Mel Fleming has a diverse range of skills, many years of experience in starting horses under saddle, solving behaviour problems with difficult horses, and developing competition and performance horses. Naturally a teacher, Mel has a clear concise and encouraging style of teaching and her passion for horsemanship is clearly demonstrated in her training.

Mel has competed successfully in dressage and jumping and in 1990 represented Australia at the World Equestrian games in Vaulting and although not a competitor in Western disciplines she has trained and studied in those areas also.

Mel began her professional career with horses at age 17 as a trainer and competitor, starting young horses and showing dressage, jumping and event horses. She studied with the some of the best trainers all around the world, many being International representatives of their sport in both English and western disciplines. Mel became accredited with the Equestrian Federation of Australia (EFA) as an instructor in the early 90’s. 

In search of answers for problematic behaviours like bucking, rearing, trailer loading problems or handling stallions Mel turned to Natural Horsemanship and studied and worked intensively with Pat and Linda Parelli for 12 years becoming one of their top instructors and horse trainers around the world. Other mentors and teachers included Ronnie Willis one of Pat Parelli’s teachers and Carol Brett and Lesley Anne Taylor from Balance International, UK.

A Holistic Approach
Mel’s philosophy for horsemanship is a very holistic one -Striving to understand all four aspects of the horse and human – the mind, emotions, body and spirit.

The first key lies in understanding the horse mentally and emotionally as a prey animal while at the same time understanding them as a spiritual being.
Discovering the degree to which emotions affect horses and how emotions manifest physically in the body and determine behaviour, conformation and performance led to some new perspectives and approaches to horsemanship.

The second key is to fully understand the horse’s physical bodies and biomechanics.
Mel became fascinated with observing and improving horse’s posture and self carriage. Seeing that performance for horses was relatively effortless when horses where in correct posture, balance and true self-carriage it became essential to find out how to help horses develop this. Understanding their physical bodies was the next piece to the puzzle of resistance free training and happy, sound, horses. This also meant understanding rider’s bodies to be able to educate riders to ride in synchronicity with their horses. Mel’s courses include a lot or body awareness and body balancing exercises.

Mel has developed a uniquely clear and simple way to teach her very holistic approach to horsemanship. She helps people to understand the horse’s mind, emotions, body and spirit to develop willing partnerships with their horses and top quality performance.   

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