GROUNDWORK
Tune in. Slow down. Notice what you bring.
GROUNDWORK is an eight-week equine-assisted program for men, designed to build greater self-awareness, emotional regulation and relational capability through structured experiences alongside horses.
Working predominantly from the ground, participants explore what happens when things don't go as expected — how they respond to pressure, frustration, uncertainty and boundaries, and what their body, behaviour and communication bring into an interaction. Horses provide immediate, observable feedback, creating opportunities to slow down, notice patterns, adjust and try something different.
Across the program, GROUNDWORK explores presence, emotional awareness, pressure, boundaries, regulation, communication, interpersonal impact, trust and repair. Each horse-based experience is supported by facilitated reflection, helping participants connect what happens in the arena with how they show up in relationships, workplaces, families and everyday life.
GROUNDWORK is not about learning to ride, and the horse is not positioned as a therapist. It is a structured experiential program that uses horsemanship as a practical environment for developing skills that can be difficult to learn through conversation alone.
The aim isn't to control the horse. It's to become more aware of yourself in the interaction.
GROUNDWORK is currently in conception — we are seeking delivery partners, research partners and funding partners to bring the pilot to life.
Notice
Recognise internal state, physiological activation and external cues.
Understand
Build emotional vocabulary and identify recurring patterns.
Regulate
Pause, reduce escalation and choose a response.
Respect
Recognise boundaries, autonomy and the communication of others.
Communicate
Increase clarity — hold both intention and impact in view.
Connect
Build trust, perspective-taking, repair and relational awareness.
- — A voluntary early-intervention, capacity-building program
- — Experiential, reflective and predominantly ground-based
- — An option that complements other supports
- — Not a riding course or horsemanship qualification
- — Not a clinical treatment, unless delivered within a qualified model
- — Not a substitute for a specialist Men's Behaviour Change Program
Where family violence is identified, specialist risk assessment, integrated safety responses and referral remain essential. GROUNDWORK maintains explicit referral and escalation pathways and does not obscure or dilute risk.
GROUNDWORK is delivered from a unique intersection of psychology, specialist family violence practice, justice-sector experience, group facilitation, horsemanship and safety.
The program lead has tertiary qualifications in psychology, and professional experience as a Specialist Family Violence Practitioner, as well as working with men who use harmful behaviours. This work has developed strong proficiency in dynamic risk assessment, identifying and responding to changes in risk, and the facilitation of structured group programs for men.
This professional experience brings an understanding of the complexity behind behaviour — including emotional regulation, patterns of control, accountability, interpersonal impact, risk, readiness for change and the importance of maintaining the safety of women and children when undertaking work with men.
Alongside this practice background is extensive equine experience and accreditation through Horse Safety Australia as an Advanced Riding Instructor and Trail Guide. This brings practical expertise in horse behaviour, groundwork, communication, instruction, participant safety and the management of horse–human interactions in both controlled and outdoor environments.
The program lead also holds a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, supporting the development of GROUNDWORK's participant safety, equine welfare, risk-management and operational systems.
Professional practice. Skilled horsemanship. Structured reflection.
Delivery partners
Community and men's services, family services, mental health and AOD supports, and justice or reintegration programs — co-delivering GROUNDWORK where participation remains appropriate.
Research partners
Independent evaluation and research support for the pilot — measuring change, testing safety and acceptability, and refining the model before any expansion.
Funding partners
Support for a defined six-man pilot, with findings informing refinement before any expansion.
The pilot tests feasibility, acceptability, safety and measurable change in emotional awareness, regulation, perspective-taking, boundaries and awareness of interpersonal impact — findings inform refinement before any expansion.
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