Track Up Equine

14/01/2025

First workout of the year under our belts.
I know we are a little late to get started this year, but between being out of the country for the first week then rider illness and pony lameness we had to pause on our starting timeline. But Fella is looking good, shiny, healthy, and very eager to move those legs 🫣
Unpopular Opinion - I think riders shouldn't jump right back into training what they were after an extended break (like summer or winter spells). I know everyone is excited to "kick goals", go to clinics, and get out competing, but we have to be conscious that horses lose fitness just like we do (and when we don't ride regularly we lose fitness too!). So both you and your horse are likely out of shape, so take it easy on your initial training until you've regained some fitness .
Ask for less collection, jump lower heights, train for shorter periods, offer more breaks, etc.
If you jump right back into where you left off with no building up, at best you'll have a sore horse (and rider) and at worst you'll cause an injury.

So do your horse, and yourself, a favour going into this next competition season - take it easy. Going slow will get you to where you want to be, enjoy the journey and train the horse you want for tomorrow, not the one you have today.

06/12/2024

Look at this handsome boy 🥰

Freddie (Holy Roman Emperor × Our Fire and Ice - aka Ella, Fella's sister) had his first outing since retiring from the racing life 3 months ago. We went out to my favorite place to just learn to hang out and walk around the arena, no goals, no deadlines, no pressure.
Everyone has their own process of retraining off the track horses depending on their aim, but I have found the best way to set them up for success in the future is to take as much time as they need now.
All of mine get at least 2-3months let down/no pressure work to just figure out how to be a horse. During this time I do a lot of in hand work, light lunging, ground work, etc. I find it helps shift their brain from race mode, and I want them confident with understanding they have a new job before I even get on their back.
Freddie is now in the stages of learning to use his body in hand and doing some strengthening/stretching exercises from before I hop on. At the end of the day my goal is a happy, healthy, confident horse that can go on to be the best equine partner ❤️
I cant wait to see how far Freddoe goes 💕

25/11/2024

A good reminder that it is progress over perfection (something I have to remind myself of as well during my rides)

Mistakes are an inevitable part of horse riding and training, and they hold value far beyond the moments of frustration they might bring. Each misstep—whether it’s an uneven transition, a missed cue, or a wonkey movement is a lesson in disguise. Dressage, at its core, is not about perfection; it’s about partnership, growth, and the pursuit of harmony between horse and rider.

When you make a mistake, it’s a sign that you’re pushing boundaries, trying new things, and daring to improve. A perfect test teaches you little, but an imperfect one offers countless opportunities to learn and strengthen your connection with your horse. Mistakes are not failures; they are stepping stones to mastery.

Even the most experienced riders stumble at times, and every grand prix champion began with unsteady circles and uncertain hands. What sets them apart is not flawless performance but their ability to embrace errors, reflect on them, and come back stronger.

So, when you make a mistake in dressage, take a deep breath. Smile, pat your horse, and remind yourself that every journey worth taking has many moments that are imperfection. Progress isn’t about never falling; it’s about riding with a better understanding each time you do.

22/11/2024

Are you looking for an experienced rider to come work with you and your horse?
Need some extra hands for an injury or illness your horse is dealing with?
Feel confused by all the feed and supplements in the shop and just want your horse to look 100%

Get in contact today 0468 764 285 and we can work on a plan to help your equine partnership no matter your struggles or goals.

17/11/2024

Alvin trying to be sun smart ☀️on our first sunny day of the week (after 100+mm of rain)

12/11/2024

The best physio around, great for working both on horse and in her studio!

The Eventing Physiologist is now open in DAYBORO.
Currently offering Exercise Physiology and rider specific strength and conditioning services on Tuesdays and Fridays from our studio.

To book an appointment call or message 0412208092 or private message me!

Exciting expansions coming over the next few weeks and months. Watch this space…. 👀

02/11/2024

RICHARD HAS FOUND A NEW HOME 🥰

Wishing him all the best in his adventures with his new owner up in Gympie 💕

Richard is still looking for his forever home! Currently in full work and going out competing regularly 🥇

Richard (Rich Doctor) is a 2018 gelding by Rich Enuff, roughly 15.3/16hh and stocky.

Richard has been off the track since January of 2023 and given a full year of let down to grow and get stronger. He has been in full work since Feb of this year

Currently training/competing Prelim dressage and beginning our lateral work. Soft in the bridle and responsive to the leg, but not too forward/rushy - a perfect combo of woah and go! Very clever to work with and picks up on exercises quickly. Nice movement and has a lovely rocking canter.

We have done a heap of cross training in order to build confidence and strength - show jumping, xc schooling, trail rides, etc. Ridden in a variety of venues, in clinics, open areas, along the road, trails, and arenas. He is the same horse out and about as he is at home.

