E Pluribus Unum
( One out of Many ) Written August 2000
by Ann Spencer
I have been reading Ride! Magazine for over 10 years. In that length of
time, I have saved exactly one issue: the August 1992 issue.
As I look it
over now, it was in the large ( 11" x 14" ) format. In that issue, Dennis
Reis, founder of Universal Horsemanship, has a great article about ground
exercises.
But the real reason I kept this issue is an article about
mustangs in the show ring by Barbara Taylor and Kay Lieberknecht. I
adopted my first mustangs in 1976, when an article appeared in my local
newspaper over 4th of July weekend detailing the Adopt-A-Horse Program
that the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) was setting up to get rid of
the excess horses in their care.
The article in Ride! was about mustangs
that were winning at jumping, dressage, reining, and endurance. I was
involved in lower level combined training with my grey mustang, Bull
Shannon, at the time I read the article. I was absolutely astonished to
read about Nicholas, the fourth level dressage mustang being shown by
Nancie Louie. Little did I know in August of 1992 that my life with
horses would change direction.
Coincidentally, a large bay mustang colt
was being born in August ( or thereabouts ) as I was reading the article
about mustangs. I eventually came to own him in November of 1996. I
started ground work with him, then put him under saddle, and in March of
1997, he went over to a nearby training facility to be finished by
professional trainer, Patty Cochrane.
When I bought him from the orginal
adopter, she had called him "Levi", so we kept the name. When he began
entering CDS rated Dressage shows in October of 1997, my husband decided
to change his name on the entry form to "Leviticus" because it sounded
more like the fancy names of the other horses. I was amazed at his
success at First Level. Patty is an excellent rider, trainer, and person.
I am blessed to have found someone willing to show a real BLM Mustang,
with his huge freezebrand. He now stands about 17 hands and looks a lot
different than he did when I first saw him, thanks to the dressage work.
People at the big shows are always trying to guess his bloodlines -
Cleveland Bay ? Part Draft ? Part Thoroughbred? We tell the folks that
many of the really large mustangs come from the northeast corner of
Nevada.
After all, the now famous J.B. Andrew, a jet black 17 hand
mustang showing at Intermediare II in Colorado was captured in the Eugene
Mountains of Nevada, not more than 150 miles from the Black Rock Range
where Levi was captured on March 5, 1994. I wonder what Levi's brothers
and sisters and first cousins are doing these days ? I believe that each
horse in this world is doing the job ( or non-job) that most interests
the owner.
Levi now belongs to me, and I am a dressage enthusiast, even
though I am not a very good dressage rider. My primary experience on
horses has been long distance wilderness-style trail riding. I still
trail ride my other 2 mustangs often in the Los Padres National Forest
behind my house. We trail ride Levi each winter for two to three months -
he does no arena work at all during his " vacation".
I am very proud of the accomplishments of Levi and Patty. Together, they
won a United States Dressage Federation All Breeds Award at First Level
in 1998. In 1999, Levi and Patty placed #213 out of 1,700 horses of all
breeds in the nation at Second Level. Lateral work is Levi's most
beautiful and fluid movement. This year (2000) we have moved up to Third
Level, and his flying changes are getting better ( and more expressive )
each month.
Some people feel that dressage competition is way too expensive these
days and that you
really must own a huge, expensive warmblood to even think of doing well.
I am here to tell you that Levi cost me \$200. We compete in an old used
dressage saddle that cost me \$450 about 5 years ago. His one and only
bridle is the same one I used for my grey mustang combined training
horse, which cost me \$60 in 1991, and Levi's stainless steel snaffle bit
cost me \$18 at Whitehorse Tack and Vet in Templeton. I bought a nice
white show pad for \$26 at Atascadero Hay and Feed on clearance, and spent
some cash to have it embroidered with the Logo of the American Mustang
and Burro Association. The AMBA is one of 48 breeds signed up to
acknowledge All Breeds with USDF.
During a large, AHSA, USDF and CDS rated show held this past June in
Creston, Levi was one of 5 horses in his Second Level Test 4 class. All
five horses were different breeds: one mustang, one Morgan, one Lippizan,
one Selle Francise, and one Dutch Warmblood. Levi finished in 2nd place.
