The Horse Aunty

The Horse Aunty Sympathetic coaching, specialising in confidence building. Advice and practical on the ground help with improving your partnership with your horse.

I am a sympathetic coach and am happy to help riders improve by looking at the whole picture of horse and rider to optimise the combination by identifying goals and helping you to make a plan to achieve. QUALIFICATIONS
BHS Stage 4 SM, Flatwork, Intermediate Teach. First Aid Certificate,and DBS checked. HGV Class 2 and trailer license,
APDT Bronze level Pet Dog Obedience Instructor,
ECDL and Clait

Computer Certificates. BIO
I started out as a Saturday girl in a private hunting and pony club yard at the age of 12 until I left school. I then worked in a large riding school and livery yard gaining qualifications and experience teaching. Working with all types of horses, riders and all levels. I did several part time equestrian college courses at this time. Gaining my BHSAI. Freelance work in dog boarding kennels, show jumping yard, continued teaching including private clients, hunting yard work, pony club camp assistant, grooming and showing up to County level with Mountain and Moorlands and a show cob for private owners. Horse Trailer driving included. Breaking 4 driving cobs, to ride. Training at Denne Park Dog Obedience club and passing my pet dog obedience instructors exam and being made chief instructor. Working in a large Hunting and pony club yard full time including teaching at Pony club camp regularly competing and training with their lovely horses. Gained HGV license driving 2 horseboxes. I had been working in an office to concentrate on my horses which have varied from young to old, rescue to schooled. I have been on the BHS West Sussex Committee for 7 years organising events for everyone such as a bitting lecture by Tricia Nassau-Williams and a Horse Rescue Demo by our Local Firemen. I had been helping with all aspects of running shows and clinics at Sands Farm Warnham as my horses were very happy liveries there. Now at Benbow Livery with my husband Darren's ride and drive mare, Blaen Morlais de Guzman a shared traditional show cob and my new mare Sally a Warmblood x Welsh. I have Kio my agility /obedience Collie and Millie our Romanian Rescue Whippet cross. I currently train and compete regularly at Obedience and Agility. I have been Senior Coach at Wildwoods Riding Centre, coaching everything from RDA to exam students. October 2021 now Freelance coaching in Surrey and West Sussex. I always am looking to expand my knowledge and have been training with Hilary Vernon from Informed Bitting from before lockdown with zoom and practical sessions as a Bitting Consultant. I have had coaching in Classical dressage, Natural Horsemanship, clicker training for horses and dogs, I was a lifetime member of the TTT Trust at Shamley Green (International/Classical coaches in jumping and dressage), I am an avid reader and try to take something from everything and apply what will work for me and to each rider/horse/dog as an individual. I have over 30 years experience and want animals to have the best holistic approach so if I am not able to meet your needs if possible I will recommend another professional from my trusted contacts.

I have been so busy recently that I have had to take on an admin assistant. This is Nobby managing my invoices!
07/06/2026

I have been so busy recently that I have had to take on an admin assistant. This is Nobby managing my invoices!

Gorgeous Ruby with her super new Show Comfort Bridle and Snaffle bit.
05/06/2026

Gorgeous Ruby with her super new Show Comfort Bridle and Snaffle bit.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18av7DRZCX/https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18av7DRZCX/
04/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18av7DRZCX/https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18av7DRZCX/

Wednesday's training.

Some common problems when asking for medium trot and canter:

1. The steps quicken and becomes hurried.

2. Loss of balance, goes onto their forehand or hollows.

3. No difference shown.

4. Medium trot become canter by losing balance.

5. Losing straightness.

6. Trotting when asking for the return to working canter.

Etc.

What are we looking for:

1. An increase of ground cover, so bigger strides.

2. Engagement with the hind quarters coming under more and not trailing behind.

3. Soft and relaxed over the back and frame.

4. Lift through the horse's ribcage.

5. Lift and opening from your horse's shoulders.

Some horses have natural lengthening and shortening and others find it harder.

Some breeds from it easy to lengthen like Warmbloods and others may find it difficult like Cobs.

It's up to trainers and judges to look at the horse's conformation and to decide whether the horse has lengthen and shown some medium steps within its capabilities.

We need to think whether you are asking for collected, working, lengthened, medium or extended trot and canter the tempo (speed) of the steps stays the same and it's the size and length of the footsteps that has changed by becoming smaller or bigger.

Your horse needs to be in front of your leg at all times to be able to show these changes of gears. Whether the steps are collected or medium they need to be forward.

When schooling keep asking for these gear changes in general to encourage your horse to be able to lengthen and shorten with comfort and ease.

You can use lungeing to teach shortening and lengthening of the steps, I always think your horse needs to be able to do it on their own without a rider on them. I love lungeing and I really think people don't use it enough in a productive way to teach their horse. Use your vision to look at how your horse is moving.

You can use poles with shorter and longer distances to encourage them to make the adjustment and change of steps. Then start to raise the poles to get more lift and suspension.

Hacking is a good way to encourage the medium trot and canter as your horse generally has more energy when working through the fields, so use it to your advantage.

Lots of horses don't show the ground cover as their shoulders are in the way so can't show the lift and opening of their strides. Use some raised poles or Spanish walk to improve this.

Prepare your horse through the corner with half halts to encourage them to start to sit more from behind to be able to lift up through their ribcage shoulders.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions to ask.

I would love to add speech bubbles for Amy, Nobby and me. What do you think we all said?
02/06/2026

I would love to add speech bubbles for Amy, Nobby and me. What do you think we all said?

Would you like to hire a venue and have my help gaining confidence out and about?Here are superstars Amy and Nobby, seco...
02/06/2026

Would you like to hire a venue and have my help gaining confidence out and about?Here are superstars Amy and Nobby, second time out XC training.

Bridle of the week this week is Winnie wearing an Ecorider Freedom Comfort in Havana with an Informed Designs new Snaffl...
02/06/2026

Bridle of the week this week is Winnie wearing an Ecorider Freedom Comfort in Havana with an Informed Designs new Snaffle. She knows how beautiful she is!

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Horsham
RH124QD

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+447909226362

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