Week 1
I have honestly been blessed to have drawn VBA Major as my Brumby for this year’s Australian Brumby Challenge. Major is a gorgeous little 4 year old Brumby from Mount Kosciusko. From what I hear one of the last Brumbies to have been caught prior to the recent culling. This little fella honestly amazing. I’m in shock. I’ve worked with countless Brumbies and he’s coming around the quickest by far! He has a very sweet and cheeky personality just trying to please. He constantly watches where I am and calls out to me in the morning when I open up the back door. He constantly follows me around trying to grab my attention.
By day two of working with Major he let halter him in the most clam and stress free experience of a first halter I’ve ever experienced. Within a week he’s already float loading, being brushed, being lead off another horse, down the road, not worried about cars or trucks going past! We have even just headed off away for our first weekend away together up the bush. Loaded onto the gooseneck like an absolute champion.
I honestly feel like I have been blessed to have drawn a Brumby who is so willing to try.
Week 3
An awful lot has been thrown at Major in these past two weeks and to say that I am proud of him is an understatement. It is honestly like this little man wants to be worked. In fact, he loves learning and genuinely enjoys my company. As soon as he hears my back door open he calls out to talk to me, if he sees my car pull in the driveway, he will do a little knicker but never to any other car that pulls in. Whenever I am working outside, he is constantly watching me and following me, he is one curious brumby.
Last I checked in with Major’s update, I had just headed off for out for our first weekend away together where he was a champ. He settled into an unfamiliar environment as if he had been their before. He even got lead out into the bush off a horse I was riding, walking, trotting, and cantering through some trails in a calm and relaxed manner with horses all around him. Super impressed.
Day 10 Major had his first ever routine dental treatment where he was a little unsure but handled the procedure incredibly well, no sedation either!
Major also had his first ever Pulse treatment completed by Von’s Pulse therapy. To start with he was super unsure but by the end he was in absolute heaven! His body was pulsing all over and he was letting out the biggest yawns relaxing into the treatment. Von even said that he was better behaved than a lot of the domestic horses she treats. What a compliment!
Major also had his first ever ride on day 14! He was super calm, and we just worked on stopping, turning and even had a tiny trot. I felt very safe on him so the following day we rode down to the local café. Yep! You read that right. Second ever ride was down the rail trail to the café! Past dog walkers and bikes! He handled it like a true champion.
I’m honestly in a lot of shock with how quickly this little fella picks up everything I teach him. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!
Week 5
These past two weeks have flown by. Throwing more and more at little Major and he just handles everything like a pro. We’ve been mainly focusing on consolidating the basic fundamentals under saddle. Getting him more comfortable and confident with what I’m asking of him. From very basic lateral work to, tackling knew challenges like a sea-saw obstacle, all the way through to riding down to the local pub! I couldn’t be prouder.
This past week I’ve been away completing my practicals for the equine sports massage course I’ve been studying. Typically, I’d just give them a week off but I’m far too addicted to Major, so he came along for the ride! After some exceptionally long, hands on day I would venture back to where we were camping take him for a ride. (Hints - whywe started float training early, I’m away more than I’m home!). We would then venture out along some new trails and would often get back in the pitch black. Super impressed with how well he handled the new atmosphere but also how well he handled having other horses canter away, just kept on walking until I asked for more.
Major has also ventured out of the yard and into a paddock. 9 time out of 10 he will walk straight up to me. But that 10th time he’s been playing that game of ‘do you really want me’. But I have no concerns about getting on top of this. He’s easily persuaded by a smoochy.
Week 7
I feel like I was writing the last update yesterday, these two weeks have gone by so quickly. At first, I was thinking that we really had not achieved much since the last update because I have been working ridiculous hours. But, after reading the last update I realised I was wrong.
Just after I wrote the last update I took Major to his first ‘clinic’, well I took him to have an outing whilst I rode another horse. I thought what a great day for him to have a day out and get used to being tied to the float. Well, there was no issues in that department. You would think that Major had done this before, he stood their nibbling his hay and then fell asleep. Super impressed. Because this was too easy, I decided that I would give him a ride in the indoor arena for the first whilst being around lots of other horses. I was proud that he tried his little heart out in a new environment but he was so unsure of the shadows on the ground. He was constantly stopping to try and work it out. The next day we went back into the indoor and he had worked it out. We were trotting and cantering around. He even had a go on the mechanical flag and had a go at working a cow.
Looking back at the last report I mentioned he was being difficult to catch. This was super easy resolve. We just needed a couple of days of coming in for breakfast and within a couple of days, I had my normal Major back to meeting me at the gate.
I have been having some work done at home to improve the driveway so that we don’t have to use 4wd to get the floats in and out. All morning whilst the trucks and excavators were working Major would nibble at some hay and then venture to the gate to watch. Curiosity had the better of him. In the afternoon I got him out and lead him over to the excavator while it was still working and all he wanted to do was get closer to sniff it. (There’s a video posted if you don’t believe).
