Do they do well? Most of them are children and are greatly affected by the attitude of their peers and their instructors. I have had many disappointments. I hear stories of horses that become heavy to the hand after they leave our program, horses being lamed that never were lame here, horses that become mean, kicking, who were sweet horses when they were at our barn. I hear of children being overfaced by jumping, by green horses, and accidents. Of children that end up scared off riding for the rest of their lives. But most of the children and the parents seem to be happy. Where did I go wrong?

Many of us remember the infamous Ulla clinic which was held in the hottest part of Queensland’s year, mid-summer January, in 2005. With many horses feeling the heat, everyone seemed concerned about welfare issues or perhaps ongoing problems as a consequence of heat exhaustion. Following the clinic there was talk of a horse that died, a horse that was hospitalised and a horse which suffered a horrific injury. There seemed to be a backlash from many who felt that the clinic was ill-fated when the organisers pushed on despite the very horse-unfriendly weather.

The true story of one rider who, wanting something more with her horse, embarks on a new journey with her horse with a new instructor. One that in many ways is very different from how she has ridden in the past. Follow her journey to see her success and her failures, as she tries to discover a new way of going - her confusion as she receives different advice from different sources. But how in the end she lets her horse be the final judge.

"Once you open yourself to knowledge, things change.. The more you seek, the more self-fulfilling the quest. Things start to happen. It's not just your riding, your whole attitude is changing... Is there someone out there helping? Perhaps..."

Exploring the complexity of the walk gait and how this would effect our aids. The relationship between the gait and when and where is the only time our aids can be effective.

Bridled or unbridled. Proof that a horse can be trained without pressing him against the bit. Join us as we watch Albert Ostermaier present even the most difficult movements of piaffe and passage and the transitions in between which can be ridden without using the bridle.