Warwick and Dan James sit down together to share their adventures riding on the Gaucho Derby in the wild mountains of Patagonia, Argentina.  In 2024 equestrian enthusiasts from eleven different countries converged for one fo the world’s toughest adventure horse races – the Gaucho Derby.  This grueling race takes place at the end of the world, challenging riders with its diverse terrains and unpredictable Patagonian elements.

Details coming soon

‘Understanding Liberty; helping you with confidence and connection’.  Everyone wants to have a better connection with their horse.

Liberty training helps you to connect with your horse more emotionally and spiritually.

Not only will Liberty training create a much deeper connection and understanding between you and your horse, it will offer you so much more, relaxation , trust, partnership, overtime you can train your horse to come to you at Liberty , float load at liberty , go over obstacles at Liberty, lead at Liberty , tricks at Liberty, the list is endless , you will also find Liberty training can be very healing for you or your horse, it’s also extremely beneficial in creating a better riding horse. I find Liberty training no matter where I am or what I am doing Whether it be out on the trail, doing a demonstration in front of thousands of people or simply riding in the arena, Liberty training has helped to teach my horse to always check back with me about what we are doing and how we are both feeling.

In this demonstration Sandi will help you understand what Liberty training is all about and how it can help you with loss of confidence and connection, where to start and how it can be achieved by anyone.

Get the truth about how hemp can (and can’t) assist your horse.

There are many novel hemp-based products and feeds currently on the market, but how do you sift through the marketing to work out which hemp products are worth adding into your horses feed routine, and which are either not, harmful, or could even be prohibited. Hemp is highly palatable, and can be fed as a meal, oil, or even as husks and blended with other products. It really is a nutrition powerhouse and can provide a great source of vitamins and minerals. It is also a wonderful source of protein for horses, with an amino acid profile that provides all essential amino acids. Hemp is also a source of essential fatty acids, but as herbivores, it is not the ‘perfect’ ratio that is sometimes advertised.

What are some of the conditions that using hemp may assist with? What is the difference between hemp seed oil and a CBD product, and do these products contain THC? Does CBD have a place in horses’ health/treatment? Hemp products for horses are set to grow rapidly both inside and outside of the supplement market, so it’s a great idea to understand where it fits

There are so many opportunities to improve you and your horse with long reining. Done correctly and effectively it can enhance any horses education under saddle. Whether you have an OTTB, a young horse ready to begin its journey under saddle or just wanting to create a better connection through your horses body into bridle, teaching your horse to long rein opens a whole new calibre to your training with your horse. In this session we will take you through the very beginning exercises of how to begin long reining through to a horse that is more advanced in our program. We will also discuss how long reining can help find and fix problems that you maybe having under saddle.

Equine asthma is a serious condition that requires proper diagnosis, management and treatment.  Can complimentary therapies be an effective treatment?

Ever tried breathing though a straw while running, it is almost impossible to do, it forces you to suck as much oxygen into your lungs as is possible and achieve a deep breath. Expelling the air out through that little straw is just as exhausting, this is what asthmatics go through and it is also what your horse experiences too. With horses and humans once they do get air into the lungs, they generally end up coughing.

SEA or severe equine asthma generally effects horses over the age of 7. Studies have shown that more than one in seven horses can be affected by asthma but we are certainly seeing an increase in those numbers. The most important aspect of treating and managing asthma is to instigate the correct treatment once diagnosed and to support the respiratory system to allow the horses to continue working for many years to come. In this presentation we look in depth at the effects on the horse, measures horse owners can take, what are the possible triggers, what options are available aside from conventional medicine and can we manage competition horses long-term bearing in mind drug therapy cannot be used in competition.

This demonstration will show the audience how to break down lessons and use combined-reinforcement to engage their horse with them.

We know that shying is one of the most commonly seen unwanted behaviours, and getting your horse into the Engagement Zone in this way is the first step to building a safe and happy riding partner.

A horse in the Engagement Zone is focused on the rider/handler, who regulates the horse’s emotional level. The session will explain the importance of the horse’s emotional level, show viewers how to recognise the ideal level for learning and demonstrate how to raise and lower the emotional level to minimize stress and optimize learning and safety for both horse and rider/handler.

The audience will leave the session with a step-by-step plan for getting their horse into the Engagement Zone and an understanding of how lessons are broken down to shape behaviour. Regardless of their experience level, each audience member will have a practical takeaway from the session to implement at home.

What do our horses actually eat? We feed nutrients not ingredients!

