Testimonials

Today I watched Susi give a demonstration of equine connection with a young basically unhandled chunky Friesian mare. The conditions were particularly trying with a blistery freezing wind and all sorts of distractions around particularly for a mare as sensitive and reactive as her. When Brandy was led in by her handler, she was pretty distressed and totally out of her sphere of experience.

With the horse at liberty, Susi was calm, positive and exuded a safe vibe. Very soon Brandy was obviously seeking safety and comfort from her after each exercise. It reminded me of a foal exploring scary things and coming back to Mum. Once they moved to equipment which I think brought back some bad memories, she would “check out” when the outside distractions were too much. Susi handled this with care and her philosophy that every problem is an opportunity.

The difference between the mare on arrival and at the end of the session was profound, having gained confidence and trust. Susi showed what a good trainer she is and how good at connecting with sensitive horses she is. I’m sure that in the wrong hands, being so sensitive Brandy could have been heading down the path of fear and mistrust. I hope Susi continues Brandy’s education.

- Andi Neilands

I recently attended a two-day Conscious Connection clinic with Susi May. It was a beautiful and enlightening experience. The most touching moment for me was when my nervous hyper-vigilant mare dropped her head into my chest and spent 20 minutes licking my hands, releasing, and yawning. Which she had never ever done before.

As a Clinical Psychologist I was fascinated by the way all the horses in the workshop changed so quickly. I had assumed, quite wrongly it turned out, that the clicker would be used for behavioural reinforcement. The magic of Susi’s method is that the clicker is only used to let the horses know that we have noticed small changes occurring in their inner world. They seem to immediately understand and enjoy this new form of communication. The specific sequence of exercises that Susi has created attune horse and human into a soft and peaceful space of connection, in which each are fully present. As this sequence of exercises is repeated, the horses visibly let go of whatever habitual anxiety and holding patterns they might have developed from experiencing repeated misattunement from humans in the past. It was a profoundly healing experience for my mare (and for me).

Susi has made it easy to carry on with the method, by using the exercises daily - which means that whatever training we do begins with connection and trust. And when you’re connected to your horse, everything else is possible. I am so grateful to Susi for her deep insight and understanding - it’s been an absolute gamechanger for us.

- Dhara Stuart

What an amazing experience it was to spend three days working with Susi in Dongara. I really wanted to attend a clinic of Susi’s last year but the dates never lined up so when I reached out to see if I could drop in for a lesson or two on our way up north and she said yes I was so excited.

I'm constantly evaluating ways to advance my relationship with horses and how I approach my training. For a long time I've been moving away from traditional methods that were installed in my younger years of riding. Peeling back the layers of what no longer severs me and what I have always done and known has been and is an ongoing process.

Susi is is exactly what I had been searching for in the way of a trainer, I didn’t know just how much exactly until we met! Susi's way of training is based on connection, without fear, force or pressure. It is beautifully harmonious to watch her work with horses.

In one short session Danika was moving so much more freely and willingly, you could see the calmness in her mind and how it connected to her body allowing her to let go and just flow. It was beautiful to witness and then to be able to get the same from her with Susi’s guidance.

I had a feeling before even meeting Susi that I would enjoy this work, and afterwards i knew that this is exactly where we were meant to be to guide us in the direction we have needed to go next and am so grateful for the opportunity.

It was an absolutely perfect way to end our summer away. I have so much to bring home to work on and I’m equally excited to get started with Bondi the same way knowing his sensitive nature just like Danika’s will be respected and nurtured from so early on.

Thank you to my beautiful mare Danika for continuously being my greatest teacher and leading me on a path of self reflection in every aspect of my life.

If you don’t already give Susi a follow and if you get a chance to get to one of her clinics definitely do it, you will love every bit of it.

- Kate Redmond

from My Pilbara Equestrian Life

Susi May's women's wellness retreat was a real joy to attend. Getting time with my mare and understanding her buttons was such a pleasure because Susi made it clear and simple.

Susi's ability to tailor round-yard sessions differently to each horse and owner was fascinating to watch as each session provided on-lookers with new insights to the process of connection. Susi was able to pinpoint physical restraints in my mare that needed attention by a chiro and she taylored our sessions accordingly.

