Equestrian NSW

20/10/2026

🌻💛 INVISIBLE DISABILITIES WEEK | 19–25 October 2026 💛🌻

Not all disabilities are visible.

Have you noticed riders wearing a sunflower badge on their competition jackets? 🌻

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally recognised symbol that allows people with non-visible disabilities to discreetly indicate that they may need a little extra support, understanding or patience.

Within our equestrian community, a sunflower badge is more than just a symbol. It helps raise awareness and reminds us that not every challenge an athlete faces can be seen.

For some riders, the barriers they navigate extend well beyond what happens inside the competition arena.

🌻 So what does the sunflower mean?

It doesn’t identify a particular disability or tell someone’s story. It simply communicates that a person may have a non-visible disability and could benefit from additional understanding or support.

Whether you’re a fellow competitor, coach, judge, official, volunteer or spectator, we all have a role to play in creating a welcoming and inclusive equestrian environment.

💛 Be patient — someone may need a little extra time.

💛 Be understanding — not every challenge is visible.

💛 Be respectful — never assume what someone can or cannot do.

💛 Be inclusive — everyone deserves the opportunity to participate, compete and belong.

A disability doesn’t have to be visible to be real, and an athlete shouldn’t have to explain their disability to be treated with understanding and respect.

This Invisible Disabilities Week, let’s continue building an equestrian community where every rider feels supported, respected and valued.

Because while our abilities and needs may differ, our passion for horses and our sport brings us together. 🐴💛

Different needs. Same passion. 🌻

20/10/2026

18/10/2026

🐴 500kg of horse. Ten little toes. What's protecting yours?

If you've spent any time around horses, chances are you've experienced that unforgettable moment when 500kg of horse decides your foot is the perfect place to stand.

You know the drill. The horse casually shifts its weight onto your toes, while you perform a rather undignified dance accompanied by some colourful language. Your horse, of course, looks completely innocent!

Most equestrians have been there. But a horse standing on your foot can cause serious injuries.

👢 So why aren't more of us wearing reinforced safety boots?

Perhaps it's because of that old stable-yard myth:

"Don't wear steel-capped boots around horses. If a horse stands on your foot, the steel cap will bend and cut your toes off!"

It's a story that's been circulating for many years. But the evidence doesn't support it.

In fact, research comparing crush injuries found that feet protected by steel toe caps suffered significantly fewer fractures than unprotected feet.

🔍 Let's look at the numbers.

Australian Standard AS 2210.3:2019 requires safety footwear to withstand:

Compression: 15,000 newtons — equivalent to approximately 1.5 tonnes of force under gravity.

Impact: 200 joules — roughly equivalent to dropping a 20kg weight from one metre.

Now consider your average 500kg horse. If it puts just a quarter of its weight on your foot, that's approximately 125kg bearing down on your toes. And a sudden movement can generate considerably more force.

While no boot can prevent every injury, certified safety boots provide substantial protection against crushing. Modern composite toe caps can also meet the same standards as steel.

🐎 Protecting ourselves doesn't stop when we dismount.

We wouldn't dream of riding without an appropriate helmet, yet many of us spend hours grooming, leading, loading and handling horses in footwear offering little protection.

Look for boots certified to AS 2210.3:2019 when working on the ground.

Your horse probably doesn't mean to stand on your foot. But at 500kg, good intentions don't count for much!

You've only got ten toes. They're worth keeping! 🦶

16/10/2026

You released the pressure. But did your horse feel relief?

It sounds like the same thing. Dr Stephen Peters suggests it isn’t.

In training, we often think in terms of pressure and release. The horse responds. The aid stops. Release. But Peters asks us to look a little further.

Did the nervous system actually come back down? Did the horse soften? Breathe? Return toward their natural balance? Or did we simply stop applying the aid while the horse remained braced, anticipating what might happen next?

And that return matters neurologically too. Peters describes the coming back down toward homeostasis as part of how learning is consolidated, with neurotransmitters such as dopamine helping reinforce what has just happened.

His distinction is beautifully simple: “Release isn’t always relief.”

And it raises a question that reaches into almost every form of horse training: Is my release actually creating relief for my horse?

We’ll be exploring ideas like this with Dr Peters live during Horse Brain Science on 29 October.

Attendance is free for all Equestrian Australia members.

Two Athletes. One Future.
Equine Wellbeing • Performance • Longevity

Registration: https://www.trybooking.com/DPRFS

12/10/2026

📢 REMINDER | EQUESTRIAN NSW AGM – TOMORROW NIGHT

A friendly reminder that the Equestrian NSW Annual General Meeting will be held tomorrow, Tuesday 13 October at 7:00pm (AEDT).

The AGM will be held online, and members are encouraged to join us as we reflect on the past year and look ahead to the future of equestrian sport in NSW.

📩 A registration link has been sent to eligible members via Vero Voting. Please check your inbox (including your junk folder) for the email.

We look forward to seeing you online tomorrow evening!

12/10/2026

What if the most useful thing you do next is… nothing?

Dr Stephen Peters describes the pause as one of the most undervalued tools available to a rider. We tend to associate learning with doing.

Try again. Repeat it. Make it better.

But Peters asks us to consider what may be happening when we stop. The horse’s brain is not necessarily doing nothing. It may be processing. Replaying. Consolidating. And sometimes our desire to ask again may interrupt the very learning we are trying to create.

So instead of asking: What should I do next?

Try instead asking: Does my horse need me to do anything at all?

When is the pause most useful, and how do we recognise when our horse is ready to continue?

One of many questions we look forward to exploring with Dr Peters when he joins us live for Horse Brain Science on 29 October.

Attendance is free for all Equestrian Australia members.

Two Athletes. One Future.
Equine Wellbeing • Performance • Longevity

Registration: https://www.trybooking.com/DPRFS

12/10/2026

Without Officials we have no sport

12/10/2026

Vale David Lawrence

Equestrian NSW is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Lawrence last week.

David made an extraordinary contribution to equestrian sport in New South Wales over many decades, particularly through his dedication to showjumping, the development of officials and the administration of our sport.

A former Chair and longstanding Director of Equestrian NSW, David gave generously of his time, experience and expertise to help strengthen equestrian sport across the state.

His contribution to showjumping was particularly significant. Through his longstanding leadership of Sydney Showjumping Club and his involvement as an accredited judge, FEI course designer and educator, David played an important role in developing the sport and supporting generations of riders and officials.

David was also a passionate advocate for grassroots equestrian sport, recognising the importance of strong clubs, quality facilities and opportunities for competitors at every level. His commitment to education, volunteering and the future of the sport leaves a lasting legacy.

On behalf of the Equestrian NSW Board, staff and members, we extend our sincere condolences to David's family, friends and the many people throughout the equestrian community whose lives he touched.

Thank you, David, for your remarkable service and dedication to equestrian sport in NSW. You will be greatly missed.

Rest in peace.

09/10/2026

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Image © Simon Scully