I'll de-lurk for a moment to express my opinion on mustangs. I don't like the idea of having an adoption at a ride, but I don't think the mustang should be looked down on. My first horse (a mustang) had been adopted by a relative a few years before i got her. I won't say she's the best looking horse, because she isn't. She's built slightly downhill and has a rather ugly roman nose. But she has some excellent qualities: strong feet and legs that at age 19 are still clean, strong heart and lungs and a powerful hind end. I did over 700 miles of ECTRA competitive trail rides on this horse, and she also did a few endurance rides. She did tend to move oddly when she was bored, and trot outs at vet checks really bored her, but she always looked good on trail. She is retired now, but is introducing new riders to to local tails. She was bred twice in the mid 90's to a nice Arab stallion who had also done ECTRA rides and both times produced nice foals. The first (now 9) looks like a small warmblood, has done intro level dressage and two ECTRA rides. I have had several dressage trainers and judges and a couple ECTRA judges tell me tell me he is a very talented horse with good potential. The second foal (now 8) has qualified for her 500 mile distance award plaque from the Arabian Horse Association. Most of these are competitive trail miles, but she has completed two endurance rides, and would have done more this year if she hadn't had the misfortune of stepping in a hole at a ride in June. She recovered well, but I took it easy for a few months as a precaution. She won many local awards last year for dressage, CTR and endurance. Quite a few judges have commented on how tough this horse is and how steady she is. I'm not saying all mustangs will produce foals this good, but don't rule them out. They may not be pretty, but nature is not kind, and therefore only the tough survive. I have seen pictures of how my mare looked when adopted. She looked horrible!!! But with good care, wounds healed and coat and body condition improved. Pictures taken the first year following her adoption chronicled her progress, and she eventually looked like a new horse. Since most of you don't know me and are probably saying "who is the person who probably knows nothing" I live in Maine. I have done somewhere around 1400 miles of distance riding, mostly CTR since I have a very high mileage truck (300,000 as of yesterday, go GMC!!!) and prefer to stick close to home, although we may venture further next year if the truck is still going as well as it is now. Luckily where I live in western Maine there are a lot of ECTRA rides. I have had my share of bad rides like everyone else. ALL of my miles are on either the mustang or her mustang/arab daughter. Don't totally discredit the mustang, yes there are some really bad ones, but some are worth as seccond look.
Back to lurking...
Heather Bonneau, Paris, Maine.
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