Red Gum Equine Services

Red Gum Equine Services A student of the horse and part time barefoot trimmer doing my best to learn what I can and help a few horses along the way. Based in the Top End of Australia.

Little update on my trimming schedule.......Apologies, my schedule is a little out of whack at the moment. I am doing my...
22/06/2026

Little update on my trimming schedule.......

Apologies, my schedule is a little out of whack at the moment. I am doing my best to keep on a bit of a schedule BUT sometimes I get a bit lost as I have 30 something horses to keep track of in amongst other life things. Also, how the blazes are we most of the way through June already 😳🫣

📲Please please PLEASE do not hesitate to send me a polite little message along the lines of "hey, my horse/s are due for a trim in the next week or two, just wondering when you may be able to fit me in". I LOVE these messages and they help no end. I know not sending a reminder feels like you're being respectful of me and my time but on the other hand I feel like a money hungry grub if I send you a message asking when it suits you for me to trim YOUR horse/s 🤔

With it being Dry Season there is lots going on so let's chat and get our schedules to line up momentarily to keep your horses tootsies in tip top shape 👌

📷 One of Penny's hind feet last weekend. We had some unseasonal rain which dampened the paddock long enough to soften feet just the right amount to allow me to pull some compacted old sole out. 2nd pic isn't the finished job but pretty close.

21/06/2026

Wowzers, it's been a minute since I last posted here 😳 My regular office job that pays the bills has been a bit hectic of late and hasn't left me with much in the tank for writing posts that are anywhere remotely inspiring, informative or what some may consider interesting.

Anyway here's some video of James doing James things whenever it was that I rode him last. I'm often asked why he sometimes gets called Jangles and this video may explain it a bit...... he just jangles at times 🤣 Not sure how else to describe the bitey head flicky front leg tossy crap he does and somehow manages to stay on his feet. For the most part he's going well..... following the feel on the snaffle well, moving forward well-ish and stopping and backing up nicely off my seat albeit he just likes to add a bit extra pizzazz to keep me on my toes 🕺

This is the joys of horses though and the joys of educating a horse, it's not all smooth sailing. Some days everything clicks and you and your horse move in perfect harmony, other days you're zigging while they're zagging and you're both dancing to separate tunes and that's ok. Smooth seas never made a sailor.

06/06/2026

Finally found canter under saddle with James this afternoon 😁 Sure we had a couple of lumpy bits but that's ok, we finished well 👌

Last weekends clinic with Daryl was exactly what James and I needed at just the right time. We ironed out a few little glitchy bits and I got some nice reminders that hey Fee, you're doing OK, you have the knowledge and you do know how to ride a young horse. Yes, I've doubted myself for so long but some well timed kind words of encouragement in the learning process sure go a long way for ones confidence. Much like horses need to know when they're on the right path so too do their humans.

05/06/2026

THIS 👇👇👇

What it looks like 30 seconds after something finally clicks....... no human on board, girth loosened and head gear off....
04/06/2026

What it looks like 30 seconds after something finally clicks....... no human on board, girth loosened and head gear off. Not pictured is the big rub up and down her neck that she got and the big smile on my face. It was but a brief ride, all of 10 or 15 minutes and only at a walk but that last halt and back up out of walk was 👌👌👌 The small wins matter just as much as the big ones, the temptation to get greedy last night was huge but thankfully I resisted that temptation.

Daryl will definitely be coming back to Darwin next year, I suspect that clinic will book out rather quickly.
03/06/2026

Daryl will definitely be coming back to Darwin next year, I suspect that clinic will book out rather quickly.

02/06/2026

James on day 2 of the clinic. One of my big goals for this horse over the 3 days was to get him moving out without "jangling", just roll forward confidently and calmly when asked. I would have liked to have picked up canter but we had other things to work on instead, so we didn't get to canter but I'm not worried, I have time with this horse and lots of it.

The other big goal was to start moving him into being ridden in a snaffle bit. In the past I've introduced the snaffle bit in a kind of two rein fashion. I put the halter with rein setup that the horse knows and responds to then I put a bridle on over top also with a set of reins. Doing this I can switch between the two depending on what I'm doing and how the horse is going. Sometimes I can pick up both in such a way that one is in play more or less than the other. I asked Daryl's thoughts on it and whilst it's not the way he would do it he also said if I was handy with using 2 sets of reins then sure thing, give it a go :) So I did and I will probably ride James a bit more with this setup until he's going super softly in the bridle and doesn't need the halter back up.

Different to how others do it for sure but works for me.

Wowzers, what an incredible 3 days riding with and learning from Daryl and Beth Crowe, absolutely amazing. It's actually...
02/06/2026

Wowzers, what an incredible 3 days riding with and learning from Daryl and Beth Crowe, absolutely amazing. It's actually rather difficult to accurately put it all into words without writing a sod off big essay but I'll try.

There was absolutely no judgement in the arena over the 3 days, no criticism, just 2 people who were happy to be there helping others with their horses and sharing their knowledge. When something good was happening in the arena you knew about it, if you needed a correction and guidance you got it and when things were improving you definitely got told you were on the right track. Firm but fair, kind and encouraging as well.

As for what I learned...... nup, sorry, too difficult to put into a simple post. My horses and I are all the better for having spent the 3 days with Daryl and Beth that's for sure.

Thanks to all those who came along and helped make it the awesome weekend it was. Watching everyones progress over the 3 days was awesome to see.

Huge thanks to Daryl, Beth and Lacey for coming to Darwin and working with us. It's going to be a loooooong 12 months until the next clinic but we know it will well and truly be worth the wait.

31/05/2026

Day 3 of the clinic with Daryl and we have the joys of doing clinics in Darwin when there's defence force training on. Exercise Diamond Storm in full swing on the last day of an awesome clinic. This definitely will not be Daryl and Beth's last trip to Darwin.

31/05/2026

Toughness of Wandandian Horse Gear and Rug Repairs haybags are James certified ✅️✅️✅️🤣🤣🤣

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Darwin, NT

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