Engaged Equines

Home
Australia
Nar Nar Goon, VIC
Engaged Equines

ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS & IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS. Unlock Your Potential. Unleash Your Unicorn!

A fusion of compassionate horsemanship and biomechanics that develop correct posture, mobility & willingness through maximising mental & physical engagement.

17/12/2024

🥳 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗! 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘! 🥳

🐴 Do you want a fresh start in the new year!

🐴 To start off on the right track…and STAY there?!

🐴 Would you like to find a training approach that REALLY resonates?

🐴 Does your relationship need a RESET?

🐴 Or you’d like to finally get to the bottom of the issues you’ve been having?

I’M SO EXCITED TO HELP YOU!

We’re told that the onus lies with the human for a partnership to work, which although true doesn’t account for the huge benefits of teaching the horse about their own body and mind!

Learn how my FOUR CORNERSTONES form the foundations to develop a happier, healthier equine partner who is engaged in both body and mind!

🧡 CONNECTION
🧡 CONFIDENCE
🧡 COMMUNICATION
🧡 CARRIAGE

✔️ Small focus groups for maximised learning!
✔️ Discussions, theory & practical sessions!
✔️ A supportive & encouraging environment!
✔️ Connect with like-minded people!

With horse spots are strictly limited.

Grab yours today! Message or comment for more details! 😁

See you all soon! Katrina

14/12/2024

🧡 FINAL WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR!!! 🧡

Baby Juniper wanted to learn as much as possible from our theory portion, she must have been taking some good notes because she also nailed her practical!

A huge congratulations to this group who began at Series 1 and are now up to Series 6!! 😱
…and they still keep coming back each month! 😆

The changes they’ve made in themselves AND their horses is absolutely incredible, largely due to the discipline they’ve shown in applying training principles not just at the workshops but in testing situations, be that working through challenging situations with their horses or staying steadfast to their values during social outings. This is not easy to do and why many people simply give up or lean towards shortcuts.

The list of vices these horses arrived with pretty well covered most of the things you don’t want from your horses - but over time, with support and consistency all the best bits of their wonderful personalities have thrived and the defensive behaviours melted away.

When we began, I asked each person what their goals were with their horses, and I pushed them to think big even if it seemed impossible.

Pleased to report everyone has not only accomplished these but far exceeded them!

Couldn’t be more proud! Enjoy your festivities guys!!! You’ve certainly earned it! 🥂

***stay tuned for 2025 event dates coming to Facebook…let me know in the comments if you’re thinking of attending!***

12/12/2024

🐴 𝟯 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 🐴

1. 🧠 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

If your horse is not set up with productive coping skills, learning retention, motivation and willingness will be poor.

When your horse is well equipped to deal with the stresses and pressure that inevitably accompany training (this doesn’t have to be through force or dominance, even the kindest forms of training involve challenging situations that ask a lot of our horses) they are able to be present and learn instead of simply accept and disassociate.

Your horse may still be obedient while learning retention is poor, which means training doesn’t stick and you are constantly re-teaching the same thing or having the same issues.

2. 🐎 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞

If your horse lacks the physical capability to perform the tasks asked of them, it will put a dent not only in their confidence but also their soundness.

Not allowing appropriate recovery time, infrequent breaks or overworking puts the body into a stressed state. Prohibiting effective muscle building and impacting your horses’s mental state, leading to potentially negative behaviour, frustration or lack of motivation.

3. 🔤 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 -

Mental and physical fitness must be maintained in order for your horse to continue to function efficiently and maintain willingness and soundness.

When work becomes more physically demanding or mentally challenging the quality may drop, your horse may start to become anxious, dull or fatigued.

We need to continually be moving up and down the ladder with our expectations and be willing to ‘drop down’ a rung to check our basics (such as emotional regulation, alignment and posture) are still in tact and working well.

✨ 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀! ✨

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁! 😁

Katrina 🐴

09/12/2024

🧡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬…🧡

In any craft or skill we learn it’s common that when we become better at it, we also become quicker at it. Aside from horsemanship…

I’ve started horses in 6 weeks, sometimes even 4, I’ve turned around horses with severe behavioural issues, I’ve saddled and sat on horses in the first week. But perspective and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The more I’ve learned along the way, the more aware I am, the more I notice, the more I realise how easy it is to be ignorant, not on purpose, but because there is so much to learn.

