Wise Women Ride

05/09/2026

This photo always brings me pleasure.
Taken 12 years ago by a non horsey friend and photographer Susan Carmody (who had come over to take some family photos), it captures beautifully the gentle nature of my QH Ella, the lovely land on which we live and our relationship to it.

03/09/2026

Yesterday I saw a FB video of an australian trainer demonstrating how to teach a young horse how to float load. She had a long stick and the horse was terrified.

With every second that passed I watched as his confidence in humans plummeted and wondered why people still think it’s ok to terrorize a young horse, driving and forcing and completely missing the point of mental state as being crucial for learning.

A terrified horse can’t learn- oh actually it can- it can learn to be mistrustful of energy and pressure and people and yes, it might go into the float to escape the human but is that what we really want?

Alternatively it may learn to “do as it’s told” which creates shut down horses that can’t problem solve. Take a shut down horse out of its comfort zone and watch the anxiety come spewing out. I’d prefer a thinking horse that can self regulate no matter the circumstances.

I guess great horsemen like Mark Langley and Ross Jacobs will never be out of work whilst there is f% up horses to fix. Watch this video to understand how Mark helps. Go back and watch day one with this horse. He was so scared of people.

When we know better we need to do better. If you’re working with young horses, it’s important to think beyond the task and obedience. The brain you’re training will be with the horse long after you’ve moved on.

03/09/2026

Looking for a local (Victorian) manufacturer or supplier of outdoor stable doors - any ideas?
Anvil makes the doors in the photo but hoping for someone closer than NSW. Looking at Larnec too but prefer timber look.

01/09/2026

Mucking around with some tee shirt designs.
This is one I’ve been “getting around to“ for a while. I’ll probably get mine in a khaki colour.
Anyone interested in one if I decide to get a few printed? No obligation- just putting out the feelers.

31/08/2026

Gala has come through Winter much better this year, blossoming on grass, grass hay and her minerals/salt.
Time to get her back into work.

PS- she is lightly rugged as she has a superfine coat.. she would freeze if she was left to her own devices 😝

27/08/2026

Love a good practical research project. This one is regarding salt.

Another great example of practical equine research coming out of CSU Equine Sciences!

A new study by undergraduate researcher Brynne Murphy and Dr. Devan Catalano asked a simple question that comes up frequently in horse management: Does it matter whether horses are offered salt as a block or loose in a pan?

Sixteen horses were offered both loose white salt and compressed white salt blocks over four 7-day periods. While horses tended to consume more loose salt (41 g/day) than block salt (32 g/day), salt form did not significantly affect intake. What mattered much more was the individual horse - daily consumption ranged from just 2 g to 135 g.

Perhaps the most important finding for horse owners: 9 of the 16 horses did not voluntarily consume enough salt to meet their sodium requirements, even after accounting for sodium provided by their regular diet. Water intake was similarly highly individual and was not affected by whether salt was offered loose or as a block.

The takeaway? Providing free-choice salt does not necessarily mean a horse is consuming enough. Knowing your individual horse, workload, and diet is important - and for horses that do not voluntarily consume adequate salt, adding the appropriate amount directly to the daily ration may be the more reliable approach.

We are especially proud that this work was conducted by an undergraduate student, highlighting the important role undergraduate research plays within CSU Equine Sciences. Giving students the opportunity to take an applied question from study design and data collection all the way through presentation and publication is an important part of training the next generation of equine scientists.

Congratulations to the authors on a great publication and a project with information horse owners can put into practice immediately!

22/08/2026

This is gold.

18/08/2026

A unique opportunity.
Looking forward to being a fly on the wall. For under $100! Crazy good value.

Some of the most valuable lessons aren't the ones you're teaching your horse. They're the ones you're watching unfold.

During Mark's 3-Day Online Horsemanship Clinics, riders from around the world receive live virtual lessons while spectators watch every session from home. Every lesson is recorded, giving you the chance to revisit the training, analyse the details, and deepen your understanding at your own pace.

When you watch multiple horses being helped, patterns become clear.

You begin to recognise:
• Why some horses brace and resist
• What creates softness and willingness
• How anxiety affects learning
• When horses are coping versus simply complying
• How training can be adapted to the individual horse in front of you

This is more than watching lessons. It's an opportunity to understand the "why" behind effective horsemanship and see real coaching, real horses, and real progress unfold.

Join live. Re watch later. Learn from anywhere.

Book your place today as a spectator: https://www.marklangley.com.au/online-clinics

17/08/2026

🤎 A little fuzzy nose for your Tuesday morning 🤎

15/08/2026

Uggh. Horrible injuries. Unfortunately I could never get Ella fully sound again. She has significant scar tissue on 2 legs which limits her ability to move those legs freely. I can sit on her and potter around but mostly I prefer to love her from the ground. She’s a special girl. Well into her 20s now.