Meet the Herd
Every horse here is a second chance.
The herd is built around off-the-track Standardbreds — thoughtful, generous horses whose racing careers are behind them, retrained for meaningful second lives as calm, capable partners in learning, connection and, eventually, expedition work.
A second-chance horse meets you where you are. They forgive the awkward early days and reward patience with trust earned slowly — and that same patience shapes how we teach every person who walks through the gate.
“We do not simply teach people to ride horses. We teach people how to understand them — building calm, capable partnerships for the arena, the trail and wild country.”
Bitless, by design.
At Wild Country, all of our horses are (or are in the process of) ridden bitless. It’s part of our commitment to thoughtful horsemanship — building communication through patience, preparation and a responsive partnership.
We take time to develop understanding on the ground and in the saddle, paying attention to each horse’s comfort, confidence and individual needs. Riding bitless asks us to be thoughtful with our hands, clear with our cues and willing to listen.
The kind of connection we’re working toward is simple: a horse and rider moving together with trust, understanding and room to breathe.
Tucker
Tucker is our beautiful, bright bay Standardbred. He is 5yrs old, standing 16.1hh. He is cheeky and charismatic and will often poke his head out of the stable to search you for treats. He is not yet ready for clients, but you'll often see him being ridden by Cass or our other experienced staff members. Tucker did not end up racing, so instead came for a life of trail riding and expeditions.
Teddy
The wonderful Teddy. Teddy is our only Thoroughbred, and what a teddy bear he is. Teddy is 15yrs young, and stands 16hh. He is an ex equine studies horse through Melbourne Polytechnic, so to say he has been there done that is an understatement. Teddy came to us almost three years ago after the equine program was defunded. He has been the household therapy horse ever since, supporting Cass to get back into riding after trauma, and he even braved the Spirit of Tasmania to relocate with the family. Teddy is ridden bitless, so you will see him with a side-pull halter, or if one of our instructors are riding him, he can be ridden with just a neck rope and using your seat.
Hartz
The only mare of the herd, Hartz (also known as Sweetie) is 6yrs old, and our little 14.2hh lady. She is incredibly gentle, and gravitates towards children, softening her head down so they can give her a pat. Hartz had one start prior to retiring from her racing career, where she was then started under saddle before coming to us. She is very cuddly and loves a sweet treat. She has the typical mare expressions, but she has a big job keeping these geldings in line!
Wattle
Coming soon to Wild Country.
Oberon
Or Obi as he is affectionately named, is our 7yo black Standardbred. Obi is 15.3hh, and has the most gentle nature. You'll often see Oberon taking a nap while getting brushed. He retired from racing approximately two years ago, and since then he has been exposed to lots of trail riding and arena work. Ask anyone who has met him, and they will tell you he is a favourite! Obi has WAY more woah than go, so he is perfect for a nervous rider.
Franklin
How can you not fall deeply in love with Franklin?! His kind and caring eyes will draw you in and you'll never want to leave his side. Franklin had a bit of a rough start to life, and we were so excited to be able to offer this incredible boy a second-chance home. Franklin is that once in a lifetime horse, once he trusts you, he will do anything for you. He is a 9yr old Standardbred, and 15.1hh.
Buffalo
Coming soon to Wild Country.