This is the second in our interview seris with those who have worked to preserve and promote Colonial Spanish Horses or who have become voices for the natural horse care movement.
Q. You started riding and competing as a child, at what point did mustangs come into your life?
SL: John Fusco introduced me to his Colonial Spanish colt Little Fox in 2002. John educated me about the breed for the next year while I trained Little Fox. In 2004 my young daughter Eliza was gifted a colt bred and raised at Baca Chica Farm in New Mexico. Since, then about 20 CS horses from many different strains have come through my doors as sale projects and ambassadors for the breed.
Q. What strains of Colonial Spanish Horses have you been associated with?
SL The two strains that lie closest to my heart are the Baca horses from New Mexico and the Choctaw Indian Ponies from Oklahoma. I do own horses from other strains such as the Banker/Western cross from Tom Norush, northern strain from Zen Cowboys, and have had some nice horses with HOA foundation blood from Karma Farms cross my path too.
Q. What differences do you see between the Baca strain and the Choctaws?
SL ...each have qualities that are very different from each other. I love the elegance of the Baca horses, their structure and graceful way of moving suits my English style disciplines really well. They have an incredible softness to them that is very natural. ...they are polite horses to work around and very gentle naturally. The Baca horses' light movement would take them across country with out breaking a sweat.
...Choctaw horses have a very workman-like, utilitarian manner to them which, looking at their history and the journey of the Trail of Tears, this is an innate characteristic....Hardy, full of painted colors, a little heavier bone than the Baca horses, with a different way of going. They eat up ground like a 4-wheel drive, the Baca's float across it! Personality wise, I had to be invited into the Choctaw herd we had. Once I accepted the invitation, I was in for life. The Baca horses let anyone in, even if you don't have an invitation!
Q. Have you had a role in the effort to save these two strains?
SL ...When John Fusco, Dr. Sponenberg, and the Rickman family launched the Choctaw Indian Pony Conservation Program in Vermont in 2004 I was asked to manage the herd, gentle the mares,and overlook the breeding program, as well as help to educate the public about these historic horses. After our growing herd relocated to Return to Freedom in California, I turned my efforts full time to the Baca Horse Conservancy in New Mexico..... the Choctaws will always be a part of me.
Screenwriter John Fusco (Spirit, Hidalgo and many other films) has been my mentor and friend along this journey..Dr. Sponenberg works with both the Baca horses and the Choctaws and he's just a master of all things Colonial Spanish. I have also learned so much from Vik Ives over the years.
(End of Part 1) The interview will be completed in a other installment.
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