ACT Equestrian Association

17/02/2026

EVENT IN MOLONGLO FOREST THIS SUNDAY FROM 0830 - 1030

The ACT Masters Athletics Association will be conducting A run/walk event on Sunday 22 February 2026 using trails in the Molonglo Forest area that intersect with horse trails.

The event will commence at 8:30am and will be completed by 10:30am

The Map below outlines the course. The race commences just over Clos Crossing and uses the main trail into the forest, before looping around as indicated on the map. Check in tables will be set up on the southern bank area of Molonglo River with runners approaching from Harold White Avenue etc.

Runners will be advised to be aware of the possibility of horses and to take caution if they do come across them.

09/02/2026

Volunteers Needed for Bicentennial National Trail

The National Trail Section Coordinator, Jenny Costin, sought the assistance of the ACT Equestrian Association in finding local horse owners who regularly ride out from private or public agistment along the BNT trail who would like to assist in keeping an eye out for obstructions on their local route.

Volunteers came forward for most of the sections. However the following sections are still in need of some “eyes on”:

Hall North
Hall to Green space of Hyslop Crescent Casey
Yarralumla Paddocks South to North Weston Ponds

Further information is located in the “Eyes on Trail” document (link: https://www.actea.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bicentennial-Trail-Eyes-on-BNT-Dec-25-.docx

Please contact Jenny Costin on 0412274810 or at [email protected] if you can help in keeping an eye on these sections or the Trail generally in anyway. Volunteers are always welcome!

The National Trail is clearly marked on the ACT Governments Equestrian Trails map. There are easy links to this map on the ACTEA website at https://actgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=4f9a0dc6b62c4d62b784d4f4d16f299b or the Parks and Conservation website at https://www.parks.act.gov.au/things-to-do/horse-riding.

Thank you!!

23/01/2026

Please see notice regarding Extrem Fire Rating for Sunday 25/1… You can find general information regarding horses and fire season preparation at this link on ACTEA Website

https://www.actea.asn.au/prepare-act-survive/

A day of Total Fire Ban (TOBAN) has been declared for Sunday, 25 January 2026.

The Fire Danger Rating is: 🟠 Extreme.

Help us keep Canberra safe by preventing bushfire ignitions.

During a Total Fire Ban it is an offence to:

◾️ Light, maintain or use a fire in the open air.
◾️ Undertake a high-risk activity. These are activities which may cause fire to ignite, which includes hot works such as welding, grinding, soldering and gas cutting.
◾️ Use slashers or harvesting machinery in rural areas.

Firefighters are monitoring conditions and will be on standby to respond to incidents.

More – https://esa.act.gov.au/total-fire-ban-sunday-25-january-2026

09/01/2026

🐴 Relocation Centre for Horses🐎

We have been advised that Queanbeyan Showgrounds is available today Saturday 10 January) as an emergency relocation site from 8am to 8pm due to the total fire ban in the ACT for horses if required.

16/12/2025

The ACT Equestrian Association is asking:

DOES YOUR HORSE HAVE A FIRE PLAN????

Following on from the recent presentation by ACT Rural Fire Service and ACT Biosecurity and Rural Services ACT on Bushfire Preparedness for horse owners, the ACT Equestrian Association strongly encourages every horse owner to develop a Fire Plan for their horse this Summer - whether they are on their own property, on public or private agistment, in a paddock, a yard or a stable or being looked after by a friend over Christmas. That Plan might be to organise a safer place at existing agistment or involve evacuating their horse early from its present home to a safer place.

Making last minute decisions is a risk for you and your horse. Planning to have a plan is not a plan. Tools to help you develop a plan to share with family, friends, neighbours, property owners and paddock mates can be found at the ACT Equestrian Association website at https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.actea.asn.au%2Fprepare-act-survive&data=05%7C02%7C%7C007c7389b1f146a9e09508de323e9fed%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639003441715341051%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jtDYBHeg0HvQ2xYmTzSzwIrGPOvJkOXCdWrXwInyE5A%3D&reserved=0 . Be in control this Summer.

Horse owners should make themselves aware of:-

Fire Danger Ratings
High wind forecasts
Storm forecasts, especially electrical storms
Total Fire Bans
The existence and behaviour of fires in close proximity to their horse agistment
Media broadcasts, especially ABC radio and local community radio stations for emergency information

They can access:

Fire danger rating at https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fesa.act.gov.au%2Fbe-emergency-ready%2Ffire-danger-ratings&data=05%7C02%7C%7C007c7389b1f146a9e09508de323e9fed%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639003441715383756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2HmhXjsLBHyKM3GqBtPhNvqvajt55nXZRIaiD9bBUyA%3D&reserved=0

A real time map of current fire incidents and their status at the ESA site https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesa.act.gov.au%2Fcommunity-information%2Fincidents-map%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C007c7389b1f146a9e09508de323e9fed%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639003441715398398%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=DDkOqumpLCFK%2F1fsHkDpgF28yNkGvDH50f6PY2wvZNM%3D&reserved=0

ACT warning alerts on the Emergency Services Agency (ESA) website:
https://esa.act.gov.au/be-emergency-ready/warnings-alerts
These alerts may also be announced on ACT radio stations.

