Lobethal Equestrian Coaching

23/03/2026

Incredible in every way.

10/03/2026

09/01/2026

Searching for a client who very sadly lost her heart horse:
Clydie X (or similar) Gelding (or exceptional mare)
16 - 16.2 hh
4 - 10yo
Suit mature age, kind and compassionate lady.
Quiet with absolutely no nasties whatsoever.
Must be able to be ridden out alone.
Must be sound and able to pass a vet check.
Must be able to be left for weeks and then hop on with no attitude.
Suit trail riding, low level dressage and 50cm occasional jumping.
The new home will offer:
A forever home on acreage in the Adelaide Hills
Excellent care and attention.
Regular farrier, vacs, teeth etc.
Regular lessons and/or input from coach.
Prepared to travel into western and central Victoria if needed.
Budget to around $12,000 for the right horse.

02/01/2026

SIX ….. not 4 …… not 5 ……. 6.

Before backing your youngster, please read.

🐴 Horses mature very differently to humans.
A rough way to understand it is that horses age around three times faster than us, but their bones, joints, and spine take much longer to fully develop than many people realise.

This is where things often go wrong.

Older horses for context:
•A 30 year old horse is like a 90 year old human.
Stiff, worn, and well into retirement. These horses deserve comfort, gentle movement, and rest but still to be active for the mind and joints

•A 25 year old horse is like a 75 year old human.
Still capable, still willing, but strength and recovery are limited. Careful management is key.

•A 20 year old horse is similar to a 60 year old person.
Mentally sharp, experienced, and often keen but the body may be sore, stiff, or slower to recover.

•A 9 years old to 13 year old horse is like a 39 year old adult.
This is prime time. Physically mature, mentally settled, and strong enough for consistent work.

Now the important part youngsters
This is where patience matters most.

•A 3 year old horse is like a 9 year old child.
Growth plates are still open, balance is poor, and muscles are underdeveloped. At this age, learning should be about handling, confidence, and calm exposure not carrying weight.

A 4 year old horse compares to a 12 year old child.
They can cope with very light work in short sessions. Their bodies are still changing, often unevenly, which is why they feel awkward and inconsistent.

•A 5 year old horse is like a 15 year old teenager.
This is the risky stage. They may look strong and capable, but internally they are still developing. The spine, joints, and soft tissues are not finished growing, even if the horse “seems fine.” Shouldn’t be jumping 110cm classes!!!!!

•A 6 year old horse is like an 18 year old adult.
The skeleton is far more mature, muscles can be developed safely, and the horse is mentally better able to cope with pressure.
This is the correct age to begin proper, consistent work.

Pushing young horses too hard, too early doesn’t always show immediate damage.
The problems often appear later as:
•Lameness
•Joint disease
•Kissing spines
•Behaviour issues labelled as naughty or lazy
•Horses breaking down far too young

One extra year of patience can easily add ten more years of sound, useful working life. Good training isn’t about how early you start.
It’s about how long the horse stays comfortable, willing, and happy. And it’s bloody high time age classes at big highs at young ages were banned!!

My own Connie Storm, age 6❤️

10/12/2025

✨🧬 WHY LOSING A HORSE HURTS SO MUCH
And why this time of year brings it all back 🐴💔

People outside the horse world often do not understand why the grief hits so sharply. Yet the science is clear. The bond between humans and horses is not imaginary, sentimental, or exaggerated. It is neurological. Physiological. Relational. And something else that sits in the space we still call magic.

Here is what research tells us.

🌿 1. Horses meet the criteria for attachment figures
Attachment theory says we form deep bonds with those who feel safe, steady, and emotionally reliable.
Horses do all of this.

• We seek proximity.
• They act as a secure base.
• We turn to them for comfort.
• We feel distress when separated.

Studies on the human–animal bond confirm that animals can be both caregivers and receivers of care. Horses are especially good at co regulation and emotional presence.

🧠 2. Your nervous system literally bonds with theirs
Oxytocin, often called the bonding hormone, rises in humans when they stand near a horse.
It rises in horses too.
Two nervous systems responding to each other in real time.
That is why the connection feels grounding, calming, and honest.

When this becomes part of your daily rhythm, the bond embeds itself neurologically.

💔 3. Grief is not a neat, tidy process
Modern neuroscience describes grief as a total rewiring of your internal map.
Your brain organises whole routines around the beings you feel attached to.
When the horse is no longer there:

• The map collapses.
• The routines echo.
• The body keeps searching for the presence it expects.

This is why walking into the stable after a loss can feel physically painful. Your nervous system is trying to update information it does not want to accept.

🌀 4. The “reward centre” of the brain is involved
In complicated grief, the nucleus accumbens stays active.
This area usually lights up when we see someone we love.
After a death, it can activate when we see reminders of them instead, creating a loop of:

cue → longing → sadness → craving the connection

Attachment does not switch off. It tries to continue.

🫂 5. Society often dismisses grief for animals
This is called disenfranchised grief.
No rituals.
Minimal acknowledgement.
A subtle message that the loss is “less than”.

Yet research shows animal bonds can be as significant as human ones.
Your grief is legitimate, even if the world is awkward around it.

❄️ 6. Winter amplifies old grief
Short days.
Cold mornings.
Slower routines.
The nervous system becomes quieter, and what was once tucked away becomes louder.
This is normal.
This is human.
This is attachment.

🌟 The Equimotional View
The human–horse relationship sits at the crossroads of science and something beautifully unmeasurable.
Horses shape our nervous systems, our identity, our steadiness.
When they go, the grief reflects the depth of that connection, not the weakness of the person feeling it.

If the winter months feel heavy, nothing is wrong with you.
You are remembering.
Your body is telling the story of a bond that mattered.

And bonds like that do not disappear.
They change shape.
They stay with us.
Quietly. Powerfully. Always.