I have been riding since I was a child and have spent many years studying the Art of Dressage. Over many years I have observed horses, starting when I grew up in the New Forest looking at the ponies that roamed free in the Forest. I looked at the cause and effect of the interaction between man and our equine friend and the results that can happen. This work was enhanced by my stay as a trainer in Germany where I received tuition from Herr Eichinger, a former Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. When I train, either through riding or teaching, I take what nature has given the horse and through a systematic, gymnastic training programme that is based on balance, straightness and progressive development of both the mental and physical aspects I enhance the way of going and prolong his working life. |
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My ethos develops the horse to go as much for himself as for the rider; not to shut down his thought process but to open it. Through my teaching I encourage riders to assess more of what is going on, not to simply barrage the horse with aids in the hope that some may work. When the rider understands the cause and effect of their position, their aids and their riding attitude they bring to the arena a whole new dimension and with this the quality of work they can produce really does leap forwards.
My specialist area is the Art of the Work In-Hand. I use this skill to help horses at all levels and ages, whether it is just starting out on their dresssage career or working with horses competing at higher levels. One of my clients horses went on to compete for Team GB at the European Championships
I work with horses that have behavioural problems relating to trauma through bad handling and misunderstanding by humans together with horses that have physical issues. I help both horse and rider have a greater understanding of each other and build a better communication between them.
I compete clients horses with successes at Area Festivals, winning the Horslyx Medium Championship on "Waltz Othello" in 2003 and competing at the National Championships. I have given a series of lecture demonstrations throughout various counties with topics that included lungeing, long reining, in-hand work, preparing for the dressage test and the Classical way of riding. I freelance on a daily basis throughout the surrounding counties. I teach clinics in Bedfordshire, Surrey, Suffolk, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Essex and Ireland. I have also taught in the USA.
I live in Bedfordshire, UK, with my wife Equestrian Journalist Gill Battram who has contributed articles for publications both here in the UK and in the USA.