Week 9
Every fortnight when I sit down to write my update about Major, I just want to write how much I love this little horse. I am honestly just blownaway with how smart he is. He is adapting to the domestic life better than I had honestly hoped for. To be entirely honest he has reached my goal of where I had ideally wanted him to be at by the time we reach Equitana.
The past two weeks we have just been enjoy all the local trails in the bush, rail trail and some local roads. We even managed to venture out on our own without any other horses around and he was super brave, going anywhere I asked him. He even had some fun jumping some small logs we found out in the bush.
Major was lucky enough to receive his second pulse treatment from Von’s pulse therapy. Whilst he was being treated, it was a moment to be able to reflect on his first treatment which was in week two. When everything was slow movements, initially pats on his neck before moving the pulse machine to the next spot. This time having Major trying to get Von to scratch him, leaning across, backing up towards her, any position he could get himself into for a scratch he would try. Major’s personality and character have started to show. He is a dork!
Last night I got home from work super late, quickly had dinner and then popped outside to feed the ponies. (I was feeling super deflated because I haven’t had as much time this past week or so to spend with Major and yet again another day of crazy work so I was unable to enjoy his company). When I’ve gone out to feed, Major was laying down, snoozing in his paddock. I slowly crept over and he stayed laying down and I was able to sit down with him giving him cuddles and scratches and well this honestly made my day. Knowing that he trusts me enough to do so.
Week 11
I have spent countless hours trying to build obstacles to encourage Major to explore new things, gain more exposure and develop a greater trust between us. However, I was disappointed and impressed at the same time by Major. He would walk up to a new obstacle, give it a sniff, and then walk straight over it. Nothing really phased him.
So, I decided to ride him INTO the local pub! I walked him over to the front door, let him have a sniff and then I squeezed him with my leg, and he walked straight in. He stood there while all the locals patted him, and we had a celebratory beer (on the house) together! Very proud.
Week 13
Two weeks ago we ventured away for the weekend. Exploring all new trails in with a bunch of other horses. Major just keeps on impressing me with how well he adapts and copes with new things having riders cantering away and us just staying in a steady walk I could not have been prouder. Major pulled up a little bit foot sore after some of the rocky trails so riding wise he’s had some time off to help recover.
He’s starting to understand that new people aren’t so scary and that he can have other people catch him out of the paddock now. This may not sound like much but for Major this is a huge achievement.
This morning I got him out of the paddock after having almost two week off riding and he was my lead pony for a clients breaker being started under harness. Super hard to believe that a couple of months ago he was a wild horse and now he’s leading baby horses off him that are in a cart! I love this little Brumby!
Week 15
The main reason I love Major is that he gives absolutely everything a go. He tries his little heart out to please me and I have never had a horse that has tried so hard for me before. Major has honestly been a game changer for me. He’s given me the confidence to try new things
! So, I haven’t tried to teach any horse I’ve owed a “trick” – liberty/ clicker style since I was 12 years old … so 13 years ago. I haven’t had the motivation to try. But I worked out with Major that he love learning new things. When I’m teaching him something new he’s always waiting at the gate for me the next day to try.
So, I went out of my comfort zone and I’ve been teaching him to lay down. Within 5 small sessions he will now lay down on cue and I’m beyond proud of him. I’m not just proud because he’s learnt to lay down but I’m proud because the whole process he kept trying to give me the right answer (whilst I’m learning how to teach him) he never once cracked or looked for an out, he just kept trying to give me the answer I was after.
Week 17
The main reason I love Major is that he gives absolutely everything a go. He tries his little heart out to please me and I have never had a horse that has tried so hard for me before. Major has honestly been a game changer for me. He’s given me the confidence to try new things
! So, I haven’t tried to teach any horse I’ve owed a “trick” – liberty/ clicker style since I was 12 years old … so 13 years ago. I haven’t had the motivation to try. But I worked out with Major that he love learning new things. When I’m teaching him something new he’s always waiting at the gate for me the next day to try.
So, I went out of my comfort zone and I’ve been teaching him to lay down. Within 5 small sessions he will now lay down on cue and I’m beyond proud of him. I’m not just proud because he’s learnt to lay down but I’m proud because the whole process he kept trying to give me the right answer (whilst I’m learning how to teach him) he never once cracked or looked for an out, he just kept trying to give me the answer I was after.
Week 19
I feel like we have a million and one things to do before Equitana but in all honesty I just can’t wait to get there. The excitement is becoming very distracting in my everyday life! The nerves are also brewing out of control too. Constantly wondering if I have set Major up in the best way to be prepared for everything that he has to tackle at Equitana. Hoping that I have given him the tools that we need to get through the challenge in one piece.
The plan for the last two weeks is to continue to consolidate all the finer details of our freestyle along with taking him out on a few more trails. Little Major loves his trails he definitely has a bit more pep in his step after being out and about in the bush. At the end of the day I just want Major to be happy and comfortable.