through one of our scary issues. At times, Indy will grab the bit, lower his head and neck and take off where I feel out of control. If I pull, he dives down even lower. Lisa made a terrific suggestion. She said, “Don’t pull. If you stop pulling, he has nothing to pull back on and if you pull, he will pull harder and he will win.” Instead, she encouraged me to give him a moment and then half halt and release. We jumped the same sequence again and the release half-halt release worked like a charm.

Indy and I ended on a great note when he jumped the ditch and cantered down his first bank!

Lisa is a terrific coach: she is personable and encouraging, made great corrective feedback, and didn’t over face me or Indy. In fact, I was the one holding Indy back from jumping bigger fences and obstacles.

Special thanks to the organizers and to Woodloch Stables for hosting the clinic with Lisa Fergusson.

P.S. Amazing, not one person said the “F” word (Fjord) at this clinic. (Again, I have nothing against Fjords. I think they are adorable. It’s just that I ride a Spanish Mustang.)

 

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year

Jennifer Klitzke and Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend at the 2014 Steepleview Horse Trials

By Jennifer Klitzke

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year and 1000 mileage patchAn unexpected surprise came in the mail the other day. My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend was awarded 2014 Performance Horse of the Year with the Spanish Mustang Registry, and we earned our 1,000 mileage patch. Thinking back to 2014, Indy and I did a lot of cross country schooling shows which included dressage, stadium jumping and cross country, one recognized Horse Trial, a trail obstacle challenge, novice endurance ride, and lots of trail riding and training miles.

Here’s what Indy adventures contributed to the award:

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Reaching 1000 Miles

Reaching 1,000 miles in the saddle!


May 25, 2014
Three Ring Circus Schooling Show, Hugo, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Three Ring Circus Dressage

Dressage: Training Level Test 3: 1st of 13 entries with a score of 72.8%

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Three Ring Circus Hunter

Hunter over 2’3″ verticals: 5th of 8
Hunter over 20″ verticals: 4th of 4


June 29, 2014
Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Schooling Show, Ham Lake, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Pig Pond Classic Dressage

Dressage Test: 33.1% (66.9%)
2nd best score of 23 beginner starter novice entries

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Pig Pond Classic Stadium

Stadium (no faults)
2nd best score of 23 beginner starter novice entries

http://jenniferklitzke.com/myspanishmustang/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2014-SMR-Performance-Horse-of-the-Year-Indians-Legend-Pig-Pond-Classic.jpg

Cross Country (schooling only)


July 13, 2014
MNDRA Endurance Ride, Crow-Hassan Park Reserve

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Endurance

Novice Endurance, 6th of 15


July 20, 2014
Steepleview Schooling Days, Delano, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Bank

Jumping up and down banks

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Log

Jumping over solid obstacles

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Ditch

Jumping over ditches

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping a Water Obstacle

And jumping in and out of water complexes
(schooling only)


August 2, 2014
RNR Ranch Trail Challenge, St. Croix Falls, WI

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Trail Challenge


August 3, 2014
Rocking R Cross Country Schooling Show, Foley, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Rocking R Cross Country

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Rocking R Cross Country2

Starter Novice Cross Country: 4th of 6

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Rocking R Stadium

Hunter over 2’3″ verticals: 1st of 2
Hunter over 20″ verticals: 3rd of 4
Jumper over 2’3″ verticals: E


August 23-24, 2014
Steepleview Horse Trials, Delano, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Dressage

Starter Novice Dressage: 36.5% (63.5%), 1st of 11

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping Stadium

Stadium, 5th of 11

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Cross Country

Cross Country, E
Team Challenge, 2nd of 2


September 14, 2014
Gambler’s Choice, Duluth, MN

2014 SMR Performance Horse of the Year Indian's Legend Jumping Stadium at Gambler's Choice

Stadium 2’3” (schooling only)
Cross country over solid obstacles, ditches, and banks (schooling only)


My Spanish Mustang Indy has made this timid dressage rider’s dreams of riding cross country come true. I love my boy!