The weekend was the epitome of a luxurious retreat. Pristine surroundings with beautiful horse facilities along with a magnesium pool were only surpassed by the perfect food and ambiance. Tapas, home-made gourmet pizzas, two fire-pits enabling warm comfort topped the evening off nicely.

Camping with my horse is something I've missed lately and to be given the opportunity to do so with fabulous company and facilities was such a treat. As a regional horse lover the idea of only travelling for an hour to such a first class retreat was the icing on the cake.

I'll be booking in for another such retreat without hesitation.

- Petrina Harris

I had the privilege of attending this clinic over the past 2 days and to say my heart is full is an understatement. The knowledge I have gained and the amazing connection with my baby Haze is just mind blowing. Haze did amazingly well and is a quick learner. Thanks you to Susi May for the time and effort put into offering these clinics!!! Highly recommend this. Now to take the skills I have learned and try them on Lilly.

- Kristy Lauren Wishhart

I previously attended one of Susi's clinics with my Friesian mare 'Echo' and it completely opened my eyes to the possibility of connecting with my girl on a deeper level. I learnt more about myself in one weekend clinic than I ever have through years of therapy. I also experienced the realisations that helped me to understand some of Echos emotions towards me.

I have booked in for Susi’s next clinic with a goal to work more on my own resilience and to provide Echo with a safe space to express her emotions. A space where she feels unjudged, acknowledged and accepted.

I've struggled and still am struggling, with anxiety and incredibly low self esteem, and unfortunately I see that this is extending to Echo. I would never wish this on any partnership. I believe my strengths lie deep beneath the surface and I really look forward to bringing them out again.

- Chloe Blanchard

I felt compelled to write about the importance of support. I was fortunate enough to have Susi May come and visit me and the herd. It was beautiful to connect and share our passion and love for horses, and to have her help bridge the gap between me and my mare Ellie.

I have really focused on supporting Ellie's boundaries, space, and unique needs, but there was still some confusion around what she was communicating to me and what was my story. I realised I was stuck and facing some resistance in our interactions.

Susi was able to support me with some training exercises, which provided structure, boundaries and a means to connect with Ellie. It has been a beautiful balance of connection, choice, natural expression, and joy this week!

Never forget the importance of support, which is crucial for us to thrive in life. Thankyou Susi.

- Lina Separovich

Founder of Wisdom of Awareness Equine Assisted Learning

I had the pleasure of hosting Susi for a one-day clinic. The weather was stormy and just plain awful! However, It was really eye opening and powerful to see how quickly the horses (and humans) found confidence and comfort within such triggering environmental factors. Watching Susi hold space for the horse and their human while they learned her methods was really beautiful and Each partnership found real moments of connection. Susi has a very fun and supportive attitude to teaching, I found her communication to be clear and easy to understand and she was very open to questions, thoughts and explaining any misconceptions. During my lesson Susi helped guide me towards letting go of the subtle ways I try to control outcomes and showed me how powerfully presence and connection to my own body impacts on my horse.

I have never experienced any clicker training before but through her methods Susi opened my eyes to the value of allowing my horse the opportunity to find his own answers and be rewarded for it, rather than him just doing things to avoid pressure from me. I think I’ve never really understood the meaning of asking a question and waiting for the answer until now and I am super grateful to Susi for the deep awareness I have gained that will dramatically improve my horses ability to feel safe and confident within my presence. I look forward to the future where I know we will both be happy and confident together!

- Asha Meyerhoff

In April I had the absolute pleasure of fence sitting for two days at Susi’s clinic at the Chapman Valley Western Riding and Quarter Horse Club. I had been wanting to try clicker training, liberty and connection work for a long time and thought this would be a great way to get a foot in the door. What a foot in the door it was!

The development of mutual respect and trust in each horse-human partnership through clear, calm communication and gentle but explicit boundaries and expectations was amazing to watch. As a psychologist, a lot of it reminded me of attachment theory and the “circle of security”, which talk about the importance of building self-regulation, self-confidence and resilience through secure relationships and co-regulation.

In this case, Susi worked with the partnerships to build a secure relationship and, and in turn build their trust in each other and themselves as individuals. I’ve since started trying the basic exercises with my boy and I feel like our relationship and understanding of each other has already improved. I’m excited to see where this journey takes us!