This talk will be an overview of how the various Australian Codes and Guides, which are about horse activities, impact on you.

What do you need to do to meet WHS requirements? What documents do you need to cover your business ? What are your responsibilities if something goes wrong? Can you be sued if an accident happens? Are you responsible for visitors to your property? What is a risk assessment and when should we do them?

This talk will touch on insurance, being sued, and paperwork that you need to protect your business. These issues are hot topics with coaches, riding schools, agistment centres, trainers, and all who interact with others as they run their horse activities.

Being sued is a very upsetting experience and often people have not thought ahead and kept evidence of the good things they have done to manage the risks of their businesses. This talk will cover the types of evidence that will help defend a person/business if they are sued.

Do you have any background information which helps explain what happened, why it happened, and that shows you were not at fault? What information will the expert be looking for? What paperwork should you obtain from clients? What records should you make? Which do you keep? How long after an accident can you be sued?

Dressage, highest expression of horse training, is considered the most artistic of the equestrian sports and can be traced as far back as ancient Greece. The horse has to perform at a walk, trot and canter, and all tests are ridden from memory and follow a prescribed pattern of movements.

The EQUITANA CDI-W comprises two tests, firstly the Grand Prix which has set movements in a prescribed pattern and, upon qualification, the Grand Prix Freestyle which includes all the school paces and the fundamental movements as in the test of the same level. The Athlete is, however, absolutely free in the form and manner of the presentation they choose within a fixed time in accordance with the technical freestyle rules.

EQUITANA attracts some of the top jumping talent from around Australia.  Competition kicks off  on Thursday with the  1.30m class.

Most people who have horses, at one point or another, has had to deal with seedy toe.  Some have only ever experienced mild cases which seem relatively harmless.  Often people learn to live with it as it just never seems to go away! Seedy Toe (or White Line Disease) can be everything from; an inconvenient crack in an otherwise neat hoof; a large invasion that spreads through the ‘white-line’ making it difficult to maintain a usable hoof; to a major infection causing recurring abscesses, which can eventually infect the coffin bone leading to permanent damage and lameness. In this presentation, we’ll look at what it is, how it starts, how to get rid of it, and how to prevent it!

Phil will demonstrate and explain the fundamentals in introducing your horse to cutting. Using the mechanical cow he’ll demonstrate the techniques a cutting horse needs to learn to excel at the sport.

For most of us who love horse riding, we are not genetically designed to have the perfect equitation seat, however that does not mean we can not improve what we do have!

During this interactive session, discover your personal posture and how your strengths, weaknesses, imbalances and asymmetries affects both your horse and you as a rider. Learn simple effective techniques you can do quickly from the comfort of your home to improve your balance, stability, strength, body awareness and coordination which are suitable for riders of all ages and abilities. Create a strong stable seat so you can improve your riding and transform your horse.

Following on from the 2018, when star presenter Pedro Torres provided such a great insight into the benefits of Working Equitation, the sport has moved from being showcased to a competition in its own right at Melbourne 2022.

Performance with purpose, highly skilled horses and rider, displaying how to manoeuvre around a course of obstacles and challenges with precision, elegance and grace.

Bruce believes establishing the basics and providing people with methods helps eliminate  rider frustration and confused horses. Covering the physical, mental, and emotional state of the horse is essential in moving forward . Individual exercises, for individual partnerships result in better communication between horse and rider.

Dan Steers will share the Double Dan Ground Control program.

Following the 1.30m class we feature the Jumping Mini Prix, 1.40m warm up class for the Grand Prix the next day.   Watch some of the best jumpers in Australia take on this challenging course at EQUITANA.

The basic anatomy involved in correct posture and movement/ how to optimise muscle development for a healthy horse that is pleasant to ride.

The biomechanical laws which determine the order of the Training Scale and why this order is so important. Why suppleness is so important for all later stages of training, how to recognise the signs of suppleness and how to achieve this with your horse. The issue of natural crookedness and its implications on training.

Horses are naturally emotional animals and we need to be mindful of this & how we react is very important. Using Adam’s simple methods to develop confidence in both horse & rider will assist in breaking down the barriers and this ever changing equilibrium. We need to get through our own emotional blockages to be able to progress with our horses. We need to understand horse’s fears & phobias & also our own fears & phobias and then our strong points. To develop a cool, calm relaxed and supple mind set we need to challenge ourselves and our horses to get through the other side. “We don’t learn our biggest lessons from our successes, you have to let it go a bit wrong to to a bit right”

Guy will demonstrate how he uses ‘Inspiration’ to fuel desire in both horse and rider to enable greatness to flow.

It doesn’t matter you are looking to buy your first horse or your fiftieth, the basic principles are the same, but it is easy to forget them when dealing with the emotions attached to looking for your new equine partner.

Looking for the perfect equine partner should not be a stressful experience, it should in fact be fun! If you follow some basic principles, and make sure that you stick to them, you can take much of the stress out of buying a horse. It is worth taking the time to be well prepared to save the heartache and cost of trying to fix a problem later that could have been avoided.

Using a combination of natural therapies and science, I will outline how we plan treatments via herbal medicine, nutrition, musculature and various modalities to achieve long term success.

