Mildura Horse Riding Centre

31/05/2026

🐴🔥 53 Days to Go! 🔥🐴

The countdown is officially on!

Talmara Fire Storm ("Ivy") is due to foal around 24 July, and this foal is one I am so incredibly excited about.

Ivy carries a pedigree rich in proven Riding Pony bloodlines, including Wynara Charisma, Wynara Valentino, Vale Park Spotlight and Jackets Bluebird. Even more interestingly, her pedigree is heavily saturated with black horses throughout multiple generations, with black appearing consistently through both her sire and dam lines. Ivy herself is black and has already produced black foals, making colour genetics in this cross particularly exciting.

The sire is our own EMJ This Is The Way ("Mando") — a DNA Tested Silver Bay stallion by Owendale Jordan, tracing back to respected Welsh bloodlines including Baughurst William of Orange (IMP UK), Downland Mandarin, Sir Percy of Paxhall (IMP UK) and Shimpling Enchante.

Mando isn't just a pedigree on paper. He's proving himself under saddle across multiple disciplines with the temperament, trainability and versatility we value so highly. His progeny are already showing the same sensible minds, athleticism and quality type that made us believe in him from the beginning. Out of 4 foals, he's produced 2 Silver babies, with the chestnut daughter of his, a chestnut that carries Silver.

✨ This foal is staying right here regardless of whether it's a c**t or filly, and I bloody cannot wait to meet it!

🎉 FOAL GUESSING COMPETITION 🎉

To enter:

✔ LIKE this post
✔ SHARE this post
✔ TAG 3 friends
✔ COMMENT:

Gender

Colour

Due date prediction

Possible colours include:

🖤 Black
🌑 Silver Black
🤎 Bay
✨ Silver Bay
🧡 Chestnut

🏆 The person who correctly guesses the gender and colour and is closest to the actual foaling date will receive $35 off any lesson package combination.

If multiple people guess correctly, the prize will go to the person closest to the foaling date.

Personally, we're hoping for a Silver Black C**t 🤞 but at the end of the day, all we really want is a healthy mare and healthy foal.

👇 What do you think Ivy is cooking? 👇

Competition closes once foaling begins.

30/05/2026

Get your early bird booking in!!!

✨ Early Bird Breeding Offer ✨

If you’ve been thinking about breeding a sensible, trainable performance galloway — this is your chance.

EMJ This Is The Way
DNA Tested Silver Bay Stallion
By Owendale Jordan
Out of Doc Spinifex lines

This is a young stallion that’s not just a paddock ornament — he’s out doing the job.
✔ Ranch riding
✔ Dressage
✔ Jumping
✔ Working equitation
✔ Trail riding

With a quiet brain, willingness to work, and natural rideability, he’s exactly the type you want to be producing. A big moving pony, he has quality gaits.

His foals so far are proving to be typey, smart, and easy to handle — the kind that make life easier, not harder.

🔥 Early Bird Special – $650
($50 off, booked & paid by June 30)

Standard fee $700 LFG – Live Cover Only

📍 Merbein, VIC

Agistment not included (hay provided for mares).

Limited mares only.

30/05/2026

🐴 More Than Just Riding Lessons...

Today Belle, Rosa and I spent some time working with Bugsy, one of our young project ponies.

Bugsy has actually shown a lovely mind during her groundwork in a simple rope halter. She's thoughtful, willing and genuinely wants to get things right. Unfortunately, before coming to us she didn't receive the strongest foundation under saddle, and when horses don't fully understand how to move forward confidently, fear can sometimes present itself as rearing, tension, explosiveness or feeling mentally "stuck".

That's where groundwork and long reining can be incredibly valuable.

Rather than immediately climbing on and hoping for the best, long reining allows us to teach:

✔ Steering
✔ Voice commands
✔ Confidence moving forward
✔ Straightness and balance
✔ Understanding rein aids
✔ Body awareness and coordination
..all without the added challenge of carrying a rider.

