Ely grew up in Australia’s Northern Territory with a love for horses and a passion for learning horsemanship. As a young girl, she took riding lessons, learning both English and western disciplines. Ely had a natural ability with horses and progressed quickly. By the time she was a teenager, she was giving lessons to children.
After graduating high school, Ely headed off to university to study equine science. Not two months after leaving home, she bought her first horse, an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare named Magic. Magic was aggressive and dominant, and she became lame soon after Ely got her and required daily injections. “It quickly escalated into a dangerous situation for both of us,” Ely says.
Luckily, her best friend used the Method and encouraged Ely to give it a try. “Thanks to the Method, Magic developed into one of the best horses I’ve ever known,” Ely says. “I think the greatest part of the Method is that it is so easy to see why it works – Clinton doesn’t just say “Do A and B will happen,” he explains why horses act the way they do, how to rewire their brains and why doing certain things will get the results that they do.”
Upon graduating university, Ely moved to Queensland and started her own training and lesson business. “I absolutely love teaching people, and the Method ensures horses and riders stay safe. As an instructor, my goal is to keep people safe, make sure they have fun and are confident with their horses while getting results. There’s no better way to do that than with the Method,” Ely says.
Ever since discovering Downunder Horsemanship, Ely dreamed of attending the Clinician Academy. “There was no doubt that this was the right step to take for my career,” Ely says. “I’m excited to bring the Method to Australians. When I started out with my mare, I struggled and wished that I could get hands-on help. There are hundreds of videos available, and I went through them all, but sometimes you need that one-on-one help. I’m excited to offer that to my horse community.”