Our impact strategy.
Led by community, culture and Country.
At the heart of Guided by Horses is Yawardani Jan-ga, which means “horses helping” in Yawuru language. Created by Professor Juli Coffin, the program is a strengths-based, community-led initiative that supports Aboriginal young people through equine-assisted learning on Country. Over five years, it has supported more than 3,500 Aboriginal young people aged 6 to 26.
What makes this work different is not only the presence of horses, but the worldview that surrounds it. Yawardani Jan-ga is built around relationship, trust, cultural safety, and non-confrontational forms of engagement. Rather than expecting young people to fit into rigid, office-based models of support, the program meets them in a way that is experiential, grounded, flexible and responsive. It creates space for young people to feel seen, to regulate, to reconnect, and to build healthy coping skills in an environment that values who they are.
The strategy notes that the initiative has achieved an attendance rate of around 80%, improved social, emotional and educational outcomes, and helped address pathways that can otherwise lead toward suicide and the justice system. This is why the film does more than tell a moving story. It points toward a real, living model of care that deserves greater support and visibility.
Why this story matters.
In the Kimberley, Aboriginal young people are growing up within conditions shaped by deep structural inequality, intergenerational trauma, racism, housing stress, limited access to support, and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. These are not abstract pressures. They are daily realities that affect social and emotional wellbeing, and they sit behind one of the most urgent youth mental health crises in Australia.
In the region, suicide is the third leading cause of death. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 42% of the Kimberley population, yet account for 72% of suicides. Aboriginal young people are also severely over-represented in the youth justice system, reflecting a broader failure of mainstream systems to meet their needs early, effectively, and in culturally safe ways.
Guided by Horses begins here, not to reduce young people to statistics, but to insist that this crisis deserves attention, honesty, and a different response. The film asks audiences to confront the scale of what is happening while also recognising the dignity, humour, intelligence and strength of the young people at the centre of this story.
FAQs
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Guided by Horses is a feature documentary set in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. The film follows Aboriginal young people as they navigate identity, healing and belonging through their connection with horses, guided by Juli Coffin and the Yawardani Jan-ga program.
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The impact campaign is designed to build greater understanding of the challenges facing Aboriginal young people, celebrate their strength, and drive support for culturally-appropriate, community-led solutions on Country.
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Yawardani Jan-ga means “horses helping” in Yawuru language. It is a strengths-based equine-assisted learning initiative that has supported more than 3,500 Aboriginal young people over five years through programs focused on social and emotional wellbeing.
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The film and campaign explore the unique role horses can play in healing. Horses are presented as deeply responsive animals that help people regulate, feel present, build trust, and reconnect with themselves and others.
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The film responds to a serious youth wellbeing crisis in the Kimberley, where Aboriginal young people face significant structural barriers and are disproportionately affected by suicide and involvement in the justice system. The campaign argues that meaningful change must include Aboriginal-led solutions.