Holistic medicine considers the horse as being complete in the treatment of dis-ease and as such, it is vitally important to ensure that any illness of the horse is not compartmentalized but rather treated as a whole.

It is only when the “whole” horse is treated and the desired outcome is to strengthen the entire body, that long term health, comfort and happiness is achieved. Sharing tips on how to uncover anomalies will allow owners to treat early and form a better connection to their horse.

Digestive health can impact so many factors of our horse’s health and wellbeing, including performance, behaviour, immunity, coat condition, and body weight.

Understanding the difference between common gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcers, inappetence, colic, hindgut ulcers and acidosis is important to ensure optimal dietary management. We will explore the difference between certain gastrointestinal symptoms, conditions, feeding and management strategies.

With the explosion of gastric supplements on the market, we will examine the key ingredients available and dig through the marketing claims to help horse owners make informed choices for their horses.

In my presentation I will be explaining what classical dressage is and the importance of it in keeping a horse sound, healthy and willing in both its work and its overall wellbeing. I’ll be talking about what spinal alignment is, the function of the body beneath the surface of what we can see and how we as riders are effecting the functioning of the horse biomechically when we work them. Understanding basic anatomy allows us as riders and horse people to be able to promote correct muscle development, the stronger the structural foundation the more physically able and therefore willing to perform is the horse.

Leading on from my description- I will also be talking about how I’ve been able to mesh together bridleless riding with a classical approach and how it’s been an amazing help.

We’ll look at the origins of side saddle and the physical adaption of the saddle through the centuries to what we know it as today and why it adapted the way it did.

Parts of the side and their function, fitting a horse and rider for a side saddle correctly and how it differs to that of an astride saddle. Correct rider turnout/dress through the ages and into the modern day. Where you can/can’t ride side within Australia and how certain association rules (like whip length) may affect you. Choosing a horse to ride side saddle.

We sit on it but what do you really know about it?

The back is a complex structure made up of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, but the most important aspect is that it is not designed to carry weight from above. This talk will look at the aspects of the back that we need to know as riders. How flexible is it really, where is the weakest point, what does a vertebrae actually look like etc. We will look at how to palpate the back to assess for any pain or discomfort and massage techniques that everyone can do to help their horses backs to be pain free. As well as look at some back strengthening exercises that are easy to do.

This year The Way of the Horse (TWOTH) features three female trainers who will go through the selection process for horse allocation and will then work with their horse over four days.  Day 1 – Horse selections and our trainers begin with gentle handling and developing a connection with their horse.

TWOTH is a favourite with spectators.  You can follow the progress as each day has a training session scheduled.  The end results will leave you in awe!

Basic anatomy of the distal limb. How the hoof functions, common pathologies, and how to maintain a sound functioning hoof.

Obstacle training is becoming increasingly popular in Australia with rapidly growing interest in competitions such as Extreme Cowboy Racing, but also for many riders who just want to develop a great partnership with their horse! Georgia Kolovos and husband Jimmy compete regularly in Extreme Cowboy Racing, as well as running clinics and lessons helping people to use obstacles to create brave and willing horses. This demonstration will cover training horses on obstacles for developing a good partnership by creating a brave and willing horse. The competitive side will also be discussed, giving some insight into the exciting sport of Extreme Cowboy Racing.

Larissa will discuss the hind gut as an organ, how and why hind gut acidosis occurs, and the relevant nutritional management to maintain tip top gut health!

Bringing your child into the horse world can be a daunting but extremely rewarding experience. In this presentation we cover where to begin with first introductions, safe mounting and dismounting, including fall safety and how to tell when you need to step in and when your child ready to move off lead.

Eventers showcase the more exciting phases of their sport.  In this condensed version, riders go straight to the exciting jumping phase competing against the clock over a course which combines cross country and show jumps.  Accuracy and ability are highlighted and, with the optional joker thrown in to shake up the points, the challenge to is on for top placings.  Head from this event straight into the OTT Jumping Masterclass.

Peter will work with dressage riders, who are part of the EQUITANA Dressage Masterclass program, and focus on specific training exercises.

Wounds, colic, abscesses, eye injuries, choke…… Equine emergencies happen every day.

Much as we don’t like to think about it your horse could be next.  Are you ready?  Do you know what to do?

In this talk Amanda Edwards gives an overview of the common horse emergencies and the practical actions you can take to help your horse before the Vet arrives. This talk will give you confidence in knowing the right thing to do at the right time and could even be life saving!

Feeding horses during the transition from racehorse to their new career as a performance or pleasure horse can be a tricky one! While the horse’s metabolic rate is still high, yet not always very efficient, and with the consideration in mind for safe weight gain, while avoiding hyperactive behaviours, it is one of the most common questions that we get asked. How do we achieve all these things safely? Working through this question, and addressing common considerations and solutions, Kentucky Equine Research, in conjunction with Racing Victoria will provide advice for the growing Off The Track network.

