Erin Beattie & VBA Aztec

I am very excited to have welcomed home VBA Aztec, a 7 year old gelding from Kosciusko National Park. As we only had an hour journey home from VBA on Sunday I decided to start Monday morning with a brief training session looking to establish tracking and draw. Throughout the week I have continued working with Aztec for 15-20mins twice a day building on these skills. Currently Aztec will walk towards me when approached from a front on direction and follow me around the arena in a circle pattern. Aztec appears to be settling in well, befriending his neighbours, diving into his hay (I think he feels its rather nice to have no other mouths competition for food) and generally being easy going about the activities around the farm. He is naturally curious and shows a quiet bravery and a willingness to engage. To say he has stolen my heart already would not be a lie. 

Aztec and I have spent the last two week consolidating the basics and working on developing his confidence around people. While Aztec appeared to be relaxed around people, dogs and the day to day farm activities and machinery, the more I have got to know him, the more I have noticed the subtle cues that display his underlying concerns. These cues may be as small as an ear flick or the twitching of the muscles in his forelimbs as he thinks about moving away. At times it has felt like our progress has been minimal, achieving small goals, which to the outside observer don’t appear to be much, while being essential to building a trusting and equal partnership. I truly feel Aztec has lived his life by hiding behind others and staying small and when asked to step into the spotlight with me has found it all a little bit overwhelming. I noticed Aztec did not appear overly comfortable interacting with the whip displaying inconsistent responses, accepting one moment turning and fleeing the next. I elected to remove the whip from my training and work on developing his confidence being in close proximity to me. Using his established hind quarter yields and draw skills I would ask Aztec to approach me and allow him to set the distance from me which he felt comfortable. Each offer was rewarded with the release of pressure (me turning my back or stepping away). Gradually, and at times, almost imperceptibly Aztec approached closer on his own with less and less of an ask from me. As his confidence has grown Aztec has initiated touch, nuzzled my arm and face and bumped my hand in a relaxed and contented manner. 

I am so incredibly proud of this little horses ‘try’ and genuinely appreciate how hard he is working at learning these new skills. 

Throughout Aztecs training I have been supporting him energetically with energetic healing and releasing trapped emotions. This enables me to release energetic blocks which may present as training, physical or psychological issues. Not surprisingly there has been lots of work around physical touch, captivity and being held in yards and early life incidents that have had significant emotional impacts on him. Working through energetic and emotional blocks allows Aztec to return to and remain in a sympathetic (relaxed) nervous state which is optimal for learning to occur.

This week we received our delivery of Cool Conditioner Pellets and Stablisied Rice Bran from CopRice Equine which I have begun to gradually introduce into Aztecs twice daily feeding regime. Thank you to Mel at CopRice Equine for organising our delivery and keeping me up to date on its progress. I can’t wait to see how fabulous Aztec will look come Equitana. Finally, we have welcomed on board Crossroads Trading in Ballan and Opti Gut as sponsors. Crossroads Trading is my local stock feed and rural supplier who have been involved in previous Australian brumby challenges and were very keen to be involved again this year. They have kindly offered to support Aztec with chaff and supplements throughout the duration of his training period. Opti Gut is a 100% natural probiotic for horses which uses high strength multi strain microbial to assist in replenishing gut flora, reducing gastric ulcer prevalence and improving nutrient absorption. I am very humbled by, and appreciative of the support of these fantastic businesses.

My aim from the start was to be honest and authentic in my updates and social media posts so I would not be true to myself if I didn’t highlight just how tough these last two weeks have been. Our progress continues to be slow but in the right direction and it’s hard not to compare ourselves to the other challenge participants who are achieving big milestones. This combined with illness, a sick child and some extreme answers from Aztec (striking and biting) to some of my questions have left me feeling a little beaten and doubting my ability to survive the challenge. There have been a few tears and lots of contemplative thinking and I now understand why you named it a challenge! 

