The seventh of our 15 combinations that will be competing in the ULTRA-MOX STALLIONS AND PROFESSIONALS competition at Equidays is ELLEN and LOWEN.
Of the two stallions that Ellen received for the Ultramox Freedom to Friendship challenge, Lowen was the first off the truck. He is a rangy chestnut, 14.2hh and about 10 years old. When they first arrived Lowen was very wary of, and occasionally aggressive towards humans, and took a lot longer than the other stallion to become comfortable with people.
She decided to give him the space and extra time he needed to adjust and was careful not to push him until he was ready. The extra time it took him to trust humans was well worth it as he is now happy to be caught in the paddock, good to handle all over and tackles every new challenge with a thoughtful and deliberate nature. The fact that he actively seeks cuddles and touch when he is feeling apprehensive makes him especially endearing.
ABOUT ELLEN (of Ellen Bennett Horsemanship):
Ellen has enjoyed working with and learning from thousands of horses and riders in her career. She has worked with many feral, unhandled and “problem” horses and now has the privilege to train two wild Kaimanawa stallions. Her approach is centered around giving each horse what they need to feel safe and keep their personality and love of life intact, through the sometimes difficult transition from life in the wild to domestication.
Ellen’s love of horses began as a child, traveling and living with her parents throughout North America, and Europe. She spent her days at local stables, learning and competing in dressage, equitation, games, hunter-jumper, show jumping, eventing and more. Her journey with natural horsemanship began 25 years ago when she met and trained with experts like Tom Dorrance and Merv Kildey, realising the true significance of integrity and empathy in the practice of horsemanship. In New Zealand her work evolved into owning riding schools, trekking operations, running clinics, buying, selling, and breeding horses.
Today she combines the lessons learnt from a lifetime of experience, across a diverse range of disciplines, in her work with horses and horse people. Her focus is always on engaging the horse to become a willing participant in their work and to grow in confidence and spirit, by building a relationship based on clear, compassionate communication.
For more information about our sponsor Ultra-Mox visit Bayer NZ Equine or http://www.bayeranimal.co.nz
