Chatting A Bit

Passion for horses and ponies always seem to start in childhood with many forging dreams of competing at the highest level. Eleven year old Beth Hobden has not only these dreams but the guts and determination to be a rider to watch for the future. I recently caught up with Beth, Chatting A Bit about her life with her beloved ponies and what her future holds in equestrian sport: Tell us about your first experiences riding ponies?My first pony was a section A bay mare who was 12.2 and called Heavenly. She taught me the basics with walking, trotting, and cantering. Heavenly was not a cuddly mare and when trying to do her girth up she would always try and give you a nudge and a nibble. But she was a little superstar! I did my first one-day event on Heavenly, but as we walked the X Country coarse mum warned me that I would probably fall off at the small hay bale jump. She told me to ride at it hard. But mum was right…. she stopped and I ended up on the floor with Heavenly started eating the hay. Another thing I remember was taking Heavenly out hunting. This was before I had started eventing and before I had conquered the steering! I didn’t manage to steer the jump and ended up riding on the quad bike to try and catch my horse. What made you fall in love with all things equestrian?We moved on the farm when I was seven years old and it was at that point we decided that having a pony was a good idea. It turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made!! Mum had already had experience with ponies and horses when she was younger, as she had a career in racing. I think deep down she really wanted me to race but instead, I found my passion for eventing and just absolutely love the equestrian world.  You have had some lovely ponies over the last few years, tell us about them and who is your favourite?I really cannot say who my favourite pony is! But if I had to pick one, it would be the legend we call Wonder Pony AKA Charlie. He arrived after Heavenly and taught me how to do everything else I needed to know. We have won sashes, trophies and ribbons galore. He is now at a loan home teaching another little girl what he has me and is being treated like a king!! I also have three other ponies, two of which are grey 14.2 Connemara ponies. Liam (Loopy) bucks me off a lot! He is just different and gets very excited. Ben (Bonkers) just likes to go everywhere flat out at a hundred miles per hour. Finally, the newest member of the family is Miami (Mega) a Bay 14.2 Irish Sports Pony. She had done lots of showjumping but had never been evented. She went out recently to Borde Hill BE 80, being her first One Day Event and my first BE. We came 8th which I was so pleased with, so I’m really looking forward to whatever the future brings with her. You love eventing, what is the best part of the sport?It has to be the cross country. Just the thrill of hearing the words “3,2,1 and GO!!’ as you approach the first fence is just great! What are your strengths in competing but your weaknesses too?My strength is mainly my flatwork. I know some people find it boring but the key to eventing is to get a good dressage score and then have a double clear! It takes effort and a lot of hard work to get a good score but in my head, a test can never be perfect. My best ever score was at Borde Hill unaffiliated, two years ago when we received the score of 19. I was mainly competing with adults, so I was very proud with that result. My weakest point is the showjumping but we are working on that bit… With 2020 being a year of hardly competing, how have you kept your horses training through lockdown?2020 has been very disappointing as now I’m in my twelfth year but still eleven years old until the 30th December. British Eventing unfortunately was paused but is now restarting again but we have missed half the season. Training wise we are very privileged to live on a farm and have woods we are able to hack in.  What are your hopes for competing in 2021?We would love to qualify with all of the ponies but we would really like to get to Burghley as they are now doing a BE 80!! What are your plans when you leave school? Do you want to work with horses? I would love to go to college to do Equine Studies, then hopefully have a livery yard full of other people’s event horses that I am able to compete and ride around Badminton!! What are your plans for your future of riding and competing horses?? My ultimate dream is to get to Badminton Horse Trials but my goal is Pony Europeans. Who is your inspiration in the Equestrian world? My real idol has to be Oliver Townsend. I absolutely adore his flea-bitten grey Ballaghmor Class (I’m obsessed with grey horses). We went to watch Badminton last year and it was incredible to watch Oliver come in second place with a total of 27.1! Follow Beth Hobden Eventing on Facebook Follow Beth on Instagram

Being a freelance writer, editor, proof reader and publisher, Jane Badger’s passion for equestrian books started early in life. With her recent book Heroines on Horseback (2019), writing the world’s largest website on equine literature and starting her own publishing company bringing pony classics back into print, Jane is one very busy lady! Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Jane to find out more about this lovely equestrian writer: What were your childhood ambitions – was it to always work in the writing industry and be an author? My childhood ambitions were a) to be a vet (gave this up when I realised I really didn’t like the sight of blood, though I have toughened up since) and  b) to be a showjumper, which died a death as my parents were absolutely not keen, and not having a pony did mean that ambition was a tad tricky to achieve. What would be your best advice to a school leaver who is thinking of making writing or publishing their career?  Be prepared to learn everything you can, and persevere. There’s no shame in doing other things to keep body and soul together while you’re working on achieving your ambition.  People don’t always get into either writing or publishing via conventional means these days. Not everyone can be an intern. I built up my profile first through blogging, my website and social media, and then took a sideways step into publishing.  I’m an advanced professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders, and that’s a help. Lots of publishers and authors work directly with freelancers these days. Tell us all about Jane Badger Books. Jane Badger Books is dedicated to bringing back classic pony fiction. While I was a bookseller, I was very aware that there were a lot of books out there that people remembered from their childhoods, or had never read and really wanted to. These books were either impossible to find, or really expensive when you did. The whole idea of Jane Badger Books is to make those books accessible to people, and to introduce people to classic pony fiction they may not have heard of. Six Ponies, by Josephine Pullein-Thompson, for example, has instruction in it that’s just as relevant today, but it’s welded into the story so well, you don’t realise you’re learning. When I was researching my book on the pony book, Heroines on Horseback, one of my interviewees told me that she’d taken what she’d learned in Six Ponies into the whole of her equestrian life as an instructor.  Six Ponies also has gorgeous illustrations by Anne Bullen. I have done paperback editions of some of the books, which have all the original illustrations – the modern paperbacks often had both text and illustrations cut so it’s really satisfying to be able to get the books out as the authors intended. What have been the triumphs and challenges of running your own business, particularly selling books which you have in the past? Selling books: I did love the book hunting and buying element, though that was always laced with worry because you’re never quite sure who you’re going to meet. I once arranged to meet someone in a supermarket car park to buy books, and I could see from the expression on the seller’s face when we met that it was just as much a relief to her as to me when we both turned out to be harmless! I always used to make sure the family knew where I was going and when I’d be back, but I always survived. There was one time I had a 3-hour drive to get some books and was absolutely desperate for the loo when I arrived. It turned out the house wasn’t lived in, and the water was turned off. I had to get back in the car and drive out to find a suitable field. And hedge. It was a part of the country where hedges were few. And then there were the books that got away: it’s always very tempting to keep books yourself, but that is no way to make money, so every year I would allow myself to pick one plum from stock. One year, I’d bought the J A Allan reprint of Stubbs’ Anatomy of the Horse, and wildly overpaid for it in my huge excitement to get my paws on one. Which is not a help to your profit margins –  I was very torn. It sold. I’ve regretted it ever since. Finding rare books was always exciting. I found two copies, with dustjackets, of Primrose Cumming’s Silver Snaffles in a junk shop while I was on holiday, and was so overcome I had to hide behind a door and do some deep breathing before I went and paid.  As for publishing, it’s always good when the books sell, and when people enjoy them. I think the ones I’ve enjoyed doing most have been Josephine Pullein-Thompson’s Six Ponies, which was hugely cut in the Armada paperback, and it’s good to be able to get the original into people’s hands. And Patience McElwee’s books (Dark Horse, Match Pair and The Merrythoughts) – I loved these, but they were super hard to find, and it’s been great to find a wider audience for them. And it was great to get the Caroline Akrill Showing series out. I used to read Pony Magazine, in which the first story appeared, cover to cover, and I used to count the days until the next one arrived and with it the next instalment of the series. I think one of the biggest challenges is getting the cover right. It turned out that my vision of Perdita, in the very first book I did, Dream of Fair Horses, by Patricia Leitch, was not most people’s so I changed it. Which part of your work do you enjoy the most? I like the actual production (in my other career, I’m a proofreader and editor).  I do also like doing covers, as it’s so different from what I normally do. This has been a learning process, it’s fair to say. And I really love seeing reviews of the books and seeing other people enjoying discovering them. With these unprecedented times with the Covid-19 situation, working within rural business is extremely challenging. Has this been an issue with your work and if so how have you adapted? It’s certainly been a challenge for my proofreading/editing work as all the public sector work dried up almost instantly, and a lot of self-published authors have decided (I think wisely) to sit tight and wait until life is more certain. For the books, I’m not doing new paperbacks at the moment as they need delivery, and as people can get the eBooks, there’s a viable alternative. I’ve also been slaving away getting as many books as possible into the pipeline in case I am ill. This is pretty much done: there are six Josephine Pullein-Thompson titles available on pre-order now. The idea behind this is that my daughter, who will take over the business if necessary, can get her head around the technicalities over a period of months, if necessary. What are your future plans with Jane Badger Books? This year I’ll be completing the release of all Josephine Pullein-Thompson’s Noel and Henry books (One Day Event and Pony Club Camp) and also her Woodbury Pony Club series.  On a day off, where would we find you? Probably in the garden, or with my face stuck in a book. My big ambition this year was to get back on a horse, but that’s going to have to wait! Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time? Alive and hopefully solvent! Against the Clock  Gin or Champagne:  I don’t actually drink, but I do like those herbal extract things that are a sort of substitute for gin. Cheese or Chocolate: cheese, but a close run thing Sunshine or Snow: Sunshine and wind Home Counties or Far Away Shores: If I’m allowed to go elsewhere in the UK, Northumberland or Suffolk, but if not, Western Australia Spend or Save:  Save Book or Kindle: Both. I’m reading an awful lot of library books via Kindle at the moment. Home Cooked or Eating Out: Both Music or Film: Music Please visit: https://janebadgerbooks.co.uk/ Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram

