I started riding at the local riding school when I was 7 years old. I very quickly was asked to help out at weekends and holidays. I then spent as much time there for the next 9 years, doing everything and anything you could think of to do with horses and ponies. I learnt so much from this wonderful experience. This was the time of string girths, no arenas, and canvas new zealand rugs!!!

I purchased my first horse in 1985 and haven't looked back since. I cannot imagine not having horses in my life. I have learnt so much from every horse I have spent time with, and continue to do so.

Up until 1995 I was mainly doing riding club activities, but realised that if my groundwork improved then so would my jumping. I then spent time training with an ex Olympian dressage rider, in the UK. I regularly went to Portugal 3 to 4 times a year learning and understanding collection and all the associated movements, up to Grand Prix Level.

I sold my business in 2000 and took my Lusitano Stallion and went to work in a Portugese dressage yard. Again another wonderful experience and I learnt so much. I had training with some international trainers while I was there too.

When I came home in 2001, I now had 3 amazing competition horses and had every intention to continue thier training and compete them. Unfortunatley things didn't go how I expected. In one year, 2 of the horses were put down and my stallion was diagnosed with Navicular Syndrome!!! At this point I was ready to give up horses all together.

I was told by the surgeon at Rossdales 'not to give up'. I still was unsure what I was going to do. I was asked to go and work at Rossdales Veterinary Centre in Newmarket, in the diagnostic yard. I had a fabulous time, and yet again learnt so much.

In the mean time I had purchased 2 'problem horses'. Mainly because of there issues, I started to learn and do courses on stretching, massage, MFR, craniosacral and finally Mactimoney Corley Spinal Therapy. Initially I started doing these courses for my own horses, but soon realised how much I could help other horses and so began my career in equine bodywork. I absolutley love treating horses, it is so fulfilling and rewarding.

At this stage I had my older retired horse, Red, my semi retired stallion, Pirolito, and the 2 younger horses, Uriel and Solo Dream. In 2006, the younger horses were also diagnosed with Caudal Foot Pain. After remedial shoeing had made no difference, the options I was given were neurectomy or euthanasia. I wasn't happy with either and so turned to equine podiatry as a last resort. I could instantly see the change from the time the shoes first came off and the relief in my horses faces.

I decided to learn about Applied Equine Podiatry, again just to be able to trim my own horses, as I was paying someone to come form Oxford and it was working out quite expensive.

All four of my horses became sound. I was treating them regularly and doing groundwork excercise with them in the school. They are now all being ridden regularly, hacking, schooling and jumping.

Once I realised how a horse could so easily be rehabilitated, I decided that I would offer clients equine podiatry as well as equine bodywork. I have found that the knowledge from both areas work well in conjuntion with each other. I have some clients whom I see just for bodywork and I have some clients that I see just for equine podiatry and some that I am in the process of helping to rehabilitate.

I absolutely love what I am doing and feel so lucky to be able to do this as a job. It is wonderful seeing the changes in the horses and knowing that they are happy, comfortable and pain free makes my job so fulfilling. It is also fantastic to see both riders and horses achieving their full potential.

I started clicker training with my horses for a dissertation I was doing for my spinal therapy course, 4 years ago. At the beginning of this year I began to incorporate Alexandra Kurland's clicker training system into my own training system, which has worked really well. I also now use James Shaw's Tai Chi for Equestrians in to my training method. I always believed the rider had an impact on the balance of the horse, having now been training with James for over 18 months, I now realise we as riders have a huge impact on the horse.