 

Ditches, Banks, Water and a Few Jumps

Ditches, banks, water and jumps

By Jennifer Klitzke

It’s been a rather rainy show season. Every show my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend and I have entered, it has rained. Storms cut us short at the last Pig Pond Classic schooling show and we had to take a rain check on the cross country, so this time we skipped dressage to make sure we’d have time for cross country before the rain moved in. Birchbury Farms who hosts the Pig Pond Classic just completed their water complex, and I didn’t want Indy to miss out on his favorite thing to do. After our 2′ and 2′-3″ stadium course rides, that’s where we were headed.

jumping the 2'3" stadium course
Jumping the 2’3″ stadium course.
lengthened trot
Leaving the arena at a lengthened trot.

Due to our rainy summer, Indy and I haven’t had much practice over fences, yet I was very happy with how well he jumped his 2′-3″ hunter course. He took every canter lead on cue and jumped the first six fences with beautiful form until we reached the seventh fence. It was a very tight turn into an oxer and Indy unexpectedly put on the breaks. I struck the oxer like a bowling ball on its way to a perfect 300 game—it sounded like it too! Indy stood over me wondering what I was doing on the ground.  Thankfully I landed between the rails and walked off the course with only a scraped arm. After a short break we were on to the cross country field.

Indy and I jumped a couple new fences we hadn’t tried before, practiced the banks and the ditch before heading to the water complex.

Jumping the log pile.
Jumping the log pile.
Jumping the table.
Jumping the table.
Jumping the ditch.
Jumping the ditch.

Indy loves the water and entertained a couple onlookers.

Up the bank.
Up the bank.
Down the bank.
Down the bank.
Cantering the water complex.
Cantering the water complex.
Jumping up the bank
Jumping up the bank.
Down the bank.
Down the bank.
Jumping up the bank
Through the water and up the bank

While riding the cross country course I recognized the horse/rider team we met at Three Ring Circus, Megan and the Mustang who changed her life. Wow, not only is their story inspiring, but that Mustang jumps with great form and Megan is a lovely rider.

Megan and the Mustang that changed her life.
Megan and the Mustang that changed her life.
Megan and the Mustang that changed her life.
Megan and the Mustang that changed her life.

 

We squeezed in the stadium and cross country just in the nick of time. As soon as we trailered up the skies grew dark and the clouds let loose another dose of rain to fuel the bug population. Indy and I had a wonderful time and were glad that we squeezed it all in before the rain. Special thanks to Birchbury Farms and to all of the volunteers for putting on the Pig Pond Classic.

Video: Ditches, Banks, Water (and a Few Jumps)

2015 Pig Pond Classic

051015 Pig Pond Classic dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

Three weekends in a row of fun activities for me and my Spanish Mustang. This week Indy and I trailered to the Pig Pond Classic Schooling Show held at Birchbury Farm for dressage and stadium jumping.

051015 Pig Pond Classic 18 inch cross rails
Since this was our first course since last September, we began with 18″ cross rails.
051015 Pig Pond Classic 2 foot verticals
Next we jumped the 2 foot vertical course of nine jumps.
051015 Pig Pond Classic.Still010
And we finished with First Level Test One – our first time entering First Level.
051015 Pig Pond Classic.Still052
First Level introduces the trot lengthening.

We didn’t place in our jumping classes but took second place in First Level with a score of 61.111%. While checking in I was tapped on the shoulder by a Mom and her daughter who I had met two years ago at a schooling show. The mother rides a Spanish Mustang and her daughter rides a dun pony. I was thrilled to watch her winning ride over the two foot vertical course. It was a simply textbook ride—forward, confident, and well negotiated!

Since storms moved in just after the last dressage test was ridden, it cut the day short so we will have to take a rain check on schooling Birchbury’s elaborate cross country course.

Video: 18″ Hunter Course

Video: 2′ Hunter Course

Video: First Level Test One

Indy Connections

My Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend with Soup Man

By Jennifer Klitzke

Adventures with my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend have aligned my path to many cool people. One of which is a woman I mentioned in my last blog post who shouted, “Hey, Mustang Lady!”

Well, that connection led me to the North Shore a couple weeks ago to Aspen Ridge Stable for a stadium jumping lesson, cross country schooling, and a trail ride through some of the most beautiful forest I’ve seen.

Upon arrival, my new friend introduced me to the Aspen Ridge owner/instructor and I had one of those funny feelings like I had been here before. Then I looked down the barn aisle and asked, “Did you have a peacock here about 15 years ago?” The instructor replies, “Yes.”