He is a gem to trailer, self loads and happy to stand by the trailer all day. Good to shoe, tie, clip, groom, bathe, etc.

Although I've taken Richard out over xc fences and show jumping, I think he would be better suited to dressage or working equitation.

With all the good things Richard has, it is worth noting he is still learning how to use himself properly and his training has primarily focused on rhythm and relaxation. So would benefit from continued training and lessons.

He isnt a spooky horse, but he is looky (he's a 6 year old ottb 🤷‍♀️). No bite, buck, bolt, rear or vices.

To note he does has scarring on his left eye from an old ulcer as a yearling (cleared by vets and doesnt bother him).

Richard is best suited to an knowledgable thoroughbred owner/home due to his age- not a beginners horse, but would suit an intermediate or advanced level rider.

Asking 5🥕🥕🥕, negotiable to the right home (he is still owned by his breeders and lives on property with them so he is a well loved pony).

Located in SEQLD

*Videos in comments*

24/10/2024

Gotta love a good thoroughbred 🤗

10/10/2024

Mental Health Awareness - Something that is near and dear to my own heart

On Mental Health Awareness Day, take a moment to take stock of where you are and how you feel. Recognise and remember all those connections that have been in your life, are still in your world, and have yet to come in. Reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers and remind them that you are here, that we are all in this together, and the best way to make it through each day is with each other.
Each person you meet is going through a battle you may know nothing about - kindness and understanding are free.
If anyone ever needs anything, my door is always open. And I will do my best to remind each and every one of you how amazing you are 💙💚

25/09/2024

One busy day!
*5 horses ridden
*5 people coached
*25km
*38000 steps
And 2 very sore little feet!
Starting a new business is hard. Putting yourself out there is hard. But its worth it to see the change in students amd their horses. Building skills and confidence one stride at a time.

04/09/2024

RICHARD HAS FOUND A NEW HOME 🥰
Wishing him all the best in his adventures with his new owner up in Gympie 💕

Handsome chestnut gelding looking for a new 🏠

Richard (Rich Doctor) is a 2018 gelding by Rich Enuff, roughly 15.3/16hh and stocky

Richard has been off the track since January of 2023 and given a full year of let down to grow and get stronger.
He has started full work this autumn and is growing by leaps and bounds!

He is a gem to trailer, self loads and happy to stand by the trailer (with a hay bag!). Good to shoe, tie, clip, groom, bathe, etc. Also a pretty easy keeper - loves his food and is currently just on paddock, 1kg CEN and electrolytes.

He's schooled in a variety of arenas, open fields, solo/with others, gone cross country schooling at different venues and ridden on local trails. He has done clinics and lessons with Rebel Morrow. And competed a a local SJ day and dressage day. Hes the same out as he is at home.

Although Ive taken Richard out over xc fences and sj fences, I think he would be better suited to dressage or something like working equitation **AT THIS TIME** until he gets stronger. He is a fantastic jumper, just tending to get tired quickly, so I dont want him to go to a strictly jumping home.
He has good movement and a lovely rocking canter, we've also started lateral movements which he has picked up so quickly.

With all the good things Richard has it is worth noting he is still what I would consider green. Hes learning how to use himself properly and his training has primarily focused on rhythm and relaxation in order to develop his muscles correctly. His whole training with me has been to lay a solid foundation of dressage and trust (with himself and his rider) so that his next owner can progress him into whatever discipline they want.
He isnt a spooky horse, but he is looky (he's a green, 6 year old ottb 🤷‍♀️). No bite, buck, bolt or rear.

To note he does has scarring on his left eye from an old ulcer as a yearling (cleared by vets and doesnt bother him).

Richard is best suited to an experienced thoroughbred owner/home - not really a beginners horse.

Asking 5🥕🥕🥕, negotiable to the right home (he is still owned by his breeders and lives on property with them so he is a well loved pony). No longer have a towing vehicle so am unable to further his clinical/outing experience and would like to find him a home ASAP to someone that continue his education

Located in SEQLD

31/08/2024

The time has sadly come to find "Alvin" the pony his next (hopefully forever) home.

It's a heart breaking decision as Alvin is a well loved member of the family and herd, unfortunately the little jockey he was purchased for has lost interest and Alvin is too talented and young to be sitting in a field.

Alvin is an 8 year old, 12.2hh (unofficial) Welsh B/Australian Riding Pony cross (unregistered).

Alvin was purchased as a barely broken in 4 year old and has become a wonderful and talented little riding pony over the years.

He has taught beginners how to ride and done a few lead line shows, however he has some energy to him (and lovely movement!) so we think he would be best in a home with a rider that wants to get out and compete - either Pony Club, Hacking, Pony Dressage, or even jumping (he's a gun little jumper!).

So a confident beginner or intermediate rider looking for a second ridden would absolutely love him. His new rider should be able to walk/trot confidently off lead to get the best out of him.

