Track Up Equine

Track Up Equine Horse training & coaching based in the Brookfield. Specialising in ottbs and green/young horses.

Track Up Equine offers:
• Professional Coaching
• Sales & Show preparation
• Showing & Campaigning
• Breaking, Training & re-educating of horses
• Horse Management classes and lessons
• Purchase Advice
• Rehab and medical management (bandage changes, medication administration, body work)

30/11/2025

Week 4 of Mr Manny (may have gotten a bit slack on week 3 posting....sorry!)

The little man is now settled in, showing his personality and starting some basic work.

My starting point for work with all of the otts (and pretty much any horse brought here for training) is lunging.

Lunging is an under utilized and valuable tool for all horses, regardless of training level.

Lunging DOESN'T mean run them, unbalanced, in a circle until they are too tired to express an opinion under saddle
Lunging DOES mean getting them to focus on you as a handler, teaching them to respond to body and voice cues, allowing them to find their balance without the weight and pressure of a rider, and many other things.

With lunging I can see on the ground, before I get on, if there is a weakness or tightness in a limb or direction. I can see how they respond to pressure and release. I can introduce pole work, low jumps, hills, etc - all while allowing the horse to build confidence in themselves and their body, without a rider micromanaging everything.

I start off lunging in just a cavesson, not a bridle, since I want my horses to respond to nose pressure. Then with my otts I add in a bridle, again with the cavesson, so they begin to associate a bridle and bit with cavesson pressure. And then I add in a surcingle and loose side reins attached low (but not between the front legs).

My big thing is that I don't attach my lunge line to the bit because the pressure a lunge line exerts on the bit is different than a rein aid would exert on the bit. And at the end of the day when training the building blocks and 'ABC's' to a horse why would we confuse the horse with teaching different pressure aids. Keeping everything very simple and basic will allow for greater understanding and confidence when translated to under saddle work.

Manny did well when introduced to the side reins, but you could tell he is braced through the neck and back, not allowing himself to release and stretch down to accept contact. That is so common in the otts, but it just takes time and patience and consistency.

Hopefully we will have a ride on him next week 🤞🏻

Riders Retreat 2025 A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have a spot in the Riders Retreat at An amazing day that star...
23/11/2025

Riders Retreat 2025

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have a spot in the Riders Retreat at

An amazing day that started off with mindset and performance psychology for the wonderful reminding all of us of the foundation of our love and drive in the sport.

Then on horse sessions from the talented where we focused on engagement, control and adjustability in our dressage training. The fundamentals we often forget to work on as we progress through the levels.

Followed by a session with the amazing , where we worked through exercises to improve our strength and balance in the saddle.

And then a grid work and poles lesson with none other than the Chef d'Equipe of New Zealand equestrian team, . We were put through our paces with trot and canter poles, making sure we had our engine and balance in order to build strength.

Fella and I took so much away from the clinic (including some great goodies from .equestrian and )

I can't wait for the next one!

My mantra:
Grounded.
Soft.
Connected.

What's yours?

21/11/2025

Worked with Manny in the round yard today for the first time.

Some race horses have been taught to lunge and others haven't, so I just always assume there is no base level knowledge and then adjust as needed.

And I like to free lunge them before lunging them in a cavesson to make sure they understand the very basics of body language and position.

I personally lunge a lot in my training, not to 'work the energy out' like so many people do, but to teach them how to use themselves without a rider on their backs, how to respect verbal and non-verbal aids, and to visualize on the ground if they seem stiff/tight somewhere.

You can tell in the beginning Manny was much more interested in the gate and leaving to go to his friends, but with consistent direction and clear communication he finally started to understand what was being asked. It took a lot of redirecting and more than a few unclear moments and some big reactions, but he began to understand what I was asking and was calm about it.

So then I ended the training.

I aim to train the horse I want for tomorrow. So I don't train with time in mind, but with a goal. Does the horse understand what is being asked and are they willing to try it. It doesn't have to be perfect or 100% correct. But I want them to try.

Then the next time they'll understand that the 'try' is what I want and are more willing to give it a go. It's about creating a partnership.

Training is never linear and not often 'pretty', but that's okay, we will get there one day. Together.

16/11/2025

Mannie and I are back again - this time going over the basics of teaching an ott how to lead.

This is such a simple thing that often gets forgotten or overlooked when horses first come off the track. Most of their life they've been led everywhere in a bit and bridle and just gone quickly from point A to point B....so we need to teach them to match our pace and respect our space at the same time. I don't want to get drug around or run over when leading and I want my horses to be present and paying attention to me.

