Being rather ignorant to equine types of learning/therapies, I was eager to go on a road trip with a mate who wanted to meet up with Cindy Jacobs of Free Rein Australia.  Boy am I glad I did!  It was a great day and very insightful.  Cindy since then has kindly agreed to answer some questions about this line of therapy with horses.

Have you always been interested in horses and how did Free Rein Australia come about?
I’ve always felt a connection to horses and loved them from a distance. I acquired my first horse fifteen years ago, and continued to increase my herd – half of them are ‘rescues.’ While I was working as a change management consultant and executive coach, I continued to increase my herd to fourteen. I began to notice how much they taught me about presence, self-awareness and other personal and leadership qualities. I heard about work being done in the U.S.A. that uses horses to facilitate human development– so I travelled to there to attend training. It was a perfect fit for me.

What is it exactly that you do?
We facilitate experiential learning workshops and programs, for personal development, team building, and leadership development – using horses as co-facilitators.

Participants engage with the horses in activities where the horses are usually at liberty. Often the activities include games with the horses, but there is absolutely no riding, and horsemanship skills are not taught.

It ‘works’ because we draw on horses’ natural instincts as prey animals who are hypersensitive to their environment. They can tell, for example if we are congruent – whether our outer expression matches our inner thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Horses have an indisputable ability to mirror participants, and show them their ‘blindspots.’ Being herd animals, horses live in a community where everyone matters. When teams interact with them, they give immediate feedback on how well the human herd is functioning. Horses naturally seek leadership, and they look for the same qualities in leaders that we do – honesty, trust, respect, clear intention and direction, focus, presence, compassion – and again, give us undeniable, immediate feedback on our leadership skills and qualities.

Because the feedback is often unique, immediate, and undeniable, and the learning is experiential, personal and professional development is accelerated and belief, thinking, and behaviour changes are common and sustainable.

I also offer individual coaching for people who want a different perspective on any particular challenge or situation. Rather than the usual dialog approach to coaching, this form is experiential where the horse responds uniquely to the participant, which creates the opportunity for reflection. This very intimate form of coaching continues to unfold and reveal further insights long after the coaching session.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
With a herd of 14, the short answer is 24/7 (almost). I am on call 24/7, but horse care and handling would take up 3 hours a day on average. Hands on workshop-related activities would average 10-15 hours a week. The rest of my week is spent on the business – developing workshops, marketing, giving demonstrations and presentations. Eventually I expect to reduce the time I spend marketing and increase the time I spend facilitating workshops and programs.

In this field is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Yes, and not yet. Yes – assuming they already have the facilities and horses – or access to facilities and horses. And not yet – meaning this is an emerging industry, and almost unknown in Australia. People have to first understand what we do and its benefits before they are willing to give it a try. As more and more people are exposed to this method of learning and development, the demand will increase, and then it would be possible to earn a livable income.

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide such a service to clients?
It takes a minimum of two human facilitators to run a workshop or program.

One facilitator takes on the role of ‘equine specialist’ – responsible for physical safety of both people and horses, emotional safety of the horses, and horse management and care. The equine specialist should be competent at horse management, horse psychology, and reading their body language.

The other facilitator takes on the role of human development professional (with appropriate training and qualifications in their field – such as a qualified coach, or adult learning professional, etc.). This facilitator is responsible for managing the process (of learning) and participants’ emotional safety. Both facilitators should be competent in experiential learning facilitation. They should also be formally trained in experiential learning with horses.

To offer this work, facilitators also need a well-tended inner world. The horses don’t distinguish between facilitators and participants, so the facilitators must be self-aware, non-judgmental, transparent, authentic, and compassionate so they have minimum impact on the horses.

The horses are selected for their willingness to participate, their temperament and ability to behave safely and respectfully around people. They must be physically and emotionally healthy, and live in a herd community.

When facilitators, horses, and facilities are ‘in place,’ we ask the client to identify three learning objectives in preparation for a workshop. The workshop is then designed around these objectives, the number of participants (being mindful of any physical or fitness limitations), and the space being used for the event.

