Beate's horse farm is like a dream! Horses wander around freely in this beautiful place, and you often see parrots, cockatoos, wallabies and kangaroos. Beate taught me a lot, and the way she cares for her horses is really special. I learned how important it is to connect with horses and how much they can teach us as well! I got along really well with one of the horses, and it was amazing to see him grow so quickly! We went on cool rides through national parks with stunning views. On the weekend, Beate took me on a great hike to Bald Rock, and we swam in waterfalls afterwards. I loved my two weeks at Beate's place and would recommend it to anyone who loves animals, especially horses!
Thanks for everything Beate. Lots of love and hope we can meet again :)                         Merel (Holland), December 2023

 

This place Beate has created is a real paradise full of good energy! Especially for everyone who loves horses and nature and for those who are interested in physical and mental health for humans and horses.
I had an incredible time with Beate, she‘s an impressive woman with a huge knowledge of psychology, spirituality, horses and dogs aaand now also of permaculture :) We renovated her veggie garden during my stay with the help of a permaculture expert who showed us how to prepare properly for growing food successfully in a very conscious and smart way. So you will not only get tasty and healthy food but it will also be mostly self grown which is great!
I really enjoyed Beates company, we had much in common, a lot to talk about and shared many deep thoughts.
During my stay I did mostly garden work to prepare everything, picking up horse poo and working with the horses - Beate taught me a lot about natural horsemanship, we did funny things with them and her lovely and soo clever doggie Hazel and went out for rides in the bush.
There was also always a bit of private time which i loved to spend with the horses or with reading her interesting books at the beautiful creek on her property. You can swim there and see turtles and lots of native birds.
It felt like home and i was really sad to leave this place. You wake up by the sound of the kookaburras, horses walking along your window and sometimes Hazely jumping in your bed because she‘s just so happy :-D

I am so grateful Beate that you let me stay with you, for your care, your trust and all the inspiration.
I hope we meet again, either in Germany or someday again in Australia.
Big hugs, also for all your animals, especially Hawky :)

                                                                                                                    Eva (Germany), February 2023

​

 

Thank you so much, Beate, for letting me be part of your childhood dream. It was really as close to paradise as it gets for me. The horses are unique characters, all of them had something to teach me but of course the one I will miss the most is my little mountain pony Leodi (miss her already). I learnt to trust my intuition and listen to my guts more and it was just amazing to follow the feel. Most tasks Beate gave me didn't even really feel like work and were most reasonable. It felt really freeing not to have to work at maximum efficiency all the time and just go with the flow. For anyone who loves horses, nature and good food, this is the place to find peace. I loved it and leaving was so hard. Beate is a wonderful woman, very open minded, kind, funny and just super cool, I felt very cared for, welcome and seen for who I am. Thank you for every trail ride, every lesson, every meal and every laugh, I will never forget this beautiful time and will absolutely return someday! Lots of love.                                                                                      Anna (Germany) June 2022

 

Leaving here was really tough because it already felt like home...
After 5 weeks of working, living and learning there, I knew I found my happy place here in Australia! Reconnecting to myself and nature through doing liberty with the horses or meditating down at the river was exactly what I needed at the time. Beate really created a sacred magical place, living in peace with her animals and all the wildlife surrounding. She is a really inspiring and energetic person who sees and accepts everyone for who they are. I could always be my true self around her which really relaxed me, helped me to be in the present moment and to open up.
Being with horses also majorly contributed to that effect. Riding and playing with the Brumby mare especially was an exceptional experience! Starting off a bit unsure, we really grew together – became a great team and enjoyed each others company. I miss her already! As well as the rest of the four-legged crew of course, everyone with their own personality, talents and quirks.
Also, I'm really excited to try everything I just learnt on my horse when I go back home. Beate really got the ball rolling having introduced me to natural horsemanship and liberty and I can't wait to get further into the subject...
All in all a truly unique experience, that will definitely influence the course of my life - how I perceive living creatures, build a connection to the land and learn to stand my ground.
I'm happy that we found each other and hope to see you again sometime, Beate!
Prost auf das schöne Leben!                                                                                  Gianna (Germany) August 2020
 

