Horses and dogs have been a part of my life for longer than I can remember, although turning my love for animals into a career was not a linear course from childhood!
In my early twenties I spent six years working in Health & Social Care, supporting adults with Learning Difficulties and Autism in residential & community environments. I enjoyed this valuable and rewarding experience, but couldn’t see myself doing it long term as a career. I then started to get back to what I loved and worked in Countryside Management alongside studying and achieved a 1st Class Honours Degree in Ecology & Biogeography, which was also incredibly rewarding and a wonderful achievement.
After nine years living in Sussex, I decided to return to my home town of Fleet, Hampshire, for a change of direction. Over the years I had always looked after friends and acquaintances dogs and horses whilst they were away, incorporating that with my own animal’s care.
Spending time with animals has always been at the top of my list of things that make me relaxed, happy and energised, so the idea of becoming self-employed within animal care took shape and grew until it became almost all I could think about. I studied again, earning a Level 3 Diploma in Canine Studies and I knew this was the path for me. It made perfect sense for me to turn my first love into my new career!
I’ve now been working with animals for 12 years, and though I know this is what I will always want to do, what it looks like will continue to evolve as I learn and grow, just as the business has changed and developed over years already passed.
During 2021-22 I trained and qualified to be an Emmett Practitioner for horses. During training, and subsequently since qualifying, I have had the opportunity to work with show jumpers competing at 1m plus; young horses in training; horses in everyday leisure work; horses recovering from injury; companion horses and retired horses, and volunteered with a herd of rescue horses. I really love this gentle therapy, the clear release in physical and/or emotional tension it can provide, and how it compliments other therapies such as Reiki.
My own ex-racer TB mare was 28 when she passed away, and in her later years had Equine PPID, arthritis in her hocks and struggled with laminitis (which is often a comorbidity of PPID). She had a slightly asymmetrical pelvis, quite possibly from a racing injury (her full history is unknown to me), and as a result she had compensatory imbalances throughout her body. I used the Emmett Technique with her regularly, with wonderful results. Not only did she give me clear positive feedback and lots of ‘releasing’ during treatment, but I could see a lot of improvement in her mobility. As Emmett is such an adaptable therapy I was able to apply the most appropriate supports based on what her body was telling me at the time. It was extremely satisfying to be able to give something back to my dearest friend who had given me so much love and joy over our 18 year relationship, also deepening our bond at the same time. I would love to share this with as many horses as possible!
I am passionate about learning, and I don’t think I could ever get tired of learning about horses! I believe our priorities as horse people should be to keep our equine partners as kindly and naturally as possible within our means, and for trust and relationship to be the foundations of everything we do with them. This drives me to participate in learning and courses whenever I am able. Since qualifying as an Emmett Practitioner I have also completed a Level 3 Diploma in Equine Psychology, been to Natural Hoof Care Workshops and online Hoof Care courses. Since 2023 I have been a participant in Alexa Linton’s Whole Horse Apprenticeship – an online learning community considering equine care in a holistic way. Courses I have undertaken as part of this include Manual Therapy for Horse Owners, Redefining Equine, Build a Track System, Kinetic Communication, plus countless webinars with professionals from many disciplines. In 2026 I will be attending a clinic with Lockie Phillips Emotional Horsemanship www.emotionalhorsemanship.com .These courses, online mentors and community of people were so important to me as I navigated my way through my mare Noddy’s challenging elderly years and her final transition. They continue to be the bedrock of my path with working with horses as I move forward. For more information about this community visit http://www.outsidetheboxequine.com