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In This Issue...
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What Else Has Been Happening at Yarrabin?
 Loads, lots and even more!! And we continue to have fun, meet many wonderful people, and grow together with our family and Yarrabin team.
Equine Influenza slowed us down in the latter months of 2007. Fortunately the disease did not reach our horses. Australia has now been declared EI Free – let’s hope it stays that way now.
Christmas school holidays saw FIVE very fun kids riding camps. Every camp was close to capacity or just over. Loads of riding, gymkhanas, jumping lessons, laughter and great memories. John Kinghorn, a high level and well respected jumping instructor, joined us for most of the camps – the kids all loved his gentle and helpful style, and they added a new skill to their riding repertoire. The photo shows John guiding a future Olympian over a Yarrabin jump) We thank all the kids, plus all the parents who have faith in us. Next Kids Camp is from Mon 30 June to 4 July.
Adult Only (Kid Free) Weekends are as popular as Kids Camps! We offer a total package at a very good rate, but really it is the mix of people and the total relaxation that makes these a hit. See the next section for the one at the end of March.
The bathrooms in units 5 and 6 have been completely renovated and receiving loads of praise. Next on the upgrade will be units 1 and 2.
Graeme managed to fly away (again!) to the USA to attend this year’s Equine Guided Education Association conference. He also participated in a workshop, and brought more ideas back to Yarrabin.
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Praise for our FANTASTIC Team
 Yarrabin very much relies on a great team to make your experience here enjoyable and smooth. And we are blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive team. We also include our children in that team, because their help also makes Yarrabin what it is.
Leanne McCready joined our team in December to run the kitchen (and many other things!). She quickly settled into her role and life at Yarrabin. We love having her as part of our extended family. That’s her driving the tractor – a woman of many talents!!
At this stage we haven’t replaced our Wrangler/farm hand so if you know of anybody, or if you are driven to a life at Yarrabin, please drop us a line….. But we do have a few casuals who really help us out with the horses and horse riding: Elisse, Mel, Katrina and Brian. Thanks guys!
In the last few months, we’ve also welcomed (and then very sadly farewelled) some girls from overseas who joined us for working holidays: Emmi and Paula from Finland, Antonia from Switzerland, and Louise from England.
Some “Aussie Angels” have been generous with their time to help with the Kids Camps – thanks Kirsten, Kate, Micah, Charlotte, Fiona and Pete (not that Pete looks like an angel!).
Please remember, if you are interested in becoming part of our team (or just want to run away from home lol), please email us your resume and a photo, and we will reply as soon as we can.
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Looking Forward
 There’s a taste of what is coming up already mentioned in this newsletter – from the Adults Only Weekend 28 to 30 March, free riding 4 to 6 April, April school holidays and Kids Camp 30 June to 4 July.
Here are a few other things you or your friends might be interested in.
If you are an adult and are thinking “why do kids have all the fun?” then we have a special 4 day “Active Horsemanship Workshop” for you at the end of April. Almost like Kids Camps for Adults, but even more fun with complimentary champagne, a massage, and some cerebral work…. Guaranteed to improve your riding! Dates are 28 April to 2 May (that’s Monday to Friday).
The June long weekend (6 to 9 June) is available for a group. So why not get some friends together to join you at Yarrabin? You will need to get 18 or more to secure this weekend. There will be a day ride plus other fun activities. Just think - three days to relax, unwind, and forget about everyone else still working in Sydney!
Of course, you can always book in for a fantastic holiday at Yarrabin anytime - for just yourself, your family, or a group. Remember you can have the place to yourselves if you are a group of more than 18. Open all year round except Christmas.
Until next time we meet, speak or share the trail together, stay well, stay happy and enjoy life!!
