The moment it all began
I remember the exact moment it hit me. I was helping a friend in the South Grampians herd his merinos into the yards. The landscape was breathtaking, and there I was—zipping around on the JD Gator with my two loyal dogs, Georgie and Kara, hanging in the back.
The young wethers were surprisingly polite. Not many runaways, so into the yards they went. Before long, I was drafting them, and for some reason, I lifted one particularly cute lamb into my arms. It looked at me—really looked—and in that instant, something shifted. A calling. The way its eyes met mine there was an understanding. And I was changed forever.
Soon after, I decided I wanted sheep of my own. My friend, ever practical, said, “Well, if you’re going to run sheep, you’d better start learning.” And with that, he gifted me 17 merino culls—skinny, sickly lambs with poor constitutions and little chance of survival. They were destined for blood and bone fertiliser, but instead, they became my animals.
On the outskirts of town, I leased a paddock and set out on my new endeavour. I read books on sheep health, organic farming, and even animal psychology. I was convinced chemical management wasn’t the path I wanted for my flock. So, I experimented—switching methods, trying alternatives—and slowly, I began to see change. My fragile lambs started to hold weight. Their skin healed, their wool thickened, and their eyes began to sparkle.
Seven months later, my friend dropped by. “Come and see my animals,” I said. He couldn’t believe they were the same sheep.
I knew then I had stumbled onto something. A deeper understanding of what these animals needed. And from there, I just kept going.
Breaking down fear opened the door to connection
Fast forward to today, I’ve learnt that true growth comes from opening up your mind—making close observations and building understanding from an animal’s perspective. And by breaking down the fear—my own and theirs—I discovered a different way forward, one that taught me more than I ever imagined about care, courage, and connection.
