Engaged Equines

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.

06/09/2026

It can be so confusing when you’re trying to do right by your horse. You know the traditional ways don’t sit right anymore — but your softness still seems to be letting you down.

For my gentler, compassionate horse people… sometimes softness gets mistaken for the problem, when really, it’s something else entirely.

It’s a lack of clarity.

Simple misunderstanding. A breakdown in communication. That’s what causes the frustration and confusion behind the behaviours you don’t want.

The good news? You don’t have to choose between soft and effective. You can still get results — a horse who’s well-adjusted, happy, and capable. I want you to know it’s possible, despite the outside noise.

I break down exactly how to bring clarity into your training — without losing your softness at my newly released Spring/Summer events, check the comments and if this hit home drop me a ‘🧡’

Look forward to seeing you all very soon! 🤗

05/09/2026

Oh it is… just not today 🤗

04/09/2026

What to do when your horse does something you don’t want

When your horse does something you don’t it’s easy to be fixated on the what and how.

The what = the issue.
The how = how to fix it.

This means we’re approaching the problem usually with a correction or deterrent since the horse may literally have bolted.

Punishing your horse with discomfort or making whatever it is they’re doing more difficult might work temporarily but it’s important to realise that the effects are just that, temporary, inconsistent and unreliable and usually a band aid to a much deeper issue.

A much more efficient, longer lasting approach is addressing the frequently overlooked WHY.

Why = the cause of the issue.

This tells you everything you need to know to not only ‘fix’ it but avoid it reoccurring, you might also get a bonus of resolving other issues through the same work. Many birds, one stone.

But I get that looking into why might be challenging.

When we reprimand or deter, the responsibility lies with the horse to change something.

Understanding the why puts the responsibility on the us and involves up skilling, patience and dedication to the cause.

Most of my training efforts are placed into looking for the why and the results might be harder work or even slower but the faults return with interest, it’s rare I have to constantly fix the same issue plus I avoid other issues popping up.

It means my horses don’t have to be micro managed and my clients don’t need to learn 1,256 problem specific exercises, with deeper understanding they’re also often able to problem solve and resolve future issues on their own.

Let me help you work out the why this spring/summer … join me at one of my events! 🤗 check the comments!

03/09/2026

I recently mentioned that waiting longer and more frequent pauses was the biggest key to helping me progress in my training more quickly.

But some of you had questions…

What am I waiting for?
How long do I wait?
How do I know when to pause and when to move forward?

We’re looking for the horse to be able to relax, by releasing mental and physical tension we actually have access to the brain and body to teach it the things we want it know.

We want to maximise our sessions by making sure our horses are in a frame of mind that allows them to learn and actually keep hold of the information we’re giving, so your horse isn’t constantly ‘forgetting’ what we’ve taught.

If you understand what you’re looking at and for when your horse is infront of you or underneath you - you can make sure you’re not setting them back by overwhelming them or demotivating them, that your not wasting time teaching them when they can’t pick up what you’re putting down and that it’s safe for you to continue on.

If you want to put this into practice, save yourself hours of training that isn’t really effective and make sure you’re not going to make an involuntary dismount instead of just hoping for the best, join me at one of my next events… let me know if you want to know more!!

⭐️ 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝟭 𝗦𝗘𝗣 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

⭐️ 𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝟮 𝗢𝗖𝗧 𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

⭐️ 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 & 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝟯 𝗡𝗢𝗩 𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

⭐️ 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝟰 𝗗𝗘𝗖 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

⭐️ 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝟮-𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗢𝗖𝗧 𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

⭐️ 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 & 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝟭-𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗗𝗘𝗖 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗡

29/08/2026

This might come as a surprise, but…

…waiting longer is my key to getting things done quicker, not only speeding up my progress but actually maintaining the results.

And trust me, I’ve fallen into the trap of skipping ahead too and my regret follows closely when I realise I’ve actually set myself back in the long run.

When learning something new the brain and body need time to calibrate and coordinate to execute a new task.

When something added is perceived as extra pressure, whether that’s something new, something scary or something challenging, the brain needs time to process and come back down from a triggered stress response.

Without safety, security and competence there is no learning retention, so you’re going to find yourself constantly repeating and refreshing the same thing over and over again with limited progress.

