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Archive for the ‘Horse Related’ Category

Glacial Gold of Winning Colours Farm

June 24th is the start of the 2013 Australian Weanling and Bloodstock Sale that William Inglis hold.

Now in Australia, the words palomino and thoroughbred don’t tend to go together.  However, this year there are two lots that are going through the sale ring that are by American stallion Glacial Gold and they carry his palomino colouring.

If you’re in the vicinity of the complex in Sydney toward the end of June, perhaps you’d consider checking out these horses and the others that are on parade at this time of year.

I think seeing this unique colouring for the thoroughbred breed on sale would be something worth bragging about.  Not to mention your networking opportunities at a horse sale!  Perhaps attending a horse sale is on your equine bucket list, well make the effort to see something unique at this one!

“Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.” – Saying of the Gladdagh Gypsies of Galway

So I’ve recently stumbled across Send Out Cards, shortly after reading Jordan Adler’s Beach Money.  Initially the appeal was finding out how to build up a residual income – who wouldn’t want one?

But it’s since occurred to me the value of having online the opportunity to send out cards as you think to do so.  People often have the thought but lack the follow through.  Having a system set up online to be able to send out cards to a person or persons as you’re thinking of it is definitely the way to go.

But how does this relate to horses?  A lot of equine businesses send out cards to their clients for Christmas and New Years.  If they really get into it, they may even make sure the card has a horsey feel or even a photo of one of their own stallions, performance horses, a foal or the property.

Send Out Cards allows this, meaning that business owners can truly personalise cards in a cost effective manner (less than $1.50 USD to create, print and post the card) and set up databases that result in cards being sent by the click of a mouse.  Think of the possibilities:

• Sending horsey Christmas/New Years cards to clients
• Sending out a postcard with a photo of a client’s newborn foal to congratulate them on the safe arrival of their filly or colt
• Sending out a card with a photo to mare owners of your stallion who has won at a recent show – add to the card a message reminding them about the upcoming breeding season
• Send a gorgeous horse related card to a friend that you’re thinking of who also loves equines

There are many possibilities and of course the cards aren’t limited to equine enthusiasts.  It is no surprise however that this is where my mind goes.  Perhaps you’d like to take a closer look and even send a few cards for free to test it out…  Further information on Send Out Cards and it’s use can be found in an article I’ve written.

“You know you’re a horse person when… your mother, who has no grandchildren, gets cards addressed to Grandma, signed by the horses and dogs.”

Tag: equine Christmas cards, horse businesses, residual income, Send Out Cards

I took a trip down the coast with a mate from Sydney not too long ago with the main focus being to stop in at Free Rein Australia, a place that offers Equine Assisted Learning/Psychotherapy.

We stopped in for a chat on account of my curious mate researching this field with the view to enter it.  Of course, being something horsey, a business and completely foreign to me, I was up for joining in on the road trip.  The hour and a half or so there gave us the opportunity to see some gorgeous gardens, a lovely property and two people passionate about their horses and fairly recent career change.

Established in 2005, Free Rein Australia utilises horses to help people learn about themselves and their capabilities to work as a team based on how they interact with others.  Loosely based around EGALA, Cindy Jacobs informed us there were others nearby that utilised similar methods to work in a niche area, for example with troubled teams, victims of abuse and other people able to be helped by working with horses.  This far from exhausts possibilities.

For those interested in defining an area within this line of work and developing a focus and niche, Cindy Jacobs recommended reading Walking the Way of the Horse by Leif Hallberg. Not the be all and end all by any means, this book is a good eye opener for those considering therapy with horses.

For those keen, consider:

• Profile On: Cindy Jacobs, Equine Assisted Learning
• EAGALA
• http://www.gestaltequinepsychotherapy.com.au/files/location.html
• Hippotherapy
• Profile On: Barbara Smith, Horse OT

“A dog looks up to a man, a cat looks down on a man, but a patient horse looks a man in the eye and sees him as an equal.”

Tag: equine assisted learning, physical therapy, equine therapy, free rein australia, occupational therapy, Cindy Jacobs

Today is Blog Action Day; this year’s topic being Water.  Blog Action Day is an initiative to raise awareness on topics that are important globally.  Consider taking the time to sign the petition with regards to providing water to those in need.

Water is very much a relevant topic to horse owners.  An important source that isn’t inexhaustible, being water wise with regards to one’s property is a wonderful skill to have and something to strive toward.

