Ranchlands Equestrian Centre

01/10/2025

When the boys come to ride and the light is just right 👌🏻 Does not get much better 🐴

26/09/2025

Intro to Horses - the last of the year. So proud of all the smiling faces here - giving it their all and pushing personal boundaries!

Thanks all for coming to play ponies with us / we genuinely love sharing the herd and get a thrill to see the kids overcoming fears and giggling to the ba****ck trot! Nothing beats it 🦄💛

To our volunteers - true legends the lot of you xx

31/08/2025

Are you looking for a companion horse? We have one 🦄

We would love to find Miss Blueberry a lovely home, she is a gentle sweet girl. Loves other horses, can get quite attached 🌸

Blueberry is an aged flea bitten grey quarter horse, 15.2hh, extremely quiet and lovely to ride, but only light rides.

If you would like further information please contact Jenny 0415 339 530

21/08/2025

To the youngest member of the Ranchlands team reaching her first milestone birthday! Happy quarter century Merenia - 25yrs and living the live of ponies 🦄🐴🦄 couldn’t ask for better 👌🏻

Sure M will be given extra snuggles from the ponies today 🌸🐴

19/08/2025

Little girls and horses… it’s more than just a childhood phase, it’s a foundation for life.

Horses don’t just teach a child how to ride. They teach patience when things don’t click, responsibility when stalls need to be cleaned before play, and grit when a stubborn pony refuses to cooperate. They teach that trust isn’t given—it’s earned through consistency, respect, and time.

Every little girl who swings a leg over a horse learns that falling doesn’t mean failing. It means getting up, dusting off, and trying again. They learn that discipline isn’t punishment, it’s commitment. That kindness isn’t weakness, it’s strength. And that confidence isn’t about being loud—it’s about showing up, even when you’re scared.

Horses shape little girls into women who don’t quit when life gets hard. Women who understand that sweat and sacrifice come before reward. Women who know how to carry themselves with grace, but aren’t afraid to dig in and fight when it matters.

It’s the 6 a.m. feedings, the cold winter rides, the tears after tough lessons, and the laughter after small victories that mold them. It’s brushing a horse in the quiet of the barn and realizing responsibility doesn’t take a day off.

So yes—little girls may grow out of braids and pony bows, but they never grow out of the lessons their horses gave them. And maybe that’s the greatest gift of all. 🦄🐴🦄

01/08/2025

Wishing all Horses a Happy Birthday today 🥳🦄🐴🦄

Did you know that all horses in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate their ‘birthday’ on the 1 August? Whilst they may not actually be born on this date, their birthday is standardised for comparison due to a historical lack of records of the actual birth date.

So hand the carrots out 🥕🥕🥕🥕

17/06/2025

Double birthday, our vivacious Manager Miss Tania 50 today ( seeing she put my age in) and the old fellow, behind the scenes, Lew, not 70 yet. Gotta say, could not do without them, very much respected, loved and appreciated here at Ranchlands🥰

09/06/2025

The Winter School Holidays are nearly here!!! Get excited, book the kids in, pony smelling time, cuddles, new experiences, giggles, fun, meet real unicorns! THE best time of the year to be playing with ponies.

Intro to Horses ~ Learn how horses think, communicate, connect with the horse on a different level. Make new friends with the horse and humans 🙂 Learn horsemanship techniques and have a ba****ck ride 🦄 Naturally there will be plenty of time for pats and cuddles too!!

Follow on to Intro ~ For those who have attended our Intro to Horses sessions previously. Extend on horse behaviors, practice balance in the saddle on barrels, feel of the reins in preparation to ride, demonstration how to tack up, love your pony up with some grooming. A mini riding lesson with saddle and bridle, learning how to guide your horse around the arena, work on balance and feel, up for a bouncy trot? There will also be plenty of time for those pats and cuddles x

Hurry up school holidays, time to play with ponies, looking forward to meeting new happy excited faces and some returning ones too!

The Details:
Intro to Horses
When: Tuesday 1st July
Time: 9-12pm
Cost: $130 for one session ⁣⁣⁣- payment required 1wk prior to secure

Follow On to Intro
When: Thursday 10th July
Time: 9-12pm
Cost: $140 for one session ⁣⁣⁣- payment required 1wk prior to secure

Cancellation Policy: Full payment required if cancelled within 48hrs BUT can be redeemed for riding lessons or future School Holiday Programs

Location: 83 Hammond Way, Kelso, Townsville
Age: 6yrs +⁣ ⁣⁣⁣
Mobile: 0400 345 727⁣⁣⁣
Email: [email protected]
Book Now - spots fill fast and limited numbers.

