Equestrienne Magazine - No.5

EQ U ESTR I AN LU X E & LI FEST YLE

ST CLOUD. REWILDING. HOW TO RAISE A HORSEWOMAN. FIND WHAT YOU LOVE. SALTWATER GIRLS. ST TROPEZ ROME PARIS. THE HOPEFUL CHEMISTRY OF HORSES.

Tanja Kraus The first two books in Tanja Kraus’s Lessons From Horses series are available now.

A must have for any horse owner, both ‘Perspectives’ and ‘Enlightenment’ offer insight into the horses mind, body and emotions. These books help you reach a higher level of understanding of your horse, which elevates your partnership and relationship. www.horsemanshipforperformance.com

NO.5

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Here I am again, another issue sorta/kinda finished and another huge drive to do. Last time I was sending an issue off to print, I was driving 800ks to Coonamble through the cottonfields. This time I am heading north through the cane fires to Rockhampton. My work as an event photographer takes me to lots of wonderful and faraway places. It’s one of my favourite parts of the job. I think it’s amazing how willing people are to travel long distances to attend events here in Australia. This week I’m photographing a Stockman’s Challenge, ‘Rocky Rush’ at Paradise Lagoons. It’s far enough north to feel like I may have missed ‘winter’ completely and we might just need to call this issue ‘No.5.’

It's so hot. Omg. I forgot what 30 degrees feels like! I’m sweating for the first time since last summer. Those two glasses of sav blanc I had last night feel like a bit of a mistake right now. A little dusty, in more ways than one, the day rolls on. Competitors wait under the shade of a big gum tree; laughter fills the air. One by one they enter the arena, cracking their stockwhips. I snap a few shots of the spins, the fast and slow canter circles and get in position as they run down for the final manoeuvre, the stop. The horses gallop towards me and when given the cue, sit on their haunches and slide in the deep, red dirt. I’m told leaving a big set of “11’s” in the sand is the ultimate goal.

A bit like running a 90 in the cattle work. Do they always achieve it?

No. But they travel 100’s, sometimes 1000’s, of kilometres with no guarantees of marking high scores or choosing good cattle, anyway.

They come to contest buckles, prizes and titles, but there’s no shortage of hugs and handshakes at the prizegiving.

Proud parents are leading their kids around on woolly ponies in every size. The ladies in the office are busy tallying scores. Someone’s mum is making coffee. Someone’s dad is on the tractor, dragging the arena. Grandparents volunteer in the canteen. An energetic team are running the bar. This is not just a competition, it’s a community. I‘m not riding but I have a role and I feel like part of it.

The topic of inclusivity seemed to be a common theme when we compiled this issue. I think it’s as important and relevant in the equestrian world as it is in all sports and activities. Considering the expense involved in keeping and riding horses, it can sometimes be viewed as being quite exclusive and borderline elitist. We always hope to show that riding and horse ownership can be joyful, meaningful and rewarding at every level. There are so many ways that horses impact and benefit our lives – mentally, spiritually and physically and there is no right or wrong way, as long as the welfare of the horse is always the priority.

Once again, I am absolutely thrilled with the beautiful articles we have collated for this issue. Lalwa May’s story really got me in the feels as I was very close to my Nan and I hope she is proud of me, too. You can read about her journey with horses in the NT on page 14. Naomi Hill has contributed another inspiring and thought-provoking read, this time about horses and the science of hope which we absolutely love. Lynn Scott shares her perspective about living with and rewilding her horses at her sanctuary on the Sunshine Coast. This story features stunning photos by Averil Crebbin. We have our first ever fashion feature which Ashley Grant and I had a lot of fun putting together. Helen Cruden has brought us all the action and emotion of the European summer show jumping and a thrilling reportage from the iconic CHIO Aachen. Her imagery always showcases the incredible bonds between grooms, horses, riders and teams and the absolute power, willingness and grace of equine athletes at the pinnacle of their sport. Anne-Marie Lasserre shares her tips for overcoming competition anxiety and helping keep our minds ‘Ride Fit’. And of course, our cowgirl covergirl Shona Underwood. An artist, mother, horse girl and modern-day style icon (if we do say so ourselves!) living the life of her dreams in outback Queensland.

Biggest thanks to Lek Young for all her help compiling another issue and to my family for their support and kindness.

So, in these pages you will find wildness, hopefulness, gratitude, positivity, perspective and authenticity. I hope you enjoy No.5, equestriennes. The beauty is always in the humanity.

S A M C AVA L LO EDITOR-IN- CHIEF, PUBLISHER & FOUNDING DIRECTOR

TH E AUSTR ALIAN H O RS E WO M E N S MAGA Z I N E 3

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F E AT U R E S

BL ACKALL STOCK MANS CHALLENGE 2 02 3 DANIELLE O’BRIEN Photos from the event in Central Queensland.

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T HE HOPEF U L CHEMI STRY OF HORSES NAOMI HILL Hope happens when we believe in our abilities.

And how do we build belief in our abilities?

We do the thing that matters to us - even when we don’t feel like it.

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J OU R NEYS LALWA MAY

The Larrakia rider’s journey with horses in the Northern Teritory, her selection to represent Pony Club Australia in the International team for France and making her Gran proud.

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SHONA U NDERWOOD ‘OFTEN OVERDRESSED’

An artist, cowgirl and modern woman exploring her femininity, fashion and style. It took her many years to realise that she was painting the life that she had and the life she wanted.

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FRONT COVE R S H O N A UN DE RWO O D & S I LH O UE T TE ‘ TH YLUN GRA’, Q LD. PH OTO BY KI N DI L E LI S H A P H O GRAP HY .

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FEATURES

WINTER 2023

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CHI O AACHEN 2 02 3 HELEN CRUDEN

Deemed “the Mecca” of the equestrian world, CHIO Aachen, is an event like no other.

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RAI SE HI M R I GHT TANJA KRAUS

All too often we hear ‘Oh well, he’s a stallion.

It’s to be expected’. No, it’s not.

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ST Y LE GU I DE THE BLAC HAT European design, Australian Merino tartan, handmade hats and luxurious feminine florals - what’s not to love?

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R I DE F I T

ANNE-MARIE LASSERRE

Being aware of your thoughts and feelings is the key to managing the cognitive symptoms of anxiety before competition.

STAY CONNEC TED

Scan QR Code & follow us on Instagram @equestrienne_magazine

FEATURES

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LUXLI F E THE SOFT HORSE

S TA B L E

Inspired by architecture and aesthetic design, Wiktoria focuses on horses’ refined lines, creating soft, sophisticated narratives.

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R EWI LDI NG LYNN SCOTT

Wildness is the underlying concept that drives everything on the sanctuary. As a society, we can learn about harmony from wild horses and the way they live together.

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MAR E TALES UNBRIDLED DETERMINATION

Morgan Liddel sheds light on her personal experiences as a para-rider, tells us about her mare Thamesbourne Sunsation and shares her aspirations for a more inclusive and accessible equestrian community.

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GLOBE-TROTTI NG EURO SUMMER All the action, glamour and emotion of GCT Rome, St Tropez & Paris through the lens of our favourite international equestrienne.

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STABLE

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ESSENTIALS

RO CHELLE KI NG-ANDR EWS BEING THE MOTHER OF AN EQUESTRIAN COMPEITOR

And how to survive! This article is dedicated to the mothers who are out in the trenches every day, fighting the good fight and giving their children every chance to see that they can do hard things!

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STABLE WRAPS FELLICIA WALLIN Success is when we aim for a goal, we achieve it, we get home and the horses are still happy and sound.

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TROT U P M3DE 2023

Andy Daines New Zealand 5* event rider.

Worked and competed over in Europe for some of the worlds best eventers.

Scan QR code to visit our website

equestriennemagazine.com

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this publication is created & read.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present & emerging.

100% Australian owned, designed & printed.

All content is Copyright ©Equestrienne Magazine 2023.

All rights reserved. Unauthorised use or reproduction of any content is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed are not neccessarily those of the editor. All photos are ©Flash Pony/Sam Cavallo unless otherwise stated.

ESSENTIALS

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BLACKALL STOCKMANS CHALLENGE 2023

Lucy McGuire & Amaroo Diamondtina’s Last

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BLACKALL STOCKMANS CHALLENGE 2023

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Jontti Arnold & Lethal Effect.

DANIELLE O’BRIEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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C E NTRAL Q LD 8

BLACKALL STOCKMANS CHALLENGE 2023

Top left - Kate Lynn & Eclipse.

Above - Cassie Scriha & Gillview Credential.

Left - Compeitors waiting for their runs.

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DA N I E L L E O’ B R I E N P H OTO G R A P H Y

Top right - Lucy McGuire & Amaroo Diamondtina’s Last Left - Courtney Windsor & Craiglea Diva Top left/bottom right - Marion Langdon & Lethal Benita

DANIELLE O’BRIEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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HORSE RIDING AND THE SCIENCE OF HOPE. When do you feel the most hopeful?

Take a moment to really think.

Perhaps it’s before a big competition you’ve been training for.

Or watching a friend achieve their personal best on a dressage routine (‘If she can do it - why not me?’). Maybe it’s slinging yourself back in the saddle after a lengthy and frustrating physical injury.

With each of us having as many stories and struggles as there are speckles of sand in an arena, hope has likely appeared and eluded us in deeply personal ways throughout our lives.

Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don’t. But why? Is it possible to train ourselves - as humans and horse riders - to become more hopeful? Is it even safe to do so in this risky business we call living?

What hope means How would you define hope? Don’t worry, we’ll discuss and detangle the concept below, but just for a moment… Stop.

Breathe. Trust that you’ve lived on this earth enough years to have formed your own ideas about what hope might be. Feeling brave? Use the space below to write it down (sh*tty first drafts and spelling mistakes are encouraged):

To me, hope is Now I hope that you took the time to jot something down, because it makes my next point rather brilliantly.

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Though scientists have as many definitions for hope as our readers do, they do tend to align on one element:

Hope is an ‘active,

participatory process:

i.e it only works when you do.

Professor John Parsi, Director of ASU’s Hope Centre, says it best: “Hope is an active process. Dreams and optimism are just belief structures,” he explains. “When you’re an optimistic person, you believe things in the world will turn out just fine, no matter what happens. Optimistic people see the glass as half full, but hopeful people ask how they can fill the glass full.”

In other words, hope happens when we believe in our abilities.

And how do we build belief in our abilities? We do the thing that matters to us - even when we don’t feel like it.

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Hope springs - empirical.

I know what you’re thinking: “Great, another person telling me to work harder/smarter/faster…” but I promise (hope) this is where it gets exciting and, admittedly, a little nerdy.

In fact, research has found multiple ways that horse riding sets the stage for the production of hope-inducing hormones.

You see, as well as being a cognitive practice we engage in, hope is also an emotion; a feeling created in response to a complex cocktail of neurochemicals within the body.

The hopeful chemistry of horses:

In fact, researchers like Professor Kelly McGonigal, have found that when we move in a continuous way – such as walking, riding, or even lunging or brushing our horse – our muscles release chemicals that can increase neuroplasticity, boost our mood, and improve our brain’s capacity to deal with stress and difficult emotions. Scientists call the hormones that your muscles secrete into your bloodstream that make your brain more resilient to stress and depression, “hope molecules.” Think of it like having a feel-good pharmacy in your muscles, and the only way you can access it is by contracting them through movement.

While any kind of movement is a good thing, Kelly explains that when we engage in activities we love, our brains release specific neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and reward. With horse riding being more of a ‘calling’ for regular riders than a soulless cardio workout, it’s far more likely to tickle our pleasure centres. But the benefits of bridling-up don’t stop there.