Many respected trainers including Warwick Schiller, Clinton Anderson, Manolo Mendez and numerous classical trainers utilise groundwork and long reining as part of developing confident, educated horses. The principle is simple: teach understanding first, then ask for more later.

One of the biggest advantages is that we can observe how a horse moves from the ground. We can identify where they're crooked, where they're weak, where they're carrying tension, and help them develop better posture and self-carriage before ridden work becomes the focus.

The other thing I love is what today's session offered Belle and Rosa.

At MHRC, riders don't just learn to ride.

They learn to observe horses.
They learn to understand behaviour.
They learn why horses do what they do.
They learn training principles.
They learn problem solving.

Anyone can sit on a horse and steer it around.

Learning how to build a horse's confidence, improve its understanding and develop a correct foundation is a completely different skill set.

And for those wondering about the photos, it's worth remembering that a horse showing a reaction during training doesn't automatically mean the training is incorrect.

In fact, many experienced trainers and behavioural specialists recognise that horses often go through a learning phase where they express confusion, tension or uncertainty before finding understanding and confidence. The goal isn't to create a horse that never reacts. The goal is to create a horse that learns how to find relaxation, understanding and confidence when faced with something difficult.

With Bugsy, we're not trying to "wear her out" or force submission. We're helping her learn how to move forward confidently, understand rein aids, develop body awareness and find answers instead of panic.

Could I simply get on and ride through it? Sure. But not safely.

But in my experience, spending the time to fill in the missing pieces from the ground creates a safer, more confident horse in the long run.

Every time she offers a calm response, even if it's only for a few seconds longer than last time, that's progress.

The photos capture a split second.

The last photo was when we got forward without reactivity.

The training is about everything that happens before and after that moment.

Bugsy certainly kept us on our toes today, but beneath the moments of uncertainty is a smart little pony with a good brain. I'm looking forward to seeing where her journey takes her, and I'm proud that Belle and Rosa are learning not just how to ride horses, but how to understand them. ❤️🐴

29/05/2026

Feeding horses this morning 🌄

We have a 120% booked out weekend up ahead.

Loving life ❤️

27/05/2026

People often see the price of a riding lesson and think, “Wow, that’s expensive for an hour.”

But what most people don’t see is everything behind that hour.

You’re not just paying for 55 minutes in the saddle — you’re paying for years of experience, safe educated horses, facilities, upkeep, knowledge, insurance, equipment, maintenance and the ability to access horses without carrying the full burden of ownership yourself.

I’m now 37 and have been riding since I was around 7–8 years old. Apart from a roughly 10 month break after a serious injury, horses have been my entire life for nearly 30 years.

People see the lesson itself. They don’t see:
• the early mornings
• the late nights
• feeding in heatwaves and rain
• fixing fences
• dragging arenas
• checking injuries
• organising farriers/vets
• paperwork/admin
• cleaning tack
• maintaining safe horses for riders
• and the constant upkeep required to keep everything running safely and professionally.

Some rough ongoing costs behind the scenes:

• Hay alone averages around $400+ a week
• Hard feed and supplements on top of that
• Water bills around $1,000 a quarter, PLUS additional leased water costs at around $430 per meg
• Farrier trims roughly every 5–6 weeks at around $50 per horse
• Dentals around $120 every 6–12 months
• Worming/vaccinations averaging around $30–40 every 6 months
• Insurance sitting around $2,500+ a year
• Mortgage/rates/property upkeep
• Power, fuel and machinery costs
• Fencing repairs, weeds, slashing and arena maintenance
• Tack replacement and saddle fitting
• Some saddles alone can cost $3,000–$5,000+ once fitted properly
• Vet call-out fees alone can be close to $200 before treatment even begins
• Float costs for a decent, safe setup can easily be $5,000+. Mine when I got it brand new was nearly $19k.

