Welcome to Saddle & Soul Equine Centre
Connection, Wellbeing & Education With Horses
Helping Horses & Humans Thrive
Saddle & Soul Equine Centre is a place to experience horses in a different way - through connection, wellbeing, holistic education and spending time in their presence.
Our experiences are predominantly ground-based, allowing people to learn, connect and spend meaningful time with horses without the focus being on riding. We specialise in creating a calm, safe and welcoming space for horses and people, where children and adults can discover and learn about horses, reconnect or rebuild confidence, and people of all ages can simply experience the joy and calm of spending time with them. Everything we offer is designed to create positive, meaningful connections with horses in a relaxed, nature-rich environment.
Our approach places the wellbeing of the horse at the centre of everything we do. Alongside our programs for people, we have a strong focus on educating about equine wellbeing, including physical and emotional needs, nutrition, behaviour, welfare and holistic care. It’s about understanding the whole horse and creating an environment where they can feel safe, connected and thrive.
For those seeking a different approach to their own wellbeing, Saddle & Soul also offers a growing range of wellness experiences with horses, including Rest & Reset sessions, Reiki, sound healing, yoga, meditation, energy healing and flower remedies, as well as restorative experiences for people who simply need an opportunity to slow down, breathe and reconnect.
You don’t need to ride, own a horse or have any previous horse experience to spend time with us. Some people come to learn. Some come to build confidence. Some come because they or their horse needs support. And some simply come to enjoy the peaceful company of horses.
At the heart of Saddle & Soul is a simple philosophy: connection, wellbeing and education for horses and people.
Services
Our current Pony Playgroup sessions and kids / teen school holiday programs can be booked via TryBooking, here:
Saddle & Soul Equine Centre Booking Page
To enquire about sessions listed below, please contact us directly by using the contact form below.
Equine Rest & Reset Sessions
As seen on 7NEWS!
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply stop.
Step away from the noise, the endless notifications, the pressure to perform, and spend an hour immersed in the quiet presence of horses.
There is nothing to achieve here. Just be, and enjoy our version of Equine Assisted Relaxation.
You'll be welcomed into a peaceful space where our horses are free to choose whether to interact or simply share the space. You stand and interact or settle into a comfortable chair or on the healing table, breathe deeply, and allow yourself to slow down.
Many people notice that, as they become quieter, the horses do too. Their calm presence often encourages us to become more aware of our own breathing, thoughts and emotions, creating space to rest, reflect and reconnect with ourselves.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, emotionally drained, or simply craving time in nature, Equine Rest & Reset offers a rare opportunity to pause.
Leave feeling calmer, lighter and more grounded.
Suitable for:
-
Busy professionals
-
Parents and carers
-
Women experiencing stress or burnout
-
Anyone needing time to slow down
-
Horse lovers and non-horse people alike
No horse experience is necessary.
Session Information
You'll experience:
-
A gentle welcome and introduction to the horses
-
Time to settle into the space
-
Quiet, uninterrupted, supervised time in the presence of the herd
-
Opportunities for observation, reflection and mindful connection
Reiki can be added to your session upon request.
Please wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the temperature. Gumboots are advised in wet weather.
◆ Sessions are held at our property in Lancefield.
◆ 60 minute session - $165
✓ Fully insured
✓ Card payment available
*prices include GST
From The Ground Up: Learning for Beginners
A calm, supportive introduction to horses & horse care for beginners.
This is a 10-week program designed to help people build confidence, knowledge and practical horsemanship skills around horses in a safe, encouraging and supportive environment. This is a ground-based program which must be completed before students can learn to ride at our centre.
Support includes learning:
-
Grooming and horse care
-
Leading and safe handling
-
Understanding horse body language, behaviour and communication
-
Ground skills and confidence around horses
-
How ground skills translate to riding
Sessions are tailored to the individual and designed to progress at a pace that feels comfortable and achievable, helping both horse and human feel calm, connected and confident together.
Suitable for children, teenagers and adults of all ages.
Note - these sessions are NOT riding lessons - these are an ongoing program designed to increase confidence and ground skills before progressing to our Foundations of Riding program.
Session Information
Sessions are held at our property in Lancefield, with our horses.
◆ 1 hour session $125
✓ Fully insured
✓ Card payment available
*prices include GST
Kids & Ponies
Gentle, positive experiences designed to help children discover the joy of horses and ponies in a calm, supportive and encouraging environment.
These sessions are perfect for children who love horses, are meeting a pony for the first time, would like to build confidence around horses, or simply want the opportunity to spend time with them.
Children are encouraged to take things at their own pace, with no pressure to ride. Sessions are tailored to each child and may include meeting and grooming our miniature ponies and gentle children's ponies, learning how to safely approach and interact with horses, leading, basic horse care, quiet time together and lead-line pony rides.
The focus is on creating happy, relaxed experiences while helping children develop confidence, kindness, awareness and respect for horses.