A look into Mark’s inspiring and mindful horsemanship techniques that we can all use to overcome problems and significantly help our horses carry less anxiety and become more balanced – emotionally and physically. Mark will cover how people need to be to have successful equine partners as well as showcasing his essential training tips to train horses in a way that keeps them calmly connected yet astute and willing.

Learn how he empowers horses to search and think; directs intention; gets a horse to think through a feel; reduces anxiety; directs rather than drives; and how to use a rope/rein to get a horse truly balanced. Mark will offer an engaging, challenging, authentic educational session, packed with clear, practical insights.

Lameness is the most common cause of wastage in the competitive horse industries.

Joint problems such as traumatic/inflammatory joint disease, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, OCD, etc would be the single most common cause of lameness. In this presentation, we will briefly touch on the diagnosis of joint problems before progressing to the treatment and management of common joint conditions. This will include both physical and medical therapies. A comprehensive review of available joint therapies for both treatment and prevention will be discussed.

This presentation will NOT BE ADVERTORIAL and will cover all the above topics using evidence-based medicine and best practice.

Simple ways to keep horses healthy and pain free. Easy ways to monitor horse health from head to toe to enhance performance. Ways to identify if it’s pain or a behavioural problem. Tips to keep the doctor away that many elite riders are still unaware of.

Q & A session on any topic related to helping the working horse.

Part One – Demonstrate methods to introduce a new horse to the garrocha for the first time in a way that is safe for both horse and rider. Including pick up and drop off of the garrocha in the barrel and collection of the ring, for the working equitation obstacle phase. Developing a horse that is calm and relaxed about the rider carrying and working with the garrocha.

Part Two – Demonstrate correct techniques to train with the garrocha on an experienced working equitation horse for smooth pick up and drop off of the garrocha in the barrel for working equitation competition. Developing the skill for the rider to be able to do this at collected canter and at speed safely and accurately

What does it mean to be a physically resilient and adaptable rider? Why is it important?

Using a combination of Pilates, functional training, fascia focused training and Franklin Method Equestrian, Helen Fletcher will show us the techniques, layering of exercises and mindful approach that she uses with her riders to achieve this goal. When we understand the interconnectedness of the body, we can fully appreciate that bodywide dynamic stability and tensegrity, mobility, suppleness and strength, will allow improved performance and greater longevity for both horse and rider. Allowing us to ride better, longer.

Guy will work with his young horse and address common problems in training.   Problems to be submitted to EQUITANA and the most common problems will be addressed.

An introduction to the theories, concepts, methods, and research behind equine assisted learning (EAL), including how can EAL be applied for various demographics, the difference between EA learning and therapy, and looking after the welfare of your EAL horses.

The OTT Jumping masterclass is presented by Australian dual Olympians Scott Keach (1988 & 2016) and  James Paterson-Robinson (2012 & 2016). This Aussie Olympic duo have a wealth of knowledge to share; demonstrations and exercises which ensured their success on the international circuit.  They will work with riders and horses at different stages of their training, including a session with the versatile OTT Thoroughbred.

Covers common skeletal and muscular changes found in horses that create asymmetric development, posture, and biomechanics. How these asymmetric changes effect saddle fit, saddle balance and rider posture. Underlying pathology that can cause asymmetry in the horse, and implications for soundness under saddle. Recognising asymmetry and basic biomechanics assessment techniques. Solutions to saddle fit issues created by asymmetry.

Steph Lancefield & her OTT ‘Hampz’ will take you through his retraining process from Race Horse to Ranch Horse.

Having recently returned from the Cowgirls Gathering in Kilkavin QLD where they were invited to compete in the Race2Ranch event. Spins, roll back, lead changes and working a cow are just a few of the things ‘Hampz’ has been educated to do in his life after racing. A detailed demonstration on a different kind of life after racing.

Join in – with class participation create a lifesize tonal drawing of a horse in charcoal demonstrating and teaching class skills of seeing and handling of media. We will also cover basics of composition in relation to the negative space as it becomes a landscape or architecture.

Don’t miss this opportunity to watch Sabine as she works one on one with a dressage combination focusing Suppleness exercises.

Allysse shares her experience and knowledge, including her tips for preparing your horse for a show and correct ring etiquette for Led Classes

Love the English disciplines, Love the Western Disciplines, what about Agility? The ConneXion Challenge could be for you. EQUITANA has designed a competition that challenges horse and rider to complete a course of obstacles with precision and speed, demonstrating horsemanship, versatile training and riding skills along the way. It’s been designed for you and it’s fun. Followers of Working Equitation, Extreme Cowboy and Ranch Horse are sure to be engaged.  Round One sets the tone with all competitors out to do their best, their ranking today establishes the order of competition for the final round tomorrow.

Featuring the Knock Out Stakes and the All or Nothing Gamble.  Fun for everyone!

EQUITANA is pleased to introduce the Goodbye Flys FEI Young Rider dressage competition.  The competition will feature ten of Australia’s best young dressage riders and is a stepping stone towards international dressage careers.  The test is at FEI Prix St Georges level.

An introduction to the theories, concepts, methods, and research behind equine assisted learning (EAL), including how can EAL be applied for various demographics, the difference between EA learning and therapy, and looking after the welfare of your EAL horses.