My Story || The Zookeeper Equestrienne

So, before we get down into the nitty gritty I thought I should do a quick little intro.

I grew up in the thick of the Zoo world, my dad a Curator of a Wildlife Park + my mum hand rearing various sick, injured or orphaned critters. However, despite being surround by all the beautiful wildlife, I was that little girl that loved horses (much to my parents dismay I'm sure - horses are expensive right).

So, I spent my childhood a little obsessed I guess. You know how there was always that one little girl in class that was annoyingly preoccupied with everything horse…yep...well, that was me. Instead of posters of cute boys + music idols adorning my walls, I was the girl with walls covered in horse posters, with trophies + ribbons displayed proudly over the windowsill + equine related literature spilling out of my shelves. I was that little girl off riding by herself in the hills, with nothing but a halter + her best mate.

Horses were everything to me. I craved just being around them. They were all I thought about. I played make believe games of Black Beauty with my friends on the playground. I would rush home from school + jump straight on my horse…I would loose time riding our 65 acre property. I would stand on my horses back + pick juicy mulberries from the neighbours trees...coming home with purple stained fingers + clothes (much to my mothers disgust). I even somehow conned my parents into letting me ride to school every now + then.

This obsession, though it wavered somewhat during my rebellious teenage years, never really left me. No matter what path I've wandered down in this crazy life of mine I've always come home to horses.

I have been involved in many facets of the equine industry for a large chunk of my working life. From starting young horses, to training, re-education, groom work, performance, competition, photography, media + retail. I began riding horses at age 5 + have competed +/or trained in everything from Pony Club, Gymkhanas, Hacking, Dressage, Show Jumping, Inter school, Eventing + Horseball. I also spent a number of years as a Stockwomen/Show presenter/Animal Career at QLDs largest Aussie Farm Tour experience + went on to become a professional Trick Rider + Lead Performer at the Gold Coasts multi million dollar arena spectacular, the “Australian Outback Spectacular”. I have been a co-editor + equine event photographer for a very popular online magazine, + co-founded QLDs very first trick riding team “Southern Stars Trick Riding Troupe”.

Following in my fathers footsteps, I have also worked nearly 14yrs in the Australian Zookeeping Industry as an Animal Keeper/Trainer. I have been blessed to have spent my entire working career connecting with + caring for not only horses but a wide variety of amazing animals, from Native Birds + Mammals, to Exotic Birds, Birds of Prey, Seals + Sea Lions, Polar Bears, Lemurs, Red Pandas + Capybaras (to name a few).

Whilst my early journeys through the equine world gifted me with knowledge, experience + some wonderful friends + mentors, there was always something missing + I was generally left feeling a little ‘miffed’ at the industry as a whole + quite unfulfilled. It took working myself into the ground + a few little falls from grace before I really stopped + heeded that little inner voice that was telling me that something was just not sitting quite right with what I was doing + how I was doing it…I felt I could go deeper…I had so much explore, understand + give. So, I picked myself up, dusted myself off + began really listening to my heart…+ more importantly, the horses…

I am a dedicated + driven individual. I work hard + honestly, + have developed my own style of horsemanship; taking the knowledge gained from my time training + caring for captive animals, working with + studying many gifted horsemen + women, + using my own intuition, natural instincts + abilities. My open mind + open heart have allowed me to become a versatile horsewoman who is constantly striving to improve not only myself + my life but my ‘heart craft’ as well. I hold a firm belief that you can never ‘know it all’ + that there is always more to learn with even deeper places to dive into. I am dedicated to my own continuous professional development.

I used to feel shame about the ‘flow’ of my career - my ‘back and forth’ from zoo industry to equine, but now the bigger picture shows just how beautifully + perfectly it all comes together. Had I held more trust that it was always ‘as it should be’ + I was ‘always where I needed to be’, then the connection probably would have been made alot sooner…the knowledge + skills gifted to me from my Zoo world have been instrumental in forming my ideas + beliefs when it come to working with horses.

This online world can be so noisy. This space here is my little corner of cyberspace where I can share my knowledge, + express all of my thoughts, ideas, emotions + compulsions when contemplating our equine friends. This is a little piece of my journey. My story. I am an imperfect human being. This is not a space where I pretend to be something I am not. I believe in being open + painfully authentic. I believe in the endlessness of growth, evolution + learning...a student of the horse…a student for life...+ of life.

Thanks for being here. Keep an eye on the blog for more ramblings (old + new). Follow me down the rabbit hole if you feel.