Let’s be honest, very few of us began or continue to ride purely for physical fitness. We ride because we love those big, beautiful, majestic (and sometimes infuriating) animals. Horses can be (note - I said ‘can be’) calming, empathetic, and even therapeutic creatures. What’s more, as prey animals, they’ve evolved to be innately intuitive and hyper-aware of their environment and other beings within it. This may be why they’re so well-suited for those of us living with anxiety, PTSD, or other neurodevelopmental differences. In fact, a study (Earles et al., 2015) published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress found that after just six weeks of equine-assisted therapy, participants displayed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and less severe emotional responses. Throw in the added benefits of fresh air, exposure to nature, and socialisation that so often accompany this sport, and we can begin to see why horse riding is uniquely placed to be highly beneficial to our physical and mental wellbeing.

NAOMI HILL

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WHY MEANINGFUL MOVEMENT MATTERS

Hands up if you’ve ever set a New Year’s fitness goal you’ve not achieved. Come on. Don’t leave me on my own here. This is a safe, hopeful space. The fact is, research has found that we tend to give up on exercise, not because it's too hard, but because it's not meaningful. In fact, over our lifetime, the ‘why’ behind our chosen forms of exercise can be far more impactful to our wellbeing than the ways we choose to move. Far from hoping to shed a few kilos, or fit into a fancy dress, when we move in the name of building our confidence, facing our fears, appreciating

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HORSE RIDING & THE SCIENCE OF HOPE

our natural environs, forging like-minded friendships, or even for the deeply spiritual experience of bonding with such a majestic, powerful animal, we begin to build our life around this pursuit. It’s not just something we do - it becomes a central part of who we are. When we show up, not only for our own wellbeing, but to care for another creature on this earth (come rain, hail, or shine), we build so much more than physical fitness - we develop mental toughness, perspective and courage.

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So how might we make our mounted-up time more hopeful ?

When it comes to helping our bodies produce these precious “hope molecules”, Kelly encourages us to make sure that our riding experiences meet at least two of the following three categories: Maximised movement – While gentle activity, such as a slow walk around a paddock or a half-hearted grooming session, may feel better in the short term, priming our brain for optimal hormonal production is going to require a little more exertion.

Instead, we need to try something that gets the heart rate up and requires persistence or endurance. This means engaging your core like your coach told you to, activating your baby’s topline, and keeping the gait above a trot for more than five minutes. To be sufficient, it also needs to be ongoing, rather than a one-off exertion. Like I annoyingly said before - it only works if you do.

Meaningful movement – I don’t want to beat the dead… whatever… But it really does matter that your activities, well, matter. We already know that we live and breathe horse riding, so this is where it’s time to get more granular and mindful. As you’re putting on your boots, consider why and how you’re showing up.

What strengths might you draw upon today? What would you like to experience? What would you like to learn? How would you like to feel? Equally, as you peel off your sweaty jodhpurs post-ride, reflect on what went well, what you learned, and what you might like to try next. Want bonus points? Invite your fellow riders to join in on the reflection. The best things in life are shared.

Moving together - While we’re on the topic of our fellow two-legged friends, research continually reflects that moving with others can enhance all of the intrinsic benefits of exercise.

Want to go for a trail ride? Invite a friend and make a day of it. Need to brush up on some skills? Split the costs of a coach by joining or organising a group lesson. Not only does socialising help our brains produce bonding chemicals like oxytocin, but it can provide a sense of support and accountability that helps us to get back in the saddle even amidst life’s struggles - and what’s more hopeful than that?

Naomi Hill (MAPP) is a positive psychologist, wellbeing coach and word-weaver who never grew out of the horse phase.

NAOMI HILL

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LALWA MAY I’m 16 years old. I live in a semi-rural suburb of Darwin, on 5 rented acres, across the road from the Darwin Horse and Pony Club grounds, where I do much of my local riding.

I am Larrakia, on my father’s side. The Larrakia are the first people of the Darwin region.

We are saltwater people.

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I started riding at 9 years old, after begging my mother to enrol me in the local riding school. Mum rode when young, eventing and showjumping in WA, but had not had anything to do with horses for more than 30 years. When Mum told my grandmother that I had started riding, Gran drove to a Connemara stud in York, WA and purchased a yearling filly on the spot. Powderbark Charlotte (Sire: Glenormiston Dundrum. Dam: Impressique TB). When I heard, I was so happy that I cried. My grandmother had an exceptional eye for a horse and Charlotte is a lovely mare.

We brought Charlotte to Darwin when she was 18 months old.

Mum started her under saddle and then we gave her a long spell before bringing her back into foundation training. Because I was not experienced enough to ride such a green horse, we part leased a Haflinger mare, Pearly, who was stubborn and cantankerous, so an excellent start to learning determination and firm use of aids. As I progressed in my riding skills, we then leased Bazil (Almora Privilege), an aging quarterhorse gelding. Bazil taught me jumping, mounted games and how to really have fun on a horse.

We still have Bazil, who is now 22yo and semi-retired. Together we teach my 9yo niece, Ivy, how to ride.

When Charlotte was about 4, I started to ride her more and more, focusing on dressage and pony club. We started jumping her at around 5 ½ and I began entering small jumping competitions as well as dressage. With Charlotte, I got to Elementary level dressage and was the only NT rider to compete in the 2021 Pony Club Australia National Championships. I did 3 elementary dressage tests in a virtual competition, achieving a personal best score.

Then in 2022, Charlotte and I won the 80cm high point award in our local showjumping competition. It became clear, though, that Charlotte, who is just under 15hh, was not likely to move up the heights in jumping so we bought Yandaloo Targette, a black, 16hh HSH gelding, who Mum had been eyeing off for some time.

Darwin is hot and humid much of the year and presents several challenges in horse management. We bring the horses into stables with fans at the hottest time of the day and our riding and training times are either very early morning or late afternoon.

During competition, I use Equicool products to keep the horses cool after exertion. Equicool sheets seem to cut recovery time down to around 5 minutes, compared to around 15 minutes using ice and hosing.

I qualified with both horses in dressage, combined training and 90cm showjumping for the Marcus Oldham Interschools National Championships in 2022 but we decided to just take Target. We did a Go Fund Me to be able to afford it as well as applied for grants and did some fundraising events. We raised enough to travel Target to Sydney by float. It was a gruelling trip, stopping at racetracks and showgrounds along the way, camping in the float and racing to beat the rising floodwaters through southern Queensland and Northern NSW. I loved every minute of it.

Competing at Interschools was a great experience. The indoor arena at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre was my first experience jumping at an international quality venue. I just loved it but it was a bittersweet experience because during this time, my grandmother, Sue Eldridge, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, was suffering terribly. As soon as we got back from Interschools, Mum flew to Perth to care for Gran, doing 10 days with her, then flying back to Darwin for 3 days with us, and so on until Gran died on November 25th 2022. Gran would have been so proud of my selection to the Pony Club Australia International team for France.

Target was still pretty green and quite an anxious horse under saddle but very athletic with a great jump and gorgeous presence and temperament. It has taken more than a year to train Target to competitive levels and there’s still quite a way to go before he reaches his full potential. Unfortunately, he has anhidrosis, so managing his health in our heat requires a lot of extra care.

LALWA MAY

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and rural areas, one in Katherine and one in Alice Springs. So, it’s a small equestrian community and we get to know each other pretty well. It’s competitive but friendly and very supportive.

While preparing for France, my coach, Nicole Mutimer (NT Institute for Equestrian Sport), arranged for me to ride different horses including thoroughbreds and warmbloods, to get used to jumping unfamiliar horses. Nicole has been such a fantastic coach and support for me. I also started going to the gym to increase my fitness and strength. While I’ve been overseas when very young, on this trip it will be just our team and our coach, which is a little daunting for me. I am the youngest in the team.

I just love showjumping. The feel of the horse and the power in the jump. Developing a trust relationship with the horses, understanding striding, distances, all the complexities of getting a clear round by design, not just by chance or good luck. In showjumping, we are both athletes and as the rider, I need to be able to work together with the horse, set him up for a clear, balanced jumping round. When things go wrong, it’s usually rider error and in showjumping, which is an extreme sport, things can go dangerously wrong, particularly at the greater heights. But when it all comes together, it is such a fantastic feeling.

Our showjumping competition in the NT is much smaller than in other jurisdictions. There are only 10 serious competitions in a year here. Due to the weather our short but packed competition season is between April and October. The rest of the year is too hot and wet for competition and it’s just too hard on the horses.

There are only 5 active Pony Clubs here in the NT, 3 in the Darwin

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Being Indigenous in this sport is something I think about quite a lot and I know how lucky I am to have these opportunities. Within my own Indigenous family, I am supported and am involving our young ones with my horses but it’s the people of remote communities that really miss out on opportunities. When I hear about the history of pastoralism in the NT and how it was Indigenous stockmen and women who were the backbone of the cattle industry, not so long ago, I think that it should be possible to find ways to re-engage Indigenous Territorians into equestrian sports.

I would love to be part of creating pathways for more Indigenous participation. There are more than 200,000 brumbies roaming around Indigenous areas in the NT. There must be a way to put horses and people together on a larger level. Apart from the skills and learning, the therapeutic benefits of being with horses could be very helpful. When I’m riding, any stress or worries just melt away.

My plan is to keep progressing in my sport. I want to get to compete at the highest levels of showjumping and feel I’m at the beginning of my serious competitive career. EM

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Images by Asher Lilley Photography LALWA MAY

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B. Murzabayev at l’hippodrome de SAINT-CLOUD

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LUXLIFE "Inspired by architecture and aesthetic design, I focus on horses' refined lines to create these soft and sophisticated narratives meant to attract, move and engage the audience."

SAINT-CLOUD, Deauville, Pornichet, Longchamps.

My name is Wiktoria Szczesniak. I was born in Lublin, Poland and raised in Paris. My love story with horses started in Poland, thanks to my father who used to drop me at the stable of my hometown every single day of my holidays. I knew since the beginning that I was made to evolve close to these beautiful creatures. For 12 years I took care of the horses I have met like they were mine.

At the time my specialty was show jumping : the most elegant and exciting discipline for me.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of time and finances (horse-riding being extremely expensive in France) I had to take a break from horses when I started my studies.

Studying was draining to me and I was missing nature very much. A part of me was dead. I didn’t want to quit studies because my priority was to get a prestigious diploma and build myself a successful career in big corporations. Everything was going well, I had the opportunity to study in London and Shanghai and my work experiences were all I was expecting from the luxury industry.

Until last year (March 2022), when I experienced a hard breakdown a few months before the end of my studies. I was so close to getting my diploma and the life I thought I wanted. Nevertheless, I needed a break - from everything and everyone. On a Friday, after university I rented a car and drove to a place where I felt safe, surrounded by horses.

THE SOFT HORSE

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Page left - Ecurie Alessandro Botti Racing.

Top - Men of Longchamps. Bottom - Breizh’ Sky THE SOFT HORSE

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Men & horses. Longchamp.

THE SOFT HORSE

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This short and unexpected trip made me realize that big city life wasn’t for me. I needed horses, nature and creativity. This definitely was a call to move and start a new chapter.

I moved to Chantilly, known as “the city of horses” near Paris, where my story with horse racing started as it is a place dedicated to this sport only. I quickly found trainers who needed riders to train their racehorses. Besides that, I needed a plan to earn money as I wasn’t considering finding a permanent job anymore. It took me a few months to understand that I should accept the fact that I am an artist and photography is my art.

When it comes to my photography adventure, it all started when I got my first phone. I used to photograph everything and nothing to make memories. Then, at my fifteenth birthday my dad offered me my first camera, a Nikon D90. I started to learn about image composition and light. I was nourishing my passion, organizing free photoshoots with models and learning editing skills without even thinking that it could serve me professionally one day.

