Who am I and how did I get to running my business KHC Equestrian?

It all started when I was 5 at a friend’s birthday party – It was a riding party and I was hooked!

Quite quickly weekly lessons followed, then a loan pony and then I was lucky enough to have my own pony. This quickly turned into two ponies as there was no way my sister and I were sharing!

We quickly got into showing and started competing more at county level. I rode for a number of different people and had my first ride at HOYS on a section B stallion that I had broken at the age of 15.

I had a real passion for starting the young horses and loved competing. I continued to show at the top level, notching up numerous wins all over the UK.

Some of my best achievements include:

• Regularly qualifying for HOYS (Horse of the Year Show) and being highly placed,
• Regularly qualifying for RIHS (Royal International Horse Show) and being highly placed including a previous win/championship,
• Winner 5 times at Royal Windsor Horse Show,
• Blue Riband Winner at BSPS Championships,
• Winning many Championships at Ponies UK National Championships, Equifest, BSPS National Championships, BSHA National Championships, South of England, East of England, North of England to name a few.

At my final groom’s job, I backed the family’s competition horses, participated in pony club with the children, and participated in all of the shows and everything in between. After this, I decided to take the plunge and stick solely to teaching and riding full-time. I had built up enough of a client base, and as they say, the rest is history – KHC Equestrian was born!

Over the years, I have been lucky to have worked with so many wonderful horses and ponies (and people)! We never ever stop learning and growing as a person, and I undertake regular training with fantastic trainers to ensure I am always improving so I can be the best I can be.  Although I have moved over to dressage, I still enjoy showing, riding the side saddle, and jumping. My training now follows a more classical dressage approach with wonderful trainers such as Ali Cookson, Andy Murphy and Lorna Fraser.

I really enjoy my teaching work and love watching my client’s progress. Their achievements are especially important to me, whether that be learning to do a rising trot or winning a competition. They are all equally as important. I believe in treating each person I teach as an individual. Everyone learns differently, and the ability to think on your feet and be creative is especially important to get the best out of everyone. It must be fun and enjoyable while being educational at the same time. I am very good at adapting and tailoring lesson plans while we go, which has proved very useful, especially with all the children and young people I teach.