Then I asked, “Did you have a 42 year old while horse?” She said, “Yes, but I have to tell you that it was more like 25 years ago, and that white horse lived to be 44 years old!”

Turns out I had taken one of my first jumping lessons from her a quarter of a century ago while I was on vacation in Two Harbors. I hadn’t made the connection that it had been the same stable since I was coming from the South instead of from the North.

So here I was 25 years later taking a jumping lesson from the same instructor who helped me get started. How cool is that! Below are photos of our schooling session.

My Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend jumping the 2'-3" flower fence

What a beautiful fence! It even matches my shirt!

091414 Aspen Ridge

Indy baulked at this obstacle the first pass and jumped it beautifully the next time.

091414 Aspen Ridge7

Indy jumped the pseudo ditch without a care.

091414 Aspen Ridge4

Indy had no trouble over this little obstacle.

091414 Aspen Ridge6

Indy jumped the oxer in good form.

091414 Aspen Ridge2

Indy cleared this solid object by three feet the first time and then came to his senses thereafter.

Indy and I had a terrific time riding beautiful scenery with really cool people. Next summer I am planning to take Indy to Aspen Ridge for a week’s vacation. In addition to the local instruction, Aspen Ridge hosts Olympic-level eventing clinicians several times a year such as Jim Graham. The facility offers miles of wooded trails, a large indoor riding arena with mirrors and cushy, rubberized footing, lots of eventing obstacles and standards for jumping, plus unbelievable views of Lake Superior.

For more information visit, Aspen Ridge Stable.

Steepleview Horse Trials: The-Begin-Again-ers

Jennifer Klitzke and Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend at the 2014 Steepleview Horse Trials

By Jennifer Klitzke

The 2014 Steepleview Horse Trials came a week earlier than years past so that combined training events could be spaced apart better. However, the timing moved it to the same weekend of my husband’s annual golf tournament which meant he couldn’t be there to offer his support. So my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend and I were preparing to show solo—until I had a last minute idea.

A week before the event, I put the word out via the TCCTlist and formed a Starter Beginner Novice Team. Three people I hadn’t met before were game for the idea. We called ourselves “The-Begin-Again-ers.” It seemed appropriate since all of us were giving eventing a try after having pursued other horse-related interests. We had exchanged photos of each other and our horses to help us find each other among the 111 horses competing at Steepleview.

I arrived at the event and had coincidentally parked next to one of my team mates who also happened to be the horse/rider team competing just ahead of us in all three phases of dressage, cross country and stadium jumping. In fact, her friends and family kept me company, too. So I didn’t feel like I was showing solo at all.

the-begin-agin-ers

Shortly after meeting Sarah, I met Harvey and Sasha. What a neat team ranging in ages from 27 to 60 and their horses: Two off-the-track thoroughbreds, a bay and a dapple gray, a roan appaloosa, and my pale-yellow, buckskin-dun Spanish Mustang. We were the most colorful team of the predominately bay horses competing that weekend.

Indy did very well in dressage which was the first of three phases. We were tied for first place in our division and had the second best score of 24 horses in the Starter Beginner Novice category.

Indians-Legend-Spanish-Mustang-Jennifer-Klitzke-2014-Dressage-trot-D&G-Photography

Next was the cross-country phase. Indy was off to a great start. We jumped the first four obstacles perfectly and happily trotted through the water obstacle.

Indians-Legend-Spanish-Mustang-Jennifer-Klitzke-2014-Cross-Country-D&G-Photography

After clearing the water, Indy seemed confused. We had ridden the course three times from the other direction. It was like Indy was trying to tell me that we were going the wrong direction. So jumps five, six, seven and eight were a struggle. After the eighth jump Indy decided to take a right when I was preparing to take a left. That’s when I came off. Thankfully I didn’t get hurt, but we were eliminated from the competition. I was bummed.

While walking Indy back to the barn, one of the obstacle judges told me that I could ask to be added to the list of stadium jumping courtesy rides. Was I ever thankful that this man came out of the woodwork and offered this tip. A few hours later I was granted a courtesy ride. So even though we were out of the ribbons, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to ride the stadium course.

While I was walking to the stadium course I heard a voice call out, “Hey, Mustang Lady!” I turned and recognized a woman I had met last year. I was so happy to have been re-acquainted with her again.

