Simon Canny – A Horseman Shaped from the Outback
"The Slower you go the faster you'll get there"
Red dirt, wild brumbies, fat cattle and tough Aussie ringers with knowledge passed down through the generations - the iconic Australian culture of working on a station from the back of a horse is a slowly dissolving pastime. Simon Canny's brilliant horsemanship was moulded by the red dirt of the outback and the raw spirit of the old Aussie horsemen. This honest, reserved and talented horse trainer takes us on a journey of how he learnt his skills, taking a break from what he loves, coming back to his true passion, the tough lessons he learnt and how through horses he is helping others.
Simon is known in the area around Byron Bay. He's one of the horse trainer's that you hear of through word of mouth; a guy known for his abilities who doesn't wave his arms around for recognition; he's gained that respect through his actions. People talk about him taking the time to help them and their horses and his gentle yet direct approach to both. Simon trains horses with a key thought in mind, "The slower you go the faster you'll get there" a concept, though at first glance thought to be simple was brought together over many years of learning. We delve into how he got to where he is now…
Simon grew up in Melbourne riding station hacks and after finishing school went on to work on a station that bred polo horses in Western Victoria at the age of seventeen. This is where he first started learning about breaking in and riding more spirited, green horses. There was a horse breaker at this station that Simon learnt some skills off. "He was a really good breaker, I learnt quite a bit off him," says Simon.
After Victoria, Simon worked up through NSW on stations and made his way to Western Qld where, as young people do, he got a wakeup call in "
