The third of our 15 combinations that will be competing in the ULTRA-MOX STALLIONS AND PROFESSIONALS competition at Equidays is YAZMIN TODD and KAIRU.
Kairu is a very sweet stallion and some days Yaz forgets he’s yet to be gelded. Over the past couple of months, he has come out of his shell and she is pleased to see his curious and cheeky expression growing with each day.
When Kairu arrived, he resembled a mere memory of the noble stallion he once was. It had been a hard journey for him, and he was given a lot of space initially. Unfortunately, he went very lame in the first weeks, from a combination of stone bruising from the muster and little circulation in the yard. Having his life tipped upside down, as well as dealing with pain, resulted in him becoming very defensive and shutdown.
Luckily once he had some good time turned out in a paddock his mental and physical health improved. He put on weight and got the spark back in his eye, and Yaz felt he was ready for her to start interacting with him again. As much as the “Utramox Freedom to Friendship Kaimamawa Stallion Challenge” is a judged competition, meaning there is a ticking clock for the training of our horses, Yaz hasn’t in any way brought that pressure or expectations to her time spent with Kairu.
She has taken a very relaxed approach with her engagement with Kairu as it’s her priority to share a safe, calm space together, something that has paid off. Together they have reached lots of little milestones and she is very pleased with how Kairu is progressing. He currently enjoys his walks down the beach, splashing in the water, playing with his fellow Kaimanawa pal Ihi, and scratches under his thick, voluminous mane. She also backed him for the first time this week; something he was not the least bit fazed by, falling asleep on the wide-open beach.
Yaz is loving her journey with Kairu and is very thankful to KHH for the hard work that goes into saving these special horses. It’s all worth it.
ABOUT YAZMIN (of Yazmin Todd Horsemanship):
Hi I’m Yazmin, I’m nineteen years old, but still possess the heart of the five-year-old kid that fell madly in love with ponies. I fulfill my dream of working with horses each day on the Tutukaka coast, east of Whangarei and am blessed to have a herd of eight horses. My horsemanship journey is a never-ending road of learning and questioning how to be better for my horses, having a foundation in what most would identify as natural horsemanship. My training philosophies have been shaped by people and horses I admire, and by learning principles from dressage, jumping, driving and liberty trainers, as well as having a great interest in equine bodywork. I’m currently exploring affirmative based training, learning more about how horses actually think and learn, and the biomechanics of horse and rider. Working with a wild horse is the greatest conversation one can learn from without uttering a word. I was fortunate to finally get my first Kaimanawa from the muster last year; Ihi, a gorgeous young chestnut stallion. In the past I’d had plenty of experience handling and starting untouched, feral or sensitive “problem” horses, but Ihi was my first truely wild boy. No video or book can portray the gift of friendship Ihi and Kairu has given me, and helping me develop my feel and timing as a trainer. My gratitude lies in every heart of a horse; they teach us both kindness and empathy.
For more information about our sponsor Ultra-Mox visit Bayer NZ Equine or http://www.bayeranimal.co.nz