I used to hit resistance more frequently, push harder to keep horses ‘on time’, ignore fatigue or slower muscle growth, because we were ‘behind’.

I think I’m much better at my job now than then, but I’m certainly not quicker. I’m not able to ignore stress signals, even if it means adding an extra couple of hours to my day to accomplish a ‘small’ task. I can’t push when the horses tell me they’re tired this week and I can’t ignore the tension lines through their muscles.

Two things horses have taught me…they’re genuine and just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Don’t take advantage of a horses generosity and vulnerability.

It’s been over 10 years of full time training, there’s still so much to learn…maybe my own horses will be finished by the next decade?! …if there is such a thing. 😉

*obviously in this picture I’m trying to teleport to the future so I can know more sooner!

29/11/2024

🧡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠… 🧡

It’s about the horse’s connection to their body, connection to their environment, connection to the aids, tools and your directions.

It’s how they feel about all of these things and how much value they place on your ability to make them feel safe and secure both in body and mind.

We need to develop healthy connections in all of these areas for a well rounded equine partner.

26/11/2024

🧡🖤 𝐀 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 🖤🧡

The link between physical balance and mental balance is often hugely underestimated.

A horse who has a good balance of stability and mobility is sound in both body and mind.

By improving alignment, body control, posture and self carriage we can have a positive effect on self confidence.

23/11/2024

"The rider should be so sensitive, to feel the back of the horse and should know if the horse has slept in a bad position in his stable. The tactful rider feels if part of the horse is tired and knows how to engage this part without force.

The horse is not a machine, it is a living being. Of course one rides him and he never forgets the movements he has learnt, but what is necessary to know is to always ask the commands correctly, without bad consequences to the body of the horse.

When, at each session, one begins to work his horse, it is necessary to feel how he is that day and to know how to adapt the intensity of his aids from the assessment of the horse on that day and to know the combination of work which is suitable for that day.

It is always necessary to complete a session of work thinking about the horse being in his best form the next day." ~(Nuno Oliveira, 1983)

12/11/2024

🐴 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧? 🐴

I’ll admit, I’m patient in my work but my nearest and dearest might also say that I have a stubborn streak…🙄

So how do we differentiate during time spent with our horses and why is it important to know the difference?

🟠 Patience…is taking a deep breath in and a slow breath out, patience feels like softening our body.

⚫ Stubbornness…is holding your breath, shallow breaths or exasperated sighs, stubbornness feels like tensing our body.

Stubbornness creates resistance, brace and tension and can easily escalate a situation…patience encourages softness, willingness and motivation and can diffuse a situation.

It’s important to feel the difference, and if we get really good at our own body awareness and control, we might even be able to stop stubbornness in its tracks and replace it with patience!

If you’re unable to find a better, more positive energy, walk away and try again tomorrow!

No…your horse hasn’t ‘won’, you’ve just avoided an antagonistic situation that was unlikely to have a positive outcome for either of you!

Happy Horsing! Katrina ☺

08/11/2024

🧡🧡 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓!!! 🧡🧡

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮???

I’m on the search to help TWO lucky partnerships kick goals in 2025!!

As an Engaged Equine Ambassador, in return for sharing your story you will receive:

🦄 Discounted clinics, workshops and events for 2025!!!

🦄 Monthly check ins, to give you the support and guidance you need to get on track or stay there!!!

So…what do you need to do??

Message me or let me know below if you want to be the NEXT ENGAGED EQUINES AMBASSADOR and I can send you an application.

🎄 And…with Xmas coming up I’m feeling festive so if you know a horse or human in need you can 𝑷𝒂𝒚 𝑰𝒕 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅!!!

Simply let me know on the submission form why they deserve to be part of the team 🥰

Spread the word! And…..go! 🏃🏻‍♀️

06/11/2024

🧡 CONGRATULATIONS!!! 🧡

To the ladies of my Wednesday Workshop group! On completing Series THREE!! 🥳

I’m so looking forward to the next Series - where we’ll be looking to Expand Our Inhand with a range of exercises that are useful inhand but also under saddle to test and maintain our alignment and suppleness!

The changes in each horse and human have been so great to see - today I really noticed some fabulous changes in posture and muscle tone AND some great problem solving and critical thinking from the humans! Great work guys! 👏

The two ladies below are making sure their note taking is meticulous!! 🥰😆

01/11/2024

🧡 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧… 🧡

You bring your horse out for the day, you want to try that exercise you’ve been working on or something new you’ve learnt…but you get mixed up with your sequence and end up with cues in the wrong order.

