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Spanish Mustang: A Cure for SAD

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By Jennifer Klitzke 

Winter’s dark and cold envelops my world for up to six months each year. Along with it I’m plagued with a condition known as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) that lives up to its name. It is the body’s physical reaction to the lack of sunlight (vitamin D) and is very common in the North. Sadness, lack of energy, and a longing for warm, sunny and green are the main symptoms that I experience. There could be another reason for SAD. Winter’s dark and cold keeps me from what I love—riding my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend, SMR 3801 (aka, Indy).

Each morning on my way to the barn I mutter, “Dark and cold, dark and cold. Oh, how I hate dark and cold.” My husband said, “Jennifer, just find something fun to do and winter will be far more enjoyable.”

Hmmm, great idea! My two favorite pass times are riding horses and taking pictures of them. So this year instead of giving Indy the winter off, I discovered how much fun it is to ride in the snow! If it’s cold, I just add more layers. So far -5 degrees F led to my record of two pairs of pants, long johns, snowmobile overalls, two sweatshirts, two winter jackets, a pair of choppers, two hats and my riding helmet resulting in something that resembled the Michelin Man.

Riding trails during daylight or moonlight hours of winter is pristine. Winter’s quiet is met with crunching footsteps. The snow sparkles like crystals along the ground and fireflies dancing in the air. During daylight, the black and white landscape meets a backdrop of evergreen and blue sky, and at night a canopy of stars surrounds me.

After each ride I return home with a sense of awe and joy that replaces my once SAD expression. Plus photos captured along the way remind me of how much fun we actually had. (Not to forget the photos I’ve taken of Indy’s exuberance as he plays with his friends in the snow.)

So this show season, Indy and I will already be in shape by the time the last snowflake melts, which I hope is soon. After all, it is Spring! And as long as I take my vitamin D and a dose of Indy, SAD is cured.

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Spanish Mustang: Better than a Gym Membership

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By Jennifer Klitzke

February’s dark and cold was getting the best of me, and respite came in the form of daily perusing of horses for sale on craigslist. My heart stopped when I saw him: Indian’s Legend, Spanish Mustang. He’s the American-born colt out of Indian Scout before she was exported to becoming Australia’s first Spanish Mustang. Indy would be the closest thing to owning my dream horse, an Andalusian. I HAD to see him. Only, how would I convince my husband that I needed just one more horse? After all we had four.

I had many great reasons for another horse: Nearing 50, I wasn’t getting any younger, and neither were our three senior horses. And poor Makana, my seven-year-old Walking horse. She needed a friend closer to her age. I needed to lose weight and monthly horse expenses would be equivalent to that of a gym membership, yet I’d enjoy riding far more than pumping iron and riding a stationary bike going nowhere. Not to forget the empty stall just waiting for him.

It took two weeks of prodding when my husband finally buckled to meet Indy and make the five-hour drive North to the coldest spot in the United States. Seeing Indy in person made me love him even more. We should have just brought the trailer with us to save another trip through the ice and snow!

Since February 2012, I have had more fun than ever in my 25 years of horse ownership. Indy is the most intelligent, friendly, bold, athletic and versatile horse I have ever met. Dressage has been enhanced with over fifty miles of trail riding at state and local parks, navigating trail obstacles, jumping stadium courses, and even chasing cows at a team penning practice! And that’s not all‒I’ve lost 20 pounds in the process!

Just for kicks I took Indy to six schooling shows last summer. We rode at Walker’s Triple R, Rocking R, North Run, Lakewood, and Sanborn schooling shows, and Indy was a standout at every one‒many times winning the class!

Up until owning Indy, I had never ridden through a hunter or stadium course, and we took first place in our first stadium course over ground rails, our first three-gait hunter equitation class, and our first nail-biting hunter course over two-feet-three-inches! Plus, we placed in all of our Intro and Training Level dressage tests with respectable scores as high as 69%.

Next show season, I’m planning on blending the dressage, trails, obstacles and jumping together by attending a combined training event. I will have to get fitted for one of those safety vests, but I better wait because I might just lose another 20 lbs. by then!

 

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Riding with Mary Wanless

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By Jennifer Klitzke

My favorite super hero came to life when international bio-mechanics author Mary Wanless traveled to my State November 2012 to coach riders into an effective riding position. I have been a decades-long book student since she published “The Natural Rider.” This book helped me find balance and relaxation through Mary’s unique metaphors which helped me overcome riding fears sustained after a few bad falls. I was elated to take my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend (Indy) to this clinic.

I quickly realized that book study and hands-on learning can bring about entirely different results. While I had grasped some aspects of Mary’s riding bio-mechanics, there were a few that I had misinterpreted in regards to riding position. Was I ever glad that Mary’s keen eye picked up on them immediately as she addressed them in our sessions.

Mary began by helping me establish a solid riding position. While most dressage instruction I’ve received over the last 20 years has taught me to ride with the longest stirrup length possible, keep my heels down with weight in them, keep my weight back, and thighs light against the saddle, Mary took the opposite approach. She shortened my stirrups so that my knees were like the point of an arrowhead and my thighs were at 90-degree angles. Instead of keeping my weight back, Mary asked me to press forward as if I am resisting a push at my sternum. Also involved are the engagement of the core muscles of my midsection which felt like I was lowering my center of gravity and expanding my inner anatomy forward, sideways, and back to fill up all sides while breathing deep into my stomach.

