A rider who went from “a difficult upbringing on an urban council estate” to being an owner, breeder and equine researcher wants to highlight how horses changed her life – in hopes they will do the same for others.
Joanne was brought up in a single-parent family and had to overcome a chronic pain condition. But thanks to her graft, determination and refusal to let go of her dream, she is living it – and she hopes other people can too. She left school with two GCSEs, but is now a master’s degree student at the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, with one research paper on equine weaning published and another on the way.
“I felt that my personal journey offers a lot of hope and encouragement to young people today,” she told H&H. “Horses have driven me out of poverty, poor health and low academic achievement and I believe that the story is an important one.
“I had a lot of issues; when I left school with my two GCSEs and the chronic pain condition, it was a bit of a bleak outlook. But from a young age – other people have imaginary friends, but I had an imaginary horse.”
Joanne said she was “always horse-mad” but lived in an urban setting without opportunities to ride. But then she saw an article in Pony magazine about someone who helped at a yard in return for riding.
“I thought ‘That’s a thing?’” she said. “I got the Yellow Pages and rang every riding school and asked if I could do the same and they all said no – apart from one.”
Joanne had to get the bus and walk a mile to Hargate Equestrian Centre to get her horsey fix that started her equestrian journey. She went from helping on a Saturday to an apprenticeship there.
“That was the catalyst for things changing,” she said. “I spent 10 years there as a groom and did my NVQ level three but had to quit as the pain condition got so bad; doctors and physios said there was nothing they could do.”
Then Joanne found someone who “got me to think about the pain differently”.
“There were some trauma elements to it all so it was a long journey but I’m pain-free now,” she said.
During that time Joanne went to work for Boots and had a 12-year career there, but then saw clearing places were available on an equine science degree. She had gone back to college to resit – and pass well – her English and maths GCSEs, so won a place.
“Some land came up for rent, so I got horses back in my life at the same time,” she said. “I did so well, after the three years, I wanted to do a master’s degree. The only university offering pure research master’s, which I wanted to do, was Nottingham. I threw a few ideas in, got two supervisors and went for the weaning research. I’d seen some traumatic experiences of foals who were abruptly weaned, so I suppose that sowed the seed.”
As well as her research and her own horses, Joanne won a British Equestrian bursary to do coaching, with the Pony Club.
“This journey with horses is getting bigger and bigger,” she said. “I’ve been coaching and supporting the [British Horse Society’s] Changing Lives Through Horses programme, and I also work with [special educational needs] SEN children. The potential for equine-facilitated learning is huge – it’s been my whole life journey. Even though I wasn’t in a programme, everything that’s inspired me to achieved what I have achieved has been the horses.”
Joanne has a former racehorse mare, and a youngster out of her, by an Oldenburg stallion.
“And through my research, I was able to facilitate an evidence-based weaning programme with him,” she added. “So they’re connected to my work; it’s all bits of the same jigsaw puzzle.”
Joanne also encouraged her stepdaughter to take part in the CLTH programme; she went from not being at school to taking GCSE equivalents and an equine leadership award, and now hopes to go to equine college and take her English and maths GCSEs.
“The horses have now manifested in someone else’s life and given her a path that wasn’t there,” Joanne said. “The more I do, the more I realise the need for these programmes; school attendance is so low and children often learn through activity rather than academic ways. This is why equine-facilitated learning is so important. I’ve experienced how it can transform lives; it’s so powerful.”
Joanne said such programmes can also help struggling riding schools, so everyone benefits.
“I thought if I can get my story out, it will help,” she said. “I’m the end point; I’ve gone to vet school, had research published – none of it would have been possible without horses.”
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