You’re at a clinic, the clinician hands you the rope…you freeze…what if I stuff this up, in front of everyone?!

You’re taking your horse home from the trainer…but what if I get it wrong?! Will I break him?!

Any of these sound familiar?

When I’m training, my first pass is always used to see what will happen.

If I don’t see what happens, how do I know what to work on?? My horse doesn’t have to give me the ‘right’ answer. Because there is no right answer.

The mark of any good foundation exercise is that it’s a tool for both diagnosing AND fixing and should be able to be used to find out if your basic buttons are working correctly, not just to ‘fix’ an issue.

If you identify an issue you can then use your exercise (or switch to something more useful) to help your horse find the right answer, feel better in their body and mind and guide them to mental and physical engagement as well as improve your communication skills, timing and feel.

31/10/2024

🤩FINAL CLINIC OF 2024 DONE & DUSTED!!🤩

Last weekend was my final 1-day clinic of 2024 😲….my 5th clinic in less than 2 months!!

This one was my Connection and Confidence Clinic, part of my 1-day series which focuses on the key concepts I feel everyone needs to understand for their training to actually stick!

Congratulations on our participants for making such huge and visible changes in just a day!

One of our participants was literally selling her horse and cancelling her spot the Tuesday prior to this clinic. She had totally lost confidence, as had her horse and didn’t know where to turn - they both arrived feeling very lost but I’m so happy they were able to not just attend but drastically improve their understanding and communication. So much so that…he’s no longer for sale 🤗.

Another of our horses was an adorable young lady who was so inquisitive but lacked self-confidence and was unsure of what to do with her nervous energy, which caused disconnect first in her feet, then her mind.

She brought her two humans with her, one a young rider - who did a fantastic job with her.
I know these concepts might seem a little intimidating to a younger generation but it was an honour to be able to introduce these concepts so early in her riding career and be able to shape these views at such a young age. These are our future horsemen!

Huge congrats on your hard work to everyone who attended! I can’t wait to see more of your journeys!

✨ Stay tuned for the 2025 clinic schedule!! ✨

There will be several half day workshops on the calendar to finish out 2024!

22/10/2024

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘆? 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲? 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲? 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄? 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱?

The first steps to ‘fixing’ these issues are figuring out the why and improving your horse’s mental fitness.

🐴 Gain a better understanding of what your horse is trying to tell you.

🐴 Equip them with essential skills such as emotional regulation.

🐴 Structure your training to compliment their learning style - so you can make maximum progress.

🦄 Do away with the yo-yoing, the inconsistency and the unpredictability!

🦄 Develop a more mutual partnership and keep your horse willing and motivated.

🦄 Learn about the link between mental and physical engagement - it’s deeper than you might think!

Do you have your spot yet????? Message to get yours! Katrina 😁

21/10/2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠…

Well, one of them anyway, there were many.

This was me with my team and a very special mare.

You might not know, but my background is largely in equine rehabilitation, I managed a facility in Kentucky US from 2006 to around 2011 after earning and completing a 12 month international internship at Kentucky Equine Research.

I’d had a lot of valuable equine education to this point, but these years were so pivotal. I joined the professional equine industry for the first time and I was privileged enough to do it across the other side of the world after growing up in the UK.

When I began training I honestly didn’t make the most important links between what I’d been implementing during the rehab. That took some years, BUT there are some people in this picture who had some of the biggest impacts on my training and vision.

Steve and Linda Caddel took a chance on a young intern fresh off the boat! And boy did I hit a learning curve. 18 years later and not only are they mentors but family.

In my first days I remember watching Linda assess horses for lameness, the horses being walked up and down the barn and her pin pointing their soreness in seconds. I said to myself ‘one day I hope to be able to see what she sees’ as I squinted next to her.

The lead stablehand walking young colts that had been rested and confined for healing, as they flitted around like butterflies, within moments taking a deep sigh and dropping their heads as they tuned in to the calming energy.

SO…what things still influence me today?

* always think outside the box - what works for one might not work for another, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

* you can always do more - if a horse was struggling to cope with their rehab or stalling during healing, Linda would always ask, what else can we do? Sometimes the smallest additions would make the biggest differences.

