.:EQUUS:.

I was having a chat with some students at TAFE today about the recent studs they’d been to visit as part of their course. It was pointed out (and amazed students) that one of the studs made all that they needed to cover the costs of employment of staff, maintenance of the property and care of horses in their stallion fees alone. The rest was profit.

On the Thoroughbred studs I’ve worked on, the main funds do indeed come from stallions and / or the cost of agistment / livery.

As the owner of a gelding that I ride on a weekly basis, I am thankful but surprised to find that it can cost me as little as $50 / month to pay to keep him on someone else’s property and this can include having access to jumps, large paddocks to ride in and an arena.

What you want in a paddock - plenty of grazing, strong, visible fencing and established trees.

He is currently in an area where it costs around $50 / week for the same facilities - thankfully I am able to work a few hours a week at this place rather than have to pay to keep him there. However, both of these fees are at a lower rate that one would expect to pay to enable their racehorse to have a spell between racing preps or a broodmare or yearling that is being housed on a stud.

My aim is to have around 150 acres where I can agist and rotate 50 horses over this amount of land. Of course, the 50 horses will be owned by other people paying to keep their equine/s on the property.

I am considering based on good grazing and fencing and some appealing facilities for horse riders (arena, jumps, round yard) to be able to feasibly charge $60 / month. For a year with 50 horses, this would total to an agistment income of $36,000.

Another paddock offering the shade of an established tree and a strong water source.

It isn’t unusual for a trainer to be paying around $20 / day for the agistment of a racehorse spelling between racing preps. Now arguably because this is for a couple of months, allowing the horse to recuperate before continuing to race, you would need a bigger client base to keep your paddocks with paying customers all year round.

However, it would be possible to have a smaller property, say 40 acres with 15 yards and to keep these yards full at $20 / day. Keeping 15 spellers on the property all year round (perhaps based on having a client base of between 60-100 horses) at a rate of $20 / day would bring in an annual income of $109,500.

Obviously it depends on where your interest lies, but for either form of agistment, there would need to be maintenance of fencing, pastures, a decent feed regime set up as well as the provision of roughage and perhaps the putting on and off of rugs.

Arguably with 15 spellers to look after, it would be possible for one staff member to deal with the daily feeding, checking and rugging - currently I work on a property and am in charge of 30 horses during the day and have previously been on a stud with one or two other staff and been in charge of 200 horses between us. 15 to look after in a day isn’t asking too much of one worker but with an income of over $100,000 it would be possible as the owner/manager to consider the part time or full time employment of two staff.

Whatever discipline you prefer, it’s worth considering what other places are charging for agistment and what services they offer as part of the package. As a riding property, as soon as you provide facilities like an arena and an area for trails or jumping, you can look at increasing your fee and allowing access to these facilities.

As a spelling property, perhaps a round yard and a walker are needed to be able to lightly exercise the young racehorses. Private paddocks will also cost more in fencing whereas with a riding agistment property, communal paddocks may be the way to go to spend less on fencing but still earn a decent amount due to more horses being paddocked together on a larger size of land.

If your passion is with caring for horses - whether they be yours or someone else’s - and you have the land to establish such a set up, perhaps spelling or agisting is the way to go.

“Closeness, friendship, affection: keeping your own horse means all these things - Bertrand Leclair”

tag: spelling, agistment, maintenance, fencing, horseriding, property management, trail riding, life with horses, pasture management

I first came across this sport when I did my Certificate II in Horse Studies in high school - a couple of the students played and brought their polocrosse sticks (like a lacrosse racket) and cantered around the large indoor arena, throwing and catching a ball with their rackets. Looked like fun! But way too much coordination required for me!

While in South Africa I came to be on a five day trail with a woman who played on the Australian team for awhile and she could only sing praises of the sport.

Polocrosse is truly Australian made and is a combination of polo, lacrosse and netball. As stated on the Australian Association’s Website, “It is played on horseback, each rider using a cane stick, made up of a polo stick shaft to which is attached a squash racquet type head with a loose twisted-thread net, in which the ball is carried.” Despite being Australian made, it has gained interest around the world.

The game:
Consists of two teams, each with six players. These six players are divided into two lots of three who play alternate chukkas that last up to eight minutes in length. A full game is six or eight chukkas meaning that players get to play three or four chukkas each.

Each player has a different role - attack, centre or defense. The goals that are scored by each lot of three are added up to make the team’s total score at the end of the game.

