It’s when I got to Missouri and met Deanna and her Mustangs that I realized how incredible she and her horses were. I also realized that she was far too modest and downplayed her horses’ good qualities while really exaggerating their tiny little imperfections.  I can honestly say that I have never been around horses like hers. Come to think of it, I never even heard of horses like that…..

I know that Deanna minimizes how great her horses are so I wanted to share my story with anybody who is considering one of her Mustangs. I hear that Mustangs have a somewhat bad reputation and maybe some are not the greatest but there are a ton of TB’s, Warmbloods, Arabians and Quarter horses that are plain insane and yet somehow we accept that. Personally, having experienced one of her Mustangs, I would never want any other horse. They love with an amazing intensity, they are smart, they think all the time and they learn so fast.

(Jimmy picking blackberries in Canada with Beata)

How I Met and Fell in Love with Jimmy

Dear Future Person of one of Deanna Aikin’s Mustangs:

At the beginning of 2006, when I found out that my old Thoroughbred’s eyesight was impaired, I decided to retire Dougie (he was a bit scary to ride with full sight…) and find a new riding companion. Having experienced the TB, whom I love dearly but who still scares me when he lets go of his brain (fairly often), I thought I really wanted a different type of horse so I hit the books and articles and Google and was intrigued with the idea of a Nokota Mustang. I searched and read and searched and at some point I came across the most beautiful, little horse I have ever laid eyes on. His name was Jimmy and he was a GORGEOUS buckskin. The kind of horse that the little girl in all of us has always dreamed of…. his profile read that he was a 15 hands domestic bred mustang who was 5 years old and essentially has done a little bit of everything and with a “few more miles” would even make a great kids horse. Right, a 5 year old who would make a good kids horse, hmmmm…. I’m green but even I know that 5 year olds don’t make good kids horses…. Still, to the idealist in me, this did sound very good. VERY different from my 22 year old TB, who spooks when swallows fly above his head and thus very good!!!  I was drawn but I almost passed up because I thought, at 15 hands, he was too small for my bulk. But something (‘k, I admit it, it probably was his looks….at least at that stage) kept me awake at night wondering if I could lose some weight then maybe it could work….. so finally, in my sleep deprived state, I wrote an e mail to Deanna asking her if Jimmy might be suitable for a heavy, green rider who just wants a friend to go bump with on trails. I explained that Jim would probably never reach his full potential because all I had to offer him was a good home and friendship but nothing fancy like the show ring. I’m sure she thought I was a lunatic but the e mail I got back blew me away…. It described my one-in-a-million, perfect horse. Jimmy sounded like a cool, steady young man with loads of brain power so I rang Deanna and had a very long conversation about Jimbo. She answered all my questions, she gave me a ton of info and she was the classiest, nicest woman I have met in a very long time.  I was ready to buy Jimmy sight unseen on the strength of what she said and she wouldn’t let me. Right there I knew that this was a scrupulous, caring horse breeder that wanted the best match for her horses.

I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada and HATE flying so I begged and pleaded and was ready to hand over my financial records and references to convince Deanna that I could take care of Jimmy and was really not a total maniac (despite my behaviour). She wouldn’t budge so I booked a flite to Missouri. Yup, I was willing to get on the plane for that little horse…..

It’s when I got to Missouri and met Deanna and her Mustangs that I realized how incredible she and her horses were. I also realized that she was far too modest and downplayed her horses’ good qualities while really exaggerating their tiny little imperfections.  I can honestly say that I have never been around horses like hers. Come to think of it, I never even heard of horses like that….. Standing in a paddock in the middle of 4 horses (oldest of which was Jim @ 5 years) I have never once felt unsafe and I have never even met them before. Jimbo turned out to be so much more than I could have dreamed of or imagined. ‘k, he did have a terrible shave job on his jaw but he was still gorgeous and I fell in love at first sight as they say. I guess some may say his head is big and his feet are definitely like dinner plates but everything works so perfectly together and his personality cements the whole picture.

The 3 days I spent in Missouri went by wayyyy too fast and then it was time to leave my version of Disneyland but I will never forget the things I saw and learned there….. did you know that one can sit on her horses while they lie down or that it’s perfectly fine to ride a saddled horse to the ring while the loose mares follow you and say hi or that you can just point at the trailer and they get in or that your horse will help you pick up a dropped saddle pad or grooming tools or that you can throw a rope on their leg and lead them? Every lesson I’ve ever had (true, they were English style …) was screaming in my head that you just don’t do things like that with horses but you can, I have seen and experienced it and her horses are truly like that. If anybody is wondering how they are to catch, I would advise that you work on a plan that helps you get away from your horse. A few times I have tried to take pictures of Jimbo out in the field for Deanna and I have to resort to hiding in the bushes a la National Geographic photographers or all I will be able to get are close ups of his lips…

Jimmy arrived here in Vancouver in April 2006 and has been the best thing that happened to me in a very long time. Every day that goes by and I learn more about him, I love him more and more. He gets along with everybody except the dogs but even so, he’s never mean or cruel to the dogs. He does not attack them, only lets them know that they have to keep their distance. There were a couple of people so far that he didn’t seem to like but again he does not act out or get nasty, he simply acts like they don’t exist. He has an amazing sense of humour, which does on occasion make me crazy but more often it makes me snort with laughter. Oh sure, we have our issues like stealing a hammer while we’re fixing a fence and running off with it, then dropping it way in the back field and happily trotting back to steal my hat but his kindness and calm steady personality more than make up for torturing me with the silly games. He’s also incredible with kids. As playful as he is with me, he is that gentle and careful with youngsters. He met my friend’s 6 mos old boy and was so incredibly careful, I was getting misty eyed watching him.

I know that Deanna minimizes how great her horses are so I wanted to share my story with anybody who is considering one of her Mustangs. I hear that Mustangs have a somewhat bad reputation and maybe some are not the greatest but there are a ton of TB’s, Warmbloods, Arabians and Quarter horses that are plain insane and yet somehow we accept that. Personally, having experienced one of her Mustangs, I would never want any other horse. They love with an amazing intensity, they are smart, they think all the time and they learn so fast. Jimbo learned to plant very exuberant kisses in 15 minutes because I was goofing around. In retrospect, maybe making a kissing maniac out of him was not a great idea (he likes it a bit too much) but who knew he would learn so fast… I have had 2 local trainers come and check Jimbo out for me and they were both incredibly impressed with him. The woman even told me that she came “prepared” for the Mustang and was surprised how much she liked him.  My current trainer who is helping me and Jimbo because I am green and don’t want to do anything that would hurt my horse, always tells me what a steady young man he is and that once he learns something, he does not forget it.

Since I’ve set out to tell the truth about my experience with Deanna and her Mustangs, I will tell you Jimmy’s one “fault” – he’s more like a big dog than a horse. I think he really was the only equine dog in Deanna’s herd ….. I realize that a lot of people have a problem with that and lots of the horsy set here in Vancouver are not shy to tell me that it’s inappropriate for a horses to behave like a dog. But ….. as I look at them struggling to ride their horses with a thousand pieces of equipment on or hanging on and trying to look dignified through a series of bucks or trying to quickly sneak the blanket on before the horse notices and throws a fit (I still do that with the TB), I confirm to myself again and again that I would rather spend my life with a dog like Mustang than an outwardly polite lunatic.

If anybody wants to chat with me or wants more info on my journey with Jimbo, please feel free to e mail me beatasudden@gmail.com.

Keep well and hope you get a chance to meet and live with one of these incredible Mustangs!!!

beata

Jimmy and Ed during Jim's saddle training.