There are many ways you can take advantage of water on your property and try to get the most out of it.  Some include:

• planting treesin windbreaks that are drought tolerant
  • using trees along fence lines can also help to stop soil erosion from water running down the property
• establish dams in areas where rain is known to travel down to
• establish dams or other large water areas on the property where northerly winds can travel across them first and then the rest of the property
  • this will assist in cooling down the breeze as it continues across the property
• make use of water run off or opportunities to collect wasted water
  • whether this is from gutters, water from the washing machine after washing horse rugs or excess water in the shower, this water can be used on plants on the property that provide fodder, shade and wind breaks

Water is such a vital resource that can’t afford to be wasted.  Consider how you can maximise it on your property.
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Last year Blog Action Day focused on Climate Change – check out the Equus post ‘Climate Change Effects for Horse Owners’

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

tag: blog action day, water and horses, greater cause

So it’s the time of year in Victoria, Australia for VCE students to be considering what they want to do after year 12 and consequently put in applications for further education if this is the desire. Mature age students too may be applying for TAFE and University courses.

Adjustments to funding by the government are going to affect these mature age students as of 2011. Up until now, TAFE courses have been the cheaper form of gaining a qualification by a large sum. When I completed my Diploma of Horse Studies in 2004, the course had cost me around $1500 for the two years – including texts! Currently, my Degree costs this per semester – and that’s carrying out a part time load.

As of 2011, any person over the age of 20 years that has a qualification and chooses to undertake another course of a lower qualification will be penalised in that they have to pay full fees. For example, if someone has completed a Diploma in a particular area or perhaps even a Degree and they decide on a career change, they could be affected. They may choose perhaps to go on and do a Certificate III or IV in Horse Studies or something similar and end up having to pay full fees.

This could be somewhere around $14/hour and for a course that has a total of around 800 hours to complete the subjects required to gain the qualification, the result is that this mature age student ends up paying in excess of $11,000 for a lower qualification than they already have.

No doubt this is to encourage up skilling, with the view that people should always be aiming for a higher qualification than they currently have. However, this doesn’t encourage career changes. Perhaps one possible way around this for those who are quick to act and have some prior experience in the field they want to gain a qualification is to contact your local provider and find out if you can be registered on the books this year and given RPL for those relevant subjects and then be carried over as a student to next year.

Either way, if you’re considering studying for next year whether it’s part time, full time, alongside work or not, now is the time to put those considerations into action.

“They say that princes learn no art truly, but the art of horsemanship. The reason is, the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw a prince as soon as his groom.” – Ben Johnson

tag: horse courses, TAFE, australia, horse education

I participate in Blog Action Day each year as I think it’s a great event. At times it’s been difficult to find a way to link the topic with an equine related blog. However, this year’s topic is Water – hardly a difficult topic to relate to horses!

So, October 15 look out for the Equus Water post and in the meantime, if you write a blog, consider signing up for Blog Action Day 2010.

Change.org|Start Petition

tag: blog action day, horses and water, greater cause

“Each leg in it’s gallop seems to stream with a rush of speed as though from a bucket of water poured o’er the field.” – Arabian Poet

Located close to the William Inglis sales complex is a property – Woodlands Historic Park – now the home to many retired legends. These include Brew, Might and Power, Doriemus as well as many more. Soon to arrive are Apache Cat and Takeover Target.

Once involved in taking many people for a ride at the one time, these horses are now located at Living Legends, Victoria’s racing industry showcase to the public.

Not appearing to have a national stud like England, Ireland or France, Australia has a racing museum and Living Legends. Living Legends offers the opportunity for young and old alike to meet retired racehorses that achieved a noticeable racing career before retiring.

Taking advantage of their close proximity to the Inglis sales complex, the Living Legends inhabitants take a trip down the road at times to be paraded before those attending the yearling or mixed Thoroughbred sales.

Living Legends raises awareness of racehorses, the racing industry and care after racing for those horses that may not be able to go on and breed future equines for racing. To offer your support for such a set up, consider visiting the home of these living legends.

“A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time.”

tag: racing, racehorses, thoroughbreds, Living Legends, Australia

So it’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted – sorry about that! I have a heap of ideas for upcoming posts but they require a bit of research and I’ve been spending lots of time on study, assignments, exams, work, my garden and horse! Whew, that’s a mouthful!

On a side note, I got an invite to join in on Faith Barista’s ‘Unexpected Encouragement’ and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share and hopefully encourage those of you out there reading this blog and trying to pursue dreams that have been placed on your heart.