The kindness continued. The time arrived for stadium jumping. I was walking with Indy at my right side and carrying my video camera, tripod and mounting block in the other hand to set it up for our ride. Out of no where this kind woman asked, “Can I give you a hand?” and then she volunteered to record our ride!

Into the arena we went and over the ten-fence course with oxers. Indy jumped very well with no refusals. It was a great ending to the three-phase event, and our team took second place.

Indians-Legend-Spanish-Mustang-Jennifer-Klitzke-2014-Stadium-Jumping-D&G-Photography

Each of us on The-Begin-Again-er’s team returned home with a beautiful second place ribbon. Every time I look at it, I remember the faces of the new friends I made and how they and the other kind people saved me from a lonely show experience. I was so blessed by the kindness of others that getting eliminated in cross country seemed to lose its sting.

Photo Gallery>

Thank you to Steepleview Farm for hosting the event, to the dozens of friendly volunteers who make this possible, to my team mates “The-Begin-Again-ers”, the kindness of strangers, and to D & G Photography who captured terrific lasting memories I will enjoy for years to come.

Making a Splash at the Pig Pond Classic

2014 Pig Pond Classic Dressage Warmup Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

By Jennifer Klitzke

My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend and I traveled to Ham Lake for the 2014 Pig Pond Classic on June 29 for a three phase event: dressage, stadium jumping and cross country. We are still newbies at this so we entered the baby beginner novice division with 23 other horse/rider teams. The night before the event, the area received heavy rainfall and a few more water obstacles for us to navigate, even around the dressage arena. 

2014 Pig Pond Classic Dressage Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Indy did great in dressage with a score of 66.88% and rode through the stadium course clean without time faults.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Stadium Jumping Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend  

Now onto the cross country course. Due to the heavy rains, they cross country phase was turned into a schooling opportunity since several areas were under water.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Indy and I could pick which obstacles we wanted to ride through and visit the pig pond as many times as we wanted!

2014 Pig Pond Classic Making a Splash Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Record June rainfalls weren’t responsible for this monster puddle, but likely add to it’s depth.

 2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Log Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Indy loves to jump logs.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Log Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

And there were plenty of logs to jump!

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Bank Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

We did some practice riding up and down the bank. I learned that it is important to let the reins slip through my fingers so that the horse can have its head for balance and for me to lean back.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Tires Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

This was Indy’s least favorite obstacle. It took three tries before he jumped it and it wasn’t pretty.

2014 Pig Pond Classic Cross Country Forest Jennifer Klitzke riding Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend

Now off to the enchanted forest where there were several logs tucked between the mature trees. What a beautiful place to ride!

Video: Dressage Test

Video: Stadium Jumping

Video: Cross Country 

Thank you to Birchbury Farm for organizing the event. We had a blast! My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend and I received the second best score of 23 horse/rider teams in our division!

Bravo!

 my-spanish-mustang-052414-2-ft-vertical-hunter-course2

By Jennifer Klitzke

Bravo! is the best word to describe the Three Ring Circus hunter/jumper and dressage schooling show, our first show of the 2014 season.

It didn’t begin that way though. Last year there were 32 entries in our hunter cross rail classes and the two-foot hunter classes didn’t start until around noon, so I thought getting to the show grounds by 9AM would be in plenty of time. Well, it would have been if the turnout were the same. However, this year, there were two shows and two major clinics going on that day which lessened the number of entries by about a third. So me and my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend arrived to the show grounds as they were calling our hunter class!

I literally ran to check in, took a mental snapshot of the course layout, and hustled back to the trailer. David Ramsden the equine massage therapist and farrier who volunteered that day to help direct trailer parking, provided encouraging words to calm my anxiety as  I tacked up for our two-foot vertical hunter courses. Indy and I hopped over a couple schooling fences and headed to our first ride just in the nick of time! (Thank you David, you are a God send!)

The grass course was laid out with beautiful two-foot oxers and double oxers, Indy jumped clean with no refusals. He was evenly paced, found his spot, rounded nicely over the jumps, didn’t rush, get strong, or break his canter. He jumped like a champ. In one of his three classes he was on the correct canter lead throughout and even took a flying change when needed versus a simple change through trot. His form for most of the fences was as good as he gets.

my-spanish-mustang-052414-hunter-canter

I had to chuckle at the end of our best ride. I was so flabbergasted with the flying change that I gave Indy a really big pat, and he dropped from a canter into a walk, so we did our courtesy circle at a long and low walk!

