AMT Equestrian Services

02/09/2025

Ever notice how the best rides are often the quietest ones?
Fewer cues. More feel. Less noise. More listening.
True partnership happens when both sides are heard, not when one side shouts louder. What’s the quietest breakthrough you’ve ever had with your horse? I'd love to know

30/08/2025

✨ A Milestone for AMT ✨

The sign is finally up! Proudly standing at the front of the property, it marks not just the home of AMT Equestrian Services, but a chapter in the journey that has brought us here.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude — to everyone who has been part of helping bring this vision together. From the sign itself to the property and all the energy that flows through it, none of this would have been possible without the support, encouragement, and contributions of so many along the way.

This place is starting to feel once again like the hive of activity I’ve always dreamed of — like my old property once was — full of lessons, training, conversations, and community. There’s a special energy here, one that comes from horses and people coming together with shared purpose, curiosity, and connection.

Alongside the sign, I’m also excited to share that AMT has launched a new website. A lot of the content is familiar, but it’s now refreshed with a cleaner feel and better usability after 6–12 months of work behind the scenes. Hopefully it’s easier to use and navigate for our community.

I’m genuinely excited about the future and all that’s to come. Thank you for being part of this journey, whether from near or far. Your support means more than words can say.

Here’s to growth, community, and the dance of horses and humans together. 🐎💫

Awareness is the greatest agent for change.

👉 www.amtequestrian.com.au

29/08/2025

Balance ... in Horses and in Life

We’re often taught that a horse’s primary needs are food, water, shelter, and safety, etc. But to me, above these sits something deeper: BALANCE

Balance is more than posture. It is the harmony between body, mind, and environment. It’s what allows a horse to live with ease, rather than in constant preparation for flight. It’s what allows a human to move freely, rather than collapsing under the weight of old patterns. Our masks.

Think of yourself slouching in a chair, or carrying an injury for too long. The body compensates, one muscle overworks, another weakens. The imbalance builds. The same is true for horses. One side often feels fluid and easy, while the other is sticky or resistant. Left unaddressed, those imbalances compound.

And here lies the trap: AVOIDANCE
It’s easier to go with what feels comfortable, to only ride the horse in its “good” direction, or to ignore our own weaker side. But growth for horses and humans doesn’t come from staying in the comfort zone. It comes from trying, from addressing the hard side, from improving awareness.

Not every horse (or human) can achieve perfect symmetry. That’s not the goal. The goal is to become the best version possible. To keep growing. To try. A horse that learns to carry itself in true self-carriage no longer needs crutches, gadgets, or force. It finds its own balance. And in doing so, it finds confidence.

Humans are no different. When we develop bodily awareness, when we take ownership of our balance (in our physical state as well as the things we do), we exude calmness, clarity, and confidence. Those qualities are the foundation of leadership, communication, and trust in the saddle and in life.

So ask yourself:
• Am I only leaning into what feels easy?
• Or am I gently working with the harder side, for both myself and my horse?

True balance is never about perfection. It’s about sustainability. It’s about awareness. And it’s about unity - bringing out the best in both horse and human.

AMT 💙

25/08/2025

Progress doesn’t always look like a new movement or a better score.
Sometimes it’s a horse standing quietly. A lead taken without resistance. A moment of softness that wasn’t there yesterday.
The smallest changes tell the biggest stories ... if you’re paying attention.

22/08/2025

Enjoy your weekend - Andrew

21/08/2025

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.”

After a horsemanship lesson recently, I met a client with a horse she was certain about. I had previously discussed that another horse might not align with her riding goals. When I met her with the new prospect, I sensed that no amount of logic or persuasion would sway her. And that’s okay. Be careful what you wish for, it might come true!

In life and in horsemanship there are days when everything flows, when connection feels natural, and when we’re in a state of harmony. But sometimes that feeling is an illusion framed by wishful thinking rather than real compatibility.

Some horses (and some partners in life) simply align. You hop on, and there’s unity a dance, a trust, a flow.

Others… they’re disconnected. Discombobulated. Withdrawn. Conditioned by past shortcomings, they’ve lost the spark to look toward you for support and guidance or reassurance. Those are the hardest, most heartbreaking ones to work with because they often reflect the failings of those who came before them.

So what’s the answer? Show up with honesty, compassion, patience, and kindness. Don’t dismiss them as “broken goods.” Instead, gently, steadily build toward something that feels reasonable and attainable. Hold boundaries with compassion and empathy.

But leadership, true partnership requires more than patience. Eventually, there must be a decision: is this a commitment? Are you truly all in? Because without mutual commitment and purpose, the relationship stalls. The dance doesn’t feel sensual. The chemistry maybe isn’t there.