Mary noticed that my seat bones were getting propped up by my seat muscles. She asked me to relax these muscles in order to lower my seat bones in contact with the saddle. Then she asked for me to increase my seat coverage along the saddle. When my seat bones are nearer to the saddle it aids in my communication with my horse. Mary also asked me to pull the bulk of my thigh flesh behind my thigh and snug my thighs along the saddle where I hold 80% of my weight (only 20% of my weight on my seat). This allows my seat bones to remain close to the saddle without creating pressure points on my horse’s back. Riding in this position feels a little bit like kneeling even though I was vertically aligned: shoulder, hip, and heel.

After my riding position was established, we practiced this position at a walk, trot and canter. Mary coached me in becoming aware of my energy and directing focused energy downward to my bikini line (not that I wear one) and discharging this focused energy forward through a small hose to the place on the horse’s neck just under my hands. My hands maintain a light contact with the reins, and I imagine pushing my fists towards my horse’s neck. That’s where I aim to push the wrinkles out of my horse’s neck. This helps our energy travel from the hindquarters through the back to the bit.

When traveling in a rising trot, the balls of my feet only hold 20% of my weight and 80% of my weight remains in my thighs. Riding this way takes a lot of isokinetic effort, yet it produces great results: stillness and balance in the rider and balance in the horse, (plus burns more calories)!

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Words do not describe how much it meant to me to ride with Mary and have her set me on the right course with her hands-on riding bio-mechanics. She is an articulate, polished, highly observant and educated instructor. She quickly assessed we were at and immediately provided understandable corrections that build on each other in metaphors that were easy to remember. In two days I felt that I had grasped A, B, and C of Mary’s riding bio-mechanics and hope she comes back to my State again so that I can learn more of her alphabet.

It was an honor to ride for someone who has helped me overcome my riding fear and has re-inspired me to ride dressage after a 15 year break. The 2012 Mary Wanless riding bio-mechanics clinic was a lifelong dream come true!

For more about Mary Wanless, visit www.mary-wanless.com

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mary Wanless Biomechanics Clinic

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Spanish Mustang: A Versatile Breed

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By Jennifer Klitzke

I don’t think I’ve had this much fun with horses as I have this year.

Indy isn’t my only, horse but he’s my only Spanish Mustang, and WOW what a good boy! Super smart, super talented, bold, athletic, and has been willing to try anything put before him. He’s a standout at every schooling show I’ve taken him to: dressage, hunter, stadium. And he’s a terrific trail horse as well. We’ve been to many state parks taking in the beauty of nature.

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Next year I will combine our dressage, jumping, trail obstacles and trail riding and begin taking him to cross-country schooling shows.

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Photo by Ashley Blegen
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Spanish Mustang: Dressage and Jumping

By Jennifer Klitzke

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Jumping an 18″-cross-rail course of 12 jumps.

It’s been a dream of mine to be an event rider but fear has always stopped me. Now I think I have the horse that can make this dream a reality. Indy is so bold about obstacles and jumps, has the gaits for dressage, and the endurance for cross country.

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Trot stretch on a 20-meter circle.

I took Indy to the ASTRIDE benefit show at Rocking R Farms in Foley, MN on Sunday, August 19. We had perfect weather for our three-gait equitation, Training Level Test One, and three jumping course classes. He took home three seconds, a third and fourth and received a dressage score of 66%. I’m so proud of my Spanish Mustang!

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Spanish Mustang: A Hit with Young People

By Jennifer Klitzke

Summer is quickly coming to a close and the State Fair is right around the corner. The last couple weeks Indy has been ridden by two young ladies who enjoy him very much. My 12-year-old friend loves to ride my Spanish Mustang at the canter and over jumps and my 16-year-old friend enjoys riding his trot to practice posting.

I’ve been working with Indy on jumping, trail obstacles, and dressage to get him ready for this weekend’s show in Foley. It’s a benefit show for ASTRIDE.org that helps rider’s with disabilities.

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Spanish Mustang: Our First Hunter Show

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By Jennifer Klitzke

I love before’s and after’s. I love progress, setting goals and meeting them. I love challenging myself and seeing how far we’ve grown. Writing about our experiences is a terrific way for me to look back and see where we’ve been and how far we have come.

I’m amazed with what Indy is capable of. In less than six months of owning my Spanish Mustang Indy, we’ve done so much together: two dressage shows, two jumping courses, two riding clinics, a trail obstacle course, many trail rides through beautiful wilderness settings, and even a shot at team penning. Indy is so versatile, so friendly, so calm, and he takes everything  in stride. I’m learning that these wonderful qualities are quite typical of the Spanish Mustang.

Week Twenty-Two ended on another high. I took Indy to North Run Farm’s hunter schooling show. A terrific turnout, friendly people, perfect weather, and no bugs. I had only planned on riding Indy in the ground rail course and 12″ x-jump course until we had been waiting for nearly five hours for our first class to begin.

