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Self
A positive perception of self.
Developing confidence in the horse’s own body, abilities, responses and capacity to face uncertainty, pressure and new experiences.
EQUUAN | Horse Listening
Understood, confident horses.
Aware, responsible humans.
A gentle approach, inspired by the nature of the horse.
Building the foundations for skills, confidence and a safer, more respectful partnership.
Any age. Any discipline. Any purpose.
Contact EQUUAN
Victoria, Australia
Available on location
Available on location
For Horses
Confidence starts from perception.
EQUUAN works on the foundations that influence how a horse feels, responds, learns and interacts with the world.
Through observation, communication, nervous system regulation and progressive education, we support the horse in developing a more positive perception in three fundamental areas:
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Human Interaction
A positive perception of interaction with humans.
Creating experiences based on clarity, consistency, fairness and communication, so the human can become a predictable and trustworthy presence.
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Environment
A positive perception of the surrounding environment.
Helping the horse explore, understand and adapt to different situations with greater confidence, rather than simply reacting to them.
These foundations create the conditions for a horse to become more confident, adaptable, prepared and safer, before developing the skills required for any discipline or purpose.
For Humans
Awareness improves relationships.
EQUUAN helps people develop greater awareness of how they approach and interact with horses, including their communication, timing, emotional responses, habits and nervous system regulation.
Through awareness and experience, we can begin to recognise automatic responses and develop new ways of responding, creating the conditions to become more present, confident, consistent and trustworthy.
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Horse Owners and Professionals
Develop the human side of the partnership.
Learn to understand the horse more deeply, improve communication and develop greater awareness of how your presence, nervous system, decisions and actions influence the interaction.
The objective is not simply to influence or control the horse, but to become someone the horse can understand, trust and confidently interact with.
Greater awareness also helps us regulate our own responses, communicate with more clarity and create a safer and more enjoyable partnership.
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Personal Development
Discover your Inner Horse.
You do not need to own a horse to learn from one.
Through interaction, observation and mirroring, the horse can help us notice aspects of ourselves that are often difficult to recognise from the inside.
Our automatic responses, coping patterns, emotional reactions, vulnerabilities, strengths and ways of approaching uncertainty can become more visible through the interaction.
EQUUAN uses these experiences to develop self awareness and nervous system regulation, helping people recognise existing patterns and consciously develop new responses.
This is the foundation of Inner Horse, a dedicated EQUUAN pathway for personal awareness and development through horses.
Awareness creates choice.
Choice creates responsibility.
Responsibility changes the way we relate.
Choice creates responsibility.
Responsibility changes the way we relate.
Alessandro Terlizzi
A life shaped by horses, nature and purpose.
Alessandro Terlizzi is the Italian founder of EQUUAN, a philosophy and practical method shaped by 18 years of professional experience as a horse trainer and Equine Behaviourist across Italy, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.
His relationship with horses has developed alongside a deep connection with nature, simplicity and observation. He lives a minimalist life and, while travelling through different countries to share his philosophy, often spends long periods living from his car, moving from place to place to meet horses and humans in their own environment.
For Alessandro, neutrality is not only something practised around horses. It is a way of approaching life.
Before acting, he tries to listen to himself, understand his intentions and recognise whether an action is genuinely necessary. He believes that intervention should have the potential to improve a situation, or at the very least leave it undisturbed.
This means questioning ego, urgency and the need to always do something.
His decisions are guided by the intention to understand rather than dominate, and by a personal vocation to better understand horses and help them navigate the human world with greater confidence, serenity and preparation.
What keeps him moving
There is one thought that Alessandro carries with him every day:
“A horse labelled as bad or difficult may face a life of misunderstanding, force, discomfort and rejection. But a horse that becomes calm, confident and safe is more likely to be understood, valued and wanted. And that can completely change the course of its life.”
That belief is one of the reasons EQUUAN exists.
Not simply to change behaviour, but to help create better possibilities for the horse and for the humans who share its life.
EQUUAN & Horse Listening
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Principles Before Formulas
EQUUAN is a method and philosophy of approach inspired by the nature of both horse and human.
It does not ask horses or people to fit into a rigid mould. Every horse is different. Every human is different. Every relationship develops its own language.