 

Dear Beate, leaving your farm after these 3 weeks wasn't very easy for me. During my lovely stay I found myself at a place where I am surrounded by peace, love and joy. Your property with all your animals is so special and it was a big gift for me to spent my time with you. You are such a great teacher in any way! I enjoyed our conversations, our breath work while riding, the time with the animals and of course the fact that you really see me, that I could talk to you, just being myself, being honest and very open. Thank you so much for these incredible weeks, for your open-mind, for your love, just simply for everything. If I will come back to Australia (FOR SURE!) I will definitely come back for a second stay! Please make sure you stay that lovely great women and never forget to love.
All the best for you & the animals - sending love and light.                              Charlotte (Germany) March 2020
 

 

I spent three wonderful weeks here and leaving was incredibly difficult. Beate is an incredible, kind, loving and thought provoking woman who will open you to new perspectives in both horsemanship and in life. Beate’s approach to working with horses begins by creating a strong bond between you and the horse and developing it through various methods. Working together, you’ll find creative solutions for helping these young horses gain confidence. You will be challenged, rewarded and inspired. Beate is so fine tuned with all of her creatures, it was a pleasure to simply be around them. The land is beautifully tucked away from the outside world and nearby Tenterfield is an idyllic town with a strong sense of community. All of the “work” felt more like fun projects here and there to better the farm as a whole and with the horses, you may even learn much more from them than them from you! Beate, I will miss our conversations over dessert, perfectly frothy morning coffees, playing in the river with the ponies, exploring new trails together and all of your wonderful snorts. Until we meet again, lots of love, Shay.

                                                                                                           Shay (Canada) September 2019

 

It was amazing to stay at Beate's farm and I will never forget my time there, thank you so much for this experience! Beate is an incredible woman, and so are her beautiful horses, cat and of course Honey. She made me feel at home far away from home and we had a lot of meaningful conversations about horse training and life itself. She gave me the opportunity to do groundwork with the horses and learn a lot about them. I loved the beautiful rides with the horses in the rainforest and in the hills. When I was out gardening or gathering wood, the cat or dog would always come along. I've become very grounded and left with a lot of positive energy. Hopefully, we will meet again. Thanks again!                                                                                                Emmie (Netherlands) August 2019

 

I had such a wonderful couple weeks at Beate's! She has such a beautiful property, and it allows for the best slow down days. You'll have the most fun rides in the nearby national park, and time for porch reading, cooking, and walking. Her herd of horses are all so wonderful, and you will learn a lot from both them and Beate, as she is a very impressive horse woman! She has really interesting book and movie recommendations to add in in your free time, around the riding and a very reasonable amount of small tasks around the property. One of my favorite couple weeks I've had on my trip. She is a wonderful person, and created such a pleasant space for my friend and I to stay at. Thanks again Beate!                                                                                       Layna (USA), April 2019

 

Just spent a truly memorable three weeks with Beate and her little herd. This ranch is a place of healing and tranquility in the most beautiful setting imaginable. Beate is a wonderful human being - empowered, vibrant and deeply caring, with a unique understanding of both horses and life. I felt very privileged to be able to watch the horses as a herd and build meaningful connections with them. Jasper the cat and Honey the dog are two of the most affectionate animals i’ve ever met! I highly recommend a stay for anyone wanting to reconnect with nature and themselves. Thank you for everything Beate I miss you all already!          Rachel (UK) November/December 2018

 

My stay with Beate was more than gorgeous, it was MAGICAL! I can say that it was the best experience of my life. I really enjoyed to spent one month with her, her wonderful horses, the dogs and Jasper. She is an amazing horsewoman but also an amazing person. She is very smart, sensitive and open minded. We had some great conversations, not just about horses but about life, she really opens my mind about a lot of subjects. She is so talentend with horses and you will learn a lot about horsemanship but also about yourself! As she always told me, « horses are the mirrors of yourself », and that’s true. They all are wonderful and very different, which is great because I could experiment a lot of things with the Brumbies and of course they all have differents reactions, so you will learn a lot. Beate also brought me to trails into the National Park and we had some great canter!! She will do everything she can to make you feel good at her house and she introduced me to a lot of friends and activites of her, which was very nice. I definitely recommend all the animals lovers to go to her place. This is the most wonderful and peaceful place on the earth. It was very hard to leave, I already miss you, you and your four legged family.

