The Horse Listener

03/09/2026

Eight years ago Equus Alliance was formed by a few of us, who wanted to stay in horse rescue but in a small and sustainable way. I'm really proud of the fact that we've managed to survive, and to continue rescuing. You can read about a few of our rescue horses in my Substack post, and feel free to subscribe...



https://candidabaker.substack.com/p/equus-alliance-eight-years-of-horse?r=1rrqg7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

27/08/2026

Dear ones ~ can you spare a small donation to help us support Equus Alliance for our new horse in care, darling Abby, who has spent 17 YEARS alone...❤️❤️❤️

URGENT - ABBY FUNDRAISER!!

💗 It's Candy here ~ Abby has arrived safely, and now she needs our support.
After 17 YEARS on her own, our beautiful Abby has finally arrived somewhere safe.
She is now settled with her new friend Jimmy, who has been adopted from the RSPCA by our wonderful foster carer so Abby can have a friend at last.
From today Abby, who is 25, can begin to live a happy and safe horse life. But for us, getting Abby to safety is only the beginning. She has been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, which means she will need ongoing veterinary care and medication, as well as all the ordinary costs of giving an older horse the comfortable life she deserves.
This is where YOU can help. Please consider a donation for us towards Abby's care. Every donation helps us provide feed, veterinary care, medication, farrier care and, most importantly, the chance for horses like Abby to have a safe and loving future.
After 17 years alone, Abby finally has a home. Can you help us help her live her best life? ❤️

DONATE NOW, and if you can, please share Abby's story. Thank you, as always, for helping us give horses a second chance. Don't forget, every donation over $2 is tax deductible, and every little helps!!

Equus Alliance — Horse Welfare in Action: Rescue. Rehabilitate. Rehome.

Donate via the donate button, via instagram or directly to our bank account:
Equus Alliance
Bendigo Bank
BSB: 633 000
Acc: 167677152

01/08/2026

So my friends, it's August 1, the horses' birthday in the Southern Hemisphere, and what better day to celebrate the publication of this beautiful anthology of horse poems from around the world? The anthology was edited by me and my dear friend, poet and YA writer, Robbie Coburn, and published by the fine folk at 5Islands Press, whose publisher, Mark Tredinnick has several poems in the anthology, including a deeply moving tribue to Australia's brumbies. I've written a lengthy piece on Substack, and here too, is the pre-order link. This is truly something we are all proud of, and I KNOW anyone who buys it will love it... to keep or to gift it. I do hope you enjoy it. Thank you to Jill Jones for the line that became our title, and to all the poets, in Australia and around the world for their wonderful offerings. (More on your copies soon.) Below is a link for pre-orders, and to my Substack offering.
I would also like to thank Michael Zavros for allowing us to use some of his extraordinary horse images. We feel honoured to have him in the anthology, as well as my niece's ((Rosie Sherwood) fine photos. And always and forever thanks to Kathy Holtrust for the day we spent all those years ago with me swinging my camera around wildly.
Also thank you to Geraldine Brooks for allowing us to use a quote from 'Horse', and to all the publishers who were generous with their permissions.

https://www.5islandspress.com/product-page/how-fast-is-the-wind-edited-by-candida-baker-robbie-coburn

https://candidabaker.substack.com/p/creating-a-passion-project

The wonderful journey of curating an anthology of horse poems from around the world with a friend, fellow writer and horse lover...

06/05/2026

This is the most moving story... and makes what's happening to our beautiful Snowy Mountain Brumbies even harder to bear (if that's possible). 💗

In the arid basins of the American West, survival for a wild horse is dictated entirely by movement. The environment is brutally dry. A herd must travel up to twenty miles a day just to cycle between sparse grazing areas and isolated water sources. For a prey animal in this ecosystem, a crippling leg injury is a biological death sentence. If you cannot maintain the pace of the herd, you are left behind to face dehydration or predators.

Equine ethologists monitoring the Onaqui Mountains herd in Utah documented a behavioral sequence that completely defied this ruthless biological math. Their field observations focused on a bachelor band. These are small groups of young male horses that rely on tight social bonds for survival before they can secure their own mares.

During a harsh summer season, one of the young stallions in a heavily monitored bachelor pair sustained a massive, debilitating injury to his front leg. He was entirely incapable of bearing weight. He could not walk to the distant water holes. He could not run.

The standard survival protocol dictates that the healthy horse must abandon the crippled one. Thirst and the prey instinct to stay on the move should easily override any social attachment.

The field observations revealed the exact opposite. The healthy stallion completely anchored himself to his crippled partner.

The healthy male went into a state of absolute defensive survival mode. He actively refused to leave the immediate area. Because the injured horse could only limp a few yards a day, the healthy stallion deliberately starved himself of better forage. He chose to graze on the depleted, dusty scrub brush right next to his partner. When the injured horse finally collapsed in the dirt from exhaustion, the healthy stallion did not rest. He stood directly over him. He placed his massive body between his vulnerable companion and the open desert, acting as a physical shield and a visual deterrent to any approaching coyotes.

