Hartley Animal Wellness

13/04/2026

TOORAWEENAH WRAP-UP

Friday
Packed 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 horses and 2 dogs and drove the 5hrs to Tooraweenah.
Set up camp before dark, had a BBQ dinner and got the horses walked and sorted with food and water overnight.
I was almost asleep, and the kids had been out for a couple of hrs when some extremely hideous and full-volume karaoke started playing at the pub. Kids were woken up, Pio was stressing (almost seemed like stress colic), and not much sleep was had.

Saturday
Woke up, walked horses, made eggs on toast and walked horses some more.
Went to ride office, vetted horses and got ready to ride at 1pm.
Made it 100m in, got on and started riding when a drone was flown overhead and came back past us absolutely freaking out the horses. Anahme was just about ready to move past it calmly when Pio reared sideways, throwing Kate onto the rocky ground. She hit her shoulder and hip really hard, on the side where she had previously broken her arm.
We tried to walk it off but Evie was in tears and so shaken up by the whole thing and Kate was in a world of pain. Evie and I turned back first, but Kate was determined to give it a go...until she physically just couldn't and came back about 15mins after us.
Evie and I walked back in and we let the ride organisers know that Kate was coming in behind us and would need first aid.
The ride organisers were lovely and came and checked on Kate throughout the afternoon. Thanks especially to Sara and Sonia.
Saturday arvo was spent looking after Kate, making sure Pio was ok, while also organising all my gear for a 6am start.

SUNDAY
Up at 4:45 and got Anahme ready with help from Jae. Unfortunately 3 FEI horses got loose during marshalling and it stirred up the whole camp. Thankfully Anahme had a cool head to start.
Anahme was fabulous from the very start. We walked out calmly and but felt ready and had plenty to give throughout the ride.
It was concussive, rocky and had plenty of elevation. I couldn't fault him! We had so much fun!
Passed vetting with no issues and then let him rest and eat before making the journey home.

What a weekend! Thanks to ROC, vets, volunteers and everyone who made the ride happen 🥰

08/04/2026

Great opportunity to have access to a heap of different fit kits so you can find the best boot to fit your horse!

🐴 Hoof care sorted!

Hey members (and future members 👀), how’s your hoof protection looking?

Hawkesbury Hoof Boots has just opened bookings for two Boot Fit Weekends! You’ll get a personalised fitting (up to 55 mins) with a full range of fit kits available. Hoof trim sessions can also be booked - either on their own or alongside your fitting.

✨ Sydney Region Endurance Riders members receive 10% off Scoot Boots ordered through Hawkesbury Hoof Boots - and that discount applies every time you order through Faith.

💡 Not a member yet? Membership is only $20 - and the discount on a pair of boots will more than cover that (and then some!).

👉 Book your fitting here (click on the links for more information):
Saturday 11 April 2026 - Sunday 12 April 2026
https://www.trybooking.com/DLGEG

Saturday 18 April 2026 - Sunday 19 April 2026
https://www.trybooking.com/DLGFH

📞 Questions? Give Faith a call on 0418 220 927

👉 Join Sydney Region Endurance Riders here to access your discount:
https://www.trybooking.com/1506190

Don’t miss out - spots will fill quickly!

Faith Robinson

06/04/2026

This was such a great weekend. Look how happy everyone looked on track! The photography was amazing, but unfortunately I think they somehow missed the 40k riders 🙈😆.

I kept getting asked if Anahme was Skip, the Appy x Arab in the video. These Appaloosas are few and far between. Huge congratulations to Nadine and Arabec Skip the Blues who came first in the 80 with a cracking time!

Thanks to NSW Endurance Riders Association and the Watagan Mountains team for a fabulous weekend.

27/03/2026

This!

Bodywork can look quite slow and gentle, and doesn't have the immediate wow factor of something like chiropractic adjustments BUT the results speak for themselves! The wow comes later when you see and feel the changes in your horse ❤️

I would never have thought that such quiet work would have such impressive results. He’s been amazing since you were here last.” - K.K.

Where’s the “Wow”?

A trainer I work with recently reached out about a horse that had been feeling stiff and reactive during training. He wasn’t moving comfortably, and it was starting to affect their rides.

We scheduled a session, and from the start, the horse responded really well to soft tissue work. He softened, relaxed, and began to let go of tension in a way that felt positive and productive. We finished the session and scheduled a follow-up.

Later, the trainer shared something with me.

After I left, she and the owner talked about the session—as they should. The owner said:

“I wasn’t very impressed. I don’t see how such gentle work can make any significant difference. I just wasn’t ‘wowed’ by it.”

The trainer simply replied:

“Okay… let’s see how he responds.”

The Real Results

About a week later, the trainer returned for their next lesson and asked how the horse had been.

The owner said:

“Excellent. He’s been so good—I’m so happy with him.”

And the trainer replied:

“And there’s your WOW.”

Why It Doesn’t Always Look Impressive

In the equestrian world, there’s often an expectation that effective work should look dramatic.

Big reactions, something you can clearly see, maybe even hear happening. And to be fair, many horsemen incorporate a bit of showmanship into their work as part of how they present and sell what they do. My old coach used to call it “smoke and mirrors”, techniques used by magicians to entertain and draw the eye.