Everyone thinks that you just can't win with one of the "other" breeds.
You can, but you must have the essentials of a good dressage mount :
1. Very good conformation (to stay sound for a long time)
2. Three good gaits ( to get good scores, to get good lengthenings,
mediums,extensions )
3. The willing attitude - the most important factor
And, about the other half of the equation:
1. A talented and/or very dedicated (determined) rider
2. Some money for good instruction and those entry fees
3. The willingness and cash to travel some distances to shows
4. An extremely supportive family
5. A truck and horse trailer that are well maintained ( or access to one
)
6. The ability to be honest with yourself and your horse
7. The personality to accept constructive criticism to improve each step
of the way
8. The time to practice, practice, practice, and prepare for the shows
Do you think that Levi is any different than other mustangs ? He is not.
He just happens to belong to someone who enjoys this sport. I have seen
lots of mustang dressage prospects, just as I have seen Quarter Horse and
Connamara and Arabian and Pinto prospects. Every horse has a talent. We
are the caretakers. We make the decisions that enable our horses to
shine, no matter what discipline we choose. Levi is lucky because he
enjoys all the special attention he gets at the big shows. He is never
bored with his life. That is what makes me so happy about my horse.
For more info about dressage in general, please log on to www.usdf.org on
the Internet. For more info about the BLM Wild Horse Adoption Program,
log on to www.blm.gov/whb. The website for AMBA is www.bardalisa.com.
Update : November 2001
Levi did very well during the 2000 competition year at Third Level. In
2001 he continued showing at Third Level, trying to achieve higher
scores, and succeeded. For 2001 Levi and Patty won the United States
Dressage Federation's All Breed Award at Third Level, with an impressive
median score of 60.286 %, and he placed #144 out of all horses who
qualifed for the All Breeds at Third Level. There were about 1200 horses
competing nationally.
There has been a change in the saddle that we are using: Levi's back has
changed with all the muscles and so my Crosby Prix St George dressage
saddle has been " outgrown" literally.
In my search to locate a saddle to fit over his extremely large
shoulders, I found the perfect fit, which is an Ansur saddle, which has
no rigid tree, no wooden tree, and can therefore "grow" with my horse
throughout his years of dressage. The cost was \$1900, which is
considerably less expensive than any saddle with a rigid tree. We also
invested in a double bridle and two bits to go with it. The cost was \$175
for the bridle and about \$160 for both bits.
We look forward to moving up to Fourth Level in 2002 and for the very
first time, Levi will NOT be on vacation for December through March ( due
to inclement weather ). We will continue trail riding at least once a
week, on steep hills, and Patty will continue the arena work two days a
week, and will continue a lesson with Instructor Ellen Eckstein twice a
month.
Levi will begin work on passage in December of 2001. He is doing well in
his canter pirouette
work and his changes are improving as his canter becomes more collected.
Update on JB Andrew : he was retired from competition in late 2000 and is
still ridden by his owner, Kelly O'Leary. He was schooling all of the
grand prix movements and is still sound.
Update in June 2002:
On June 9, 2002 , Levi and Patty performed Fourth Level Test 1 for the
first time ever and did very well, coming in second place with 57.7%. The
plan for this summer is to focus on more collection at the canter, better
and more consistent flying changes, the 4's and the 3's and to be able to
keep the frame throughout all of the work.
We are doing arena work three days each week, with the occasional trail
ride when it is not too hot ! We are not yet using the double bridle, but
hope to this winter.
Update in April 2003:
Patty is still not using the double bridle. At the show held in August
2002, at Sport Horse International, Levi and Patty scored over 65% at
Fourth Level test 1, and over 72 % in the Third Level Freestyle ! Plans
for summer 2003 include triple - rated shows at the Sacramento Valley
Show, May 3rd, Dressage in the Almonds, in Lodi, on May 4th, the Central
Coast Dressage Shows I and II in June in the Paso Robles area.
Update in August 2003:
Patty and Levi scored over 62 % on Fourth Level Test 2 at the June show
near Paso Robles, even though Patty went off course and had a 2 point
deduction. She finished 2nd out of 4.