31/05/2025

Meet the Herd

Bronson 😎

~ Colour / S*x – Chestnut Gelding , Blaze with Snip
~ Breed - Quarter Horse
~ Born - 2007
~ Height – 15.hh

What a chap. Our chunky monkey of the herd. As with our Grey mares and their Sass, maybe the orange boys were cut from the same laid-back cloth!!

Not much phases this fella, I think a box of firecrackers could go off next to him and he would perhaps raise an eyebrow! Which makes the next statement even more bizarre, Bronson is our Alpha Male, he is a man a few words, not needed, the eyebrow lift, swagger and stature of the man do it all for him.

Bronson is kind, soft, forgiving, empathic, ohh and lazy, so very lazy! He is ridden by our beginners and intermediate riders; you are going to feel nothing but safe on this fella. He is solid and so not going to charge off into the sunset with you. BUT you are certainly going to learn how to use all the correct aids to encourage him to move along, yep it might be frustrating, and yep, you may blame the horse. BUT when you ride Bronson again in say 8 weeks and you have improved in yourself, the lightbulb moment is amazing, ahhh it wasn’t just the horse – look how much you improved – Bronson is smart – not lazy!! Not so lazy when it comes to games though, seems his Alpha comes out to play and he wants to win 🤣

You cannot help but love the big fella.

Do you have any photos, stories of Bronson??????

06/05/2025

Meet the Herd

Obi 😎

~ Colour / S*x – Bay Gelding with Star and Snip
~ Breed – Stockhorse
~ Born - 2014
~ Height – 15hh

One of the kindest gentlest horses you will ever meet! Obi you are a true gentleman and a handsome one at that! His eyes really tell you want you need to know, showing all his expressions, the windows to his soul if you will. Obi likes the quiet life, you will not find him in the thick of herd life, he sticks to the fringes, watching, ever cautious. But once he lets you in x

Obi was initially ridden by our intermediate riders, he has very smooth paces and is quite responsive to the aids. He wants to please and do the right thing by his rider. His gentle manner has seen him assist with the more advanced beginner riders, testing out their aids, does their steering work for example, he is that next step in the ladder of progression up the herd horses.

Turns out Obi is a fan of games; he loves Gymkhanas and has quite a turn of speed about him when that competitive spirit kicks in – who would have thought it!!!!

We love Obi xx

Do you have any photos, stories of Obi??????

30/04/2025

24/04/2025

A worthy read 🐴

Here are 15 interesting facts about horses' brain:

1. Horses' brain is relatively small compared to the size of their body and accounts for only about 0.1% of its total weight.
2. Despite their small size, horses have very complex brains, with a highly developed cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought, decision-making and memory.
3. Horses can learn and remember complex tasks, such as navigating a jump course or performing a dressage routine, through a process called associate learning.
4. Like humans, horses have a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere in the brain, each with specialized functions.
The left hemisphere is responsible for the processing of logical and analytical information, while the right hemisphere is more involved in emotional processing and creative thinking.
5. Horses have a great memory and can remember specific people, places and experiences for many years.
6. Horses can learn by observation and often they can acquire new behaviors and skills simply by observing other horses or humans.
7. Horses have a very sensitive sense of touch and can detect even the slightest pressure or movement on their skin. This helps them responding to subtle cues from your rider or guide.
8. Horses can process visual information very quickly and accurately, allowing them to avoid potential hazards and navigate their environment with ease.
9. Horses are social animals and rely on nonverbal communication to interact with other horses in their herd.
This communication is facilitated by the horse’s brain, which can interpret subtle changes in body language, facial expressions and vocalizations.
10. Ultimately, like all animals, horses have a unique personality and individual traits that are shaped by their experiences, genetics and environment—all of which is reflected in their brain function and behavior.
11. Horses have a very strong sense of smell and their odor bulb, which processes smells, is relatively large compared to other parts of their brain.
12. The brain, which is responsible for coordinating movement and balance, is also relatively large in horses. This is because horses must be able to move quickly and efficiently to escape predators or navigate through difficult terrain.
13. Horses have a very high pain threshold, which is believed to be related to how their brains process pain signals.
While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can also mean that horses may not show obvious signs of pain, making it harder for their caregivers to detect and treat underlying health issues.
14. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning and memory, is particularly well developed in horses.
This allows them to remember not only specific experiences, but also general concepts and patterns that they can apply to new situations.
15. Finally, studies have shown that horses, like other animals, are capable of experiencing emotions such as fear, happiness, and anger. These emotions are believed to be mediated by the limbic system, a group of interconnected brain structures that play a key role in regulating mood and behavior.

Words source: Megan Bolentini Equine Bodywork