He’ll tell you he’s been having fun with horses for nigh on 50 years, but Dave Whitehead’s mastery of horsemanship is anything but “horsing around”.

The twinkle-eyed grandfather-of-seven has spent a lifetime studying and training a species that continues to fascinate, inspire and fulfill him, and in turn, bring joy to others.

On reflection, it comes as little surprise that Dave would carve a niche in the equestrian industry, after an idyllic childhood spent roaming the ridges of the Adelaide Hills on horseback, in scenes reminiscent of The Man from Snowy River.

“We came out from England in 1961 and ended up at Cherryville a few years later. My parents were lucky to buy 50 acres of land, really steep stuff, with three ridges looking all the way to the Barossa. They bought a foaling mare and I learned to ride on my own, bareback,” recalls Dave. 

“I had an affinity with Chrissy, and that horse was in my life for years and years.

“I remember Mum saying, ‘I hope you use your horsemanship ability when you’re older.’ As a kid, I thought ‘what’s she talking about?’ I just did what I did.”

At the age of 11, Dave recalls “clear as a whistle” the incentive to purchase his first Australian stock saddle, an Albion Poley, at the princely sum of $50. 

“Dad said, I want $25 from you and I want you to shoot 50 rabbits and clean and skin them for 50 cents each. I said ‘fair enough’, and consequently I did.

“I became a crack shot, and I ended up getting the saddle, but when I put it on, I didn’t want it. It didn’t feel right.”

That example would set the tone for Dave’s entire working life, teaching him to trust his intuition and instinct.

As a young man of 16, Dave fell into the easy pace of Australian life, and when his parents decided to return to England, it was without Dave.

“I had a horse, I loved Australia, I had a car and a life – I had everything going for me. I knew nothing about England, but I knew I didn’t want to go back, and so I stayed,” says Dave with his trademark larrikin grin.

Amid odd jobs, Dave gravitated towards anything involving horses, from mustering to farriering, shoeing up to 300 horses in six weeks.

It was during this period that Dave married Theresa and began honing his skills in what he calls “back to basics horsemanship”.

“Horses are clever, like dogs, and they need a leader. What I’ve done for the past 30 years is back to basics horsemanship – teaching people how to connect with horses – because you can’t do anything for them if you can’t lead them.”

That starts with treating a horse with respect, not indulgence.

“My patience is as long as my arm – it’s never-ending when it comes to animals,” says Dave.

“When you teach a horse to trust you, work with them quietly, help them get confident and make your ideas their ideas, you can get them to do so many things, and it’s perfect, I just love it.”

The Greenock resident prides himself on being able to instruct a horse without a bridle or saddle, relying on “maybe a finger of mane”, a visual cue and his voice.

“If you keep the brains between the reins, what you get out of it is so satisfying,” says Dave. “It feels so good to get the best out of your horse.”

Of course it’s not always the horse that needs training, as Dave can attest. 

“I had a redhead who said, ‘my horse is naughty, he’s real bad, he misbehaves’. I said: ‘have you got a temper?’ He said ‘yeah’. I said: ‘are you impatient?’ He said ‘yeah’.

“He was so used to grinding his teeth, and I said that’s gotta go. I taught him to smile every time his horse tried, and to feel every time his horse tried.

“I turned him around, and he was smiling a lot more and getting good results.”

As well as horses, Dave also has a deep capacity for human connection, serving his community whenever and wherever he can.

He and Theresa are well-known in the Valley Hot Rodders community and Dave has coordinated the highly popular Cruise On event since 2013, with proceeds supporting local charities.

Enamoured with all things “horse-powered”, Dave has a 1984 custom F100 under construction, speedboat and caravan, and makes the most of every opportunity to share his good fortune with family and friends through regular gatherings at the river.

But perhaps his greatest gift is the friendship he shows to others through Chat and Natter. Most mornings you’ll find Dave at Beans and Cream café at Tanunda, offering support, friendship and encouragement for anyone having a tough time of things.

“Bloody stories, I’m full of them,” laughs Dave. “We get called the peanut gallery, but we swap stories and have fun, and if it’s going to help someone’s day, that’s even better.”

While dodgy knees have slowed him down physically, Dave continues to provide horse training and has been invited to judge a new horse event at the 2026 Tanunda Show. 

“You can’t take the horse out of me,” he says.

“As word has it, if you do what you like doing, you’ll never work a day in your life, and that’s been my life.”