ridecamp@endurance.net: MUSTANGS

MUSTANGS

Fred & Jan Canfield (fred_jan@bendnet.com)
Thu, 20 Mar 1997 17:25:39 -0800 (PST)

I currently have six Mustangs, ranging in age from 5 years to 14 years and
from 14.3 in height to 16 hands. Four of them are currently competeing in
endurance rides. One was top ten in 4 of 6 times out last year at the 50
mile distances in the West Region with large fields of entries. The other
two, both geldings, have completed 250 (youngest horse) and 500 miles
respectively - middle to upper third of the pack without being pushed. One
is a "finisher" in my opinion, he's conservative with his energy, but not
reluctant to go, he just doesn't go any faster than his rider asks him to.
The other two are very much "out front" type horses, except they seem to
have more sense than to run themselves into metabolic collapse like some
arabs will. They will slow down when they need to and pick up again just as
soon as they've caught a second wind. All the mustangs I have had so far
have had at least two speeds at the trot, one a slow jog, which covers
ground faster than a walk, but uses little or no energy (and has little or
no "bounce" to it either) and a big "road trot" with can stay with the arabs
easily enough and as I said, in the one geldings case, stay ahead of most of
them. Their canter is also very energy conservative, a nice rolling gait
which is easy to ride. While I have improved the balance and suspension of
the trot gait, I didn't teach them to do the "jog" or mustang shuffle as I
call it, and I didn't teach them their easy loping canter either, they came
with it built in. I find them extremely intelligent (I've trained and
ridden Arabs and like them too) but less "flighty" then the Arabs I've
worked with or seen. The draw back with the Mustangs that I've found is
their radiator. They don't seem to handle heat as well as the Arabian and
all the ones I've had pant to help cool themselves when it is hot and they
are working hard which ofcourse makes some vets crazy. Most of the Mustangs
I have were not rounded up until they were at least three years old and the
oldest one was wild and a stallion until he was 9 (he's now 14). They get
ridden by different people because when they're not competing in endurance
rides, they double as my lesson horses. They are very reliable and give
great feed back to my students about balance, etc. The other two I have are
heavier boned and I have only let them do 25 mile limited distance rides so
far, which they handle just fine (middle of the pack ARRIVING at the vet
checks with pulse rates of between 48 and 52). The man who has started most
of my horses usually has them under saddle in 30 days and ready to come to
me in 90 days. I know he uses a round pen to work them and has 30 years
experience which ofcourse counts for alot. When I get them I teach them
ground manners, and put the polish on them and use alot of the TTEAM work
(modified by my understanding of it). I find one of the most important
things in handling them is they need to know who the leader of our
partnership is and if I'm willing to be it they're willing to follow, but
when their human partner is not willing to lead, they know full well how to
assume the CEO's seat. My latest aquisition, a 5 year old paint mare who is
a 15 hand tank (put very pretty) likes to use her weight to her advantage
whether with humans or other horses. In a couple of sessions she
acknowledged me as big horse and stopped trying to walk all over me, but she
doesn't give her respect away free and after 8 months she will still walk
over anyone who she thinks is lower on the pecking order than she is. She's
not mean in any way, she just knows where she fits on the scale of the herd
and takes her place without prompting. I think they're great horses and
I've worked with quite a few breeds over about a 30 plus year career in horses.
Donna Snyder-Smith

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