Kingsley Downs Baroque Stud

30/11/2024

One of the highlights of Equitana 2024. This very young (I believe 4 yrs old?) horse was really struggling with the atmosphere in the arena - spooking, bucking, spinning etc. When it became clear, after plenty of options were tried, that he wasn't going to calm down, Will asked his rider to dismount so that Will could support him from the ground. Absolute respect for that. Will even told the crowd, "I don't care if you paid good money to come here, I need to...help this horse." 🙌🙌
Then 15 mins later, he's coaching another horse and rider pair through some stunning two time changes. What a horseman.

14/10/2024

Beautiful Maximus. 3 yrs old and so big already.

30/09/2024

My two 'special' horses - both sassy and food motivated, and forming a beautiful and unexpected friendship.

08/08/2024

We have a close friend riding in this year's Mongol Derby - the world's longest horse race. He'll be covering 1000km in 10 days whilst riding these tiny but tough horse.

Sam is now of course champing at the bit to compete himself.

A whirlwind Day 1 of the 2024 Mongol Derby comes to a close, leaving in its wake several slightly bruised...

01/07/2024

A poor quality video taken at dusk, and a hairy muddy mare in paddock condition - and still she's magic.

26/06/2024

This beautiful girl is the full sister of our Warlander filly, Morwenna, and the only other foal out of our mare, Tashkent Djaquila. She has Noble Shadow jousting lines through her sire and amazing dressage lines through her dam. I believe she is the only other F2 (second generation) 50/50 Warlander filly registered in Australia. Someone will be a very lucky person to own this girl.

16/05/2024

Agfest 2024. Tashkent Djaquila was Sam's main mount over 3 days and performed beautifully. A crowd favourite, and a great demonstration of the ability and presence of the Warlander breed.

Photos thanks to Neil McCarthy Photography and Steve Barnes Photography.

16/05/2024

It's been well over a month since I last hopped on this girl, though she's still been in work with my husband. Three children, two who don't nap and one going through teething and a sleep regression, means that setting aside the time to ride can be hard! Thankful for a late night session yesterday evening.
She did an excellent job at Agfest this year (photos coming soon) so deserves a bit of a relax over the long and wet winter.

30/04/2024

Anzac day 2024 with the Tasmanian Lighthorse.

I am very proud of all the work that troop members put in. From attending a troop training day to focus on parade drill and desensitisation (plastic bags and bagpipes featured heavily!) to spending the days leading up cleaning, polishing, mending, ironing etc, then camping overnight so as to attend the early dawn service with horses in marching kit, it is our main event of the year. This year we had 8 horses attend, with 7 under saddle. Very pleased to report that Tashkent Djaquila didn't put a foot wrong and has cemented her place as a troop horse now.

Photos courtesy of RSL Tasmania, Flowline Photography and Malcolm Bull.

22/04/2024

Big thanks to Emma's horse supplies and rug repairs for doing a big batch of rugs just in time for winter! With nine horses on the property, including a few young and destructive ones (*ahem* Maximus), we always have repairs to be done. Highly recommended Emma for affordable and quick repairs.

14/04/2024

Elouera Maximus is looking stunning as he continues to fill out.

12/04/2024

Not so patiently waiting for dinner.

15/03/2024

It is too easy to forget that the purchase price is by far the cheapest thing about owning a horse.

Specialised feeding, hay, worming, triming/shoeing, vet checks, rugs, well fitting tack, bodywork, dentals, supplements etc are not cheap but are essential for a healthy and long-lived horse. Not to mention mental stimulation and companionship.

RIP Kim.

Kim needed worming, shelter from the sun and rain and cold. She and her friends needed access to clean water- for some time they had dead cows rotting in the dam. They needed better fences, a fourth horse was shot recently because she was injured and caught in a fence.

These precious old horses had to wade through mud to get a drink without getting bogged or falling, they needed lucerne hay and lucerne chaff and crushed lupins, minerals and trugain and rice bran and LOVE and compassion and empathy and kindness.

I am so sad to have to let everyone know we lost Kim. We rescued Kim and her 2 remaining friends Missy and Rejoice yesterday. They are severely malnourished and starving.

Kim was so emaciated and so sick. She had blood coming out of her nose when I found her and she walked in slow motion towards me past bones scattered all around her. She and her two friends suffered terrible neglect.

I feel so sad for her. I feel like I failed. I failed to make her happy. I have rescued so many horses like Kim and I have never had one die or have to be put down after rescuing them. Each one has made an incredible recovery no matter how old or sick they were.

Please please contact us if you know of horses in trouble. Don’t leave it until it’s too late like it was for dear Kim.

Thank you to everyone who donated to help us help feed rescued starving horses this year. Winter is a daunting thought. 💙 Emma

14/03/2024

Tashkent Djaquila joined the Tasmanian Lighthorse over the long weekend at Sheffield Steamfest, for her first ever skill-at-arms display. While the first few displays were spent getting her to run straight and true, (whilst also ignoring the crowd, loudspeakers, traction engines, trains, pony carts and helicopter overhead), by the end of the weekend she was tent pe***ng, tilting the ring and carrying a flag like an old hand. 'Kili' will hopefully be a second mount for the troop Riding Master, Sam Downes.

It was a great opportunity to showcase the versitility of the Warlander breed to an audience that otherwise might be unaware. I had so many people approaching me to ask "what breed is she?" and it was so lovely be able to use the background of Australia's history of horsemanship as a stepping stone to introduce this exciting, new and Aussie-born breed.

Photos thanks to Mitchell Brown and Liv Ikkala.

04/03/2024

03/02/2024

First outing for Djaquila today, joining the Tasmanian Lighthorse in a demonstration at Huon Pony Club. While she wasn't ridden in the display, it was a great opportunity for her to gain experience and also practise the manoeuvres after the display had ended. She did exceptionally well in such a highly stimulating environment!

(Ridden here in her Lumiere anatomical bridle, rather than a military bridle, due to being in training and not on display.)