Week 1
My trip began on Friday morning at 6.30am travelling 1800km to Glenlogie arriving at the VBA at 9.30am on Saturday just in time for the Induction. Whilst I was excited and also a little sleep deprived I looked through the mob in the yards secretly hoping for a “Plain Bay Gelding from Kosciusko”
After Colleen, Bridie and the team took us around the property and gave us a heap of information regarding the challenge we were assigned our brumbies…. VBA Captain was to be my partner and I was extremely pleased to see he was exactly what I had been hoping for. A 4yo Brown/Bay Gelding from Kosciusko.
On Sunday morning we were the first to load up and leave the VBA, Captain was sensible and loaded without an issue. He travelled like an old pro, facing out towards the rear of the float I am sure the traffic behind or passing would be curious about his little brown face staring back at them.
We ended up in Coonabarabran by 8.30pm and the lovely caretaker Harold had a good chat and set me up in one of the cattle yards for the night. It was a fair bit colder than I had expected so I awoke at about 2am and couldn’t warm up to keep sleeping so decided to try to load up and continue on our journey. I was most worried about getting my little brum back on the float as I did the trip solo and with no one to help I knew I had to take my time and let him find his way back on without putting him under too much pressure or stress.
I was pleasantly surprised when less than a minute later he walked up into the float which was illuminated by lights for him to see the way. We continued onto Upper Caboolture QLD arriving at about midday.
Since then Captain has been enjoying relaxing in his yard, plenty of good lucerne and our only interactions have been to offer him hay in hand which he has shown his confidence and curiosity approaching humans for feed.
Thankyou to our Sponsors this challenge
- Coprice
- Kaz’s Flags and Tailbags
- Scoot Boots
For more updates and videos check us out at https://www.facebook.com/Tjequineservices
Week 3
Captains training began with working on approaching and accepting touch first. Then introducing a rope halter just touching him with it at first.
Captain progressed well and was in a halter by the next session. He is a fairly sensitive horse who is very open when he has reached his training limit. His reaction is to nip or strike when that threshold has been reached. This has limited our time in each session but naturally these times have increased as the days have passed. I am keen this challenge to listen carefully to my brumby and not miss any of these opportunities for Captain to show his personality and engage in the conversation that is training.
Whilst it is not ideal to have a horse nip or strike at this point they have been warnings and only when I feel he has genuinely tried hard and may need time to process.
I have not worked him consistently everyday and yet he has shown great progress and retention. When I show him the exercise, we last worked on he shows that he has learnt and comes in softer or calmer about it.
We have worked on picking up hooves, grooming, lunging and introducing gear like a lunge roller and bridle. This has allowed us to progress to long reining in the small yard and today out in the larger round yard.
Captain is super soft on the lead and has had one session learning to stand tied for grooming and led out over some obstacles.
Thankyou to our Sponsors this challenge
- Coprice
- Kaz’s Flags and Tailbags
- Scoot Boots
For more updates and videos check us out at https://www.facebook.com/Tjequineservices
Week 5
These past few weeks I have been working with Captain on increasing his thresholds to movement, noise and pressure.
He is a sensitive brumby so I want to make sure he is aware of how busy the real world can be and not try to work him in a vacuum, where nothing happens and no mistakes are made.
With this approach I have seen him improve greatly and is now accepting other human touch/brushing even my youngest daughter who is possibly the noisiest thing I know!
We have progressed from long reining to backing bareback, then saddling introducing more obstacles like a jump and tarp to cross. Captain has taken all these new things in his stride and shows confidence in his handler when approaching new things on the ground.
The next step was mounting in the saddle and feeling the pressure of the saddle with a rider. This took quite a few sessions during week 5 but I didn’t want to rush this extremely important step and have him lose confidence.
Whilst as a trainer I would LOVE to be out riding him like I was around this time with Nugget in 2018, I am taking the time it takes with Captain to ensure no holes are left and we create a good solid foundation.
I also received my HUGE order of Coprice so massive shoutout to them for their sponsorship, I am excited to see how Captain grows and changes with proper nutrition.
Thankyou to our Sponsors this challenge
- Coprice
- Kaz’s Flags and Tailbags
- Scoot Boots
For more updates and videos check us out at https://www.facebook.com/Tjequineservices
Week 7
Where has the time gone! It seems like only yesterday I was writing my last update.
So what have we been up to since… SO SO SO MUCH!!
It’s hard to write it all in one short post but all the extra time and patience paid dividends this fortnight. We had our first rides at home in the round yard, then visited a neighbour and found our trot and canter in their round yard too.
We quickly moved onto the large outdoor arena and riding in the indoor as well. Then one morning I had a few lesson cancellations and in a case of making hay while the sun-shines, I thought it was a good time to hit the trail. Here he showed off what brumbies are truly known for. He ate up the 6km track in no time and barely broke a sweat. As he is still young and I have been working on building condition and muscle, I did opt to jog in hand with him for breaks along the way. I want to make sure he is strong and fit not just for this challenge but for the rest of his life after.
Captain has been jumping from strength to strength these past few weeks and I couldn’t be happier with his willingness and showing his personality every session.
Captain is still a huge fan of a scratch or being groomed, he wiggles his muzzle and reciprocal grooms everytime. I have still been using feed rewards when I feel he has worked on something more challenging but often he reads the situation and will stop and look at the bucket as if to say “I think I did a really good job, can I have a little snack”
Our challenges are still new people but his reaction is getting less and less each time. So whenever I have the opportunity I let others engage with him for a pat/scratch or give him a treat.
Thankyou to our Sponsors this challenge
- Coprice
- Kaz’s Flags and Tailbags
For more updates and videos check us out at https://www.facebook.com/Tjequineservices
Week 9
This past fortnight we have had more riding in different areas and we even travelled to Ringtail Creek (1.5hr away) for a Navigation Trail ride with SCATER my local trail club.
There was 26 other horses and plenty more people so it was a good introduction to bigger groups. We trail rode around the forestry looking for clues and using directions to navigate our way. Captain was a bit unsure of other horses crossing our path or spotting them in the distance at first. Just stopping and pausing but after a few km he settled really well and just ate up the trail. I still did lots of in hand walking so I wasn’t on his back the whole time as I am aware how he is only young and fresh to carrying weight.
We even managed to win 3rd place at the event which was a surprise and super happy with his first outing!
The following weeks I have been consistent in having short rides, he was wormed, had his hooves trimmed and even a dental.
Horse training is never without ups and downs so whilst this might all look like smooth sailing we did have a not so great ride. Captain got a fright at something in the arena and showed how fast he could hot lap around and I ended up emergency dismounting and going for a skid in the sand. We have banked good rides since this but it is something we will have to work on his one-rein stop as in this instance it did not work.
With Captain having his dental we can now progress into a bridle so we will be doing long reining to set him up in this over the coming week.
I also had surgery yesterday removing plates from my collarbone and hand so wont be back riding for a little while, this time I will use to keep up his fitness and develop some more muscle through groundwork.
Thankyou to our Sponsors this challenge
- Coprice
- Kaz’s Flags and Tailbags
For more updates and videos check us out at https://www.facebook.com/Tjequineservices
Week 11
Awaiting update
Week 13
Awaiting update
Week 15
Awaiting update
Week 17
Awaiting update