In riding and in life, there’s often a grace period time to see where you each stand, to feel it out. But at some point, it’s either all in… or you’re holding back. Excuses are made. Horses get discarded, and things get put on the burn pile.

If you carry past hurts or mistrust, it’s understandable. But the real work is letting go of those agendas or narratives. It’s being open to try again, to grow both as a horse person and as a human.

Life is but a journey… Enjoy the dance.

20/08/2025

Success Breeds Success ▪️ And the Power of Balance

Success with horses often comes from building on simple “yes” answers. A step forward. A softening. A try. Each yes builds confidence, each yes builds connection. Yes breeds yes.

But the dance of horsemanship isn’t just about yes. It’s also about the power of no. About holding boundaries with calmness, not force. About saying “not that way” without tying it to frustration, ego, or excessive pressure.

Like yin and yang, dark and light, growth requires both sides. The contrast is what gives balance. Too many yeses without boundaries, and the horse may lack clarity. Too many no's delivered harshly, and the horse loses trust, spark, and willingness.

The more a horse feels there’s a dialogue that their tries are noticed, their questions answered, and the communication is fair the more they begin to meet us in partnership. That dialogue, over time, becomes the relationship itself.

But when every ride turns into a fight, when the aids get louder and the rider grows forceful, the horse eventually learns: being with you is not better than being on their own Nahshon Cook would say, and the horse starts to walk away in body, mind, and spirit.

The work, then, is to create a place of challenge without fear. To build a relationship where boundaries guide rather than break, where the horse grows in confidence, and the rider grows in awareness. Done well, this dialogue becomes a dance joyful, light, and beautiful.

Some horses tolerate loudness, some shut down. The danger is when the spirit the spark in their eye is dulled. That spark is sacred. Protect it.

So in riding, and in life, the principle remains:
• Yes breeds yes.
• Boundaries create balance.
• Dialogue builds trust.

And when those come together, success is not forced... it flows.

-AMT

19/08/2025

Horsemanship isn’t about making a horse do something it’s about helping them understand something. There’s a big difference.
Next time your horse hesitates, ask yourself: Are they being stubborn or just unsure?

What’s your horse trying to tell you today?

13/08/2025

Growth does not come from comfort... Your trials and tribulations will develop your strengths.

After a few horsemanship lessons recently, watching students working with challenging, not-so-easy horses partners that asked them to think outside the box, question their habits, and challenge their idea of what “normal” feels like in the saddle. These moments weren’t smooth or comfortable, but they were rich with opportunities for growth, learning, and an appreciation of the small wins along the way.

Life, and horsemanship is like that. Some days the communication flows effortlessly, and others, every step is an uphill climb. Yet it’s often in those uphill moments, when the horse resists or the path feels unclear, that we grow the most.

It’s tempting to wish for the easy route or quick answers - to be told what to do rather than embarrassing the challenge and learning for oneself, but growth isn’t born from comfort, it emerges when we’re pushed to dig deeper, get clearer, and commit to following through.

Whether it’s a horse that challenges every aid or a person who claims they’ve “done the work” but can’t sustain the follow-through, the truth remains: actions speak louder than words.

Growth whether in the saddle or in life, requires conviction. A belief that what you’re striving toward is real, attainable, and worth the effort. Without that belief, we rely on the horse’s goodwill to fill in the gaps. Sometimes that works; more often, it doesn’t.

Challenging horses and challenging relationships are mirrors. They reflect back our clarity, our leadership, and the quality of our intention. They ask:
• Am I communicating clearly?
• Am I leading with purpose?
• Am I following through, or just saying the words?

Without goals, we drift in circles. But if we embrace the discomfort, we open the door to real progress. And in those moments, we can also find gratitude for the small things, the quiet connection, the unexpected breakthrough, the joy in simply being present.

Kids do this effortlessly. No ego, no agenda, just joy in the moment.

Perhaps the real lesson is this: Meet challenge with belief. Follow through with consistency. Notice the small things.

Growth wasn’t meant to be comfortable but it was meant to be meaningful - Andrew

10/08/2025

“Pressure is not the problem it’s how we use it.”

Good pressure invites. Bad pressure demands.

The question isn’t if we use pressure it’s how much, when, and why.
How do you know when it’s time to ease off? - Andrew

08/08/2025

07/08/2025

We don’t train horses to submit, we invite them to participate.
It’s not about control. It’s about conversation.
What’s one moment your horse said “yes” not because they had to, but because they wanted to?

Tell me below 👇