Horses needed - number:
Unlike polo, polocrosse only allows the use of one horse per match/tournament except in the case of injury.

Potential costs involved:
Horse, tack, polocrosse equipment – helmut, boots, kneeguards and mallets, shoeing regularly, vet bills, rugs, feeding and stabling. Game entries, tuition.

Links to associations:
http://www.polocrosse.org.au/ - The Polocrosse Association of Australia Inc.
http://www.polocrosse-deutschland.de/ - Germany’s Official Polocrosse Club.
http://www.polocrosse.net/ - Polocrosse Worldwide.
http://polocrossecanada.com/ - Canada’s Polocrosse Organisation.
http://www.polocrosse.ie/ - Irish Polocrosse Association.
http://www.ridesenter.net/polocrosse/ - Norsk Polocrosse Klubb
http://www.polocrosse.co.za/ - Polocrosse South Africa.

“If you don’t fall, you aren’t riding hard enough.”

tag: polocrosse, horseriding, australia

I’m back home this evening from two days at Mill Valley Ranch with a few classes worth of Certificate II in Horse Studies students. Apparently each year the first and second year students spend the two days at Mill Valley Ranch making use of the gorgeous horses on the property and willing staff having riding lessons and getting marked off for practical tasks as part of their certificate.

I was lucky enough to be asked to help out with the two days, assessing students on tacking up horses, putting on different types of boots/protective gear and dismantling and putting together parts of the saddle/bridle. I learnt quite a bit from the students while doing so!

They’re a very switched on group which is great - I think back to when I did my Certificate II and don’t think my year consisted of so many that were so familiar with horses and the management of. It was a great two days and as one who hadn’t been to Mill Valley Ranch before, I was interested to hear from Arthur who set it up and how that came about.

On the Thursday night he spent half an hour or so explaining to the group how he came to be a Christian in his teens and how things lead to him setting up the Ranch which really offers value for money. It shows through the cost and the staff that they aren’t about making money. They are about providing a service and shining the light of their beliefs. I had an absolute ball.

Something that really resonated with me was Arthur’s talk of how he traveled around a lot of ranches/camps as his great desire was to set up his own place. As he did so, he made note of things he wanted and would use in his own place and has done so, making it uniquely his.

I kept thinking - this is me! I do the same with all the horse properties I visit and have a terrible habit of collecting seeds from places if the plant appeals to me. It’s all in my head how the place is going to look! I’m just waiting for the time I stumble across the property where I can set up my horse property and serve others.

“Life is short. Ride hard.”

tag: Mill Valley Ranch, horse camp, , horseriding, course, australia, education, certificate II, horse studies, equine ministry, carriage driving

Ministry/Ministration - ‘The act or process of serving or aiding.’

When I have the 400 acres I am continually dreaming about, my main goal in life is to run an Equine Ministry. I see this as being a place that looks after the well being of these gorgeous animals and through them, reaches out to people. There are a lot around, many of which make a small profit or none requiring volunteers and whatever the case, all seem to be for a great cause.

Having been a volunteer for a branch of Riding For the Disabled, Australia I see RDA as a well known equine ministry that makes a huge impact on the riders and those volunteering their time and services.

Other Equine Ministries:
HopeWell Ranch - “To provide free, Christ-based equine therapy for children, adults and their families who are challenged mentally, physically and emotionally.”

Horse Haven Ranch Ministries Giving Girls Purpose - A non-denominational, multi-ethnic, Christian Ministry

Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions - The whole setup of the summer camp looks very appealing and Sermon on the Mount completely appealed!

Wild Horse Ministries - As the ministry listed above, this also seems to relate working with and educating a horse to scripture and our growth in life.

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch - Where it all started for me. Mum heard Kim Meeder being interviewed and her book Hope Rising talked about on LightFM and immediately sought out the book as she felt it’d interest me. I now await the day where I’m able to set up a ministry and reach out to people like Kim and her husband Troy do.

I’m sure there are many more equine ministries around, all different in their own respect but still offering services to those in need and making use of the beautiful animal that is the horse. Perhaps there’s one nearby that you can help out at, volunteer, become employed or become a part of making a difference in someone else’s life. Or perhaps you need a place like this to make a difference in your life. They seem to me a very worthwhile ministry.