Alison Kenward, a BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach has the love of horses and dressage running through her veins. Her passion for coaching has helped all ages and abilities in the saddle with a positive mindset at the heart of her teaching. Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Alison in this latest Chatting A Bit interview, to find out more about her life with her beloved horses: Your passion for horses is incredibly strong!  Were you both brought up in this environment as a child? I remember being introduced to horses and knowing I wanted to spend my time with them. I have wonderful memories of going to ride at Tower Farm in Rugby when they still had a Riding School. It was a magical place. Later I went to a Riding School in Coventry and continued to plead for a pony of my own. I remember the excitement too of reading Horse & Pony Magazine every fortnight. When I was 9 my first pony Toby made all of my dreams come true. He was kept at livery and my first competition was at Walsgrave Amateur RC, I hacked there!  What were your childhood ambitions? Was it to always work in the equestrian industry? I desperately wanted to train my second pony to show jump and qualify for a second round. I knew I wanted horses in my life and to compete. There was little information available in the careers room, I could only find information about the BHS exam system so I made up my mind that would be the route I’d take. I had no insight other than that they existed. I took a train with my Grandmother to a London Centre to take my Stage One and my eyes were opened to possibilities. I was very lucky to meet Michele Carman at Pony Club and to learn the craft of teaching at the Riding School she managed. This was before I passed my driving test and I hacked there too.  The equestrian industry can be tough. What would be your advice for a school leaver that wanted to work in equine business particularly in the area of coaching? The BHS pathway is without a doubt the system that prepared me for the challenges I have faced in my career. I recommend connecting with a local Pony Club and attending young instructor courses. Practical experience is essential to thrive in the industry and I would suggest working at an Approved Yard whilst training.  Tell us about dressage career. What are you have been the challenges and triumphs when it comes to competing? The wonder and challenge of Dressage is that as we grow as a rider and develop our partnership with our horses so the Art of Dressage captures our attention. I like the Quote “As a Rider, Dressage is what feelings look like” There is nothing to compare to the discovery of connection, balance and expression as we progress through test movements.  Challenges evolve too, in the beginning I was surprised by long arena letters and lateral work, the complexity of the patterns and the mystery of the next level. These days the challenges are more around presenting tests I’m proud of and training to be an Equestrian Athlete. Happy moments for me with Jack were competing at the BD Winter National Championships and training with Emile Faurie. Riding for the Central England Team at the Amateur Home International with Sebastian holds incredible memories. My current partner Neptune is very exciting too. I have a particular fond memory of competing at Moulton to complete his Regional Qualification and achieving personal bests that cemented our partnership. That day I knew even without reading the test sheets that he and I had found each other.  Mindset and positiveness is a very key focus when it comes to your teaching. Do you feel that this approach is a pivotal change in equestrian training especially now we are in the 2020’s? I have been aware of the role of positive psychology for a long time. When I heard about the Centre10 Applied Psychology Course for Equestrian Coaches with Charlie Unwin and Sarah Huntley I applied straight away and was delighted to be awarded a place with the first Cohort. The insights, knowledge and experience gained through that training programme have enhanced my awareness and coaching practice. I am delighted that the BHS has recognised the importance of this CPD and highly recommend all Equestrian Coaches consider exploring the Centre10 courses.   Tell us about the horses that share your life? Who has been the “special one” during your riding career so far? Roughway Jack defined my Dressage Career and Coach education. Jack came to me as a retired Advanced Eventer. I started my Dressage career at Prelim with him after previously competing in Polocrosse competitions and Hunting. Suddenly flat work made sense to me and we worked our way up to Advanced Medium during our 10 year partnership. Jack’s owner Rachel Crook also let me steal her ride Sebastian for the season Jack was injured and later found Neptune for me.  What are your future plans for your Alison Kenward Dressage? I’m enjoying spending time with Neptune and I’m excited to see how far we can progress together. I would like to compete as soon as I am back to riding effectively- I’m so proud of his attitude and generous nature – my rider rehabilitation programme depends on him helping me. My Coaching gives me great pleasure, it’s rewarding to help horse and riders develop and form strong partnerships. I especially enjoy competition coaching at all levels – nothing beats being part of a team that supports Equestrian Athletes.  On a day off, where would we find you? Usually listening to music and reading a book though lately I have discovered Audible and there are great audiobooks and podcasts to explore.  Where do you hope to both be in ten years’ time? On my wish list is a National Championship Title. I hope I’ll still be living in the UK in 10 years time probably still in Oxfordshire…  Against the Clock  Champagne or Gin: Champagne  Sunshine or Snow: Sunshine  Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Home Counties  Spend or Save:  Save Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating Out  Music or Film: Music  Wellies or Heels: Wellies  Please visit: Alison Kenward Dressage Follow Alison on Facebook Find Alison on Instagram

With dogs sharing Natalie Tyson’s life from an early age, launching her own canine business in later years has been a personal triumph. Olive & Berry was born offering stylish, high quality and locally sourced canine products. Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Natalie to find out more about the personality behind this innovative canine business: You are clearly passionate about the dogs in your life! Have you always had dogs and were you brought up with them? Oh, I’m obsessed with them! I can’t walk past a dog without smiling at it…We got our first family dog when I was at primary school after years of begging our parents. I’ve always had black Labradors and our one rule is that they need to be named after a black variety of food. Our first dog was called Liquorice and obviously now there’s Olive & Berry. We’re going to run out of names soon! What was your childhood ambition? Did you always want to run your own business? When I was younger, I used to tell my mum I wanted to have a job where I wore a suit and smelled of perfume. A very random career choice but it has kind of worked out like that. Since leaving university I’ve had a passion to start my own business, but I didn’t know what in. Until one day it just clicked! As weird as it is, I used to sit in the office at my corporate company feeling quite empty thinking there’s more to me than this.  I’m passionate about being able to be in a position where I can really make a difference to people and the community. Owning Olive & Berry means I can run a business on my own terms, I can make sure the products we sell to customers are high quality, I can make sure they get the best service possible and I can ensure our products, packaging and footprint is sustainable. And guess what, there’s no one telling me what to do which is great! Recently you have set up your own canine supplies company. What made you step into this area of the industry? I really struggled to find any dog interior I loved when I bought Olive & Berry. I spent so long searching for the right furniture, curtains and colour palettes for my home to then be so disappointed with the dog products currently on the market. In my opinion, they didn’t look nice in my home and I had to ‘settle’ for something. And anything I did like was an absolute fortune!  So our mission is to provide trendy, fashionable dog interior that you don’t need to hide in your cupboard when guests come round for a coffee. Tell us about Olive & Berry and its vision. What are you particularly proud of with your company? Our passion is to make sure our customers can buy high quality, on-trend pet interior that they are proud to have in their home. Our long-term vision is to provide customers with a bespoke service where they can match dog interior to their home that doesn’t cost another mortgage! Pet owners shouldn’t have to deal with stinky dog beds, manky old tennis balls and crumbly biscuits in their pockets etc. Solutions should be provided for this so they can have a lovely home with lovely dog interior (that’s useful) inside it! I’m proud of so many things we have achieved so far but these are my biggest achievements: 1.     Locally produced– our products are designed and locally produced in England; I think it’s really important that we support businesses in the UK. It also helps because we have great relationships with our suppliers, we visit their factories and understand their processes. This means we can deliver safe and beautiful products to our customers.  2.     Sustainable– Did you know that a plastic bottle lasts up to 450 years in the ocean and all dead whales & dolphins washed up on the shore have plastic in them? This is really sad so we’re trying to help here too. The fibre in our beds is made out of recycled plastic bottles, we want to be as environmentally friendly as possible.  3.     Charity – A personal passion of mine is supporting the homeless, so we donate a penny for every £1 spent to local homeless charities. I believe dogs give you a purpose in life and although it’s still a work in progress I think dogs can help the homeless in some way. We’re still working on this… Marketing a business is key through social media. Which network works for your canine business and why? We have Instagram and Facebook at the moment, where we showcase our products, offers and updates. We also like to post and share hilarious pictures of dogs because who doesn’t love to see those? It’s so nice having direct access to our customers and other dog lovers, it means we can get a real insight into what they like and want in a friendly, light-hearted setting.  What have been the triumphs and challenges of running Olive & Berry? Oh wow, well it’s still really early days for us, we only started trading in August this year but we have had so many highs and lows already. My favourite triumph is developing a product from start to finish and seeing a customer’s reactions, this is so scary but also really rewarding when they like it, especially when our products are making a difference to their pets and their lives.  The biggest challenge we have faced so far is with other businesses actually, there have been occasions where we have put our trust in a supplier, and they have let us down which has cost us a lot of money. I think there needs to be better policing out there, but I guess money can be replaced, and it was a great learning for me so early on in my business journey.  