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About Iona - 'Whole Horse Solutions' ...
I’m going to start off by telling you where I am today, my current qualifications and where I hope to go with them.
I will however then take you back to where it all started, the different experiences I had, paths I took - and give you a history of all my riding experience; the part that up to this point has been the biggest element of my life with horses.
I currently live and work on the Isle of Skye where my family relocated in 2012. Having completed my qualifications at Oatridge Agricultural College in 2013, I then moved to Skye permanently, to join my family and help run the family business. We ran a riding school, boarding kennels, and cattery and in 2017 we also took on a B&B. We also did 2 seasons running quad bikes. I currently share my life with a yard of 16 horses/ponies in total and a pack of 8 dogs my family and I have collectively. The horses on the yard come in a variety of all shapes and sizes with their own stories and characters to keep me busy and on my toes! From the youngsters to the elderly, the rescues to the competition horses, the cheeky chappies to the reserved and shy, my family of horses are the perfectly imperfect mix to make a harmonious and balanced herd. Over the years I've witnessed the horses grow, learn, change and settle into their family/herd life.
My deepest interest today lies in Equine behaviour and how we as people can change and educate ourselves in a way to best improve our relationship and care of our beloved horses. I take great interest in working with young horses, through their early days and first steps in groundwork and ridden education.
I hope to help others by sharing my knowledge and experience with horses to help people understand and work WITH their horses in a compassionate and caring way. Encouraging people to put their horses well-being, welfare and HAPPINESS at the top of their priority list, whatever they may be doing!
I qualified from Oatridge Agricultural College in 2013 having spent 3 years there. I left with an HND in Equine Studies, passed with an A distinction, and was awarded the Equine Student of the Year award. During my time there I also gained my BHS Stage 1 and my UKCC Level 1 Coaching certificates. As I lived on campus for the whole of term time, only returning home in the holidays, this meant I also chose to take some of my own horses with me in order that I could take full advantage of the wonderful fascilities that the college offered. Having SNEC (Scottish National Equestrian Centre) on campus meant that I could continue to work with my own horses out of college hours, as well as take part in clinics, demo’s and competitions being held on the premises. Being a permanent resident on campus, with my own horses there, meant that I was also asked on many occasions to help out and take part in events/training sessions/day clinics etc. I also managed to gain employment through SNEC working on the college yard for University riding evenings.
After years of running a riding school for both locals and tourists all year round, a busy and successful boarding Kennels and in the later years a thriving B&B, 2018 saw us change the dynamics of our business and big changes come our way. We are now home to Portree Livery Stables and Cul Na Creagan B&B.
In 2017 I decided to do the Equine Behaviour course ran by the SEBC (Society of Equine Behaviour Consultants). My interest in Equine Behaviour came to the fore when struggling with my own horse as a young first time horse owner. I qualified from the course at the end of 2018 with the drive to take everything I had learned, and put it into the horse world I have fully committed myself to.
The start of 2019 brought yet another exciting venture for me. A small group of like minded Equine behaviourists, with a range of other equine specific qualifications and experience (including myself) came together to create a new organisation within the Behaviour sector of Equines; the Equine Behaviour Affiliation. Being part of a great team of people, where we all have the same goals and hopes for the Equine community keeps me motivated, and inspired to keep looking for new ways in which we can improve the lives of our loyal companions.
I currently run the yard on which there are 16 horses in total. We are privileged to have 18 indoor stables, a fully enclosed indoor riding arena with floodlights and mirrors, measuring at 45x35m, an outdoor round pen and both grass or hill turnout.
Having given you a brief outline of where I am today and what I currently hold qualification wise, I want to tell you firstly, about the ridden aspect of my horse experience. Since the first time I was sat on a donkey by my mother as a toddler, through the years as a child attending Saturday lessons and developing into a young rider, nothing has felt more natural or second nature to me than being on the back of a horse. Freedom, and a gift that I cannot begin to express how fulfilling it is…
The early years…
I started off as a tiny-tot, riding school child who had weekly Saturday lessons in a group filled with other pony-obsessed kids. I started riding at Cairnhouse Riding Stables on the Isle of Arran, where we lived at the time. From day one I loved it there and it soon came to feel like a second home. As the years went on, (and most importantly, I grew) I found myself spending full days at the stables helping out. By this point the fact that I could actually reach to lift the saddles off the racks, and bridles off the pegs meant that instead of just loving being around the ponies and horses, I could actually be of some use! Saturdays became the prize at the end of the week where I could spend the full day helping out. And school holidays followed just the same. Turning into a self proclaimed 'guinea pig', I never said no to anything asked of me and in fear of missing out, agreed to tasks before even knowing what they were! Summers were spent helping take treks out, preparing the ponies for lessons, leading and all yard tasks. Winters were spent layering up to work in the elements, wade through mud and muck out stables. As my skills developed as a young rider I then started to participate in the events held at the stables, from gymkhana games days, to small jumping leagues. I then also proceeded to take part in events and shows outwith the stables in the local community. This also opened me up to riding other ponies on the island, which weren’t at the stables. The years spent on Arran at Cairnhouse Riding Stables were home to many of my ‘firsts’. First lesson, first trot, first time off lead rein, first ‘around the world’, first canter, first fall! (Followed by a first dusting off) and so many more.
Horses in the desert…
More memories were to be made at Cairnhouse in the following years, however, not before some years were spent abroad. My family re-located to Dubai, were we would spend 3 years. A new chapter in my life as a whole, and a new chapter in my life with horses was about to begin.