Today, I feel fully aligned with my job. It’s creative, challenging and dynamic. I work with businesses like equestrian brands, media and stables, for their marketing campaigns or content creation for their socials. I also shoot with individuals like equestrian professionals or horse owners to create memories of their competitions or training with their beloved companions.

I pay immense attention to finding nice compositions and working on the colour palette in post-production phase, to create dreamy and luxurious looks. I want my images to tell a story and have a minimalistic and elegant appearance so they can be used as interior decoration. EM Follow Wiktoria’s journey @thesofthorse

Breizh’ Sky, ecurie Alessandro Botti Racing. Paris Longchamp.

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THE SOFT HORSE

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Paris Longchamp vibes.

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fin.

THE SOFT HORSE

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I am not one story.

My identity is not straight forward.

I am a child of the land, a barefooted bush kid and a modern woman who has seen the world.

I embrace fashion, design, and the city but I belong in the rugged and dusty outback and with its people.

This is who I am.

This is what I live and paint.

Shona Underwood Photography by Kindil Elisha Photography.

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‘OFTEN OVERDRESSED’

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SHONA UNDERWOOD

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Shona riding Silhouette at home, Thylungra Station.

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I was raised in a beautiful, but rugged and dangerous part of the Northern Territory.

IT WAS KNOWN AS ‘THE LAST FRONTIER’.

It was virgin land where herds of paint & buckskin brumbies, scrub cattle and buffalo grazed. The waters were crocodile infested. These were my first memories.

My mum and dad were very young and had big dreams. My sisters and I were part of them. We didn’t have a house for the early part of my childhood. We lived rough, but we were happy. As a family we worked hard to accomplish my parents’ dream which was to own their own cattle station.

My father had a special love and understanding of horses.

The first horse he broke in was a brumby stallion he trapped himself when he was 14 years old. Before I was born, my father went to a horsemanship school conducted by one of the very few specialised reinsmen of his time. His name was Clyde Reborse and he came from a small place in Nevada called Elko. There were few horse trainers like him in existence. These reinsmen were cowboys with a Spanish vaquero influence. Two retired instructors from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna worked for his father and spent about 8 years teaching young Clyde while they lived on his family ranch. Clyde had moved to Australia in 1963 to enter the cattle industry. He and his brother Lee had taught some of the great horsemen who went on to become famous all over the world. One of them was Tom Dorrance.

My dad and Clyde became lifelong friends. Clyde watched me develop as a rider. I started as a very small child and went on as a teenager to win rodeo titles in the women’s events for quite a few years consecutively. When I was old enough, we broke some horses in together. He taught me to pay attention to detail. Timing was everything. Letting a horse stop and think was crucial. He had an incredible amount of respect for the horse’s mind. He was a cowboy who could make a horse walk with its front feet and trot with its back feet, at the same time on a loose rein. I was so grateful to have been able to spend almost every day with him before and after work for over a year working horses. We developed a special bond and friendship that will always be dear to me.

SHONA UNDERWOOD

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There were many years though, that I lived without horses. One morning Clyde was driving his car and a truck ran into him and killed him. I didn’t go near horses again for ages. I was in my early 20s and life as a woman took over. It swallowed me and something was always missing. Horses were part of my making and had helped form my identity, but they became like a memory that I didn’t think I could visit again.

Now I live at Thylungra station in the south west of Queensland with my family. I have three children. Two boys and one girl. My oldest is at boarding school in Brisbane and the two younger ones have lessons at home though distance education. The property is 750,000 acres and we breed predominantly ‘Ultra Black Angus’ cattle. We live 1200km from a capital city and are in the middle of nowhere. It is a beautiful place to be.

I lived in the city. I worked a city job. Art had come in and out of my life since childhood. Every time I scribbled, I drew horses.

In my mind, I could smell them, and I could feel their breath. I went to Europe and visited the living horse museum in Chantilly, France. The horse art was spectacular. I went to other parts of the world and saw all that it was. Fashion, architecture, history. I absorbed as much as I could. I had a thirst for different cultures.

I still do.

Often in a world like this on cattle stations you are pitted against men. Men have been good at these jobs for many years and frankly I think that some men do not like women being as good as them. Some are uncomfortable with change and it’s important that we stand our ground, rising to the positions we carve out for ourselves. You can get emotionally and mentally pushed, shoved, and humiliated in the hope that you will shrink. Women can do just about everything men can do and a lot that they can’t, even in harsh working environments. How good we are at something is up to us and that is our responsibility. I know that much of what I am was woven through me by the best kind of men.

Years later I ended up back on the land working a cattle station that bordered the NT and WA. The land there was a step closer to me coming back to who I was.

Horses, cattle, dust

& nature.

SHONA UNDERWOOD

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UAE SHOWJUMPING 2023

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“THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BE. “ UAE SHOWJUMPING 2023 SHONA UNDERWOOD 35

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‘Straight Out of Midnight’ acrylic & charcoal on canvas.

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I produce fashion illustration and design for an international cosmetic company with whom I have a long-term contract. I really enjoy being involved. Fashion illustration is what I do when I need a break from painting. I have created some fun artworks that I use as t-shirt designs in which a cowgirl/horsegirl character explores femininity, fashion and style. She has an unapologetic attitude towards those who think she is a bit too much! This is a message from me. It took me many years to realise that I was painting the life I had and the life I wanted.

I like a quiet life, but my art has not allowed me to have that even out here. My artwork is all over the world now and very popular in America. I send work there every month. I make small, vintage cowboy works on antique music sheets that are over 100 years old. The paper sheets hold a story of their own. These pieces of work capture the physical essence of the ‘cowboy’, but the music in the background represents his ‘song’ or story.

I also paint large scale horses, trying to capture the theatre and drama of the animal by focusing on muscle and movement. I want to get the feeling of the power in them across. Many of my works try to capture our Australian historical connection to the bush, its animals and people.

I work for our station and provide most of the cooking for our staff. I do accounts, payroll and cattle work whilst trying to have as much quality time with my children as I possibly can. I also work and develop the horses at home.

Horses are my saviour, my therapy, my escape and my joy. They give me energy and inspiration but I never find any balance. It seems there is no such thing as getting it all right at once. When I focus on one part the other part suffers. I want to master something and be seriously good at something, but I feel like

I need two lifetimes to be

a master at anything.

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“A LITTLE BIT COWGIRL, A TOUCH OF EURO CHIC

AND A BIT OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL.”

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I believe it is ok to be a lot of things all at the same time. When I was much younger, I was always looking for my ‘place’. I never found it. There was no ‘place’ for a girl like me, so I blazed my own trail and made a place where I belong. It was not deliberate. I can’t be anything else. I am a horse girl, a cowgirl, a lover of European architecture, fashion, art and theatre. I have learned to be unapologetic about my contradictions. The unexpected has happened, people have started to come along with me, resonating with my work as an artist and designer.

My favourite fashion designers are Australian. For classic pieces I like Carla Zampatti. I have an amazing jumpsuit by her that I have worn to red carpet events. It seems to capture a lot of attention even though it is very slick and understated. I like Zhivago for structure. Also, I like Sass and Bide who balance flair and fun, but create beautiful shapes and fall in their garments. I like clothes that frame the wearer, cleverly bringing out their best, rather than focusing too heavily on the garment itself.

My staple wardrobe pieces are jeans and a white t-shirt with a cool handbag, fancy boots and a bright rolled scarf tied snugly around the neck in a bow on the side. This always works whether you’re in the country or city and will never go out of fashion. A little bit cowgirl, a touch of euro chic and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll.

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SHE HAS AN

UNAPOLOGETIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS THOSE WHO THINK SHE IS

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A BIT TOO MUCH!

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I am excited to see Australian cowgirls becoming more expressive in their fashion over the last few years. American cowgirls have been expressive fashion icons for as long as I can remember, but Australian girls have seemed much more reserved. Now, I believe Australian women are finding their look with local designers like ‘Black Colt Clothing’ and ‘Hitchley and Harrow’, bringing a strong sense of femininity to their clothes. There are high collars and puffed sleeves, frills that are just enough, not too much, and the cut of the shirts give us a nice shape. There is nothing I love more than seeing a strong, formidable country girl expressing her femininity!

In 2011 I broke my spine in two places in a car accident on a remote road. It put everything into perspective. At first it was horrifying beyond explanation. It was such a long and hard recovery. Since then though I have lived my life with much more enthusiasm. I am grateful every single day to be able to run, walk and live normally. We only get one chance at life. This is it. I think you have to chase it with everything you have got. If you have a setback, it is important to keep going. Giving up is not only a waste to you but it’s a waste to society. You can’t help anyone and you can’t save anyone else if you cannot be strong enough to fight for yourself.

I have had to re-evaluate my goals and start again recently because I have accomplished more than I ever thought possible.

My success as an artist just snuck up on me and unfolded organically. I went from a barefoot bush kid painting on creek beds with a mix of crushed up rock and water to my art being in homes, offices, and hotels internationally. I have clients in the entertainment industry in America, surgeons, cowboys, authors in New York, historians and so on. The fact that these well respected, intelligent and creative people have chosen to have my art on their walls is such an honour. Whilst the international recognition has been exciting, gaining the respect and acceptance of the indigenous people and the older stockmen from our area who I often paint has been personally important to me. EM

When you grow up in the bush you grow up with a strong sense of community. Without my community and my people there is no me. People who followed along with me in my art career and on social media have helped me make significant contributions to local charities. I have raised money for the Starlight Foundation in the Northern Territory and for individual families of sick children in outback Queensland. The contributions help with their expenses around having a child in a city hospital. In rural and remote Australia, it is a given that we bind together and help each other in times of need.

Follow Shona on Instagram @shona_underwood_artist shonaunderwood.com.au

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EURO SUMMER SUMME R 2023 Richard Vogel & Cepano Baloubet Left - CHIO Aachen. Above - CSIO Rome.

HELEN CRUDEN HELEN CRUDEN

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Deemed “the Mecca” of the equestrian world, CHIO Aachen, is an event like no other. Steeped in tradition, draped in prestige, with 350,000 people flocking to the event every year, there is no horse venue in the world that compares to it. During highlight classes such as the Mercedes Nations Cup and The Rolex Grand Prix, the stands are filled to the brim. Even the edge of the arena is so full that you can barely walk around it with almost 48,000 people in attendance during one class. It seems each member of the audience is one of the most knowledgeable in the horse world. With the tradition and history of the show apparent, it is no wonder that when you walk up to the main arena for the first time there is a feeling of complete awe.

Before the show even begins, you are captivated by the Opening Ceremony. It is always themed on a particular country and this year it was the United Kingdom. From the British national treasure, Paddington Bear, to the Household Cavalry performing their spectacular show accompanied by the impressive drum horses, the heavy horses and heritage ponies, the show opening was spectacular and celebrated by the most revered of British equestriennes, Princess Anne, as an Olympian, European gold medalist and consummate horsewoman.

To understand what Aachen means to its exhibitors, you only have to go to the warm up area before or after a class. Beforehand the riders’ faces are all unbroken concentration, if they have a top placing afterwards or a win, the emotion is overwhelming. When Yuri Mansur won the first 1.60m class of the show, the class ran from the afternoon into the evening, from daylight to under the spotlights.

Yuri’s mare, Mystic Blue Rose shone throughout for the occasion.

Bred in Brazil by Haras Rosa Mystica, she is one of the most captivating mares to watch on the circuit. She is a horse who gives her heart every time she enters the arena, confidently jumping clear rounds and finding the blazing speed within her to win in the jump off. Witnessing her win were her owners, in partnership with Yuri and also her breeders. All of the connections had flown over from Brazil for the show and filled the warm up arena with yellow and green, the Brazilian flag and floods of tears. There was so much elation, such a palpitating atmosphere and it was only the first evening of jumping competition.