Even with all the pre-planning, ultimately the horses will identify the real issues and challenges to be addressed. In this work, the horses’ input is respected and acknowledged.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
A common ‘mantra’ in facilitators’ circles is “trust the process.” It is no different in this industry. However, I would go further to say you must embody – with you whole mind, body, spirit – the conviction that horses mirror us and behave in direct response to us. There are no coincidences. Everything they do is a response to us. As facilitators in this work, if you don’t hold this belief with conviction, you not only miss out on many of the subtle messages offered by the horses, but you are in fact being inauthentic. The horses will know. The participants will doubt.

Anyone who has a horse or access to a horse can develop this conviction. Simply notice your thoughts and feelings every time you interact with a horse and notice its responses. When I drench my horses and I mindlessly think about how much I hate it, how disgusting it must taste, and that it is a poison of sorts, the horses resist, and it becomes a huge struggle. If, on the other hand, I think about how I am caring for them, and keeping them well– and believe what I am thinking, they always cooperate – every time!

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I am always learning. This work is so rich with meaning I don’t think I could ask for more.

Favourite horse memory?
I witness several profound moments during our workshops, and I would like to share one of them. A team had been working together with the horses and one of the participants appeared to bully another participant. At the end of the activity, the group was called together to debrief and the two participants were standing next to each other. The horse that had been handled by the person being ‘bullied,’ walked between the two people, cut the ‘bully’ from the group and moved him as far away as possible – all the way down the length of the arena to the furtherest corner. Until then, no one had been successful at telling the bully about his behaviour and how it affected them.

Future goals?
I took four horses to a mens’ prison and ran a pilot workshop that demonstrated the potential of this work for positive outcomes and modified behaviours of prisoners – ultimately to reduce recidivism. I would love to be part of a program that works with horse rescue organizations to foster home a number of horses inside a prison (eg. a prison farm that is already geared up for livestock), works with an animal husbandry program from a local university to educate and train prisoners in horse management and care, facilitate experiential learning programs for the prisoners, and train other facilitators (to ensure sustainability of the program and reduce dependency on me).

I would also like to be part of a national network of equine facilitators that can offer services for nation-wide issues such as suicide prevention for teenagers.

I would love to offer world-class leadership retreats for senior executives of large corporations because the culture and quality of the work environment is dictated by the qualities of the leaders.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
Everyone ‘wins!’ On so many levels participants ‘win.’ They learn about themselves. They change their thinking or behaviours that manifest beneficial changes in their lives and work. They often have the experience of being seen, being known, and being accepted like never before. Horses – as in the species – benefit because everyone who experiences them this way, never see them in the same light. They are acknowledged for being wise, compassionate and sentient beings. I benefit because I have been honoured to witness and contribute to the process, and I always learn from it.“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

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

Lynn Baber of Amazing Grays Ministry took the time to answer some questions about her involvement in an equine ministry.

Have you always been interested in horses and how long has Amazing Grays Ministry been in existence?
When I was four years old I rode my first full size horse; fell off… got stepped on… and I’ve been in love ever since. I’m not sure what that says about me, but horses have been a life-long passion even though I didn’t get to really concentrate on them until I was over thirty!

The ministry itself developed as the publication process for Amazing Grays, Amazing Grace began in the summer of 2009. If you had asked me about a ministry before that I would have been quite surprised!

What exactly does Amazing Grays do?
Amazing Grays Ministry is a non-profit Christian lay ministry dedicated to sharing God’s messages of Grace and Victory through Jesus Christ to all the family of God, in particular the equine community, as convicted by the Holy Spirit, through written, spoken, and broadcast word, music and images.

We are always looking for opportunities to speak to groups as well as conduct hands-on horse clinics.

Due to being a non profit organisation, where do the funds come from?
One of the goals of Amazing Grays Ministry is to offer something to those we meet rather than to ask for anything from them. Contributions to the ministry are tax-deductible, but we do not solicit direct donations. We sell the book and study guide, and are adding to our list of titles and products that may bless others as we move forward. At times the ministry is given a donation when we do a program or clinic although it is not a requirement. When offered, we do accept. Other funds are made by private donors who support the ministry’s work.

How much of your day or week is spent on this amazing ministry? How much of this relates to hands on with horses?
The ministry is pretty much a full time job although I continue to write both articles and books. Promoting and marketing are a big part of a ministry just as any organization that is trying to get a message out to the right audience in a world already filled with noise and input.