Aztec and I have continued to work on building his confidence accepting touch and being near people. Using a combination of face touches with my hand and the training stick, countless repetitions and rest breaks we have progressed from nose bumps to muzzle, jaw and cheek rubs with both the stick and my hand.  Again, progress is slow and any attempts to move my hand further up his face has been met with rather “spicy” responses. In preparation for haltering, I have been using the training stick to attach a neck rope to Aztec and work on leading and giving to pressure. Aztec was quick to grasp these concepts and happily followed me around the yard

Due to Aztec becoming more expressive in his “no’s” and touch in close proximity still being a very difficult question I elected to halter Aztec over the fence in the yard race. In an ideal situation allowing Aztec the time it takes to be familiar with touch for haltering would be my first choice. However, given the limited time framework of the challenge and the fact Aztec has now been in yards for 5 weeks I was keen to have Aztec haltered so we can continue to build upon his leading foundation and start moving out of the yards and around the farm. Aztec is adjusting to wearing a halter well and is growing in confidence with short leading sessions over obstacles and around the horse yard area. 

I am pleased to see the big changes in Aztecs body condition score as he has continued to devour all his CopRice feed. Despite the temperature struggling to get about double digits here for most of the two-week period he has managed to gain weight and is filling out nicely. Thankfully, I had my lovely warm CopRice vest to keep me warm during the blizzard like training sessions.

Using the established track and draw from Aztecs initial trainings has enabled him to transition to leading quite well. We have been busy exploring the paddock next to the yards and heading out into the larger paddocks around the farm. During these leading adventures we have been working on Aztec developing confidence with me leading from his shoulder and continuing to build upon responding to pressure from the lead and halter. While most of our adventures have involved exploring and green picking the grass one took on some excitement when Aztec decided he wanted to explore solo. After a few laps of the paddock and some grass snacks he headed back to his yard and waited patiently for me to catch up.

In addition to leading adventures Aztec has been introduced to ponying off another horse. The trusty old rodeo head horse, Tucker, provided a calm and steady influence for Aztec during our initial ponying sessions. As on the ground, ponying reinforces the need to give to pressure and follow the leader. It also adds in another layer of stimulus with the presence of another horse and the rider now being above led horse. At any time, Aztec is free to create distance from myself as I use a 10 foot lead rope, however, I try to encourage him to work through discomfort by walking with the lead horse and gradually shortening the lead as we go. Aztec has taken confidence from Tuckers presence and is now happily trotting along beside him on a loose lead.

Having Aztec haltered has enabled me to progress with building Aztecs confidence being touched on the face and neck. Part of my initial introduction of the training stick was to teach Aztec to interact with the stick and that a purposeful nudge of the stick would indicate the need for a break. I have continued to use this and, in my videos, you will see Aztec nudge the stick during training or seek out my hand for a “fist bump” when needing reassurance. Not only does this give Aztec a voice in the training session it’s a good reminder for me to take a breath, reset and begin again. Using the training stick, initially at full length and getting progressively closer to the end I have been able to scratch his muzzle face and neck. This progressive reduction in the distance between us has allowed Aztec to build familiarity and relaxation with touch whilst remaining under his fight/flight threshold. In the past few days, I have seen Aztec grow to love the face scratches and he now actively seeks these out instead of wanting a release from pressure.  This has been a long slow process with small gains each day, but I feel, and I can see the trust and relationship really beginning to grow between the two of us as we find our own rhythm and I let Aztec be involved in setting the space of our training. This has been a very important step for both of us as I have found myself trying to play catch up and pushing to achieve perceived “milestones”. I find the more I let go of my expectations and just be present for Aztec the better we are together.

My plan all along was to be horse centred in my approach to this challenge and I’m working hard to establish a partnership with Aztec that is consent driven and mutually beneficial. Progress again is incremental and to the outsider perhaps barely noticeable. Taking the time, it takes is not the easiest of options and I find myself asked daily when I’m “goin’ to hop on?” which is an interesting question that I don’t have an answer for. Prioritising trust and relaxation means slower progress and revisiting some previous exercises and smoothing out the rough spots. Its not always captivating watching but when the connection happens between human and horse it is heartfelt.