                                                                                                    Agathe (Switzerland), November 2018
 

I stayed one month with this wonderful lady Beate. Here home is a little place in the bush. It’s lovely to wake up without traffic noise, but with some birds singing, their daily mornings discussion or the horses which are galloping up to the feed stand to show you that they awaiting breakfast ;) It is a lovely atmosphere to live in the middle of nowhere, just with the nature and the animals around you. But when you are visiting in Australian winter, you have to be aware that it could be freezing cold in the morning and during the night. During the day it is getting warmer and you have to be careful in the sun, or you will get sunburned in your face, as it happens to me. Beate is a lovely women with a big heart. You can talk with her about everything and she has a great talent for cooking. You will enjoy fresh vegetables and products out of Tenterfield. When you are interested I’m sure Beate will share her experienced with horses with you. I learned a new way to communicate with a horse, how to get a real connection with them and how to earn the respect of the horse. And now when we are already talking about the horses, her horses are incredible. Every one of them is different and unique. You will find out about the specialities of them when you are working with them or just by watching. You will have enough time during the day to work with the horses. Mostly you will do some work in the morning, for example cleaning the horse manure, making some other cleaning jobs in the house or working in the garden, and then in the afternoon you will have some time to play with the horses or work with them from the ground. During the weekends you will probably making some trail rides, which are wonderful. You can go up to the national park into the forest or you can go to the big open lands near by her house. Both areas are lovely to ride through, you will see some impressive nature. Thanks Beate for this incredible time. I learned a lot and I’m appreciating what you have done for me. I will miss you and the four-legged gang.Wish you all the best.                                                              Marina (Switzerland), August 2018

​

Beate's simple yet evocative note on her website that 'people regularly find their way to Riversong at the right time, for the right reasons' is a deeply fitting description of the intuitive pull I felt to visit her and The Herd. I am forever grateful that they heeded my call.

My time there was more than I could have ever imagined - an expansive place to explore connection, presence, balance, grief and hope. The majesty of The Herd and nature infuse each moment at Riversong. They are beautifully supported by Beate, who has an extraordinary gift for patience and observation.

An immersive and deeply nurturing place to safely tune into my own resonance. Thank you. x

                                                                                                          Emma (Australia), January 2018

​

 

I have been almost one month in Beate's house. Actually, I don't know by what I can begin. It was such an intense month. For the concrete part of that experience : 
- the food was delicious ; you gonna have the chance to enjoy local products as fresh veggies, honey, eggs... 
- for the accommodation, I had my own room and bathroom which was perfect. I also slept 3 nights in the caravan, it's another way to enjoy your stay there ; you are more independent.
- about the work, I worked around 4-5 hours, depending on the day. I did gardening, animal care...
I would like to talk about my experience in a more spiritual aspect. Because it's how I lived it. During 3 weeks I was surrounding by animal and nature, a totally different lifestyle that I'm use to. We spent a lot of time watching the horses, understand them, train them, ride them and communicate with them. I've learned so much on me with with the horses. Each day is a new challenge. I loved how Beate acted with them. She is always trying to find new solutions to make the horse confident and comfortable. What I'm gonna remember a lot is what I share with Beate. She taught me a lot and we had conversations about so different subject : politic, spirituality, art, education, books... and also just life. She is an incredible woman , strong and rational but also crazy, spiritual and full of magic when the moment requires it. I will never forget all she brings to met and the special energy of her and the place she haS built.                                                                                                   Manon (France), November 2017

