My Story || The Zookeeper Equestrienne

Before we get down into the nitty gritty, I thought I should start with a quick introduction.

I grew up in the thick of the zoo world. My dad was the Curator of a wildlife park and my mum was often hand rearing sick, injured or orphaned critters. Wildlife, conservation and animal care were simply part of everyday life in our household.

And yet, despite being surrounded by all that incredible wildlife, I was that little girl who loved horses. Much to my parents’ dismay I am sure. Horses are expensive, right.

So I spent my childhood a little obsessed.

You know how there was always that one little girl in class who was completely preoccupied with everything horse related. Well, that was me. Instead of posters of cute boys and music idols on my walls, mine were covered in horse posters. Trophies and ribbons lined the windowsill. Shelves overflowed with equine books and magazines. I was the kid who disappeared into the hills riding bareback with nothing but a halter and my best mate.

Horses were everything to me. I craved simply being around them. They were all I thought about. I played endless games of Black Beauty with friends in the playground. I would rush home from school and jump straight on my horse, losing entire afternoons riding across our 65 acre property. I would stand on my horse’s back to pick juicy mulberries from the neighbour’s trees, returning home with purple stained fingers and clothes. Much to my mother’s disgust. I even somehow convinced my parents to let me ride to school every now and then.

This obsession wavered slightly during my rebellious teenage years, but it never truly left me. No matter what path I wandered down in this strange life of mine, I always seemed to come home to horses.

Over the years I have been involved in many different facets of the equine industry. From starting young horses to training, re education, groom work, performance, competition, photography, media and retail. I began riding at age five and have competed or trained in everything from Pony Club, gymkhanas and hacking to dressage, show jumping, inter school competitions, eventing and horseball.

Along the way I also spent several years working as a stockwoman, show presenter and animal carer at Queensland’s largest Aussie farm tour experience. From there I went on to become a professional trick rider and lead performer at the Gold Coast’s arena spectacular, the Australian Outback Spectacular. I have worked as a co editor and equine event photographer for a popular online magazine and co founded Queensland’s first trick riding team, the Southern Stars Trick Riding Troupe.

At the same time, following in my father’s footsteps, I built a career within the Australian zookeeping industry. I’ve worked as an animal keeper and trainer, caring for and working with an incredible range of species. Native birds and mammals, exotic birds, birds of prey, seals and sea lions, polar bears, lemurs, red pandas and capybaras, to name just a few.

Looking back now, I realise my life has always moved between these worlds of horses and wildlife. At the time though, the path often felt confusing. While my early years in the horse world gave me knowledge, experience and wonderful mentors, something always felt slightly missing. I often found myself feeling frustrated with parts of the industry and strangely unfulfilled.

Eventually it took working myself into the ground and a few humbling falls from grace before I really paused and listened to that quiet inner voice telling me something was not quite sitting right. I felt there was a deeper way of understanding animals. A deeper way of working with them. I knew there was more to explore, more to learn and more to give.

So I slowed down. I listened more carefully. To myself, and more importantly, to the animals.

I am someone who works hard and continues to learn. Over time I have developed my own approach to working with animals, shaped by years spent caring for and training both captive wildlife and horses. The lessons from the zoo world, the wisdom shared by gifted horsemen and women, and my own observations and instincts have all blended together to form what I now think of as my “heart craft”.

My open mind and open heart have allowed me to become a versatile horsewoman and animal professional who is constantly striving to grow. I hold a firm belief that no one ever truly “knows it all”. There are always deeper places to explore, with animals and within ourselves. I remain deeply committed to my own ongoing learning and professional development.

For a long time I used to feel a little embarrassed about the way my career flowed back and forth between wildlife and horses. Now I see how perfectly those worlds fit together. The knowledge and skills I developed working with captive wildlife have profoundly shaped the way I understand behaviour, training and relationships with horses.

This space, under Her WildLife, is where those worlds meet.

The online world can be noisy. This little corner of the internet is simply a place where I share thoughts, stories and lessons gathered from a life spent working alongside animals. Sometimes it will be about horses. Sometimes wildlife. Often it will be about the deeper relationships between humans, animals and the natural world.

This is just one piece of the journey.

I am an imperfect human being. I have no interest in pretending otherwise. I believe in honesty, curiosity and continuing to grow. A student of animals. A student of life.

Thanks for being here.

If you feel like wandering down the rabbit hole with me, keep an eye on the blog for more ramblings, both old and new.