This year, the show divided the ribbons between junior and senior riders. (Many more junior riders than grandma-aged folks like me!) We took fourth of four and fifth of eight in the judged classes. The third class was a non-judged warm up class. In any case, it was a personal best for Indy and I and rides I will never forget.

We headed back to the trailer for a little rest before our Training Level Three dressage test and took a short cut through the water obstacle. Indy LOVES the water!

Every where we go Indy draws attention. People remember us from years past and new people stop by to ask, “What breed is your horse?” I had great conversations with several people about the history of the Spanish Mustang and how intelligent, hardy, versatile, friendly, and athletic the breed is.

We had a couple hours to rest between hunter and dressage and enjoyed conversation with our Steepleview Horse Trial beginner novice team mate Karen who was parked nearby. We encouraged each other to try it again this year. It’s so fun to reconnect with people at these venues.

We tacked up and rode our best dressage test ever. Indy was soft, round, forward, balance, and responsive.

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20 meter canter circles and a transition to trot at “X”.

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Freewalk on a long rein.

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20 meter trot circle allowing the horse to stretch.

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Working trot.

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Centerline, halt, salute.

Indy and I were in sync and on point through our Training Level Three Test. It felt amazing, and when the judge hopped out of the judging booth shouting, “bravo!” I knew we must have done pretty well! Indy and I placed first among 18 Training Level Three riders and received a 72.8%, the highest score of the day from this judge. Words cannot describe how proud I am of my boy! What a way to end a terrific day.

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I love showing at Three Ring Circus sponsored by St. Croix Saddlery. It is well organized, the Carriage House Farm facility is top notch, the people are very friendly, and the last three years I’ve been showing at this venue the weather has been exceptional. Thank you to show organizers, the facility host, and for all who volunteer to make it possible. I appreciate all that you do for us!

Spanish Mustang: North Run Spring Break

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By Jennifer Klitzke

You know it is going to be a long winter when you long for Spring Break and it isn’t even winter yet!

Cold weather inspired me to take my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend (Indy) to North Run Farm. It has been far too long since our last jumping lesson with Len Danielson. Thanks to Len’s coaching and encouragement at Steepleview Schooling Days (June 2013), Indy and I gained the confidence to give cross country a try. And our first hunter schooling show experiences were also at North Run Farm. If you enjoy an organized, friendly, low key, and educational show experience, you’ve got to ride at a North Run Farm schooling dressage or hunter show.

In addition to being a seasoned event rider, Len is also a terrific hunter jumper instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson today. It felt like a Florida Spring Break riding in their heated indoor—sure beats wearing 80 lbs. of clothes to keep warm on a 10-degree day!

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In this lesson, Indy and I began with many transitions between walk, trot, walk, halt, walk, trot, canter, trot, walk every half circle. Len was impressed with the quality of Indy’s gaits. His initial reaction to Indy is common with most. Looking at Indy in the cross ties, you see a big head, stocky square body and stubby legs. When Indy begins to move, everyone is pleasantly surprised.

Len coached me to a balanced trot without rushing or letting Indy pull the reins out of my hands. His strategy is to ride Indy from inside leg to an outside rein fixed on his wither and giving with the inside rein after gently asking for bend through the jaw. If Indy pulls down on the bridle, maintain the outside contact and drop the inside rein.

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After Indy and I warmed up, we trotted over a ground rail, followed by trotting over two-20″ vertical flowerbox set up as a figure eight. Then we proceeded to cantering the same exercise. Between each set, we let Indy relax for a circle at a free walk on a long rein.

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We ended our lesson with the addition of a 2’3″ vertical jump placed 25-feet from the last flowerbox. The goal was to reduce one or two strides between the fences by picking up the caner tempo.

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Indy is a rock star! He is very sensible and careful. He doesn’t rush the jumps, balk at the jumps, or over jump. I love my boy!

Thank you beyond words to Len Danielson and North Run Farm for a wonderful learning experience and a reprieve from the artic blast.

Visit: northrunfarm.org.