FROSTY BOY

Horsemanship? Cowmanship!

This is Frosty Boy, our most unique “horse”! We got Frosty Boy 13 years ago as a calf club pet, but it quickly became apparent that he was no ordinary cow… He was just like any other calf at first, cuddly, friendly and quiet to lead. But before he was one year old, he disappeared into the forestry when a herd of feral cattle broke onto our property. We searched and searched but it seemed that he was gone forever. Then, almost two years later, we received a phone call from a nearby dairy farmer. A very big white bull had just turned up on his property, was it our lost pet?

It was our Frosty Boy! We drove over right away to try and bring him home. As soon as he saw us he came right up, let us halter him, and then loaded straight up on the horse truck for the first time in his life. It was amazing that even after living as a wild bull for such a long time, from such a young age, he wasn’t at all “wild”. He was actually happy to see us and to come home. So just for fun we decided to see how much he wanted to do with us. He learned to lunge after just one session. And then in a couple days, without any issues we broke him in to ride. He only needed to be shown something once, maybe twice and then he had it. He was ridden around occasionally, just for fun over the next year. Then, he went on a holiday with the dry cows that ended up lasting almost seven years.

Until he met Maddie. Maddie was from Germany and stayed with us as a woofer in 2017. She was an excellent horse woman, but when she heard that we had a cow who knew how to “horse” she became a cow-woman. She brought Frosty in from the hills and they fell in love. At eleven years old, he still loved human contact. But to him Maddie She spent the summer bringing him back into work and trekking him all over the farm. But eventually she had to go home and Frosty went back to just being a ordinary cow again.

Some time later Ellen was asked if Frosty Boy could do a show piece at Equidays, one of New Zealands biggest annual horse shows. So once again this amazing guy was brought in off the hills and learned a new set of skills. He brushed up on his riding skills and learned some tricks with balls and billowing fabric, among other things.

And so, at 12 years of age, after having spent the vast majority of his life living like an ordinary cow. Frosty Boy took his first bath, loaded up into his first horse float. Took his first long trip, to his first show, and performed for the first time in his life. In a big indoor arena, with lights, music and props for a crowd of 800 people! He was an absolute star. The crowd gasped and cheered as he was revealed, mounted and ridden around the arena. He got a bit of a shock when he first saw the crowd. But then he got on the with the show and actually hammed it up for the crowd. He really was performing! The next day he stood kindly for more than 100 children who flocked to him for pats and pictures.

Now, starting to show the first signs of age, he is out roaming the hills once more. With his small herd of cows, he is content. Semi-retired, he still comes in for the occasional pony ride, cuddle or bucket of feed. If we had known at the start how amazing a riding partner he could be, we would have done much more with him. He constantly surprised us with his intelligence, kindness and trainable attitude.

Now I look at all our calves and cows a little bit differently.