The hands-on part is growing. We will be taking horses into neighborhoods with church-operated summer programs to offer a really unique way to show the children how trust and confidence in a leader can change our lives. Additionally, we are booking horse-rider relationship clinics and I go to other equine ministries to do programs.

I go wherever I’m invited for the most part. If anyone would like to visit about an opportunity to hear our message, please ask them to contact me.

What do you do to earn an income alongside Amazing Grays Ministry?
This is it. We are officially retired, though I am a writer. Can’t say I plan on making a fortune that way, but even if I did I would give it to the ministry. We were blessed to be successful in both our business-world and horse-related careers and now share with others.

Any advice for those eager to pursue an equine related ministry?
Christian ministry of any kind is an assignment from the Lord. There needs to be a calling first. Whenever there is, the Lord is always faithful to make a way. But specifically, I would simply tell folks that the Bible tells us we are not to teach what we have not first mastered. I think only experienced horsemen and women should lead equine ministries. As a horse trainer, judge, and professional, I always put safety first. That hasn’t changed.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
There is one thing left on the list – to ride my own horse on a beach somewhere. We’re hoping to do that soon, but just haven’t ever had the opportunity. Other than that, every day with horses is both a blessing and a learning experience. As long as I keep going out to the barn I will keep learning.

Favourite horse memory?
That is so difficult. I have had so many wonderful horses. Winning World and National championships wasn’t bad, but each time a new horse looked at me and offered me their trust – it was a great day.

Future goals?
There will be more books. Other than that we just take one day at a time. I really look forward to working with people and including the horses in more appearances. We just hope for invitations to come and share our message.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
My relationship with the Lord. That is the foundation of everything. After that, being able to take the decades of experience gathered as an equine professional and use it to serve Him, his family, and the horses.

“It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you.” – Lendon Gray

Tags: Equine Ministry, Lynn Baber

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start out in the racing industry? What is it exactly that you do?
I was you’re typically horse obsessed horse girl and would use any excuse or opportunity to be around them. After I finished High School, I completed the Diploma in Equine Studies (Horse Breeding) at the Goulburn Ovens TAFE and from there, as dux of my year, I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Irish National Stud Scholarship.

Upon my return to Australia, I spent close to two years doing yearlings for Arrowfield Stud. I am a big believer in education, and I decided to go to Uni, where I studied a Bachelor of Agriculture (Animal Production).

I then returned to Arrowfield for a year and then returned home to work for a local trainer to gain some strapping experience as my next challenge was a stint in the UK.

I worked the yearling and mare sales in England and France and was lucky enough to gain an office manager position with Gary Witheford, a Natural Horseman who specialised in starting thoroughbreds and re-educating barrier rogues. This job gave me massive amounts of exposure to European Racing and I worked closely with many industry leaders including Godolphin and John Oxx to name a few.

I have always had an interest in becoming a Steward and whilst I was still in the UK my current position became available and I was successful in my application.

I am a Cadet Stipendiary Steward employed by Racing Services Tasmania, which is a government Department responsible for maintaining the probity and integrity of the thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing in Tasmania. As a Steward I am part of a team who enforce the rules of racing and ensure integrity throughout the three racing codes.

We deal with drug testing of animals and humans both on race day and out of competition and on race day we conduct inquiries into racing related incidents – but this is just a brief description of what we do! Basically a race meeting could not go ahead without the Stewards. In the lead up to a meeting we ensure all horses are eligible to race as well as Jockeys/Drivers.

On race day, we check to make sure that the racing surface is safe to race on. We identify the horses to make sure that the correct animal is being presented and that they are wearing the correct declared gear such as blinkers and pacifiers.

We make ourselves familiar with the racing patterns of the runners. During the race, we watch to make sure that all the jockeys / drivers are riding / driving in a fair manner and that there’s no undue interference. After the race, jockeys are weighed back in to ensure they carried the correct weight and all clear is given. We go back to the Stewards room and give our observations and review the patrol films. If there are any suspected rule breaches we inquire into them and act accordingly.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Being a Steward does not actually involve working hands on with horses, in a way it’s more of an administrative role. As a steward I have no set working days although I can usually clock up 40 hours a week which is mostly spent at race meetings with the odd day or two spent in the office.

