Alice Hurley Dressage

02/01/2025

T R A I N I N G — L E S S O N S — C L I N I C S

Back to it after a wonderful Christmas break overseas:

📍 MOURA — 31 Jan-2 Feb
📍 BUNDABERG — 9 Feb

🔹 LESSONS — available throughout the week on & off-site, in and around the Maryborough area.

🔹 TRAINING/SALES — currently booked for January. Taking bookings for beginning of Feb onwards.

✨ CONTACT ME for more information or to book

📸 Equine Collective collage from the archives 💞
👚 Pure Canter

31/12/2024

2024 was a huge year; the toughest and at the same time the most rewarding yet.

The loss of my father in January was incredibly hard to navigate so far from family and at times quite overwhelming while trying to move forward with my own goals and clients horses. Grief is an unpredictable emotion and whilst I allowed myself to feel it, the constant everyday challenges and routine workload that comes with horses was something of a relief at times. Dad’s celebration of life in April was painful but also bursting with joy, and a brilliant reunion of family from Ireland & the US. Irish humour (and a full glass of wine) truly is the tonic for sadness.

Several set-backs with my own horse throughout the year stunted my competition plans. But a little glimmer of hope for 2025 was managing to squeeze in his first Mediums for a couple of wins at the local comp in Gladstone.

In spite of the lows, 2024 really was the year for growth. Three weeks working for Emma Flavelle-Watts Dressage in March gave me motivation, focus and important tools for my own riding & training. A sacrifice to take the time away from earning when you’re self-employed, but a necessary one.

2024 was probably my busiest year yet with clients horses; at times working my way through 9 a day (on my own 😮‍💨). A brilliant and colourful variety of types from little pocket Welshies to big towering WBs and literally all walks of life in between — after all variety is the spice of life! A few smatterings of local competitions picking up a few blues from Novice to Medium. Clinics saw me travelling to Rockhampton, Roma, Bundaberg and ending with the biggest one yet (of 42 lessons!) in Moura. And it was a pleasure to help half a dozen horses find their new homes both within QLD & interstate. Buddy kept me on toes, as usual, with a record of two involuntary dismounts (for the first time in 8 years), and Ferdi matured beautifully under the guidance of Tim's Equine Services. 2025 expects to bring much of the same (without hitting the deck, please 🙏).

Away from horses, Dad’s passing spurred me to finally enter into the WSET ladder; completing my first qualification in Wine (WSET Level 2) with 96% and leading to an amazing trip to Barossa in July. New geeky passion unlocked. Something I intend to progress with in 2025.

Alongside the wine & the horses, personal growth extended to physical growth too. Thanks to the weekly expertise of Move Freely, at 36 I felt the best ever in my body both in and out of the saddle. A goal I want to continue to achieve for the year ahead.

A new horse float was pretty exciting — as a minimum wage rider for so long back home, I would never have thought I could achieve two horses and a new float!

But the most exciting and biggest milestone to date was purchasing our first property and taking yet another leap into the unknown moving to a different area. Our feet have barely touched the ground since our move with boxes still waiting to be unpacked. There is a huge amount of work to be done but we are so proud and grateful for this new chapter and the opportunities that come with it.

An awesome Christmas back home in England with family sealed an almighty 2024. If you’ve reached this far with my ramblings, well done & thank you!

Here’s to 2025 — I won’t say for an easier one as the years are never easy. But here’s to peace, good wine & well-behaved ponies 🥂🍾

A MASSIVE thank you to my family, friends, clients, supporters, sponsors Cantaloup.com.au & Pure Canter and equine professionals Beecher Equestrian Park, Calliope Mobile Vet, James Donald Farrier Services, Heidi Douglas & of course Emma Flavelle. And the biggest thank you to my absolute rock Anthony Pelling; the calm to my storm(s) 😆.

Happy New Year! X

24/12/2024

2024 will be marked as a life changing year peppered with milestones; good & bad, big & small.

After a turbulent year with many highs but also some painful lows, we look ahead with energy & excitement to 2025.