From the Mercedes Nations Cup, to the horsemanship class and the Rolex Grand Prix, every round is a privilege to watch. However, in the year preceding an Olympic year, the stakes are even higher.

All eyes are on the horses of the top calibre, anticipating which one may stand up to the greatest test of the year, showing the potential to be Olympic worthy. This is what made this year’s Nations Cup even more special. Set over two rounds, the first round lays the ground work for what the teams have to do in the second round to either maintain their position or improve it. There were changes, tensions and drama in the two rounds, with the crowds Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen.

Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) & Contago.

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riding every stride whispering their opinions and reactions to every changing moment. Then the arena would fall silent with 48,000 people silenced by the arrival of any German rider into the arena. It was the turn however, for the ever-improving Swiss team to take the winning honours this year, with a clear round from Rolex testimonee rider Martin Fuchs to determine the result. Team GB followed in second only one fence behind. The team spirit, the level of horsemanship and equestrian talent throughout the Nations Cup gave an insight into what we can expect of Paris 2024. It will be exceptional in every way.

Whilst the hub of the show is around the main jumping arena, the dressage, eventing, vaulting and driving ensure that enthusiasts from every discipline have the privilege of witnessing the most talented horse and rider combinations from around the world in the five disciplines. The culmination of the ten days of top-level competition brings us to the Rolex Grand Prix, the second major of the year’s Rolex Grand Slam, the most prestigious Grand Prix in Europe and arguably the world.

Contested over three rounds, it is the ultimate test of scope, endurance, focus and talent for both horse and rider. The first round saw the field whittled down from 41 riders to 16, the second round saw a further 11 combinations left behind, leaving only 5 combinations for the jump-off from three nations: Mexico, Brazil and three from the home nation.

With two Rolex testimonee riders in the Jump-off, Rodrigo Pessoa and Daniel Deusser, and names already synonymous with the legendary status of Aachen, including Marcus Ehning, the crowd was on tenterhooks. Daniel Deusser was the first to secure a triple clear on Stephex’s extraordinary mare Killer Queen who was his steadfast companion for many years and with whom he brought home the title of the Rolex Grand Prix of Spruce Meadows last year and the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen the year before. The last combination, Marcus Ehning and his vivacious stallion Stargold entered the arena to a deathly silence. The crowds were secure in knowing that the win was for Germany but there was still all to play for. Jumping faultlessly and with the greatest accuracy, Stargold quite simply glided over the course in no time at all and came through the finish line to a roaring crowd as he bucked and kicked in his usual way. Marcus threw his hands in the air to then wrap himself around the stallion’s neck in complete disbelief. To witness a rider of Marcus’s calibre, having already won the Rolex Aachen Grand Prix twice previously and who has many of the most coveted international titles to his name in a lengthy career, completely overcome with emotion in the prize giving was a memory that will stay with us forever.

Aachen is more than a horse show, more than a Grand Prix, it is pilgrimage to celebrate over 160 years of history, sportsmanship, dreams and accolades. It is a celebration of its own unique crowd, of arenas filled with legends past and present and a true testament to the unique nature of equestrian sport now and in the great future that awaits it. EM

Left - Grooms at Aachen.

Right - Aachen moments .

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Above - Bingo Ste Hermelle, ridden by Danielle Deusser.

Right - Team Great Brittain CHIO Aachen Mercedes Nations Cup. Tim Gredley, Scott Brash & Harry Charles.

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Don Whitaker & Colette

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“Horses were part of my life growing up. Way before pony clubs and dressage made an appearance on the Australian horse scene, I was riding for hours through our property in the Blue Mountains.

My early horse experiences were bush riding, learning natural balance as we galloped over hills and jumped creeks. Then life, work, marriage got in the way of horses.

Until my 50th birthday. An off the track thoroughbred, called Beau was a gift from my husband for my 50th birthday. Beau and I explored the fabulous Noosa Trail rides together. With Beau facing retirement, we bought a farm for him and then more and more horses started to come into my life.

Now a grey-haired old lady, I’m living my dream with 12 horses running free, as a herd over our 40-acre farm.”

REWILDING Photography by Averil Crebbin / Picture The Moment

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It’s incredible waking each morning to 12 faces looking through the window. When we built a modest house on our farm, my one wish was that the horses would have access to the house. They do, with a verandah acting as a natural fence. I wake each morning to twelve faces peering through the window. It’s one of the great joys of my life.

Brumbies have always held a fascination for me and I have adopted three Guy Fawkes River brumbies. Living with these previously wild horses changed the way I decided to live with all of my horses. They have taught me that commonly held beliefs are simply not true to the way wild horses live and behave. The emotions that are fundamental in wild horse life are harmony and synchronisation. A herd’s survival depends on harmonious relationships and a lack of aggression between herd members.

Domestic horses have largely lost this wildness due to early weaning, separation from the herd, the use of hard feeds and hay.

Resource guarding has become a default behaviour that leads to aggression in the domestic horse’s life.

I struggle with a lot of the ways people manage their horses. I hear the practical, economical and safety reasons why stabling and keeping horses separate has become the default way to manage horses. This reasoning ignores the fact that horses are social animals. They need interaction and given the chance, will establish stable and deep bonds between each other. So many horses are robbed of these emotional needs. It’s a conversation that I think needs to be had. To me, keeping horses is a whole moral question. You've got to kind of live the life you want but be as close to your ethical values as you possibly can.

I know a lot of people have their horses permanently locked into small yards or stables. Such practices evolved in the 18th/19th century when horses were truly the power input of the work force and a mode of transport. The gradual evolution of cities and towns required convenient housing of horses. Stabling and barn life became the norm. Today, the practice continues with little conversation about the inherent need horses have for stable group relationships with physical and emotional contact.

Twenty years ago, zoos were held to account for the way they housed lions, elephants, giraffes, etc. They have been forced to relook at how they house their animals, and to enable interaction and social connection between social animals. I think horses often haven't got that opportunity. Now we understand the matriarchal structure of an elephant group and we're a lot better at caring for elephants, but we haven't applied those learnings to horsemanship and the husbandry of horse.

Research by ethologists into wild herds in Europe and South America have exposed one of the greatest myths of horse be-

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haviour. Because humans love order and social hierarchies, it is how many of us run and manage our working and family lives.

There are bosses and managers, heads of family and then there are the workers. It’s a social structure that works for humans but not horses. The dominance concept of boss horse, pecking order, etc has been applied to make sense of the aggressive behaviour that is witnessed between horses but humans make sense of that behaviour in terms of their own reality by applying their hierarchical, pecking order to horses.

Scientists observing wild horse behaviour have not witnessed this aggressive behaviour in wild herds. Social interaction between members is based on harmony and synchronisation. There is no herd boss or dominant mare or stallion. The stallion may have a favourite mare but there is not a dominant mare.

Biting and kicking are part of domestic horses’ lives but not those of brumbies. Brumbies never kick or bite. Their way of moving another horse is to back up to the horse with energy but just before contact, the brumby retreats. If a brumby stallion bites or kicks his mares, the mares simply leave his herd. He loses his very reason for life, procreation. My brumby, Sakima was a 4-year-old stallion and had a small herd of mares when caught. In our 18 years together Sakima has never bitten or kicked another horse or person. His non-verbal, non-aggressive behaviour communicates effectively. He is the gentlest horse in my herd.

Sakima and Dorado, who was in a brumby bachelor herd when caught have changed the way my herd of domestic horses live and interact. If you do bring wild horses into a herd, your domestics can rediscover their wildness. My brumbies have helped the domestics rediscover their wildness and now harmony rules in my herd.

There is regular interaction based on dominance and submissive behaviour certainly, but not aggression. Yes, there are hierarchies within a hierarchy, and these hierarchies can change. Over time, very deep friendship bonds are formed between certain members and these friendships last a lifetime.

I recently introduced my foal, Bijoux to the herd. I chose not to do an early weaning. I allowed the natural bond between mare and foal to dictate a self-weaning as would happen in a wild herd.

My foal self-weaned at eight months and remained with his Mum until 10 months old. Every wild mare wants a strong confident foal, and the mother will rarely correct the foal, letting their personality develop. In the wild, horses do not survive if not confident. In the dressage world, we want a confident riding horse in the arena, because at a show there's so much going on. The judging criteria clearly states that a horse must be relaxed and that comes from confidence. The only way you get a confident foal is to leave that foal with its mother until 9-10 months.

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The latest science research shows that early weaning at 5-6 months is extremely stressful for the foal and mare. The evidence points to worrying behavioural changes such as aggressiveness, suspension of play, decreased growth rates and leaky gut syndrome in the foals.

New domestic horses to the herd, like Cacereno are confused and resort to aggressive behaviour of kicking and biting. I used my skills to control the aggressive tendencies and create scenarios where they could sort out their own dominance/submissive behaviours.

The next stage in the wild foal’s life is to learn horse manners and the rules of behaviour to survive in the wild. This is the role of the herd, not the mother. A mature foal that is now independent of its mother can attempt to bite, kick or make unwanted contact with herd members but if it is rude, the herd banish the foal and it is pushed to the outskirts of the herd. It is only allowed to return if it modifies its behaviour. This way, the foal learns the essence of wild herd life, harmony. My foal, Bijoux is now running free with my herd, and it is the herd teaching him the manners he would need if he was in a wild herd. But Bijoux has not experienced aggressive behaviour. Bijoux has been chased from the herd but never bitten or kicked.

My herd move constantly over the entire farm. In the wild, the herd covers up to 20 kilometres a day. Few domestic horses have that chance. When we remove the ability to move over hills, flats, and a variety of landscapes, we remove one of the most wonderful ways for a horse to learn to use its body properly. The best way we can have a healthy horse with muscle tone is to allow them free movement across landscapes. I watch my herd a lot and guess what? If they run, they'll only run for a minute. Only canter for a minute. They never canter flat out for 20-30 minutes.

This is another question to ask about the way we train horses.

I use a lot of wild herd behaviour when I work with the horses.

When I watch wild horse behaviour, I think how can I replicate it as a human? Over time I’ve worked it out. I angle my body and my energy at a 45-degree angle to their rump and I send them away. I send them out of the herd. Now if they keep doing it, then they are sent right out of the herd, and they're locked out of the yard for a short time. My entire herd will stand there watching when they know when someone's misbehaved. They wait to see if I will enforce the rules. I do consistently.

My new riding horse, Cacereno, imported from Europe has spent most of his life in a stable. His horse manners were based on aggression, and it could have got ugly very quickly. I understood the interactions between horses and the interplay between the hierarchies, but it's an interplay between dominance and submission.

Stabled horses miss the relationships and the dynamics that are constantly happening in a herd. There's no mutual grooming.

There's no being part of the herd. There's no synchronized running and that's important in a wild herd. They learn to synchronize so that the herd can all move as a group if they need to.

I want my horses to have these experiences. If we don't allow horses to move as a herd, then they can't do synchronised movements. And while we may not want that in riding, it is important for the emotional wellbeing of the horse. I'm wanting emotionally balanced horses; therefore, I must return to the principles of wildness to give them that opportunity to become balanced in their brain and body.

Freedom of movement is fundamental to a horse’s life and to each individual horse’s well-being. Most of my horses are now in their 20’s and I need to keep them healthy and fit. Free movement is one of the ways to help them have a long life. Our place has very few fences to encourage movement across the landscape.

Freedom of movement is fundamental to a horse’s life.