Fire updates from the Rural Fire Service through Facebook and Twitter Facebook https://www.facebook.com/actemergencyservicesagency, and Twitter/X https://twitter.com/ACT_ESA

The NSW Rural Fire Service Fires Near Me map is available on line at https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firesnearme.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C007c7389b1f146a9e09508de323e9fed%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639003441715442717%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V3cGTZB6pzCPrTlaN4aE7K9WLl8uqxgJ2K%2BCOvN20LM%3D&reserved=0. It provides a live data feed on fires within 50k of your location.

Updates on fire situations outside ACT borders on ACT and Surrounds Equine Fire Rescue page at https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F2186584474901589%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C007c7389b1f146a9e09508de323e9fed%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639003441715457144%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ZecOaYTVlaZrQW%2F2OOaMu03M387UG4g%2BQlXl94%2FCamE%3D&reserved=0. This group is linked to NSW Rural Fire Service

If an agistment property has no safer area, or horses cannot be relocated early, then Voluntary Relocation might be the only option. In the event of a bushfire emergency that threatens any of the ACT horse agistment areas the ACT, the Emergency Service Agency will publicly notify Relocation areas for owners and their animals to enable their removal ahead of such an event. Unless there is a major event at EPIC (e.g., Summernats), it will be the first Relocation option advised through ESA media messaging. If you wish to take your horse to EPIC before it is a declared Relocation Centre it will cost you $10 per day.

Anyone taking their horses to Relocation centres will need to be self-sufficient and have bedding, food, medications etc. Horse may not be left unattended. If EPIC is unavailable the ESA will advise alternative arrangements.


Steve Jordan
President
ACT Equestrian Association

21/11/2025

From Rural Services Officer| Biosecurity and Rural Services

“Good afternoon Horse Agistment Managers

The ACT Rural Fire Service and ACT Biosecurity and Rural Services teams would like to invite you to a presentation on Fire Preparedness for 2025.

Date: Monday December 1st 2025
Venue: Rivers RFS/ SES Shed (903 Cotter Road)
Time 5:30 for a 6pm start

RSVP to [email protected]

Please feel free to distribute to your agistees and other horse owners.”

12/09/2025

The ACT Equestrian Association held their Annual General Meeting on 11/09/2025 at the Raiders Club in Weston.

The outgoing committee were thanked for their tireless efforts to support the local equestrian community in Canberra and surrounding areas.

Elections were held and the 2025/2026 ACTEA Committee is as follows:

President - Steve Jordan
Vice-President - Cathy Banwell
Secretary - Janet Booth
Treasurer - Jacqui Knobel
3 General Committee Members:
Margaret Heaney (Minutes Secretary)
Christine Lawrence
Robyn McCaughan

Congratulations to the incoming committee.

18/07/2025

Applications are now open for the 2025/26 Women’s Coaching and Officiating Support Program.

Eligible applicants can apply for up to $10,000 to implement programs to provide accredited training for female coaches and officials at any level.

Applications will close on the 20 August 2025, and you can learn more and apply here -

This program is designed to provide financial assistance to ACT sport and active recreation clubs, associations and state sporting organisations (SSOs) to implement programs to provide accredited training for female officials and coaches at any level.

05/01/2025

Many lessons came from the 2003 Canberra firestorm, including how to better care for horses during a bushfire emergency. This summer, horse owners are being urged to have emergency safety plans in place for their animals.

03/12/2024

🔥🔥Important information to have on hand during Bushfire Season 🔥🔥

Here are some links that might be useful:

ACTMapi - to see if you are in a bushfire prone area - https://www.actmapi.act.gov.au/

Report – Hightailing into the Fires: Bushfire Planning on ACT Horse Agistment Centres -https://esa.act.gov.au/sites/default/files/wp-content/uploads/bushfire-planning-on-act-horse-agistment-centres.pdf

Canberra Equine Hospital ‘Bushfire Preparedness’ - https://canberraequinehospital.com.au/bushfire-prepardness/

Bushfires – ESA website - http://esa.act.gov.au/be-emergency-ready/bushfires

Download the ‘Hazards Near Me App’ - https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/hazards-near-me-app

Listen to FM 666 radio for bushfire updates - https://www.abc.net.au/listen/live/canberra

The dates that EPIC is not available for the relocation of horses:

Summernats – Thursday 2 January 2025 to Sunday 5 January 2025
Royal Canberra Show – Friday 21 February 2025 to Sunday 23 February 2025

Listen live, whenever you want, wherever you are with ABC Canberra.

25/11/2024

Fire risk management planning. In times of crisis, the key to survival of ourselves and our animals is forward planning and self reliance.

29/10/2024

Do you know what to do with your horse if there is a bushfire?

The ACT Rural Fire Service are running two Presentations - one Southside (13/11/2024) and one Northside (19/11/2024). Attached below are the details. Come along to this event to learn how to keep you and your horse safe.

RSVP details are on the flyers if you can attend.