NEED TO KNOW
- Disney animator Noeline Cassettari lives on a farm near Sydney, with 13 beloved animals who she has formed a remarkable bond with.
- Her companions include Thumbelina, the miniature horse, who appeared on Australia’s Got Talent, and sheep Beanie, who has a Grand Champion trick dog title.
- Noeline’s journey started 25 years ago when she purchased a miniature horse foal named Rose, who has gone on to earn a place in the 2025 Guinness World Records book.
Noeline Cassettari remembers spending countless hours daydreaming about being able to talk to animals when she was a child.
Today, sheep come running when she calls them on her four-hectare farm on the NSW Central Coast, her horses respond to spoken commands, and her miniature donkey hangs on her every word.
The special relationship Noeline has built with her 13 beloved animals has seen the former Disney animator dubbed Australia’s real-life Doctor Dolittle.
“I always wondered what animals were thinking,” Noeline, 63, tells New Idea. “I had guinea pigs and rabbits growing up and I’d spend hours talking to them. Now, I’m living my childhood dream.”
Noeline’s journey began 25 years ago when she purchased a miniature horse foal named Rose.
During an early training lesson, the grandmother of three was horrified to see a trainer strike the young horse for losing concentration.
When she told her husband Chris, who had studied psychology, he suggested she learn more about positive reinforcement, which Noeline says was a total game changer.
“I bought a clicker and a bag of carrot treats and started teaching Rose myself,” she says. “Instead of punishing mistakes, I rewarded good behaviour. The experience taught me that when you take the time to understand animals, they understand you too.”
Rose went on to become one of Noeline’s biggest stars, earning a place in the 2025 Guinness World Records book for performing the most tricks by a horse in one minute, following her sheep Beanie’s 2023 record for the most tricks by a sheep.
But Rose and Beanie aren’t the only members of Noeline’s menagerie to find fame.
After years working as an animator and illustrator, including projects for Hanna-Barbera and Disney, Noeline built a huge online following and now teaches animation students from her farm.
Cadbury the llama became an unexpected star during COVID, when Noeline launched online ‘meet and draw’ sessions that attracted participants from major companies around the world.
“Animators absolutely loved him,” Noeline says with a laugh.
“People would join us on Zoom from all over the world to meet Cadbury, learn about llamas and sketch him.”
For Noeline, the greatest reward isn’t the records, the online fame or even the impressive tricks. It’s the special relationships she’s built with the animals she loves.
“I prefer communicating with animals more than people,” she says. “They’re non-judgemental, they accept you for who you are and they love you unconditionally.”
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