29/09/2026
What a difference 12 months can make.
When Hayley first started coming to us, she had a dream of one day being involved in starting her own horse under saddle.
Over the past 12 months, she has worked hard to develop her horsemanship skills, learning groundwork, how to read a horse, build trust and confidence, and understand the importance of creating a solid foundation before ever getting in the saddle.
Now we have reached a pretty special part of that journey.
I have recently started Hayley’s horse under saddle, with Hayley right there beside me, assisting throughout the process and learning each step along the way.
Rather than simply handing her back a started horse, I wanted Hayley to be part of the journey. To understand what we are asking of the horse, why we are asking it, how we introduce each new step and, most importantly, how to recognise when the horse is ready to progress.
It has also been a challenging year for me personally. Managing my heart issues and, more recently, receiving a diagnosis of emphysema has meant there have been times when I haven’t physically been able to do as much as I would have liked.
But seeing how far Hayley has come makes days like this pretty special.
Twelve months ago this was a dream.
Today she is standing beside me, helping start her own horse and developing the skills and confidence to continue their journey together.
There is still plenty to learn, but she has already come such a long way.
