In 2000, SaltRiver Horsemanship was established by Heath and Kellie Stewart. Nestled on a moderately undulating terrain of Baker Hill, Australia, the 160-acre property was bought in 2003 to put up an equine facility that caters to starting under saddle, effective horsemanship, training, workshops and clinics.

Kellie Stewart is a rare individual who is outstandingly successful in two worlds. As a Horsemanship Clinician, Teacher, Equine Entrepreneur and Director of Saltriver Horsemanship, Kellie assists horse owners to resolve the problems that limit a special relationship with their horse. As a horse and also human behaviour specialist, Kellie integrates the powerful behavioural and psychological insights of The Demartini Method® – the tool with 1000 uses for empowering life – to facilitate and enhance a trusting, fulfilling relationship between each horse and owner. The outcomes of all of Kellie’s work leads to the horse and rider being able to achieve the maximum possible, regardless of whether the client is a child or an aspiring or established Olympic athlete. She also specializes in assisting others in Business, Kellie loves to share her insight to others on how to be succesful within their own business’s.

Horses are the essence of Kellie’s professional and personal life, having provided her with the love and companionship she desperately needed during troubled period earlier in life. Disturbed by the training methods friends and fellow horse trainers were using, Kellie began researching for alternative ways of managing the dynamic of horse and owner. While studying with Ray Hunt, a world renowned horseman, Kellie’s perspectives on life and horsemanship were transformed, resulting in her decision to devote her skills and training to maximising both horse and human potential. As a trained veterinary nurse with a Diploma in Business and Marketing and a Trained Demartini Method® Facilitator, Kellie has a wide-ranging understanding of every aspect of her unique business – from training horses for the Western Australian Mounted police to her 11-module online program for horsemanship. From her extensive training in all aspects of equine reproduction, studying with Dr. Patrick Brogan from Utrecht Netherlands and Dr. Jim Kubiak in California, to reasearching and riding with Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, Martin Black, David Stuart & Jason Leitch. Kellie has few equals. Reflecting her philosophy of authenticity, it is no surprise to learn that Kellie credits her success to ‘the school of the horse’ – the thousands of horses she has worked with over the years.

Determined to unleash the true potential of horse and human interaction, Kellie has developed her own style of teaching horsemanship she utilizes The Demartini Method® to resolve the emotional issues that inhibit a truly equal relationship as she realised that for a horse to be right on the inside first the human has to be right on the inside. Kellie achieves this through one-on-one consultations, clinics, workshops, internships, online programs and webinars, one to one instruction with the horse, DVDs and membership groups. No matter which method clients prefer the most, the benefits of working with Kellie are unlimited – from achieving a better relationship and communicating more successfully with their horses to gaining a better understanding of themselves and so achieving a new sense of direction and purpose in their lives.

“My mission is to provide students with on-going education and resources to help them bring out their best riding mindset and develop a deep trusting and fulfilling relationship with their horses in order to progress through the levels, from competent riding to success as master horsemen and women,” said Kellie, “We have to remember that a horse is a horse, not a human. So let it be a horse and you be a human, and then think in terms of the horse’s values… then you will both get along fine!”

By working closely with Kellie and being prepared to cast aside all earlier preconceptions, her clients gain hitherto unrealised insights into horse behaviour and the way their own behaviour is reflected in that of the horse. Kellie’s wide variety of training DVDs and online programs reach out to those who cannot access her clinics and workshops on problem solving, horsemanship, colt starting and equine reproduction. Achieving deep and long-lasting satisfaction from passing on her wisdom and years of experience to horse lovers of all ages and from all walks of life, Kellie’s greatest sense of achievement comes from seeing a student and their horse working harmoniously together and helping them to realise that they can be anything they want to be with their horse and in life.

Heath has a considerable experience in colt starting, horse training, and riding over 1,000 horses in Australia mainland states specializing in combining expert horsemanship to competition. After he finished college, he went to become a jackeroo in Kimberly, WA which cemented a solid foundation in stockmanship. He gradually worked his way up towards his true passion for horses; starting up a small business on horsemanship. This business allowed him to travel from station to station all throughout Kimberly and Northern Territory, starting colts for huge pastoral properties, visiting the east to compete with his horses and doing some droving work. He eventually came back and settled permanently in Western Australia where he met Kellie Stewart nee Spencer.

Kellie and Heath have realized that it’s a never-ending learning process when working with horses and people. Having understood this basic knowledge has motivated them to continuously improve their craft by attending horsemanship clinics worldwide and consult with like-minded clinicians about anything that has anything to do with horsemanship. Ultimately, this couple understood that their horses can also be their best teachers!   www.saltriverhorsemanship.com