Coolabah Equine

Coolabah Equine 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
& Boutique Agistment facility

Moose makes this tyre look tiny. 🤣••
26/04/2025

Moose makes this tyre look tiny. 🤣


“Find someone who teaches real horse training and treats you with respect.”Very enlightening read.
25/04/2025

“Find someone who teaches real horse training and treats you with respect.”

Very enlightening read.

Fantasy Horsemanship: Where ‘Doing Nothing’ is Marketed as Mastery 💸

“A safe space for humans. A weird time for horses.”

Once upon a time in a paddock not-so-far away, a horse dragged its owner across the arena to a hay bag.
And lo, the guru said:
“Did you see that? He’s finally feeling safe enough… to express his autonomy.”

And the crowd nodded.
For they were moved.
And the horse, dear reader, was not. 🙄

Welcome to Fantasy Horsemanship — where dragging, balking, spooking, and shutting down are framed as spiritual breakthroughs.
Where confusion is revered, clarity is oppressive, and stillness is sold as “deep integration.”
Where your horse is not trained — but interpreted. 🎭

Let’s take a closer look…

1. The Guru Speaks (And You Stop Thinking)
In this world, the guru is your translator.
You don’t learn to read your horse — you learn to believe his reading of your horse.

A tail swish becomes trauma. A head toss? “Reclaiming boundaries.”
And a shut-down horse staring into space?
That’s “sacred integration through parasympathetic recalibration.” ✨

It’s not horsemanship.
It’s interpretive spirituality with a rope halter. 🧘‍♀️🐴

Sprinkle in some polyvagal jargon, somatic buzzwords, and vaguely-academic pseudoscience, and suddenly everything makes sense… except your horse.

2. Feeling > Function
“I feel more connected.”
“My horse gave me a soft eye.”
“We just stood together and cried.” 😭

Lovely.

But did your horse stop spooking at the mounting block?
Can he walk forward when asked?
Did you learn anything… practical?

Of course not.
Because in Fantasy Horsemanship, progress is an emotional experience, not a behavioural outcome.

If you cried, it counted.
Even if your horse is still stuck, shut down, or silently screaming for guidance. 🐎💤

3. No Tools, No Plan, No Problem
“I could use a tool… but that would betray the trust.”
Translation:
I don’t know what to do, and I’ve built a philosophy around that.

No leadership? Enlightened.
No aids? Ethical restraint.
No plan? A bold rejection of the patriarchy. ✊

Doing nothing is rebranded as depth.
The guru has no method, no map, and no measurable outcomes — and that’s exactly how he likes it.

Where there’s no criteria, there’s no failure.
Only more feelings. 😌

4. The Guru Believes His Own Bull$h!t
And here’s the real kicker:
The guru isn’t running a con — he’s running a one-man theatre production he believes in deeply. 🎤🎭

You’ll see a horse lurching, lame, shut down, clearly miserable —
and he’ll whisper, misty-eyed:

“Wow. That was amazing.” 😍
He’s not evaluating the horse.
He’s performing a show.

And he’s too high on his own narrative to notice the horse is tragically unsound and about to file for emotional leave. 📋

5. Your Horse Is Not Your Life Coach
“I’m forever changed.”
“He unlocked something in me.”
“We breathed together under the stars.” 🌌

Lovely.
But your horse still won’t load on the float.

He’s not your therapist.
He’s not your mirror.
He’s not your trauma doula.

He’s just a horse — trying to survive a training session that’s turned into a TED Talk narrated by someone who’s read one too many somatic healing blogs. 💻🐴

He doesn’t want to co-regulate.
He wants clarity.
And maybe a carrot that doesn’t come with a full emotional disclosure. 🥕

6. Bonus Truth: When Fantasy Replaces Vet Checks
Here’s what Fantasy Horsemanship won’t tell you:

The only time horses aren’t easy… is when they’re unsound. 🚫🏇

Pain changes behaviour.
Discomfort makes horses emotional, evasive, or disengaged.

But instead of checking for pain, lameness, or imbalance, the fantasy reframes it all as “emotional blocks.”

