Obsidian Equestrian

19/10/2026

16/10/2026

Some horses have personality.
Beau, on the other hand, has an entire collection of them. 😂🖤

15/10/2026

Horses are learning all the time, even when we’re not deliberately training them.

One of the ways they learn is through classical conditioning, a process in which a horse learns to associate two previously unrelated stimuli through repeated pairings.

Take the horses at Obsidian Equestrian, for example. They’ve learned to come when called by a whistle, just like Marvin here in the video.

Over time, the sound of a particular whistle, which I reserve for calling the horses in, was repeatedly paired with the arrival of their feed.

Through this association, the whistle became meaningful to the horses, rather than simply being another sound in their environment.

That’s classical conditioning in action.

While classical conditioning helped establish the association between the whistle and feed, the purpose was to teach the horses to come when called.

Positive reinforcement also plays a role in developing this behaviour, as receiving feed after approaching can strengthen the likelihood of the horses responding to the whistle in the future.

Classical conditioning isn’t limited to whistles or feeding routines, either.

Horses can develop associations with people, places, equipment, sounds and experiences, sometimes without us even realising we’re teaching them anything.

Classical conditioning is a good reminder that learning doesn’t always happen during training sessions.

05/10/2026

04/10/2026

A brief discussion with Marvin regarding his work ethic.

His job is lawn mowing.

The performance review went as expected; no immediate improvement in productivity was observed. Further monitoring is required. 😂

27/09/2026

Sunday is the day of rest… As is every other day ending in Y, according to Snow. ☀️

26/09/2026

Obsidian Equestrian is officially online.

After a considerable amount of work behind the scenes, we’re very pleased to finally share the Obsidian Equestrian website.

The website brings together everything about Obsidian Equestrian in one place — our values, the approach and philosophy behind the business, services offered, things to come, and information about getting in touch.

Obsidian Equestrian provides evidence-informed, welfare-focused behavioural consultation, with online consultations available Australia-wide and in-person support available by assessment on a case-by-case basis.

But this website also represents something a little bigger.

Helping horses in need has always been part of the broader vision surrounding Obsidian Equestrian, and you may notice a few hints throughout the website about what is quietly taking shape alongside the business.

There will be more to share when the time is right.

For now, we’re incredibly pleased to finally say:

The website is live.

obsidianequestrian.com.au