10 February 2024

Dreamt up many years ago after reaching a degree of success with a few “fire-theme” named horses (Fire Fly, Wild Fire, and Cross Fire), On Fire Performance Horses & Training was born. There are no illusions of grandiose here – we are definitely a backyard operation, and a work in progress. I (Adrienne) am the main driving force behind On Fire Performance Horses & Training – everyone else seems to have lives outside of horses – ha ha!

Building on my joy of training and producing calm and confident “all-round” horses, our motto is “a focus on foundations leads to a future of success”, backed up by my personal catch phrase “make it happen”.

I have been involved with horses for as long as I can remember, and my extended family has a long history in horses – particularly through Pony Club. I have been a Pony Club Queensland (PCQ) level B coach for what feels like a long time, but is really only 6 years or so, and a Pony Club Australia (PCA) level 1 (NCAS) coach for a little bit longer. More recently, I completed training to become a Bit Bank Australia accredited bit fitter, which has been a really interesting journey! I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to improve the bitting and bridling circumstances of my own horses, and those of my wonderful clients. I have also spent some time off-siding with an independent saddle-fitter (mostly just for my rag-tag bunch of ponies – which saw us fitting up to 5 horses and 10 saddles in one session, most visits), which has helped me to keep the horses and ponies I work with, a whole lot more comfortable.

I learnt to start horses under saddle by following my grandfather around like a lost puppy, for many years, until he finally gave in and agreed to teach me his trade. This was a turning point for me – and where I discovered my love for starting horses on their journey to becoming ridden prospects. My first solo “breaking in” attempt was with a very well handled and much-loved (aka almost hand-raised) pony (what was I thinking, we all know the bad name anything under 13hh has!) – and aside from one launch through a gate (the only time I invited Grandad out to see our progress) – the process went super well, and I decided that this was something I wanted to do into the future.

My childhood first pony taught me to fly (literally – there was no way that pony was clearing the gate to the sand menage, while I was learning to canter, but hey, 6 year old me really thought it was a possibility), which probably started my interest in jumping (pretty sure I asked for a jump saddle for Christmas, after my first trot poles at pony club…), and my second pony (who taught me less about flying, and more about landing) fostered a chance to see the benefits of dressage – the actual joy in dressage came to me once I was much closer to adulthood, when I picked up a 16.3hh OTTB who had no idea where his legs were, but had every intention of showing off every inch of them, all at once, all over the place.

Through my teenage years to when I turned 26, I attended many PCQ State Championship events for Dressage, Combined Training, Horse Trials (previously One Day Events), Show Jumping and Jumping Equitation, generally coming home in the Top 10, often getting a spot in the ribbons (Top 5) and occasionally a spot on the podium for a medal. I think my proudest achievement on that front is taking Crossfire from a relatively uneducated paddock condition, to qualified and a top 10 finish at his first Dressage State Championship event, in 10 weeks (thanks FireFly, for putting your leg through the shed wall and taking yourself out of the running).

As an adult, I’ve started a few horses and ponies under saddle, ranging from Chester, an 11hh welsh-type with a fear of, well, everything, through to my most recent project, Mimco, a jumping bred warmblood. I have experience with ponies, thoroughbreds, warmbloods, stockhorses, quarter horses, and some heavy crosses (Friesian, and gypsy cob). I’m looking forward to my upcoming project – a Stock/Andalusian cross, for something a little bit different!

Actual riding-wise, I’m willing to have a crack at just about anything. The biggest leap lately, has been taking on Clerk of the Course for our local races – what a bit of fun that is! I am an eventer at heart (although there is a LOT of kilometres between eventing opportunities up here in North Queensland) – so given the availability of eventing, I do have to branch out regularly for other activities. I have ridden up to Elementary dressage competitively, show jumped up to 1.20m, competed horse trials at 80cm (training into the 2* heights, just never quite getting to competition at the higher levels), had a crack at some 40km endurance rides, done some Campdrafting clinics, done some horseback archery and working equitation, played with some sporting and mounted games, and generally spend a great deal of time on trails (around cane paddocks, through the bush, on the beach, anywhere really!).

I don’t believe in having a discipline-specific horse – I am a big believer in variety for everyone, and see value in cross training for horses that do perhaps show a little more promise in one direction.

I look forward to the opportunity to engage with new and existing clients, to build quality founations together for a future of success! 

Happy horsing! 

Why engage a bit fitter?

• Is your horse fussy in the contact?
• Does your horse play with his/her tongue?
• Does your horse avoid contact altogether?
• Are you having control issues in a certain discipline?
• Do you want peace of mind that your horse is happy with his/her current setup?

If you answered yes, to any of those questions – then it is time to engage a bit fitter! These are just a few of the problems a bit fitting appointment may address. At the end of the day, if you think there is something going on that may be connected to your bit or bridle set up – please reach out to discuss a bit fitting consultation. 

What does a bit fitter do?

A bit fitter will;

• Discuss your horse’s history with you – what concerns you might be having, what your goals are, how long you have been riding your horse, and the experience of the partnership (have you been riding for 2 years, or 20? Is your horse fresh off-the-track, recently broken in, or considered a school master?)
• Take in the whole picture – have a look at the horse in general, and investigate the mouth and facial structures – and discuss any findings with you
• Assess your gear as a whole, with a focus on your current bit/bridle
• Watch you ride your horse in your current set up
• Consider all of the above points, and make some educated suggestions on possible changes – you will get the opportunity to trial any bit-changes suggested
• Discuss options moving forward, based on the findings from the consultation process

How should I prepare for my bit fitting appointment?

Bit fitting is the last piece of the puzzle, when it comes to ironing out the wrinkles in the ridden partnership. Prior to your bit fitting consultation, please ensure the following points have been addressed:

• Ensure your horse is as up-to-date as possible with the following (and you have made note of dates and any outcomes of these treatments);
  • Farrier work
  • Body work
  • Dental work
  • Saddle fit
  • Diet/Nutrition
• You have brought your horse into work – it is hard to complete an in-depth bit fitting consultation, if your horse is unfit for the work required, or feeling far too boisterous to focus on the task at hand
• Ensure you have considered/sought advice for any training shortfalls (both horse and rider) that may be impacting the behaviours your horse is producing – if the contact from your hand is particularly rough or inconsistent, a change in bitting can only do so much to reduce the amount of head movement your horse is producing – or if your horse is completely unbalanced, no amount of bitting is going to fix this without appropriate ridden work or training
• Be prepared to answer questions about your day-to-day interactions and experiences with your horse
• Be prepared to keep an open mind to the possible changes suggested