Our Team
Duke
Duke is our stunningly beautiful Quarter horse x Thoroughbred gelding, born in 2002. He is our founding teacher and this is his second Equine Assisted Career which he started first as a client of Horses For Hope following the 2009 Black Saturday fires and then became a teacher for their program.
Bred as a show pony, unfortunately, his first home didn't know much about horses and he became difficult to handle. He came to Karen as a 5-year-old with some very bad habits. He was a little accident prone and incredibly insecure which only intensified after the trauma of the fires in which he lost most of his herd. He had several health issues from the fires but these days they are easily managed and he has become a real sweety, super empathetic and charming.
Music
Music was born in 2003 and belongs to Karen's partner Bernie. A registered Australian Stock horse (Registered name is ALJAY Oaks Music) mare, bred for polo-cross in Dingo, Queensland by the prestigious Allan and Jane Vaughan of ALJAY Stockhorses.
She was a gift from them following an accidental meeting after the fires. They have since become close friends with this amazing bond between the two properties. Music was started and named without knowing Karen's background but specifically chosen to bring a calming influence to our herd.
She is incredibly athletic and sensitive and sometimes too motherly to her humans. She is the most versatile horse in our herd with incredible temperament, but for now is an excellent EAL teacher and multi-talented riding horse.
Indi
Indi is a Quarter horse gelding who is semi-retired but had a career in Western Pleasure and trail riding.
As our most mature teacher, he has seen it all and demands accuracy and clarity and thoroughly enjoys putting the humans through their paces. He is in his late 20's but still moves around like a teenager in the big paddock even though he has some arthritis.
Being a real boy he is always in mud, and is very rough with his rugs but has the softest fur we have ever seen. Even given his age, he stills find time to flirt with Music.
