About Me
I come from a non horsey background. My mum rode when she was younger, but we never had horses when I was a child. I learnt to ride at a local riding school and used to muck out at weekends, during school holidays and the like, with the hope that I might get a free ride, if I was lucky. It was hard work but I learnt so much and my passion for horses started there and has never waned.
I bought my first horse when I was 22 years old and so was quite a late starter in terms of my competition career. I started out going to riding club shows, competing in showing classes and working hunter and finally got into riding club level eventing when I was 26 years old. I was a member of Collingham Saddle Club (now sadly disbanded) and represented the riding club at Area 16 eventing competitions. I also show jumped in what was then BSJA competitions and also working hunter competitions at County level. I was quite a later starter but it was the case of having the right horse, and I was lucky enough to buy an ex Grade C show jumper called Bordeaux (Jeanie) who turned out to be very versatile and I evented her, competed working hunter and side saddle at County level. She was a star.
I was not employed in the horse industry in my early years, although I completed my BHSAI in 1991. I joined the police in 1990 with a view to joining the mounted section. That actually never came to fruition as my career went completely in a different direction, but I was a coach and mentor within that organisation and my communication skills stand me in good stead as they are a massive part of coaching.
After injuring myself eventing when in my late 30s I decided to take up pure dressage instead. I didn't feel like I wanted to leave the ground anymore, plus I had an important job and couldn't afford to keep taking the time off sick!! Over the years I have trained several horses, and my most successful is Abbey (Tindale Bank Arabesque) aka the Dragon who I trained to advanced medium. I sadly lost Abbey at the age of 26 in April 2023, and she is very much missed.
My plan was always to go do something with horses after I retired from the police. I finally decided to use my BHSAI qualification (now BHS Stage 3 Coach in Complete Horsemanship), and I am an Accredited Professional Coach. I am first aid trained, fully insured, safeguarding and protecting children trained, criminal record checked and I am committed to continual professional development. I also started training as a BD judge in 2018, worked my way up through the grades and I am currently List 4. I also completed my BD Level 2 certificate in coaching in 2020, and successfully completed my BHS Level 4 Senior Yard Manager qualification in June 2023.
In 2019 I had quite a nasty fall from what was my dressage horse at the time. He spooked at a loose dog whilst out hacking, slipped and fell on the road and as a parting gift, as he got up he trod on my chest breaking several of my ribs. Falling off horses goes with the territory. However, this incident had a massive impact on me, to the point that I felt I could not longer ride him. I carried on hoping that my mojo would come back. Unfortunately the best bit was actually getting off, knowing I had survived! I had completely lost my confidence and was not enjoying riding him at all. That with the pressure of wanting to perform well, get good results because I was judging, and coaching, and the feeling that people expected me to be able to perform at a certain level, I decided enough was enough and that I should sell my horses, keep Abbey my old faithful and call it a day. I made the decision to sell him and let him go. I really struggled with my mental health at that time, but thankfully a good friend put me in touch with someone who was able to help me, and I started my journey to get myself back into the saddle and start enjoying the sport that I love.
In 2020 I bought my current horse Fern (Viceroys Fernhill). She wasn't actually for sale (I went to look at another horse which wasn't for me) and was offered Fern instead. I am sure that she was sent to me for a reason because this horse was helped me get back out there competing, doing the things that I love. I also decided that I want to help people who have had similar experiences to me and need that help to get their confidence back. I have completed the Centre10 Applied Psychology for Equestrian Coaches Advanced Course. I know how I was able to work on my mindset to get back in the saddle, find it exciting and love every minute. I am not saying that it is plain sailing, and sometimes I have a little set back. However, I am able to reflect on these setbacks and see them for what they are.
If you looking for a coach who has been round Badminton then that's not me. However, if you want someone who is empathetic and understands how it feels to be too frightened to put their foot in the stirrup, but has overcome these fears and knows how to get over those irrational feelings, then I may be able to help you. I can also help you with competition preparation, goal setting, and dressage test riding, hopefully giving you the insight into what the judge is looking for, and get those marginal gains to improve your dressage percentage.