I also start introducing the horses how to back up respectfully, AND calmly, during this time. I want them to back up when I back up and follow my body language. This is so beneficial for them to start not only respecting your space in a calm and quiet manner, but also to learn that backing up is just another pace - not something they have to do when they are 'naughty' (think of the times when you've seen someone chase a horse backwards because they've done something wrong and all the horses learns then is to panic when they back up - that's not where we want to start and that's not the standard we want to set)

Also Mannie was a complete superstar for all of this - the video clip is him doing all of these things for the first time with me. So he is a gold star of a student and such a sweet horse.


I did not have Freddie pinged as a little show jumper....but here he is, going around like a little rockstar. Not at all...
14/11/2025

I did not have Freddie pinged as a little show jumper....but here he is, going around like a little rockstar. Not at all what I expected of him but he will be sure to make someone super happy as a jumper, eventer or an all arounder when he goes on the market!

Very definition of don't judge a book by its cover. Freddie looks more like a cute pony than an athletic thoroughbred, but he is loving his jump schooling. He's had less than a handful of jump schools in his post racing career and he just keeps getting better!

Huge thanks to my amazing trainer and his jockey for a few jumps this morning for working with him and me. Rebel has been an amazing coach for me and the otts I work with, so great at building their confidence and ability to use themselves post track.

Horses will tell you what they like to do - you just have to listen.

Maybe instead of My Little Pony I have to start calling him My Little Jumping Bean 🫘

1 week check in for Bak Da Man aka Mannie This little (I think he just barely tops 15.2/3) tb has had an adventure of a ...
09/11/2025

1 week check in for Bak Da Man aka Mannie

This little (I think he just barely tops 15.2/3) tb has had an adventure of a first week of this spell at retraining her at

First thing was some shiny new shoes, courtesy of Luke Riding, an expert in all things hooves and farrier....and puts up with me as a client 🤣 Mannie had some silicon on his off fore which was placed to assist in setting a racing plate, but now causing some long toes and collapsed heels. Luke has placed standard steel shoes, but we are planning to add a bar next shoeing in order to support the heel and allow it to grow.

Most racehorses don't have "bad" feet, they've just been shod a specific way for the track which isn't often biomechanically appropriate for the off the track life. So we start slow, build up nutrition and then support the hoof and he will have a whole new set of feet in 12months.

He also felt it necessary to chew on the lead rope for support 😆

He was turned out with the "herd" of Bella and Fella to learn how to be a horse and has quickly latched on to his 'emotional support chestnut' and can be found sharing a food bucket or blade of grass (much to Fellas amusement 🙃)

He's been straight and cross tied for short periods and stands very patiently - which isn't the case with all otts, so sometimes that's our first lesson.

Mannie has discovered the joy of licorice...he's still uncertain about chomping carrots, but we will get there. Not all race horses are given treats, so sometimes we have to teach them they are delicious by chopping them finely and adding them to feed and then slowly increasing the size of the piece.

And he's had a lovely good bath and tail wash. I'm in love with his tail 😍✨

We are still working on leading politely. Which is why I have him in a rope halter. I want him to learn to respect my space and tempo without the need to correct or pull constantly. I'll make a reel of how I work on this. Almost all otts come off a little 'bargy', not because they are rude, but just from being lead everywhere in a bit & bridle.

Next week will be more of low level handling and just more love 🐴💚

06/11/2025

What, how and why I feed my fresh otts the things I do.

Biggest take away is start with roughage and fibre - full access to a paddock and a round bale is my ideal. But even if you don't have good paddocks then offering free choice, QUALITY, hay is the next best. I even offer my paddocked horses free choice grassy/Rhodes for their guts.

Then adding a variety of fibre types and sources helps their guts "rebalance" and "reset" from the high energy, high NSC, race horse feed. Variety in stem length, type (lupins, Lucerne, beet pulp, etc), and sources (hay, paddock, chaff) - is the best, and most natural way to help their gut health.

I wait for a few weeks before transitioning onto a hard or complete feed, so in the interim I add a variety of easy to digest fibre, a complete vitamin/mineral, and any additional supplements.

My horses are all started on a base of chaff, Fibre Beet Mash, and Hygain EasiFibre. This gives them lucerne, beer pulp, and lupins in guy friendly forms and they feel like they aren't missing out meal time.

For supplements I use:
Barastoc Groom for a vitamin and mineral. I've found it to complete the "gaps" in their nutritional profile really well here in SEQLD.
Kelato Gastroaid Recovery - fantastic, science backed, gut support. However if they have gastric ulcers I will 100% get my vet involved to get Omeprazole. No matter how good a guy supplement claims to be, the only medically studied ulcer treatment is Omeprazole.
Magnesium - to help relax those tight muscles
Salt/electrolyte
CEN Frisky Mare - a fantastic (and not well labelled) product, good for mares AND geldings. With a base of ashwaganda, a proven stress relieving herb, I found it helps ALL horses cope with training changes, lifestyle changes, and competition stress. It just tones down that anxiety and fear of the unknown and lets them be more present in training.

