Hopes Zeus could be god of Equifest
Wild Kaimanawa horse broken in by Sophia Thornton, 15
AKaimanawa stallion that was running wild at the start of the year has been transformed by a 15-yearold from Te Puke. Sophia Thornton has spent hours and hours gaining the trust of the wild stallion, named Zeus, in the Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge, under the guidance of professional trainer Hayleygrace Davis at Wake Field Equestrian Centre.
The challenge has trainers take recently mustered wild Kaimanawa stallions from untrained, wild horses to (hopefully) obedient, tamed animals that can compete in an arena.
Culminating at the annual Equifest event in Taupo¯ this weekend, it all began in May when the trainers who had put their hand up for the challenge received their horses.
The competition at Equifest will include the horses’ condition, movement, freestyle and an obstacle course.
“In simple terms, they first test them on condition — how they look, feet, teeth and overall health really.”
The movement competition requires the horses to follow a set pattern of movements, either ridden or led. Sophia will ride Zeus.
Freestyle is a chance to show off and the obstacle course is kept a mystery until the day.
“The obstacle course shows how much they trust the person.”
In coming up with the freestyle routine, Sophia and Hayley-grace decided to work with what they had — incorporate things Zeus was good at and enjoyed — like knocking things over.
Sophia says it will include going through a gazebo, under a tarp and knocking over decorated oil containers.
“He likes hitting things over,” she says.
“So we thought we’d use that to our advantage,” says Hayley-grace. “Normally you wouldn’t train a horse to do that, but if he likes hitting things over, why not do it on purpose, use it to our advantage?”
One of Zeus’s traits is bravery. “We knew that from the start because he’s stubborn,” says Hayleygrace.
He also has a personality that has come out over the months of training and trust building.
“Whatever you ask, he does. He might have his moment of ‘no’, but when most wild horses get under too much pressure, they explode or attack or bite — he just looks like a grouchy kid — it’s like a fight with a parent rather than a fight for life.
Hayley-grace says Sophia has spent many, many hours building his trust and not pushing too hard.
“You can see from his condition now, he hasn’t been in high stress mode, frmo his muscles and shine and coat. So I think she’s got a good shot in the condition as well.”
Trust has been crucial in how far Sophia and Zeus have come.
“He trusts her. It’s like a human or a dog — as soon as you earn that trust without a pressure. If a complete stranger makes you do something scary, you’re probably going to hit them; if someone who is a very close partner asks you to do it, you say okay. It’s the same.”
Sophia says she has found the experience “good” and has spent countless hours with the horse.
One of the lowest lows was spending around six hours trying on a day when he decided he didn’t want to be caught.
“Poor Sophia was in tears at one point because I said ‘you’ve got to keep going’. The day before she caught him in, what, 10 minutes?”
But time is something Sophia has available.
“She is competing against some of the top trainers in New Zealand, but a lot of the others have full time jobs, careers, children.
Even when it’s wet, horrible weather, she’s still out there training because she’s got the time — and with that comes patience.
Sophia says a major break through came when Zeus could be taken out of the stock yards and into the barn.
“He could see everyone, all the different horses, vehicles, everything really.”
“We left the stable door open so he can go into the barn with the chaos, but can leave whenever he wants instead of her putting the pressure on him”
As a measure of his progress, Sophia has taken Zeus to Pony Club on a couple of occasions.
“I led him around to make sure he was comfortable then hopped on him. He was fine in a different environment, he didn’t care.”
Sophia says she is nervous ahead of Equifest.
“But I’m excited for the obstacle course. I think he’s just good at it.”
She says she is unsure whether she would take on the challenge again, but says the learning and the connection she now has with Zeus are the things she has enjoyed the most.
Hayley-grace, who has competed in the challenge in the past, says: “It’s an incredible thing to do, but it takes an incredible toll — once you achieve it its incredible, but its a lot of hours, a lot of pressure, a lot of upsets, it’s a roller coaster.”
Taking on the challenge will also put Sophia in a strong position for her planned career as an instructor.
“Because she’s so young, as an instructor it’s hard to get respect at 15-years-old. But if you can break in a wild stallion and compete at Equifest, that’s more than most trainers in the country have done.
“Whether she wins or not doesn’t matter — it’s that in a very short time period she has managed to break in a wild stallion and the skills she’s learned from that . . .” So is Sophia ready for Equifest?
“Yes,” she says, without hesitation.