Crystal Pines Performance Horses

31/10/2026

🙋‍♀️

30/10/2026

Give kindness, even when it's not returned. Give love, even when it's not reciprocated. 🌿 What you give reflects who you are, not what others choose to give back. 🤎

27/10/2026

🙌 Great article!

Dissipate, don’t participate.

It’s a saying you’ll hear us use often when we’re coaching riders, and it’s one of the most important lessons we can teach in horsemanship.

When things aren’t going the way you want with your horse, you have two choices. You can participate in the emotion, or you can help dissipate it.

When a horse gets frustrated, anxious, reactive, or resistant, it’s incredibly easy for the rider to match that energy. We get frustrated because they’re frustrated. We add pressure because things aren’t working. We become emotional because they’re emotional.

And before long, instead of one emotional participant, we have two.

But you cannot expect your horse to find relaxation and clarity in a situation that you’re helping escalate.

Our job as horsemen is to be the steady presence in the conversation. To recognize when things are beginning to unravel and have the awareness to redirect that energy into something productive.

Sometimes that means changing the question. Sometimes it means simplifying the task. Sometimes it means giving the horse a moment to process and find the right answer.

It doesn’t mean avoiding difficult conversations or never holding your horse accountable. It means understanding that adding emotion to an already emotional situation rarely produces the result we’re looking for.

The more challenging the moment, the more important our timing, patience, and emotional control become.

Because ultimately, we can’t always control how our horses respond to a situation, but we can control what we contribute to it.

The next time things start going sideways with your horse, ask yourself:

Am I helping dissipate this situation, or am I participating in it?

That one question can change the entire direction of your ride.

Dissipate, don’t participate.

26/10/2026

What's been happening and what's coming up!

We just went to the Benalla Big Valley Rach horse on the weekend. This was a perfect low pressure show for our youngsters, some of our clients first shows, first show with new horses, first show back after a break and first show one handed in a bridle for one.
If you don't start somewhere, when will you get started? The first show is always the hardest.

If you have been sitting on the sideline looking at getting started we have some clinics and events coming up................

Wednesday & Thursday private lessons available! Pm your preferred time.

This Saturday I'm at Next Level Equestrian in Lockwood Vic for a one-day clinic. $50 fence sitting available.

We are also Open Cowboy Co-Op in Alexandra this Saturday with Annlee Saddlery & Cowboy Hattery for the opening day!

2nd of November 4pm - 6pm arena Hire and Mechanical cow use. $20 cash

7th of November Ranch / Reining Clinic. Spots available $220.
more info on my page.

9th Arena hire and Mechanical cow use. 4pm - 6pm $20 cash

Super Horse Ranch Show 13th - 15th November (Get you entries in info on the Ranch Horse Association Victoria (RHAV) page.

Grain & Mane photo credit

22/10/2026

🤠We have lots of new stock coming to Cowboy Co-Op this year locally made and created.

🎄Think about shopping local this year for those hard to buy for people with a personalised or custom order, we have so much to offer and ideas to help you get sorted!

🌟Opening 31st of October - 30th of January

🏪We still have spaces available to rent in our Co-Op Shop for the tourist season, if you're a small business and would like to have ago at having your items in our pop-up shop in the heart of Alexnadra Victoria please get in contact. We are in the middle of town with good foot traffic, regular social media updates at no extra costs and only open for 3 months so a perfect time to trial retail on a budget.

19/10/2026

Save the date: Now one day only, Saturday 7th of November. $100 Deposit to book in.
Working on ranch/ reining manoeuvres.
Machinal Cow work will be available in the afternoon.
Great for those heading to the Super Horse Ranch Show or wanting to just have ago without the pressure of the "show environment"
Pattern Practice on Saturday afternoon with trail set up.
Make it two days with a one on one lesson on the Sunday morning.

15/10/2026

🐴 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘!

One thing I love about ranch riding is that it showcases a horse’s ability to be functional, versatile, and willing while maintaining a natural way of going.

Ranch riding isn’t about having the slowest horse or the lowest head. It’s about developing a horse that can move forward freely, maintain rhythm, respond willingly to its rider, and transition smoothly between gaits.

𝘈 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦:

✔️ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘈 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳.

✔️ 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬, 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘵, 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘵, 𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥.

✔️ 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦: 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦.

✔️ 𝘚𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 & 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴: 𝘈 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦.

✔️ 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭: 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘣 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦.

The goal is to create a horse that is not only competitive in the show pen but also enjoyable, functional, and versatile outside of it.

15/10/2026

☀️Start the weekend right!☀️

Saturday Morning Lesson times are available!

What do you want to work on?
General Horsemanship and training? Body control? Problem solving? Rider balance? Reining & Performance Manoeuvres?

Progress not perfection!

14/10/2026

Lopping over a poles isn't just about getting the horse to pick up its feet, it helps improves footwork, timing and balance. These are all useful building blocks for a lead changes. Before asking for the change in the air, we want the horse responsive, engaged and their feet need to be organised and coordinated The preparation for a lead change starts long before we ever ask for one.

*Peppy 2 is in preparation, this is just one of many drills we teach horses and he’s certainly not perfect every time but getting more confident.

Looking forward to sharing his progress and journey, he’s not been the straightforward “dream” but we are starting to see the light and feeling the potential coming through, he may just be a later developer that needs the time not the timeline!