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.

2016 MN Horse Expo features Spanish Mustangs

2016 MN Horse Expo featuring the Spanish Mustang

The 2016 MN Horse Expo goes down as one of wonderful connections, reconnections, and facebook come-to-life encounters.

2016 also marks the 20th consecutive year Spanish Mustangs have been a featured breed at the Minnesota Horse Expo thanks to the hard work of Spanish Mustang breeder Jane Greenwood. This year was a return of Spanish Mustangs Indian’s Legend ridden by Jennifer Klitzke and Jetla ridden by Erika Achberger who performed breed demonstrations and were a part of the parade of breeds each day.

2016 MN Horse Expo featuring the Spanish Mustang2016 was the year that Jennifer and Indy were reconnected with Stephanie, Indy’s previous owner; Leslie, the owner of Twin Hollow Spanish Mustangs where Indy was born and raised until he was two years old, and Gary Kupala, the cowboy who broke and trained Indy as a two and three year old.

New connections include meeting a classical French dressage instructor who was free to give Indy and I a lesson at the end of the second day and a well-known saddle fitter who stopped by with trees to measure Indy for a new Western saddle.

Video 2016 MN Horse Expo featuring Spanish Mustangs

Photo Gallery: (Click to enlarge)

2015 Minnesota Horse Expo

My Spanish Mustang Indian's Legend at the 2015 Minnesota Horse Expo
My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend at the 2015 Minnesota Horse Expo.

By Jennifer Klitzke

For decades it’s been a tradition to come to the Minnesota Horse Expo and soak in all things horses. This year instead of being a spectator, I took my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend (Indy) and joined the Spanish Mustang demonstration team Thursday-Sunday, April 23-26, 2015. We were one of the three horse/rider teams for the American Heritage Horse Association. Words cannot express how great of an experience it was for me (and I’m pretty sure Indy had a good time, too). His curiosity kept him entertained with all there was to see and do.

spanish mustang demonstration team
Gwen riding Hota, Erika riding Jetla and Jennifer riding Indy.

Not only are Spanish Mustangs a unique and rare breed, but they attract a unique and rare group of people: down to earth, kindhearted, and fun. My Spanish Mustang team mates were strangers to me on Thursday and quickly became good friends through the four days. Indy bonded quickly with the other horses and did terrific through the two exhibitions we rode each day.

Gwen was a last-minute substitute when one of the horses was unable to come. The owner of that horse was who I had bought Indy from and the Expo would have been the first time we would have seen each other since that snowy February day I brought Indy home in 2012. Although I was sad that it didn’t work out for her to be there, Gwen and her white Spanish Mustang mare Hota made for a wonderful team member.

Gwen and Hota2
What a precious moment for this little horse lover!

After our Friday demonstration, we passed a mother with her two-year-old daughter who was carrying a white plastic pony that looked exactly like Hota. The spellbound little girl realized that her dream horse was walking right towards her!

fjords and spanish mustang7
Can you tell the difference between the Spanish Mustang and the Norwegian Fjord?

Another fun memory was warming up with the Norwegian Fjords (another really nice group of horse people). Every event I bring Indy to, people ask if he is a Norwegian Fjord. Seeing him side-by-side with the Fjords, people were commenting, “I’ve never seen a long-haired Fjord before.”

Trail obstacles
Indy was drawn to the trail obstacles like a child to a swing set.

Later that day when all of the Spanish Mustangs arrived, we took them to the outdoor practice arena and played on the trail obstacles before walking through our demonstration. Indy’s curiosity lead him over the teeter totter bridge and the raised platform again and again. Even the Expo videographer captured footage of his enthusiasm!

Jetla and Erika riding bareback, barefoot and brideless
Jetla and Erika riding bareback, barefoot and bitless.

We met so many wonderful people at the Expo including a dressage judge and a seasoned fox hunter. Both were intrigued with the Spanish Mustangs. The dressage judge commented, “What an uncomplicated back this breed has.” And looking at Jetla he said, “I could take this one home with me!” Jetla certainly has the gaits for dressage! The fox hunter dressed in his formal red attire looked like someone who just walked out of a history book. He invited me and Indy to give fox hunting a try this season. I will definitely work this into our riding schedule.

Spanish Mustang demonstration team
Our Spanish Mustang demonstration team.

Friday through Sunday we rode in the Parade of Breeds, on Friday and Saturday we performed a breed demonstration, and on Sunday the American Heritage Horse Spanish Mustangs lead the parade down main street. We had unseasonably sunny weather three out of the four days which made the Expo even more enjoyable.

The American Heritage Horse Spanish Mustangs led the parade
The American Heritage Horse Spanish Mustangs led the Expo parade.

When Indy and I got home I called my Mom and she said she saw us on the news. (Turns out it was one of the Norwegian Fjords!)

Video: 2015 MN Horse Expo AHHA Spanish Mustangs

Photo gallery: Spanish Mustang demonstration
Photo gallery: Spanish Mustang practice
Photo gallery: Spanish Mustang leading the parade
Photo gallery: Spanish Mustang with the Norwegian Fjords

Special thanks to the American Heritage Horse Association for sponsoring the Spanish Mustangs and to Jane and Wes of Zen Cowboys Spanish Mustangs for coordinating our booth.