This Mustang mare has eventer written alllllllllllllllllll over her....
.... and she's an hour away! And cheap!
Done now, promise ;)
EDIT: Got a video of her! DANG that trot! Canter is lateral and one of my biggest things is a nice correct uphill canter... so we'll see. It does become more correct when she slows down so there is promise. This video is of her first time with an English saddle on, and she is only 4 months out of the wild!
Proving her heart of gold and guts of steel at the 2009 American Eventing Championships
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69.7%, Reserve Champion first time at First Level!
Encore H.T. 2008 - Gogo's first real event!
43 comments:
AWWWWW!!! You NEED her, don't you Andrea? ; )
She's cute... and she looks barefoot!! :)
Please go get her, or I'll be tempted to have you send her to me in Ohio, and I can't really afford a second horse.
If she goes as nicely as she looks, you could certainly have a lot of fun through with her. She looks like she is enjoying the bank ! =)
She looks about 15 or 15.1, right? If she brings her knees up when she jumps, she probably is VERY athletic. So Novice and Training should be within reach.
Only thing I've noticed with mustangs is some seem a little more limited in shoulder/forearm and so tend to be low kneed, even though they may still be able to jump pretty high.
I am enough of a pansy I want my eventers to jump with their knees up. Less likely to hit the fence, and less likely to fall if they do if they are able to really lift their knees.
What a lovely looking horse! Cheap and close? Sounds like something worth looking at. :)
Karen from www.bakersfielddressage.com
Love her.
I like the idea of you getting a mustang.
Mustangs go with the barefoot approach.
Mustangs are tough and smart.
Mustangs are completely different than Gogo.
There is no need to try and replace her, so might as well take a new path.
I think it would be good to start a new chapter in every way, except maybe the mare part. ;)
Yes please go get her please :) Or at least go try her.
I think I like her the best so far! :3
my favorite so far!!
The only harm that can come from trying out a horse is falling in love and leaving a hole in your checkbook. But if she's cheap than what do you have to lose? She looks really nice and mustangs are far less likely to break down.
Damn, she is gorgeous! I vote you go look at her. Is her canter going to be like that for life, or is that something that can change with more balance and strength? If she's got even a bit of jumping talent, she could be exactly what you're looking for.
I saw some promise and more purity when she slowed down but she doesn't have the best canter. I think with some hind end strength, better balance, and a slower speed, she could have a decent canter. Not going to be as nice as that trot though... if she were purely a dressage prospect I'd probably pass. We'll have to see if she can jump.... if she can, well then hell!
I think she looks like a stiff, green horse when she canters. Looks to me she is still sorting out how to balance a rider. I think I see quality in there :)
Oh, hell, send her here =)
I didn't see anything wrong with her canter for how long she has(n't) been under saddle. It seems warmbloods often come out of the womb in a frame, but that doesn't mean your average young horse starting under saddle will look like that.
And for where she's at in training, I would be scared to see them asking for much more of a frame. If she is "out of the wild", there is NO reason she would have properly developed human-carrying topline.
She looked to me like she was really TRYING to do things asked of her. Her hindlegs had great reach under her in canter.
Go try her out!! =D
(or send her here)
Read the write-up on youtube - the rider was asking for extended trot (for the first time) and horse was breaking into canter occasionally. If that's the case this video might not show her true canter. Granted, her canter might not be great anyway but I wouldn't discount it based on this vid.
I'm curious - would a mustang need completely different tack? I imagine most would need a different fit than a typical WB or WBx. That could add to costs quick. (I just had to buy a saddle for a horse I'm only leasing, so this is salient to me!).
Also - 4 months out of the wild...are you worried maybe she was brought along too quick?
I'm with those who say go see/try her. She looks pretty darn cool and you will know for sure if you go yourself.
Well, she was brought along right quick - the owner said so, and that she went faster with her than she normally does because she was chosen from the holding pen in the spring specifically for the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover last month here in Fort Worth - but after the SEMM was over she was turned back out and has been doing very light work (1-2 times a week) since.
I haven't seen a good conformation picture of her so it's hard to say what she'll be like to fit... Gogo was narrow though (or well, she was before she got mucho fat!) so her saddles MIGHT fit a smaller horse. This mare is a little over 15hh so she's a bit of a shrimp. Rider is taller than me in those pics so I'm not worried about it! I do know for a fact that Gogo's blankets would NEVER fit a tiny little thing though... so that would be a trip back to the tack store!
I agree with rushing and green horse comments, not sure her canter is not quality. She is trying, but is pulling a bit with the front instead of pushing with the hind. With correct work, she could be a very nice horse, the basics are there.
If I wasn't almost 6 feet tall, I'd go for her myself! She's a cutie and seems to have some promise! Give her a test ride!
Omg I wanted to see what is available in your general area and it's slim pickins! I did find this guy in New Mexico though, and he is so cute!
http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/grd/2655382628.html
Love looking for other people for fun!