An interactive review of what nutrients horses require and where they get them from. A review of common feedstuffs and some novel ingredients that are being fed to horses.

A simple way to evaluate whether you are balancing your horse’s diet or simply over or under supplying nutrients.

Paddock Paradise / Track systems emerged from studying the roaming, grazing & survival behaviours of wild horses, giving valuable insight for domestic horses. With metabolic issues steeply on the rise, we’ve reached a fundamental shift in horse-keeping, every bit worthy of a renaissance.

Literally EVERYTHING about how a horse evolved directly dictates how it’s body functions and how the horse instinctively interacts with the world. Domestic life challenges much of this, therefore not surprisingly, a myriad of problems arise (physical & mental). PP / Track systems are an important missing link. They offer practical and realistic solutions to domestic related health issues and can be of benefit to ALL horses, being completely life changing for many.

Find out why track systems are growing in demand all over the world, discover how and why they’re so beneficial and just how easy it is to set up a basic ‘track’. These systems are where the ways of the wild horse and the domestic horse intersect! Come and get inspired!

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
– Maya Angelou.

From Long Ears to their Broom tails Donkeys are unique and special individuals.

There’s more to this equine than you probably know. Come along and learn about what makes them such a great equine companion.

Most of us in the horse world are familiar with the process of buying and selling horses. But what happens when things go wrong?

Through real-life stories of horse deals gone awry, participants will gain an understanding of common legal pitfalls, how to avoid them and the potential legal repercussions that can arise in equine transactions. Led by an experienced equine lawyer, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn from real scenarios and acquire practical strategies for mitigating risks.

Discover the intricacies of buyer and seller obligations, the importance of clear contracts, and the power of due diligence when it comes to horse deals. Whether you’re a seasoned horse professional or a new entrant in the industry, this workshop equips you with the knowledge needed to navigate the world of equine transactions with confidence and insight.

This educational demonstration will teach patrons about the thrilling sport of trick and fancy riding. In this demonstration, we cover all aspects of the industry, including but not limited to:
– Rider Fitness
– Horse Training, Conditioning and Suitability
– Safety in the Sport
– Correct Equipment & Tack, Costuming, Saddle Walk-Through
– How To Get Started, Finding a Coach, Careers in Trick Riding
– Demonstrations of Basic To Advanced Tricks On Our Trained Trick Riding Horses (At standstill, walk or canter, depending on area size)

Ranch Riding is reasonably new to this country and it’s popularity and interest is taking Australia by storm. As President of the Ranch Horse Association of Australia, which was formed in October, 2022, we have seen exponential growth, having close to 380 memberships within our first 10 months.

During this presentation, I will touch on the history of Ranch Riding. How and when it started in the USA and subsequently moved to Australia. The requirements sought by horse and rider. The ranch horse should be attentive to its surroundings, display forward movement in it’s working gaits and be ridden with light contact, I will discuss the movement and cadence preferred.

Understand the hidden influences shaping your equestrian journey. Beyond the surface of rider mindset, lies a realm of subconscious barriers that may be hindering your progress in overcoming nerves, building confidence or even find motivation to ride. The session will examine the interconnected experiences of humans and horses, and how your subconscious impacts on your relationships with your horses and riding.

Delve into the emotions and behaviours that impact our riding and horsemanship, and how they are shaped by past experiences, attachment theory, psychophysiology, evolutionary biology, and play out through our nervous system and subconscious.

By unravelling the ‘why’ behind personal riding challenges, transform the way you connect with your horse. Through heightened self-awareness, participants will start a journey into a more grounded sense of self, ability, and capacity; refined feel and timing in the saddle and ultimately fostering a deeper connection with their self and horse.

Let us take you behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, see how the foundations and advance training methods of liberty get the job done in front of the camera.

We will show you how Liberty enhances the relationship between trainer and horse to create a confident and connected equal actor and partner. Our session will feature ground and ridden work and focus on our goal of helping others improve their horsemanship skills and increasing the bond and trust you share with your horse.

Be it for film, Photoshoots, competition, pleasure, riding, or simply improving the relationship you have with your horse, come and be entertained by Australian stunt and film horses

Australian Outback Spectacular is a shining example of long-standing Australian entertainment, captivating audiences for over 18 years with its mesmerising equine performances. However, delivering show after show, week after week in such a unique industry presents its challenges, particularly in managing the well-being and performance of the animals. This requires careful attention to the animals physical and emotional needs.

But, “the show must go on.”

