DISCOVER

... always been cautious of them and my dad’s interest in horses is limited to those you find inside the engine of a caronly values mechanical horses, under the bonnets of cars. However, when I was eight, I asked my mother if she had ever had a dream come true. She said she may have, and asked me what my dream was. I wanted to ride horses. Fast forward twenty-one years to 2017 and I have the pleasure of taking over running Isaac’s Farm Livery yard.

From when I first sat on a pony in my very first lesson to today, I have accumulated much experience and knowledge about horses, and my passion has only deepened. My parents eventually gave in and signed me up to weekly riding lessons, after which I went on to loan my first horse, Ramses. At University of Kent in Canterbury, I joined the equestrian team for a short while, but the competitive environment didn’t suit me. I just wanted to enjoy the company of horses, and learn everything there was to learn about them. Shortly after, my parents gave me greatest gift of all; my very own horse. Throughout university, my greatest joy was to visit Ted for my daily dose of horse. Sadly, we had to have Ted put to sleep a year later due to colic. This tragic event sparked my interest into more natural ways of keeping horses. After a difficult return to riding, we bought Magnum, a stunning Selle Français with whom I deepened my understanding of natural horsemanship and for whom I discovered the benefits keeping a horse barefoot and in a more natural way.

After a year out working in Switzerland, I returned to the United Kingdom to complete a BSc in Equine Management at Hadlow College in Tonbridge. Following that, I managed a small track system for three years before coming to Isaac’s.. Every year spent running this yard has brought its own challenges and deepened my knowledge of both our land and our horses. I feel privileged to live here and look forward to sharing our little corner of Kent with you and your horse!

... and I started dating, I very quickly got dragged up to the yard to meet Magnum, her horse at the time. Luckily for me, Magnum is a very placid, level-headed horse. Perfect horse for a novice like me she said. Unluckily for me, Magnum is also very big, Perfect horse for a tall, big novice like me she said. Mel convinced me to ride with her once, and although it went very well (thank you Magnum), I vowed never to get on a horse again.

Fast forward five years to 2017 and Mel and I started running Isaac’s Farm Livery together. Since then, the learning curve has been steep and I’ve built up a solid knowledge and understanding of all aspects of maintenance of the yard, everything from fence repair and arena harrowing right through to field maintenance and muck heap management via mucking out when I’m required to. I fix and repair (most) things that horses break with a little moaning and a lot of humour. I’m also a confident when handling the horses now and although I don’t set foot in the stirrup, I know our livery horses inside out, how to care for them, and how to recognise when one isn’t doing well. My main interests and passions in life don’t revolve around horses, but I enjoy working outdoors and tinkering with machinery and I get to do plenty of that here. After all, I said I’d never ride a horse again, I didn’t say I wouldn’t be surrounded by them…