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We think of our place as a sanctuary in the broad scope. When I talk sanctuary, yes, obviously, my horses once they arrive, never leave. The land has become a sanctuary for birds, reptiles, insects and all the other mammals that live on the property. My grasses are allowed to grow naturally. People say, “You haven't got a huge number of weeds here”. I say, “I know, because I allow the grasses to seed, to be a food source for the quail and the birds and the mammals which out compete the weeds. When I talk about it as a sanctuary, I've got a broad paintbrush of what I define as a sanctuary.

My husband has always been passionate about design and art but he suddenly had time through Covid to invest into exploring sculptures. He was talking to sculptors, enjoying the relationships, and started buying art. He’s continued on since then, supporting young artists and established artists by commissioning work.

That's his passion and his interest. We've got the best palette because we've got 50 acres to select spaces to put all these amazing sculptures. I think it is important that in any relationship there's mutual respect. All people need an interest or purpose that feeds a meaningful life. Mine is my horses and his is creating the most amazing sculpture park based on his love of design.

I'm into rewilding our farm for the horses and bringing the wildlife back. My concept of wildness goes beyond just horses. My garden is not organized. It is a native garden. I plant the plants, and then they sort it out. Sometimes they self-generate, and they're allowed to do that. I don't have the English concept of an organized formal garden. Mine's chaotic, but if you go walking in the bush, that's what you see. We just can't see it.

There is order in the chaos.

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We have so many birds and the yellow tail cockatoos are there every afternoon eating the Robu Banksia. Because that's what should be growing here naturally for them, but it had all been ripped out. Of course, I put it back and now they're here every day. You can bring the wild animals back into your property.

Wildness is the underlying concept that drives everything here on the sanctuary. As a society, we can learn about harmony from wild horses and the way they live together. If we respect each other, life can be enjoyable and happy. When I look at how harmoniously the horses live together, I notice that they work out their little tiffs, but it never splits the herd. Life continues together, happily. Humans could learn a lot from watching wild horse herds.

I understand I can't change the horse world. But I would love to start a conversation about horse wellbeing that helps people to reflect on ways of improving our competition horses’ lives through herd exposure. Of all the ethologists, Lucy Rees is probably the most famous one. The evidence is science based. It's not rubbish. It's not anecdotal. There are enough research papers around now that document wild horse behaviour. There are fundamental differences to what many of us see as normal horse behaviour. My herd have rediscovered their wildness through living with wild horses and the energy of my herd is based on harmony, mutual respect and caring between herd members. It is the gift I can give my brumbies who had their freedom taken away. It’s the gift I can give my domestic horses to experience and enjoy a life based on harmony and relationships.

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United Touch S - ridden by Richard Vogel.

CHIO Aachen.

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Polly Gredley & Kingsborough Kasper.

LONGINES ATHINA ONASSIS HORSE SHOW ST TROPEZ

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Ines Joly & her amazing mare Pegasus Caliope flyimg into 3rd place in the GP 145 at the Longines Athina Onassis Horse Show.

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Jessica Springsteen & Don Juan winning the LGCT Grand Prix of London to a roaring, sell-out crowd.

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GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR LO N D O N

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NATIONS CUP OF ROME I TA LY

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Above - Irish team members Denis Lynch & Vistogrand.

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Winners of the Rolex Grand Pix, Andre Thieme & DSP Chakaria.

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Top- Team Ireland’s Denis Lnych & Vistogrand.

Bottom lef - Jessica Burke & Express Trend.

Bottom right - Team Ireland, Mikey Pender & HHS Calais.

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Top left - Team Ireland’s Jack Ryan & McGregor. Top right - Georgia Tame congratulates Mikey Pender on his triple clear to win the Nations Cup for Team Ireland.

Below - Team Ireland’s Michael G Duffy & Clitschko 17.

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Top left & above left- Christian Ahlmann & Mandato van de Neerheide.

Top right- Christian Ahlmann & Penelope Provost (3rd place).

Above right - Edwina Tops Alexander & Corelli de Mies.

Bottom right - Ben Maher’s Point Break.

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GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR PA R I S

Christian Ahlmann & Mandato van de Neerheide, winners of the LGCT Grand Prix of Paris.

Worldwide Equestrian Sports Photographer | Reportage | Bespoke Photography @hcruden

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Edwina Tops Alexander & Corelli de Mies Longines Global Champions Tour Paris.

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Raise him right.

Secretheart Hitman - HSH.

Can you spot the Stallion?

This was the question I posted on my Facebook Business page that started a ‘great debate’. The photo was of 14 horses in the waiting area (no bigger than 15 square meters) for the challenge class at the Nutrien Classic in Tamworth. The horses were lined up side by side, just like any other waiting area or line-up at a show. It was a mixed class, and so the group was made up of stallions, mares and geldings. They were all standing quietly, not a nicker or pinned ear amongst them. So, what was my point?

Well, I used to have a stallion, and my partner did too. We got them when they were quite young, and we were committed to them being well mannered gentlemen — not only around mares, but when we were out in public teaching clinics or at competitions. We invested time in them being well handled, trainable and socialised. They ran together in the off season, and ran with mares for breeding (live, natural cover). We eventually gelded them, as we no longer had a need for them to be stallions, and now they happily run in a herd of 8 - with other geldings and mares.

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I teach worldwide, and compete both in Australia and in the USA. I get to see many stallions. Some are well behaved, perfect gentlemen. You would not know they were a stallion. Others, well you have probably seen it yourself. Calling, roaring, striking, pacing, nickering, lip curling and, quite frankly, dangerous. All too often we hear ‘Oh well, he’s a stallion. It’s to be expected’. No, it's not.

We need to stop treating our stallions like precious, dangerous, anti-social beings, lest we create a precious, dangerous, anti-social being. Stallions are just horses .... with testicles. Just because they have them doesn’t mean that hormonal behaviour at inappropriate times should be acceptable. The social norm of ‘boys will be boys’ is a toxic attitude in the human world, and a dangerous one when it comes to horses. What is interesting is that these attitudes are cultivated in the company we keep, and the rules within any given discipline vary greatly when it comes to stallions.

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For example. Here in Australia if I want to compete with my stallion in a campdraft, challenge, reining or ranch event, I am not required to have any identifying marks on him that show the public that he is a stallion. Whereas in Equestrian Australia governed events, if my horse is a stallion, I am required to have a green disc to identify to everyone around me that he is a stallion. A quote directly from the Equestrian Australia website “Improving stallion visibility will help protect the wellbeing of those around them”.

My observation on this kind of viewpoint is — once we start ‘singling out’ stallions and using words like “protect the wellbeing” we are telling people that stallions are something to be wary, or even afraid of. Once we adopt this idea we begin to relate to the horse ‘differently’ simply because he has testicles, and this becomes a reason to excuse, accept and even expect poor behaviour!

Once we embrace the idea that all horses should be well mannered both at home and out and about, irrespective of their gender or reproductive abilities, we create a safer place for everybody. This can challenge some of us who believe allowing our horses to ‘meet’ other horses is ok, as we would not allow our horses to ‘meet’ a stallion but we find it completely acceptable to allow them to go nose to nose with a mare or gelding. The truth is, this is risky behaviour with any gender of horse and should be avoided.

Here are some basic tips on keeping your stallion social, and a gent. I am completely aware of the concern of having a stallion injured, or worse. I am of the firm belief that I would rather risk him in order to have him happy and balanced, than ‘protect’ him and have mental issues. The younger you can do this, the better off they are.

Social Skills. There are a few options.

Bachelor mob. Our boys were kept together. Creating a ‘bachelor mob’ helps your horse socialise, play and learn boundaries as he would in a mob. Removing them during breeding season prevents any testosterone fuelled arguments.

Mare for company. I know a few people who keep their studs with a barren mare with great success. She keeps him in line and teaches him the difference between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ as she comes in and out of season.

YOUR STUD UNDERSTANDING THE WORD ‘NO’ IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO HIS MENTAL WELLBEING AND ETIQUETTE.

If we create boundaries like these, we can have well behaved, pleasure to deal with horses (including stallions). When our 2 boys were still stallions, we took them everywhere- team penning, western shows, the beach, dressage, clinics. No one knew they were stallions - they didn’t squeal, roar, call, sniff, react in any way.

Because that was our expectation and the boundaries that we set were clear.

Family Unit. Where possible this would be the ideal situation. I have a client who runs her stallion in family units. The mares go in with him, they get pregnant and then spend 10 months telling him ‘No’. They give birth to his offspring in a foaling paddock and then are returned to the herd - usually within a week or so. He plays with his offspring gently, respects the mares when they tell him ‘No’, heads out happily to offsite events and leads a happy, full life.

We see too many stallions that are guarded and protected yet end up being dangerous to both the handler, and the people around them. No amount of quality genetics is worth a risk to humans, other horses or to the stallion himself. I see stallions who have severe mental health issues, stemming from the way that they are handled and housed, and it is really no quality of life. Stallion ownership isn’t for everyone, and it shouldn’t be, but if you do own a stallion, please ‘raise him right’ so he can live a happy and full life.

Mini for company. I know many stallion owners that have a miniature pony (gelding or stud) in with their stud for company.

They generally get along very well and it is simple to have a small ‘safe yard’ for the mini to get into if they want a break from the stallion. That being said most mini and stallion combinations I am familiar with have the mini as the boss!

So, what is ‘raising him right’? How do we go about it?

TANJA KRAUS

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Erin Morgan & Yoorana Copper Acres.

Secretheart Hitman - HSH.

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Social Skills at outings.

Start early. Get your stud used to going out in public before he starts wanting to sniff everything under the sun, and tell him ‘no’ when he wants to. Specific outings that are for training him will allow you to fully focus on the task at hand and build his manners in public. Just like kids these boys need to know what is, and isn’t ok.

Maintain the Training. Even if your boy is never to leave the property again, outings for training will keep him in good form. You never know when you may need to evacuate for emergency reasons and the last thing you need is a rogue on your hands.

Know the boundaries. Any ‘stallion’ behaviour should be addressed - sniffing poo (and anything!), lip curling, nickering, roaring, calling, self-stimulation, ‘hanging it out’, and anything else that your boy does to let the world know he is a boy. This is where the rules do become specific when dealing with a stallion. Any stallion like behaviour needs to be addressed, and your stud needs to be aware that there is a time and a place. That being said I don't allow my mares to flirt, dominate or wink while in my company either!

Serving.

The first service. For the first service we turned our boy out with an older mare who was a couple of days from being ‘right on’. She spent 2 days telling him ‘No’ but allowing him to lick her, nuzzle her and learn ‘foreplay’. From that point forward he was respectful with all mares and asked if he was allowed, instead of just jumping straight on. Teach your boy respect, and that serving is a privilege, not a right.

Ongoing Service handling. Most of the time we let our horses serve naturally. The risk to our boys was minimal, and the mare setting boundaries is just another training opportunity. If you are not wanting to do this, and instead choose to hand serve, then please, set boundaries! You will create a rapist if you restrain the mare and simply allow him to ‘jump on’. Ensure that you are able to tell the horse ‘No’ before, during and after service - you must be able to control him at all times!

Stallion ownership is a huge responsibility and not everyone is cut out for it. Please take it seriously so the horse, and the human can lead a full and happy life. Many of you are so passionate about this. My Facebook post was commented on and shared over 2 thousand times. Most people had stallions that were well behaved and able to be gents in the company of mares. I had very few people comment that ‘sometimes they are just not quiet’. Remember you are just dealing with hormones - if your boy is unable to control himself when under hormonal influence - maybe it’s time to consider gelding him.

TANJA KRAUS

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UNBRIDLED DETERMINATION Morgan Liddle's Extraordinary Path as a Para-Equestrian.

Story & images by Jessica Atkins.

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Morgan Liddle's journey as a para-equestrian rider exemplifies strength, resilience, and a deep love for horses. Her story inspires others to pursue their passions and persevere through challenges.