To ensure the continuity of this iconic show, careful planning and dedication are paramount. Maintaining a pool of backup animals trained to be versatile performers is essential, providing a safety net for any unforeseen circumstances. Matching riders with horses based on compatibility and skill ensures a seamless and consistent performance, where the natural rapport between them enhances the show.

Furthermore, recruiting talented actors, riders, and vocal performers enriches the show’s narrative and ensures its enduring appeal to audiences.

Is Your Horse a Goat? How Trimming and Glue-on Composite Shoes Influence Posture

One of the most common indicators that the horse is compensating poorly in its body is when they stand “goat-on-a-rock”, base narrow like standing on a pedestal. In this round pen demonstration, the audience will learn how to identify goat-on-a-rock posture, what problems it causes for the horse, and through demonstration, learn how we can positively change posture by trimming the horse’s feet to specific parameters and use glue-on composite shoes to further achieve our goals.

I explain how developing any training exercise, we need to offer the information in a way that keeps the horse calm and connected.

I use the “Back-up” to help display this, it helps the rider understand the underlying principle of breaking an exercise down into smaller understandable pieces of information for the horse, and then recombining them together to create the whole picture. It teaches the rider the concept coined by Ray Hunt, Feeling OF their horse, feeling FOR their horse and then the horse and rider FEELING together.

I explain the two opposing principles of using a photo approach to training as opposed to creating a solid picture with a jigsaw puzzle approach. Using the photo principle creates the basics but all too often we use photoshop to gloss over all the important little things and are taking another picture and moving on to the next phase of training, before those basics form a basis for the horse to call on with certainty and no confusion.

It also helps give the rider the concept of consistency in training, that starting from the same point each time helps build confidence in their horse and ultimately trust in the rider.

Building a successful and professional Equine Assisted Learning or Equine Assisted Therapy business requires a high level of safety, systems and structure.

This includes professional horsemanship, risk assessments, evaluations and outcome reporting.

Topics covered will include horsemanship experience and training horses to a safety standard, environment and surroundings of program delivery for safety, safety education around horses for inexperienced clients, session planning, outcome reporting and working with different personalities both horses and humans.

When horses are on box rest, recovering from surgery or have any form of restricted movement, the stress to the lymphatic system if not managed will affect the well-being and management of the horse short and long term.

The horse’s lymphatic system is unique and delicate, without horses being able to move or stimulation of the lymphatic system it can become compromised and has limited capacity to repair.
Swelling occurs in the body to protect the horse, but when the swelling becomes a regular occurrence, or is not treated, the skin not only is damaged but the very sensitive lymphatic vessels in the area are also damaged, that have very limited capability or cannot repair to the same capacity.

Unlike other systems of the body the lymphatic system is not a closed circuit and requires support from the muscular, respiratory, circulatory, immunity, integumentary, digestive, and excretory systems to function, these systems of the body also require the lymphatic system to support them.

If horses didn’t have a lymphatic system they would have very swollen legs, irregular blood pressure, become very unwell with every virus that enters through broken skin.

How to achieve the most harmonious relationship with your horse to be able to achieve the best partnership in any discipline.

In this education session I would like to discuss the importance of understanding horse biomechanics. Having a good understanding of biomechanical function is really important in maintaining a horses’ soundness long term. Unlike ourselves, horses do not have a collarbone, instead their ribcage is suspended within their bodies by the thoracic sling and the attachment of the ribcage at the pelvic girdle.

In-hand work can be extremely beneficial to strengthen a horse before starting them under saddle as well as in rehabilitating horses from injury and soundness issues. In-hand work involves a mixture of simple massage techniques to promote blood flow and healing as well as working a horse on the ground with spinal alignment and core engagement in mind, teaching all lateral movements from shoulder-in to piaffe.

Addressing and understanding your OTT’s health needs and preventing and managing injuries and ailments.  A member of Racing Victoria’s Veterinary team will discuss good practices for the health and well being of your OTT.

Covering both indoor and outdoor construction, advice will include tips on choosing your contractor, site selection, design, material choices, surfacing and long term maintenance.

An invaluable guide.

I would like to demonstrate through handling and ground work, how to best connect & understand horse behaviour.

Reading the horse’s energy levels and body language & in turn them reading ours is the way humans & horses interact.

Bonds are built & the perfect partnership is formed.

Ground work provides a great foundation to show the subtleties in equine behaviour & help audience piece together the building blocks of advanced human/horse communication and education.