I work nights and days and no week – or day – is ever the same! We also spend a lot of time on the road inspecting Stables and Kennels and also attending track work and trials.

In this field of is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Very much so. Every state has a panel of full time Stewards – Tasmania is somewhat unique in that Stewards are cross coding. Most other jurisdictions have separate bodies for each code which deal with Stewarding – and we also have part time Stewards to assist on race day.

There is a current shortage of stewards in Australia and around the world, so a career is definitely possible.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
The path that most full time Stewards take is similar to mine in that they start as a cadet and progress through the ranks. Becoming a part time Steward is also a good way to get your foot in the door.

Ideally you would have experience within racing and an interest is definitely a must! You must also have good decision making skills and be able to perform under high levels of stress.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
You need to be tough but fair, and don’t expect to have too many friends!! All conflicts of interest need to be declared and you always need to have your mind on the job. Being a steward is not a 9 – 5 job and people need to recognise that if considering it as a career path.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
Pedigrees are something that I’ve always had an interest in so I guess when my stewarding days are over I’d like to give breeding the next champion a go!

Favourite horse memory?
I’ve been fortunate enough to look after or be involved in some way in the career of many good racehorses, such as Makybe Diva when she was a yearling, Vintage Crop in his retirement and Sea The Stars when he was being started.

I also got a pretty big kick when my favourite yearling (Miss Bussell) that I prepared came second to Excellerator in the Magic Millions 2yo race – but she should have won!!

Future goals?
Become a fully fledged Steward and eventually work in Thoroughbreds on the mainland . I would love to have a stint in the UK as well.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The challenge! Apart from working with an animal I love, the horse industry has given me the opportunity to travel and work all over the world, including England, Ireland, France and New Zealand.

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

Tags: Horse Racing Steward, Cadet Stipendiary Steward, Kim Meredith, horse racing, racing course, racing marshall, racing official

Before having even travelled and while still planning my trip to Ireland for the Irish National Stud I stumbled across a website that caught my attention with a few words: horses, beach, South Africa.

Julie-Anne Gower along with her husband Clint run Wild Coast Horse Trails on the East Coast of South Africa.  I spent five weeks of absolute heaven learning, riding and breathing horses with them.  Julie-Anne has kindly answered some questions about their trail riding business.

What services are offered by Wild Coast Horse Trails?
We provide horse riding holidays for horse loving people, see notes on Wild Coast Horseback Adventures for all the details.

– 1 to 12 week hands on working horse riding holiday at Sunray farm
– 6 night 7 day Wild Coast Horse Safari
– 8 night 10 Day Surf & Turf Safari
– 1 to 14 day Castaway trails – custom made trails
– Day rides along the beach
– Torstone Sport Horses

How did you get into this equine related business?
I kept seeing other people trying to do this type of thing, and in my opinion they were not getting it right. Finally, we had a cash flow crisis, and a field full of horses, and I put a trail itinerary together, created a web site and waited for a year before my first booking! I was in the right place and the right time and the horse trail agents picked me up and started selling our rides.

The Gap year program developed first of all as a work for board arrangement, but this presented only problems and so I decided to charge riders for staying with us. The demand for this type of experience has grown into a full time business and we now take up to 8 riders at the farm at any one time. We have converted the old farm house into a comfortable cottage for the riders to live in, and developed the whole thing into an extended riding holiday. We have a full time yard manager who oversees the daily routine and also instructs the riding and schooling sessions.

I started breeding horses because I thought that it was a good idea at the time – I am still trying to make money out of it!!
The great thing now is that we can bring our own bred horses into the trails – and that really is rewarding. My dream is to produce competitive endurance horses that will be sold overseas. We are on the cusp of this, as the perfect prospect has to be about 8 years old and have completed 3 x 80 km rides and at least 1 x 120km competition – it’s a very long term project, but we are lucky enough to be able to use the up and coming youngsters in the trails as part of their training – and they are earning their keep at the same time.