I'd rather see you get one straight from the BLM and start from scratch. you can totally do it. you have the skills and knowledge to save one from some horrible over stuffed pen. just sayin. that mare is pretty awesome, however.
Um, additionally, that mare is adorable and I bet she would probably improve that canter with some work. Someone said it looks like she is pulling herself along rather than pushing, and it looks like that to me. I wonder if she would benefit with time and balance. Hmmm. Trying horses out for free is fun and she looks like she could be a tiny torpedo!
Wow she's gorgeous!!
Loving the mustang idea. We had a mustang gelding for quite a number of years. He had the hardest, most rock crunching feet of any horse I have ever met. Smart as a whip too. Floaty trot to die for. Never sick or lame ever. He was a "fugly color" but well put together.
Of course, you can't get much hardier than a Welsh Cob. (Not that I'm biased much.) LOL. When the breed was being developed their living conditions in Wales (i.e. steep rocky hillsides with little grazing) necessitated that only the hardiest horses survived.
I think my next horse will be a Cob/TB cross. They are my favorite blend of hardiness and athleticism.
I would not be too hard on the mare about her canter. She is still sorting out how to carry a rider and is making a very sane, honest attempt.
Besides, you seem to be looking for a project. That means that potential is the key, not a horse who is half way there already. However, I am a little concerned about the Extreme Makeover. That sounds contrary to slow, horse-centered training.
AND (for the dressage folks) how about her walk? That one is the toughest to improve; you can work with the trot and canter quite a lot.
Even if the canter isn't perfect now, please remember that this is the easier of the three gaits to correct issues in, especially when it comes to carriage and tempo. Have you seen her walk yet? If her walk is crap, then you would probably have reason to be concerned. What was demonstrated in that video is the raw gait that you will have the freedom to alter through training as you would like later on. Even though her canter isn't drop dead awesome right now, it still has the potential to be later on. The only horses that I have witnessed that have fantastic canters right out of the womb are the warmbloods and other similar sport horse breeds, and clearly this mare does not have such refined breeding, which very well could be her benefit later on (more likely to not kill herself and have a good brain).
I must say that I disagree, I think the trot is the gait you can improve the most and the canter and walk usually are what you get for the most part... they are very hard to improve or change from what is natural. A skilled rider can make then a bit better, yes, but even a sack of potatoes can improve a horse's trot. Unfortunately, a lateral canter is a lateral canter is a lateral canter.
I'd rather see me start one from scratch too (that would be the MOST FUN PROJECT EVER) but alas, I don't have the facilities to do that. There aren't many boarding barns where you can just show up with a completely wild mustang. Unless I move somewhere with my own land (not likely), I wouldn't be able to do it. Believe me, I've thought long and hard about it ;)
She looks gorgeous - nice tight conformation from what I can see (and what little I know). Do Mustangs have a good reputation for soundness? She certainly looks like a real contender. Good luck!
Mrs. Exeter, oh yes! They are known for their hardiness. There is a lot of variation in the breed (because it's such a mixed bag of mutts) but they often come with very sturdy legs and a good brain.
"A skilled rider can make them a bit better, yes..." Do you not think you are a skilled rider :P
Andrea, I think she looks lovely. Yes, she's under-muscled where it counts (which will vastly improve with work), but for the first time in an English saddle I think she handled it marvelously.
All the basics are there for a brilliant partner. I think you should go try her at least...
I really don't think her canter is that bad for being that green. She can't carry herself yet, but she certainly isn't fourbeating. And she looks like she is covering a lot of ground with very little effort.
You can't expect her to have a great canter right know; or rather, you can't say that it will not turn into a solid 7 or 8 scoring canter through 2nd level just yet. Some horses have to learn engagement, and can only apply it at all, and for longer lengths of time, as they build that muscling. Four months can't have properly built that.
My old event horse was an honest, clean scopey jumper, but also about 2-3 inches butt high. It was WORK for him to learn to carry himself in a dressage canter. Rather than try to have perfection in gait but an unhappy and sore horse, I did not expect him to carry himself in a perfect canter frame all the time. He knew dressage saddle meant engagement work, and he knew "Come back" meant rock back under himself, usually asked about 4-5 strides before a fence. Even if you lost your reins, if you said "come back" and sat up he would rock back before the fence.
He ribboned well in his Novice and BN events, and would have training as well if we had gotten there. He did junior jumpers at A shows and ribboned in every class. You work with what they can give you. But most any mustang is going to take more work than a warmblood, by dint of breeding, confirmation, and early handling.
If you are interested in something that is a blank slate but not BLM, try a Nokota. You can pick one that you can touch and likes you, have him/her halter broken (and foot broken if you want) and shipped down and they should be safe at your boarding place but still close to starting from scratch.
Some are more "sport horse" athletic than others, but they have really neat and interesting minds.
