Monday was one of my hardest days as a horseman and an incredibly sad day for Downunder Horsemanship. In the late afternoon, we laid Mindy to rest. She was a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and I was lucky to have had her for nearly 30 years.
With my parents’ help, I bought her when she was just 4 months old and I was a starving horse trainer in Australia. She was trained and shown as a reining horse, and we placed third in the 1997 Australian National Reining Horse Association Futurity.
Mindy had a golden mind like no other horse I’ve ever trained. She always gave me 120% percent and never once told me no or backed down from a challenge. She was always so willing. That heart is what separates the truly great horses from the average horses.
When I made the USA my home and established Downunder Horsemanship, one of the first things I did was save up enough money to fly Mindy over to join me. For years, she helped me demonstrate the Method and quickly became much more popular than me and the face of the company. Throughout her career, she traveled well over 500,000 miles to put on tours, clinics and equine expos. She helped people all over the world better their horsemanship and brought so much happiness to them.
Mindy also appeared in most of my training kits and video series to show the goal and finished result of the Method to inspire people to achieve better horsemanship. She had a handful of foals over the years, but there was no duplicating her.
I officially retired Mindy in 2010 at my Vegas Walkabout Tour in front of some of our most loyal No Worries Club members. The 3,000 plus horsemen gathered at the event gave her the sendoff she so deserved.
Mindy spent her retirement years turned out in the pasture enjoying life off the road and away from the camera, just being a horse. When I was breeding performance horses, she loved to babysit the weanlings and keep them in check. There was no one better at that job.
A few years ago, when China returned to the ranch after retiring from being a therapeutic riding horse, she and Mindy spent their days together and became best buddies. They were joined at the hip and did everything together. So when China passed away a few months ago, Mindy took it hard, and I knew in my heart she wouldn’t last long. Her body was tired and shutting down and it was time to let her go.
I was with her at the start of her career and I was by her side when she took her last breath. We laid her to rest beside her best friend China at the ranch here in Arkansas. There will only ever be one Mindy and she will be greatly missed by me and all who were lucky enough to know her. Rest easy, special girl. – Clinton
Clinton with Mindy in Australia.
Mindy loved playing in the water trough when she was a filly.
Competing at the 1997 Australian National Reining Horse Association Futurity. The pair placed third.
Mindy became the face of Downunder Horsemanship, traveling with Clinton to demonstrate the Method at tours, clinics and expos.
Clinton feeding Mindy a slice of bread, her favorite treat.
Posing for a photo for Clinton’s first book, Establishing Respect and Control for English and Western Riders.
Clinton retired Mindy at the 2010 Las Vegas Walkabout Tour and No Worries Club members made sure she got the sendoff she deserved.
During her retirement years, Mindy enjoyed life off the road and away from the camera in the pasture. She looked forward to scratches from Clinton and getting her favorite treat.
Clinton surprised everyone at the first Ranch Rally when he brought Mindy out to the middle of the arena. The mare loved the attention and posed for hundreds of photos.
Mindy’s last public appearance was at the Open House at the new ranch in Arkansas.
We will be dedicating an upcoming Journal to Mindy, sharing her life, as she was a major building block of Downunder Horsemanship and without her the company wouldn’t be where it is today.