And for women — especially those not feeling strong in their own bodies — this becomes a trap.
When movement feels hard, stillness feels safe.
When strength feels distant, softness becomes the story. 🧘‍♀️🕯️

And suddenly, both human and horse are stuck.
One in pain.
One in fear.
Both being told they’re “healing” — when really, they’re just avoiding.

7. And Still, the Horse Pays the Price
Behind the hashtags and healing mantras is a horse who didn’t ask for this.

He doesn’t get trained.
He doesn’t get listened to.
He gets filmed mid-meltdown while someone whispers,

“This… is integration.” 🎥😬
He’s confused.
He’s burdened.
He’s trying.

But nobody notices.
Because everyone’s too busy being deep.

8. Epilogue: The W**d That’s Spreading
This isn’t just one guru.
Fantasy Horsemanship is everywhere. 🌱🔥

It spreads through spiritual marketing, emotional manipulation, and the promise of transformation without accountability.

It appeals to those who want connection but fear discomfort.
It flatters women conditioned to be agreeable, self-doubting, and endlessly apologetic —
those trying to people-please their horse into loving them,
dreaming of a ba****ck beach ride with wind-blown hair and 100% safety. 🐎🌊💨

But your horse isn’t looking for magic.
He’s looking for someone who knows what they’re doing.
Not someone side-tracked down a rabbit hole to nowhere.

Final Thought
Horses are beautifully simple.
They don’t need make-believe — they need meaning.
They don’t want therapy — they want to be understood as horses, not projected humans.
They don’t care about your journey — they care if you can help them feel safe. 🧠❤️🐴

They are easy to train.
Easy to make feel secure.
Unless they’re unsound — or the human is untethered.

So if the fantasy is fading… if your horse is still wary, still stuck, still waiting…

That’s not failure.
That’s reality knocking. 🚪

Answer it.

Find someone who teaches real horse training and treats you with respect.
Learn to understand horses — and build the skills to influence them.

Because when the fog lifts and the narrative dies…

It won’t be the guru standing with you.

It’ll be your horse.
Still confused.
Still waiting.
Still hoping you’ve finally shown up —
not with a story…
but with a plan. 🐴✔️

If you’ve climbed out of the fantasy rabbit hole — or realised your horse biting you wasn’t over zealous engagement but frustration — you’re not alone. Tell your story. Let’s talk about it.❤

If this said what you’ve been thinking — share it. If it said what you wish you wrote, still… share it. With credit. You’re welcome. 🐴😉

Perfect morning for an Anzac Day trail ride down the end of Peebles road. I was able to take our client horse Moose out ...
25/04/2025

Perfect morning for an Anzac Day trail ride down the end of Peebles road. I was able to take our client horse Moose out for the morning and he was a gold star student. ⭐️

I asked Chat GPT to turn Banksy into a human.How do you think it did? - would you say this is an accurate representation...
22/04/2025

I asked Chat GPT to turn Banksy into a human.
How do you think it did? - would you say this is an accurate representation of our rugged bush brumby?
🤣🤣

Queen B - the mare that started it all for me, won many broad sashes in the show ring back in her day, sharing the arena...
21/04/2025

Queen B - the mare that started it all for me, won many broad sashes in the show ring back in her day, sharing the arena with our stallion Braeview Titanium after 2.5 years off having foals. Jumped back on like she’s never missed a day. This is why I stand by this mare line and why each of her foals has been more exceptional than the last.
She is the dam to our highly successful performance gelding, Palmgrove Scotch on the rocks.
And our two most recent foals to Titanium:
Coolabahcreek Iron Maverick (2023 Gelding)
Coolabahcreek Marilyn Merlot (2024 Filly)

Welcome to Coolabah Equine!We are an equestrian training centre and boutique Agistment property as well as being a small...
20/04/2025

Welcome to Coolabah Equine!
We are an equestrian training centre and boutique Agistment property as well as being a small Stockhorse stud with resident sire: Braeview Titanium where we produce stock of quality breeding, pedigree and temperament.

We offer a full range of services including Horsemanship training/lessons, Groundwork sessions, Youngstock handling, float training, starting under saddle and re-educating.