In this interview, Morgan sheds light on her personal experiences, the unique obstacles she encounters and her aspirations for a more inclusive and accessible equestrian community.

Page left - Morgan and her Seeing Eye Dog, Rave.

Above - Morgan rides with a looped rein that splits to attach to the double bridle.

Morgan's rare metabolic disease, CDG, affects about 1000 individuals globally. CDG is a group of genetic disorders that disrupt the attachment of sugar molecules to proteins or lipids in the body, impacting various organs and involving a range of neurological symptoms. Morgan invites administrators and organisers to help level the playing field for all disabled riders, ensuring safety and equal opportunities in the equestrian world. She calls for a cultural shift, urging the recognition of every rider's value and potential, regardless of physical abilities. Morgan envisions an environment that embraces diversity and provides equal access to equestrian activities for all riders.

JESSICA ATKINS

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Q.

What drew you to the equestrian community and horses?

I love horses. I’ve loved horses from when I was little. I got my first pony at 8 years old and my two sisters also rode, so our childhood was like The Saddle Club.

Q.

Could you please tell me more about your specific disabilities and how they affect you?

I have a very rare metabolic disease. There are only around 1000 known cases in the world. As a result, I have very poor balance and coordination, and experience tremors in my entire body. Over the last five years I have lost my vision to the point I am now legally blind and have a seeing eye dog called Rave. My speech is also impaired. As the most severely disabled rider in Australia competing FEI, I have always felt like I’m seen as requiring too much effort to cater to my unique combination of needs and subsequently a bit of a problem generally.

Q.

What are some of your favourite and most memorable moments with horses?

There have been many good and some sad moments in my life with horses. Getting my first big horse was very memorable. We went to the Hunter Valley to meet the GP schoolmaster Sienna Tailor Made and from the first moment I saw him as we drove into the property, I was in love. He had never had a para rider on him before, but he was perfect. I won my first National Para Championship on Tailor. After he was retired from competition, I still rode him just for fun and Mum also rode him. She noticed one day after a ride out that he was a bit breathless. Tailor was 25 years old when we found an inoperable tumour in his neck. We had medication to slow the growth and he lived a very happy and comfortable life in the paddock for another year but eventually he had to be put to sleep. I still can’t talk about that day without crying.

Left - Morgan and Thamesbourne Sunsation (Mintie)

Page Right - Getting on the horse is where most safety incidents happen to disabled riders. Most competition venues do not provide a wheelchair mounting ramp. Without one, Morgan requires four people to assist her to mount.

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Q.

Tell us about your mare.

Her name is Thamesbourne Sunsation (Mintie). She’s a 13 year-old Warmblood mare by Sunny Boy. My coach Charlotte Pedersen had known the horse and her owner, Lucy McNutt, for some time and she thought Mintie would be a good fit for me. She was available on lease, and after 12 months I persuaded Lucy to sell her to me. My previous FEI horses were geldings and schoolmasters, so getting Mintie as a 10 yo mare was a different experience for me. She is a very sweet and affectionate mare and has always been very good under saddle for me. She can have her moments riding out so I don’t do that with her at the moment.

My sister does like jumping her occasionally which she seems to enjoy. Mintie is able to deal well with my poor balance in the saddle and copes well with my unintended movements. She has a lovely even 4-beat walk and nice overtrack. She is a very pretty black mare and matches perfectly with my black Seeing Eye Dog, Rave, that’s important too!

Q.

Tell us about your support team.

My coach and the people who are part of my personal equestrian network are fabulous. All my team members have to be able to help me manage my competition horses. Most are high level dressage riders and they need to be able to tack up and warm up to a level that is required by my coach. I employ people from my equestrian community. They compete and are all very familiar with EA and FEI competition requirements. I train them how to best assist me with other aspects of my support around vision, health and mobility. Their work goes way beyond the scope of a disability support worker so I employ them directly to ensure they are covered for riding, working with horses, towing floats etc. They all work as a team and need to communicate really well with me and each other. It is so important that people in our team are a good fit.

JESSICA ATKINS

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Q.

What are some unique challenges you face?

Because I have such severe balance issues, I make constant adjustments and have a heightened body awareness. I need to expend a lot of effort and attention just to stay on. As a blind rider, I can’t see the edges of the arena or the markers unless I am looking straight at them so it is very difficult to be accurate. It is necessary to employ memory, spatial awareness, and a deep understanding of the horse's movements to navigate the arena. I used to rely a lot on my sight to tell if I was off balance but I can’t do that anymore. I rely on tactile senses and feedback from the horse's movements to gauge my position and stability. Being a Grade 1 rider and blind has caused a lot of confusion with classification. I need to have another classification before I can get the appropriate compensating aids such as audible or illuminated markers, or a caller within the arena. There won’t be another vision classification in Australia for probably three years. So, I’m competing against riders who are not vision impaired without any additional allowances. Accuracy is very difficult and it’s very easy for me to get lost in the arena.

As a visually impaired rider, Morgan emphasises the need for audible or illuminated markers that would provide crucial navigational cues, enabling riders like herself to maintain their course.

Additionally, she advocates for the presence of a caller within the arena, someone who can provide real-time guidance and ensure accurate positioning during her rides. By implementing these accommodations, Morgan aims to create an environment that promotes fairness and inclusivity, allowing visually impaired riders to fully express their skills and compete on equal footing with other Equestrians.

Morgan's commitment to the sport remains steadfast. She urges all riders, regardless of their disability, to wholeheartedly pursue their passions, believing that the love for horses and the joy that equestrian pursuits bring should not be hindered by structural challenges. Morgan's advice serves as a reminder to persevere, embrace opportunities, and find fulfillment in the pursuit of our equestrian dreams.

Top - Morgan and her mother , Merell Liddle.

Left - Morgan looks forward to a future with more equitable access for riders with severe physical and vision impairment.

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STYLE GUIDE EQUESTRIENNE

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PHYLLi Designs – “Fallon’ hat in Beige. Grampians Goods Co. Merino Wool Oversize Tartan Scarf & Pure Wool Fair Isle Knit - Oatmilk. RB Sellars X The Grampians Goods Co. Recycled Wool Blanket. Aisling Equestrian: Bianca Full Seat Breeches.

Tonics Tall Boot Jupiter Style. Model: Olivia Hinz. Photo by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

ASHLEY GRANT

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PHYLLi Designs – ‘Dirty Jane’ hat in Dirty Olive.

Aisling Equestrian: Bianca Full Seat Breeches.

Adrienne Jacket. Bow Blouse.

Grampians Goods Co - Merino Wool Oversize Tartan Scarf | Blyth Natural.

Photo by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

Model: Jane Gollan.

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PHYLLi Designs – ‘The Blush’ hat in Blush. Aisling Equestrian: Bianca Full Seat Breeches.

Adrienne Jacket. Rönner Design ‘Prairi’ polo-shirt long sleeve|Botany Print Blanc|High-tech.

Model: Jane Gollan. Photo by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

ASHLEY GRANT

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PHYLLi Designs – ‘The Blush’. hat in Blush. Aisling Equestrian: Bianca Full Seat Breeches. Rönner Design: ‘Prairi’ polo-shirt long sleeve|Botany Print Blanc|High-tech. Model: Jane Gollan.

Photo by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

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Aisling Equestrian: Bianca Full Seat Breeches. Natasha Jacket Rönner Design: Quarter Zip | Printed Fleece| Botany Print Marine.

Model: Jane Gollan. Photo by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

ASHLEY GRANT

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PHYLLi Designs – ‘The Blush’ hat in Blush.

Aisling Equestrian: Audrey Light Shirt. Kate Knee Patch Breeches.

Grampians Goods Co – Merino Wool Oversized Tartan Scarf | Antique Buchanan.

Tonics Tall Boot Jupiter Style. Model: Olivia Hinz Photos by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

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ASHLEY GRANT

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Grampians Goods Co – Merino Wool Oversize Tartan Scarf | Muted Blue Stewart.

Model: Olivia Hinz. Photos by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.

ASHLEY GRANT

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QJ Riding Wear: Luci V neck knit | Navy. Chloe breechs |Grey.

Eva Base Layer. Model: Christy Baker. Photos by Flash Pony.

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qjridingwear.com.au QJ RIDING WEAR

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BEING THE MOTHER OF AN EQUESTRIAN COMPETITOR (and how to survive).

* This article is dedicated to my fellow mothers who are out in the trenches every day, fighting the good fight and giving our children every chance to see that they can do hard things!

Under constant fire from your alarm clocks, you are dealing with life’s many burdens whilst balancing your little darling’s desire to instantly become the next Charlotte. May this article give you strength.

By Rochelle King-Andrews PS. We all had a good laugh at my mothering attempts in my first article with Equestrienne Magazine, I hope I can maintain my dignity better this time!

I so desperately wanted Andie to ride and then, wait, WHAT? Suddenly she’s competing, winning and ummm … it’s crazy I know but I didn’t love it AT ALL at first. Was It because this was all about her now?! No that wasn’t it. Who was I kidding? A. It’s ALWAYS been all about her. B. My professional career still took precedence to Andie and her hairy little farm animals. Mortgages to be paid and all that. My reluctance was more about the surge of protective instinct I felt the first time I saw her in that head melt of beating herself up because she wanted to be better.

We all know dressage has been humbling riders since 400 BC. You can buy the T-shirt! I didn’t like that effect on my baby. I make a living teaching people that dressage should be about your bond to your horse, not the other competitors; that we are not curing cancer; 1% improvement is 100% improvement in 100 days; national 9 news won’t be filming you; nobody really gives a shit except you etc... yet none of my platitudes had any effect on Andie. I wanted her to take her natural affinity for animals and to communicate with horses in a systematic, classical way. She wanted it to work differently. More like when you press instant cook on a microwave oven and DING out pops a top sport rider. This is a story about our journey to her becoming a real horsewoman and the realisation there are no shortcuts.

Any of you reading this who have competitive, horsey children understand there is a different mental strength required to cope with your own performance anxiety in comparison to your children’s nerves the day before and on show day. Your precious little sweet cheeks can demonise and grow two heads when they first learn the ropes of competition.

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I must say I was often shocked to witness my students at competitions and their mothers’ varying reactions. I therefore watched my own journey into being the mother of a horse rider with morbid curiosity. As it turned out, my softly spoken, restful little queen needed an entire wellbeing and psychology department to overcome her fears and frustrations before stepping into her ‘I can do hard things’ shoes. She only had me and her dedicated ‘Aunts’… but what we couldn’t solve, her ponies led her to solving herself.

I wasn’t entirely unprepared for the princess transformation had coached young superstars and experienced both horror and fascination at their and subsequently their mothers’ behaviour.

I would marvel at subservient mothers dedicating their entire existence to their child’s horsey passions. I’m talking every penny, every moment, every breath spent on matching outfits, fancy horses, expensive entries. Mum willingly abandoning her career whilst her sense of self morphs into a slave like creature that is given little thanks or respect by her child. It seems there are no days off for horse mum slaves either.

Packing, unpacking, washing, cleaning, cooking all are expected and unrewarded. In return, these mums were regularly shouted at, or treated with disdainful wrath by their little darlings.

I do not encourage this in my students. It puts them in poor form to get so worked up. How can they nurture their team and their ponies/ horses if they are wasting emotional energy cursing at their mothers and beating themselves up? I stand with the mothers because, of the women’s secret code of sacrifice, “thou shalt respect your mother… because bringing you forth almost killed us.” Although, if being an arse helped you to win, I suppose it would be ok…. Joking! Or am I? See what being a mother does to one?

I’d often see all the other children in the family come second to the champion child. Some mums don’t even think straight beyond show entries …don’t wear bras, have their hair done, eat much other than greasy show food. They have slowly gone mad under the rough tongue of their own child, starved for affection and possibly fresh vegetables.

