Phil Monaghan, Jaquima a Freno, Classical Horsemanship.

01/05/2026

PART TIME CASUAL GROOM POSITION AT QUE SERA FARM , BIDDADDABA
We are on the lookout for an experienced groom wanting part time hours to work on a roster system, with the existing team.
Duties include but not limited to leading horses to and from paddocks, on and off the walker, cleaning stables and paddocks, holding horses for vet farrier etc.
Casual wages according to experience will be offered.
Please send your resume to [email protected] or if you would like to discuss further give Kay a call on 0429 810 668

01/05/2026

The 💩 line!

I often talk about the 💩 line at my lessons and clinics.

What is the 💩 line. It’s the place in training that many people avoid because they don’t want it to look ugly. I don’t blame them no one wants 💩 on their boots!

But it’s that line you have to kick through whole heartedly sometimes to get to the other side to where it is good where it does feel soft and is “correct”! Damn I hate that word!

Don’t avoid the 💩 line because of you do you miss out on all the beauty of what is possible beyond it!

In the pics we see ole mate struggling with contact and reverting back to what he knows. Upside down and hollow, in his racing career he had several devises used to try and remedy this. Then we see him moving softly and freely. After we worked through the 💩.

Don’t avoid it it happens. Learn how to help your horse through it.

Available for lessons and clinics!

30/04/2026

As I say to my students. The hackamore is for beginners. Horses and humans.

More thoughts on the hackamore.
Why beginning riders absolutely SHOULD ride in the hackamore.

In my last post I talked about people claiming to be masters/experts in an art they have not had even enough practice in to understand the basics let alone be teaching others.
Because many of these trainers have experience with other tools but find the hackamore difficult for themselves some will tell you that you are not ready to ride in one. This comes from their own lack of knowledge and misunderstandings of the tool. Remember, when someone tells you what you can not do in a hackamore they are actually telling you what THEY can not do in a hackamore.

The hackamore gives you a much more honest communication with your horse than what you get in a bit. If you do not have a good seat, are out of balance, out of timing, or inconsistent with your signals the hackamore is simply not going to work well for you. And that is actually a good thing. It gives you VERY important feedback. In a bit many people make up for these deficiencies in their riding with the discomfort and pain the bit creates in the mouth. The bit has a pain compliance response and many riders are unknowingly creating a pain based response that they misinterpret as lightness, soft feel or whatever you want to call it. I see this a LOT in snaffle but riders and riders using two hands on a shank bit.

The hackamore has no significant pain compliance component. You can not force a horse even by accident. If you are not getting the desired response you have to think your way through the problem instead of forcing your way through it even if unintentionally. Because of this the beginning rider learns to be a much more conscious rider. They learn how other very important aspects of riding besides the reins influence the horse.

If your goal as a beginner is to become a better rider and have much better communication with your horse then the hackamore is absolutely a fantastic tool. If your goal is simply to “control” your horse then the hackamore is probably not for you. Then again if a riders focus is on control instead of communication they should probably stay away from horses and just buy a motorcycle or something. 😉

26/04/2026

I have been a committed "life long learner" for as long as I can remember.

Something I have never concerned myself with is who else is in the room. Who the instructor is, sure thing, but the other students, no, I don't concern myself with them, or their 'level' of training.

Let me tell you why, and what I mean by that.

I have long said that I can book into a foundation clinic with my advanced horse, and still learn, still progress, despite having done foundation courses for the past 20 odd years.

And I can do that because that is my intention - to learn something.

Thats what I'm there for.

I am a heat seeking missile for the nuance, the refinement, the lesson.

Over the past 20 odd years I have also heard things like:

"Oh I've done foundation clinics, I need something more advanced"
"Who else is going to be in the class, i don't want to come if it is just beginners"
"You should come and teach our private group, we are more advanced than the other group you teach here"

Guess what?

The people saying those things are the ones that are holding themselves back. The very action of looking around and concerning ourself with what everyone else is doing, and that I am "better" than all of them, and this is 'baby stuff' thats the very thing that keeps these people stuck in repetitive cycles, because they blame the lack of learning on everyone else but themselves.

Phil is a Grandmaster Black Belt in Taekwondo. He first started training in 1985 - 41 years ago. I've watched him teach and perform 'Il Jang' ( the very first pattern you learn, the yellow belt pattern), countless times, and each time he performs it like it is the first time, like it matters.

Because it does.

You see, life long learners, strivers, doers and achievers are not focussed on how much better they are than everyone else, or blaming everyone else in the room for their lack of progress, they perform every "yellow belt pattern" like its the first time, every time.

So if I choose to do a clinic and the first thing the clinician tells us to do is a bend, or a hindquarter yield, I don't roll my eyes and think "I know this". I think "what can I learn about this"?

17/04/2026

Old mates progression

Moving the hips shoulders and ribs.

17/04/2026

17/04/2026

Don’t forget. Tomorrow is the Vaquero clinic at Wedgetail ridge ranch. I still have space for anyone that wants wishes to attend last minute as a rider.

As always fence sitters are welcome.

9 am start tomorrow

Tallawudjah creek road Glenreagh.

12/04/2026