Why my team and I spent the last three years planning, filming and building Your Horsemanship… and what this means to you and your horse
Much as I love training horses, a few years ago I made a pact with myself that by my mid-thirties, I wouldn’t have to solely rely on riding horses to make a living and support my growing family, so I began to teach more and conduct clinics. Not only did I realise how much I enjoyed it, it was also a great learning curve as I had to break things down into language and exercises that are easily understandable and pitch each clinic to the individual participants and their aspirations.
The more I taught, the more I wanted my future to lie in not just training horses but helping people to have a positive, safe and successful partnership with their horse. As demand for clinics started to grow, I also realised that unless I wanted to spend a lot of time on the road, which with a young family and a full stable of horses to ride wasn’t feasible, I could try and take advantage of the opportunities the internet and online learning presented.
While horse training DVD’s were already popular, during our first brainstorming session over three years ago I decided that an online programme would allow for additions and developments as I and the users evolved in our horse training. I could also make it as accessible and user-friendly as possible and available in visual, audio and written formats. I then looked at what was already out there on the internet and it felt like I could only randomly access individual videos via platforms such as YouTube or alternatively I could become a “disciple” of a certain rider or way of training; neither of which appealed to me.
I wanted my ideas and training programmes for foundation training, starting young horses and remedial training to be used as guidelines or a platform to work off, allowing each user to create their own journey and progression according to their needs and aspirations. I didn’t want each user to have to buy specialist equipment or buy one set of training videos before moving onto the next stage.
Now, with the launch imminent, I am so excited about Your Horsemanship. It really has been a labour of love, not by just me, but the team around me who helped get it off the ground. It has been as much of a learning curve for me as it will be for those using the site. In making these videos, I have been through periods of self-doubt and frustration, not to mention mistakes that have led me to question and evaluate every part of my training. In doing so, the process has taken a lot longer than expected but it has led to me being able to place complete faith in the programmes that are being offered in Your Horsemanship.
As for the future, I will continue to put in the same commitment to additional content, which will incorporate the latest research, technologies and most importantly feedback from users.
And lastly… why did we choose the name Your Horsemanship? We spent many hours discussing and debating the name of our new venture when all the time the perfect name was staring us in the face. This is about YOUR journey with YOUR horse that counts, not mine! I hope you enjoy the ride.