I love horses. I started riding at eighteen months old and I have at every possible opportunity in my life been around them or working with them. Each new horse I meet teaches me something and I love to see them thriving and enjoying their lives with human beings. It is a huge privilege to do what I do and work with them every day. There are some core principles that I have learned from them and also from the very brilliant people I have had the good fortune to work with over the years, that have allowed me to offer horses and owners the help I can today.
Horses need company, they need to be grazing and they need to be moving as much as possible gently. Initially I aim to re-establish their natural way of being when they come for rehabilitation. Some horses are more outgoing and playful than others and will need more robust young companions. Whereas others, maybe through injury or personality prefer a quieter friend to look after them for a bit. Our herd system allows them to decompress, and I can place them with suitable horses out twenty-four hours a day. It is important that they relax, and I can start to work with them to understand how they are feeling and what they want to be doing.
I designed the barn to allow horses maximum visibility and space to move. If they need to come in they can with company and not feel isolated. We can manage long term box rest easily and provide owners with a constructive routine to provide successful recovery from intervention requiring restricted movement for considerable periods of time followed by rehabilitation back to riding fitness. We can also easily make safe secure restricted paddock spaces outside if needed.
Each horse is different. I do ground-work exercises on long reins, over poles, through the woods, hill work, desensitisation exercises, introduction to cross country fences in hand, basic boundary setting exercises with the very young ones and to build strength in their bodies and confidence in their world. I work at a pace that suits them. I offer a secure and loving environment for them to thrive in. Horses can go back into competition, or if owners feel they would like their horse to retire, I can offer support in finding the right home through my work with RoR (Retraining of Racehorses) Charity.
