One afternoon at the Riding for the Disabled NSW Ryde Centre in Sydney, RDA coach Sue Sellar was finding that her day wasn’t running how it typically did.
Her client, a young adult girl with a number of complex issues refused to ride her horse.
The last few lessons had been challenging; however, the girl could usually be convinced to ride.
That week she refused.
Well aware there could be a plethora of issues going on beneath the surface, Sue didn’t question her choice.
Instead, she invited the girl to sit down with her on the mounting block and have the horse just stand near instead.
Sue said for about half an hour they just sat there.
The girl patted the horse, while he sniffed her and acted as a safe presence.
“It was after that, that I realised you don’t always need to be on a horse’s back- you can gain so much from them just through groundwork.”
For me that was my light bulb moment.”
Sue had volunteered with the RDA for eight years in Sydney and it was a fulfilling role she loved.
She first discovered RDA when her family moved to London to follow her husband’s career.
The mother-of-two from Syndey’s Northern Beaches found herself a bit lonely and lacking purpose in London.
Her children attended a private school and unlike the schools in Australia, the school gates where locked once school started for the day and parents were not needed to help in any way.
At the same time, Sue was missing the social connection she was so used to in Sydney where she was an active member of the school community.
While googling one night, Sue discovered the Kentish Town City Farm, situated close to where the family lived in Highgate London.
They had an RDA program and were looking for volunteers.
Sue said she saw an opportunity to get involved with horses.
“I have always loved horses; they’ve always been a passion of mine since I was young.
I started volunteering – I ended up working four days a week and, in the office, too.”
Sue volunteered at the city farm for two years, before moving back to Sydney and carrying on her volunteer work there.
Family life went on as normal when she arrived home with her husband and their two children, who were 10 and 12 years old.
After Sue settled back into life in Sydney, she noticed a common theme emerge among her teenage children and their friends.
Anxiety seemed to be prevalent and, in some cases, had led to mental health challenges.
About the same time, Sue had experienced her interaction with the young girl at the RDA, Ryde Centre in Sydney.
She said she reflected on how powerful it had been to just sit with the girl and let her talk with the presence of the horse.
“I realised that I wanted to learn more about it and discovered Jane’s courses at Equine Assisted Therapy Australia.
I had supported my husband with his career and now that my children were older, I thought this is my time to do something for me.”
In 2024, Sue enrolled in the Counselling course, specialising in Equine Assisted Mental Health.
Initially she had some hesitation about embarking on study at the age of 52.
But, after she considered her life experience and her background with the RDA, she said she knew the time was right.
“I came into the course thinking I was going to be a great counsellor, but I’ve had to do a lot of work on myself.
The course content can be pretty deep, but it’s good because you have to work on your own triggers, before you are able to help other people.
I also wasn’t aware how similar a horse’s nervous system is to ours.”
In November this year, Sue will graduate alongside the rest of her cohort, who are now her lifelong friends.
Although, she doesn’t own her own herd of horses, she hopes to start with offering equine-assisted therapy sessions with some friends’ horses.
“I want to catch anxiety before it ends up as a mental health issue and work with teenagers.
I’m going to work with my daughter and then see where it goes from there.
The learning journey has opened up my mind and body so much and it is something I will continue to build on.”
Image: Sue Sellar will graduate as an Equine Assisted Mental Health practitioner in November this year (11/2025).