It is a stunning day outside today. The rain is falling heavily and the clouds are low and clinging to the mountains. Here in Australia when it rains, I am incredibly grateful as I know all to well the harsh reality of life when there is little water available. This has been a rare and wonderfully wet summer and everything is green and full of life.
I have been spending alot of time over the past couple of weeks getting to know Kiowa - an Australian stockhorse mare I rescued from the doggers a year ago. This little mare is an absolute joy to behold. She has a truly childlike personality and despite a rocky past, she seems to find fun and great interest in all that life has to offer. She is always bottom of the pecking order in a herd and even a gelding that had never in his life been able to dominate another horse, succeeded in being able to do so with Kiowa.
I spend a great deal of time sitting and watching my horses as a way of getting to know them better. Over the past year watching Kiowa, I have seen an amazing character emerge. Although she is always easily pushed around by other horses, she never seems to take anything personally and instead hops out of the way when asked, happy that she has a place and knows it well in the herd.
She is only 5 years old and ended up at the doggers due to an injur
y to her front fetlock sustained as a foal. I traced her brand and contacted her owners to find out all I could about her. She was on and off lame her whole life. When she was sent to the breakers and from what I could gather, she was lame when he worked her. Needless to say she associated any form of riding with distrust and pain. She was lame when I got her home but after I gave her a barefoot trim she trotted off sound. I was a bit amazed at the rapid change in her. I continued to trim her every few weeks and she put on the most amazing display after her fourth trim. I let her go back to the herd and she turned, looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and flew off at a flat gallop. She galloped straight for the herd stirring all of them up to join her and off they all went. They galloped across the dam wall, down into the gully, up the other side then into the open paddock where the older horses then settled. Kiowa continued to gallop in circles while I watched on in awe laughing with her as she ran. She then galloped back over to me and circled me prancing and bucking with glee. This whole display went on for quite sometime and it is one I will never forget.
y to her front fetlock sustained as a foal. I traced her brand and contacted her owners to find out all I could about her. She was on and off lame her whole life. When she was sent to the breakers and from what I could gather, she was lame when he worked her. Needless to say she associated any form of riding with distrust and pain. She was lame when I got her home but after I gave her a barefoot trim she trotted off sound. I was a bit amazed at the rapid change in her. I continued to trim her every few weeks and she put on the most amazing display after her fourth trim. I let her go back to the herd and she turned, looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and flew off at a flat gallop. She galloped straight for the herd stirring all of them up to join her and off they all went. They galloped across the dam wall, down into the gully, up the other side then into the open paddock where the older horses then settled. Kiowa continued to gallop in circles while I watched on in awe laughing with her as she ran. She then galloped back over to me and circled me prancing and bucking with glee. This whole display went on for quite sometime and it is one I will never forget.This past few weeks I have been housesitting for a friend and I bought Kiowa along with me as my friends mare and Kiowa had an instant connection when I bought her here a few months ago. So much so that Kiowa jumped a fence to go in and be with Gypsy. This was much to the disgust of my lead brumby mare Sienna. Whilst here I decided it was time to start really getting to know Kiowa on a more personal level. I have been taking her walking about 4 times a week to assist her hooves with the movement they need. She seems to enjoy this time out as much as I do. I have felt little desire to do much riding with her. After gently working through her fear issues regarding a rider, I have ridden her bareback a few times over the past 12 months but it still does not feel right for me to be there so for now and perhaps always - we walk.
Here are some pics I attempted to take of her this morning. I have to try to hide from her to get a good pic. As soon as she sees me she has to be right there wanting to know what I am doing, asking for a scratch or a play.
Spotted already!
'What are you doing behind here?"
I gave up after this one as all I could get were an ear or eye investigating me and the camera.
Oh she looks to be a delight! What intelligence! Could you share some history of the Stock Horse compared to the Brumby? Does the Stock Horse have Brumby in it, or is it all TB? Wouldn't it be nice if we could be rich enough to comfortably house one of every breed? I'd love to have a Brumby, and the few Stock Horses I've seen shown so much elegance that I have been drawn to them as well.
ReplyDeleteKiowa is one lucky girl and she obviously knows it. She shows such spark and spirit and love for life. How refreshing!
:)S
Thanks Susan. She is a gem and I am lucky to have her in my life thats for sure. My jaw just drops when she does her showy extended trot round the paddock.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the Australian Stockhorse Society http://www.ashs.com.au/horses/default.asp#Breed%20Ancestry which tells about the breed history. This is taken from that site: Their ancestors were believed to be from arab and barb blood also with a later mix of thoroughbred and spanish blood. Then In the 1830s, knowledgeable horse breeders imported a steady stream of Thoroughbreds to improve the local horse strains. The settlers had a keen interest in horse racing, so Thoroughbreds became very popular at the beginning of the 19th century. The use of Thoroughbred stallions over the condition-hardened local mares produced the beautiful strain of tough but stylish animal exemplified by today's Australian Stock Horse.
The stock horses are bred as 'A breed for every need' however the Waler horse is more a society that is preserving the original waler/brumby horse of old (similar goals to the spanish mustang societies).
"The Waler Horse aimed to preserve the lineage of horses whereby ancestors underwent the arduous voyage or battled to survive the sparse vegetation. The Society does not acknowledge the influence of modern breeds or derivatives, only the old and traditional bloodlines that were influential in the evolution of the Waler when the term was applied. It also classifies horses into four types - pony, light, medium and heavy. In recent times, foundation Walers are found amongst genetically isolated herds in outback areas and ancestry is carefully researched."
I have just heard that an Australian lady has just moved with her Australian Stockhorses to Canada. She has a very classy stallion and is going to start promoting them over there.