WalkSublime

Dear Mel,What an honor to meet you today and be a participant in Walk Sublime! It was a very emotional couple of hours for me in so many ways. What you have put together as a contribution to both the emotional health, happiness and wellbeing of both your horses and your participants is inspiring. Having a dog in one's life can teach you a lot about yourself and if you take the time to honestly connect it can be a very special bond indeed. A horse is that times 10! Because with a horse you are dealing with a very large animal with a natural flight not fight instinct. Being on the end of a dog lead as opposed to a horse lead is a much more confronting but ultimately a much more enriching experience. It demands more of your courage, observation, physical confidence, respect and self esteem. Which in turn leads to personal growth! What more could one ask for from an afternoon out walking in the sublime company of horses!Kind regards,JuliennePS: I really wished that I had learnt to 'walk' before I learnt to ‘ride’.

Well what an afternoon! I had the absolute joy of meeting Mel and Saxon who was my walking partner through this beautiful part of the Adelaide Hills. I have a little difficulty in walking distances at times but Mel matched me perfectly with the ever patient Saxon who not only walked at my pace but made me feel very comfortable. Mel is a mine of information and her expertise and knowledge of and with horses is to be envied. Her ability to impart that knowledge in a quiet and unhurried fashion is just such a change in today's manic pace.The walk itself was leisurely and I learned so much in the time we took to meander through the forest. If you want a literally Sublime Walk I cannot recommend Mel and her horses highly enough. Whatever age, whatever experience she will guide you through. Just do it!!

From the moment the horses came off the float, the adventure began.Mel made me feel at ease while coaching me through leading the horse.It was something so special to walk beside such a powerful animal amongst the beauty of the forest.Mel has a way of bringing your mind into the present and keeping you immersed in the beauty of the moment.I highly recommend everyone to give this experience a try.

I had seen, ‘WalkSublime’ advertised on our local community Facebook forum. It immediately appealed to me as I am an animal lover with a passion for horses. Growing up in the UK, I attended riding lessons and dreamed of owning my own horse, as many other little girls did! I collected figurines, read all the pony books and of course had posters on my bedroom wall!As an adult, I lost the confidence (and fitness) to ride, but have always been drawn to horses. I love the smell of them, their strength, elegance and physical beauty. I love when it’s a cold morning and steam comes off of their backs and nostrils. My favourite part of a horse is from it’s muscular neck, to it’s ever alert ears, mane, eyes with thick long lashes, bony face, shiny big jaw down to the softness of nostrils and muzzle. And then, beware, of those big grinding teeth!When I saw pictures of ‘WalkSublime’ and read about the experience being offered, it appealed big time. A couple of friends were interested too and have since, walked sublime. When I mentioned it to my partner, I never imagined that we would actually ever get to go on this incredible journey!But we did.A surprise birthday present from my partner on a drizzly, wet afternoon mid May. We drove out to a spot in the Kuitpo Forest, somewhere near Meadows. There was Mel (owner of WalkSublime), her four wheel drive and to my pure excitement, a horse float!My partner, Lynn and Mel had been communicating and planning our, ‘WalkSublime’ experience for a couple of weeks to ensure that everything went to plan.Upon meeting Mel, I straight away felt at ease. Her manner with people and animals is calming and reassuring. She was well organised and clearly experienced and knowledgeable about horse and human emotions. Mel had carefully selected two of her horses for us to be matched with based on information provided about our physical/mental well-being, confidence with horses and character. We were introduced to our horses and told a bit about them. Lynn was matched with the very solid, well behaved rescue boy, Saxon. He was a retired race horse, adopted by Mel. My horse was a cheeky, young fellow named, Koszi. He was a Brumby!After some tips and handling advice from Mel, we gently got to know about our horses. Mel instinctively knew when to help and when to let us just, ‘be’ with ourselves and our horses.We walked through the beautiful forest for two hours, stopping only to observe nature or to notice things about our own & our horses reactions to sound, movement or images. Oh, and did I say that we stopped for cake too!The highlight for me was that we were not, controlling the horses as such, but instead working with them. Noticing their subtle behaviours and then gently responding. I felt 100% focussed on my horse and our mutual journey. I was also, so pleased to watch my partner on her journey of healing.Mel’s presence created a safeness, She was able to hold back yet intervene in a subtle, sensitive manner if needed.I would highly recommend, ‘Walksublime’. I think it’s the best birthday present that I’ve ever received.Thanks Lynn, Mel, Koszi & SaxonP.s Mel takes great photos too!

A fabulous experience. Mel was extremely knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable as someone with little previous contact with horses. The horses were a delight. Highly recommended.

Arrived home about 3 hours ago after a twilight Kuitpo walk and can't think about anything else other than this amazing experience. Beautiful horses, serene Kuitpo, and the amazing teacher and guide Mel, made for an incredible afternoon for my daughter and I. This experience will stay with me/us forever. Can't thank Mel enough for sharing her love of horses with us, and letting us share an incredible afternoon with her beautiful boys. Can't wait until the next one. I will sleep like a log tonight!

Thank you Mel for a beautiful walk with the horses today. Saxon is such a gentle horse and was the perfect horse for my experience. Kozi was so lovely as well, I loved his highlighted mane.I started my day in a lot of physical pain and with a bit of a dark cloud in my heart. Spending time in the forest, walking Saxon and talking with you was the most beautiful healing I could possibly have asked for. To be able to be fully present in how I was feeling, work through the initial hesitation, and relax into a gentle stroll, totally filled my soul.Mel, I am so grateful for the conversations we shared. You intuitively knew what I needed and I left there feeling peaceful and relaxed. It was a wonderful reminder that life holds so many incredible gifts.

My WalkSublime with Mel, walking peacefully through Kuitpo forest with the gorgeous Torquey (ex racehorse with a beautiful soul) was such a great experience. Being so close to a powerful animal that really seems to enjoy being walked as much as I enjoyed walking him! I felt safe and relaxed the whole time and felt really privileged to be able to walk through such a beautiful part of Kuitpo forest that I had never been to. I left feeling energised for my day, even though parts of the track had some challenging hills it was an adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. Would highly recommend WalkSublime for anyone that loves being outdoors and connecting not just with a horse, but with beautiful parts of SA and all it has to share with us.

My Daughter Tayla has been visiting Mel on a regular basis, she absolutely loves the time she has with Mel and the horses. She is learning patience, caring for the horses but also how to lead them, which in turn is teaching her how to use those skills in her day to day life. Tayla absolutely loves the chance to walk and groom the horses, but within the horses she has found calmness and new friendships. She loves the outdoors and trying new things and this by far has given her the opportunity to do so.Mel is absolutely amazing with Tayla, she shows patience and understanding when teaching Tayla but also the passion she has for the horses, the knowledge she is sharing with not only Tayla but others that are involved is hard to find.I 100% recommend Walksublime to anyone that is interested in going down this path. It is definitely an experience that create great memories

My experience with WalkSublime was such a treat. I’ve spent years around horses but not for a long time. Mel was lovely in recognising the knowledge I already had, while gently sharing new tips and recommendations on handling the horse – for me, the magnificent and gentle ‘Kite’.The walk through Kuitpo was indeed ‘sublime’… peaceful and calm. It offered a wonderful opportunity to stay present, enjoy the sights and sounds around me and remember why taking time for myself in nature is so important, inspiring and necessary.Mel’s approach is very calm and gentle. Her manner would put anyone at ease, including those who have no experience around horses. I highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for a mindful moment; to take some time out, slow down and get in touch with nature.