Thank you to my wonderful friends & family, clients, supporters & equine professionals for your support and hard work in 2024.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year ❤️🎄🥂

11/12/2024

Rounded off the working year with a mammoth, jam-packed 4 days of coaching for the Zone 9 Pony Club Christmas Clinic in Moura. Thank you to the organisers for producing a friendly and smoothly run event. And to all the attendees for a great few days of 42 lessons! A dip in the Moura pool over a long lunch break and teaching under lights was a much appreciated respite in pretty toasty weather ☀️

So great to catch up with everyone and see the improvements in all ✨

While I was working hard in Moura I was delighted to hear that I picked up three out of four nominated awards for the Gladstone Calliope Equestrian Group annual awards night:

✨ ‘Most Consistent Senior Rider’ — for the third year in a row 🙂

✨ ‘Most Consistent Performer: Elementary’ with Buddy

✨ ‘Most Consistent Performer: Novice’ with Minnie

Huge thanks to the club for a lovely year of well run events 🥂

27/11/2024

A nice way to close our Gladstone chapter with Buddy & Minnie picking up a couple of finalist places for the 2024 GCEG Awards.

Buddy had a much quieter year than I had hoped but I’m delighted I managed to get him out to his first Mediums, and Minnie to her first Elementary tests.

Massive thank you to the club for holding these events — always relaxed & friendly. We hope to make it up to some comps next year ✨

26/11/2024

A bittersweet goodbye this afternoon to beautiful Minnie (Lauriette BEP), who has found her next dancing partner with a talented young rider and a beautiful new home in QLD.

A big thank you to Jeanette from Beecher Equestrian Park for entrusting me with Minnie’s training and sale over the past 14 months. It has been such a journey and, as with every horse, Minnie has taught me so much. Our 3 weeks with Emma Flavelle-Watts Dressage at the beginning of the year was a real turning point in how I needed to alter my approach to her training to progress and allow her ability to shine through. 8 months later she leaves now feeling like a different horse, capable of great things ✨ Thank you Emma 🙌

We may not have been able to get to many comps due to one thing or another, but in our time together she managed a fistful of wins at our local GCEG club events including Prelim Champion this time last year, Novice Champion and later Elementary Champion at our last outing; achieving a number of 70%+ scores, the 2023 GCEG Prelim High-Point award and one of two finalists for the 2024 GCEG High-Point Novice award ✨

I am so proud of this mare — she has developed into an exciting dressage prospect with absolutely gallons of potential and so much more to come.

Wishing Minnie’s new rider & family the very best of luck. I can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for you both ✨💞

27/10/2024

SOLD

These two lovely horses sold within a week of being on the market and are currently on their way to their new homes; Milo is en route to NSW and Coco is Brisbane-bound.

The right home and a good match is always priority and I’m certain that’s what these two have found.

Wishing Milo, Coco & their new families the very best of luck with their new partnerships 💞

26/10/2024

📣 BIG NEWS 📣

We can finally say that we are home owners!!!! We are super excited for the next chapter and with it brings a big move to a new area: Maryborough, QLD.

The property is set up for horses and I will be able to continue business as usual including a select number of training/sales horses, lessons & clinics. With the possibility of spelling/holiday agistment (full care only) in 2025.

Facilities include:
🔹 Large, secure grassy paddocks with shelters set on 20 acres
🔹 Day stables & steel yards
🔹 Direct access to the neighbouring 20x60 arena while we build our own
🔹 Sheds
🔹 Concrete tie-up & wash-down

We are very fortunate and grateful to have the use of the neighbouring arena while we settle and begin the task of building our own, which will enable me to continue training as normal.

🔹I currently have an availability for short-term training agistment from the beginning of November for up to 4 weeks. And also taking bookings for January 2025!

Please get in touch for more information ✨

While we have an exciting adventure ahead of us I am of course sad to be leaving the area where we have called home for the last 3.5 years. And where I have made my little business into something. I am extremely grateful for the support of my clients, friends, equine professionals and equestrian clubs over the past few years. More on that later. In the meantime….

…..See you soon Maryborough!! 😱🤩

24/10/2024

Beautiful Minnie is still searching for her next dance partner 💃🏼🖤

21/10/2024

*SOLD*
Attractive & flashy proven show/dressage mount

Stunning 10 yo registered Riding Pony x TB gelding with real ring presence.

Dam: Jazz N Blues
Sire: Falconhurst Boy Blue

Currently measuring approx 15hh but has extensively competed as a large Galloway.

