I recently had the privilege of spending two days in Broome, Western Australia, with Professor Juli Coffin and the team from Yawardani Jan-ga, an equine assisted learning program supporting Aboriginal young people across the Kimberley.
To say I was inspired would be an understatement.
Like many Australians, I have read the statistics. I know that the Kimberley continues to face some of the highest rates of youth suicide and social and emotional wellbeing challenges in the country. But statistics can sometimes distance us from the human stories behind them.
What I witnessed over those two days was something very different.
I was invited to observe a session with a group of boys on one day and a group of girls on the next. These were not young people defined by disadvantage, trauma or labels. They were young people being given an opportunity to discover their own strengths through the honest and non-judgemental feedback of horses.
The activities were simple on the surface.
Working with a horse and a partner, they were tasked with walking through an obstacle course. To achieve this they needed to build connection, communicate clearly, provide direction, establish boundaries, use appropriate energy and remain aware of their surroundings. They needed to pay attention to themselves, to each other and to the horse.
Yet beneath these seemingly simple tasks, something profound was happening.
I watched young people collaborate.
I watched them problem solve.
I watched them laugh.
I watched them support one another.
I watched confidence emerge.
I watched leadership emerge.
Most importantly, I watched young people succeed.
The horses didn’t care about status, background, academic achievement or personal history. They simply responded to what was happening in the present moment. The young people quickly learned that connection mattered, communication mattered, consistency mattered and that how they showed up influenced the outcome.
As someone who has spent many years facilitating equine assisted leadership programs, the principles were very familiar. But seeing them delivered through a culturally secure program designed specifically for Aboriginal young people added another layer of meaning entirely.
Yawardani Jan-ga, which means “horses helping” in the Yawuru language, was developed by Professor Juli Coffin in response to community concerns about the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal young people in the Kimberley. The program works with horses as partners in learning, healing and personal growth, creating opportunities for young people to develop healthy relationships, coping skills, confidence and connection.
What struck me most was the atmosphere.
There was joy.
There was pride.
There was belonging.
There was no judgement.
The horses met each young person exactly where they were.
As I stood quietly watching, I couldn’t help but think about the power of prevention. So much of our attention is understandably focused on responding when young people are in crisis. Programs like Yawardani Jan-ga remind us of the importance of creating spaces where young people can build self-belief, emotional awareness, connection and hope before crisis takes hold.
I left Broome feeling grateful.
Grateful to Juli for her vision, courage and relentless commitment to creating something different. Grateful to the practitioners and horses who show up every day to do this work. And grateful to the young people who allowed me to witness their journeys, even briefly.
Sometimes we talk about changing lives as though it requires grand gestures. What I saw in Broome reminded me that sometimes change begins with something much simpler.
A horse.
A safe space.
A genuine connection.
And someone who believes you matter.
Those two days will stay with me forever.
