Bronzz

Equagility World Champion 2018 International Horse Agility Club

Bronzz was an untrained 3 year old when I bought him. I was attracted by his agility, intelligence, gentleness, self-confidence, and wonderfully trusting relationship with his breeder. He looked like a horse who wanted to be someone’s special partner, as I describe in Personal Priorities. Bronzz has not only exceeded expectations as a partner, he has a zany sense of humor that ensures I am never bored. Bronzz and I both like to try new things. Instead of pursuing one discipline, we have enjoyed a variety of adventures together, from dressage musical freestyles to police-style obstacle training. Currently we take lessons in classical dressage with emphasis on Bronzz’s athletic development, and we roam the rugged trails of the state forest adjacent to our farm. For me, trail riding is the practical application of my horse’s training and our partnership. The high level of skill I expect is described in In Praise of the Mere Trail Horse We were among the first teams to compete in Equagility, a new sport in which you complete 5 obstacles in hand (or at liberty), then repeat the same obstacles riding. At the upper levels, the reins are not used. Learning to guide Bronzz precisely through obstacles using only my seat and legs has significantly improved our communication. Our competitors came from all over the world because we competed via video. I downloaded the course diagram each month from The International Horse Agility Club, set it up in my arena, got a video as we did it, and posted the video on youtube to be judged by the club (in Devon, England). Bronzz and I have weathered many challenges together. He is a saddle fit nightmare, as I discovered after spending many months trying to train away his “bucking problem”. I learned he was insulin resistant when he was suffering from laminitis. He is allergic to a long list of things, including every bug that bites him. But we are a team, and do our best to look out for each other. Bronzz’s view of the world (as interpreted by me) is described in Proud to be an Arabian Horse