Animal Instincts Australia

27/04/2026

HORSES AND TROUBLED TEENS 🐴💛
Why this work actually works…

There’s a reason equine-facilitated therapy is gaining so much attention — and it’s not just a “nice experience”… it’s backed by real outcomes.

Research like “Horses and Troubled Teens: Learning Respect, Communication and Trust through Equine-Facilitated Therapy” shows that when young people engage with horses consistently over time, we see:

• increased self-awareness and emotional regulation
• improved social skills and communication
• stronger coping mechanisms and behavioural change
• the development of trust, respect and connection

And it makes sense.

Horses don’t respond to words —
they respond to energy, behaviour and intention.

They mirror:

~ inconsistency
~ frustration
~ anxiety
~ calmness

Which means young people learn very quickly:

👉 You can’t fake it
👉 You can’t force it
👉 You have to regulate yourself first

In a world where many young people:

don’t trust adults
struggle with authority
feel judged or misunderstood

Horses offer something different:

✔️ no judgement
✔️ immediate feedback
✔️ a relationship built on trust, not control

That’s where the shift happens.

Equine-based work creates a space where young people can:

🐢 slow down
🤝 connect
💪 build responsibility
🏆 experience success

And importantly — feel Seen, Heard, Understood and Felt (SHUF).

This isn’t about “fixing” young people.
It’s about giving them the environment, the relationships and the opportunities to do better.

And when we get that right…

Everything else starts to follow.

24/04/2026

This morning’s Goombungee ANZAC Day Dawn Service was a powerful reminder of the role animals have played in service alongside our soldiers 🐴🐾

A heartfelt thank you to Bridgett from the ADF, who spoke so beautifully about the contribution of animals in war. From horses to dogs and beyond, these animals served with loyalty, courage and trust — often in the most challenging conditions. It was a moving tribute and one that deeply resonated with what we see every day in our work with animals.

At Animal Instincts Australia, we witness firsthand the impact animals have — their ability to support, regulate, connect and stand alongside us without judgement. Today was a reminder that this partnership between humans and animals has always been there, even in times of conflict.

We were proud to contribute in our own way. Coach Leanne worked with our young people to create barbed wire wreaths, and “Nanna K” lovingly crocheted the poppies that featured across all three wreaths laid this morning — each one representing care, respect and remembrance.

One of our young people (through our Outback Instincts programs) attended her very first dawn service after camping out overnight, and had the honour of laying the purple poppy wreath — representing the animals who served. A quiet but powerful moment 💜

Thank you to all of our local community for putting together a special dawn service for our special little country town.

Moments like this matter. They connect our young people to community, to history, and to a deeper understanding of service, sacrifice and gratitude.

Lest we forget. 🌺

24/04/2026

Tomorrow is World Veterinary Day. This years theme is "Veterinarians: Guardians of Food and Health." Highlighting the role veterinarians play in ensuring food security, safety, animal welfare, and public health. Thank you from all our 2 and 4 legged friends.

20/04/2026

Outback Instincts

A big thank you to David Janetzki MP for taking the time to come out and support our local Goombungee Show on Saturday, and for showing genuine interest in what we’re doing and the young people behind it.

We had 15 of our youth volunteers there on Saturday, helping us run the animal farm and get involved in our Youth in the Yards Cattle Show Team — and honestly, they were outstanding.

Many of these young people are neurodiverse, have often experienced bullying, stigma, or disengagement from school, and have faced some pretty real challenges at home and in life. But when given the opportunity, they step up.

And they did exactly that.

They showed up, worked hard, helped out, and represented themselves — and our community — incredibly well.
We couldn’t be prouder of them.

We also want to acknowledge Queensland Youth — a number of these young people had only just connected with us for the first time during last week’s Youth Week programs, and despite that, put their hand up to be part of something bigger and give back at the show. Making new friends and learning new skills to take out into the community.

This is what it’s about. Giving young people the chance to be part of something, to contribute, and to realise what they’re capable of.

Thank you again for your support, David. It’s always a pleasure to have you around — your enthusiasm and energy with our crew never goes unnoticed. 🙌🐾🐴🐂🐑🐏🐓☺️

16/04/2026

Learning that lasts – straight from the farm

Did you know a 2024 study found that children learning in a farm-based setting with animal interaction showed stronger long-term memory retention compared to classroom-only learning?

Interestingly:
👉 Test scores didn’t change immediately
👉 But learning stuck better over time (even after a month!)

This suggests that hands-on, real-world experiences with animals don’t just engage students — they help deepen and sustain learning.

When learning is meaningful, sensory, and emotionally engaging… it lasts.

16/04/2026

Take the survey now 2026 Voice of Queenslanders with Disability Survey is open The only statewide survey capturing the voices of people with disability every year for all of Queensland. Closes Friday 17 April 2026 at 5pm. This is your chance to be heard – don’t miss it https://youtube.com/shorts...

14/04/2026

Hey everyone,

Just a quick one to say thank you for your patience at the moment.

Between prepping and running Youth Week, family commitments, running the household (hands up single mums!) and just a very full-on time of year, I’m a bit behind on emails and messages.

For those who don’t know — I am the admin… and the coach… and HR… and accounts… and bookings… plus with also looking after the farm, a menagerie of animals, fencing, phone calls… all of it. We don’t have a dedicated admin team, and we run on a very small crew behind the scenes.

I’m aware there are a few people waiting on replies — I haven’t forgotten you.

I’ll be back in the office properly on Thursday and will be working through everything to catch up.

Really appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience — it’s been a big few weeks.

Hayley x

12/04/2026

🔧🌾 Paddocks to Purpose – we’re up and running 🐮🔥 This is part of our "Grounded & Growing" Youth Week activities 😀

Big day on the farm today as we kick off our Paddocks to Purpose program as part of Youth Week — and we’re welcoming a big group of young people ready to get stuck in.

This program is all about turning farm junk into something useful — learning real trade skills, using tools properly, and building things that have purpose. No fluff, just hands-on, get-it-done kind of work.

A massive thank you to Coca-Cola — their grant has allowed us to purchase all the tools, equipment and trade gear needed to actually run this program properly. That stuff matters — you can’t teach practical skills without the right gear.

We sourced everything through Bunnings Warehouse Australia North Toowoomba, and had some great support in-store from one of the team (future manual arts teacher) who really got behind what we’re doing.

Also a big thank you to the Queensland Youth/Queensland Mental Health Commission grant, which has funded these days and made it possible for young people to attend.

Today’s about:
🔨 learning real skills
🌱 building something from nothing
🐴 being part of a team
💪 showing up and having a go

This is what it looks like when young people are given the right environment, the right tools, and a bit of belief.

Let’s get into it.

—
Outback Instincts
Tools, Trust & Transformation

08/04/2026

03/04/2026

🌾 EASTER BREAK NOTICE 🌾

Just a quick reminder that there will be no sessions running this weekend across Animal Instincts Australia.

With Easter Monday (public holiday), we’ll also be closed on Monday.

👉 All programs resume Tuesday

We hope everyone enjoys a well-earned break over Easter — time to reset, recharge, and spend time with your people 🐣🌿

Thanks as always for your ongoing support 💛

25/03/2026

Reminder that there are no sessions tomorrow Friday 27th due to the Toowoomba Show public holiday 🎡

Our team is taking a well-earned breather — we’ll be back into it soon.

Enjoy the day and the show if you’re heading along!