I rode at Jebel Ali Equestrian Centre (JAEC) starting off once a week, which changed quickly to twice a week and subsequently saw me there every other day.
JAEC was a substantial sized yard with a warm and welcoming family feel to it, sat on the outskirts of the small desert village, Jebel Ali. With a yard that could have on average around 60 horses and ponies at any one time, this offered me a huge selection of horses and ponies to learn from. These horses and ponies ranged from small competition ponies, the old trusty riding school horses and ponies, privately owned horses, stallions, ex-racehorse/polo/competition horses and even a donkey or two! The 3 years I spent here filled my life with a 'money can’t buy' wealth of experience and knowledge. I had several lessons a week, was made part of the junior jumping team and took part in competitions. Living in Dubai also gave me an insight in to horses living abroad in an environment completely different to that of the UK. Living in a desert environment, with no 'grass' turnout available to most of these horses and living/working in extreme heat also meant riding in the evenings, in outdoor, flood-lit sand arenas. Whilst this gave me a greater appreciation of how horses live and work in the UK, it also opened my eyes to the challenges faced by horses and horseman globally and how they differentiate. All of this learning, guidance and inspiration were delivered, at the time, by the hard working team of Jebel Ali Equestrian Centre, run by FarhanSadeghi.
I felt so privileged to have been able to experience so much with horses in such a short life already, creating great memories and meeting great people, ponies and horses. Horses had brought so much good to my life and it’s always important to appreciate and be thankful for this but it is also just as important to realise and remember that horses, and horse riding as a sport is a dangerous and at times unpredictable one.
The Accident…
One normal evening I turned up for our jumping training to find out the lesson was going to have to be cancelled. This was okay though because I was able to join in with a regular lesson instead. I’d been put on a young mare that I had in fact helped to back over the previous months. This evening was going to have the biggest impact on my life for the following weeks, months and years to come.
A bad fall lead to a broken jaw, an operation gone wrong, a full blood transfusion, life support and a medically induced coma. And that was just the beginning. Living in ICU, going through physiotherapy, not being able to eat, talk or even walk were just a few things to follow, never mind more surgeries. Now, rewind to the ER, what was going on in my head? I can tell you right now, there where only two questions in my head; ‘Am I going to die?’ And ‘Will I be able to ride again?’ Now the first question seemed a little extreme to say out loud, and scary to think what the answer may be so I opted for the second. As a child, lying on a bed in a busy ER, surrounded by frantic nurses and doctors, and worried parents, the first questions my mind jumped to involved firstly, survival and secondly, horses.
Nothing was going to stop me getting back on, not even my dad who begged me to take up knitting. After the weeks of being in hospital went by, I was eventually discharged - I was told not to even attempt riding for 6 months, (which in fact brought me to the date of my 3rd operation).
I however decided that whilst returning home to Scotland for the summer holidays, that 3 months had been long enough. So back to one of my ‘firsts’. I went to Cairnhouse stables where I sat on a pony for the first time since my accident. My mum sat at the side of the arena looking as sick as a dog, my instructor asking me every two minutes if I was okay and my dad was kept completely out of the loop, unaware of the fact this was even happening, knowing he would be completely against it. This then left me exactly where I wanted to be, right back on the back of a horse. An overwhelming feeling of happiness and relief flooded over me as I felt exactly as I had previously before the accident. I hadn’t lost my nerve and I would be making a comeback. The team from JAEC visited me during my time in hospital, and comforted me when I spent my recovery months just sitting at the sidelines watching fellow riders go on. Their dedication and support to getting me back on track was second to none, and for that, I will always be incredibly thankful.
The time spent here had a huge input and impact on me as a rider but also as a person and remains a huge influence to me everyday.
Moving to the forest…
After spending three years in Dubai, my family and I moved to Fontainebleau, France. I spent the following year attending ‘Ecuries de la Faisanderie’, a yard nestled in the forestry of Fontainebleau. Although I had little to no French vocabulary, and initially no equine specific French vocabulary, I didn’t let this put a halt in my development.
I struck up a great rapport with my Instructor who never even considered our language barrier to affect my riding and learning.
As time quickly passed here and I gained more words to get me through my lessons, I came to feel more and more at home. Horses and a mutual love for the sport created its own language to connect me with the people here, and them to me. My ability in french wasn’t much to be impressed by, however, my ability on horse back was recognised and the yard informed my family of a Sports school that offered scholarship like programmes to up and coming young athletes in their specific sport.
My lack of the language, and the struggles I was facing in my school work due to language was what was going to hold me back the most. This opportunity would have also meant another move, to the South of France. All factors considered, this was not an opportunity my family and I could take.
However disappointing this was at the time, I was so thankful for the recognition and encouragement from the instructors here and grateful for never letting language get in the way of what I loved doing. Another yard, new horses and ponies and so many new ways and techniques in how to do things just added more tools to my box, and a greater hunger for more.
Home!
After spending years away, it was time to return home, (to Scotland), and this time for good!
Setting an anchor down for good back on the Isle of Arran welcomed the perfect time for me to put my pitching tactics to the test. Can I PLEASE get my own horse now?
So, that takes us up to the point of where my life with my own horses begins…
You can find out all about my herd in the ‘My Horses’ section of the website where you can find out more about them, my experiences with them and the type of work we did. Many of them will also crop up in future blogs I have for you.
I continue to ride a variety of horses, both my own and for other people. And with that I continue to learn something new every time. After all they are our greatest teacher, as long as we know how to listen.