Annie, Graeme and all our wonderful family and team
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What a fantastic week we had last week here at Yarrabin. We had our Corporate Launch of our Leadership & Horses program and had articles and video news posted from Zimbabwe to Canada! Beth Duff, from Scotland, was our very special guest and keynote speaker (the photo shows Annie, Graeme and Beth with some of the real stars of the launch). She also ran many activities, was very generous in her advice and sharing, joined Graeme in interviews for radio and TV, and squeezed loads into her 10 days in Australia. The overall feedback from people who attended our launch (a special thanks again to all of you!) was that the program is innovative, powerful and unique. Chris Siegert, from The Borrowers Friend in Bathurst, had this to say:
“I was so touched by the experience that I find it hard to explain to someone who has not participated. This is a truly special program that really uncovered the true ‘me.’
It was incredibly gentle in its delivery and absolutely thunderous with its impact.”
Some of the world coverage was from Melbourne to Oman to Islamabad to Brunei to China and Taiwan! And that was just in print. There is also a video circulating the world. Click on the link to check us out!
Please let us know if you would like further information on this leadership program.
Boy are these weekends popular! So popular that we have to turn some people away, and we really don’t like doing that. But the good news is that we have free-ed up a weekend to devote to another Adults Only (or Kid Free) weekend. The dates are Friday 28 March to Sunday 30 March. Not only will you have great fun at fantastic value, you can also participate in Earth Hour at 8 pm Saturday 29 March in a very natural environment! It’s an all-inclusive package (accommodation, meals from Friday dinner, and all horse riding) for only $295 per person. That’s a saving of $85! And the next 3 guests to book receive a complimentary bottle of wine (to share with all your new friends!). Please call or email soon, or get a group of friends together.
Just for a special weekend – Friday 4 to Sunday 6 April. A group has pulled out at the last minute, so their loss is your gain. Riding only available for guests staying with us. Save $140 per person and enjoy some magnificent rides, including stock moving and a long canter to our lookout. Rooms are selling fast… Does anyone recognise the rider in the photo? It’s David Howard, who first came to Yarrabin in the 1960s when he was 12! Not only that, but David is one of the riders in the Yarrabin postcard featuring four riders pushing sheep over the one lane bridge!! It was wonderful to welcome David and his wife Wendy back to Yarrabin recently)
Have you booked your holiday at Yarrabin for the April School holidays? We have lots of fun activities (and rides!) planned, and the weather looks like it will be “close to perfect.” Check out the smiles of some of our regular guests – way more powerful than words, don’t you think? There are limited spaces available (quite a few from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 April), so if you haven’t booked, please call us soon.
With the restrictions placed on the horse industry by Equine Influenza, there have been no horses into or out of Yarrabin. However, Blaze (a big gentle 4 year old chestnut gelding) is spending more time in the line after being a paddock mate to our foals. He is proving quite a hit! Plus he was a star on our Leadership & Horses program - That's him in the photo following Rachel. Snuggles has taken over the role of “shepherd” to the foals Olly and Lily – and seems to be enjoying the gentler life. Freckles lives now on Annie’s parents’ property, with Annie’s father using him for some gentle riding. He (Freckles that is!) will rejoin the Yarrabin mob in busy times. All horses are starting to grow their winter coats (yep, it is starting to get slightly chilly up here). But they all look wonderful, no doubt by paddocks of lush grass!
This section in our last newsletter was so well received, and evoked some great discussions here at Yarrabin, that Annie has put together some more quirky horse facts. Impress your friends with your newfound knowledge! Do you know why we always mount from the nearside of a horse? Well, in olden days men used to wear scabbards for their swords on their left hip (so they could draw the sword quickly with their right hand. If they had got on from the other side of the horse the sword would have got in the way! Or do you know why it is very unusual to see all the horses in the same paddock lying down at once? This is because one animal always stands 'on look out' to be able to alert the others to any dangers. And horses' hooves grow approximately 7 mm in a month, and take nearly a year to grow from the coronet band to the ground. Here is something to store away: a healthy adult horse should have a pulse of between 36 and 40 beats per minute while at rest. How fast do you think horses can gallop? Probably feels much faster when you are cantering up the lookout at Yarrabin! But the world speed record for a horse is 70 kph set by a four year old race horse named Big Racket. And the fastest horse at Yarrabin? Sultan the Superhorse with his favourite rider, Graeme, of course!! Not really – Major holds the honour at the moment!