And to top it off he has the looks to turn heads in any ring, he is handsome and he knows it.

He has been out to shows, clinics and in a variety of atmospheres and handles it well. He is regularly handled and worked by younger riders and currently used as an occasional lesson pony. No issues with the farrier or floating, is good to clip (just can be a little nervous, but getting better).

Since owning him he has been very healthy, easy keeper, no foot/metabolic issues.

He is located in Brookfield, QLD
💲 reduced 👇Now 7.5🥕🥕

26/08/2024

Some fantastic info about hoof health in our wet QLD ground

Hi Guys 👋

📚 Seeing as I currently have a lot of down time, I figure I’d put my time to a little good use and try to post some informative posts. Lets see how I go haha! 📚

First up, the bane of many horse owners and farriers' existence – "Seedy Toe”.

What causes seedy toe?

🐛 Seedy toe is caused by a combination of fungi and bacteria that are found in some soils. These keratin consuming microorganisms are anaerobic which means they thrive in an oxygen free environment; this information becomes important when we talk about the management and treatment of seedy toe.

These microorganisms invade the white line through small cracks, separation or other weaknesses on the bottom of the hoof. The organisms generally (not always) track upwards towards the coronet band, consuming keratin on their way leaving a “hollow” in the hoof. Its important to remember that despite the name, it does not only occur in the toe.

So why are we worried about seedy toe?

🏥 Best case scenario, we resect a small amount of hoof wall away and apart from the cosmetic effect, light weakening/unbalancing of the hoof and the owner having to treat daily - life pretty much continues as normal. Worst case scenarios I've witnessed include pedal bone fractures and movement of the pedal bone that mimics laminitis. This will mean months of box rest, vet bills, intense treatment from the owner, remedial shoeing/trimming and considerable time off work for the horse. As well as the risk of supporting limb laminitis in the other limb. This is why it is so important to get on top of the problem ASAP and while it isn’t such a large problem.

Often when farriers resect a seedy toe tract, there's a line of black, soft “dirt” that the organisms have left behind. It's important for owners to realize this black tract is not the organisms themselves, but the byproducts left behind, resection must occur beyond this tract to remove the actual organisms. Remember how these organisms are anaerobic (dislike oxygen)? For me, this is one of the key reasons resection is important, not only to open the area to allow cleaning and treatment, but the simple act of getting oxygen into these areas will assist with killing the bugs causing the problem. This is also another reason I like to keep the area open till the microbes are eliminated (no further traveling has occurred in a 2 week period) and treated with a liquid (spray) rather than medicated mud/packing to allow the oxygen in.

💸 Resection by the farrier and 2 x daily treatment by the owner is often enough to get the problem under control. If your farrier is unsure on how far the resection is going to go or it is going to cover a large area, they’ll likely ask for x-rays to confirm how much of the hoof is going to need to be removed, before they start. From there, vet and farrier will decide on a shoeing/treatment plan based off those findings. This often can include barefoot intense treatment in heavy sawdust stable until all the microbes have been killed, followed by packing the areas with an acrylic (often mixed with copper sulphate) and application of a shoe like a heartbar to support the pedal bone while the hoof wall is so compromised.

There are hundreds of treatments on the market for seedy toe and most of them work, so long as the owner is diligent on treatment. Farriers often get lumped with full responsibility of hoof care, which is just ridiculous, we see your horses once every 4-6 weeks, all the time in between it is an owner's responsibility to care for the hooves. If an owner has truly been treating seedy toe daily and there's still no improvement it's time to call in a vet to take a swab of the area and find out exactly what microbes we’re trying to kill and what will eliminate them.

✅ Keeping your horses on a short trim/shoe cycle, in a clean environment (please minimize crusher dust/small rocks in yards and paddocks!), keeping good nutrition protocols, cleaning out hooves regularly and treating as recommended by your vet and farrier team are your best bets at keeping seedy toe at bay.

🤐 I could go on and on... but I feel I’ve covered the main points and have probably lost most people by now. My inbox is always open if you have any more questions or would like clarification on anything.

👍🏼 If you’ve enjoyed this post, please give it a “like” and if there’s a specific topic you’d like me to cover please comment it below!

23/08/2024

Foggy competition mornings 🌫🩵

21/08/2024

We have a handsome new face here at Track Up Equine 🥰
This handsome boy finished racing on Friday(!), he decided he racing was not worth his energy anymore. His name is Freddie (yup, that's his full name!) and he is by Holy Roman Emperor, out of a Bradburys Luck mare. AND he happens to be Fella's nephew 💕, can you see the family resemble?
He will be letting down for the next few months and then will begin his retraining. Very excited as I last some him as a very awkward looking 3 year old and now he is all grown up, handsome, and a lovely little good mover.

06/08/2024

Finally updated my page after way too long. I think I deserve a nap.