Let’s give a shout out for your brand! Why should customers come to your site and buy? Well if you take pride in your home and you have struggled to find products that look amazing, we’re for you. Our products are different from anything you will have seen out there, not only do we think they look pretty smart they are also doing good in this world. They are locally produced, sustainable and support local charities. We really enjoy hearing what people think so please do follow us on social media and let us know what you love or what you’d like to see us create next!  What are your future plans for Olive & Berry? We want to let our customers decide this through the products they buy and what they tell us. In the short term we are trying to spread the word about Olive & Berry, in the long term we’re working on new ranges and exciting products as well as growing the brand so we can help make more changes for good.  On a day off, where would we find you? Doing something active and then eating something tasty, any kind of sport or competitive games! I love a good meal out too. Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time? I would love the brand to be known for changing the way we view dog interior. I would also hope we have raised a lot of money for charity and continued to develop sustainable products. Watch this space I guess!   Against the Clock  Working Dog or Toy Dog: Working dog Champagne or Gin: Gin 100% Sunshine or Snow: Hard one, sunshine, snow just gets in the way! Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Far away, I love travelling Spend or Save: Spend Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating out  Music or Film: Music Wellies or Heels: Wellies Natalie Tyson founded Olive & Berry in 2019 inspired by her two black labradors and her quest to find high-quality, long-lasting and stylish products. Unable to find interior and environmentally friendly products to suit her stylish home, Natalie decided to make and source them herself, and so Olive & Berry was born.  Not willing to compromise on quality, Olive & Berry works with manufacturers local to its Yorkshire base wherever possible, creating home-friendly colour palettes, and banishing brown, black or paw print products to the back of the cupboard. Pet comfort comes first and all items are designed or sourced with cosiness, durability and longevity as well as style in mind.  To browse the product range and keep up to date on special offers visit www.oliveandberry.co.uk Connect on Instagram: www.instagram.com.oliveandberryuk  Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/oliveandberry  

With autumn leaves falling, most horse owners will soon be dusting off their clippers and preparing to give their woolly equines a much needed haircut. For Melody Hames, she has combined her passion for art and horses and is now well known as The Horse Barber. Melody has created some spectacular clipped designs on horses which have been shared widely on the internet. Not only is she a very creative clipper, Melody also specialises in dealing with horses who are anxious about the process. Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with The Horse Barber to find out more about the personality behind this very creative equestrian business: Your passion for horses is incredibly strong! Were you brought up in this environment as a child? I didn’t come from an equestrian background, both my mother and father don’t ride. I started riding at the age of eight years old when one of the girls that lived on my street began taking lessons at the local riding school. She decided to stop, but I was hooked from day one! What were your childhood ambitions? Was it to always work in the equestrian industry? From an early age, I was incredibly interested in art as well as horses. I didn’t really know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do! I would say my passion has always driven me in its own direction. I did temporarily begin dance lessons, however I quickly became quite bored and dropped them so that I could go riding more. The journey has had many changes along the way and never goes to plan, but I think that’s part of the beauty of it. In recent years you have expanded your passion of clipping horses into a business. Tell us about The Horse Barber and what are you particularly proud of about your company. The Horse Barber brand has very much evolved over time from my original startup of the business. I educated myself on barbering whether it’s on horsehair, human hair or dog hair. I developed my craft by lots of practice and experience and by keeping an open mind but ALWAYS following my gut instinct and feelings on everything.  I then coined The Horse Barber as my passion for my craft grew and grew. I am particularly proud of the service The Horse Barber provides because I get a great deal of satisfaction in working with horses that really need my help. For example, horses that have been frightened or had a bad experience, I really get a great deal of job satisfaction from seeing happy horses and happy owners. It is rewarding to see a clipped horse who has dealt with process, especially when the owners have often deemed the job impossible. I love sharing my education and helping horse owners to understand better what works for their horse.  What have been the triumphs and challenges of working in the equestrian industry?Working in the equine industry is certainly not the easiest not only are we challenged by weather elements and working outdoors but also working in an industry that has a lot of preconceived ideas about how things should be done. I pride myself in challenging concepts when it comes to clipping horses and assisting people into opening their mind to different approaches, different methods and also different styles. Education is very important to me as I strive to make a better future and constantly improve the industry when it comes to clipping horses. Your skill in clipping horses is absolutely top class! When did you start clipping in an artistic form? Thank you! In 2012 I was asked for my first design by a client. I remember thinking ‘I have never done this before what if it goes wrong?!’ But I’m very much of the attitude, say yes and worry about the ‘how’ later. Seize the opportunity and embrace the challenge that it brings. I think it’s very much my passion for art and design that has really contributed to the development of my craft. I am also quite tough on myself so always strive to be better than the day before.  What are your top tips for anyone that wants to try being more creative with clipping a horse? My advice to anybody that wants to try and be more creative when it comes to clipping horses is, try not to worry about it going wrong. It has to go wrong before you get it right. Don’t rush, take your time.  For anybody that seriously wants to pursue creative clipping , you can sign up to www.thehorsebarber.com newsletter where I will be publishing my online training facility very soon! And importantly, enjoy it! After all the horse knows your every thought and energy, so make it happy and positive. Social media has been an incredible platform to showcase your work. Which social media network works best for your business? Social media has changed the face of society, especially for us small business owners trying to make a name for ourselves. I have seen things change massively since I began my journey. Facebook was predominantly the biggest platform, however as time has gone by one thing has changed and Instagram has grown massively! I think it’s about paying attention and being assertive whilst acknowledging that change is forever happening. So it is important to keep an open mind and move with the times. It is also so helpful to look at successful people and learn from others who thrive in what they do. Having a website is essential for anybody that wants to make their business a serious contender. Even today some people think that websites aren’t relevant but every successful business needs their own website. I think its important to keep social media in perspective, and always have a back up plan (eg website). Lastly, in the equine industry word of mouth, recommendation and your reputation is more important than anything. What are your future plans for The Horse Barber? Next up for The Horse Barber, I will be conducting interactive talks in the Live Zone at Horse Of The Year Show in October. (Please come and say hello if you are attending!) I’m incredibly excited to have been invited to this event, after all, it is the biggest horse event at the annual calendar within the UK. The recognition means a lot to me.. I have worked out in America doing demonstrations which I have thoroughly enjoyed but I must say, to be doing HOYS, on my home turf is something I am quite proud of. On a day off, where would we find you? In my spare time when I’m not working, I like to interact with my Welsh Section D whether it is in the field or out hacking. He’s my business partner, my best friend and we play tag in the field regularly. I have a lovely partner who is very supportive of the business and finally, I love shopping and finding a good bargain too! Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time? In ten years time I aim to have the most comprehensive equine clipping online training system through my website. This is for people to be able to continuously develop their grooming and horse clipping skills. This is going to be available worldwide. I very much enjoyed the demonstration side of things, so I am visualising travelling further afield with my demonstrations too!  Against the Clock  Pull A Mane or Scissor It: PULL !! Bays, Grays or Chesnuts: Has to be Chestnut ( Romeo would kill me!) Gin or Champagne: GIN and make it a Unicorn! Sunshine or Snow: Snow – being from the North West of England it’s probably a good job we never get sun. Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Both!! But I love the Northern Hills in England – it’s home. Spend or Save: Spend! Usually on my next clipper blade to experiment with. Home Cooked or Eating Out: Home cooked. I love cooking. Music or Film: Film and please make it a soppy one. Wellies or Heels: Heels – I love being a woman. Please visit: http://www.thehorsebarber.com/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehorsebarber/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehorsebarber/

