Animal Instincts Australia

12/03/2026

Friday funny 😂
Those horses and carriages on the property are starting to look like a more reliable mode of transport right now 🤔

The price of diesel now you’d be better off with a horse

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

What does the research say about equine-assisted learning for young people with anxiety?

A recent study of 166 young people aged 8–18 found that a short 5-day equine-assisted learning program led to significant improvements in:

🐴 calmness
🐴 communication
🐴 assertiveness
🐴 empathy
🐴 focus
🐴 planning
🐴 responsibility
🐴 engagement in learning

The young people in the study were referred due to anxiety, and after just 5 x 2-hour sessions of groundwork-based horsemanship, referrers reported strong improvement across all eight areas.

One of the biggest findings?
Young people became calmer, more engaged, and better able to manage themselves socially and emotionally.

The research also suggested that early adolescence (around 11–14 years) may be a particularly important window for this kind of intervention.

Why might this work?

Because horses don’t respond to words alone. They respond to body language, energy, focus, boundaries and regulation. That means young people get immediate, honest feedback in the moment — and they learn through doing, not just talking.

For many young people, especially those who struggle in traditional settings, this kind of hands-on, outdoor, relationship-based learning can be a game changer.

At Animal Instincts Australia, this is exactly why we do what we do.
Not because horses “fix” people — but because they help create the conditions where calmness, confidence, connection and growth can happen.

03/03/2026

🐎 LifeFlight Easter Charity Weekend 🐑
Join us for a memorable Easter weekend filled with adventure, entertainment, and community spirit—all in support of critical work.

🌿 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
🐴 BYO Horse Trail Ride & Cattle Muster
Saddle up for a traditional outback experience across scenic trails, culminating in a real cattle muster.

🥾 Charity Trail Hike (Non-Riders Welcome!)
Explore the same beautiful trail on foot this Good Friday, April 3, while contributing to a great cause.

🎉Charity Event - Auction & Entertainment Evening
🗓 Friday, April 3– from 3pm
Working sheep dog demo & sheep shearing
3-Course Dinner
Live music and bush poetry around the fire
Exciting Auction with fantastic items (EFTPOS available)

🎟 BOOKINGS NOW OPEN > https://www.facebook.com/events/1544118300034440

Let’s ride, hike, and dine to support the heroes of LifeFlight. Your support helps save lives every day across Queensland!

22/02/2026

A fascinating peer-reviewed study has explored the potential of bovine-assisted therapy — where gentle steers engage in therapeutic interaction with people.

Researchers found that these cows not only enjoyed human contact but also showed strong preferences in engagement with women, and many participants reported positive emotional experiences during sessions.

This work expands our understanding of how farm animals, including cattle, may play a role in animal-assisted services that benefit both humans and the animals involved.

Key takeaways:
• Cattle showed comfort and active engagement with humans during 45-minute interaction sessions.
• Women tended to interact more and report stronger attachment behaviors with the steers than men.
• The findings open doors for further research into diverse species in therapeutic settings — beyond typical companion animals like dogs or horses.

Read the full open-access study: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/hai.2024.0016

21/02/2026

I recently had the opportunity to visit David Janetzki MP’s office and share more about the work we’re doing through our charity arm Outback Instincts youth programs.

David invited me in to learn about our programs and hear firsthand the stories of regional young people we work alongside — many who don’t thrive in traditional classroom settings and are seeking practical, hands-on pathways forward.

From working with animals and livestock to learning rural trades and building real-world confidence, our programs are about creating opportunities for young people who might otherwise miss them.

These conversations matter. When leaders take the time to listen and understand the realities facing regional youth, it helps create stronger pathways, better support and more opportunity across our communities.

Thank you David for the invitation, for the genuine interest in our work, and for taking the time to learn about the farm-, animal- and trades-based programs supporting young people across our region 🐾🌾

Meet Ace 🐾

He’s more than just a friendly face - he’s part of the life-changing work Outback Instincts is doing to support vulnerable and at-risk young people across regional Queensland.

Under CEO Hayley Chambers’ leadership, young people are building confidence, skills and real pathways forward.

19/02/2026

14/02/2026

❤

13/02/2026

🟢 WELFARE WEDNESDAY 🟢 Punishment is sometimes used in horse training with the idea that it will stop unwanted behaviour. In practice, however, equitation science shows that punishment is a poor teaching tool and carries real welfare risks.

Animal behaviourist Daniel Mills has outlined several key problems with punishment. He explains that punishment:

• Is non-directive — it may stop a behaviour temporarily, but it doesn’t show the horse what to do instead
• Can lead to desensitisation if the intensity is not exactly right, meaning more and more pressure is needed over time
• Can cause fear and frustration that interfere with learning and reduce a horse’s willingness to try new responses
• May create strong fear associations between the horse and the person applying it

Research also shows that horses, like people, learn best in a calm but slightly alert state. When fear and adrenaline rise too high, learning slows down or stops altogether.

This is why punishment often fails to produce lasting change. As one well-known observation puts it:

“If punishment was an effective training tool there would be no such thing as repeat offenders in our jails and no-one would ever have two speeding fines.”

Many behaviours riders find challenging — such as bucking, shying, bolting, or resisting — are usually flight responses. They are signs that a horse feels unsafe, confused, or physically uncomfortable. Punishing these responses increases fear, which can escalate the behaviour rather than resolve it.

Another major limitation of punishment is timing. For it to affect a specific behaviour, it must happen exactly while that behaviour is occurring. Even a small delay means the horse is likely to associate the punishment with something else — often normal movement — leading to confusion and anxiety.

Effective, welfare-focused training takes a different approach. It focuses on:

✔️ Identifying the cause of the behaviour (pain, fear, confusion, environment)
✔️ Setting the horse up to succeed
✔️ Using clear, consistent signals
✔️ Rewarding correct responses
✔️ Keeping stress levels low

This helps horses understand what is being asked, feel safe enough to learn, and develop confidence in their training.

These principles are reflected in the Pony Club Australia A Certificate Manual, which is based on equitation science and current research into learning and behaviour.