Anxiety, Stress and Behavioural Issues in Horses: The Role of Nutrition and Supplements

It is well accepted that nutrition plays an important role in the behaviour of our horses and ponies. But how exactly does it influence their behaviour and how do we feed them to not only help them be calm and happy, but also ensure we meet key nutrient requirements and promote the best overall health? Are supplements any use for the horse with behavioural issues, and if so, how do we know what makes a good supplement? How long should we give the supplement for? And what else do we need to be aware of when using supplements?

In this insightful talk, Camilla answers all these questions and more. If you’ve ever struggled with a horse with behavioural issues, then you can’t afford to miss this presentation.

Having no affiliation with feed or supplement companies, Camilla presents information in a non-biased, informative and helpful manner.

Join Brett for this dressage demonstration session.

Often we see the potential in our horses before they are performing at the top of the game.

How can we breed from these animals whilst also maximising their potential in the competition arena.

Breeding and performing can sometime be a balancing act.

This talk will discuss practical tips for breeding and competing the performance mare and stallion.

There is a reason you can’t Outthink your fear or anxiety, that is because 80% of the nervous system is afferent – running from the body towards the brain. This means that only 20% of our nerves run down from the brain to the body. Physical bodily input talks to this 80%, and mindset to the other 20%.

Simple, short, body-centered exercises can help give you a greater sense of peace and groundedness in your own body before you go out and ride your horse. Over time, you will find that your fear and anxiety have dissipated and you will reclaim the joy and happiness that you once had in the saddle.

Robyn Schiller, an NRHA World Champion & 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Australian Team member, is the Chief Operating Officer of Warwick Schiller Attuned Horsemanship.
Robyn, a former corporate Director of HR, uses her Certification as a Neurofit Trainer to educate people about their nervous systems and shares exercises to regulate themselves. This is in perfect harmony with how her husband teaches horse owners to do the same for their horses.

Barrel racing is a fun and exhilarating sport, but you don’t have to be a speed demon to get started!

Adele will cover everything you need to know to get started in barrel racing; from how to find a club near you, the basic equipment you need through to the basic exercises that will make sure you and your horse have fun and stay safe.

The way horses interact with each other can shed dramatic light on how we might best go about interacting with them as well.

There are ways that all horses are the same, these are things we can learn as a foundation to solve any problem. There are also ways that each horse is unique and when we learn these things we have the best foundation for forming a deep and lasting bond with that horse. Observing and learning from the ways horses interact with each other we can gain information on both how they are similar and how they are different.

Maximising motivation, learning, and enjoyment in your equestrian pursuits: Tips and tricks for spending quality time with your horse

This session will cover a range of tips and tricks to help riders make the most of their time with their horse including:
-Maximising motivation, by identifying both the internal and external factors that fuel a passion for horses.
-Setting goals that align with inner beliefs and values, enabling a strong sense of purpose and fulfilment.
-Cultivating a growth mindset, which is characterised by embracing challenges and learning from mistakes, thereby promoting continuous improvement and keeping motivation high.
-Setting realistic expectations and breaking goals into manageable steps. Thereby facilitating progress and aiding in prevention of frustration.
-Creating a positive learning environment through supportive relationships and a thirst for knowledge and skill set development further enhances the equestrian experience.
-Identifying the inner critic that is getting in our way of development.
These strategies can help equestrians optimise their time with their horse, derive maximum satisfaction, and continually expand their horsemanship skills.

Pain free horse: How to identify and resolve problems with the working horse.

Tips for early identification of pain which cause behavioural and performance issues under saddle. Common problems working horses have, and simple preventative solutions will be discussed. The topic will go from head to tail and foot to spine.

An update on an under-recognised cause of lameness in Victoria (which applies to all of Australia).

A discussion of what it means to build real strength in the horses’ hoof. How to ‘read’ the shape of your horses’ feet and some basic guidelines to assist horse owners. Dare to flare – a discussion about building strength and using strategies to support the hoof capsule and mimic the shape occuring in wild horses.

GROUP ENLIGHTENMENT – will demonstrate the instruction of pre-planned exercises to Equestrian Australia, Riding School and Pony Club instructors and/or parents that regularly give up their time to inspire and train our equestrians. 

The Right Track author, Sarah Venamore will demonstrate to coaches how to safely move riders around arena exercises to improve on existing techniques and develop more advanced education between horse and rider. This class is primarily designed to show instructors how the exercises can be used so there is no need for ‘traffic control’ teaching. Negating the invaluable time of instruction wasted guiding riders safely around the arena and therefore giving riders the maximum ability to improve from more specific coaching. 

The Group Enlightenment session aims to promote growth and learning techniques for instructors while catering for the diverse needs and capabilities of mixed-level riders. 