Sketching from her kitchen table a few years ago, little did Katie Cardew know that this would lead to a very successful illustrations business. After some small show stands, a simple website and lots of enthusiasm, Katie Cardew Illustrations has grown from strength to strength. Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Katie to find out more about the personality behind this lovely rural business:- You are very passionate about art and illustration, particularly with the love of horses and ponies at the heart of your work. Were you brought up in this environment as a child? Yes! I was brought up in rural Rutland, in a little village, so have always been at home in the countryside. My parents weren’t horsey but my sisters who are a fair bit older than me were, so I inherited their pony Shadow once they had moved onto horses. He was a dream – even for the last few years when he only had one eye! I was in the Burghley Pony Club which I LOVED – lots of my friends even now are from those days – good times. My ponies were always pretty naughty as we never had a huge budget to spend but they certainly taught me a lot of things that I think are actually very important when running a business – waking up early, being persistent and wiping yourself down when things go wrong!  What were your childhood ambitions – was it to always work in the art and illustration industry? I loved to draw but I never had any real ambitions to be an artist if I’m honest. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, right up until the day I started the business! I did an English degree at Newcastle Uni (basically a drinking and surviving off cereal and toast degree) and then dabbled with finance in London. As soon as my graphic designer sister started sending me magazine briefs she needed illustrations for and I got my first pay cheque, I was hooked. I quickly moved back to Rutland and starting taking commissions full time.  What would be your best advice to a school leaver who is thinking of making illustration their career?  I think there are three key things to consider: One, you need a niche. There are many artists and illustrators and you need to find a style or a product that is not over-saturated in the market.  The second is to be commercial. Yes, you need to love what you are illustrating but bear in mind that to make a living from it, other people are going to have to fork out their hard-earned cash for it. Make it something that people want! If you live in a tourist town, draw illustrations of your town’s landmarks and sell the prints/cards/products to shops. If you live in a farming area, draw farm animals and take your products to local shows. Dogs, cats and horses are always winners too – people are always going to spend money on their pet or on pet related items.  The third and most important is you need to be dedicated, savvy and thick-skinned. If you want to pay the bills, you need to graft. You will need not only to hone your drawing skills but also learn about accounts, tax, websites, marketing and all the hundreds of things that go into running a business. You can do it slowly – I did. You don’t need to learn it all before you launch your business, but be aware that as you grow, there will be days where you draw and days where you are doing admin – and you have to be ok with that.  Tell us about your business and all about the team behind Katie Cardew Illustrations. We have a lovely studio in the village of Kings Cliffe in Northamptonshire, about 15 minutes from where I live. I work in two different ways – I produce bespoke commissions for people and businesses (from wedding venue illustrations for a bride and groom to huge event maps for national events) and then I also design a range of prints, stationery and homeware products that we produce and sell online, at shows and through stockists. Our studio is fab – we have one room we call the ‘workroom’ where I have a small but mighty team who do all the orders, packaging and framing, and then we have the main room, where I work and where we host workshops and Open Studio events. We are also so proud that all of our products are UK made (many locally to us), our packaging is minimal and where possible, very simple using recyclable paper packaging. We try to be as environmentally friendly as possible where we can.   What have been the triumphs and challenges of running your own business? Six years in and it’s still a huge learning curve. Every downfall has its upside though – for example, last year I had a stand at many events, from Badminton to the Game Fair, and actually, for me, the stress and colossal effort involved was too much of a price to pay. I decided that instead, we should hold our own open studios at our studio where people can come and shop and have a drink, they have been brilliant and far less stressful! Our most recent open studios was a couple of weeks ago; we had a gin van come and serve everyone the most lovely G&Ts and we decked the studio out to the rafters with prints and products for people to buy. Much easier for us and much better for the business too!  Which part of your work do you enjoy the most? I actually still love the drawing. I have done around 1600 commissions and designed around 500 products so you might think it would get dull, but I actually still love the sitting down and creating part the best. It’s so diverse too – one day I might be designing a new mug for our collection and the next I am working on a huge commercial map illustration for Henley Regatta – no two days are ever the same.  Where can we find you on the show circuit in the next few months? We will be at Burghley Horse Trials from the 5th-8th September and we can’t WAIT. The comments above about the events being extremely tiring do not apply to Burghley – this show is 10 minutes down the road from us so feels very much like home, and every little bit of effort we put in is repaid tenfold by the energy, excitement and thrill of this brilliant event. I have been coming since I was tiny as a punter and this will be our 6th year with a stand here. Our best selling ‘I’d Rather Be at Burghley’ range is bigger and better than ever this year – there will be a print, mug, tea towel, notebook, kitchen board, magnet, cosmetic bag AND tote bag in the range this year! As well as a brand new ‘A day in the life’ range which features all the things we love and hate about horses – from winning rosettes to mice in the feed bin, it’s something I hope will resonate with anyone equestrian! Our stand is in the Rural Crafts Tent (the one by the food aisle – very dangerous for us!).  What are your future plans with Katie Cardew Illustrations? We are always growing and adding new products and designs to the collection so 2020 looks to be another good year for us! I am expecting a second baby in November so Jan-March might be a tad quieter than normal but we will be back with a bang in April! On a day off, where would we find you? Taking Agnes, my four year old to her riding lesson, followed by a huge pub lunch and a walk with the family and our labrador cross springer spaniel, Tarka. That’s pretty much my perfect day!  Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time?  On a beach, with lovely, kind and not grumpy tweenagers, sipping a pina colada. Of course.  But if you’re talking in terms of the business, well I suppose doing more of what I am doing now but bigger and better! I am so happy with the trajectory of the business and the direction we’re going in – I love working with companies to produce illustrations for them and I also love producing our own range of products, so more of that please! Against the Clock  Paintbrush or Pencil: Can’t use either! I use about a million fine-liner pens a year (sorry environment but there just doesn’t seem to be an alternative!) and the rest is done on my iMac. Gin or Champagne: Gin, every time.  Cheese or Chocolate: CHEESE. The stinky, melty kind!! Sunshine or Snow: Oh god I love both. Snow right now because it’s 26 degrees outside and I’m six months pregnant so feeling the heat a bit!  Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Far away shores – I love seeing different cultures.  Spend or Save: Would like to save but generally, I spend – my four year old is very good at seeing to that!  Home Cooked or Eating Out: Gotta love my partner Jamie’s food. He’s a brilliant cook.  Music or Film: Music. Controversial comment but I don’t like films!! All about the documentary for me… Wellies or Heels: Wellies. Hate heels. Feel like I’m wearing my Mum’s shoes!  Find Katie at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials from 5th-8th September 2019 in the Rural Crafts Tent. Katie Cardew is Founder and Chief Illustrator at Katie Cardew Illustrations. Her studio is based on the Rutland border, a rural idyll which inspires much of Katie’s work. Katie’s passions include country life, horses and British wildlife; you’ll find these themes running through many of her collections. To browse the ranges visit https://kcillustrations.co.uk/ To keep up to date on events, commission slots or special offers, sign up to Katie’s newsletter via the website.  Connect on Instagram: www.instagram.com/katiecardewillustrations  Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/katiecardewillustrations 

If equestrianism runs through your veins, then you will always watch in awe at horses that appear in film and tv series being ridden in jaw dropping stunts and situations. Training horses to work in film takes much dedication, skill and time which Dylan Jones from Dolbadarn Film Horses only knows too well. With his business successfully training and supplying professional film trained horses and riders for the television and film industry for over 40 years, Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Dylan to find out more about the personality behind this unique equestrian business:- Horses are a passion and the heart of your business. Were you brought up around horses as a child? Yes.  We had a family riding school and trekking centre which used to take guided tours into the heart of the Snowdonia range. My mother used to sit me at the front of her saddle while taking the rides out. So you can say that I was born in the saddle before I could walk. What were your childhood ambitions – was it to always work with horses in the film industry? I always loved riding the horses as a child and every summer used to practically live on the yard. Getting pocket money for helping leading out the school trips we had in, as well as ragworting the fields!… In school, I always had a flair for performing and was chosen as a lead role in various school plays. Also, being Welsh had a strong singing voice. With that, I joined the Bangor Cathedral choir gaining my singing qualifications. I went to college to study performing arts, then from there to Trinity College to study a BA in theatre studies. What would be your best advice to a school leaver who is thinking of making a career in stunt riding? What riding and personal skills are essential to work in this industry? Follow your passions!! If you’re passionate about what you want, you’ll bend over backwards to get it!  Keep active and train as hard as you can. Myself, I trained in WuShu Kwan as a child as well as judo. I was an active mountain biker and used to compete on a regular basis in the Red Kite mountain bike bash … Riding wise, I’d grown up with horses, but when I decided to diversify and make a life in horses and working in tv and film, I researched into different riding styles. I visited Portugal on a regular basis to train in classical equitation. I also trained with a horse stunt team and the horsemen of the apocalypse, gaining skills as a trick rider and basic horse stunts. Tell us about your business, how it started and about the team behind Dolbadarn Film Horses. My father and mother used to supply horses and riders back in the 70’s and 80’s for film productions. Then while in college studying theatre studies, I got a call from my agent asking if I’d be interested in riding on an NBC movie, Merlin (1997). I jumped at the chance!!  While working with the horse stunt team ( The Devils Horsemen), I was so inspired by the level of training and skill set, that I decided to diversify. I’d grown up with horses and I also had a passion for performing. So, after a little research found out there were two main big horse teams London based, but none in Wales! So there was a niche in the market. As my family had supplied horses in the past for film productions, it seemed like a natural road to go down. Twenty two years later, I’m still doing what I love and have built up an equine family on our yard that put a smile on my face every day.  What have been the triumphs and challenges of running such a unique equestrian business? Challenges!!  