Synergy and Freedom

25/01/2026

A few years ago, I attended a symposium for equitation science, and learned what I now call the 13 second rule.

This “rule” completely changed the relationship I have with Junior.

Prior to learning this, the moment you see here where he has just spotted sheep would’ve ended up with me on the ground. Junior used to very much have a “spin now, think later”, and despite my pretty good stickability, those spins were just impossible to sit.  That spin was the reason I fell off this horse more times in the first year that I earned him that I have off pretty much all my other horses put together!

But then I attended the symposium and learned something huge. That horses only need 13 seconds of binocular vision (ie, looking at something with both eyes) to determine if that something is a threat.

So I tried it. Rather than trying to get him to stop looking at things, to “give him a job”, to keep him focused on me… instead of any of the things I had tried in the past to keep a handle on his spooking… I let him stop and look.

I won’t lie, it infuriated me at first. We were stopping what felt like every 3rd stride to just stare off into the distance. I told him through gritted teeth that he had precisely 13 seconds and then we were all moving on with our lives whether he was done or not…

But it never took the whole 13 seconds. Not once.

And the more rides where we repeated it, the shorter those stops became and the less frequently he needed to stop.

So that now this is the first time he’s had to stop and look for a good year. And he hasn’t done one of his spins in years.

He is no longer a “spooky” horse, he is actually a very reliable horse now.

And it’s worked with every other horse I’ve done it with, plus every student I have who has stuck to it.

If I was to anthropomorphise it, I would say that when I allowed him to look, the less he felt he needed to. And the less violent he had to be in order to have the opportunity to look. 

It actually wasn’t a long process, it took a few weeks at most  to go from near constant spooking to virtually none.

This is just one of the ways where learning something new, and being (even grudgingly) willing to try it, has fundamentally changed my riding life for the better.

“We do the best we can with what we have, and when we know better, we do better” - Maya Angelou

It’s lessons like this that are the basis for our teaching sessions, and guest speaker sessions in the HHM… where you find those little nuggets that just work. All with one aim, to improve your, and your horse’s, life.

.au

19/01/2026

Sunset proprioception sessions 🥰

14/01/2026

It was 10 years ago pretty much to the day, that I attended my first equine reiki training.

Not believing it was any more than downright quackery 😂

Not for any good reason other than thinking it was massage and skipping over any inclination to read more.

Not for any reason except that clearly a part of me knew I needed to attend that training and that I needed the change it would create in my life and the horses’ lives.

Reiki has become not only the foundation for my work, but the foundation of my life. And the part I possibly love most is that I can say that in a way that’s not “woo woo”. Because the way I learned Reiki is that it is simply unconditional love.

How can I live as though I love others, life, and even myself unconditionally? What would that look like? And while I am FAR from perfect at it, Reiki has become my bridge to that sense. When I’m feeling judgemental or fearful or frustrated.

And I believe it is that which the horses pick up on and respond to as much as anything else; meeting them where they are at, unconditionally.

Through reiki I have found a sense of safety and peace I had never known, but I also found my closest friends (fungi 😉 🍄). I always say that it was life changing, and while that sounds like a cliche, I don’t know how to say it differently.

So, it seems fitting that after a decade of reiki changing my life, I am finally ready to facilitate my first master level training!

I feel so lucky and excited to finally be offering this and so looking forward to those 4.5 days in July 🥰

The master training is open to anyone who has done level 1 and 2 with *any* equine reiki teacher 😊

12/01/2026

How To Buy Your Ideal Horse! *LIVE CALL TONIGHT*

The first of our live calls is kicking off in just over 3.5 hours, and today we are tackling the topic of horse shopping! How to find and buy your ideal horse!

We've all heard the saying that it costs just as much to keep a good horse as a bad horse (although I would modify that to say "ideal horse" and "unsuitable horse")... in fact I think it often costs FAR more to keep an unsuitable horse.

Whether that added cost is in training, lessons, eventual cost to on-sell the horse, cost of all the remedies and solutions you try to resolve the issues... and that's before we even get started on the emotional and mental cost!

I don't think it would be unfair to say that if you yourself have never bought an unsuitable horse, you would know somebody who has!

And the truth is, there are some simple things that can really help you avoid the common pitfalls, and prevent the dream from becoming a nightmare.

I've bought and sold a lot of horses over the years, for myself and others, and I can honestly say that I find horse-shopping (or horse matching if it's not for me!) FUN!

To join the call you can either become a member of the Holistic Horse Membership for $20, or join this call as a once-off for $50... but either way, unless you're already a member you need to get onto that right quick!

09/01/2026

2026 Calendar:

Here are the Equine Reiki and Family & Systemic Constellation Workshops coming up this year (with more dates possibly to come... for constellations anyway!).