We also offer full board Agistment on our beautiful 17 acre boutique equestrian property at the end of Peebles Road, Fiddletown.
Located only a short 50 minute drive to the heart of Sydney city, you can relax knowing your horse is being cared for in one of the most tranquil settings within stone throw distance to the city.
We have shaded private yards and grass paddocks available.
Facilities include:
- 60x30 solitex sand arena
- large grass riding paddock w/ cross country jumps
- 18m roundyard
- washbay
- lockable tack room w/ toilet, shower, fridge, microwave, coffee machine
- feed shed and hay storage
- direct access to Peebles road fire trails from the property
- free float parking
- 24/7 supervision
- 5 star care by staff and onsite Veterinary Nurse.
- a wonderful small community of like-minded passionate horsewomen.

Pm us for more information.

Happy Easter to all our wonderful clients. We hope you are enjoying the long weekend break. 🥰🐣
20/04/2025

Happy Easter to all our wonderful clients. We hope you are enjoying the long weekend break. 🥰🐣

As an ethical breeder, when we sell our foals we want to ensure the best possible homes, and with any of our foals we al...
20/04/2025

As an ethical breeder, when we sell our foals we want to ensure the best possible homes, and with any of our foals we always stipulate that we would like first option to buy them back, should the situation ever occur that they need to be sold, this is an arrangement I have never had any issues with until recently.

Our beautiful poppy was sold to someone that promised a “forever home, never to be sold.” Only to see her advertised less than 2 weeks later.
This was absolutely heartbreaking to see and I knew at that moment I had to try whatever I could to get her home.

There is a handful of passionate dedicated horse women that played a pivotal role in facilitating the safe return of our filly, and I cannot thank them enough for their unwavering support. After recent events with our c**t phoenix we were terrified Poppy might succumb to the same fate, so time was of the essence and these amazing women sprung to action without a second thought.

This unfolding of events has been bitter sweet, because on one hand it’s disappointing to see one of your own foals flipped for a quick buck by someone we thought we knew and trusted, but on the other hand it has actually restored my faith in ‘community’.

There will always be bad eggs in every facet of life, but never let that dim the light on the people that truly care, and have nothing but love and support to give.

Thankyou thankyou thankyou to those incredible women, you know who you are, you brought my Poppy back home to me, I cried my eyes out when she arrived off the float, I truly felt like I had failed this baby by letting her go into the hands of someone unworthy of her. But thankfully now I have the chance to make it right. We will be monitoring her very closely over the coming week for any signs of sand colic and other illnesses and parasites, but for now she’s safe and content.

Thankyou everyone. ❤️

A brumby and an autumn sunset - the perfect end to the day. 😌👌🏾
19/04/2025

A brumby and an autumn sunset - the perfect end to the day. 😌👌🏾

It’s been such a fun morning putting Moose through his paces, he tackled a few obstacles with great enthusiasm and loped...
17/04/2025

It’s been such a fun morning putting Moose through his paces, he tackled a few obstacles with great enthusiasm and loped around the arena whilst teaching one of our students a lesson. Tick tick for Mr Moose. no comments 🥰

Mini supervisor, Phoenix keeping an eye on our lessons clients making sure they aren’t slacking off.
17/04/2025

Mini supervisor, Phoenix keeping an eye on our lessons clients making sure they aren’t slacking off.

Braeview Titanium, in his winter woolies, unrugged and looking stunning.
17/04/2025

Braeview Titanium, in his winter woolies, unrugged and looking stunning.

Both our weaners graduated kindy today. They have taught to be caught, led, tied up, feet picked up and exposed to tarps...
16/04/2025

Both our weaners graduated kindy today. They have taught to be caught, led, tied up, feet picked up and exposed to tarps, tractors, chainsaws and just about every construction sound under the sun. This arvo we finished their handling session where I trimmed their feet for the first time, wormed and led them out to their big grassy graduation paddock where they will grow and just be horses over winter. Very very happy with both of them, quiet, sensible and stood perfectly for their feet trim.
It’s so important to get those good foundations on your horses from a young age.