EQUUAN encourages people to remain themselves and develop a way of communicating that feels authentic, provided that language remains clear, simple, respectful and sustainable for both horse and human.
At its roots is an ethical code. How we approach, communicate, educate and influence matters just as much as the result we are trying to achieve.
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Different Methods. Shared Principles.
EQUUAN is not designed to replace good horsemanship or require people to abandon everything they already know.
Professionals and horse people may come from different backgrounds, disciplines and methods while still sharing the principles that EQUUAN represents.
Techniques may differ. Individual language may differ. Experience may differ.
What should remain consistent is the responsibility to approach the horse with understanding, clarity, respect and integrity.
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Horse Listening
Horse Listening is the space before the method.
Before choosing a technique, asking for a response or deciding what should happen next, we first observe, listen and understand.
But listening is not directed only toward the horse.
It also means listening to ourselves, our state, our intentions, our reactions and the way we are entering the interaction.
And it means listening to the surrounding environment, recognising how space, movement, pressure, novelty and context may be influencing both horse and human.
Horse Listening therefore becomes an awareness of three elements at the same time:
The horse.
What the horse is expressing, perceiving and communicating.
The human.
What we are bringing into the interaction through our body, nervous system, timing, emotions and decisions.
The environment.
What is happening around us and how it may be influencing the interaction.
Only from this wider understanding do we decide whether action is necessary, and what kind of action is appropriate.
Listen to the horse. Listen to yourself. Listen to the environment. Then act with purpose.
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From Principles to Practice
EQUUAN is not only a philosophy. It is a practical and evolving method.
Its techniques draw from established horsemanship, equine behaviour and practical experience, while also incorporating original EQUUAN approaches developed through observation, application and continued learning.
Techniques are not treated as fixed formulas. They are selected, adapted and refined according to the individual horse, the human, the environment and the objective.
Practical skills, timing, communication, preparation and education remain an essential part of the process.
Throughout that process, the physical and psychological wellbeing of the horse remains a priority. Technique should support understanding, confidence, learning and long term sustainability rather than compromise them in pursuit of a result.
Technique serves the horse. The horse does not serve the technique.
Services Available
Practical support for horses and humans
Victoria, Australia
Victoria, Australia
Alessandro Terlizzi, founder of EQUUAN and Equine Behaviourist, is based in Victoria and travels across a wide area to work with horses and humans in their own environment.
For clinics, workshops, multiple horse bookings and specific requests, he can travel further across Victoria, interstate throughout Australia and beyond.
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A Wider EQUUAN Support Network
EQUUAN also works alongside selected collaborators and trusted professionals across Australia, bringing together complementary skills when a horse requires broader support.
Depending on the individual case, this may include professionals specialising in areas such as bodywork, riding, physical preparation, horse care and other relevant disciplines.
The aim is to consider the horse as a whole and, when necessary, create a more complete approach to its education, physical wellbeing and psychological wellbeing.
Services Available in Victoria
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Equine Behaviour Assessment
Observation and assessment of behavioural patterns, responses, environment, horse human interaction and possible contributing factors, creating a clearer direction for the horse and owner.
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Behaviour Education and Reeducation
Support for horses showing fear, resistance, defensive responses, lack of confidence, difficult behaviours or patterns that require rebuilding through understanding and progressive education.
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Horse Training and Education
Individual training based on the horse, its current level, its intended purpose and the skills required for everyday life or future disciplines.
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Horse Starting and Saddle Foundations
Progressive preparation of young or inexperienced horses for their first experiences with equipment, rider preparation and life under saddle, with strong foundations before performance.
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Catching and First Handling
Support for unhandled, semi wild or difficult to catch horses, developing safer handling, confidence around humans and practical foundations for future education.
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Float Training
Progressive preparation for loading, standing, travelling and unloading with greater confidence and safety.
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Horse Human Relationship Coaching
Individual support for owners who want to better understand their horse, improve communication, develop confidence and become a clearer, more trustworthy and responsible partner.
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Horsemanship Lessons
Private and group lessons focused on practical skills, communication, awareness, timing, confidence and a deeper understanding of the horse.
Available for different experience levels and disciplines.