“An instructor does not criticize you, but what you have been taught.”

tag: equine ministry, horse goals, Hope Rising, Kim Meeder, riding for the disabled

I believe people can put off getting a qualification because they’re not sure what sort of effort will need to be put in, if they’re up to the standard to achieve the qualification or because they’re questioning it’s relevance to what they want to do in a particular industry.

The past two weeks have been a fortnight of firsts: I received my first pay from Box Hill TAFE for teaching a horse studies subject; today I performed my one hour session relating to grooming horses for my Certificate IV in Training and Assessment which I officially finish next Saturday and last weekend an EFA Coach Educator came out to the riding school I teach at and assessed around half a dozen instructors for their Introductory to Coaching. This is what I want to focus on.

In the one day the instructors managed to get marked off for two of the four Introductory Horse Management Activities and one of the two riding components. This leaves me to believe that if we had another two days with an assessor coming out, we could feasibly have the other two management sections marked off, a riding section and have our instructing assessed also. If so, then we could send in the paperwork to the Equestrian Federation of Australia, attend a two day face to face Introductory Coaching course and be assessed on coaching and gain the qualification as an Introductory Coach.

This is a big goal for me for this year. I’ve concluded I have a long way to go in my riding and the theory of riding if I were to go for my Level 1 in instructing but believe the Introductory Coach qualification is feasible and once achieved, I could purchase my own insurance and teach my own clients. Very appealing for someone who wants to run their own place eventually.

So what do you need to be able to gain this qualification?
Riding over the flat:
- be familiar with warming up the horse at walk, trot and canter
- know trot diagonals and canter leads
- be familiar with the paces of the horse and footfalls
- a working knowledge of flexion and bend
- 20m circles, figure of eights and 3 loop serpentines
- cool down routine
Riding in the open and over trot poles:
- working knowledge of the forward seat, 3 and 2-point positions
- maintain a controlled forward seat over trot poles at walk/trot
- maintain a controlled forward seat over a series of poles at walk/trot
- knowledge of road rules and protective gear when riding out

Horse management:
- Activity 1: 1 hour exam based on setup of a stable, feeding horses and storage of food, water, laminitis, holding horse, vaccinations, grooming, bedding, fencing, poisonous plants, brushes, points of the horse, markings, types of nosebands, etc. Questions are generally worth one or two marks, not needing in depth answers.
- Activity 2: Safe approach, catching and leading of horse; secure and identify sex, colour and markings; taking vitals; groom and tack up horse; pulling apart and naming parts of bridle and saddle; grooming horse and fitting boots; fitting a rug and identifying stable bedding, fencing, feed/water points, gates, safety relating to fire, separating horses from traffic, safe storage of equipment.
- Activity 3: fitting travel boots and tail bandage; recognising symptoms of skin conditions; assessing lameness; identify feeds and discuss storage of; wash horse and trill poll and withers.
- Activity 4: Lunging - identify safe area to lunge, fit lunging gear, demonstrate safe lunging.

* Attending the 2 Day face to face course must be carried out before carrying out Introductory Coaching section of the course. Attendance of this course also requires the completion of the ASC Beginning Coaching Workbook. (Activity 1)

Coaching:
- Activity 2: 1 hour exam based on safety in lessons; management of accidents, staying up to date on accreditation, correct riding gear, benefits of coaching, goals and lesson plans, knowledge of layout of arena, legal responsibilities, equestrian coaching terms, types of insurance and arena traffic rules.
- Activity 3: Coaching Principles broken up into Coach Observation and Risk Management Planning.
- Activity 4: Lesson Planning - with a list of movements on the horse, dividing these into eight progressive lesson plans for a beginner.
- Activity 5: Coaching Practical broken up into Coaching an Individual and Coaching a Group.
- Activity 6: Lunging a Rider.

It looks like a lot but if you’re already instructing and are up on your own riding and theory of riding, then a lot is easy to get marked off almost immediately as long as you have the access to an assessor. I believe that seven full days of being assessed would have this qualification gained (not including sessions asking questions or learning particular parts that you’re to be assessed on).

If you’ve been thinking about coaching but weren’t sure if you have what it takes, consider the above sections and how comfortable you feel about each one to help you determine if you should be joining up with the Equestrian Federation of Australia and getting yourself qualified to coach.

“The substitution of the internal combustion engine for the horse marked a very gloomy milestone in the progress of mankind.” - Sir Winston Churchill

tag: course, training, australia, Level 1, EFA, coaching, instructing, insurance