Two modalities that have probably had the most profound impact on my own life than any other - and hence why I am so passionate about sharing them with as many people as possible!

More details on what these workshops entail are within the event pages on here, but there will also be some posts coming up AND you can always ask me 😉

Email me at keira@holistichorse.au or text me 0421313863 for more details or to register for any of these!

PS. Please note also that I am offering private constellation sessions with the horses too - something I have been doing "quietly" for a number of years now... so pretty chuffed to be "officially" offering them this year!

PPS. No, family and systemic constellations doesn't have anything to do with astrology, I don't even know the basics of the star signs so don't go asking me about that 😂

09/01/2026

2026 is here!

And here is what's on offer from me this year!

Some private sessions (during busy periods in my study schedule, priority will be given to regular clients, but still openings for new horses and humans!) AND some really exciting workshops and trainings... More on that in the calendar post!

09/01/2026

When equestrian sport is gone, we will be the reason for it!

Sharing photos like this, having some commenters still on here saying the horse "has its game face on", "it's sassy", "some horses like to celebrate" bla bla bla bla bla!!!

I am not saying that this isn't just a moment in time, I'm not passing judgement on whether the horse is like this all the time or not (I don't know and I'm not interested in checking), but THIS moment, is BAD!

If you can look at that face and body language and try to claim that this horse is just sassy, just enjoying its job, looks proud, whatever else... you are lying to yourself and potentially have been doing so for so long that it is starting to feel like truth.

I wasn't even going to share this (because it doesn't need more engagement), but the person who commented that the only people who see something wrong with this are either city people, or beginner riders and will never be more than "wannabees" got me.

I have competed at 5***** level multiple times, and placed. I've ridden grand prix jumping. I've produced multiple horses to FEI level... and I am saying this photo is TERRIBLE.

That is a horse saying it is unhappy with every single part of its body, and every single bit of equine vocabulary it has and people are STILL trying to defend it.

When horse sport goes, we as riders will be the reason for it. Not the activists who oppose the sport. Not disorganised governing bodies. Not do-gooders who don't know what they are talking about.

It will be us. The ones who knew better and instead of doing better went "na, I don't want to change".

Change sucks. Looking back on what I have done to and with horses in the past sucks. Recognising my own mistakes and shortcomings sucks. Realising that I myself have taught and perpetuated damaging nonsense sucks.

But what would suck more is if I looked back in another 10 years and realised that I hadn't changed at all. My beliefs and ideas had been challenged and instead of opening my mind and entertaining the possibility I may be wrong, I doubled down on my approach, even when it was pointed out that what I was doing was harming the animals I claimed to love.

WAKE UP!

And if you look at this photo, and you're not sure why I'm so angry about it, then ask questions. Ask me, I won't berate you for asking questions because what I want most for our horses is for people to be open to learning. The humility to say "maybe I don't know" and the curiosity to learn more.

I don't know everything, and I hope I will continue to learn and grow... and I sincerely hope that our sport learns and grows quickly enough to save itself, although every time I see something like this (celebrated as photo of the week, no less!) it chips away at my hope that we will. That the sport will turn around fast enough to save itself.

And if you're not sure what's so bad about this:

Look at the kick and buck itself.
The ears.
The shape of the eyes.
The tension throughout the body.
The jaw, lips, tongue and froth.
Look at the tightness of the noseband.
Look at the red ribbons that say this is not an isolated incident.

Take emotion out of what you are seeing and look at each individual part of the horse, and tell me where you see any signs of enjoyment.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK I ABDULLAH AL SHARBATLY (KSA) & BOECKMANNS LORD PEZI JR. @ DOHA EQUESTRIAN TOUR - H.H. THE FATHER AMIR'S PRIX CSI 4*

Buckle up Abdullah!

Abdullah Al Sharbatly (KSA) & Boeckmanns Lord Pezi Jr. stole the spotlight last week by claiming the first two major classes at the event and the 2009 bay Oldenburg stallion (Boeckmann's Lord Pezi x Quattro 7) decided to put a different kind of show for the fans at Al Shaqab! Talk about elasticity!

Photo: © Doha Equestrian Tour / Lukasz Kowalski

05/01/2026

*Itchy Horses*

I am about to mix another batch of itch oil - if your horse is feeling the midges, mosquitoes, bugs and flies, and you want a non-toxic, organic ingredients and essential oils based solution… hit me up!

500mL $40
1L $75

I have 8L left from this batch before I need to order more ingredients 🥰

01/01/2026

“Office” views 🥰

Upcoming sessions available:

🐴 Sunday 4th Toowoomba surrounds

🐴 Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th Lockyer Valley

🐴 Saturday 10th Brisbane surrounds to Gold Coast

🐴 Monday 12th Sunshine Coast