How much of your day/week is hands on with horses?
I don’t spend as much time as I would like to! I do all the guiding for the trails, and that is very hands on with the horses. At the farm, I tend to be organising and checking rather than actually doing these days 🙁

In this field is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
To earn a living from horses, it really depends on you. Most day ride operations do ok if they are in the right place and have a consistent flow of tourists to support them. They drive old cars, and the house needs painting, but they are doing what they love!

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide such a service to others?
The overnight trail scenario is highly competitive. You have to select your market carefully, and if like me you are remote and rely on international tourists, you have to have representation in Europe and the UK.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
Don’t expect to make it straight off. It takes time and effort – you are planning and working with agents a year in advance for the marketing – so if you start now, only expect returns over the next 1 to 2 years. In the mean time you have to feed and care for the horses and keep them in tip top condition.

Besides being totally horsey and you must be able to ride VERY well and enjoy looking after people, get some field guiding qualification, and some hospitality training. Also, get experience in leading trails with all levels of riders.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I would love to meet and do some work with Richard Maxwell or Monty Roberts. I would love to do a course and improve my technique with training young horses etc.

Favourite horse memory?
When my old man Moonlight comes to me in the paddock, touches me with his nose and says hello; after all the training, sweat, and tears, winning endurance races! Also, having a young horse that you have bred, trained and sold on – do well and bring joy to their humans 🙂

Future goals?
I want to travel the world doing horseback trails and holidays 🙂 To build my horse riding holidays into a profitable business so that I can go on riding holidays!

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I had a client a few weeks ago who came back to do her second trail with us. At 74 years old – what a dynamic woman – she is an inspiration to me in that I can now envision myself still riding for another 40 years! The horses have taught me to be authentic with myself and to others, do everything with love and respect.

“We have fast horses for fast people, gentle horses for gentle people, and for people who don’t like to ride, we have horses that don’t like to be ridden.”

Tags: Wild Coast Horse Trails, horse beach riding, horse riding holiday, trail riding, Julie-Anne Gower, South Africa

I started reading the Thoroughbred series in my early teens and can contribute this series by Joanna Campbell to developing my interest in racehorses and potentially working with them.   The author of this popular teen series kindly took the time to answer some questions with regards to writing horses.

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start writing and getting books published? Do you do anything else with horses that generates an income?
I’ve always been interested in horses, and tried to win a pony when I was under ten by sending in names for the pony.  I didn’t win, but I didn’t give up after that.  I still loved them.  Even though my grandparents owned a small farm next door with a barn where my grandfather said I could keep a horse, my parents refused to get me one because they were afraid of the cost and that I would lose interest.

My novel writing begain with adult romantic time travel novels.  I sold four of them and only turned to writing about horses to gain some quick money, since I was a single mother raising two children.  I was quite amazed at how popular my young adult horse novels were.

I had to wait until I was in my early 20’s and married to buy a horse of my own for $100.  He was a refugee from a bad stable, was skinny, lethargic and lice infested. My father fenced in a portion of our acre property for him, and I could still ride him in my grandparents’ fields next door.  With my cousin’s help I taught that Quarter Horse and myself how to jump–in a Western saddle, no less.

I got pregnant with my second child and rode until I was six months pregnant, with no harm to me or my future son, but toward the end of my pregnancy, since I also had a toddler, I no longer had the energy to ride or care for my horse, and winter was approaching.  I allowed my husband at the time to trade him to a good home in exchange for a motor bike for my husband.  Stupid, in retrospect, but necessary.

Are you self published or did you go through a publisher?
I’ve only published with big houses, like Avon, Random House, Bantam and HarperCollins.

Do you think that whether your horse book is fiction or non fiction bears on how easy it is to get published?
I’ve only written fiction, so I have no idea how non-fiction could do.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing writing about their love of horses and turning it into an income?
Does a love of horses tie into any success as a writer?  That is a hard one to answer. First you have to have an inborn talent for writing, which I do.  I’ve been writing stories in my mind since I was a young teenager.  You also have to have a command of the language, spelling and grammar.  You also have to hear the music of the words as you write them.  You can’t teach anyone to do this; they have to have it in their being.

“A camel is a horse designed by a committee.”

Tags: equine novel, horse writing, horse book, horse fiction, Joanna Campbell