Isn’t he just stunning? Client horse in for training that’s taking it all in his stride. Not bad on the eyes either. 😉••...
14/04/2025

Isn’t he just stunning? Client horse in for training that’s taking it all in his stride. Not bad on the eyes either. 😉


10/04/2025

INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING

I'm reading an amazing book called Amphibious Soul by Craig Foster, the Academy award winning documentary film maker of "My Octopus Teacher".

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it, it is simply profound.

In the book he says "As a rule, I never touch an animal unless they touch me first".

In my work building relationship with horses, I do this too. Most times a horse will touch you with their nose/muzzle first, and matching that greeting (versus labelling the horse as a biter) is a game changer.

But there's a phenomenon I have noticed going on with people trying to build relationship with their horses that I have labelled "inappropriate touching", and it looks a bit like the photo below.

This picture was taken at a horse expo in Pennsylvania recently, where I worked with a demo horse who has a "biting issue". He would reaching out in a way that his owner was termed as nipping, whereas I interpreted as him saying hello, similar to reaching out to shake hands with someone.

When he reached out I would greet him with a flat hand that he is able to to nuzzle, lick or even scrape his teeth on. After doing this a while his snappy acting motions got less so, and he was no longer needing to say "hey, pay attention" , but was more "hey, how's it going". I was explaining to the audience that I was meeting him in the way that he was meeting me (with his muzzle) and that it's not an invitation to touch other parts (yet).

I then said that it's many people's default to reach up and rub a horse between the eyes, whether that's what they are offering or not, and that if you do, it's inappropriate touching and it gets in the way of connection. It doesn't meet their needs, and is all about yours.

With the horse in the picture, he'd been engaging me with his muzzle, and I said to the audience "watch what happens when I try to rub him between the eyes". As you can see in the photo, he has raised his head up and is clearly indicating "No, not there, on my muzzle".

We had a Connection And Attunement retreat here at the Journey On Ranch a week ago, and I used my wife Robyn to illustrate this point to the participants. I said "imagine I'm at a gathering and meeting Robyn for the first time". We walked up to each other in that way people do when they see someone new and they can tell an introduction is shaping up, Robyn reached out with her hand to say hello and instead of me reaching out to shake her hand, I gently reached up and lightly brushed a wisp of hair from her cheekbone and tucked it behind her ear.

The participants all gasped and the ick factor was high.

Even though it was caring, and gentle, it was inappropriate at that moment.

Now Im not saying you can't rub your horse on the forehead. I'm saying if your horse has a disregulated nervous system around humans because they don't feel seen (and safe), try to meet their needs first, before trying get get yours met.

I recently saw an instagram post from a University in the UK, and the professor was explaining that they were doing studies on horses to determine levels of stress. In the background a horse was standing with his head out over a Dutch door. While he was explaining their investigations on stress, a female student (or maybe another professor, I don't know which) walked up to the horse. The horse reached out with his muzzle to greet her.

She ignored this and reached up to rub the horse between the eyes.

He turned his head 90 degrees to the left to communicate that wasn't what he was offering.

Her hand followed him and kept rubbing.

he then turned his head 180 degrees to the right, saying "No, not like that".

Smiled, gave him another pet between the eyes, and walked of camera.

While the professor was saying that they are doing experiments determining the amounts of stress horses are under, someone in the background was actually creating stress, without either of them even knowing it.

Once you understand how sentient horses are, and how subtle their communication, you can't unsee it.

Beautiful morning heading out with two of our Agistors down the trails. Horse and human company was perfection. 🥰
10/04/2025

Beautiful morning heading out with two of our Agistors down the trails. Horse and human company was perfection. 🥰

New kid on the block. The ever so handsome Clyde x TB,  “Moose” arrived today for some bootcamp. Looking forward to trai...
09/04/2025

New kid on the block. The ever so handsome Clyde x TB, “Moose” arrived today for some bootcamp. Looking forward to training a heavy horse again. I do have quite the soft spot for them. 🥰


As we prepare for Bathurst Royal with Ambaura Royal Command I thought it would be fun to do a throwback to the day he ar...
06/04/2025

As we prepare for Bathurst Royal with Ambaura Royal Command I thought it would be fun to do a throwback to the day he arrived back in 2021. This Shetland stallion has come so far in every way and is worth his weight in gold.

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Fiddletown, NSW

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