Aztecs favourite activity by far seems to be exploring around the farm. Several times a week we head off for an adventure either on foot or ponying off another horse. We make use of the varying terrain climbing over rocks, stepping over fallen trees and having a good stretch out trotting across the flat. These adventures are great opportunities to continue to build on skills like touch, leading and body control while doing something fun.

In addition to exploring the paddocks we have begun exploring different work areas of the farm moving through cattle races, grazing under enormous excavators and strolling down the driveway. I am amazed how Aztec takes these new challenges in his stride following along behind me and using his curiosity to explore. He has brought these characteristics in his approach to trailer loading showing interest and a relaxed approach to his training. In my approach to trailer loading, I encourage Aztec to step up into the trailer with his front feet, offer food reward and then step him off. With repetition I ask Aztec to stand longer each time aiming to step him out of the trailer before he asks to leave. 

Aztec has transitioned from living solely in the yards to spending most of his time in a paddock with two other horses. It has been very entertaining watching them sort out the herd hierarchy with Aztec showing himself to be a bit of a troublemaker with a love of play fighting. He considers himself a reasonable match for the Welsh pony but has decided not to take on my rather stocky Kosi Brumby gelding Rohan. Its wonderful to see his personality begin to shine through and I really love the cheeky, inquisitive little horse he is.

In the past 2 weeks we have reached the halfway point of the CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge. This has given me pause to reflect on where I am in comparison to where I thought I’d be at this point in the challenge. I’ll be honest, I had big plans. All the cool things I’ve seen other challenge trainers and brumbies doing, I was doing them all and then some. My self-belief would be sky high, my timing and training just right, and Aztec the star of the show. 

So, am I where I thought I’d be? Short answer “No, not even close”.  I’ve made mistakes, allowed myself to be hamstrung by my own fears and lack of self-belief and seriously considered quitting on several occasions. Would I change it? Not for anything. The joyful cheekiness that shines from Aztec makes my heart sing and I am honoured that he trusts me with sharing his beautiful soul. What I see growing in him, is reflected in me, my self-belief while not sky high, is blooming, as I focus on trusting my instincts and walking my own path. Aztec and I continue to bring the best out in each other as we learn to accept and work with our imperfections. As the saying goes “you don’t get the horse you want, you get the horse you need”. I think Aztec and I truly needed each to share our gifts and shine a light onto each other’s darkness. I’m so excited for the second half of our journey and the magic we can create together.

In the past 2 weeks Aztec has really come into his own and our progress has been huge. When I look back a month ago touch was still a big issue for Aztec it makes me so proud of us and what we have achieved. The hard work and perseverance to build the trust and relationship has been so worth it. Aztec is now comfortable being touched all over and can have his feet handled in preparation for trimming. He is enjoying a daily brush, and we have finally detangled the matted mess that was his tail. Unfortunately, the weather is not doing us any favours by continuing to be cold and windy so losing all the fluffy coat isn’t quite happening. 

We have continued to develop our floating skills spending time tied on the float with doors shut and a buddy to build confidence before heading out on short trips down the road. This has prepared Aztec for a big outing to the vets for a dental and health check. I have had concerns about the asymmetrical movement of Aztecs jaw for a while and wanted to get his teeth looked at before attempting any mouthing. Now that Aztec has become more comfortable with both touch and floating, I felt he was ready to attempt this. Considering Aztec has had limited outings off property he handled the trip to a busy equine vet facility well. Aztec was the talking point of the clinic’s day with numerous vets, students and staff popping in to see the ‘wild brumby’ and ask about the challenge. On consultation with the vets, we elected to sedate Aztec for his procedure. As suspected Aztec has some significant hooks on his front molars which has contributed to the asymmetry in his jaw. While sedated we also flushed his tear ducts as he had been troubled with persistent eye discharge. All the interactions at the vet were a big ask for Aztec and I am so proud of how he handled it all. 

