About Me

Hi, I'm Cyan. I have a relentless desire to learn, and I'm fascinated by how horses experience and interact with the world around them.

Much of this began with my own horse, Callie, a 17 year old Warmblood mare.

We've been together for nearly 13 years and have grown up together. I was 14 when I bought her as a five-year-old, and she was frankly, far too much horse for a novice teenager to handle. She's an exeptionally intelligent and opinionated mare who has always had very definite ideas of her own!

Our early years were tumultuous, and I learnt a lot of lessons the hard way. Traditional approached simply didn't work for Callie. There was no way to coerce or force her into doing something she wasn't comfortable with, and I gradually realised that I needed to do better rather than expecting her to simply comply.

Finding approaches based on attunement, communication and giving the horse greater autonomy completely changed our relationship. Callie has blossomed into an incredibly willing partner. She's still very much her own character (the main one in her opinion!). Her favourite activity is finding increasingly inventive ways to impress people in exchange for treats, and especially if it can involve showing off her spanish walk.

The journey has sparked a relentless curiosity about how we communicate with horses and what happens when we genuinely start listening to them.

Nula has also had a huge influence on the direction I've taken.

She came to me fresh from racing, having already been in a new home for a short period which didn't suit her. She was incredibly kind, sweet Thoroughbred mare, but carried an enormous amount of nervous energy. She wanted so badly to please, yet seemed almost trapped inside her own thoughts.

Working with her taught me a huge amount about slowing things down, helping horses feel safe and understood, and allowing the time and space to process what we're asking of them.

Watching her gradually relax and become more confident was incredibly rewarding, and working with her gave me the confidence to realise this was something I wanted to do for other horses and their people too.

Nula was a very special horse, and she remains an important part of why I do what I do.

While my own horses have been instrumental in shaping the initial direction of my work, it's the horses I've had the privilege of working with through my clients who have had an equally profound influence on the person and professional I've become.

Some of these horses hold a particularly special place in my heart. I genuinely love my clients' horses as if they were my own, and I'm deeply invested in their wellbeing, happiness and long-term futures. I believe every horse has something to teach us, and I can honestly say that every horse I've worked with has taught me something. From the smallest breakthroughs to the most significant transformations, being part of their journeys is something I value enormously.

Smartie

Smartie's journey has been a long and sometimes challenging one. Over more than three years, we've navigated ongoing medical issues, pain memory, physical rehabilitation and considerable anxiety. Throughout that time, I've worked closely with her wider team, including local and referral vets, her remedial farrier and osteopath. Together, we've built a collaborative, Smartie-centred approach tailored to her individual needs.

Much of our early work involved slow, progressive exercises to build strength as part of her rehabilitation. This was physically demanding for Smartie, and understandably, she sometimes found it frustrating. We've spent a great deal of time developing her posture, straightness and balance through careful gymnastic work, while also helping her manage the world around her. She was once so anxious about the hedge line in her home arena that even standing near it was simply too much for her.

Today, she can comfortably canter down that same arena hedge line, even in challenging weather, which is extroadinary considering where she started. She might still think about spooking, but she's learning to take confidence from her rider, regulate her emotions and carry on. That ability to pause, process and keep going is an enormous achievement for her.

There have been plenty of stops and starts along the way, and progress hasn't always been easy to see. But Smartie has retained so much of what she's learned, and now, after years of patient work and adapting to whatever each day brings, things are really beginning to come together. She's stronger, more confident and increasingly able to enjoy her schooling. She's almost unrecognisable from the horse I first met.

Harry

Harry was once largely unhandled and deeply fearful of people. He had very few positive experiences with people, and previous attempts to help him had left him traumatised. When I first met him, the only thing he could tolerate was me sitting on the floor, more than 30 metres away. Even standing up at that distance was enough to send him fleeing.

Building trust was a slow process, so we worked entirely at his pace, stepping back whenever he became concerned and giving him the time and space to feel safe. Over the course of around eighteen months, that trust transformed his confidence and his willingness to try new things.

One of my favourite changes was seeing him recognise my car and come bounding up the field, calling out in excitement for our sessions. The horse who once wanted nothing to do with people had become a wonderfully friendly, affectionate little character who absolutely loves scratches and wants to be involved in everything.

Seeing him flourish has been incredibly rewarding. Harry no longer needs my regular input. Sometimes, success means working yourself out of a job, and I can't think of a better outcome for him.

I'm incredibly grateful to all the owners who have placed their trust in me and allowed me to be part of their horses' lives. I'm working with their much-loved companions, and I never take that responsibility lightly. Progress isn't always visible from one session to the next. There are days when things feel harder, when a horse seems to take a step backwards, or when the best thing we can do is simply meet them where they are that day. Having owners who trust me, trust the process and remain patient through those ups and downs makes all the difference. Some of these relationships have grown into genuine friendships, and I'm enormously grateful for the people and horses who have become such an important part of my journey.