There’s been plenty. The film and television industry is a closed shop. For many years it was hard to break into the bigger productions. Luckily, when I started off  S4C ( welsh language C4) gave me a lot of work as a horse master and supplier on their period productions. So I gained a lot of my initial experience from there. Over the years, my reputation grew and bigger production companies started to call. During the early years,  I worked many sideline jobs just to make ends meet to pay for my training, horses and tack that I built up bit by bit. Triumphs! Well, the most memorable triumphs are when I see my horses and teams final work on the screen . A proud moment. The most memorable would be working on the BBC’s Merlin series a few years back. Working closely with such a wonderful cast and crew over the years made memories which will last forever. Tell us about the horses that you work with. What is the key characteristic you look for in a horse to use for stunt riding and film work? We have two types of trained horses: The actor trained horse – These horses are docile and intelligent. They are chosen and trained so they look after the artists that ride them, whatever the riding ability of that artist is. They understand to go from position A to end position B as many times as the shot requires, without putting a foot wrong. The second type is the action horse: These horses are fully trained rider horses. The horses are very sharp and “ push button”. These are the horses you’ll seeing charging into a battle scene, rearing up… Going headfirst into a wall of fire etc … Both types are chosen for their bold characters, intelligence and willingness to learn and work as a team member. Which film that you and your horses have worked on, is one that you are very proud of and why? I have a few which stand out. Obviously, the BBC’s Merlin Series as I stated in a previous answer. But we’ve also supplied horses for the London based horse teams on big blockbusters such as Robin Hood, War Horse and more recently, Game of Thrones “ Battle of the Bastards” episode. All of which have been very memorable mainly because of the hard work and passion everyone puts into making these productions what they are. As I mentioned earlier on … it is a closed shop, so to speak. But you tend to work alongside the same people time and time again, to the point you trust the team as though they are family. I suppose when you have your own horses on these productions too and see how well they perform (most of the time), you do have a sense of pride in knowing that you did something right. Which film have you have worked on with your team of horses recently that we should look out for? We were approached by Bad Wolf and HBO last Summer to work on HBO’s new up and coming series, The Watchmen which is due to be aired this autumn. I worked as horse master and supplied the horses and carts with my team. This production was also filmed close to our HQ in North Wales. So for many reasons, we are all looking forward to seeing it! What are your future plans for Dolbadarn Film Horses? We plan to move the business to a bigger complex in the near future (keeping in North Wales) and develop training courses gearing up for artists, as well as action riders to further their equine skills ready for the screen. We are also training in house to devise and put out an equestrian theatre stunt show/display next season. Firstly at the new complex, once established we plan to take it out as a touring event in the future. We also have some lovely well bred stallions here that I’d like to start a breeding programme with. The aim is to breed well-tempered performing horses for the industry as well as interested clients. We have a business plan in place, so once we move the team we can start putting these ideas into place. Then lastly, to obviously carry on supplying horses and trained riders for up and coming productions. We are only a small team in comparison to the larger London based teams so want to concentrate on Welsh based productions and the North West. Then when the bigger productions happen, carry on the tradition of supplying any extra horses and working alongside the London based stunt teams … On a day off, where would we find you? Day off ?? Ha ha …. I don’t get one. I’m on the yard every day unless I’m away filming. It’s not a job… it’s a lifestyle. Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time? Think I answered that in another answer. Basically , still doing what I do. Settled in the new complex. Having a strong team around me and making sure the horses are finely tuned and happy for any up and coming jobs. Oh … by then, I might have time to start a family so when I’m old the next generation can take over the reins, so to speak!  Against the Clock  Bay, Greys or Chestnuts: A nice royal bay or a black  DVD or Streaming: Both Beer or Champagne: Vodka Sunshine or Snow: Sun Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Depends Spend or Save: Bit of both Home Cooked or Eating Out: Both Please visit: Dolbadarn Film Horses Follow on FACEBOOK Follow on INSTAGRAM Header Image Credit: Sian Davis

With the internet being a huge part of life and websites being main information tools, it can be frustrating and time absorbing when technology fails. Having a website is key in all aspects of business, networking and blogging but having the know-how in dealing with technological issues is best left to the professionals. Black Nova Designs specialises in IT solutions for home & business providing web design and web hosting. They look after Haynet keeping the website ticking along nicely for you all to enjoy! Sam Hobden recently caught up with Kyle and Danielle to find out more about the personalities behind Black Nova Designs: Your love of animals comes through very strong! Were you both brought up with animals and horses as children? Oh yes! Kyle was brought up with the ‘usual’ family pet dog, an Alaskan malamute, called Skye. He also had a snake, chinchilla and rat. There were definitely no horses in Kyle’s childhood, truth be known I don’t think he’s all that keen on horses.   I, on the other hand, grew up with ponies, dogs, fish and rabbits. Ponies were my first true love, we had one lovely pony on loan when I was little. I say lovely, she was lovely on her terms.   Next came Duke, my bay 13.2hh pony. I was around 11years old when he came, he was super awesome and put up with a lot. My pony interest grew and I went on to work at a number of event yards, riding schools and hunt yards.   I went on to own a few TB’s including Benson, who thought he was a cob. So docile, understanding and fun. Benson was incredible, so gentle with Zoe and a real pleasure. We also had a family dog Jasper, whom many of you know sadly passed away January 2018. He was our superstar Border terrier, a big personality caught up in a small dog’s body.  After losing Jasper we couldn’t face a new puppy around, so now in our ‘spare time’ we look after our friend’s dogs while they are on holiday. I have also helped friends with behavioural issues with their canine friends as well. The joy a happy dog brings to a family is incredible.  My mum also still has two ponies that I help out with now and then, they have also featured in a few of our social posts. The incredible Golden King (aka Pablo) her 14.2hh Palomino pony. Mum has owned him from a yearling and with the help of many has trained him up to be a little competition powerhouse. The bond they have is so special.  Then we have Frankie, a filly bought from Ireland last year who was totally wild. With a lot of patience and time, mum has trained her to the point she now trusts us all to lead her, cuddle her and start handling her. Training the ponies from young brings a special bond and gives us such a sense of achievement. That’s just a brief insight, being animal lovers there is never really a time where we are too far away from some fluffy friends. Was it always an ambition to run your own business?  Were you encouraged to have a career working for yourself? For Kyle, absolutely not. He grew up wanting to be a pilot in the RAF and he did very well pursuing that dream until he was dismissed on medical grounds, but the love for computers started very early. He built his first custom built pc at the age of 8 years old.   After leaving RAF training Kyle needed a new purpose. He didn’t have really any support to start his own business, no family or friends thought he would make it. He was often being told he wouldn’t be good enough, he would never make it work or that he would give it up after a short while.   He was determined, he ignored them and kept the business going. He did find several full time jobs within the IT industry to ensure his knowledge and expertise were up to date while spending time in the evenings and weekends building on his skills. Kyle completed his Princes Trust course in Business, learnt loads and made his first business plan. We still have that plan, it’s filed away and we refer back to it every time we like to reflect on how far we have come.   Me, I never dreamed of running my own business! I grew up with no idea what I wanted to do, maybe work with animals, maybe a mounted police officer, or a dog handler, maybe a groom. I was around 18 when someone told me if you qualify to be an accountant you can earn lots of money – that sounded like a good plan, so I studied for my AAT accountancy degree.   To cut a long story short, it wasn’t for me, I was bored, I missed being outside and enjoying time with the ponies. I always had family around me who are my support network. My family have always been unbelievably supportive of everything I do. Their best advice is: ‘try your best at everything you do’, you don’t have to be the winner you just have to know that you tried.   Time moved on and I was a single mum. I met Kyle and found out about Black Nova Designs and read the business plan and just thought WOW! This has potential, we could do this and make something together building the dream business, helping others while making sure our family and kids were put first.  Tell us about when your interest in IT started? Did you want to work in this area when you both left school? Kyle has been an IT geek from around 8 years old, building PCs and was a competitive online gamer at a young age. Oh and there was that time where he took over the schools wireless network as a teenager! Turns out he knew about wireless networks and security even back then.  Kyle has a special skill, he just loves it all! He loves problem solving, he gets pleasure from fixing problems that are just too technical for us ‘normal’ people.  Me, my interest in IT I don’t think ever started (oops maybe I shouldn’t say that). In reality the reason I started to help in this business is because IT and computers HATE me! There isn’t one I haven’t managed to not break yet – even my own work ones, Kyle genuinely thinks I’m cursed.   But that helps me understand how much our clients have issues, how unbelievably frustrating it is when things don’t work the way you expect them to when your website just isn’t listening and your PC takes forever to load and open.  Was it an easy step setting up Black Nova Designs or a scary one?  Well, we registered with companies house and become a Limited company from the beginning. Setting up was easy, getting the work in was a bit different, and setting prices was again another big challenge.    SThere have been many lessons to learn. The biggest lesson was that not everyone will support you, not everyone will be your ideal client, and that is ok.    Tell us about the triumphs and the challenges of running your own business? Oh wow, there are so many! Triumphs: winning the best website design agency Wiltshire 2018 and 2019 has got to be one of the biggest highlights. And then there is moving into our first ever office premises. The company has grown from strength to strength, which is all thanks to our amazing team, family and support network. The biggest challenge is keeping up with the kid’s very hectic social schedule, school runs and time management.  Being a husband and wife team, is it easy to work together? Tell us about the Black Nova team. Is it easy to work together – ABSOLUTELY NOT! The team do a great job of mediation, it requires a lot of tea, Domino’s ordering and disco dancing in the office … There are days when one of us will work from the office and one will work from home, its best that way! Social media might portray we are 100% working together all the time, but we will let you into a secret, working together is so hard!  We do our best to have very separate job roles and not interfere. Truth be told I think Kyle prefers site visits than being in the office anyway.  To be fair, we do make it work better than you might imagine. We motivate each other on the rough days, and we understand each other’s struggles (mostly) and know when we need an ego boost or time out.  