* See the best - a lot of the horses that came in were difficult to treat, they were uncomfortable, painful or frustrated. I might be thrown against walls, bitten or kicked. But I always knew that wasn’t their true personality. I would spend time sitting with them, talking to them and reassuring them outside of treatments. In time some of my most difficult patients became my best friends, nickering to me when I turned on the barn light in the morning.

There are probably many more, but these stick with me daily.

Last week I was reunited with Linda after 5 long years and I’m so proud to show her what I’m working on while she’s here AND have her as my guest of honour at this weekend’s Connection & Confidence 1-Day Ground Clinic, Nar Nar Goon VIC.

Come and join us! Message for details, horse and non-horse spots available!

18/10/2024

𝐈𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡?

🐴 Is your horse a space invader?
🐴 Do they lack confidence in a herd situation?
🐴 Or struggle to actively think through situations independently?

Relationship building is common place in many forms of training, with trust the goal, trust to look to us for help and trust to take our direction. This is a great tool moving forward, however it is also important to balance this with self confidence.

After creating security (for our horses and through being with us), we can build on this to avoid over reliance, pacification or placation.

Why?

🟠 Because we may be in situations where pressure becomes greater than our ability to pacify
🟠 To help our horses confidence not only when they are with us but away from us
🟠 To maintain healthy boundaries
🟠 To maximise our horses use of tools

How do we do this?

🟠 Teaching self regulation
🟠 Teaching body stability and balance
🟠 Teaching body awareness and improving proprioception
🟠 Building the distance at which our horses are comfortable

REAL LIFE situations where building self confidence alongside security can amplify and maximise training results:

✅ Horses who like to be ‘in your space’
✅ Horses lacking confidence in a herd
✅ Transferring skills from the ground to under saddle, particularly during the starting process when you might ‘disappear’ or offer support from above rather than below
✅ Separation anxiety
✅ Taking or moving horses to a new space

Building self confidence gives another layer to our training! And who doesn’t love more tools in their tool box?!

There are many simple exercises that can be performed in a short amount of time that make a world of difference.

☀️☀️I’ll be covering the first steps in my 1-Day Clinic NEXT WEEKEND October 26th! ☀️☀️

I have ONLY 3 horse spots left! Get in touch if you’d like more details or to join us 😁

14/10/2024

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘆? 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲? 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲? 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄? 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱?

The first steps to ‘fixing’ these issues are figuring out the why and improving your horse’s mental fitness.

🐴 Gain a better understanding of what your horse is trying to tell you.

🐴 Equip them with essential skills such as emotional regulation.

🐴 Structure your training to compliment their learning style - so you can make maximum progress.

🦄 Do away with the yo-yoing, the inconsistency and the unpredictability!

🦄 Develop a more mutual partnership and keep your horse willing and motivated.

🦄 Learn about the link between mental and physical engagement - it’s deeper than you might think!

I have space to help a limited number of horses at my next clinic! Let me know if you’re ready for the next step! 😁

10/10/2024

🧡 NEW DATE!!!!!! 🧡

✨October 26th✨ This will be the final repeat of this clinic for 2024! So make sure to grab your spot if you’ve been wanting to attend.

With horse spots are strictly limited.

Theory, discussions & practical sessions included. Morning tea & lunch also included!

Let me know if you want more details!! 😊

Address

Nar Nar Goon, VIC

Telephone

+61468390675

Website

http://www.engaged-equines.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Engaged Equines posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Engaged Equines:

Videos

🦄 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?? 🦄 #horsetrainer #horsetraining #horses #equineeducation #cadencehorsetraining #harmonyfromthegroundup #engagedequines #balanceisbest #startingnotbreaking #horsetrainingtips #horsetrainerlife

🦄 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?? 🦄#horsetrainer #horsetraining #horses #equineeducation #cadencehorsetraining #harmonyfromthegroundup #engagedequines #balanceisbest #startingnotbreaking #horsetrainingtips #horsetrainerlife

Compassionate training is for EVERY horse, not just the ones who force us to dig a little deeper. Be patient, you’ll get there. 🦄 #horses #horsetrainer #cadencehorsetraining #engagedequines #harmonyfromthegroundup #horsetraining #horsemanship

Responsiveness at the expense of fluidity or continuity can cause both physical and behavioural issues, training is always about finding balance in our work ⚖️ #equineeducating #balanceisbest #harmonyfromthegroundup #engagedequines #cadencehorsetraining #horsetrainer #horsetraining #HorseTrainingTips #horsemanship #dressage #equineeducation