I have a few favourite verses in the bible that I keep going back to:

- Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
Do you have a vision in life, something that’s been placed on your heart to achieve?  Can I encourage you, that desire isn’t there as an impossibility or an idea that someone can stamp all over.  It’s there for a reason!  It may not be the season to see it come to pass, but there’s always time to dream bigger and plan how you’re going to achieve your goal!  Consider what your vision is and work out the many steps you may need to take to get there.

- Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has these plans for ALL of us.  So perhaps the challenge should be once we’ve found our vision and are striving toward the goal; to help others to determine their vision and encourage them in it?  After all, we all need a vision or dream in life and all deserve to achieve it.  Perhaps the person you help today will play an instrumental part in you achieving your goal down the track.

- Psalm 62:5 – “My soul wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him…”
Fitting in with your vision, now may not be the right time, but if you have a dream or desire in life that seems impossible – great!  Go for it!  There’s a line in the movie Amazing Grace where William Wilberforce is talking with his close friend Billy, talking of being so young and trying to get into parliament.  His friend’s response is, “we are too young to realise that some things are impossible, so we will do them anyway.”

Perhaps something is only impossible because no one has ever done it before, not because it isn’t achievable.  I challenge you today to be encouraged by your dream, not disheartened.  Go for it!

“A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves – strong, powerful, beautiful – and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.” – Pam Brown

We’ve been covering horse condition scores and equine welfare in class with the students and watched a piece on the show Can We Help? which is run on the ABC, here in Australia.  Some of that night’s episode focused on Second Chance Horse Rescue, run by a young woman in her mid twenties.

As someone that age who has huge aspirations for the rest of my life, I was amazed to see that at 23 years of age she started on this dream to give back to the animals who had given her so much.  Negative words were spoken over her with regards to her lack of experience, age, finances and facilities.  Thankfully, they made no difference!

The end result is Second Chance Horse Rescue, an organisation set up by Jessie Barbour in July, 2006.  Based on the short segment featured on Can We Help?, it takes an average of $5,500 to rehabilitate a horse.

Obviously this would depend on the condition they first arrived in, but doing sums on the 75 horses mentioned that had passed through Second Chance Horse Rescue, this comes to in excess of $400,000!

If I had access to those kinds of funds, I’d eagerly be stepping towards my dream of 300 acres to house horses and educate people.  However, because they are lacking at this point in time, I’m sitting quietly – well, working towards the land in other ways!

A lack of funds didn’t stop Jessie, however and they don’t stop her today.  The large majority of funds utilised to support these gorgeous animals and restore them back to health is donated.

If you have a particular dream or goal for your life – especially one that involves making the world a better place for animals and humans alike – don’t let a lack of funds pull you up!  You may just need to take a different approach to get the desired outcome.

“All I pay my psychiatrist is the cost of feed and hay, and he’ll listen to me any day!”

tag: equine rehabilitation, horse goals, horse welfare, equine organisation

So I’ve been thinking a bit of late of all the things I’d like to achieve in life – many equine related!  A firm believer in lists, I have a book that has all of these plans written down.  With that in mind, I think all equine lovers should have horse related dreams and goals to work towards – I even took the liberty of listing in an article some that you may consider worthwhile to add to your own list

For myself they vary greatly although many are horse related:

• Ever spotted a horse in a magazine, on a website or at a show or race and thought – man, I have to have the progeny of that mare or stallion?  For me, a Shatoor filly fits this situation.
• I’d love to acquire a Friesian somewhere down the line, also – and perhaps a Gypsy Vanner!
• I want to learn so much more about different jobs and disciplines and to take part in a Jackaroo course

• I’d love to learn to barrel race and try polocrosse
• Trek over the Snowy Mountains, travel to see the Lipizzaners in Vienna, Austria and visit an estancia in Argentina to learn about polo
• Do a chiropractic or equine massage course

• Finish my Degree in Equine Science
• Run my own agistment property

So, that’s the majority of the horse related ones – though I can’t say they will be achieved in that order – and that’s fine by me!  Life is so much about relationships and learning and it’s wonderful to know I’ll never stop learning about these gorgeous animals or experiencing different things with regards to them.

So!  What’s on your bucket list?

“If I had a horse, I’d ride off in the sunset, where dreams, and shadows lie. To a life, where pain and sorrow don’t exist, and to where hopes, and dreams become reality.” – Lindsay Turcotte

tag: horse goals, horse riding, Vienna, Spanish Riding School