He maintained this protective vigil for weeks. He absorbed the massive caloric deficit and the physical exhaustion of standing guard. Because he provided that absolute security, the injured horse was not forced to move prematurely. The damaged leg was given the necessary time to heal.

By the end of the summer, the crippled stallion had regained enough mobility to bear weight. The two horses eventually walked out of the basin together.

Source: Bureau of Land Management / Equine Behavior Research

22/02/2026

In New Zealand the Kaimanawa horse population is managed, respected and admired. Here, we shoot our Brumbies. 😢

Usually on Christiane Slawik Photography workshops, we include a ridden shoot at walk, trot, and canter, so participants can learn to capture the optimum footfalls for each pace, as well as over jumps. We also try to make it a stylised shoot, often in full competition wear, so people can create images that truly reflect what they might see in a competition setting.

This year, with no riders here, and Amanda at Takapoto Showjumping, I had planned to do the shoot. But over the last week, I’ve been too sore to ride. It wasn’t until yesterday morning that I decided to give it a go. As one of the world’s leading photographers, Christiane captures pure magic, and I’ve always dreamed of getting a beautiful bridleless jumping shot of Patriotic. I was also excited to finally wear the competition clothing I bought two years ago, in between injuries, that I had always dreamed of wearing in hunter-jumper and showing classes, but never had the chance to use after re-injuring myself in August 2024.

So yesterday, after working through walk, trot, and canter, we jumped a few cross-country fences, and this became my favourite image of the day, jumping the w**e barrels on the derby course, with a wide-angle lens and Christiane lying on the ground below, capturing the moment from underneath.

As always, she created something truly magical.

But even more special than the photo itself was what it represented.

This moment marked a major milestone in my recovery post-surgery, and a celebration of being back in the saddle after a long, difficult journey. And it reminded me how deeply grateful I am for this horse.

Patriotic is a seven-year-old Kaimanawa. If fate had been different, he would be a wild stallion in the mountains right now. Instead, he is one of the gentlest, kindest, most willing and reliable horses I have ever worked with.

He has only been ridden bridleless fewer than 40 times in his entire life. Yet he is 100% reliable for speed and direction, something that is vital when riding without a bridle, especially for me when returning after injury.

Every time I work with him, I’m reminded that there are true diamonds in the rough within the Kaimanawa herd. That the countless hours, the long days, the emotional and physical work that goes into taming wild horses after the muster is worth it. These horses are absolutely deserving of their second chance.

Historically, unrehomed horses were sent to slaughter. That hasn’t happened since 2014, because enough people have stepped up to give them homes.

But this coming muster, 149 horses need to be rehomed. Applications close in less than six weeks. It will take a huge collective effort through a long winter to ensure every one of those lives is saved.

Patriotic is just one of many incredible Kaimanawa horses who have passed through my property, and there are countless more across New Zealand with the same heart, soul, and potential.

If you’re looking for a diamond in the rough, I have spaces open for Initial Handling, with owners able to have their horse delivered to my property for taming, or be onsite for 25-days to be mentored through the process of taming their horse themselves. Email [email protected] for more information.

Thank you to everyone who stands with us in protecting these horses and giving them the future they deserve.

19/02/2026

A training session with a client’s beautiful Paint Standardbred who has obviously done liberty play before. What a sweetheart of a horse - and a fun journey helping Roxanne create a strong connection with her unicorn.

horsemanship

02/02/2026

This brings back memories of English winters as a child with my pony (and also Australian rainy seasons!) 🤦‍♀️🤣

Winter Olympics - horse edition!

1. Slip and slide. Fastest person to lead a fresh 2yo warmblood over 100m of bog. You do not need to remain on your feet, bonus points for the longest face slide without drowning.

2. Shoe cluedo. First to find a lost shoe in 3 acres of boggy field. We won’t mention the shoe has actually defied gravity and is hung in the hedge.

3. Wheelbarrow weights. The maximum load you can fit in a wheelbarrow and still push through knee deep mud. If it topples you lose.

4. The trog. White horse, turnout, no rug. Winner is the fastest to get clean without crying.

5. Windrugging. The person who while trying to rug a horse in 40mph winds gets blown the furthest from their horse using the rug as a sail. Style points for airtime and dignified landing.

6. Lack of daylight. You must identify your assigned bay horse out of a line up of 5 bay horses in a field from 200m away in the pitch black.

Creativity bonus. Your horse has been stuck in its stable for 3 days - you can’t turn out due to ice/snow/wind. You must improvise a stable toy using only baling tw**e and a feed bag.

Entry fees are one months livery costs, winnings are a 20p ribbon and a crème egg.

26/01/2026

Follow me on Substack for longer pieces on 'horse listening'. This one's on the importance of understanding how little pressure your horse may need to understand what you want...

https://candidabaker.substack.com/p/softly-softly

Going slow to get there quicker – with a willing partner on the way