That’ll NEVER BE ME, say all of us in the beginning …

The dragon comes with forked tongue if the child comes second or doesn’t perform to the standard the mother expects. The light of love can quickly be withdrawn. The, ‘DO YOU KNOW WHAT I GO THROUGH TO GIVE YOU THIS?’ chant is often accompanied by excessive over analysing and intense training, followed with possibly a new outfit and saddle cloth because we all know that more diamantes, sheepskin and expensive European fashion will increase riding ability and soothe a guilt spiral. The mothers of these trophy children soon become unrecognisable …bent backed with labour, toothless, braless, possibly dying of scurvy.

(Ha-ha I can’t help exaggerating but it was so harrowing to join the ranks and to fear this was a truth in store for me!) Would I consider a trip to my hairdresser as necessary as new boots for my winner?

I never wanted to be that other mother either, shouting from the sidelines to a flustered and hateful child ripping it up their pony.

I could see how easily you can head down there though. How could the mothers tolerate it? Why not just start as you mean to continue? “You’re rude, naughty! We are going home regardless of the fact I washed, clipped, plaited your pony, drove since 4 am to get here and hocked my grandmother’s best brooch to buy your entry fees. Even if I now have black polish smeared all over my left boob and under my fingernails, we will return home to teach you respect.”

ROCHELLE KING-ANDREWS

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Yes, I would set clear boundaries, I promised myself ...until one day… we were at her first bigger show. It cost a kajillion dollars to go. It was raining, really bucketing. Andie was being rude to me and not following my edict of we shall all remain in a meditative state to concentrate and be the best versions of ourselves to show up for our ponies. As I suffered the indignity of rain running down my backside soaking all of me that is not necessary to print, I realised my fingers had frostbite and my arms were constricted by too many layers of clothing to pull her off the pony. It was a sad realisation, also an honest moment when I realised I would be damned if I’d pack up and go home when I had spent so much effort to get here. To hell with Andie’s education in being a good human being, let’s get that medal! I flung myself into the trap with soggy abandon. So next time you judge those pushy horsey mothers, cross yourself, kiss your garlic cloves, thumb your rosaries to be delivered from the purgatory of raising a young driven equestrian and perhaps think there but for the grace of God go I. How on earth would I raise my daughter to be honest and kind with herself, her horses and the people who help her when I now had a vested interest in her competing?

I had to let go, completely. Just be prepared to allow mistakes on both our parts. Accept she’s human, I’m human. If she can’t go with the flow, we go home. I’ve not taken her home …so far. I have gone for long walks and considered whether I could go home, without her…perhaps leave her there with her dad …meet a friend in the Maldives rather then enter another show. Ever!

I realised it was unwise and unfair to expect Andie to become Ghandi overnight. I had held her up to the stringent self-governing standards I hold myself up to. I wanted her to learn through my experience to be kind to herself when she felt she could’ve done better, not compare herself to others, steer away from that poisonous world of self-hate and gossip, eat right …. get up early with a sunny smile and meditate ...

Yes I know, I know.

I wanted her to know that we never put others down, it doesn’t make us perform better or ride better. But the best choices for your wellbeing are often hard. So, I had to search my soul - how do you raise a real horse woman, not just a rider?

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We started by not buying expensive ponies for her. She could train and create a beautiful athlete if she showed the dedication necessary to do so but no fancy ponies would be purchased. She was given her two ponies by lovely families (they are the best ponies in the universe in my 100% non-biased opinion). One was tooo hot hot hot, the other was soooo not not not. Neither were easy. They were so quirky that I wanted at first to sack both of them and break my agreement with myself by going and buying her the best pony money could buy. But money doesn’t make good riders, ponies do. Because until you commit to your fur partner with ‘I’m in no matter what, you are mine and I am yours ‘, you can never be a real horse woman, just a rider, a user, a taker.

There are not enough words in the English language to express how much we love her ponies. In a professional stable all the horses must do their jobs and pay their way. Both ponies have done so purely by taking care of our child and have earned their first-class treatment here forever. There is no carrot, apple or sugar safe from me when Andie’s ponies are nearby.

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Chloe with my help debuted at Grand Prix at 22 and won. Bertel is winning against professionals at the prestigious dressage NSW competitions. What wonderful little people they are! Chloe is retired and loves her life as our sassy queen. She has the best view of the farm from her stable and Dutch carrots every day, such is my gratitude that she kept my daughter safe (mostly) and showed her that love is the only training tool you need when all others fail. They are both made perfect from the love of their previous owners and ours. Both a bit sway backed, both straight in the hocks but both the absolute centre of our universe.

When Andie began riding better, her first pony Chloe felt that she should see how well Andie could handle the ribbons at full speed. Andie was doing a lovely little workout at her school fair when her pony did a flying change and then inexplicably just went for gold. She streaked across the showgrounds like a rocket. She cannoned into all the other rings, jumping the high school jumps with Andie calling out, “Excuse me, so sorry, yes thanks… Hi Billieeeeee!” How wonderful that Andie’s manners were so elegant.

What a fabulous mother I was. Chloe then couldn’t contain her joy and began high voltage bucking. I realised I was stood there with my mouth open in shock, mentally slapping myself that my 6 year old wasn’t going to be able contain her pony while all I did was stand there stunned and congratulating myself on her manners. I held up my hand in the WHOA gesture and whistled with all my might, my heart in my mouth, every hair standing on end.

Her pony spun, Andie still grimly hanging on, galloped up and propped in front of me. I closed my lips in the ‘wtf, I can’t even right now’ sign, and nodded to Andie. She nodded, put on her ‘I can’t even myself right now’ face, little tears forming in her eyes, went back in, cantered left, trotted, halted at the judges ...and collected a blue ribbon (all the judges were unanimous it was simply the most superb workout an ageing heretofore friendly pony had ever given a child). Andie came out, burst into tears and we retired to our float to cry and eat chocolate as all professionals do before workshopping begins.

Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

There was a lot of soul searching. I was a professional rider. I made sure children, riders etc were safe. I chose appropriate horses. I was paid to do it so why couldn’t I do it for my own daughter?

Because I had imposed a path that taught her how to truly make a good friendship and partnership. For her first show with the magnificent Bertels, she was very young and just couldn’t quite overcome the fear that she didn’t know what could happen next.

Everyone tried to convince her to ride but I just sat back and let her understand that she will always have agency in what she chooses for her life. Instead, I hopped on and rode him. I knew we had to scratch once I’d done that but it did show her what a safe brave little pony she had.

ROCHELLE KING-ANDREWS

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We came again the next day and she rode a lovely test HC (albeit the slowest test I’ve ever witnessed) with no pressure from anyone or anything, just the sheer joy of stepping out of yourcomfort zone and into your fear zone where dreams come true. Hard call to let her have a say in her life, however it is HER life not mine.

I am here to guide, nudge but not railroad.

But we all know that it’s horribly tempting to push your kids.

I have developed some strategies. I have steadfastly refused to project myself onto Andie’s life and change who she intrinsically is because I feel I know what’s best for her. The very bright beam of my love wasn’t withdrawn when she didn’t want to ride or when she was afraid of riding.

I definitely did push her to finish her basic knowledge of riding as I feel, like most mums, that once she has committed to something she needs to follow it through but I did the same with her singing, dancing, karate, cello, basketball. I was very strict with her for her mental approach when she was being too hard on herself or being irrational or exhibiting over the top behaviour, like being unreasonably afraid. Reason is a valuable commodity in life. Andie had seen some accidents here in a professional barn, some very, very wild horses so she was never sure of her ponies until she had spent enough time learning her basic skills. What a tight back feels like, what too much energy feels like and what to do if you feel it.

I think it’s very important on a human level, forget dressage for a moment, to ensure you don’t live your dreams through your kids, to let them discover what they love and how much they love it.

What I love most about riding is that it has taught Andie that she can do hard things, a lesson in overcoming frustration and fear she will remember whenever life challenges her. Horses like anything worthwhile require consistent and studied effort. If Andie goes into adulthood knowing that frustration must be born calmly and patient effort is necessary, I will consider my parenting well done.

I think patience is still such a necessary asset in the fast-paced life of instant gratification we all lead now.

Horses teach empathy, a strong work ethic, goal setting, resilience, kindness for no reason than kindness itself and in some way, they can even keep our kids safe from peer pressure (except when it comes to everyone buying matching saddle cloths and outfits because of course no one can have too many of those).

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BEING THE MOTHER OF AN EQUESTRIAN COMPETITOR

R O C H E L L E K I N G - A N D R E W S • P S O F S W E D E N • PA L O M I N O J E W E L S

EQ U EST R IE N N E M AGA Z INE

W I N T E R FA S H I O N F E AT U R E 102

WINTER FASHION FEATURE

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Page left - Andie wears PS of Sweden Power Femme: Miriam sweater. Above - Rochelle wears top & bottom left - PS of Sweden Power Femme: Maya Sweater.

Candice breechers. Demi Cap / Cappuccino. Top right - Silvia knitted sweater / Moon Rock. Maggie Denim Breeches. Fluffy halter. Hedda Hay bag.

Palomino Jewels: Sterling Silver Equestrian 12mm full horsebit necklace and Sterling Silver Equestrian Australian South Sea Pearl earrings.

Botom right - Sterling Silver Equestrian Continuous horse bit bracelet & Sterling Silver Equestrian 9mm horse bit braclet.

ROCHELLE KING-ANDREWS

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WINTER FASHION FEATURE

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Page left - Andie wears Ps of Sweden Ellie breeches/Blue denim. Cervinia vest/Dim blue. Wivianne base layer/Allure blue.

Rochelle wears Mia Technical Jacket/ Black. Candice breechers. Flying Change bridle. Above - Rochelle wears Wivianne base layer/ camel. Candice breeches. Palomino Jewels Sterling Silver Equestrian Australian South Sea Pearl earrings.

ROCHELLE KING-ANDREWS

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Left - Andie wears Ps of Sweden Madison Long sleeve competition top.

Robyn breeches 2.0. Treasure belt/White. Palomino Jewels Sterling Silver Horse Shoe Stud earrings.

Right - Lyra show jacket/ Navy.

P S O F S W E D E N . C O M • PA L O M I N O J E W E L S . C O M . A U

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EQ U EST R IE N N E M AGA Z INE

Managing your

Competition anxiety

Pre-game jitters or sports anxiety, clammy bits and pieces, call it what you want, we have all experienced the feeling of obsessing about our performance before an event and watched our hopes transform into an emotional wall of self-doubt.

Champions learn to embrace those emotions and bridle them to a point of control. This process can separate you from the proverbial herd and improve your focus whilst alleviating some of the stress!

VISUALISATION

GOAL SETTING

Many elite athletes use visualisation to improve performance, develop confidence, and manage anxiety. Visualisation, also known as imagery or mental rehearsal, involves imagining yourself successfully competing at an athletic event.

Quite recently I competed in an event and was haunted by the final critique from the judge at C. She had written, “Rider needs to quieten the voices in the mind”. “Oh great,” I thought, “here I am riding around like I’m medicated with a face like a twisted sandshoe”. But after the event’s festivities had melted into the evening, I put what she had written into perspective. Prior to presenting to that judge, I had ridden a very good test and to take out the championship I needed to repeat that score or gain an even higher percentage. Rather than riding stride for stride, I rushed my process, losing rhythm and balance that reflected in my score. Focused on the loss, I failed to immediately translate what support the judge was actually offering. What I have subsequently learnt is to ride each event fresh. Have no preconceived opinion about what is needed, rather offer what can be done.

Present what you have practised as your goal, not as some outcome you can’t control.

This practise is best made away from and before your event as an extremely useful training tool on the arena or track.

