About Me
I’m Danee and this is a little about my journey to equine nutrition.
AD Horse Hus, AD Equine PodioTherapy, TBT Skeletal Alignment, Masterson Method Practitioner
My journey to equine nutrition has been a bit of a long and convoluted one. I was your classic pony ‘love stuck’ kid who could never have a horse. I ran away to Ag College in ’92 and did my first 2 year degree in horses (Assoc Diploma in Horse Husbandry) at the (in) famous Gatton Ag College, (GAC) west of Brisbane, now University of Qld -Gatton campus.
Then I ‘jumped the ditch’ and ended up in NZ working for an GAC Alumni at his Thoroughbred racing stables where the focus was breaking in the Magic Million yearlings, training, pre training Thoroughbreds for the track including barrier training & trailing.
After 2 years freezing my butt off in NZ, I headed state side(USA) for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, as part of the international volunteer contingent. My proudest moment as an Aussie to this day was standing in the crowd, screaming like something possessed, swinging my “Man From Snowy River” Driza Bone ¾ jacket around my head like a born again Essendon AFL Supporter, as Gill Rolten and her team rode their lap of honour after winning the 3 day event! Later, we learnt that Gill rode that Cross Country course with a fractured wrist. Nearly a decade and a half later, I had the opportunity to have a few lessons with Gill. I was so intimidated, I had to walk my horse into the arena, as I was just too nervous to even get on. I told Gill I was in the crowd that day. Her response, “ (a broad smile) Thankyou. now let me throw you up and let’s work on your fly changes today, hey?”
From Atlanta, I migrated north to Indiana and spent 2 years working for a children’s therapy program where my job was to assist in assessing and then train the horses for their program while also assisting the various therapist during sessions with clients.
On returning home to Oz in 1999, I was incredibly fortunate to get to spend a year working with another Australian Olympian, Mr Neale Lavis, on his property in NSW, helping him prep his TB & ASH foals, yearlings and young horses under saddle. NJ was part of our famous first successful Olympic equestrian teams in both 1960 & then 1964, winning both gold and silver.
In 2000 I bought a paddock basher ute from a bunch of shearer’s for $300 and drove it from Canberra (ACT) to Kununurra (WA/NT) solo….to chase my dream of being a cowboy. I was the oldest first year Jillaroo anyone had ever seen….at the ripe ‘old’ age of 26. I didn’t care. I was living my dream. Sleeping under the stars in my swag more nights than I wasn’t. Had my own string of horses to feed and shoe for the season. 3am starts, meeting choppers at day break to chase cattle, days eating dust processing cattle in the back yards, drafting, walking weaners away, loading trucks.
One year and a very badly broken arm, was enough though. Apparently. But I’d fallen in love….with the Kimberley’s and then my future husband.
I had a few years away from horses. I tried motorbikes to fill the gap in my life. Not quite the same. Then I got very drunk, apparently, at the local races and woke up the proud owner of a 16.2hh $600,000.00 racehorse who didn’t wanna race anymore. I paid a carton of beer and a bag of chaff for him.
The rest, as they say, is history. My journey on how to feed horses, began with a very steep learning curve. I had a highly distressed, highly anxious, highly overfed, monster of an animal to figure out how to feed & keep condition on, in 44 degree weather with 100% humidity for 5 months of the year.
And that’s how I got into feet.
Read more about me and my personal journey that has helped me (and you) as a professional.
“No hoof, No horse” is an old saying in horse folklore for a reason. For such magnificently huge animals, they are so amazingly fragile. If their feet (& their guts) aren’t right, you’ve got nothing.