Andrea, would you mind defining what you mean by lateral canter for me? I think this is one of those things that we in the UK use a different word for - I know disunited/crossfiring, tranter, tight behind, crooked, and fourbeat as variations on the theme - the mare to my eye would be crooked, possibly with a side order of tight behind, but not to the level of fourbeat.
I'd really really rather see her at liberty though, it was hard to tell exactly what was her coping with lack of balance under saddle and what was her natural gait.
FD, by lateral canter I mean it has a tendency not to be a well-defined three-beat gait, but more like a two-beated gait instead. Her front and hind leg on the same side move too closely in unison (watch the video and count the beats of the canter, she moves more with two beats than three - versus a tranter which would constitute four-beating), although if you slow down the video they do not move exactly in unison. She is rushy and on the forehand, and that definitely could be part of the problem, but you will get NAILED in the dressage arena for a lateral canter. (Ask me know I know... I had 2 horses with crappy canters before I got Gogo!) Lateral canters, if caused by the rider, can definitely be improved. Naturally lateral canters will always be poor. For a pure dressage prospect, lateral walks and canters are highly avoided in prospects.
Here's a bit of how Gogo's canter was when not asked to be put together or anything (just on a relatively loose rein): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuqsGc-5iFc&feature=related
Very different! She was always that way though, uphill and balanced right out of the womb.
I really like this one! How big?? Looks almost like a pony or the rider is just tall...
I just have to be another one to say give a Thoroughbred a try, just a try!
15hh. At least she's not a pony! Rider is taller than I am (by a fair amount) so I'm not worried.
Give me one good reason that I can't counter about why I should get a TB. And then maybe I will consider. Until then, even thinking about them makes my stomach hurt!
she is adorable! I say she's at least worth a look in person.
I like her!
As for the canter she's definitely bracing and/or rushing because she's green and doesn't have the strength to carry herself. With work I'm sure it would improve a lot. I don't know about the lateral problem though . . . I hope that's just a green/balance/strength thing. I vote to at least go ride her! She's so cute. She does look really small under that rider, but I don't think 15hh is too small. In fact a 15hh horse is way less likely to break down than a 17hh horse. I think the taller horses develop arthritis sooner and just seem to have more problems.
She looks short in the croup too. That must be a mustang thing. I'll have to look up what a short croup means. I think it's a lack of power (which would be bad for jumping right?), but I could be totally wrong since it's been so long since I studied all of that.
Okay, what I'm reading is that a short, steep croup is not an advantage for jumping. So maybe her short croup isn't a bad thing since it's not steeply angled.
Let us know if you decide to go ride her.
nice pictures.
http://huorboma.blogspot.com/2011/05/prostate-cancer.html
She has absolutely no muscle for carrying a rider in what you call 'Frame' How I hate that word - it is so easy to get a 'nice frame' and not have the horse using it's back end correctly.
To get a proper idea of what she has to offer you'll need to see her moving loose (at liberty) and feel how she goes under saddle. It will take about 6-12 months to build all the muscle correctly without rushing or pushing her - yes those sorts of horses can be very robust and hard to break,but start their training incorrectly and you've got just as many problems as with any other horse.
Hey, sorry just catching up... I own a papered suffield mustang. She is super stocky, fully of attitude and incredibly smart.
I ride western and so far my mare is started in western pleasure, barrels and reining. I say started because I keep having situations where I can't get her in the show ring.
She also does tricks, trail rides and completed our first endurance ride. She can't jump but has a love for water.
The funny thing? her name is Skylla which is the Roman God of the sea's mare's name.
Now the OTHER funny thing is her full brother is named Pegasus which we know is the greek horse of the sky...
He's an incredibly fancy jumper and English horse.
The only thing I found with a mustang is that she is very opinionated and can be stubborn. She is very different than training my usual western stock breeds. That being said I've had a real blast working with her.
I strongly suggest a good conformationed mustang. This one looks amazing and for being a greenie isn't bad at all. Of course you won't know till you try her personally and see if you two get along and if she MOVES the way YOU like. It's your preference after all.
Mustangs are not only barefoot savvy (another reason I haven't shown in reining is because I don't want to tack on sliders) but they are sure footed and brave. I think provided that YOU like the way she rides, she may be a very interesting prospect for the eventing arena.
Also, in regards to the canter, I have a standardbred that when I got him couldn't hold himself at all. I dreaded loping him because he was downhill and chargey with no balance and loping only a few strides resulted in feeling sick and bad pulled muscles from trying to get him to slow down and help get some sort of frame on him. It took a year of extremely hard work but he now has an uphill lope that comes from his hind end.
She is green and will gain muscle. I think she is stunning and really quite pleasing to the eye. If she is inexpensive, think of everything the both of you can learn from each other. I am intrigued to see what you will do. To me eye, she is the most pleasing.
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