Shandi - bred-in-the-wild Spanish Mustang

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"Shandi  represents  scientific proof that her home herd of wildies carries the pure genetic heritage of Spanish mustang stock"

Sad News: recently in 2004  Shandi fell to Equine Cushings Disease.

RIP Shandi 1977-2004
                                                      Shandi                     Linda Hazelwood photo

"She's a proud horse who carries herself with dignity, almost as if she knows what her lineage is, and although she is now domesticated, she will always retain some of her natural independence."

In 1976, during one of the last government sponsored roundups (this practice was
abolished at the end of 1976) Shandi’s dam, a dun mare, was taken out of the Siffleur
Wilderness Area located in Kootenay Plains, west of Sundre and south of Nordegg,
Alberta, Canada. This area is now a restricted use area with no entry without permission by the
Alberta Forestry Department.

The dam was then purchased (adopted) by Mr. Don Walker, a Royal Bank of Canada
branch manager, as a pet/riding horse. What Mr. Walker did not realize was that this
mare was in foal when she left the wilderness area. In the spring of  1977 Shandi was
foaled. She was then called Little Orphan Annie, as her sire was unknown. Mr. Walker
was transferred to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he sold “Annie” to a man who ran a
riding/boarding stable. This man had a reputation for being abusive,  trying to put “ the
fear of god into them.”  This philosophy backfired with Shandi as all she did was rebel by
acting-up when saddled or harnessed, pinning her ears back and trying to bite. Finally, one
day, while in harness, with a sleigh carrying 20 people, she exploded, “ripping her
harness to the point where you could not find two pieces to stitch back together” as her
owner said. She was then sold to  to a family as a riding horses for their son, but though
nice people, they didn't know much about horses, and Shandi sensed this. Because they
could not ride her, they bred Shandi to a paint stallion. She was then moved to St.
Adolphe, Manitoba, where her owners now lived.

I first met “Annie” in the spring of 1984. She was 10 months in foal and her feet had not
been done in over six  months.

I was given “Annie” in late October of 1984 by a friend who knew I had  just lost my
horse and that I had a penchant for dun colored horses. I felt “Annie” was not a
suitable name for a horse, so she was named Shandi, which means ‘mischievous one,’ a
Celtic name. It seemed appropriate and stuck.

Although Shandi is  14.2 1/2  HH and I am 6’ 1”, 195 lbs.,  she has never had any trouble
carrying me during pleasure rides. I was working as a guide (lazy ‘H’ Ranch, Manitoba)
and had to relinquish my guide horse to a rookie guide. I was then forced to use Shandi.
This would be quite a test for such a small horse, and I was worried that the long hours
and constant riding would break her down. Although she lost weight ( no matter how
well I fed her) she never missed a day of work. She was always there when I called on
her, always willing. She worked five days a week, up to 10 hours a day, in hot and dusty
or humid and bug infested environments. She began to develop a  reputation for being a
tough, smart and fast little horse. There was not much this little mare wouldn't do for
me, and I really respect her.
Linda Hazelwood photo

Whatever I've done with Shandi, she's always put her heart into it and tried, never
thinking about quitting.

Although Shandi was at one time labeled a renegade, and they said that the safest place for her
was in a tin, she was really just a mistreated and misunderstood horse.

Shandi can be moody and always needs a good reason to do something. In the forest she
is level-headed, never shying, and wanting to lead. When you sit in the saddle it's like
turning on a switch beneath you. She is intelligent and learns quickly, except to control
her speed and naturally high head-set.

It is difficult to describe her personality accurately, as she is quite an individual, not
fitting into any category. She can do it all: good cow sense, quiet, yet full of life,
mischievous yet eager to please. She is  a unique horse, with qualities I have not seen in
other breeds. She's a proud horse who carries herself with dignity, almost as if she knows
what her lineage is, and although she is now domesticated, she will always retain some
of her natural independence.

“Do we owe these horses more than some protection from hunters, now that they have been slaughtered to possibly a quarter of their original number? Do we let them continue to exist and  prosper, or do we let them perish ? And what about the genetics of  the herds? Have enough been left behind to form a broad basis for reproduction? If these horses are truly wild, they must live and die according to Nature's plan. There are numerous success stories in the world concerning animals that have come back from devastating destruction to form a strong species.”

-Steve Howlett, Shandi's owner

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