Southern Stars Equestrian
Blog
Equine Training Services...
Equine Photography...
Trick Riding Performance
Troupe...
Southern Stars Equestrian offers a wide range of services for all manner of horses in any disipline. We pride ourselves on doing an honest job for an honest price.
Starting horses under saddle. We offer a good start and a solid foundation for your horse, producing a light, responsive and respectful animal.
With a sensitive and intelligent approach to communicating and working with horses, we can provide your younger horse with a solid foundation for you to continue to build on. We also take on older or "problem horses" for re-education and problem solving.
Occasionally we have quality horses for sale, whether they be re-educated off the track, performance horses, or clients horses brought to us for training with the intention to sell on.
Southern Stars Equestrian is run by Mel Spittall and Brad Kennedy.
While Brad concentrates mainly on starting the young horses, Mel takes care of the foundation training, re-education and problem horses.
Mel has dedicated alot of time over the years to studing various horsemanship methods and has hence developed her own style of training and educating, depending on the needs of the individual horse. She believes in promoting calmness and in creating horses that are light, responsive and respectful.
Whether a horse is taken on for starting, re-education or behavioural issues, their training always starts with developing respect and a co-operative attitude through ground work before training undersaddle. Like so many horse trainers, Mel believes this gives the horse a more respectful generall attitude and a deeper understanding of pressure/release, ridden aids and what is required of it undersaddle.
Mel and Brad apply methods that prove any horse can be taught and trained in a non-threatening way. The end results being happy and responsive horses. Their techniques continue to change and be added to as time goes by, as they believe.....Every horse (and horseman) will teach you something new.....and.....You never stop learning!!....
Element Equine Photographix is a small studio that caters for horse owners and the Equine industry alike.
A lifetime with horses and an unyeilding passion for photography has given Mel the ability to capture a horses unique character. She aims to snap those special photos you require for personal memories, gifts, for sale adds, advertising, websites, equine events, stallion promotions, or for any other purpose you may require photographs of your equine friend.
Mels primary aim is to capture the equine spirit. To produce images that reflect each individual horses personality and strengths. She offers dynamic original works of your horse (or you and your horse) in any setting or disipline.
All budgets can be catered for so please don't hesitate to contact Mel for any inquiries....She can even come to your event just to focus on great photographs of YOU!....
Visit Element Photographix
www.southernstarstrickriders.webs.com
Mels Bio...
For as long as she can remember Mel has had a preoccupation (some would say obsession) with horses. She began riding at the age of five and aquired her first pony at age six. Growing up in Currumbin Valley on the Gold Coast, she spent her childhood and early teens attending Pony Club and competing successfully in Gymkahnas, Mounted games, Hacking and Eventing.
Following in her fathers footsteps she went on to follow a career in Zookeeping. Mel worked for well known fauna parks such as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctury, Fleays Fauna Centre and Hervey Bays Nature World. Whilst working for these institutions she had the opportunity to work with all species of Native Birds, Reptiles, Mammals and Marsupials. These experiances sparked her interest in Animal Behaviour and she also aquired her Certificate 3 in Zookeeping.
During her late teens/early 20's Mel became involved in the theme park industry. She spent nearly ten years working for Warner Village Theme Parks, moving between Sea World, Movie World and Paradise Country as a Zookeeper/Animal trainer (and later the Australian Outback Spectacular). Sea World taught her valuble animal behaviour, and animal training knowledge and skills. She spent her time there working with and learning from some of Australias best Animal trainers. She worked with and cared for all manner of Marine Animals, Seals, Sea Lions, Sea Birds, Polar Bears, Dugongs and rehabilitated many rescued Marine Animals.
Movie World offered Mel a very unique opportuinity to work as the Supervisor/Head Owl Trainer for the brand new Harry Potter Exhibit. During this time Mel was able to train with some amazing Owls and two of Australias most well renowned Raptor/Bird Trainers, Paul Mander and Richard Naisbit (who she spent time with working at Healsville Sanctuary). This furthered her study and interest of the intircacies of animal training and behaviour.
Paradise Country offered Mel the chance to do what she truely loved and get back in the saddle. She secured a job as a Stockwoman, performing daily in Stockhorse, whip cracking, sheep dog and boomerang throwing demonstrations. She also gave her time to the wildlife department working with mainly Koalas, and to the Animal Nursury caring for Juvenille Farm Animals.
Mel began her Trick riding career in September of 2005. She was given another unique opportunity to becomethe very first employee and work as a full time Stockwoman/Trick rider at the Gold Coasts live arena show, The Australian Outback Spectacular. Eventually she also took on the Lead Female Role (that included a liberty act), performing in front of 1000 people each night.
Being a very busy mum of one hasn't stopped Mel from her dream of developing her very own Equine business. Along with fellow trick rider Hollie Shiels, Mel still finds time to perform and organise their very own Trick Riding Performance Troupe, Southern Stars Trick Riders. Performing with their Troupe at various Agricultural shows and other venues throughout South East Queensland. She is also aiming to head back into the local Show Jumping and Eventing circles next season as she is currently preparing some of her own ex-racehorses for a competion career.
Mel thoroughly loves running her own Equine Business from home and continues to feed her passion and develop her skills in Animal Behaviour and Training, concentrating solely on Equines these days.
Brads Bio
Keep an eye on this page.
We occasionally have quality horses for sale.
Veiw horses sold
Any inquiries please feel free to contact Mel:
Mobile: 0409 987 152
Home: (07) 55 437 247
Email: m.spitall_bigpond.com
Located:
80 Rowe Road
Ferny Glen
QLD 4275
Go to map
Join us on Facebook
"Gentle and thorough training from the ground up"....
