No Time To Horse Around

Although she is surrounded by horses every day, Sonia Carboni does not ride very much.

As the owner of Glen Eden Thoroughbred Agistment in Kilmore, Ms Carboni cares for up to 55 horses at a time. “I don’t ride a lot. I don’t have time,” Ms Carboni said. Ms Carboni began Glen Eden after years of working in the thoroughbred industry, at equine veterinary hospitals and with racehorse trainers. She is also a founding member and director of the Living Legends facility at Oaklands, a home for retired champion racehorses. “Horses are my passion, I’m lucky to be doing what I love. I love the outdoors,” Ms Carboni said. She rises at 6am to begin the daily routine of feeding, fixing fences, changing leg bandages and picking up manure – a big contrast to what many people think Ms Carboni’s life is like. The horse expert said many people think her job is glamorous and exciting. “It seems glamorous, but it’s 90 per cent not glamorous,” she said. “You’re picking up poo and it’s yucky, hard work and on hot days, it stinks.” She gets busier during the foaling season between August and December. {sidebar id=3}“I help foal down all the mares. Seeing the foal try to stand up is gorgeous, it’s fantastic,” Ms Carboni said. “It’s just very amusing, they’re all legs.” Ms Carboni owns three former racehorses: Tyra, Phoenix Express and Frank Germain (Jerry). “They have their own personalities. Like people, they’re different. Some are cranky, some are funny,” she said. See GlenEden for more information.