And there’s another idea at play—many of us have been taught, directly or indirectly, that for something to work, it needs to be intense.

“No pain, no gain.”
“Go hard or go home.”

So when we see quiet, gentle work, it can feel like not enough is happening.

But horses don’t live in that mindset. In fact, many of them tell us the opposite—they ask for less.

And when we listen, when we soften, when we do less… we often get more.

But massage and myofascial therapy are different.

When done well, they are:
• Quiet
• Subtle
• Gradual
• Responsive to the horse

There’s no forcing, no wrenching, no sudden impacts.

And while the changes may not always appear dramatic, they are immediate and significant—seen in improved tissue texture, posture, ease of movement and emotional state.

These are meaningful shifts within the nervous system and musculoskeletal tissue, even if they go unnoticed by the untrained eye.

The goal of this type of bodywork isn’t to override the body, but to work with it—safely, effectively, and in a way that supports lasting change.

These changes don’t need to be dramatic to be effective. In fact, they’re often more lasting because they’re not forced.

A Different Way of Looking at Results

It’s completely understandable that some people expect to feel “wowed” during a session—you’re investing in your horse, you want to see that reflected, and many people are used to that being combined with a sort of entertainment experience.

But sometimes, the most effective work doesn’t perform for the human audience.

It allows the horse to process, adjust, and improve in a way that sticks.

In the end, that quiet session—that didn’t seem like much had happened—resulted in a horse that felt great after and was able to safely, kindly and comfortably do his job.

And that’s the kind of “wow” that truly matters.

https://koperequine.com/exploring-fascia-in-equine-myofascial-pain-an-integrative-view-of-mechanisms-and-healing/

27/03/2026

This coming week is already looking pretty full!

There are a few spots here and there but please don't leave it too late to get in touch - it's a busy time leading up to Easter 🐣

It's always an absolute privilege and pleasure to work with people who are so driven to do their best for their horses.

So grateful to have such a dedicated bunch of clients 🥰

21/03/2026

A few spots available, especially in the Megalong on Monday.

Get in touch if you would like your horses or dogs seen!

It's a busy time of year with people out and about at local Ag shows, preparing for Sydney Royal, ranch shows coming up, endurance calendar getting underway and clinics galore!

Make sure your horses are comfortable and supported to work at their best ❤️

19/03/2026

Very excited about Anahme's new rug situation thanks to .equine.

I love rugs with liner systems for clipped horses because you're not adding a heap of heavy layered rugs, and it's easy to just whip the liner off in the morning, leave them in the shell, then pop the liner back in at night.

I'm planning to clip in the next few weeks and am now all ready to keep him toasty and dry once the weather changes 😊

18/03/2026

It's getting into clipping season and there's nothing worse than trying to body clip a horse with a dull blade.

I had my T84 competition blade sharpened by Bright Blades Sharpening Services and it's never cut better!

Erle is one of my neighbours so if you'd like blades sharpened, I can try to help with pick up/drop off where possible.

You can contact him on his mobile, which you'll find on his page.

We sharpen knives, food processor blades, garden tools, scissors

15/03/2026

A few spots available here and there, if needed.

Braving the detour to the Mts tomorrow 😬. Wish me luck! Scenic Hill is bad enough without the extra 11000 cars and trucks on it!

Looking forward to another fabulous week of soft-tissue work, spinal mobilisations, dry-needling, myofascial work and kinesiology taping with some beautiful horses and humans ☺️

15/03/2026

Haha, a few of my client horses in the mix here!
Love the Hartley Valley Holiday Farm- Little Hartley crew making the most of the quiet highway and supporting The Lolly Bug - Little Hartley ❤️
Hartley people are doing it tough, with many of the decisions being made seeming to completely forget about us.
If you're looking to order some Easter treats, please consider putting a phone order in to have some delicious Lolly Bug treats posted out to you. Their price list is on their page 🍭🍬🍫🍪

12/03/2026

With the recent flush of grass, it's important to watch for signs of laminitis.

Dr Jennifer Stewart (who makes the fantastic Jenquine All4Feet vit/min supplement) recommends this as an emergency diet for laminitic horses 🙌🏽

Emergency Diet for Laminitis

Diet is also critically important in the early stages. Feeding laminitic horses can be a challenge, but there are some excellent resources that provide sound advice and shared knowledge by leading veterinarians and farriers.

Emergency Diet (total daily amount):
Grass hay: 1.5 – 2% of current body weight (soaked to remove sugars)
Beet pulp (unmolassed): 0.5–1kg (rinsed);
Iodised salt: 30 – 60g
Magnesium oxide: 10 – 15g;
Vitamin E: 1000mg (iu);
Linseed: 100g

The total daily amount should be divided into at least three feeds per day.

https://www.jenquine.com/laminitis?srsltid=AfmBOorUjTLj6xUz923aTWRiqx6GJUN30g2MscdsV0nmwd3065F5qh6T

12/03/2026

Woodstock ride coming up! It's one of my favourites on the endurance calendar.
20km rides on Saturday if you're wanting to come along and give it a go!