| Pip Tonkin || the riding instructor |

After you opened the gate and entered into the big property you are going down a short graveled road passing by big paddocks on both sides. Leaves are rustling in the wind and sunbeams are shining through the branches, various types of birds – like colorful parrots and Kookaburras – are chirping and flying around, horses are neighing in the distance. While passing the paddocks horses are looking up, attentively prick up one’s ears, trotting in the paddocks and their hooves are blowing up dust, which shines nicely in the sunlight. When you come closer to the stables, you can hear the lovely self-made wind chime composed of stirrups and snaffle bits, which is playing in the wind as well as the sound of classical music. A 5’8” woman with grey hair and a stooping posture is walking around surrounded by cats and dogs, which are frolicking around. She takes a seat on a green plastic chair next to the stables, drinks a cup of tea and lights a cigarette.

This is Phillipa Tonkin (Pip) at her lovely horse farm, which she owns together with her husband Murray. The farm is located in Ebenezer – about one hour from Sydney – and includes currently 26 horses, three dogs and six cats.

“When you’re doing something you love, it’s not a job. It’s what you love doing.

So it’s your passion and it’s just what you really enjoy.”

                                                                                             Pip Tonkin

Pip Tonkin has such a big heart for animals, a great Australian humor and an incredible nonstop will to work. With her 64 years she still works seven days a week, 365 days a year from early morning to evening without any longer breaks. She only enjoys a cup of tea and a cigarette before she goes on again with some work. Even if she has no riding lessons she still has to do some work like gardening, shopping or cleaning. Pips’ day off is actually on Sunday but most of the times she is teaching or judging at an event called ‘Pony Club’ but at least she tries not to teach at home. However, it is something she loves doing, so it does not feel like a job. The compensation to her work is gardening, reading and listening to classical music. She really loves it due to the fact that it calms her down and clears her mind.

However, Pip needs a hand because she lives with chronic pain, which means that she is constantly in pain due to arthritis and bad disks. It is impossible for her to physically straighten up again. Concerning her physical condition, she had to give up riding for almost 20 years. She mentioned, that if you have properly ridden before, you could not just go for a ride because you want to ride correctly. If Pip would go on a horse now, she would instantly swing her hips with the horse, which would badly affect her back. So judging and teaching is her compensation for riding, what she loves as well.

Pip Tonkin was pretty much born with horses because her parents both rode and her grandfather as well. However, before she started her own business as a riding instructor she had different plans. Pip actually studied production and design at a university in New South Wales, Australia. Nevertheless, after a while she realized that she would have to tour to go on with her career and so she decided to become a primary teacher and stay with her husband. Due to the fact that she has never not been around horses during her whole life, she decided to combine teaching and horses.

Her husband Murray and her owned a house in a suburb of Sydney and both owned horses as well during this time. After a while they decided to have their own room for the horses rather then having to pay for it all the time. So they started looking for a property at the weekends and due to the high prices they came further and further out of Sydney. After all they found a big property in Ebenezer, which was just bush and only a little wooden cottage at the top. Over the years they built two houses, a riding arena as well as many stables and paddocks.

Pip has a big heart for animals. She currently owns 26 horses, six cats and three dogs. Due to the big property she likes to rescues animals from the pound. Pip usually does not go to horse sales. She prefers to get horses from people she knows before, so she knows what she gets. She always keeps an eye open for good ponies.

For instance, Pip spent probably 3 or 4 years to get the little pony called Paige. “Every time she moved from one kid to another, I asked if I could have her. So it took me a long time but I just kept following her because I knew she is a good pony.” She also buys horses, which have some problems and nobody else want to have them anymore. So she takes care of them and tries to nurse the horses back to health. She treats the horses as individuals, takes care of every single one and looks what they need. The horses have lots of space, especially during the day when they can go out to the 12-hectare property including a nice forest.

On the farm they got a really nice community with a huge variety of people from very different walks of life. Pip mentioned that it is very important that people have something they are passionate about as well as the socializing between each other, talking about the horses, lessons, achievements as well as failures and problems.

If Pip has to stop doing her work concerning her own health, she is still not sure what will happen with the farm. So until that moment she will go on with her daily routine working hard every day, 365 days a year.