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.

Moo(ve) Cow, Move!

My Spanish Mustang cow clinic

By Jennifer Klitzke

I’ll never forget when my Spanish Mustang, Indian’s Legend (Indy), first encountered cows. I was expecting that my bold Stang would eat ’em up, but Indy flipped a 180 and sped for the exit as if he were in the Indy 500!

A month later, I took Indy to a low key Introducing Your Horse to Cows clinic where he experienced a light bulb moment that cows were something he could dominate and push around instead of fear. After that, we signed up for a cow sorting league and had a lot of fun.

It has been two years since Indy last faced cows, so I took him to a Beginner Cow Sorting Clinic at Hi Circle Vee Ranch on Saturday, July 30.  I figured that sorting cows would be another interesting activity to keep his intelligent mind engaged. In fact, my “game for anything” friend I met at the Mosquito Run endurance ride was at the clinic. It was fun to ride with her and her beautiful Arabian mare again.

Indy took to the cows immediately, which confirmed my interest in joining an August league. Plus, the facility is only five miles away and the league is held on a week night, so I can keep my weekends free to visit my ailing Dad.

We met a lot of nice people there (and not one person asked if I was riding a Fjord!)

Cow Sorting Clinic

Wanna Carrot with That?

By Jennifer Klitzke

We all know how intelligent Spanish Mustangs are as a breed, right?

Well, my 2006 Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend (Indy) is no exception. He is the only Spanish Mustang of our five horses, and the only one smart enough to figure out how to get from the pasture and into the vegetable garden and back. If that isn’t impressive, Indy discovered that carrots grow underground. So row by row, Indy began uprooting the carrots, having a snack, and leaving the carrot tops behind before returning to the pasture! (I caught him red handed with that “as-if-nothing-ever-happened” expression on his face.)

my-spanish-mustang-weeding-and-fertilizing-grandpas-garden

Adding to Indy’s antics, 108.5 trail miles, 507 training miles, eight Training Level dressage tests ridden, and 14 stadium jumping courses ridden, our 2013 milestones include a cow clinic, a novice endurance race, a cow sorting league, a competitive trail challenge, three rounds of cross country jumping over solid obstacles, an orienteering event, and learning how to speak French.

Ever since I began riding in 1982, I have longed for the courage to ride cross country over obstacles. This year, my bold and adventurous Spanish Mustang drug me to Steepleview Schooling Days. Seasoned event rider Len Danielson instructed us through ditches, banks, water obstacles, and fixed jumping obstacles with objective and systematic coaching which instilled confidence in both me and Indy. We left that day sparked with a desire for more. Indy and I rode Starter level cross country at two schooling shows and the Steepleview three-day recognized horse trial. We placed second or third at all three events!

indians-legend-spanish-mustang

 

indians-legend-spanish-mustang

 

indians-legend-spanish-mustang

Right after I had bought Indy last year, a co-worker purchased her first horse. She and I began to challenge each other and try new things with our horses. At work we became known as the “Dasco Duo.” Adding to last year’s trail rides and schooling dressage shows, the Dasco Duo entered our first novice Minnesota Distance Riders Association (MNDRA) sponsored endurance ride. What a great way for horse and rider to get in shape! One-and-a-half hours of brisk posting trot through the beautiful Sand Dunes State Forest. Of 16 entries, we took fourth place. It was also where I met Bethany Borchert, Spanish Mustang owner of Dun Adoby Fox who has done very well in competitive endurance races.

My Spanish Mustang MNDRA ride

In April, my fellow Dasconian encouraged me to take Indy to an “Introducing Your Horse to Cows” Clinic held a Hi Circle Vee to help him overcome his cow phobia. Once Indy figured out that cows were easy to push around, he seemed to enjoy it, so in May, we joined a cow sorting league. Each week, Indy and I rode with three different partners and we had 90 seconds to transfer 10 cows in numbered order from one round pen to the other without letting one of the two blank cows sneak in. It is a lot harder than it looks. While one horse/rider team locates and negotiates the next numbered cow to the other round pen, the other horse/rider team guards the “hole” so that no other cows escape or sneak through the hole. Once the other horse/team member retrieves their numbered cow, they take over the “hole” while the other retrieves the numbered cow.