Suitable for:
-
First experiences with horses and ponies
-
Children who love horses
-
Nervous or cautious children
-
Building confidence around horses
-
Learning basic horse care and handling
-
Children who would like a gentle introduction to riding
-
Children who simply want to spend time with ponies
Session Information
Sessions are held at our property at Lancefield, with our own miniature ponies and gentle children's riding ponies.
Children do not need any previous horse or riding experience, and there is no requirement to ride.
◆ 60 minute session $125
Lead-Line Pony Experience
A gentle introduction to riding for young children, including meeting their pony and a relaxed lead-line ride.
◆ 20 minutes $55
◆ 30 minutes $75
✓ Fully insured
✓ Card payment available
*prices include GST
Connect & Confidence Sessions
Gentle, trauma-informed and nervous system aware support for horses and humans needing help rebuilding confidence, trust, communication and connection together.
These sessions are designed for riders, handlers and horse owners experiencing nerves, anxiety, overwhelm, loss of confidence or difficulties following challenging experiences with horses.
Support is calm, compassionate and tailored to both horse and human, helping create safer, more connected and more enjoyable partnerships.
Sessions may include groundwork, ridden confidence support on rider's own horse, handling support, communication and relationship-building exercises, nervous system regulation and practical guidance designed to help both horse and human feel calmer, more capable and more connected together.
Suitable for:
-
Nervous or overwhelmed riders
-
Riders rebuilding confidence
-
Sensitive or anxious horses
-
Horses and humans recovering from difficult experiences
-
Confidence and communication challenges
-
Building calmness, trust and connection
-
All ages
Session Information
Sessions are held at our property in Lancefield with your horse, or ours.
◆ 60 minute session (ground-based with our horses, or ground-based/ridden with your horse) $125
✓ Fully insured
✓ Card payment available
*prices include GST
More Information & Experiences Coming Soon
We’ve recently relocated to our beautiful new home in the Macedon Ranges and are busy developing a range of new experiences, programs and events that make the most of our horses, facilities and peaceful surroundings.
Coming soon:
-
Meditation with Horses
-
Reiki & Energy Healing with Horses
-
Mindful Movement with Horses
-
Women’s Wellness Experiences & Retreats
-
Equine-Assisted Connection & Learning
-
Horse & Human Connection Workshops
-
Nature & Horse Immersion Experiences
-
Workshops, Gatherings & Special Events
Experiences, Events & Venue Hire
Our beautiful property will also be available for a range of private, professional and creative uses, offering a unique country setting in the Macedon Ranges.
-
Corporate team-building experiences
-
Business meetings, planning days and workshops
-
Workshops, retreats and small-group events
-
Wellness practitioners and facilitators
-
Photography & content shoots - weddings, engagements, family, personal and business branding, equine and commercial
-
Private group experiences and gatherings
-
Family farming & equine experiences
With beautiful grounds, indoor and outdoor spaces, equine facilities and the opportunity to incorporate our horses into selected experiences and shoots, Saddle & Soul offers a distinctive setting just an easy drive from Melbourne.
More experiences and hire options will be released as we continue to develop our new home.
About Saddle & Soul Equine Centre
Horses have been part of my life since childhood. I've spent many years riding, owning and caring for horses, managing my own large herd and running a large, busy equine centre. Through those experiences, I've developed a deep appreciation for horses as individuals, their sensitivity to the world around them, and the unique relationships we can build with them. Over the years, I've also come to deeply appreciate the healing presence of horses and their remarkable ability to help us slow down, ground ourselves, find our centre and bring calm and balance to our nervous systems.
I established Saddle & Soul Equine Centre in December 2024, with the dream of creating a community centred around holistic education and wellbeing with horses. I relocated the business to a stunning property in the rolling hills of Lancefield, in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria in September 2026. My professional background prior to this spans more than 25 years in business, finance and operational leadership. I worked with Australian and international businesses across a diverse range of industries and have held Board Director positions with two of Australia's largest Steiner schools, as well as leadership roles within the equine community, including President of a local Pony Club.
Alongside my professional and equine experience, I have extensive experience and a long-standing interest in metaphysics, natural wellness and holistic approaches to health and wellbeing.
Over the years, these seemingly different paths have naturally come together, shaping the way I work with both horses and people today.
Saddle & Soul is not a horse-riding school, nor simply about riding or horsemanship. It's about creating opportunities for horses and people to thrive. That may be helping someone develop confidence and understanding with equine-assisted support, giving a child a positive first experience with a pony, helping a rider return with confidence after years off, offering a quiet place to rest and reconnect in the presence of horses, or supporting a horse's or person's emotional wellbeing through energy healing, natural therapies and flower remedies.
My approach is calm, grounded, trauma-informed and nervous system aware, and I believe both horses and people respond best when they feel safe, understood and able to move at their own pace. I've built Saddle & Soul Equine Centre to be a welcoming, compassionate and safe space for connection between people and horses.
Above all, Saddle & Soul is about sharing the joy, healing and beauty of horses - creating opportunities for people to connect, learn, slow down and experience how special being in the presence of horses can be.
~ Alana
