My journey with horses

My love for horses started at the age of 10 years old when my best friend got horse riding lessons for her birthday and my mom thought that might be an idea for me to join her. The first time I was put on a pony is seared in my mind. The riding teacher put me on the pony and said to take him down to the arena, I hesitantly steered him down to an arena, and once I got him there he realised that I didn’t know much and turned tail and galloped (it felt like a gallop) back to the stables and the other ponies. The riding teacher looked up in horror but I had a huge smile on my face – I had found where I belonged in that moment. Horses were never out of my mind from that moment on.

I got my own first pony when I was 13, she was a hot little cross bred pony, Goldflake, who didn’t know how to walk, she jogged/trebled everywhere. She taught me a huge amount on how to cope with a unpredictable, spooky little horse. I had to leave her when we moved towns but at 16 got my next horse who was an American saddler/thoroughbred and was the love of my young life. He lived on our property and I was responsible for all his care which I loved, every afternoon I would meet up with school mates on horse back. It was a magical time.

When leaving school I got my first thoroughbred which I trained to event and showjump. My dream was to work in England with horses and learn as much as I could and I was very lucky to end up with Freddie Welch who was a well known horse dealer and successful showjumper in his day. I rode more than 8 horses a day and traveled to shows 3 times a week for over 2 years competing against some of the best. This was a fantastic learning experience.

After those 2 and a half years in England it was time to return home. I met my future husband and together we bred amazing warmblood horses for over 25 years. From that little 10 year old girl on that pony I could not have dreamt that my life with horses would take me to compete in England and back home to breed amazing horses that made real differences in peoples lives. The horses we bred were raised with love and passion and went on to homes where they succeeded in the show ring or, as importantly, became beloved companions to their owners.

Now writing and researching these articles about horses is continually expanding my knowledge of these special animals. After more than four decades with horses being such an integral part of my life, my journey in the equine world continues to evolve. Each story I write and photo I take adds a piece to my equine knowledge and experience. The photographs you see on this site are mostly taken by me or are of me, capture moments with horses I’ve bred and ridden, each picture a testament to the enduring connections formed across countless rides and shared experiences.

Thank you for visiting this page. If you’re here horses hold a special place in your heart just as they do in mine. Together, we celebrate this enduring passion.