Mustang for (low level) eventing?

[She_s_Pure_Gold]

I’m not horse shopping, this is more just a hypothetical/theoretical question. Does anyone have any experience with eventing mustangs? I realize tb’s are much more common, particularly for the upper levels, but I’m just thinking ahead for different options for my next horse (which hopefully won’t be for a while, as I want my current guy to get me through the next 7+ years anyways!). I’ve always thought it would be neat to get a mustang but I’m not sure that it would really make sense for me.

I have no aspirations for going above training level, and I am not a serious competitor, I’m mostly just in it for fun and stick to local-ish schooling and recognized events and only a handful a season-so, hypothetically, could a mustang do this? Does anyone have a mustang that they event? My main concern is not even about the jumping, more about dressage- I’ve noticed that they seem to typically have quite thick necks, wondering how they do collecting and working on the bit.

[SnicklefritzG]

I’ve seen a few more slender ones in some of the BLM ads. I’ve also ridden in the mountains out west and have seen them in person. There are more refined ones out there, but I think you have to look for them.

There are plenty of heavier ponies out there eventing right now who have thicker necks and might not necessarily be easy to collect. So I don’t see why you couldn’t do B/N or N at the very least.

[Desert_Topaz]

They absolutely could event, and do dressage, but it depends on your mustang. I’ve had two: one was a 17hh beast with a warmblood sized head and 7" bit, but wore a narrow saddle and a 46" girth. I’ve seen pictures of other horses from his HMA and someone tossed a draft horse out there at some point If it’s not built in a way that would make the whole process of dressage extremely difficult, with proper training they’ll collect, etc like any other horse.

[Mtn_trails]

I have one that I event with. She’s 14.2 and built like a brick house; definitely some draft in her somewhere. We are going novice and enjoying ourselves, she loves the jumping not so much dressage. A friend events her mustang and qualified for the AECs last year. So it can be done. Mustangs are very versatile. I have a young one I’m bringing along who is built more like a TB who I hope to event eventually.

Also, Meika Decher has/had one that evented to prelim.

[RacetrackReject]

My eventing barn had one that we picked up at a local auction. He was small, around 14 hands maybe, but holy crap was that pony awesome. His movement was incredibly nice and he would jump the stuffing out of anything you put in front of him. The only reason he was sold on was because he was a bear about having his feet handled (great feet!), so while the lesson kids could ride him, they couldn’t groom him.

He was a cute little red roan that came with the name Rowdy, but we renamed him Frosted Flakes since he was frosty.

[Jealoushe]

There was one on the CCI** team at the NAYRC last week from team Ontario.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/team-ontario-captures-lead-dressage-najyrc

[jennifersusan]

Mustangs for eventing

check the website “Mustangs4 us” - just google it. It gives a wonderful overview of the types of horses from the various
herds - some have more Thoroughbred in them because of the old remount horses in their history - others are more drafty.

Elisa Wallace of course, is a current advocate for mustangs for low-level eventing.

I do know that they tend to be sound, with good bone, and
willing temperments, for the most part. Don’t know what part of the country you’re in, but try and find a trainer who has worked with them - it would be well worth your time and money to put your new mustang with someone who has worked with a lot of them for the at least the initial 30 days. check the Mustang heritage foundation website for a list of mustang trainers in your area. And for heaven’s sake! try to get to Ft. Worth in September for a good luck at what mustangs can do!
Good luck!

[merrygoround]

Hmmmm! Last I knew mustangs were horses. So not only can they event, they can do dressage, they can be driven . Like any other horse, simply a case of finding the right horse for the right job.

[kerlin]

Short answer: yes! I have a mustang that I have evented on and off for a few years.

Long answer: they come in every shape and size and flavor under the rainbow. You get way more variety in them than in the average breed, since they are essentially bred by natural selection.

I’ve seen some amazingly successful, talented, athletic, and personable mustangs do very well in just about every discipline. My own mustang could easily have gone through Novice had I had the time/money to pursue that any further.

I’ve also seen some rank, ugly, and downright nasty mustangs.

Bottom line: evaluate the horse in front of you very closely, both in build and in personality. If you’re picking one up straight from the BLM, you should either feel confident in your own knowledge and ability to assess a brand new horse quickly, or bring someone you trust. You should also have a good plan for early training. If you’ve never worked with a tricky horse from the ground up, work with a trainer who specializes in mustangs. They are not easy horses when they first come in.

To address your specific concerns, my horse does have a big thick neck and throatlatch, and it does make it harder for him to go on the bit properly. His legs are shorter than they ought to be, but his barrel takes up my leg just great. He is smart as a whip - smarter than I am - and more dependable and practical than just about any other horse I’ve ever worked with. He has Opinions and is not afraid to share them. He has pretty much zero work ethic, but then he’s a special case - wasn’t started until he was 11, after several years of neglect by his first owner. He’s surprisingly difficult to condition, mostly because of that work ethic. (It’s tough to do enough trot sets to get him eventing fit when you have pitched battles about even trotting forward.)

Here are some conformation pictures so you can get a sense of what I’m talking about: http://beljoeor.blogspot.com/2013/12/5-day-challenge-day-3.html

They are awesome, awesome horses, but you need to know what you’re getting into.

[GotMyPony]

There is a mustang, Tomorrow’s Sun (aka Zak), that is doing dressage now and with his current rider/owner has earned USDF Bronze and Silver medals (2013). His current rider is the mom of his original rider, (her daughter) with whom “Zak” won the national Pony Club eventing title in 2009. So apparently they can do eventing and even move into dressage if you decide. (Full disclosure: Some people say he’s a Mustang cross, his owner believes pure Mustang; dam was either pregnant when captured or shortly thereafter and there’s no record of who sire was.)

[LisaB]

There were 4 of them at the lower levels at an event here last weekend. So cute! Not terribly athletic looking but solid and sweet.