We have been revisiting haltering as this was a process we now have the skills (comfort with touch and leading, ropes) to re install a solid foundation on. I don’t regret initially haltering him in the race as this was the best for where Aztec was at, at the time. However, this challenge has been an incredible learning journey for me and Aztec and knowing what I do now I would perhaps approach things a bit differently in the future. This is all part of the process of learning and bettering ourselves so we can show up better for the horses in our lives.

In the last fortnight we have passed the 100 day mark for the Coprice Australian brumby Challenge. It truly is amazing to see just how far Aztec and I have come in this time and all that we have achieved. Aztecs willingness to learn and engage with new skills blows me away and fills me with gratitude that I have the privilege of being his human. We have spent the past two weeks continuing to consolidate established skills building confidence and relaxation in haltering and feet handling. While it may seem we have spent a large amount of time and repetition on these basic skills i believe it is so important to not merely be able to complete a skill but to have a relaxed and willing participant in the activity as well. 

Play has become a bigger part of our training as Aztec is naturally curious and likes to interact with any new equipment. I have numerous videos of him on social media chewing and shaking different tools I use in my training. Its so important to allow a green horse to interact with these tools, which often means licking, chewing and pawing. While this can be hard on the gear, it’s an important process which removes the fear aspect of new equipment and allows the horse to be present and engaged in training instead of worrying about the equipment. Aztec is vigilant in this, inspecting everything from saddles, whips and even taking my mobile phone in his mouth and wandering off. It’s also been a great way to divert Aztecs mouth from me as initially his first communication response was to bite. By encouraging him to engage with equipment and to seek other ways of communicating with me it has kept me safe and allowed Aztec to find what he as actually seeking which was connection and communication. By building this connection through play we have been able to successfully introduce saddle pads, rugging, bathing/hosing and saddling in the past fortnight, all which Aztec has taken in his stride. 

What an amazing two weeks it has been for Aztec and I since the last update as we have continued to work on established skills and develop these further. Saddle pads and saddling have expanded into mounting practice and learning to carry the weight of a rider. As with everything we do, slow and steady has made for good progress often repeating the process dozens of times, if not more. The biggest challenge I find when preparing to mount green horses is them going from seeing you on one side of their body to both sides. I pay extra attention to covering this before I actually sit on their backs initially standing on an improvised mounting block and laying my weight across Aztec and rubbing across both sides of the body. By breaking each step of mounting and sitting on their backs down into small pieces when it comes time to put it all together it is less concerning for them. We are now at the point where I can mount from a block and sit quietly on Aztec before dismounting. Eventually this will progress to forward movement and riding but whether we get there before Equitana remains to be seen as  my main focus is that Aztec is a comfortable and willing partner in the whole process. 

Aztec and I have been heading out and about adventuring spending some time working over obstacles at GC natural horsemanship. They have a fantastic course with a wide range of obstacles. Aztec is eager to explore the new obstacles growing in confidence walking under hanging obstacles and really thrives climbing up and heading over the bridges, seesaws and steps. 

Part of our preparation for Equitana saw us head to the Royal Geelong show to compete in the Australian Brumby led gelding class. We were joined by two other challenge trainers and their brumbies, and it was so fabulous to see how far they have come and to be proudly representing the CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge together. This horse continues to amaze me with how he takes life in his stride and working through new and challenging situations. The relationship and foundation we have built over the past four months enables him to look to me for reassurance and regulation when unsure. This nudging or nibbling at me to check is often mislabelled as bad behaviour instead of being seen for what it really is, an attempt at connection and communication. It was such a great experience for Aztec and I and really allowed him to work through his stranger dangers and be exposed to large groups of horses and people and to top it all off we came away with 2nd in the class. So very proud. 

Awaiting Update