The rest of our team are incredible! Sasha, Melissa and Jana are incredible website designers. We also have a few other amazing contractors that help with onsite work and remote support – the team is the most important part of the business to us. Without them we couldn’t do what we do. Most of our staff are part-time but we truly rely on them. They always provide work and services that we are proud of. We stand by our team – without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.  What are your future plans with Black Nova Designs? Grow, bigger and better. Kyle will be sitting his Ubiquiti Unifi Wireless installer certification very shortly, among his other talents, he will then be a qualified wireless installer. Some of the staff will be increasing their work hours over the next few months and our 5 year plan is to have a much larger office, with more work stations for network builds, PC repairs and maybe some additional tech geeks in the office full time. Future plans are to release Kyle of being the ‘god of all knowledge’ and have a number of expert employees in each sector.  On a day off, where would we find you both? With the kids enjoying a family day out, enjoying the outdoor sunshine, or just relaxing at a spa. Family time is treasured, when we get an extra chance to spend time with the kids we take it.  Where do you both hope to be in ten years’ time? Running the company from a yacht in the Bahamas … only joking ☺ We would love to open branches of the company around the county, bringing more of the knowledge and IT care to more people. Kyle has plans for himself and the team to take more certifications and accreditations. He wants the team to provide the best possible service to all clients and always continuing to push us all to be the best version of ourselves we can be.  Against the Clock  Planes, Trains or Automobile: Automobile Beer or Champagne:  Beer Cheese or Chocolate: Chocolate Sunshine or Snow:  Sunshine Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Far Away Shores Spend or Save: Spend PC or Mac: PC Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating Out Music or Film: Music (yes we both had the exact same answers against the clock as each other) Please visit: https://www.blacknovadesigns.co.uk/ Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blacknovadesigns Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacknovadesigns/ Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blacknovadesign

If you follow Haynet and the Equestrian and Countrystyle Blogger of the Year Awards, you will be familiar with judge Ashley Rossiter from MirrorMePR. In a recent announcement, the awards have been split into two sectors with MirrorMePR taking over being the host and running of the Equestrian Blogger/Vlogger of the Year Awards. Sam Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Ashley to find out more about the force and personality behind MirrorMePR, an award winning public relations & social media marketing agency: You have a strong passion for fashion, style and rural life. Were you brought up in this environment as a child? “We didn’t grow up in a particularly rural area, but we had a large garden, and there were plenty of fields and horses at the end of my road, so I spent much of my time in the great outdoors! I suppose my passion for fashion and style came from my parents; My mother was always very stylish, and my father was a music producer, so they were pretty cool growing up!.” What were your childhood ambitions? Was it an easy route to head into a career in fashion, or was it a tough road? “I knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry very early on. I loved creative writing as well, so I decided I wanted to work as a fashion journalist at quite a young age. My parents were very supportive in my career choice, but the careers officer at my school wasn’t so keen and suggested I choose a ‘secretarial role’ instead of chasing after something ‘unobtainable’. That made me even more determined! I didn’t know anyone in fashion, but I knew I wanted to do something along those lines, so I went to London College Of Fashion, studied fashion journalism and ended up styling celebrities and writing for mainstream women’s magazines as well as regularly presenting on TV for various fashion slots. PR came later and was a natural side-step, given my journalist and stylist experience, and I love it!” What advice would you give a school leaver that wanted a career particularly in the area of equestrian and rural marketing and PR? “Don’t give up!  My career path didn’t always go smoothly (I started in PR when I left college but ended up diversifying into styling, and that was the route that took me to where I am now!). Stay focused but be prepared to be adaptable too! Also, you really have to believe in the products you promote – if you don’t you’ll struggle to sell them into the press! I personally love luxury, fashion, horses and pets so have built our company’s USP’s in those areas.” Tell us about MirrorMePR and why you set your own business up. What have been the triumphs and challenges? “Again, circumstances changed, so I went from freelance to setting up my own agency by chance. The triumphs? Growing brands and being part of their journeys and helping small start-ups at the very beginning of theirs with our small business coaching services. The challenges? Like all business, we have had our challenges but nothing which can’t be solved by a strong cuppa and a slice of cake!” You have worked in the fashion industry for many years and in television. How has this experience and knowledge helped run your own business in PR and consultancy? “Having been on the ‘other side of the fence’ means that I understand journalists and brands and the way they like to work and their expectations of the PR & marketing relationship. With video a growing medium, having presented on camera and also directed behind the scenes, I help our clients with their on-camera delivery. Some people are just naturally good on camera but for most people, help and training in this area can really make the difference when presenting the right brand persona. My styling skills also come in handy on shoots too (you’d be amazed at how many uses a bulldog clip has on a photoshoot!)” Social media marketing is a challenging place to be at the moment! What do you feel is the future of promoting a brand socially? “Video content is king, but anything live is also a big winner. Creating and developing your brand personality is essential. And my advice – get someone with the expertise and knowledge to manage your social media if you can – you’ll get your life and your sanity back!” You are a huge animal lover! Tell us about your animals past and present that have been a big part of your life. “Oh gosh, I’ve had the joy of numerous horses in my life since my early 20’s – owned, shared and loaned but all loved very much! I didn’t have a pony as a child, but that didn’t stop me having my own full grooming kit (To be used when I went for my weekly riding lesson at my local riding school of course?!). My first horse coming back into riding as an adult was Jack, an ex-racehorse. Let’s say I learnt a lot from Jack – mostly how to ride correctly!! Dogs have always been part of my life too, and my first dog Jeff, a Jack Russell  X Chi is now an old man but still chasing squirrels at 17 (when they are near enough for him to spot!).” What are your future plans and goals for MirrorMePR? “To continue to deliver an unrivalled service to our clients and have fun along the way!” On a day off, where would we find you? “Brunch/Lunch/Afternoon Tea somewhere nice, mostly eating.” Where do you hope to be in ten years? “Enjoying the job as much as I do now!” Against the Clock Bays, Greys or Chestnuts: Ohhh bays because they’re easy to keep clean but Greys because when they are clean – they look epic!! Gin or Champagne: Champagne (re-affirming the ‘Ab Fab’ stereotype) Cheese or Chocolate: Can I have both? I do love a good cheeseboard though… Sunshine or Snow: Being horsey – it has to be sunshine! Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Love the home counties but with sunshine, not snow, please. Spend or Save: Err best not ask my accountant that one! Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating out as I cannot cook anything edible past pasta or pizza. Music or Film: Music to sing, run, dance and unwind to. Wellies or Heels: Wellies every time – especially for festivals or at work events. Ashley Rossiter is MD of Award-Winning Equestrian, Country & Lifestyle PR & Social Media Marketing agency, MirrorMePR. With over 30 years of industry experience, Ashley was a fashion and celebrity stylist, TV fashion presenter and fashion journalist writing for numerous women’s magazines, prior to working in PR. Her claim to fame is appearing in an Ant & Dec pop video.Please visit: www.mirrormepr.co.uk Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrormepr/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MirrorMePR/

Horse lover and owner Emma Batcheler has a passion for finding unique gifts for her friends and family. Hooves & Love was born out of that joy buying gifts for someone special or simply treating yourself can bring. Samantha Hobden from Haynet recently caught up with Emma in its Chatting A Bit series to find out more about the story behind her brand: Being a horse mad mummy, your love for horses is strong. Were you brought up in this environment as a child? Neither of my parents are horsey but I was introduced to them when I was young by my Aunty, who had horses. I used to go riding when we went to visit my grandparents, and that soon turned into lessons at my local riding stables which then turned into pony days and the love and passion blossomed from there. What was your childhood ambition? Was it to always work in the equestrian world? I really wanted to be in the Mounted Police when I was a child. I thought it would be the greatest job ever to do on horseback. But then I found out that you had to do 2 years ‘on the beat’   before going into the mounted division and I’m a wimp in the dark so decided I couldn’t do that! I always knew I wanted horses in my life though. In the last year you have launched a unique gift box company aimed at the equestrian industry. What made you step into this area of the business? After having children, I was keen to get back into work but wanted to do something where I could work around the children and horses but also stay connected to the equestrian world because I’m so passionate about it. I’m a self-confessed shopper, I can google things all day long and after seeing many posts on social media and forums where people would ask what to buy their horsey friend/partner/mum etc I thought it would be a great idea to source some unique products and bring them all together into a gift box. Tell us about Hooves & Love and its vision. What are you particularly proud of with your company? I’m really proud to have made such wonderful connections with suppliers and customers and I hope this continues into the future. I am completely passionate about Hooves & Love in every way. My aim is to inspire people with unique gifts and to make someone really feel special when they receive one of my boxes. From the very first moment of opening the parcel, I hope to engage their senses and put a smile on their face.   What have been the up and downs of working within this area of the equestrian industry? The biggest ups for me are when a customer tells me they love the gift box, or who they’ve given it too loves it – that really makes my heart smile. Sometimes a customer will tell me a story behind the giving of a box and I’ll do some extra little touches to make it really special for that recipient. I’m totally in my element when I’m putting an order together. I don’t think there is a specific downside with the equestrian industry but the downside of running your own business is time – because of family commitments and the horses, I can’t work 9-5 hours so I’m usually up very early before the children wake to get some work done, then do some during school hours and then late at night. So it can feel like I’m never not working! What would be your key advice for a school leaver that wanted to work in the equestrian industry? Surround yourself with people who are encouraging, supportive and positive towards your passion and dreams. Always sponge in information – I have so many people around me who are amazing at what they do and experts in their field,  and I am forever learning from them in order to better myself and expand my mind. What are your future plans for Hooves & Love? I’ll keep working hard and let’s see where the business goes! On a day off, where would we find you? Spending time with my family or at the stables!! Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time? Hopefully still doing what I’m doing! Against the Clock  Beer or Champagne: Neither – I don’t like anything fizzy!! Sunshine or Snow: Sunshine Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Home Counties Spend or Save: Spend (oops!) Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating Out (because I’m a terrible cook!!) Music or Film: Music Wellies or Heels: Wellies Please visit: https://hoovesandlove.co.uk/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoovesandLove Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hooves_and_love/

