The Back Lady

About Me

My background

Amongst other things, I am a Back Care Specialist, a Saddle Fitter and a Ride With Your Mind Coach. I was a typical pony mad child and teenager, and have ridden since the age of 6. To start with my riding was a weekly lesson, as my family lived in London. I spent a number of years going round in circles in a riding school, falling off with monotonous regularity, riding a large variety of naughty riding school ponies and loving it!
When I was 15 I was thrilled when my family moved to Somerset, and I got my own pony – Honey, with whom I did my best to catch up on lost Pony Club years.

On leaving school, I worked for a season looking after Hunt horses before going to University to study Physiology and Biochemistry of Farm Animals at Reading.

Before I set out on the journey that has brought me to where I am now, I spent nearly 7 years walking the beat in Central Bristol as a Police Constable in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

What I do now is entirely due to a grumpy bay Arab gelding called Mehnif – Nif to his friends. My mother and I bought Nif when he was a recently gelded, rising 5 year old, with the intention that my mother would take him Endurance riding. However, Nif had other ideas, and also suffered with a poorly fitting saddle and back problems. This sparked my interest in saddle fitting, and led to my introduction to Lavinia Mitchell, who, at the time was a Balance Saddling Consultant. Physiotherapy and a Balance Saddle made a huge difference to Nif, and prompted me to change career from WPC to Chiropractor. Nif was also the catalyst for my introduction to Mary Wanless and RWYM, and Intelligent Horsemanship with Kelly Marks (no relation).

Background Education

At the time, to become an Animal Chiropractor, you had to be a Human one first, so I spent 4 years studying at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth. I graduated with a BSc degree in 1996, and went off to work in Cornwall while I did the 2 year part time McTimoney Chiropractic Animal Course, graduating in 1998 with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Animal Manipulation.

Moving back to Somerset in 1998, I spent the next 8 years working part time in Bath as a Human Chiropractor, whilst establishing my Animal Practice in the area.

I gave up Human practice to concentrate on the Animals full time at the beginning of 2006. This allowed me to expand my interests in saddle fitting and RWYM coaching, and to start incorporating them into the practice.

In the intervening years I have also trained as an 'Equine Bodyworker' (EBW) with Debranne Patillo of Equinenergy, as well as taking a short course on Craniosacral therapy for horses with the same organisation. I have accumulated a good understanding of TTEAM techniques, and, though I have no formal qualifications with this organisation, I use some of their principles to good effect, with both body work and ground work. Most recently, I have had very good results using Dr Hilary Clayton's core exercises for horses to supplement the body work.

I have interested myself in the work of Monty Roberts and have particular respect for the work of Dr Deb Bennett. I have also a basic understanding of the principles of ClickerTraining (which I use to good effect with my own horses), Andrew McLean's Learning Theory, and the objectives of the Parellis' work.

Very sadly, this year I have decided to de-register from the General Chiropractic Council register of Chiropractors. I gave up my human practice 6 years ago to focus on the animals and to evolve my business, and I feel I no longer have the need to be registered. This would only benefit me if I intended to return to human practice, which I do not. Unfortunately, this also removes my legal entitlement to call myself a 'Chiropractor', though what I am doing has not changed in any way.

Saddle fitting expertise

My saddle fitting training and experience comes from a variety of sources. Personal experience with my own horses was my early training ground, I have looked into and used a selection of approaches to saddle fitting, including conventional, Balance, Reactor Panel, Flair and treeless. I have made it my business to educate myself on as many approaches to saddle fitting that I can.

As a 'back person', I have always looked at the saddles of my horse clients. Over the years, this observation has led to a profound understanding of what works and what does not.

I have had formal training in saddle fitting as part of my Animal Chiropractic Course, during Continuing Professional Development, and by attending the Society of Master Saddlers’ Foundation Course.

I have done a bridlework course and a saddle reflocking course with David May at the Cumbria School of Saddlery. David is an excellent teacher, and runs modular courses, enabling a working person to learn these essential skills. I find being able to reflock saddles at my workshop, and make flocking adjustments at your yard, is hugely valuable in fine tuning the fit of your saddle.

I have developed and produced my own design of remedial pad – the Pocket Pad, which is a unique pad that can be used on horses with topline muscle loss. It can also work well under a slightly too wide saddle to provide an extremely comfortable arrangement for horses that find most saddles restrictive.

Recently, I have helped Lavinia to develop a numnah in conjunction with Griffin NuuMed. This numnah is exceptionally adaptable, and can be used on almost all horses as a standard numnah, or, with inserts, for remedial fitting.

Ride With Your Mind teacher training

I have ridden on RWYM courses for nearly 2 decades, so I have a well established foundation and understanding of Mary’s works. This stood me in good stead when I decided to go into Coaching professionally, and I am now an Accredited Coach giving lessons on a freelance basis. I also teach on Mary’s RWYM Simulator Courses, which run at her centre in Oxfordshire on a monthly basis, check out her website for more information on these innovative, fun courses.

My previous training as a human Chiropractor gives me an in depth knowledge of how your body moves and functions, this adds an extra dimension to the understanding of RWYM principles. I understand what is likely to injure you, and what is beneficial! There are a number of regularly taught rider positions that are incorrect, and are undoubtedly responsible for causing riders’ back pain. RWYM analysis can frequently identify the causes of such problems.

And finally .....  my horses

I have 3 wonderful horses.

Nif who you have already been introduced to, is now 25, and living in honourable retirement, having been one of my most influential teachers. He carried my mother, who is now 87, safely out hacking until a couple of years ago.

Solo is an 11 year old dapple grey Anglo-Arab gelding, with whom I have alot of fun. We enjoy hacking, RWYM schooling and courses, Endurance (he is an Open level horse), Trec, unaffiliated dressage, and riding club activities. He also looks after my mother, who still rides as if she was in her 60’s.

Tango is my fun for the future, he is a 4yo, bright chestnut National Show Horse (Arab x American Saddlebred). He has a strong character, and takes everything in his stride. He went to 3 shows a a yearling, with 2 firsts and a third placing. Superstar!  More recently he has had his first really big 'grown-up' adventure, going to a weekend Mary course, and I couldn't have asked him to cope better. My horses live in a herd with 2 others. They are all barefoot. I train the horses using an eclectic mix of techniques drawn from Monty Roberts, Clicker Training, TTEAM, and Andrew McLean, and spend quite alot of time working from the ground to prepare for ridden activities. I am always interested in learning more about different or innovative approaches to horsemastership.