It doesn’t matter you are looking to buy your first horse or your fiftieth, its easy to get caught up in emotions and forget to be realistic, honest and practical so that you end up with the horse you need, not the horse you want.

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.

Every difficultly encountered with horses can be traced back to some sort of nervous system disregulation within them. From outwardly anxious and explosive behaviours, to less obvious ones that are usually related to shut down states, such as a horse appearing lazy, or a horse being stiff. All of these nervous system states come from a horse not feeling safe.

In this demo Warwick will show simple and easy ways to interact with your horse that will help our horses feel safe not only in our presence but also when asked to do things.

Do you ever meet someone and think, I’d love to be able to sit down with you privately and ask you all of my questions? Well, when you have a podcast, you can!

In my talk I will unravel the art of starting an equestrian podcast & sharing my unique experience as someone who had never considered the idea before it ‘just happened’.

In 2021 we started Canter Therapy Podcast as two friends recording our conversations and it has grown exponentially since then. I will share our unique philosophy and how starting a podcast has opened up my world to many incredible opportunities . Discover the top 10 invaluable lessons I have learnt, from navigating interviews with experts to building an incredible community.

Canter Therapy Podcast’s journey offers a wealth of knowledge for those eager to embark on their podcasting venture, promising to inspire, educate, and elevate your connection with your equestrian community.

Improving as a rider begins with an awareness of specific areas that require improvement.

Join in this interactive session to assess your balance and stability, explore your body’s dominant movement patterns, your subconscious habits, and preferences. Discover how this alters the effectiveness of your posture, position, and communication with your horse.

Take home simple, effective, and safe rider specific exercises that you can complete in minutes to reduce old unwanted habits, improve your balance, and body awareness to reset your riding.

FORMATION COACHING – focuses on the development of suppleness and strength in our riding horses through the use of planned exercises. Whether it be training, competition warm up or competitive patterns, the demonstrated exercises are designed to improve performance and enhance horse and rider combinations overall performance.

Dressage trainer and author of “The Right Track” series of books, Sarah Venamore illustrates exercises to easily orchestrate a group of riders in a formation aimed towards improving performance. This class works through individual walk, trot, canter and lateral exercises that have been derived from competitive dressage movements. Exercises that combine practical group activity with a fun and productive social aspect. The Formation Coaching session is aimed at all levels of riders, coaches and interested parties wanting an edge towards improved equestrian performance.

Tips, advice and benefits to competing in equine obstacle sports such as the National Cowboy Challenge Association.

Covering Training techniques, scoring and cross over sport benefits for competitors and their horses.

So many riders struggle with the belief that they are good enough or worthy enough or anything enough. No matter how hard we train, how dedicated we are or how much money we spend, ultimately it comes back to how much you believe that you can achieve your goals.

So many riders fail. Not because they are not good enough, but because their mind lets them down when things get tough.  I am all about helping riders develop a solid, positive mindset and to do that we first have to overcome the things that hold us back. If you believe it, you can ride it!

Being able to have solid tools will help to go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can.’

Ranch Riding is reasonably new to this country and it’s popularity and interest is taking Australia by storm. As President of the Ranch Horse Association of Australia, which was formed in October, 2022, we have seen exponential growth, having close to 380 memberships within our first 10 months.

During this presentation, I will touch on the history of Ranch Riding. How and when it started in the USA and subsequently moved to Australia. The requirements sought by horse and rider. The ranch horse should be attentive to its surroundings, display forward movement in it’s working gaits and be ridden with light contact, I will discuss the movement and cadence preferred.

Finding the right horse or pony for your discipline or purpose shouldn’t become a stressful experience.

Keeping your focus and not letting your emotions drive your decision is key.  Being realistic and sticking to some basic principles should help you find the right horse for you.

Sandi shares some steps to help you find the right horse and avoid being led astray in the quest.

The common problems that barrel racers face when racing the clock and the easy ways to overcome them.

This demonstration will cover the basic problems that barrel racers face every day. Issues such as horses not going in the arena, knocked barrels and wide turns. Everyone interested in barrel racing, from first timers to experts, will learn about how to be safer and faster when competing.

Equine Nutrition for all Disciplines

Larissa will discuss the what, why, when and how of feeding for weight and laminitis risk management covering:
* How much food does a horse actually need?
* Body condition scoring
* Choosing safe forage
* Do I need to hard feed?
* Which supplements are really necessary?
* Safe weight loss
* Managing body condition at pasture