Found in the county of Worcestershire, Rhea Freeman is well known in the equestrian and countryside industry for her marketing and coaching skills within rural business. Working with a variety of businesses, Rhea works passionately in getting a product and brand exactly where it needs to be. With a young family, horses and her famous dog Jam to juggle in her hectic coaching business, Samantha Hobden recently caught up with Rhea to find out more behind the story of her brand: Your love for rural life comes across strongly Rhea. Has this passion been with you from your childhood? Yes, kind of! I started riding when I was about sixish – despite my parents having no connection to horses at all. That said, Mum and Dad were really supportive, which was lucky as I’ve been addicted to anything equine since then! I think when you spend that much time in a field chasing naughty ponies that won’t be caught, pulling ragwort and a range of other equestrian tasks, you really do get a huge appreciation for the countryside, and that’s something that’s just grown and grown!   What was your childhood ambition? Was it to always work within an area that was countryside based? It was actually to be a vet. I’ve always loved animals so it kind of made sense that I’d want to help them. The slight issue came in that I’m actually a bit squeamish… OK, I say a bit, I was filming a video at a vets a few years ago when a bone fragment had gone into the horse’s sinuses and was being removed. I had to go outside for a bit as I felt very funny! Another issue was that I had spent such a long time on yards, being hands on with horses day in, day out, and working alongside some really good instructors that I felt a really strong pull to this. Which I appreciate doesn’t seem quite the same… but I actually felt that the day to day aspect and teaching people to ride and care for their horses properly would be hugely rewarding too. So after getting some really good grades at school… I went to become a riding instructor.   When did you decide to step into the world of rural marketing? What advice would you give a school leaver who was thinking of a career in this line of work? It actually happened by accident. I was always good at English at school and really enjoyed it too… so as I was instructing and looking after people’s horses, I had the opportunity to write a monthly column about it for a magazine… which I did…and loved. This work opened the doors to copywriting work for equestrian companies… and that opened the doors to the world of PR. And that has changed a LOT since I started! It was a crazy amount of hard work, but so rewarding. For school leavers, I would advise getting experience. Appreciate you will start at the bottom, learn all you can, work harder than you thought possible and be aware that you’ll need to do things for free/for very little to gain the experience. Experience can’t be beaten in my opinion.     What have been the challenges of working and running your own marketing and coaching business? Tell us about the highs and lows. Not enough hours in a day is a common challenge. I have two young children so my business has evolved a lot since I had them… and I’m pleased it has but it takes some adjusting. I moved away from doing ‘straight’ PR as I call it about two years ago now to move into coaching as it was something I was being asked for and, in all honestly, with the way printed media is going, there’s a) so much more out there than traditional PR and b) a lot of people can do it themselves with the right support. That said, I do have a handful of clients I work with across their PR and digital/social platforms… but these are in the minority. The highs are definitely when projects I’ve supported clients with work well. And I’m really lucky in that there are a lot of highs. The lows are often technology based when something goes wonky, and the balance of being a good mum and present for that alongside working. The thing is, I really do love my work. I obviously love the children too, but to me, work doesn’t feel like work, so I get the lines blurred a bit.   Business in the countryside and equestrian industry can be tough? What advice do you give clients who want to improve their online presence? Consistency is SO important. I see so many people try things for a few weeks and give up. That’s the thing, it won’t take a few weeks… and if you see success in that space of time KEEP GOING. Also, appreciate that everyone, even people who call themselves experts/gurus are JUST LEARNING LIKE YOU. The platforms change all the time. I’ve been called an expert quite a lot, which is lovely and makes me smile, but I just think that that badge means I’m keeping up with all the developments that are going on, learning about them and applying them/teaching them faster/better than your average person. It’s all a constant learning process… and just when you think you’ve got it sussed… they’ll tweak the algorithm. This is where people usually throw their toys out them pram. This is when you can win.   How long have you been horse riding? Do you manage to get in the saddle at all with work and a family life to juggle? I’ve been riding since I was about six… and my cob Marilyn has been mine (OK, she owns me, I just paid the money to have that privilege!) since I was 16. In all honesty, I don’t juggle it well. The horses live at home and have a very lovely life as pretty lawnmowers. I’ve probably ridden three times since I had the children. There just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day and that’s the thing that has given at the moment.   Tell us about the animals that share your life. I have three – two horses and one dog! I have Marilyn who is basically responsible for my life now, her son Gu, and Jam the dog. I bought Marilyn from my now mother in law… so she really is responsible for everything! Gu is Marilyn x Mill Law but is incredibly low mileage as he was a swine to back. And Jam. Well, she’s something else. Jam is a rescued trailhound who is without a doubt the naughtiest dog I have ever met. She drives me mad most days with her many, many quirks and attempts at/actual theft BUT she has a heart of gold and is a lovely person.   What are your future plans for Rhea Freeman Equestrian and Countryside Coach? Where do I start?! I’ve given a couple of TEDx talks this year and have really enjoyed that. I do a bit of guest lecturing at a couple of Universities around social media and have said yes to a few other speaking opportunities too. I’m loving the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group – my new membership platform – and I’m so excited to be working with the businesses in there too. The Small & Supercharged Podcast is doing really well too… and that really excites me as I love doing that. So I’m multi passionate I think it’s fair to say. I think having this view means that I can develop in an all round way and share what I learn in different ways – through doing in some cases but through teaching in others. I have lots of plans and goals… so I guess you’ll have to watch this space a bit! If you hadn’t had travelled down the rural themed career path, what would have been your Plan B? That is a good question. Either something marketing/social media based or maybe something connected to equine health.     On a day off, where would we find you? I don’t have too many of them, but probably at home reading, or at some hellish soft play area with the children. Why I have to get involved in scaling five stories of soft play is still beyond me…   Where do you hope to be in ten years time? Honestly? I’m not sure. With the speed things are moving at the moment I can’t quite plan the minutiae of that, but happy, healthy, horsey and really helping our industry move forward.   Against the Clock  Schoolmasters or Youngsters: Schoolmasters… after backing Gu I’ll take schoolmasters any day of the week! Champagne or Gin: Gin Sunshine or Snow: Snow Home Counties or Far Away Shores: Home Counties Home Cooked or Eating Out: Home Cooked Spend or Save: Save Music or Film: Film Horse Racing or Racing Cars: Can I say eventing instead?!   Please visit Rhea Freeman Equestrian and Countryside Coach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RheaFreemanPR/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rheafreeman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rheafreemanpr/   Image credits: Sophie Callahan Photography

With pony club the heart of her equestrian childhood and her GB endurance rider mother teaching her to ride, the eventing path was a natural one to follow for Georgie Strang. From gaining the ride of four-star horse Master Monarch, her international career kicked off in 2009 . Georgie quickly progressed to representing Great Britain at the University Championships in Korea with a silver team medal win and making her four-star debut at Burghley in 2010. Recent years has seen her Badminton and Nations Cup debut competing with a series of very talented horses. Now based at Sir Mark Todd’s yard, Georgie’s equestrian and eventing future continues to be a very exciting one! Samantha Hobden caught up with Georgie recently in Haynet’s Chatting A Bit series to find out more about Georgie Strang and her future equestrian plans: What is your earliest memory when riding ponies as a child? From the age of four, my sister Jo and I were always bombing around the farm, quite often bareback, on our amazing but very cheeky ponies –  with Mum shouting at us to slow down! Why did you choose to focus on eventing? Was it an easy decision to follow this direction into equestrian sport? I did all pony club activities as a kid, from mounted games to tetrathlon and have been so lucky to have such a supportive mother. I was a member of the Romney Marsh Pony Club, who were always amazing and played a huge part in the early days of my riding career. I had great friends and we were fairly competitive and successful which helped. I went straight from my 12.2 pony to a homebred 15.2 , who gave me my first taste of eventing success at the Pony Club championships. I think this is what gave me the eventing bug!  Since then I have had the opportunity, through friends and owners, to ride some extremely talented horses and I have never looked back! What do you look for in an event horse? Do you go with your gut feeling or should a horse meet a list of requirements? I definitely get a gut feeling. Conformation and type is essential. I am drawn to a kind eye and they must have a sense of presence. I look for athleticism and a feel of effortlessness in what they are doing, whether it’s trotting across the field or loose jumping. Which equestrian rider do you take inspiration from and why?   