Milo has had numerous successful show outings including:

2019 Champion Novice Galloway - Toowoomba Royal Show
2019 Champion Childs Galloway at SHCQ HOTY
2019 EQ Champion Newcomer
2021 Champion Large Galloway — Mackay Hack Championship
2021 Top 10 Childs Galloway at Grand Nationals in Sydney
2021 1st Arab Deriv, 4th Novice Galloway, 5th Open Galloway at Sydney Royal Show
2021 TOTR Arabian Show Champion API
2021 Supreme in Arabian Gala

Three correct paces with an eye-catching trot, easily training Novice dressage with counter canter & potential for Elementary with continued training. He has also attended clinics & PC camp including a variety of disciplines and is not fazed by farm machinery, dogs, other horses etc.

Milo is quiet but is best suited to a competent and confident rider. Requires finding the ‘go’ button but he is relatively straightforward and fun to ride. He can show a front of being a little grumpy to tack up/rug but he is actually a sweetheart. Would be a real asset to the right home.

Registrations:
Riding pony
ANSA
API Arabian
Equestrian QLD
Show horse council

Ideal dressage/hack/interschool. Recent dental & routine shoeing.

Located: Gladstone, QLD.

Video: please message on WhatsApp with ‘Milo’ for video: 0436300050

19/10/2024

*SOLD*
Smart & capable all-rounder:
Approx 15.1hh QH x SH 16 yo mare

Coco is a kind, willing and eager to please partner who has been there, done that and got the T-Shirt. Extensive PC & Interschool outings with State & Regional placings including wins in Combined Training. Successfully competed in Prelim/Novice level dressage & SJ up to 80cm. Also has won Stockmans Challenge at local show.

I have the advantage of knowing Coco well having been a coach to her previous rider as well as knowing her past homes. Coco is fit and capable with many more miles left on the clock with the right partner. Currently working Nov level dressage, she has previous experience mustering, SJ, XC, dressage & showing. Coco had a beautiful foal 4 years ago and successfully came back into work the following year.

Coco thrives off developing a bond with her person and is looking for someone who can afford her the time she deserves to bring out the best in her. She would be best suited to a balanced & confident rider, not suitable for beginners.

Notable results include:

🥇CQ IQ Regionals CT Secondary Champion 2022

🏵️ 6th in the 70cm State Showjumping 13-U26 age group 2022

🥉3rd State Dressage Prelim 13-U26 2022

🥇Part of winning State Teams Showjumping 70cm 13-U26 2022

🏵️ 8th 70cm CT Interschool States 2023

Recent dental & routine shoeing.

Please message me on WhatsApp 0436300050 with “Coco” for video.

Located: Gladstone QLD

18/10/2024

100% — a complicated horse will expose you for the rider & trainer you are. Stay humble, never stop learning and adapt.

Difficult horses expose you for the rider and trainer that you are.

They highlight your inadequacies and showcase them for everyone to see.

They get louder if you refuse to listen.

They will embarrass you, humble, you, infuriate you but, also, they will teach you. If you let them.

Horses who refuse to succumb to forceful pressures and instead fight back often aren’t the most liked horses.

How we respond to these horses exposes a lot about us and where we are in our horsemanship journey.

If we let our ego run the show, we can quickly resort to toxic attitudes that blame the horse and cause us to respond in anger.

We may stereotype the horse off of their breed, color, s*x, or whatever trait we can grasp to try to blame. ie: “she’s such a chestnut thoroughbred mare, that’s why she’s being such a witch!”

While this may provide temporary relief and it takes the focus off of how we are creating negative behaviour in the Horse, it stunts our growth.

And it soothes our ego at the expense of the horse.

It’s easy to like horses who do what we want.

Who are simple, uncomplicated, easy to push and get the answer we want.

But, how we respond to the horses who won’t do that perhaps says the most about us as a human.

The empathy and compassion with which we can approach the difficult horse speaks volumes about our own ability to emotionally regulate and how we show up as a rider and/or trainer.

One of the most telling things about a trainer may just be how they behave when things don’t go their way.

How do they treat the horses who don’t respond well to their methods?

Do they get angry and try harder to force a result?

Or do they pause, recalibrate and find a new approach?