Simply pausing for longer and allowing your horse space and time more frequently during training can actually speed up and maximise your gains.

My spring/summer 26/27 event dates with a couple of exciting new masterclasses and clinics is out now and I have a crazy bundle deal going!
Message me for the page link!

And don’t forget to follow if you prefer to train with empathy but still want results!

engagedequines

21/07/2026

When hunger comes knocking you’d better answer ✊

19/07/2026

🧡 That looks like…

Less shutting down behaviours and more figuring out why they’re happening in the first place.

Less blaming the horse for not getting the right answer and more work on breaking things into smaller pieces with clearer communication.

More encouragement, more direction and less reprimanding.

We’ve been taught that we need horses to obey but control is an illusion, motivating your horse is much more powerful than simply obedience.

Show me a ‘🧡’ if you agree! And if we’re on the same page stay tuned for upcoming clinics, fresh events and new online offerings!

15/07/2026

THE WOW FACTOR! 💥

As a trainer I’m often faced with an element of proving my worth – with each new client comes a burden of proof to demonstrate how or why my approach works.

Sometimes I get a dramatic change in an outwardly reactive horse during our first training session, cut to images of much moving of feet, rearing, bucking and clouds of dust.

More often than not, my first session (and hopefully subsequent sessions) are quite underwhelming in terms of the action movie people have envisioned, with minimal explosions and not many car chases.

Though in some cases, this may not be enough for the critics, I encourage you to watch through to the credits.

Think of it more as a slow burn with a feel good ending and sometimes even a little unexpected twist.
With every horse that is presented, I work with the energy level that is in front of me and I always try to minimise anxiety and diffuse tension throughout every session to promote a good learning environment and maximise learning retention.

Whether teaching new coping skills to an anxious horse or greater responsiveness to a dull or shut down horse, I want to keep high energy to as short bursts as possible and set ambient conditions for the horse to figure out the solution to the question.

I will always work in the best interests of the horse and will not compromise on causing unnecessary stress just for the WOW factor, even if that leaves the door open for an inconclusive review.

13/07/2026

🍃…doing more isn’t always better

You’ve probably heard of quality over quantity and less is more, but you’ve probably also heard,

‘I have to work my horse six days a week else they’re too hot.’

‘I have to lunge my horse before every ride.’

‘If I give my horse time off, they’ll forget what they’ve learned’

‘I need to work my horse for an hour a day six times a week to build more muscle tone.’

If you’re using movement to expel energy or tire your horse out so they’re manageable, it’s highly likely your horse is living in survival mode or permanent fight or flight - a body in constant stress cannot effectively strengthen and loses functional movement and range of motion…work on body awareness and emotional regulation skills.

If your horse easily reverts to previous behaviours, you’re not building positive associations with training, the positions they’re put in or movements they’re asked to do add tension and resistance instead of encouraging softness and suppleness…ensure their physical capacity matches up and work on posture, balance and alignment.

Teaching your horse how to better manage their own body and balance greatly increases their self confidence, teaching your horse more functional movement keeps them comfortable and sound.

Training harder isn’t always the answer, especially if we’re not training for the right balance of stability and mobility. Training with good form is.

If your horse’s body isn’t gradually prepared for the increased work intensity they’re at risk of strain or injury, your extra time and effort may also not yield the results you’re hoping for if recovery time isn’t taken into account. Muscles need recovery time to develop and grow. The less fitness, the greater the recovery time needed after an intense workout.

Of course, consistency is important but the horses mind and body doesn’t ‘forget’ quality training. If a horse finds an exercise beneficial they will often be willing and motivated to repeat it, rewiring the brain is as important as work intensity.

Take a look at your horse’s training program and see how you can incorporate these tips to make more progress with less work!

Don’t forget to save for later!

11/07/2026

🧡 “𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.” ~ 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 🧡

Control might lead to obedience, but when the s% hits the fan there’s no reason for your horse to stick around.

Teaching your horse to manage their body and mind brings much more consistency and predictability to their behaviour AND your training, which makes progress much more linear!

Follow if you want to be the first to get on my spring/summer clinic wait lists!!! Released soon!

Or you appreciate training that’s not just effective but creates a happy horse! 🐴

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Nar Nar Goon, VIC

Telephone

+61468390675

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