Stable Surroundings

25/04/2026

Funding has been raised specifically for veterans to access Animal or Equine Assisted services.

And many thanks to Animal Therapies Ltd (ATL) for their hard work and dedication to make this possible.

Stable Surroundings is listed amongst the approved practitioners in the ATL directory, (based in Singleton) or choose from others who may be nearer to your area.

ATL recognises the unique pressures faced by veterans, defence and first responders.

The nature of this work demands resilience, strength, and commitment—but it can also come with unseen challenges.

No one should have to carry that weight alone.

We are offering access to supportive, evidence-informed animal-assisted services designed to promote mental wellbeing, connection, and recovery for those who need it most. Whether you’re currently serving or have served in the past, support is available.

If you or someone you know could benefit, we encourage you to apply below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTPVSCQ

Together, we can take meaningful steps toward better mental health and wellbeing.

24/04/2026

Stable Surroundings was a proud provider of three (3) of these group sessions in July, Sept, Nov 2025, during this program sponsored by Soldier On.

In the April 2026 edition, Vol 42 No. 1, VETAFFAIRS (DVA’s free newspaper) page 20, featured an article submitted by Soldier On Australia providing feedback on their series of Intro to Equine Assisted Therapy sessions, which were funded by the Veteran Wellbeing Grant.

Overall, it was a very positive review, and a much needed opportunity to promote such a valuable service (not yet widely understood)

Let’s hope going forward that DVA are more supportive of Equine Assisted Services being made available as part of our Veterans choice of treatment/wellbeing options.

19/04/2026

This wonderful blog article by Skye Therapy Solutions & The Icarus Model offers some important considerations when looking for an appropriate practitioner.

If you are looking to explore your own self-growth journey, please do ask questions or explore websites / pages to make your own informed decisions. Or even if you’re not quite ready, and depending on your own expectations of what you are looking for, it’s about finding an offering that is the right fit for you, whilst still being immersed in the therapeutic benefits.

Be assured that Stable Surroundings meet all of the ethical considerations within the article. And as a veteran myself, the importance of working alongside some who understands.

Note: sky therapy are across the ocean, (not in Aus) yet are providing a quality and relevant framework..

Learn what first responders & veterans should look for when choosing a qualified equine assisted therapy provider or program.

08/04/2026

To all fellow veterans and families who are feeling an indescribable blend of feelings about these recent headlines - Pegasus Connections has summed up how our veteran community will be affected in different ways right now, and the need to be supportive of each other.

The arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith is a confronting moment for many….especially veterans and those connected to service. It brings into focus the difficult space where service, identity, accountability, and moral injury intersect. At Pegasus Connections, we hold that supporting veterans also means holding space for complexity: pride and pain, loyalty and responsibility, service and consequence.

Accountability and care are not opposing ideas. In fact, they sit side-by-side. When allegations of harm arise, it can impact the broader veteran community — stirring anger, grief, confusion, and a sense of collective burden. These moments remind us why safe spaces for reflection, regulation, and connection matter. Veterans deserve support that acknowledges the weight of service, the impact of conflict, and the importance of integrity — for individuals, for communities, and for the profession of arms.

30/03/2026

Fellow Veteran Adam is joining the Animal Therapies Ltd (ATL) team, with a view to promoting better veteran access to meaningful mental health and well-being services.

If you didn’t already know, ATL raise and secure funding, so that they can pay for those in need, to access these services.

ATL also maintain an approved practitioner directory, to find a service provider near you.

Please reach out to ATL to apply for assistance.

Or donate if you can. 👏

Some of you may already recognise Adam from previous ATL conferences and events where he has generously volunteered his time supporting our community.

Adam is a veteran of three deployments and brings with him a deep commitment to supporting others.

We’re excited to share that Adam will now be joining the ATL volunteer team, helping drive several important initiatives.

His passion and lived experience will strengthen several key areas of ATL’s work:

🔹 Men’s Mental Health – Adam will be working alongside Carolyn to identify and pursue funding opportunities that support men who could benefit from animal-assisted mental health services.

🔹 Veteran Access to Animal-Assisted Services – Adam will be helping improve access for veterans to animal-assisted services, including assistance animals.

We’re incredibly grateful to have Adam join the ATL community and look forward to the positive impact he will help create.

Please join us in welcoming Adam to the team!

26/03/2026

I’m going to invite you to read the meaning of this quote… read it twice if you need to, read it slower, and imagine yourself partaking in the steps it speaks of.

For the ‘Gift’ of feeling ‘included’ as part of the horses herd, has come as a result of your ‘Gift’ to offer something of yourself to the horse too.

By offering your awareness of them, slowing down enough to breathe, taking the time to walk beside them, attuning to their body language, which in turn draws them to move ‘with’ you too..

09/03/2026

As an ongoing responsibility to our clients, we, as registered allied health professionals, offering equine assisted therapy are continuing to learn through professional development.

