Mentorship Program

MENTORSHIP

Going forward

What does racing have to do with our new mentoring program? Read on, we have exciting news.

Delivering Dreams – it was the scholarship we will always be proud of initiating, but then we realised we could offer something even better.

So we are more than excited to introduce our newly launched Equestrian Hub Mentoring Program, an innovation that captures the essence of our vision for delivering education and inspiration to riders across Australia. Our mentors are not only sporting greats through their own performances and achievements in a variety of disciplines, but role models with a heart for supporting and inspiring the next generation of riders to reach their fullest potential. Starting with this issue, we’ll introduce you to two of our mentors each month, or meet them all at Equestrian Hub.

And with the new mentorship round now open, you can apply here. The application process is very simple – so what are you waiting for? Just think, you could be the lucky reader choosing one of Australia’s most successful and best loved

equestrians who for the next six months, will help guide you on your journey.

Finally, as you know, our love of horses is the primary driver behind everything we do here – and with Australia’s racing industry the second largest in the world, we’re committed to doing all we can to support the welfare, retraining and rehoming of off the track racehorses.

So with this in mind, we’re delighted to announce that under the Mentoring Program banner, we have also launched a Life After Racing mentorship, dedicated to helping riders who have given an off the track Thoroughbred or Standardbred a new home, a new life, and a new career. No matter what your discipline, if you are the proud owner of an ex-racehorse and you’re eager to up your game, hop over to Equestrian Hub and put in your application now.

Thank you to our sponsors

Meet the mentors

Christine Armishaw

As a qualified EA Coach, confidence coach, and horse trainer, Christine’s speciality is taking a holistic approach to rider mindset, and understanding how horses communicate.

She runs popular Intro Jumping and Intro Cross Country clinics and finds many riders attending her clinics haven’t been out for a while and want to build confidence.

Catering for riders and horses coming out for the very first time, to those looking to level up and improve their current skill set, Christine’s classes start from working over poles on the ground, going up to about 1m and at all heights in between. Every horse and rider combination is unique, but her common focus is improving flatwork between fences to improve the jumping itself.

Riders, many of them women, who have taken time away to focus on children, family or study, often come back to the sport they loved only to find they now have newfound fears. As a confidence coach, Christine delves into their mindset to help them shift into a positive mental space where they can enjoy what they’re doing and love their riding again.

With a holistic approach that’s not just all about the riding, Christine also covers tthe horse's nutritional needs, as well as ensuring the tack they’re ridden in is appropriate for them to perform at their best.

Heather Currie

Heather has been riding at State and National level for

well over a decade, and has mentored many young

riders who have come through her Danson Dressage

training centre.

When she was learning to ride as a child she spent a lot of time bareback, which, she says, has helped her to

have a good feel for horses. Drawn to riding on the flat,

the first horse she trained to Grand Prix was her stallion

Picasso – she was 19, and he was 10. She adheres to

the training scale and has a thorough and long-standing understanding of the systematic training system that has produced consistent results for her.

When first setting her sights on the equestrian industry,

Heather’s goal was always to train horses to the highest level. She is now proud to have been in business for

over 20 years with Danson Dressage, growing from a small training and breeding stud to a 50-horse operation that includes training, competition, the sale of

quality young dressage horses, breeding, and stallion

services. It is now a well-known brand throughout

Australia. Danson horses have been, and continue to

be sold around Australia, as well as countless sales