My Spanish Mustang cow clinic

Then in October, the Dasco Duo entered a National Association of Competitive Mounted Orienteering (NACMO) event at Crow Hassan Park Preserve where followed a map, deciphered two clues that led us to two compass point reading that pointed to the hidden target. The six targets took us three-and-a-half hours of searching and cantering to our next clue. Our team took fourth place.

my-spanish-mustang-102713-orienteering

Also in 2013, Indy and I traveled to RNR Ranch in St. Croix Falls for a competitive trail ride. We rode two glorious hours through perfectly groomed trails and negotiated six obstacles for points. Out of 30 riders, Indy and I had the second best score.

my-spanish-mustang-trail-challenge-rnr-ranch-8

Ending the year I took Indy to a “Riding in Lightness” Clinic with Susan Norman which introduced us to French classical dressage. Susan coached us in ways that promote balance, elegance, and harmony between horse and rider.

my-spanish-mustang-susan-norman-clinic-jennifer-klitzke-110913

What will 2014 hold for us? Well, topping the list is figuring out a way to keep Indy out of the carrot patch!

Story published in the 2013 Spanish Mustang Annual, official publication of the Spanish Mustang Registry.

 

Spanish Mustang: No Oops Baby!

my-spanish-mustang-lake

By Jennifer Klitzke

My heart stopped when I saw him. Indian’s Legend (Indy), SMR 3801. He was posted on craigslist for sale last year, and I knew at that moment he would be mine. It didn’t matter to me that he was conceived by two frolicking yearlings (Indian Scout and Going To Thunder) playing in the pasture with their dams at side. He may not have been planned, but Indy has a destiny, a story, and a “legend” to live out.

Indy isn’t my first horse but he is my first Spanish Mustang. I’ve been a horse owner since 1988 and an avid dressage rider. I can honestly say that Indy is the most versatile, intelligent, bold, trainable, and personable horse I have ever ridden. In the last year, this rather conservative dressage rider broke beyond the four corners of a finely groomed arena to take up endurance riding, trail obstacles, cow sorting, team penning, and even jumping. And Indy has made this possible. I actually think he is having as much fun with all this adventure as I am.

my-spanish-mustang-sunborn-dressage

Not only is Indy game for anything, but he excels in the unexpected. He has placed at every schooling dressage and hunter show we have entered and even placed at his first 10 mile endurance ride. In 2012 Indy competed at six shows and ate up 77 miles of countryside on the trail.

Adding up all of our exploits in 2012, Indy has earned 2012 Spanish Mustang Performance Horse of the Year and 2012 Spanish Mustang Conquistador of Performance award by the Spanish Mustang Registry. I am so proud of my Super Star!

Nope, Indy is no oops baby!

my-spanish-mustang-first-2-3

Spanish Mustang: Who’s Chasing Who?

My Spanish Mustang cow clinic

By Jennifer Klitzke

“Dressage, trail riding, obstacles, jumping fences…hmmm…what else could I try with Indy?” I asked my friend. She encouraged us to give team penning a try. “You mean, working with COWS?” I asked. I would never have imagined that this devoted dressage rider would be working with cows, but I thought I’d give it a try.

Naturally I expected my bold little Spanish Mustang to take to cows no problem. Well, not so. When Indy saw the little black calf running towards him, he spun around and bolted the other way, much like an Andalusian in a bullfight. I was about ready to give up the thought of working cows until Hi Circle Vee Ranch in St. Francis, MN offered an “Introducing Your Horse to Cows” Clinic.

This low-key, confidence-building cow clinic was just what Indy needed. Twenty-two horse/rider teams began by walking along the outside of two round pens that contained three cows each. After a few laps, the horses relaxed to the smells and movement of those strange alien creatures. Then each of us were given five minutes inside of the round pen with the cows as an experienced cow wrangler coached us on how to move the cows around.

Once Indy realized that he was empowered to push the youngsters around, his first fearful encounter with cows was replaced with fearlessness. Within a few minutes of coaching, Indy was staying right on the hip of the calf and cutting it off to move it the other way, walk, trot and canter.

Now this devoted dressage rider has joined a cow sorting league, and it turns out that our dressage training has met practical application.

Video: Spanish Mustang: Introducing Your Horse to Cows Clinic>

My Spanish Mustang cow clinic