And that's it! At least for a few weeks and then I'll start to transition to a complete feed when their energy requirements go up with training.

Any questions?

05/11/2025

Amazing exercise to do out of the saddle to keep ourselves fit!

✨Some exciting news here at Track Up Equine!!✨ We have a new, fresh, OTT that's just arrived in for retraining - meet Ba...
03/11/2025

✨Some exciting news here at Track Up Equine!!✨

We have a new, fresh, OTT that's just arrived in for retraining - meet Bak Da Man 🤩

Bak da man (or Mannie as we are calling him) is an 8 year old, NZ bred thoroughbred who has won over $300k in his racing career! This handsome man has raced all over Australia and really excelled in the longer distances, but his trainer has noticed his heart just isn't in it anymore and wanted to retire him on to the next chapter in his life.

Mannie is a handsome little chestnut, maybe 15.3hh (maybe 😅) with a cute face and kind eye.

Even though he just arrived yesterday he has already settled in and greets everyone over the stall door (mainly hoping for butt scratches)

Over the next few months I'll be posting updates and stories about my retraining process - including feeding, physical health, ground work, etc. All the little things that go into turning a fine tuned athlete into a confident riding partner - no matter of the goal is competition or pleasure)

Being transparent about my process, and the blips and struggles that come with training otts, is so important to me so that people can see the work put into these amazing horses.

Please feel free to ask questions and tune in to Mannie's journey. I can't wait to get started 💕

"There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse."Jango, the lovely grey tb, has found a new home. Go...
30/10/2025

"There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse."

Jango, the lovely grey tb, has found a new home. Going from one amazing human to another. It wasn't easy for Cai to part with such a wonderful soul, but the reins have been taken up by another amazing horsewoman who, no doubt, will love and appreciate all this horse has to offer.

I am thankful that Jangos owners trusted me in his training - he was shut down and checked out from previous trainers and experiences, and the owners only wanted the best for him but weren't sure how to start.

We took it back to the beginning, restarted with the basics, took care of his body and his mind....and most importantly, I listened. So many people talk to horses, but few listen. In listening I got him to open up and enjoy his partnerships again. And to see photos of him now enjoying rides and splashes in dams with his new owner makes me so happy. Both for the owner and for him.

If you see the big ole grey out and about competing, please give him a pat and a carrot for me ☺️

📸 - Ella Flux



Been a bit MIA this past week due to an unexpected illness, so not much riding and or social media 😞 So enjoy this cute ...
22/10/2025

Been a bit MIA this past week due to an unexpected illness, so not much riding and or social media 😞
So enjoy this cute picture of Freddie at his first comp that was taken directly after he took the opportunity to exhibit some of his big feelings about trotting a 20m circle 🫣
Gotta love the greenbeans 💚

X - halt salute, then proceed kicking goals! Last week Fella and I made the step up to Elementary dressage in our 3.1 de...
12/10/2025

X - halt salute, then proceed kicking goals!

Last week Fella and I made the step up to Elementary dressage in our 3.1 debut, and like everything else this horse does, he tried and he shone ✨

Score wise I was more than thrilled to crack 60%. His final comments from both judges is what a willing and kind horse he was, and that's the best praise to me.

I didn't make this post just to brag on Fella (though he does deserve all the brags), but to point out how absolutely terrified and filled with self doubt I was entering the class.

I'm no dressage diva, though I fully believe all good horse education starts with a solid dressage foundation. Personally I've never competed in pure dressage at this level, schooled sure, but never shown.

Add on top of that Fella having a solid 2 months off, followed by 2 weeks light training and 2 weeks normal work prior to one lesson with our dressage coach ( ) for prep - I wasn't sure of I had set us up for failure.

And then the day of the show, I see so many solid riders with so many lovely, purpose bred, horses going around beautifully and my heart sunk a little - I had such a feeling of imposter syndrome and a lot of insecurity going around with my little thoroughbred.

But then I stopped.

And told my self doubt to shut up.

Because as I filled with self doubt watching all the lovely, upper level horses go around, I realized I don't know their story. I don't know the journey they've taken to get to that level.

Maybe it's their first homebred horse stepping up the levels

Maybe the horse has had to come back from a serious injury.

Maybe the rider has had a massive setback in life and riding and didn't think they would ever compete again.

Maybe they are struggling with insecurities of their own from trainers telling them they couldn't.

Maybe, they are like me, proud of their horse and their training and just want to go out and show off how their partnership has grown.

So a reminder that we are all on our own journeys, and be proud of where you are and how far you've come!

Keep kicking goals...and remember to pat your horse 💕

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