 

 

Volunteering at Riversong has definitely been one of the highlights of my stay in Australia. My host, Beate is a wonderful person, full of positive energy and self-awareness but also very calm and patient - which is naturally not so easy for a Gemini ;) I love the way she interacts with animals and I learned a lot from her about natural horsemanship and about how our own energy and even breathing affect the way the horses react to what we ask of them. Her horses are gorgeous and well-behaved, each with a different personality and I learned a lot working with them and just observing them in the herd. It was my first time interacting with Brumbies and I loved it. I was very sad to leave as I really started to bond a with a few horses.. We went for amazing trail rides in the National Park and also rode bareback around the property. Beate's dog Honey and cat Jasper are lovely too, I had a lot of fun with them.
We usually started our day with a short yoga practice followed with a delicious and healthy breakfast (sometimes the horses would come up to the porch). I helped Beate with some gardening and house chores and we did something with the horses every day like groundwork with the baby Brumbies or going for a ride (and even horse therapy one day). In the evenings we would sit in front of the fireplace, exchanging life/travel experiences, watching horse movies, reading etc. Riversong is a healing sanctuary. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a break from a stressful life and reconnect with themselves and nature. Thank you so much for everything and hope to see you again soon :)

                                                                                                                Melanie (Finland), May 2017

 

To meet Beate is a wonderful adventure of the New Discovery of Being. She is enthusiastic, dynamic, lively and always full of new ideas and loves to play with her horses with great dedication. I really enjoyed the stay in her individually designed house and felt invited to the wide "sacred" property Riversong because the energy of the Aborigines is still present. It is definitely worth a visit. The physical well-being is also provided for with self-grown fruit and vegetables.
For paying guests and traveling workers, let's say, help everyone to get this wonderful land. Horseback riding in the adjoining national park is a source of pleasure and inspiration to be one with the horse.
Thank you for your friendship, Beate. I see you with love...

                                                                                                           Heide (Germany), February 2017

 

i intended to stay at Aurora Valley (previous location) for a minimum of 4 weeks. Unfortunately, halfway through my stay I had to leave early due to sickness. Nonetheless, even if it was only 2 weeks, I had an unforgettable time. I had read up on Aurora Valley about 10 months prior to my stay and my major reason I desired to come here was not just for the woofing opportunity, but rather to get a chance to see how Beate would work with her animals. From what I had read, it sounded like a very respectful and natural attitude she had towards her animals and I wanted to learn more about it. I figured, if I only got to watch her with the animals, I would already learn a lot. Little had I known till then, what a treasure was waiting for me here in Aurora Valley. Not only did I get to see how Beate was dealing with her animals, but she took little, small and simple steps for me to spend time with them, too. Particularly with her horses. While I still thought Beate would be the main character I needed to look at, in order to learn (and don’t get me wrong – Beate is a charismatic and highly impressive woman, that I loved to engage in conversations with and did in fact learn a lot from, too) – it turned out, the main character I ought to focus on, was her magnificent horse, called Buffalo. Buffalo out of the entire herd, made the first contact with me, seemed interested, even curious. The slow and simple steps we took, gave me a lot of room to actually experience the charisma of this special horse. While I had thought, that I came to learn how to treat the horses – I really had come to learn how to “learn from the horses”. Buffalo taught me very well how to be in the present moment and to focus on what I am doing here and now. An ability, it seemed, I had been “forced to forget in the society I came from”. Only if I managed to be fully with him in that very moment, would we be able to actually communicate. Regardless if I was riding or just walking with him. If I managed to be entirely present, I did not even need a halter or absolutely anything – we walked through a parcours of little obstacles and routes completely by ourselves. Also, and of course that was a dream of its own to me, riding him outside the fences was an incredible experience. He would “teach” me to read the signs and understand what he was about to do, if I did not stay with him in that very instance – and since he has brumby roots, that would involve him walking about. I would have loved to stay longer and practice being outside with him and connecting with him and the other horses much more.

