How a lifelong love of horses shaped Karen’s whole lifeSian talks with Karen about a lifelong, hands-on connection with animals that started when she was three and has carried through horses, dogs, cats, and rescue work. The conversation centers on how animals became family, teachers, and emotional support through moves, motherhood, disability, and retirement. Key topicsKaren’s first memory of loving horses: feeding a white horse lettuce in Katherine in the Northern Territory when she was threeHow that early moment shaped a lifelong habit of talking to, watching, and learning from horsesHer teenage years as a stable hand, where she learned horse body language, stable care, and the basics of horsemanshipRiding trotters, including what a trotter is and why she was drawn to riding them despite being told she was “mad”Her move into more formal riding and dressage in Sydney, including learning from mentor Tom Roberts and his calm, behavioral approach to trainingHow horses crossed into her work through disability support, taking children from a respite house to the stables so they could experience horsesHer broader love of animals, including rescued cats, dogs, and her ongoing commitment to animal careThe story of Butters, her rescue dog, and how he became a deeply bonded companion and “flop on top of dog”How living with multiple sclerosis changed her riding, mobility, and confidence, while animals still helped her keep goingWhy she sees animals as family, emotional barometers, and a responsibility rather than a hobbyMusic : Spring in my step by Silent Player Timestamps00:00 - The childhood moment that sparked Karen’s love of horses 01:45 - Why a three-year-old bond with a horse stayed so vivid 02:52 - Talking to every horse and the first real horse friendships 04:46 - Getting a job as a stable hand at 13 05:23 - Learning horse body language and stable work 06:51 - What a trotter is and why she rode them 07:27 - Saving up to keep her first horse 08:14 - Riding through Adelaide and taking her horse to a friend’s garden 09:31 - Moving to Sydney and learning finesse, dressage, and kind training 11:01 - Tom Roberts and the power of patient, behavior-based retraining 12:35 - Bringing children with disabilities to the stables 13:57 - Loving all animals, not just horses 14:43 - Owning 10 horses over her life 16:29 - Riding less often now and adjusting to MS 17:27 - How animals helped her push through hard days 19:00 - Butters the rescue dog joins the family 20:20 - A day in the life with Butters 24:06 - Why Butters is a “flop on top of dog” 25:13 - Karen’s history of rescuing cats 28:37 - Losing her older horse at 31 29:58 - What animals mean to her: family and unconditional love 30:26 - The biggest lesson animals taught her: be yourself 31:04 - Horses as emotional barometers 32:25 - The hard lesson she learned about entering a stable with the wrong energy 34:21 - Why horses and dogs are non-negotiable in her future 35:26 - Why she rescues animals now that she has more time in retirement 36:12 - “You’ll never have any money” and why that does not matter 38:04 - Meeting her current horse Callie and the instant connection 40:09 - Final reflections on animals, care, and companionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