As a child, I was totally in awe of Tina Cook and Pippa Funnell. Being from the South East I got to see them at local events all the time. When I started BE Eventing at sixteen, I couldn’t believe I was competing alongside them. I have been lucky to get to know them over the years, and their kindness, talent, determination and humbleness inspires me even more today. If you hadn’t gone down the equestrian career path, what would have been your Plan B? I contemplated studying Physiotherapy at University. I’d have loved to have been a physio for a big sports team. What are your plans and goals for the rest of this year?  My autumn aims are Burghley with Diana Morrish’s Cooley Earl, and for the BYEH 5yo Championships with Global Quest. Then the young horse championships at Osberton with Monbeg Odyssey, Global Quest and Red Hot Cooley. Who have been your support network with your equestrian career?  I have been incredibly lucky to have such wonderful, supportive, understanding and knowledgeable parents, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am without them. I am also so lucky to have some truly amazing owners, who have stuck by me and supported me for many years. Along with being able to share the ups and downs with my partner Jesse Campbell. From your Badminton Trot Up outfit this year it is clear you have a keen eye for fashion and style. What are your favourite key pieces you could not live without? [Laughing] I don’t know about that. I am rarely out of breeches but I do love an excuse to feel more girlie. Even as a small child I’d be running around the farm in wellies and a dress. I couldn’t live without my Fairfax and Favour Kensington Boots that go with everything, and a heel just big enough for me not to go arse over tit! On a day off, where can we find you?    If I’m not eventing, Jesse probably is so I’ll be supporting him. Otherwise, I’ll be seeing friends and family. I love to just relax at home with the dogs and a good Netflix series, but it’s not often I get the chance. Where would you like to be in ten years time?  I would love to eventually have my own yard and continue to produce young horses to the top level for wonderful owners. Hopefully winning lots of prizes along the way! Against The Clock Bays, Greys or Chestnuts: Bays Champagne or Gin: Champagne Schoolmaster or Youngster: Youngster Sunshine or Snow: Sunshine Home Cooked or Eating Out: Eating Out Spend or Save: Spend Music or Film: Film Horse Racing or Racing Cars: Horse Racing   You can find Georgie Strang on Facebook and Instagram  Georgie and her horses are supported by Balanced Horse Feeds. For efficient nutrition and to find out more about Balanced Horse Feeds, please visit:  https://balancedhorsefeeds.co.uk / www.facebook.com/balancedhorsefeeds/

Kent born Tom Jackson has been surrounded by horses all his life. After finishing school with a sports scholarship, Tom spent the next two years breaking and schooling young and troublesome horses working for Sasha Pemple. With this valuable experience, he joined Dassett Eventing which took him to the next step of running his own yard which includes training four horses that are competing at advanced/3* level. Having completed Badminton in 2017 for the first time on his horse Waltham Fiddlers’ Find (Wes), Tom is now working towards achieving his goals of representing Team GBR at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games in years to come, together with running at Badminton again this year. Samantha Hobden caught up with Tom recently in Haynet’s Tea in the Tack Room series, to find out more about his busy life training and competing his event horses and what the future holds. What is your earliest memory when riding ponies as a child? Tell us about your childhood spent with horses and ponies We went to a local show on my leading rein pony to do a show jumping class. It was going really well until Mum didn’t jump high enough and knocked a pole down! I just remember being very annoyed needless to say I haven’t let her forget it. Why did you choose to focus on eventing? Was it an easy decision to follow this direction into equestrian sport? For me, it’s always been eventing. Even when I was at school all I wanted to do was get my exams out the way so I could go and work for a rider.     You have worked with young and troublesome horses in the past – what would be your advice to an owner that is having a difficult time with their young horse’s behaviour?  Keep things simple and clear. People can sometimes get caught up in the middle ground where the horse doesn’t understand and the rider isn’t getting what they want. Make it as black and white as you can so they can understand what you want from them. What has been the challenges and triumphs of running your own yard? I’ll start with the triumphs. I am very proud and feel very privileged that we have been able to build such a large string of quality horses with a hugely supportive backbone of owners who make it all possible. I always dreamt of being in the position I am now but making it a reality seemed a million miles away at some points. The challenges for us are trying to build a successful and sustainable business in what is renowned for being a tough industry to make enough money when you’re not fortunate enough to have parents financial baking. We have been incredibly lucky to have invaluable support from the Jenkins my oldest owners who help with the running and setup of the business was instrumental in the first couple of years.     What do you look for in a competition horse? Do you go with your gut feeling or should a horse meet a list of requirements in your professional eye? I think the most important things to look for are horses that have a good brain and conformation. Which equestrian rider do you take inspiration from and why? Pippa Funnell, mainly because she has won everything but also because of the way she trains and produces her horses. I have been lucky enough to train with Pippa for the past 18 months and love the way she goes about riding. If you hadn’t gone down the equestrian career path, what would have been your Plan B? There wasn’t really a plan B. It was a shit or bust approach. What are your plans and goals for this year? The big aim for this year has to be a top 10 place at Badminton. Who have been your support network with your equestrian career? Too many people to name, there has been so many people over the years that have helped get me to this point. Of course all of my owners, staff and sponsors as well as Pippa for all her support, but the biggest support has to have come from my girlfriend and yard manager Sabrina, we started the business together and she is as much the reason for any success we have as I am. On a day off, where can we find you? In our job they are a rare occurrence but when we do its a pub lunch or Netflix and chill! Against The Clock Questions Bays, Greys or Chesnuts   Bay Champagne or Beer   Beer Schoolmaster or Youngster   A talented Youngster Home Cooked or Eating Out  Eating out Spend or Save    Save Music or Film    Film Horse Racing or Racing Cars    Horse racing     Please visit Tom Jackson Eventing: https://www.tomjacksoneventing.co.uk/ Follow on Facebook  Header Image: Credit Nigel Goddard

If you think horse riding is purely enjoyed through the rural counties of the UK, then think again. The Urban Equestrian Academy is a super initiative set up recently to encourage children living in an urban environment to encourage the love of riding and working with horses and ponies. Haynet recently interviewed the founder of Azeezah’s Pony Club, Freedom Zampaladus who gave an insight on how this equestrian project was set up among the streets of Leicester: This is a great initiative to promote equestrian sport to young children, especially those who have not had contact with horses and ponies before. How did this idea come about? My story in relation to how I got into the ‘Equestrian World’ is extremely unique, so much so that 2 years ago I decided to write my autobiography about it. It’s called ‘From the Hood 2 Horses’ and is available on Amazon.com or through my website www.hood2horses.co.uk. Today I work in partnership with a number of ‘Equestrian Centres/ Riding Schools’. The idea for ‘Azeezah’s Junior Pony Club’ came after my daughter’s observation of my involvement/ history with horses. Having heard my stories being aware of my book and being active working with these animals, one day she said she wanted a pony. Not being in a position to buy her a pony but being on a mission to set up my equestrian business I thought if I can’t buy her a pony, I will develop a ‘Pony Club’ as one of our services in her name for all socially excluded disadvantaged young peoples. The Pony Club is named after my daughter. How have the children reacted to spending time with the horses and ponies? They have absolutely loved it!! We have overachieved in all departments and received support from right across the country. We have over 50 registered young people all extremely enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity we have given them. We haven’t even promoted the service in a major way due to the nature of the funding we received, as the terms and conditions linked to it mean we have to work within a specific locality. We aim to expand on this in the coming months. Have any of the children changed their outlook on life in the country and taking part in equestrian activities? Yes absolutely! The age range we work with regards the ‘Pony Club’ is 6 years of age to 12 years of age and so I wouldn’t say they have changed their outlook on life in the country as they don’t know much about living in the country, but I can say they have taken to being out in the country extremely well. I believe the freedom experienced being out of the ‘Concrete Jungle’ has meant happier children; our sessions run weekly on a Thursday evening term time and we get a full house of young people every week (15 – 20). Our Pony Play Schemes and Camps have been equally popular and successful which run during the half terms. Has any aspiring equestrian talent come to light with the children that have been riding through Azeezah’s Pony Playscheme? Our youngsters have only ridden during the May half term. Which entailed six rides over 3 intensive days as the Club is non–riding and the Playscheme is riding. They’ve had a limited time riding; however what has been astonishing is the desire shown to want to ride and want to improve their riding ability as most of these youngsters had never ever ridden before. The feedback from the equestrian world has been amazing in that they too are astonished at the ability of these young people in relation to these youngsters riding ability, with a number of individuals displaying a natural balance when it comes to riding. Our aim is to now develop the club further by seeking further support/ funding to allow the young people involved a more consistent level of riding. How can people help with supporting this super equestrian initiative? Well, all and any help/ support is more than welcome; one way you can support us is by donating to our crowdfunding campaign which was launched last October. We are aiming to raise £8.3k for own 17 seater minibus which will allow us to deliver not only on a more consistent basis but will allow us to generate an income and deliver more ‘Pony Club’ sessions and develop and deliver other sessions we have in the pipeline. For further information on how you can donate please visit our website www.urbanequestrian.co.uk , my website www.hood2horses.co.uk where you can find out about my personal journey as well as my other business activities or go directly to www.spacehive.com/urban-equestrian. Equally, if you believe you can assist us in other capacities we would absolutely love to hear from you as our ultimate goal is to have our own land base for the ‘Urban Equestrian Academy’ to be able to deliver our philosophy through ‘Equine Assisted Learning’ programmes on a full-time basis.