Yesterday’s workshop was an immersive example of proof that our practices are validated by the easy integration of the ‘evidence based’ models.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is a perfect fit, with the ‘bottom up’ approach that equine assisted therapy brings, through mindfulness and emotional regulation. So much so, that it’s already happening, without seeming like therapy at all…

25/02/2026

A horse never asks who you were yesterday.

It doesn’t replay your failures.
It doesn’t whisper your regrets back to you.
It doesn’t measure you by old mistakes.

To a horse, your past has no weight.

It meets you exactly as you are — in this breath, in this moment.

Tired after a long battle.
Hopeful but unsure.
Strong on the outside… yet quietly carrying something heavy within.

And somehow, standing beside a horse feels different.

There is no pretending.
No explaining.
No proving yourself.

Just a steady heartbeat next to yours.
Just warm breath in the cool air.
Just eyes that see you without judgment.

In a world that constantly reminds you of who you used to be,
a horse only responds to who you are right now.

That is the magic of the human–horse connection.
That is the power of equine healing.

Sometimes healing does not come from long conversations.
Sometimes it comes from silence.
From presence.
From a gentle nudge that says, without words:

You are enough.
Right here. Right now.

Maybe the horse doesn’t hold onto yesterday
because it is teaching you not to either.

And maybe that is the real lesson.

❤️🐴❤️

25/02/2026

Pleased to welcome the new Equine Assisted Therapy service Chestnut Stables Dooralong The lovely Bec is available at Dooralong (think Central Coast/Wyee/Morriset area)

Our sessions with horses focus on the individual and their goals. All sessions provide guidance and support from our counsellors for the entirety of the time.

Each session is thoughtfully planned out based on the individuals unique goals. This means that every interaction is customized, purposeful, and aligned with individual needs rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Our horses fit in to these sessions by teaching us more about perspective, support, awareness, connection and more.

🐴 Anxiety

🐴 Negative / Intrusive Thought Patterns

🐴 Self-care

🐴 Self - esteem

🐴 Women / Mothers / Guardians

🐴 Youth

At Chestnut Stables we are:
- Registered Counsellors with the ACA Australia.
- Qualified Equine Assisted Mental Health Practioners (Certified EAMH Practioners).
- Able to offer planned sessions under the NDIS (approved funding).
- Committed to the well-being and safety of our clients and horses, following health and safety procedures at all times.

Phone 0451 970 199 or email chestnutstablesnsw@gmail.com for further information and / or inquiries.

Located on the Central Coast, NSW.

28/01/2026

To start the year off, HorseAid have released dates for the first residential groups for this year.
Free for eligible Veterans, First Responders and current serving defence members.

✨ Hello Horse Aid community ✨

We hope you’re enjoying the long weekend.

We wanted to share that we’ve opened registrations for our Feb/March programs in Helensburgh, NSW. Each program has limited places (12 participants max).

If you know someone in your world who may benefit — serving or ex-serving defence personnel, or first responders living with service-related trauma — we’d be so grateful if you could quietly pass this on.

And if this sounds like you, you’re very welcome here 💛
Our One Day Intro on 11 February is a great way to see if the program feels right.

✅ No horse experience required
✅ Free for eligible participants

👉 Register here: horseaid.org.au/programs

If you’d like a quick reminder of what we do, you can watch our promo reel here: https://youtu.be/NH92fKLrQdA

Thank you for your support, always.

Scott Brodie Equitation Education
The Healing documentary

16/01/2026

05/01/2026

✨🐴2026 - The Year of the Horse

As we step into the new year, we can’t help but acknowledge that 2026 will be celebrated as the Year of the Horse in China and many other East and Southeast Asian countries.

The ‘Year of the Horse’ has gained widespread attention across social media recently, with many cultures and communities jumping on board to simply celebrate horses.

But where does The Year of the Horse come from - or more specifically, The Year of the Fire Horse?

It derives from the Chinese zodiac (Shengxiao), an ancient classification system/calendar.

The Chinese zodiac calendar is based on a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year represented by an animal and its reputed attributes.

This ancient calendar also incorporates five elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, which rotate in a 10-year sequence, with each element lasting for two consecutive years.

The 12 animal signs combine with the five elements to create a larger 60-year cycle, producing specific animal-element combinations.

✨ Enter 2026: The Year of the Fire Horse - a combination that occurs only once every 60 years.

Symbolically, the Fire Horse represents energy and momentum, blending the horse’s qualities of freedom, vitality and independence with the fire element’s creative and transformative power.

What does this mean for us at Equine Assisted Therapy Australia?

It really just gives us another reason to honour horses, not just as a symbol, but as a powerful presence in our work.

Every day, we witness how horses show up in many different ways, with their presence, awareness and attunement.

When we learn how horses engage in the world around them, we can also learn a lot about ourselves. 🐴💙

Will 2026 be your year to celebrate the horse?