• In order to make visualisation work, in your mind’s eye (eyes open or closed) imagine the physical movements that you would make in order to be successful in your competition. Start at the beginning e.g what sort of entrance into the sand, how high out of the barrier, how long are the strides of your dance partner in the warm up area? Whatever your discipline, pose yourself important questions to which you can visualise answers.

• Try to imagine yourself moving at the same speed as you would in real life. Give your movements a tempo, a life behind each step and with each step relax, lower your shoulders and breathe low, lowwwww from the pit of your B line (bikini line or lowest part of belly).

• Be sure that you are imagining from your own perspective — not from that of an observer. You should be viewing the scene (the arena, the letters surrounding, jumps etc.) as you would, —not watching yourself compete. Feel it to achieve it.

• Imagine what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Use all of your 5 senses to help create a powerful image that seems more real.

• Some of you will flow quite rhythmically with this phase. Others though may be triggered. The thought of entering an arena will often evoke feelings of distress, so let’s delve in a bit deeper...

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COMPETITION ANXIETY

Clearly defined goals help to measure success—but goals that are too lofty can leave you overwhelmed and unsure of your abilities. Choose goals that are achievable but challenging. For example, instead of concerning yourself with winning, a less intimidating goal would be to get a higher score than the previous test, and, when possible, break your tasks down into smaller parts. With every smaller task that is achieved, success will have a snowball effect and winning will then just be a by-product of the combined steps taken.

Remember, you can’t control the outcome but what you can control is your ability to focus on your learnt visualisation and then breathe into each movement, each stride. Guide your fourlegged friend into the patterns you have rehearsed and practiced previously.

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REV UP THE COGS Cognitive restructuring refers to changing habitual ways of thinking. If an athlete creates anxiety about athletic performance, cognitive restructuring helps you change any negative thoughts that may be leading to physical symptoms of anxiety—like sweating (in places you never thought possible), developing a nervous rash and brain fog to name a few. Changing the way you think about competitions or other competitors can also be helpful. Thinking about the competition as a practice may put less pressure on you, allowing you to attach less significance to major competitions and in turn reduce anxiety about your performance. Maybe not to the point of visualising everyone naked in the saddle (as offered with popular public speaker tutors…ew!) but focusing on surroundings rather than faces or worrying about other horses.

Ride to destination points in the warm up area eg, a tree or a shadow or turn every time you see a pink tee-shirt, anything to distract you from worrying and to give you a guide to align yourself with. Even if you have a situational interruption by an environmental challenge eg. to ride past a gun club to get to your event to compete, keep focusing on what you can do physically to help your crazily cancanning steed past the Rambo tryouts and then return to your calm, Zenlike internal visualisation. Align yourself with what you have created and let the doubt fade away.

BE AWARE Being aware of your thoughts and feelings is the key to managing the cognitive symptoms of anxiety before competition. Recognizing negative thoughts when they first enter your mind allows you to stop them before they take hold so you can replace them with more positive ones. This leads us to what we are really developing.

SELF CONFIDENCE It can be hard to imagine being confident in a competition if you usually crumble under pressure. Yep, it’s time to get your Sascha Fierce on girl and even if it feels “fake it till you make it”, this process paved with progress beats suffocating with doubt.

• Focus on past successes instead of failures and remind yourself of those successes.

• Make practice and preparation a priority and continue until you have no doubt left about your ability to succeed. On competition day, you are in the arena for such a minimal time, so build your self-confidence in the hours of training that nobody sees.

If you just focus on winning, hang on tight because you will be going on an emotional roller coaster. If success is what you are after, you will have to include and appreciate the endless hours of training and the unforgiving amount of work that happens behind the scenes to prepare you and your horse. If you can learn to enjoy these processes, the victories will inevitably come.

A measure of victory will be your positive progress and as long as you are moving forward, even if it’s a millimetre a day, your self-confidence will grow like a muscle being nurtured and trained. In time, your sense of self will be strong enough to withstand any challenge presented.

Believe in your abilities.

Anne- Marie Lasserre RIDE FIT

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AMBASSADOR

EQUESTRIENNE MAGAZINE My Name is Kate and I live in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, hence the name! I live here with my partner, our new baby boy Sonny and my three beautiful (soon to be 4) horses.

I was born and raised here in the Pilbara. It’s a very unlikely place to get into horses as there really aren’t many around.

They are hard work to keep in this environment with our extreme weather, lack of rain or pasture and large distances between towns/cities, meaning there are not many equestrian facilities.

The country here can be as harsh as it is ruggedly beautiful but that’s what makes it so special and also what keeps it fairly unpopulated, again making it all that more amazing to be able to experience with the horses in tow.

I feel social media can portray people in a different way to who they actually are leaving viewers feeling bad about their own lives through comparison which is the killer of all joy and not what I’m about. I best explain myself as a very ordinary person with an ordinary life whose horses and location plus a whole lot of motivation makes it possible to be extraordinary.

I love my life and I feel very lucky to share it with these amazing animals who deserve the upmost respect care and kindness.

When I lost my beautiful mare Chanel who I spent many years chasing ribbons with, I remember clearly thinking, was it really worth running around to all those competitions for all those years when we could have traded that time for more days at the beach just being present, not needing to be anywhere, be doing anything or training for something?

With this realisation came the feeling that I now never need to justify my horses’ worth or what I do or don’t do with them.

Just being with them is and always will be more than enough for me. Now when I’m asked what I do with my horses I simply reply I just love them, and that is enough.

Photo by Sharon Lee Chapman/Fast Track Photography

@mypilbaraequestrianlife INSTAGRAM. TIKTOK. YOUTUBE. FACEBOOK.

This isn’t my job. I have always worked a normal one to fund my passion. I don’t come from a horsey back ground and no one in my family rides or owns horses, so just being able to have them in my life as a child was a dream come true for me.

They really are what make me who I am. I hope you find joy in watching our videos from wherever you are in the world.

Kate xx

I”t s’ about being present in every part of the journey, 110

AMBASSADOR

not just the destination.”

Q J R I D I N G W E A R . C O M . A U

EQ U EST R IE N N E M AGA Z INE

Stable Wraps

My name is FelIica Wallin. I’m 23 years old, born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. For the past three years I’ve lived in Germany working by the side of German show jumping rider Richard Vogel.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS It’s really a lot easier to describe one of the horses than myself…

I would say I am

ambitious, stubborn and precise.

WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A GROOM: The number one reason to be a groom is the horses, obviously. You have to love horses, otherwise you won’t keep up with the working hours. For me it’s also the travelling and constant change of environment. I tend to get very restless even after just one week at home. I need new experiences and challenges to keep my mind entertained.

ULTIMATE ‘MUST HAVE’

Coffee in the morning.

TYPICAL DAY AT WORK As a show groom there are no typical days. One day I’m flying with the horses to America, a couple days later I’m at a show getting the horses ready for competing and the next I’m out hacking in the woods.

That’s the best way to describe it. However, of course the horses I look after have their daily schedule which is more or less the same regardless of if they are at home or at a competition. Each horse has a plan that fits them and it’s always changing depending on how much work they need at that time. For example, a typical day for United at home would be breakfast at 6.45. At around 8.30 he would do flatwork, rest for an hour and then get turned out in the field. At 12 he eats lunch and later in the afternoon he will come out for a hack in the woods before dinner hay is served at 4pm and hard feed at 5.30 pm. Then at 8-9 pm we do night check and they get fed hay once more.

BEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED: My parents gave me a thin gold chain with a tiny charm of a hand from one of my favourite Swedish designers many years ago. It’s a bit cliché but the name of the necklace is “brave” and I haven’t taken it off since I got it. It means a lot to me.

FAVOURITE EVENT:

Aachen. The stables are fantastic, everything is clean and well organised.

Food for the grooms is top tier. The atmosphere is out of this world. To have your horse and rider jump a clear round there is one of the greatest feelings. To win there is even better.

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? That for sure depends on which friend you ask, ha-ha! My closest friends would probably say that I am obsessed with my horses and a little insane, but probably also loyal and a good listener.

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STABLES WRAPS

CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT FLYING THE HORSES? Yes of course. The first time I was very nervous and thought it would be a big thing. In my experience though, it is not very different for the horses from travelling on a lorry except that the time loading etc. is way longer. There is a lot of paper work and tests to be made depending on where you want to fly and this can take many weeks or months of planning and scheduling. Once all that is sorted, we bring the horses to the airport where most of the times there are stables available to book. On the flight there is usually between 5-10 people including one professional flying vet ensuring that all the horses are fine. There can be from 1-3 horses in each container and there are big variations between how many containers go on a plane. Without being too sure about it, I would say up to 20-40 containers can fit in a large plane.

So of course, the loading process takes a lot of time. Each horse gets a bucket of water and hay net put up for the flight and our job is to make sure the horses travel as comfortably as possible. I took most of my horses on their first ever flight and I have to say they all take it very well. Once we are in the plane there is a cabin for us to sit and relax in. Usually like a passenger plane but with less seats. Between 5-15 on the ones I’ve been on. In the air we go down and check on the horses a couple of times, to provide them with some mash and treats and just make sure everyone is relaxed and happy.

THE BEST WAY TO SPEND A DAY OFF: On my days off I love to pretend that I am a normal 23 year old girl.

Ha-ha! I usually get my nails done, do some shopping and cleaning in my apartment. Since this job can be rough, you really have to take every chance to look after yourself. It makes me happy and I do believe you care better for others when you also care about yourself.

ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WHO

WANTS TO BE A GROOM:

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Be interested and be ready to put your heart into your work. Ask people and always listen carefully. You can learn everywhere and from almost every person you meet in the industry whether they are a driver, trainer, farrier, rider or groom, they know something you don’t know yet.

Photo credits Helen Cruden. Kaitlyn Karssen/ Boss Mare Media.

WHAT HAS THIS JOB TAUGHT YOU THE MOST? To stand on my own feet and speak up for myself. I left Sweden as a 19 year old and came to Germany without knowing anyone. I had to learn to stand up for myself and to be responsible. There are times when things feel heavy or go wrong but you will have to carry on, for the horses’ best.

Besides that, it has also taught me to be organised. I have always been that way but it just makes work and life so much easier when you find a way to organise everything around the horses. Being tidy and making sure everything has its own place brings me a lot of peace and allows me to focus on the horses.

FAVOURITE COCKTAIL:

Vodka soda with a slice of lime.

DEFINITION OF SUCCESS: I am a very competitive person, just like my rider. We don’t want to win every class but the ones we do want to win, we REALLY want to.

Of course, a win by itself is not the definition of success but it is a good indication that you are on the right path. Success for me is when we aim for a goal, we achieve it, we get home and the horses are still happy and sound. To see them relaxing in the field and taking them out in the woods the day after winning a 5* Grand Prix is just a special feeling and, in those moments, I feel proud and successful.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: I saw a quote the other day and it really got stuck in my head. It was

“Find what you love, and let it kill you”.

It’s a little dramatic but it’s also not far off reality with this job.

@felliciawallin FELLICIA WALLIN

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THE TROT UP

Photo by Amber Greening/Equine Focus Photography

THE EVENT: Melbourne International 3 Day Event 2023. THE RIDER: Andy Daines New Zealand 5* event rider. Worked and competed over in Europe for some of the worlds best eventers in the business. Moved to Australia 3 and half years ago after travelling to England to for Badminton. Based in Albury, NSW. THE OUTFIT: was brought for a pink themed party and I told myself I would definately wear it again and what better place I thought than the trot up at Melbourne! THE HORSE: Hat Trick (Profile in Style x Double Down) or ‘Jerry’ at home is a coloured thoroughbred bred by Donna Bright. He competed in the 3*L and finished in 4th place. EM

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