I am however grateful, I got to stay at least those 2 weeks and gather these great experiences and I am sure, I would like to pursue working with horses with severe sensitivity to my own and the horses’ energy as I return back home. Thank you all for such a wonderful time. I can’t wait to be back, one day.

                                                                                                                   F. (Germany), March 2015

 

When I came to play music with Beate's horses, I had no idea of what to expect, in fact I didn't really want to go. Luckily I did because I had a profound experience of connectedness and joy.  I have had an RSI injury in my shoulder for many years and one of the horses rested his muzzle there for about 10 mins, gently massaging it with his lips. It was significantly better afterwards and completely pain free for more than 2 weeks. A wonderful experience!                                                                                              Doug (Australia), February 2015

 

Thank you again for our beautiful and very meaningful horse therapy session. The experience with you and your beautiful little herd has stayed with me and been integrated in a couple of very healing, positive and exciting ways, and the magic of animals has effected me too. Love that! A natural born skeptic animals are one place where I can truly know there is more to this life than what we can see for ourselves. Combined with your presence and skill as a therapist, I'm very inspired by Equine Assisted Therapy and intend to become more involved in it one day.The actual experience, firstly after visiting yourself and the herd, I felt a deep sense of calm and security and of belonging, areas where I can often feel they are missing in my particular journey. I think the horses spoke to the very innocent girl in me, back in the paddock hugging the horses, tears on their necks whenever there was a problem. The response of your herd quietly standing surrounding me under the trees (they are very special), and the kind and very present guidance of yourself instilled a sense of being 'ok' (as opposed to shame for lashing out at someone in frustration the previous day). I kinda forgave myself somewhere there on that morning with the herd.Afterwards who would I bump into? The very person I had lashed out at. I was in a place to receive him calmly and centred without undue nervousness or self-disgrace. It was a good meeting.Well, the week followed in a rush to get to the 1st Hakomi training in Sydney. I took the image of myself and the herd with me. My partner is also undertaking the training, and I needed the image of the little herd to get me through the first few days of quite intense 'relationship' training, sitting with a group of strangers and my partner, with rather raw emotions and thoughts. An intense atmosphere of 'being in truth' with each other.The Hakomi training is mindfulness and heart centred somatic therapy and was just the place to be.  I felt very centred and it felt so right to be going in that direction. I felt really inspired by my experience with you and the horses as it blended in so elegantly with the Hakomi training and I heard myself with a very sure confidence saying "I'm here on a personal journey to grow, and sometime in the future, I'm going to turn my service to help others using Equine Assisted Therapy and Hakomi".A very meaningful combination of experiences I think.The Aurora Valley herd has added a real grounding, a sense of sureness, and fun! to whatever I end up doing on this path I'm taking.Hope to cross paths again soon. Thanks a million Beate.                                                                                                                     J. (Australia), March 2015

 

I spent two weeks with Beate at Aurora Valley (previous location) and it was nothing but a positive experience; I enjoyed every moment of it. The location is absolutely beautiful and there is a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Beate's cooking is great and she also put in a lot of time to helping me with all aspects of horsemanship making my stay a really great learning experience. Riding along the beach and through valleys at sunset are just some of the highlights. In addition, Beate is a very interesting woman and we had many memorable conversations. Everyone else and all animals at Aurora Valley are also what makes this experience what it is. Thank you very much.                                                                                                    Joe (UK), October 2014

                                                                                                    

At Aurora Valley (previous location) I spent a very unique and inspiring time.  Beate welcomed me with a big, warm hug. She made me feel home from the very beginning on.  The  vibes of the place, animals  and people  are so beautiful... all about life in its very purity...  touching the soul, touching me as a whole. Aurora Valley is  a place for being,  experiencing  and even discovering oneself. Just go with the flow and appreciate the little big things. Thank you for sharing this spirit, thank you for knowing you and thank you for all the beautiful, moving experiences that have become memories I will carry on in my heart!                                                                                                                                                                                                 Sabine (Austria), January 2014