And then there’s the horses themselves. Lesson horses don’t magically stay safe, educated and suitable on their own. They require ongoing riding, training, maintenance, management and care to stay reliable for riders of different ages and abilities.

A lot of people also don’t realise how expensive horse ownership itself actually is.

Even a horse on basic semi-care can easily cost:
• $50–100+ per week agistment
• Around $130+ per week in feed/hay
• Regular farrier work
• Vet bills
• Tack and gear
• Insurance
• Float/travel costs
• Emergency expenses

And that’s before hoping the horse is actually safe, sound, trained and suitable to ride consistently.

Riding lessons are actually one of the most affordable ways to enjoy horses without carrying the full financial responsibility and risk of owning one yourself.

This industry is absolutely a labour of love. Nobody works in horses because it’s easy money 😂

I’m incredibly grateful to the clients and families who continue to support my small business and trust me with their riding journey. Every lesson genuinely helps keep the horses cared for and the gates open. ❤️

26/05/2026

🚨 MUST GO 🚨

Racename- Frusciante
Approx. 16.1hh TB Mare
📍 Merbein, VIC

Produced by teens for a competitive teen wanting a fun project to continue on with.

Flossy is green but willing mare with lovely movement and plenty of presence. Not a hot type, just needs consistency and mileage. Has been ridden by capable intermediate teen riders and handled easily around the property.

Would suit a show home, pony club, or all-rounder home for someone wanting something affordable to bring along their own way.

Please note:
• Windsucks (can come with her collar)
• Currently needs shoes (priced accordingly)

💰 $500
📞 CALLS ONLY — no messages.
04 04 099 36 731

26/05/2026

Didn't get a chance to post this last night due to heading to dog club after-

Rosa and her beautiful brumby, Arli Lou. The suns colours were stunning against the duo 😍

24/05/2026

Miss Zoey and our Noodle today ❤️
This little girl has grown so much!

23/05/2026

Absolutely loving watching this lovely lady return to riding and learn some new skills along the way 🐎✨

Looks like Fanta has officially put herself on maternity leave now though 😅 with both her and Ivy due to foal over the next couple of months. Exciting times ahead around here 🤍

Just a quick update regarding our foals and upcoming foaling season 🐴🤍

Going forward, all foal updates, baby spam, behind the scenes content and announcements regarding upcoming foals will now be posted through our subscriber section only.

Subscribers will also receive first access to certain lesson specials, offers and extra content throughout the year 😊

If you’d like to follow along with our upcoming foals over the next couple of months, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out ✨

21/05/2026

🚨 SCOOBY NEEDS A MASSIVE FINAL PUSH 🚨

We are currently sitting close to 50th place in the RSPCA Pet of the Year competition… but to make a serious run, we need an INSANE amount of votes in the next 24 hours. We’re talking nearly 50,000 votes 😳

At this stage, we know this isn’t just a “cute pet” contest anymore — it’s become a huge fundraiser for an amazing cause, and every donation helps support the incredible work the RSPCA does for animal rescue, rehabilitation, neglect cases, rehoming, education and animal welfare across Australia ❤️

Scooby may not be your typical fluffy little Instagram dog 😅
But everyone who’s met him knows he’s something special:
🐾 striking looks
🐾 goofy personality
🐾 smart as a whip
🐾 farm dog chaos energy
🐾 and honestly one of the most photogenic dogs I’ve ever owned

He’s come such a long way already and I’m ridiculously proud of him.

If you can help at all:
➡️ PLEASE SHARE this post
➡️ TAG friends and family
➡️ Use your free daily vote
➡️ Or donate votes if you’re in a position to

Even small donations add up, especially with bonus vote periods.

I don’t receive the money from paid votes — it goes directly towards supporting the RSPCA and the work they do for animals in need.

Let’s see just how far a scruffy little farm mutt from Mildura can go ❤️🐾

https://petoftheyearawards.com.au/contestant/11729?contest=2&from=dashboard