I decided to add Indy to the equitation walk, trot, and canter class because it would be a great way for him to check out the arena, dozens of people and lawn chairs parked along the fence line with umbrellas, children running around, and crinkling chip bags.

There were ten in our class, mainly the sleek bay thoroughbred-type horses and one stocky buckskin dun mustang ridden by a grandma with an unmanufacturered grin. I was amazed with how well Indy took in all the distractions.

I was even more amazed with how well he did in the class. The judge called for a walk, sitting trot, posting trot, and walk to canter to walk. Indy immediately took the correct leads from a walk and settled quickly from each canter to walk. He didn’t speed up along the straight-away, and he stood quietly in the line up when the judge announced Indy as the winner!

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Before the class, Indy’s uniqueness stood out, and after the class, many people became a fan of the Spanish Mustang.

Then we rode our eight-fence course over ground rails and the 12″ x-jump course. There were 16-plus riders in each class. I had planned on cantering the ground rail course and trotting the x-jump course but Indy took his canter lead along the fence line and I went with him. He calmly cantered the fences without rushing, refusing, shying or over-jumping. I am so proud of Indy. What a good boy!

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Spanish Mustang: What a Versatile Horse!

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By Jennifer Klitzke

What a versatile horse! I love my Spanish Mustang!  Indy is enthusiastic about everything he’s been faced with: trail riding, obstacles, jumping, dressage and all in the same week!

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Our jumping is coming along. We will been entering our first hunter schooling show at North Run Farm in Delano, MN this coming weekend and showing a course of ground rails and 12-inch x-fences. Both can be ridden at a trot or controlled canter. I hope to ride the ground rail course at a canter and the x-fence course at a trot.

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Spanish Mustang: Sunborn Schooling Show

My saintly husband Dan got the truck fixed just in the nick of time for me and my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend to make our way through the winding roads to the Sunborn Stable Schooling Dressage and Stadium Show in Chisago City, MN on Sunday, July 1, 2012. It was our second show and our first time showing Training Level, riding through a stadium course over ground rails and navigating through a trail obstacle course–english style.

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Indy was intrigued with the hopping frogs and swimming tad poles in the pond.

I am so proud of my boy! Indy settled quickly into the new surroundings and rode through all classes exceeding my greatest hopes. He won Training Level, Test One with a score of 65.8%, won the stadium over ground rails, and won the trail obstacle course, and he placed second in Intro C with a score of 68.5%.

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Indy rode cheerfully through Intro C and Training Level One despite the 95-degree heat and 70-percent humidity!

Several people stopped us to ask what kind of horse I was riding. Thinking I was to say “Fjord,” they were quite surprised to hear “Mustang.” Indy did a great job representing his breed!

 

Indy jumped his first flower boxes without batting an eye.

The people were friendly and the facility was top notch. Although we melted like popsicles, I’ve never had that much fun in 95-degree heat and 70% humidity!

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Indy showing a working trot on a 20 meter circle
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Spanish Mustang: An Unexpected Lesson

By Jennifer Klitzke

I was sulking Saturday morning when my husband broke the news that he couldn’t fix the truck in time to trailer to the women’s horse gathering at my friend’s farm, when I got an unexpected invitation to take a lesson from an FEI-level rider named Barb. Another friend loaned me her rig for the jaunt across town.

Indy and I learned so much. Barb is a terrific trainer and does an amazing job imparting all the German-dressage instruction that she’s applied to successfully compete in high levels ofl dressage on the East and West coasts. Below are gleanings from our hour-long session.

At six years old, she considers Indy a young horse and who needs support from me to encourage his confidence especially when away from home at strange facilities with indoor arenas. Barb suggested to keep a light even contact with the bit and lightly hug Indy with my legs to assure him that I’m still here even though the world around him looks different.

Indy tends to escape through the outside left shoulder on a circle or corner (or near a gate). Barb suggested to ride both sides of the horse using defensive aids: outside thigh on to push the bulging rib cage back to normal and outside rein to straighten the neck and offensive aids: inside thigh open to allow his rib cage someplace to go and a soft inside rein to welcome him. Otherwise, if I only ride the defensive aids, I cause Indy to feel claustrophobic. The offensive aids give him a place to go.

The majority of our lesson was over cavaletti:

We began at a walk over four cavalettis evenly spaced letting Indy drop his neck to look where he was going. Barb said, “Listen to what Indy is telling you about his balance, rhythm, and speed.”

Next, we trotted over the rails and didn’t affect Indy’s tempo, rather just observed what he naturally did to navigate over the cavalettis. Then after a few times over, I got a sense of what Indy was saying and provided support where he needed it. I used half halts by drawing my shoulders back and squeezing with the calves if Indy needed to be rebalanced or be more forward or less rushy.

This exercise helped me apply half halts before each set of two cavalletti to help Indy’s balance.

The last two exercises were at a canter. Shown here we are cantering on a 20-meter circle on a bend over the cavaletti. The other exercise is along the centerline and cantering straight over two cavaletti. Both exercises required half halts by bringing my shoulders back and squeezing with my lower legs just before the cavaletti.