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Clinics and Workshops
Private facilities, equestrian centres, groups and communities can host EQUUAN clinics and workshops focused on behaviour, communication, foundations, confidence, horsemanship and horse human development.
Available across Victoria and, by arrangement, interstate.
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Inner Horse
Personal development and nervous system regulation through horses.
Guided experiences using interaction, observation and mirroring to develop greater awareness of personal patterns, responses, confidence and nervous system regulation.
Available for individuals, couples and groups. No previous horse experience or horse ownership required.
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EQUUAN Courses and Professional Pathway
Education for people who want to deepen their understanding of the EQUUAN philosophy, Horse Listening, equine behaviour, communication, practical skills and the principles that guide the method.
Courses can support horse owners, students and professionals at different stages of development, including those who wish to begin an EQUUAN education pathway and work toward future recognition within the EQUUAN professional network.
Testimonials
Experiences with EQUUAN
Real experiences from horse owners and riders who have worked with Alessandro.
Emma Yee
“Alex doesn’t just train horses he listens to them and understands what they need.”
Anne McKnight
“I now have the confidence to relax and enjoy riding again. Saki and I both feel safe.”
Natalie Burns
“After only 1 session he helped me to see clearly the mistakes I had made and the steps I had missed.”
Jenny Baker
“If you need help figuring out your horse and developing confidence in a calm and gentle manner, Alex can help.”
Allie Sim
“Brilliant coach and knowledgeable horseman inside out!”
Deborah Lawrie
“All done without force or punishment, Just clear guidance!”
Contact
Tell us how we can help.
Whether you are looking for support with your horse, interested in an EQUUAN experience, planning a clinic, want to collaborate, become an EQUUAN Partner, begin your EQUUAN education pathway or simply want to know more, send us a message.
What's Coming
EQUUAN is growing into something bigger.
What begins with horses, humans and education is developing into a wider ecosystem built around shared principles, practical knowledge and a common responsibility toward the horse.
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EQUUAN Education
A growing educational pathway for horse owners, students and professionals, combining theory, practical learning and the development of EQUUAN principles, skills and ethical standards.
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EQUUAN Registry
More than a directory. A living record of horses, humans and the environments around them.
The EQUUAN Registry is being developed to create recognised profiles for horses, humans, professionals and facilities within the EQUUAN ecosystem.
For horses, the Registry can progressively build a meaningful history through assessments, reports, education, experiences, milestones and other relevant records, creating greater continuity throughout the horse’s life.
It will also help people discover professionals and humans who share the EQUUAN philosophy and ethical code, as well as facilities recognised for meeting defined standards of horse management and fundamental needs.
These principles include appropriate access to movement, companionship, food and water, alongside an environment designed to support the horse’s physical and psychological wellbeing.
The Registry will ultimately make it easier to find horses, EQUUAN professionals, people and suitable facilities according to location, experience, services and relevant criteria.
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Retreats and Immersive Experiences
Experiences bringing horses, humans, nature and personal development together through observation, interaction, practical learning, awareness and nervous system regulation.
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Human Programs
Dedicated pathways for human development through horses, with attention to mind, body and spirit.
EQUUAN programs explore the human as a whole, combining self awareness, nervous system regulation, emotional responses, physical preparation, movement, balance, confidence and personal development.
Some experiences focus more deeply on the mind, helping people recognise patterns, reactions and automatic responses.
Others focus on the body, developing balance, coordination, mobility, strength, endurance and greater confidence in physical interaction with horses.
There is also space for the deeper and more personal dimension of the individual, creating opportunities to reconnect with values, purpose, intuition, presence and the way we choose to move through life.
Horses remain an important part of this process, through observation, interaction, mirroring and practical experience.
The objective is to develop greater awareness and capability as a whole person, not only as a horse person.
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Digital Learning and Resources
Online education, video content, practical resources and learning tools designed to make EQUUAN knowledge accessible beyond physical sessions and geographical location.
One philosophy. A growing community.
EQUUAN is being built to connect horses and humans through education, awareness, ethical standards, professional collaboration and a shared responsibility for the wellbeing of the horse.
EQUUAN is growing. Be part of it.
Bring your experience, skills and contribution to a growing network of people who share the EQUUAN philosophy and ethical principles.
Join the EQUUAN Network
Express your interest