HIGH level horsemanship instructor Sean O’Hanlon, was welcomed back to Reid River, South West of Townsville, for a second time last weekend to share his knowledge with a group of 10 riders plus onlookers at WillowVale Park, owned by Racheal Taylor and Stephen Onslow.
Mr O’Hanlon specialises in high level horsemanship through understanding and good reinsmanship.
He said he’s only interested in good sound horsemanship for the benefit of both the horse and its rider.
“I have a very deep and sound knowledge of the horses learning patterns and find that one of my bigger talents is helping people solve problems that they might have with their horse,” he said.
“I love teaching people great horsemanship and helping them learn to help themselves.
“I believe in working with the horse physically, mentally and spiritually.”
Mr O’Hanlon has spent many years in the United States as an assistant trainer at the Ward Ranch in Tulare California where he studied under Greg Ward and his son John.
The Ward’s were the largest breeders and trainers of reined cow horses and cutting horses in the world at the time and Greg Ward is possibly still the most decorated cow horse competitor in the world.
Greg Ward often consulted with prominent U.S horseman Tom Dorrance about his riding and training of horses and his “bible” was “The Manual of Horsemanship of the British Horse Society and Pony Club”, first published by the BHS in 1950. It sets forth the classical training methods of the military (classical dressage).
While in the United States Mr O’Hanlon was fortunate enough to spend time riding with Mr Dorrance as his assistant at some problem horse clinics and colt starting schools.
He has spent time with many of the best all round horseman in Australia during his developing years and have been able to take what he has found to be the best of them and put it together in a way that has worked well for him to build a harmonious relationship with the horse.
“Sean is the fifth generation of the O’Hanlon family who have become synonymous with training and competing horses at the top level,” Ms Taylor said.
“He was invited to return to WillowVale after making a big impact a few months earlier when he held his first clinic here,” she said.
“Straight after his first clinic I had those who’d attended inquiring about getting him back again, and after the recent visit the I’ve had more people eager for him to come back, so I’ve booked him to come back to just after Christmas.
She said his methods don’t have any gimmicks or tricks involved and he doesn’t believe in turning a horse into a sideshow attraction.
“Watching Sean work with horses is as good as most of us have seen, but I think the biggest impact made on his students is actually from the way he explains everything.
“He is by far the easiest instructor to understand, the words, explanations, analogies and actions to go with it, just sink in.
“We all had so many light bulb moments at his clinic’s we are just wanting to learn more and more.”
