Welcome to Hands On Horses Australia
What we do
- Teach safe horse handling
- Equine Facilitated Learning
- Family pony experience
- Basic vaulting
- Riding lessons
Horse Handling
- No one gets on a horse here without an introduction. Grooming and ground work are arguably more beneficial processes than riding. If you can’t handle the horse on the ground, you have no right to be on its back.
- Our horse handling training follows basic natural horsemanship principles of understanding horse behaviour and working with the horse including ‘join-up’.
Family Experience
- Depending on the age and number of children, a session of meeting a pony, grooming and riding (led pony ride) or vaulting can be arranged. Parents may be required to assist with supervision.
- All participants (including parents) should wear closed in shoes – no thongs, sandals or the like.
Vaulting
- Gymnastics on horseback! Sounds scary, and at competition level, it can be. However, at the most basic level, it allows people to have a wonderful confidence building experience where they can ride the horse bareback with something to hold on to and not have to control the horse themselves.
- Vaulting makes for a very safe introduction to riding, and for the more experienced, a great opportunity to develop feel and balance.
- Vaulting is best done in comfortable, loose or stretchy clothing with runners – not boots.
Riding
- Beginner to intermediate lessons are available on our quiet horses. Lessons are conducted in a secure yard / arena and focus on the basics of balance and control. Lessons may incorporate basic dressage, jumping and games.
- We reserve the right to refuse any lesson based on horse suitability, training, temperament, fitness and workload. A ground work session can usually be arranged as an alternative.
Note
- We do not have a set weight limit for riding. Appropriate weight depends on the horse, the activity (type, pace and duration of riding) and the experience of the rider.
- Helmets are provided and must be worn. If you bring your own helmet, it must meet the current standard (AS/NZS 3838 or equivialnt - see Equestrian Australia), be in good condition and less than 5 years old.
- Vaulting may be done without helmets, as they can be dangerous if you have multiple people on one horse.
- Appropriate footwear must be worn for riding. Appropriate footwear includes riding boots, or any smooth soled closed in boot with a heal, that is not too big for the stirrup and doesn’t have buckles or other things that will catch on a stirrup.
- You will not be permitted to ride in runners.
- No spurs permitted.